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

We are thrilled to be partnering with the New Jersey State Library, the New Jersey Association of School Librarians, and the New Jersey Department of Education to help New Jersey’s K-12 public schools and libraries prepare for the state’s forthcoming information literacy standards. The State Library’s “Reimagining Information Literacy” initiative has an overarching goal of helping certified school library media specialists, public librarians, academic librarians, and teachers across the state, who will support students in learning about information literacy. LibraryLinkNJ will work with the State Library and its partners to develop online training modules, professional development resources, classroom curriculum, and other support for New Jersey’s public schools and libraries. See the State Library's recent press release for more information about the project.

We would like to express our thanks to everyone who responded to the Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Training Needs for NJ Library Leaders Survey that we recently published. The survey received responses from 193 library professionals across various roles, including Library Directors, Librarians, Education Librarians, and Library Assistants. The EDI-NJ project team is analyzing the results of the survey with the goal of providing actionable insights and recommendations for enhancing EDI training programs within NJ libraries.

As you can see from our newsletter below, our fall programming is in full swing with a full calendar of programs to help you grow your knowledge and skills. There is also a recap of our 4th annual Fall Virtual Conference, a special offer from Library Ideas for Fiero Code, a member Snapshot about Sensory Space at Sprague Library at Montclair State University, and a featured article about “Cultural Celebration Without Appropriation” from the MentorNJ Latino Library Staff Meetup group.

As always, please don’t hesitate to contact me with questions about our services or—especially—with suggestions for new services and partnerships. I can be reached at ralph@librarylinknj.org.

Best regards,

Ralph

LibraryLinkNJ's Executive Board will hold their next meeting on Thursday, October 17th, online via Zoom.

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

Fiero Code is the leading learn-to-code EResource for public libraries around the world. Fiero is both a 24/7 on-demand EResource for your library's website and it's also a turnkey library program. Your staff can run coding classes/bootcamps in your building, with no coding experience.

With Fiero Code, your library gets:

• Unlimited users and unlimited access.
• Both an eResource that patrons can use at-home 24/7, AND a turnkey in-person program that staff can easily run. Staff don't need any coding experience for this, nor do they need to do any prep. Everything is done for them.
• Fun and engaging content that guides users at their own pace to learn how to code and create real-world video games, websites, apps and animations, and be able to apply for jobs.
• Admin features including a marketing center, statistics, success hub, on-demand training, help center, password reset and student progress.
• A cost-effective solution that appeals to all ages 8 and up.
• 6+ years of content and courses in 13 coding languages.

LibraryLinkNJ members get free for life access to the Hackathon Package (normally a 20% add-on) when signing up before December 31, 2024.

On September 10th, library staff from around the state gathered at the Voorhees branch of the Camden County Library System for a MentorNJ In-Person Meetup - Let's Talk Zines! Attendees had the opportunity to share how they use Zines in their libraries, discuss creative uses for Zines, browse existing Zines, and of course create their own! Many thanks to Christen Orbanus, Laura Poll, and the rest of the NJLA Zine Round-Table for bringing this Meetup event to life!

Following two successful presentations at our recent Inclusion Conference from the talented librarians at Montclair State University, we are thrilled to share a peek at something that got many conference attendees talking - the Sensory Space at Sprague Library! Click the link below to view the full Instagram Reel and see everything this space has to offer!

Consumer Health Information Series for Library Staff

All courses are Courtesy of the U.S. National Library of Medicine and qualifies for one credit towards Consumer Health Information Specialization.

Made available to you via the Professional Development Alliance of Library Consortia.

• Effective Health Communication and Health Literacy - Understanding the Connection, Virtual, Thursday, October 3rd, 2pm-3pm.
• Health Programming at Your Library, Virtual, Thursday, October 17th, 2pm-3pm.

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Cracking the Case: Exploring 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: Exploring the Mystery/Thriller Genre, Virtual, Thursday, October 10th, 2pm-3:15pm. Made available to you via the Professional Development Alliance of Library Consortia.

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Promoting Your Academic Library Post-Pandemic

While we all understand things have changed dramatically since the Covid-19 pandemic, many are still at a loss as to how the academic library can make a comeback. Join Jessica Daly, B.S.Ed.,MLS as she discusses how to Identify the changes in learning styles and how to best meet the needs of our post-pandemic patrons is critical for survival.

• Promoting Your Academic Library Post-Pandemic, Virtual, Tuesday, October 15th, 1pm-2pm. Made available to you via the Professional Development Alliance of Library Consortia.

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Working With the Mega-Source: Research in the Age of AI.

This session will explore the manner in which generative AI can be used as a tool in the research process, as well as its limitations. Research and media literacy are changing as a result of AI usage, and realization of those shifts will be essential to remaining engaged with our patrons and the transitions that are underway in research and learning.

With a stronger understanding of AI tools, librarians can emerge as leaders of best practice of this new technology.

• Working With the Mega-Source: Research in the Age of AI, Virtual, Thursday, October 17th, 1pm-2pm. Made available to you via the Professional Development Alliance of Library Consortia.

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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!

• Creative Arts & Crafts Programming, Virtual, Tuesday, October 22nd, 2pm-3pm.

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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 Training, Virtual, Friday, October 18th, 9am-1:30pm. Registration is closed for this event; contact Darby Malvey ASAP if you're interested in attending.
• Adult Mental Health First Aid, Virtual, Friday, November 15th, 9am-2:30pm. Registration coming soon.
• Youth Mental Health First Aid, Virtual, Friday, December 13th, 9am-1:30pm. Registration coming soon.

Mark your calendar and register now for these upcoming in-person events. Join us around the state this fall for the chance to connect, learn, and grow with an exciting lineup of in-person opportunities!

Making History: A History-Focused Maker Event

LibraryLinkNJ, New Jersey Makers Day, and the League of Historical Societies of New Jersey are pleased to bring you "Making History" - an opportunity for maker library staff to share crafts, projects, and makerspace products with Historical Society members from around the state. Our goal is to help Historical Societies identify hands-on activities that will help build connections to history education. Whether it's an embroidery craft paired with a program on colonial NJ or a basic circuitry experiment that helps bring Thomas Edison's work to life, we know NJ libraries have a wealth of projects to share!

In-person Event, October 22nd, 10am-1pm

Piscataway Public Library, Kennedy Branch

Click here for more info and to register!

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Library Staff Show & Share: Adult Crafts

Programming library staff who serve adult patrons are invited to join us for a Show & Share event! Show off your successful adult crafting ideas, get inspired by your colleagues from around the state, and even share or swap your leftover craft materials at this in-person event brought to you by LibraryLinkNJ and the Hunterdon County Library System! Registration is limited to 50 participants.

In-person Event, November 14th, 10am-1pm

Hunterdon County Library

Click here for more info and to register!

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.

• Disabled & Neurodivergent Library Staff - October 1st, 2pm-3pm

• Wellness Wednesday - October 2nd, 3pm-4pm

• Maker Meetup - October 3rd, 3pm-4pm

• Latino Library Staff - October 8th, 10am-11am

• LGBTQUIA+ Library Staff - October 9th, 11am-12pm

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

• Juggling Parenting & Library Work - October 16th, 2pm-3pm

• School Libraries - October 16th, 4:30pm-5:30pm

• Tech - October 17th, 3pm-4pm

• API - October 21st, 10am-11am
  

• African American Library Staff - October 23rd, 2pm-3pm

• Adventures in Administration - October 24th, 10:30am-11:30am

At the halfway point of Hispanic Heritage Month, MentorNJ's Latino Library Staff Meetup attendees wish to shine a light on an issue we rarely discuss but know is all to common in our libraries.

How can library staff best offer programs and services that celebrate a variety of cultures, when they themselves aren't part of that culture?

While an ideal solution would be to increase the cultural diversity of the library workforce, the group thought sharing some more immediately applicable advice might help in the short term! The Latino Library Staff group asked SCLSNJ Youth Services Librarian Maggie Drouaillet, who is not Latina, to share some of the strategies that have helped her successfully run Spanish Language Storytimes for her community. Read on to see some of Maggie's practical suggestions for tackling cultural programs and celebrations with appropriation!

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Today, libraries are spaces that aim to serve and celebrate the communities in which they are located. However, when a community is largely one culture, and the library staff is not the same culture, having programs or crafts that celebrate it without appropriation or stereotyping may seem risky. Library staff may feel that the safest thing to do is nothing - not celebrating the cultures that make up our towns, but not risking insult or offense either. The truth is that library staff can successfully celebrate other cultures by just doing what we do best!

Partnering with the community.

If your community has many members of a certain culture, other organizations may already exist that represent or serve that group. Maybe it’s a church or a mosque, a dance or language school, or even a restaurant. Whether a library staffer actually partners with an outside group or just seeks their input and advice as a resource, that kind of external help can make staff feel more confident that the program they are offering is culturally appropriate.

Working with volunteers.

Volunteers can be tricky because expecting someone else to do a part of our jobs does not feel entirely comfortable, especially if we’re seeking volunteers from what may already be a marginalized community. However, cultural programs and crafts can be a great opportunity for community members to be an authority on a subject and share their culture. Teens, in particular, may be eager to assume that role! Depending on the volunteer and the program idea, their participation can be as big or little as they are comfortable with. And while traditional “compensation” may not be an option, a letter of recommendation or reference in the future, a spotlight on the library's website or social media, or a heartfelt note of thanks can go a long way!

Doing research.

If no outside help is to be found, the situation is not hopeless. If you didn’t already know, now is the time to learn more about your community. For example, if your library has a lot of Spanish-speaking patrons, they could come from any one of the 21 countries that speak Spanish. Do not make assumptions, but check out census data, reach out to local ESL teachers, and bring up the idea of culture and home in the library’s adult conversation group to learn more. Then find crafts, food, movies, etc. that are truly representative of your community using resources created by people of that culture.

Trying our best.

Like in most cases, our fears about how a cultural program will be perceived are often just that - fears. And while library staff should absolutely be mindful of accuracy and appropriateness when offering a cultural program, they should also be wary of avoiding such programs altogether just because of that fear. If libraries approach cultural programs with care and a desire to recognize and celebrate their community, the results are likely to be positive and appreciated!

While navigating cultural programs - and the potential stereotypes and misinformation that can come along with them - may scare some library staff, that fear can be managed and missteps avoided through proper planning. Offering cultural programs shows community members not only that we recognize and value their culture but also that the library is for everyone, and those benefits are irreplaceable!

On September 25, the LibraryLinkNJ team was pleased to be able to host our 4th annual virtual one-day conference! This year's conference theme was Inclusion, and we were thrilled to host 14 presentation sessions on a wide range of Inclusion topics for nearly 230 registered attendees. This year's conference sessions were all brought to us by individuals and institutions right here in New Jersey - highlighting the commitment to Inclusion that is so prevalent in the NJ library community!

The day was filled with opportunities for learning and growth, featuring the following presentations:

• Understanding the Changing Landscape of Higher Education and Cost of Living Increases: How these changes impact the inclusion of BIPOC library workers; Laura Giacobbe, Monmouth University & Chrisler Pitts, Kean University
  
• The Inclusive Manager at Work - A guide on building your professional brand as a leader; Donnella Tilery, Careers with Donnella - HR Consultant & Career Coach
• NJ State Library’s Information Literacy Projects; Sharon Rawlins, Michael Maziekien, & Andrea Levandowski, New Jersey State Library
• Cultivating Neuroinclusion in Academic Libraries; Drew Wallace, Montclair State University
• ‘Inclusion is the Way’ at Burlington County Library System; Shazia Zaman, Gabriella Graziul, Naomi Torres, Jennifer Boeseman, Talie Meza, Naju Webb Johnson, & Catherine Wishnefsky, Burlington County Library System
• Inclusion and Intellectual Freedom: Access, Equity and the Right to Read; Amanda Eigen, Maplewood Memorial Library & Amy Penwell, Riverton School Library
• Approaches to #Inclusive Social Media Practice in the Academic Library; Angelina Carney, Fairleigh Dickinson University & Kelsey Gallagher Mambach, Middlesex College
• Inclusion Starts at the Top: Exploring the Organizational Culture and Practices in Creating an Inclusive Workplace; Jessica Trujillo, Edison Public Library
  
• Better Together: Working with the New Jersey State Library Talking Book and Braille Center to serve your blind and print disabled community; Jennifer Apgar, Elizabeth Burns, & Liz Kelly, NJ State Library Talking Book & Braille Center
  
• Immediately Inclusive: Simple Strategies for Group Instruction and Workshops; Megan Dempsey & Alyssa Valenti, Raritan Valley Community College
• Opening Doors for Vulnerable Patrons: Implementing a Library Locker Program; Jeff Cupo & Britanie Montero, Elizabeth Public Library
  
• Including All: Quality Multilingual Health Sciences Information Resources; Helen-Ann Brown Epstein, Virtua Health Sciences Library
• Breaking Barriers: How Userway Transforms University Libraries' Research Guides; Kevin Handeli, Montclair State University Libraries & Meghan Hearns, Montclair State University, Disabiltiy Resource Center (DRC)
  
• Connecting with our IDD Community/Become a MVP at the West Caldwell Public Library; Terri Garcell & Michelle Perry, West Caldwell Public Library

Our sincere thanks go to each and eery presenter who gave of their valuable time and shared their experiences and expertise, as well as to all of the attendees who chose to spend their day with us!

Following the event, one attendee said "I picked up good tips, practices, and/or ideas from each event that I attended, and identified new avenues to explore" while another shared that "...even for things I don't use regularly I found out about some resources that will end up being helpful." This feedback is a testament to the valuable Inclusion work being undertaken by New Jersey's libraries, and we are grateful to have been able to provide a valuable learning experience to our library colleagues!

If you missed the conference or couldn't attend everything that was of interest to you, don't worry! Most sessions were recorded and will be made available, along with all resources and slides shared by our presenters, in our LearningSpace On-Demand Training Portal in the near future! A 15th planned session that was not presented due to technical difficulties - Cultivating Inclusivity: How the Ocean County Library Embodies DEI Concepts with Wendi Smolowitz, and Lori Sansone - will also be recorded and available to view.

If you did attend and haven't yet completed the Conference Feedback Survey, we encourage you to do so now: LibraryLinkNJ Inclusion Conference Feedback Survey

And as we wrap up this year's event we're already looking ahead to Conference #5! If you have suggestions for next fall's conference themes, feel free to send them our way - ce@librarylinknj.org. It's never too early to start planning!

Last month, LibraryLinkNJ was proud to host one of several online training opportunities we're offering in partnership with the New Jersey Division on Civil Rights. Our September training - Reasonable Accommodations in the Workplace and the Law Against Discrimination - was very popular and generated a lot of interest in what else the DCR offers. Take a look below for some highlighted resources!

Online Training

You don't have to wait for LibraryLinkNJ to team up with the DCR to find great opportunities for yourself or your staff to attend valuable training. The DCR Education and Training Unit offers a host of online programs throughout the year.

See what's coming up at: DCR's Anti-Discrimination Trainings

Know the Law

Bookmark DCR's Know the Law page for helpful definitions and clear explanations of the laws in New Jersey that are designed to prevent discrimination and harassment, as well as ensure that reasonable accommodations are available for all!

Find this helpful info at: DCR Know the Law

Resources

Fact sheets in a variety of languages, guidance documents to help employers comply with the law, model policies, and much more are available for free on the resources section of the DCR website. Take a look to see what might be of use to you!

Find what you need at: DCR Resources

And, if you do want to take some DCR training with LLNJ, save the date for these upcoming webinars:

• The New Jersey Law Against Discrimination in Public Places: December 11, 2024
• The New Jersey Law Against Discrimination in the Workplace: March 18, 2025

Registration is not yet open for these events, but keep an eye on our communications and we'll let you know when registration begins!

Our friends at the New Jersey Library Association want to make sure all libraries are aware of:

• The legal requirement for libraries to carry and maintain Nalaxone on site
• The Nalaxone Distribution Program that makes Nalaxone available to your library free of charge via the NJ Department of Human Services
• The free training available via the Division of Mental Health and Addiction Services that may help you and your colleagues become comfortable with Nalaxone distribution and administration

View and download the PDF flier attached below to have all the info you need on hand!

The NJDOE's Learning Lounge series offers opportunities for those in K-12 education to attend convenient, relevant online training! This fall, the DOE is offering two Learning Lounge options aimed at helping schools get better equipped to teach Information Literacy. See the upcoming options below, and feel free to share widely with the folks in your life who fit the intended audience!

NJSLS Learning Lounge: Building Information Literacy Culture with Lisa Manganello

Target Audience: K-12 School Administrators

Date and Time: Tuesday, November 12, 2024 10:00 am – 11:00 am

School librarians and administrators can partner to build information literacy culture in their buildings or districts and help staff members and communities build their information literacy capacities. Administrators at all grade levels are invited to hear strategies from a school librarian for cultivating a rich culture of information literacy in buildings, districts and communities.

NJSLS Learning Lounge: Librarian/Teacher Connections to Support Information Literacy with Emily Ford

Target Audience: 6th-12th grade School Librarians and Educators

Date and Time: Thursday, December 12th, 2024 3:00 pm - 4:00 pm

Collaborative conversations between secondary-grades school librarians and teachers are key to weaving information literacy into content area instruction in grades 6-12. Join us for tips for teachers and school librarians on how to begin, sustain and nurture those conversations.

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