LibraryLinkNJ News

For more details about any of our projects, programs, or services please visit the LibraryLinkNJ website!

For questions, suggestions, or help with your account, please reach out to our CE Team: ce@librarylinknj.org

Hello everyone!

Our December newsletter is hot off the virtual press, and we have exciting updates to share. From our upcoming Winter Meeting (where YOU could be a keynote speaker!) to new Spanish language programs and professional development opportunities, there's something for everyone. Plus, we are celebrating the success of our recent Adult Craft Show & Share event, and sharing the results of our first-ever New Jersey Libraries Costume Contest. Dive in to see what's happening in the NJ library community this month!

Kudos to our Technology Advisory Group (L-TAG) and our Director of Special Projects Mi-Sun Lyu and our Online Learning and Digital Content Specialist Jon Braun for their work in leading our AI Ambassadors initiative! The initiative is getting national attention with presentations to the State Libraries and AI Technologies working group (SLAAIT) and most recently through an article in Library Journal. Jon and Mi-Sun did a fantastic job describing the initiative and representing LLNJ and the NJ library community during their interview for the article.

Please join us in welcoming Megan Woods to her new role as part-time Communications and Outreach Assistant. She will work as part of our CE Team to assist with the planning, development, and dissemination of communications to our members, and assist with new and current outreach initiatives. Megan is a current MLS student at Rutgers with a BA in English and Visual Arts from Ramapo College. The position is funded by the Teaching Information Literacy initiative, an IMLS-funded project awarded to NJSL in partnership with LibraryLinkNJ and others.

Wishing you the happiest of holidays and a fantastic new year.

Best regards,

Ralph

The LLNJ team is planning our annual Winter Meeting, and the keynote speaker this year is you!

At this virtual gathering of library staff from around the state, we want to celebrate the successes of all of New Jersey’s incredible libraries and library teams. Sign up to share a brief (up to 4 minutes) “Love Letter” with all of our attendees about the things you want the NJ Library Community to know. From major construction projects and big grants to successful storytimes or tricky reference calls - there’s no success too big or small to celebrate. If you’re proud of it, let the library community love it this February!

💜🧡💛 Click Here to Sign Up to Share 💛🧡💜

Don’t want to share? All NJ library staff are still invited to join us! Celebrate your colleagues and gain some inspiration along the way. Plus, hear our LibraryLinkNJ updates and reports following the Love Letter portion of the meeting. Registration opens soon!

Thanks to everyone who submitted photos for our first-ever New Jersey Libraries Costume Contest!

Congratulations to our winners:

• 1st Place: Youth Services "Arthur and Friends" - Monroe Township Public Library
• 2nd Place: Cherry Hill Public Library Staff
• 3rd Place: Free Public Library of Monroe Township Team

Skill-Sharing Conversations

Share your knowledge and learn from your colleagues in these attendee-driven conversations focused on specific library skills. Come ready to share experiences, ask questions, and connecting with your colleagues from around the state!

• K Pop at the Library: Clubs, Programs, and More; Virtual, Wednesday, December 4, 11am-12pm.

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Cracking the Case: Mastering the Mystery/Thriller Genre

Join us for an intriguing webinar designed exclusively for library staff, focusing on the mystery and thriller genre. Led by the NC LIVE Instruction Librarian and Jennifer Stuart, Adult Services Librarian at Haywood County Public Library and leader of the Grounds For Murder book club, this session will be a deep dive into the world of suspense and intrigue.

• Cracking the Case: Mastering the Mystery/Thriller Genre; Virtual, Wednesday, December 4, 2pm-3:15pm. Made available to you via the Professional Development Alliance of Library Consortia.

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Rutgers Space Management Program

Join us for a webinar led by Robert Krack, Library Associate II at Alexander Library, Rutgers University Libraries. Krack will discuss his current main focus, which is the implementation of space management databases throughout Rutgers' library system in order to analyze available and used space in their monographic collections.

• Rutgers Space Management Program, Virtual, Thursday, December 5th 2024; 2pm-3pm.

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Romance Unraveled: Exploring the Heart of the Genre

Immerse yourself in the enchanting world of romance with our comprehensive webinar designed for library staff. Led by the NC LIVE Instruction Librarian and AlTonya Washington, Head of Reference at Winston-Salem State University and an acclaimed romance author, this session will delve into the heart of this beloved genre.

• Romance Unraveled; Virtual, Thursday, December 5th, 2pm-3:15pm. Made available to you via the Professional Development Alliance of Library Consortia.
  

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How to Develop and Deploy a Response Plan for a Cybersecurity Crisis

This session will guide participants through the process of developing and deploying a comprehensive response plan for cybersecurity crises. An expert presenter from CISA (Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency) will lead this session. CISA's scope includes all 16 critical infrastructures, and your library can apply these principles to address cybersecurity crises. You’ll learn practical strategies to reduce risks, strengthen your library’s resilience, and ensure swift recovery from potential disruptions.

• How to Develop and Deploy a Response Plan for a Cybersecurity Crisis, Virtual, Tuesday, December 10th, 1:30pm-3pm.

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The NJ Law Against Discrimination in Places of Public Accommodation

All New Jersey residents have the right to be in public spaces without experiencing discrimination. This training will provide an overview of what places of public accommodation are and are not, and how the New Jersey Law Against Discrimination (LAD) regulates these entities. Through case studies and other interactive exercises, participants will examine topics including disparate treatment, disparate impact, sexual harassment and other types of hostile environment harassment, reasonable accommodations, and assistance animals.

• The NJ Law Against Discrimination in Places of Public Accommodation, Virtual, Wednesday, December 11th, 10am-12pm. Presented by the NJ Division on Civil Rights. This webinar will not be recorded.

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Mental Health First Aid Training

LibraryLinkNJ is proud to partner with Hackensack Meridian Hospital System to offer both Adult and Youth Mental Health First Aid training to our members. Mental health can touch nearly any aspect of library service, and we invite staff in any position to register for this valuable training course. *Capacity for each training is limited to 30 participants!*

• Youth Mental Health First Aid, Virtual, Friday, December 13th, 9am-1:30pm. Registration for this session is closed.
• Adult Mental Health First Aid, Virtual, Friday, January 17th, 9am-2:30pm. *Registration is limited to 30 and closes on December 27th!

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Project 2025 and its Consequences for Libraries

Libraries face unprecedented political attacks targeting their very existence. Understanding the political landscape and the implications of policies like Project 2025 is crucial.To safeguard our libraries, we must actively engage in advocacy and support initiatives that protect their independence, diversity, and essential services. By mobilizing our communities and working together, we can ensure that libraries continue to thrive and serve as vital resources for all Americans.

Bring your questions to this timely and informative presentation.

• Project 2025 and its Consequences for Libraries, Virtual, Tuesday, January 7th, 2025. *Brought to you by ASERL and made available via the Professional Development Alliance of Library Consortia.

LibraryLinkNJ is proud to announce a statewide pilot program designed to help New Jersey library staff working in Spanish-speaking communities who wish to improve their Spanish language skills. ¿Cómo Se Dice? Spanish Conversation Hour will launch this December, with sessions offered through May of 2025.

In this pilot program modeled on the work of our colleagues at the South Carolina State Library and Denver Public Library, New Jersey library staff are encouraged to join us for an opportunity to practice their library-related Spanish language skills!

Registration is limited to 10 participants per session and each session requires separate registration. Topics and dates are as follows:

• Welcome and Library Basics, 12/12/24 @ 11am. Session Full.
• Circulation, 1/16/25 @ 10am. Registration opens 12/30/24 at 10am.
• Library Cards & Simple Documents, 2/11/25 @ 11am. Registration open 1/21/25 at 10am.
• Programs & Events, 3/20/25 @ 10am. Registration opens 3/3/25 at 10am.
• Reference, 4/17/15 @ 11am. Registration opens 3/31/25 at 10am.
• Technology, 5/14/25 @ 11am. Registration opens 4/23/25 at 10am.

For more information, including vocabulary lists and participation requirements, please visit the project webpage on the LibraryLinkNJ website: ¿Cómo Se Dice? Spanish Conversation Hour

Join us for any or all of our MentorNJ Online Meetups this month! No registration required; Zoom links go out to our entire email list each Monday morning for that week's Meetups.

*Please note that due to December holidays, your favorite Meetups may have been cancelled or moved to a different day or time this month!

• Disabled & Neurodivergent Library Staff - December 3rd, 2pm-3pm

• Wellness Wednesday - December 4th, 3pm-4pm

• Maker Meetup - December 5th, 3pm-4pm

• Latino Library Staff - December 10th, 10am-11am

• LGBTQUIA+ Library Staff - December 11th, 11am-12pm

• Adventures in Administration - December 12th, 10:30am-11:30am

• African American Library Staff - December 18th, 2pm-3pm

• School Libraries - December 18th, 4:30pm-5:30pm

Delivery Service 2024

LibraryLinkNJ is responsible for the statewide, physical delivery of shared library materials for those institutions that choose to participate in our delivery service.

Delivery Reminders:

• Delivery routes and times are created by the vendor

• There is no guarantee of a specific time for delivery

• Due to the complexity of delivery routes, timing of delivery cannot be easily adjusted

• Delivery frequency is determined by LibraryLinkNJ

• LibraryLinkNJ is responsible only for the physical movement of materials; JerseyCat (including material requests and association actions in the JerseyCat system) is managed separately by the New Jersey State Library

• Delivery drivers are no longer required to sign the delivery log form. This form is used for internal purposes only to track delivery statistics required by LibraryLinkNJ.

Transit Time Reminders:

• Delivery is defined as delivering Monday through Friday during the time the library is open

• Timing adjustments to schedules will only be made in extraordinary cases and at the discretion of LibraryLinkNJ, assuming the changes do not incur additional costs

• The vendor contract sets the transit time between a shipping library and a destination library

Responsibilities of Participating Institutions

• All institutions participating in delivery are required to utilize the monthly Delivery Log Form to keep track of the number of packages delivered

• All institutions participating in delivery are required to post the location-specific barcode provided by LibraryLinkNJ at the delivery pick-up/drop-off location in their building. This barcode will be scanned by the driver during each visit

• All institutions participating in delivery are required to report their delivery statistics to LibraryLinkNJ monthly using the Delivery Stats Report Form

• Participating institutions should use the Delivery Ticket Form to notify LibraryLinkNJ of problems, requests, or library closures

• Participating institutions must print a Delivery Label for the receiving institution and include it in all delivery packages. *Please note that labels have been updated; please discard any previously printed labels and be sure to print and include the current labels available on our website now.

Holidays When There is no Delivery:

• New Year's Day

• Martin Luther King Day

• Presidents Day

• Good Friday

• Memorial Day

• Juneteenth

• Independence Day

• Labor Day

• Columbus Day

• Veteran's Day

• Thanksgiving Day

• Day After Thanksgiving Day

• Christmas Day

Contact Information

• If your library is not currently on the Delivery Service, and you would like to apply to participate, please reach out to Jennifer Bruno at the LibraryLinkNJ Office: jennifer@librarylinknj.org or (732) 751-7720 x104.

• For day-to-day Delivery Service questions, contact Carol Fishwick, LibraryLinkNJ Member Services at carol@librarylinknj.org or (732) 752-7720, ext. 102.

• If you wish to stop your Delivery Service for any reason or to change the frequency of your pickup, or if there is a change in your address, please reach out to Carol Fishwick, LibraryLinkNJ Member Services at carol@librarylinknj.org or (732) 752-7720, ext. 102.

On November 14th, library staff from around the state gathered at the Hunterdon County Library to participate in LibraryLinkNJ's 3rd annual Adult Craft Show & Share event. This engaging, hands-on program brought together more than 30 library staffers from all library types to explore successful adult craft projects that have been completed in New Jersey libraries.

Attendees took turns showing off craft samples of successful projects they've done at adult craft programs in their libraries. Presenters shared valuable information - including how they set up their crafting programs, tips and tricks for successfully completing the project, cost estimates and suggestions for where to buy materials, and much more! Participants were able to view samples of more than 50 crafts, ranging from intricate projects for experienced crafts to quick, simple projects for large crowds.

Many Show & Share attendees also arrived with leftover materials and supplies for our "swap shop." Making unused materials available to libraries where they'll get new life helps keep supplies out of landfills and allows everyone to stretch their budgets! Attendees "shopped" the tables of up-for-grabs supplies and left with plenty of new-to-them items that can be used to try out new crafting programs at no or low cost to the library.

Missed the fun? No worries! The Resource Guide below contains photos, instructions, links, and more for many of the projects that were shared during the event. Feel free to download and use the Guide to help expand your own Adult Craft program offerings, or pass it along to colleagues or partners who might find it helpful!

We invite you and the young readers in your libraries to Meet the Jersey Trackers!

Please join the New Jersey Center for the Book, in collaboration with Rutgers University SC&I, the New Jersey State Library, and the New Jersey Association of School Librarians for a free, virtual event celebrating six renowned New Jersey children’s authors and illustrators. Funding has been made possible in part by the Library of Congress.

On December 5, 2024, from 9:30 am – 11:30 am, six of the creators of the Jersey Trackers e-Serial will virtually visit with middle-grade students (grades 4 through 6) across New Jersey. We hope the event will connect young people with authors in a live (or recorded) experience and contribute to fostering their joy in reading.

****Register for the livestream event here.***

Find more information including access to the books and audiobooks, links for printable materials, the opportunity to receive professionally printed posters and bookmarks, and suggestions for ways to prepare your students for the visit, check out the Smore event flyer (continuously updated!):

Meet the Trackers Flyer and Resources

LibraryLinkNJ's Executive Board will hold their next meeting on Thursday, December 19th at 2:30pm via Zoom.

All LibraryLinkNJ members are welcome to attend Executive Board meetings. Find more information on the Executive Board page on our website!

We want to hear what you've got to say.

Please email suggestionbox@librarylinknj.org with feedback about our services and programs. Suggestions for new services and programs are welcome, too.

LibraryLinkNJ: Every New Jersey Library - Connected and Thriving

LibraryLinkNJ (formerly known as INFOLINK) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit corporation. Its members are multi-type libraries and library-related agencies located in the twenty-one counties of New Jersey. This area includes 8.79 million people. The population of the state is highly diverse and includes some of the largest communities of Spanish speaking and Asian Indian persons in the U.S.

LibraryLinkNJ – The New Jersey Library Cooperative has over 1100 voting representatives from over 2,500 public and private school, public, academic, institutional, corporate, health sciences and special libraries and library-related agencies. A member-elected Executive Board meets regularly to oversee the programs and services of the organization.

LibraryLinkNJ and its services are funded by the New Jersey State Library, which is responsible for the coordination, promotion and funding of the New Jersey Library Network. Members join at no charge and pay no dues.

Email: info@librarylinknj.org
Website: www.librarylinknj.org
Location: 2300 Stuyvesant Avenue, Ewing Township, NJ, USA
Phone: 732-752-7720
Facebook: facebook.com/librarylinknj
Instagram: @librarylinknj