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

After many months of conversation which included input from our staff and Executive Board, we are proud to share LibraryLinkNJ’s new Organizational Values Statements. These values will guide our work and our professional relationships as we connect all New Jersey's libraries to each other and to the resources they need to serve their communities.

“Collaboration and Connection to the Community”

We believe in the collaborative power of the library community to share knowledge and connect with one another.

“Inclusion and Belonging for All”

We lead a culture of inclusion and belonging for New Jersey’s library communities and the individuals they serve, giving a voice and equal opportunities to all.

“Trust and Respect for One Another”

We act with trust and respect, engaging in a culture that listens deeply to lift up all members.

“Learning and Innovation that Promotes Individual and Community Growth”

We provide innovative, high-quality programs and services that promote resource sharing, learning, and professional growth for all New Jersey libraries and library workers.

Our fall program calendar is packed with many exciting opportunities including our virtual fall conference on Inclusion; the return of MentorNJ meetups; and lots of professional development opportunities. Don’t miss the details below!

On behalf of our whole team, we wish all of our members - whether you’re working as school staff or faculty, supporting the students and educators in your community, or sending a loved-one back to the classroom - a safe, healthy, and happy school year!

Best regards,

Ralph

LibraryLinkNJ's Executive Board will hold their next meeting on Thursday, August 15th, online via Zoom.

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

Registration for our 4th annual one-day virtual conference closes on Wednesday, September 11th!

Join us for this free, full-day Professional Development event that includes a wealth of opportunities to learn about making inclusion an intentional part of our library work. Sessions include:

• The Inclusive Manager at Work - A guide on building your professional brand as a leader
• Inclusion and Intellectual Freedom: Access, Equity, and the Right to Read
• Immediately Inclusive: Simple Strategies for Group Instruction and Workshops

And much more! Registration is now open and is limited to 300 attendees.

Visit the conference webpage to view the full conference schedule, including program descriptions, and sign up today!

Library Chef is designed exclusively for libraries, offering innovative kitchen skills education that will engage and inspire your community.

Library Chef Package

1. 3 live kitchen skills workshops per month

2. Access to a pre-recorded video library

3. Unlimited access to past live sessions for on-demand viewing with active membership

4. Engage with the Library Chef Community

5. Custom branding for your platform

6. Digital marketing materials provided

7. Registration & participation metrics

8. Giveaways

Discount for LLNJ Members: 1 Year Subscription - $995 instead of $1,395 (Save: $400)

For details and contact information, visit: https://librarylinknj.org/discounts/library-chef

In August, participants and organizers of our AI Ambassadors program were able to share their experiences to 17 State Libraries nationwide via webinars organized by the State Libraries and AI Technologies working group (SLAITT)!

Participants Mary Martin (Wanaque Public Library), Heather Manley Caldwell (Ringwood Library), and ShaBree Henry (Paterson Free Public Library) were able to recap some of their experiences as AI Ambassadors, and the project's leaders - including Jon Braun (LibraryLinkNJ), Doug Baldwin (Piscataway Public Library), Jim Craner (The Galecia Group), and Mi-Sun Lyu (LibraryLinkNJ) - were able to share details about how the AI Ambassadors program was organized and continues to grow. Many thanks to SLAAIT for having us!

Library Workplace Morale: The Renewals Colloquium

Welcome Kaetrena Davis Kendrick for this webinar focusing on a comprehensive review of her ground-breaking research on library workplace morale.

*This webinar is brought to you by CARLI via the Professional Development Alliance.*

Library Workplace Morale: The Renewals Colloquium, Virtual, Tuesday, September 10th, 11am-12:30pm.

_________________________________

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 and ask questions!

• Develping Comics and Graphic Novels Collections; Online Discussion; Tuesday, September 10th, 2pm-3pm; Moderated by Sara Pike, Hunterdon County Library System.

_____________________________

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!*

• Adult Mental Health First Aid Training, Virtual, Friday, September 13th, 9am-2:30pm. Registration for the September sessions is closed, please contact Darby Malvey ASAP if you Interested.
• Youth Mental Health First Aid Training, Virtual, Friday, October 18th, 9am-1:30pm. Registration closes Friday, September 20th and is limited to 30 participants

_____________________________

Library Outreach Beyond Your Campus

Discover how Jessica Daly took her library and university well beyond the confines of her campus and reached her community while at the same time promoting her university. By partnering and collaborating with organizations in her community and beyond.

*This event is brought to you by FLVC via the Professional Development Alliance.*

Library Outreach Beyond Your Campus, Virtual, Tuesday, September 17th, 2pm-3pm.

________________________________

Developing an Archives: Embracing the Messiness of the Real World

Are you responsible for a storage room full of disorganized materials, or are you uncertain about what archival materials are on your shelves? The prospect of organizing and developing your archive can be daunting.This Archives and Special Collections workshop will include a panel of three archivists from various institution types who will discuss how to assess and plan for the care and development of your archive. The conversation will apply to all sizes of collections, from a small storage cupboard to the contents of a large storeroom. *This event is brought to you by CARLI via the Professional Development Alliance.*

Developing an Archives: Embracing the Messiness of the Real World, Virtual, Wednesday, September 18th, 2pm-3pm.

_______________________________

LLNJ New Member Information Session

Join members of our LibraryLinkNJ team for a New Member Information Session designed to welcome you to the New Jersey Library Cooperative! Staff members in any and all positions are encouraged to join us as we explore what it means to be part of a LibraryLinkNJ institution and how you can benefit from the many resources and services offered by the Cooperative!

LLNJ New Member Information Session, Virtual, Friday, September 20th, 11am-12pm.

__________________________________

Reasonable Accommodations in the Workplace and the Law Against Discrimination

*Presented by the New Jersey Division on Civil Rights*

This training will provide an overview of what reasonable accommodations are, who is eligible for them, and how requests for accommodations are initiated and carried out. Through case studies and other interactive exercises, participants will examine topics including the costs and benefits of accommodation, the interactive process, non-apparent disabilities, assistance animals in the workplace, telework as an accommodation, and the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act.

Reasonable Accommodations in the Workplace and the Law Against Discrimination; Virtual; Tuesday, September 24th, 10am-12pm. Registration for this webinar is full.

__________________________________

The Inclusion Conference

LibraryLinkNJ is proud to host our 4th annual one-day virtual conference! Join us for this free, full-day Professional Development event that includes a wealth of opportunities to learn about making inclusion an intentional part of our library work. Registration is limited to 300 attendees and closes on Wednesday, July 11th!

The Inclusion Conference; Virtual; Wednesday, September 25th, 9am-3:30pm. Registration is limited to 300 participants.

____________________________________

Library Services for Prisons: A Panel Discussion

Providing library services for prisons is a rich, challenging topic. Join us for this panel discussion, featuring library practitioners from the public and academic library world with useful stories and instructive experience. *This event is brought to you by FLVC via the Professional Development Alliance.*

Library Services for Prisons: A Panel Discussion; Virtual; Thursday, September 26th,

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!

Let's Talk Zines!

Zines and zine-making are easy ways toward inclusive collaboration between your library and your patrons. Join us at this casual in-person gathering to talk about what zines are, how easy they are to create and share, and ways to offer them alongside other forms of standard library publications. Drop in anytime during these 3 hours!

Discussion Leaders: Christen Orbanus, Voorhees PL; Laura Poll, Trenton Free PL

In-person Meetup, September 10th, 12:30-3:30pm

Voorhees Branch, Camden County Library System

Click here for more info and to register!

_____________________________

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!

____________________________

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!

The State Libraries and AI Technologies working group (SLAAIT) invited the LibraryLinkNJ AI Ambassadors to present at two virtual sessions held on August 13 and August 20, 2024. These presentations provided a comprehensive overview of how the AI Ambassadors have been instrumental in guiding library staff through the rapidly evolving world of artificial intelligence (AI). The sessions highlighted both the success of previous workshops and the ongoing efforts to enhance library staff’s understanding of this ever-evolving technology. Links to each presentation are shared below for your reference.

August 13 - An Evergreen Learning Opportunity for Library Staff

The first presentation, held on August 13, was led by three AI Ambassadors from the PALS Plus network: Mary Martin (Wanaque Public Library), Heather Manley Caldwell (Ringwood Library), and ShaBree Henry (Paterson Free Public Library). The session focused on their experiences conducting AI workshops in May 2024.

During these workshops, over 80 library staff members from the PALS Plus network were trained on the fundamentals of AI. The Ambassadors covered how AI works, how to effectively use AI tools to achieve desired outcomes, and how these tools can significantly boost productivity and simplify tasks. The impact of these workshops was substantial, with attendees gaining valuable skills that could be immediately applied to their roles.

The Ambassadors shared insights into what went well during the workshops, offered suggestions for improving future sessions, and provided feedback from participants. They emphasized the importance of staying updated on AI developments, advocating for ongoing education to ensure that library workers can continue to benefit from AI tools. The session underscored the need for AI learning to be a continuous, evergreen process, ensuring that staff remain equipped to handle the evolving demands of modern librarianship.

August 20 - AI Ambassadors Recap & Highlights

On August 20, a follow up presentation focused on the broader AI Ambassadors program. This session featured a presentation by Jon Braun (LibraryLinkNJ) with support from Doug Baldwin (Piscataway Public Library), Jim Craner (The Galecia Group), and Mi-Sun Lyu (LibraryLinkNJ). The session provided a deeper dive into the program's impact and the experiences of those involved.

Jon Braun began by reviewing the initial training that introduced library staff to the foundational aspects of AI. He reflected on his own journey from a skeptical observer of AI to a curious participant. This transformation is emblematic of the broader goal of the AI Ambassadors program—to demystify AI and empower library staff to embrace it as a valuable tool in their work.

Jim Craner of The Galecia Group, who led the interactive training sessions, discussed his role in facilitating a deep understanding of AI among the participants. The presentation also reviewed the various themes explored by the AI Ambassadors as they developed and shared their own presentations, each designed to equip their colleagues with the knowledge and skills necessary to leverage AI in their libraries.

Following Jon's presentation, Kim Silk of SLAAIT facilitated a dynamic Q&A session, where Doug Baldwin, Mi-Sun Lyu, and Jim Craner elaborated on specific elements of the AI Ambassadors program. They discussed the challenges and successes encountered during the training and the subsequent application of AI tools in library settings. The conversation reinforced the importance of collaboration and knowledge-sharing in fostering a culture of innovation within libraries.

LibraryLinkNJ is proud of the impact made by this training and the opportunity to share our experience with the SLAAIT membership. Our presentations showcased the significant strides made by the AI Ambassadors in enhancing the understanding of AI as it continues to integrate with library operations. Through their workshops and ongoing education efforts, these Ambassadors are helping to ensure that library staff across New Jersey are well-equipped to navigate the complexities of AI, ultimately enhancing the services they provide to their communities.

If you're interested in learning more about artificial intelligence or would like to host a presentation by our AI Ambassadors at your library, please contact Jon Braun for more information via jon@librarylinknj.org.

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

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

Procedural Reminders:

• 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 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.

There will be no Delivery on the following holidays:

• 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 may apply to participate, or reach out to Jennifer Bruno at the LibraryLinkNJ Office: jennifer@librarylinknj.org or (732) 751-7720 x104.

• For day-to-day Delivery Service questions please utilize the Delivery Ticket Form to reach out Delivery Helpdesk

• 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 utilize the Delivery Ticket Form to notify our Delivery Team

Our full roster of MentorNJ Meetups is back on the calendar this fall! Meet our Meetups below and be sure to keep an eye on your Monday morning emails for each week's Meetup Zoom links!

Disabled & Neurodivergent Library Staff

1st Tuesday Monthly, 2pm-3pm; Hosted by Brie Mintz and Stephanie Sendaula

Join us for a monthly, online meetup that serves as a safe space for disabled and neurodivergent library staff to connect with each other and build community. We recognize that not all disabilities are visible. Your privacy is most important, and self-disclosure is not required in order to participate.

Next Meetup: Tuesday, 10/1, 2pm-3pm

Maker Meetup

1st Thursday Monthly, 3pm-4pm; Hosted by Kate-Lynn Grimm and Danielle Emrick

In conjunction with our partners at NJ Makers Day, MentorNJ is proud to present the Maker Meetup! Join your colleagues from around the state to talk all things "maker" - from 3D printers and Makerspaces to simple crafts and programming! Join this casual discussion to seek suggestions, share ideas, celebrate successes, and much more! On alternating months, join Kate-Lynn Grimm for general maker discussion or Danielle Emrick for discussion focused on adult services making!

Next Meetup: Thursday, 9/5, 3pm-4pm (General Maker Meetup)

Wellness Wednesday

1st Wednesday Monthly, 3pm-4pm; Hosted. by Cara Berg, Bonnie Lafazan, and Adriana Mamay

Wellness Wednesdays are an opportunity for you to network, check-in, and relax with library colleagues throughout the state. In these sessions, participants will share about work and/or personal matters and participate in activities such as hobby and self-care exploration, meditation and chair yoga, coloring, games, journal activities, and more. Join to connect with other NJ librarians and alleviate work/life fatigue.

Next Meetup: Wednesday, 9/11, 3pm-4pm *2nd Wednesday for September only!

Latino Library Staff

2nd Tuesday Monthly, 10am-11am; Hosted by Lizette Melendez

Latino library staff are invited to come together for an online meet-up where we'll to share our thoughts, ideas, and challenges, build community, and care for each other. Library workers who do not identify as Latino but desire to grow their understanding of Latino issues and to become our allies, are also welcome to attend.

Next Meetup: Tuesday, 9/10, 10am-11am

Leading Lean Libraries

2nd Tuesday Every Other Month, 2:30pm-3:30pm; Hosted by Mary Martin

Leading a small library means you have unique opportunities to connect with individuals, develop community partnerships, and think creatively about how you can improve and increase your services while stretching every dollar in your budget.The job can also be very isolating. It means being responsible for everything, even if you have never encountered a problem before. If you feel that you could use the support, perspective, and advice of others who understand all the plates you’re juggling, then join us for “Leading Lean Libraries." We will pool our collective knowledge, celebrate our successes, brainstorm together, and support each other as we work to ensure that our small libraries can survive and thrive.

Next Meetup: Tuesday, 9/10, 2:30pm-3:30pm

*NEW* LGBTQUIA+ Library Staff

2nd Wednesday Monthly, 11am-12pm; Hosted by Lex Bose

This MentorNJ Online Meetup is for for library workers who are part of the LGBTQIA+ community and Allies! This group is for discussing all things LGBTQIA that are going on in our libraries, socially, and politically. It's a safe space and we’re here to support one and other.

Next Meetup: Wednesday, 9/11. 11am-12pm

Adventures in Administration

2nd and 4th Thursday Monthly, 10:30am-11:30am; Hosted by Dave Costa, Irene Langlois, & Nadine Giron

Join us for an informal discussion about the challenges and opportunities we are currently facing as library leaders.

Next Meetup: Thursday, 9/12, 10:30am-11:30am

API

3rd Monday Monthly, 10am-11am; Hosted by Mimi Hui

Asian & Pacific Islander (API) library & workers are invited to come together to build community, to share and care for each other. Library workers who do not identify as API, but desire to grow their understanding of API issues and to become our allies are also welcome to attend.

Next Meetup: Monday, 9/16, 10am-11am

Juggling Parenting & Library Work

3rd Wednesday Monthly, 2pm-3pm; Hosted by Kimberly Paone and Erica Krivopal

Having a home/work balance is now tougher than ever before - join this discussion to share ideas, talk about strategies, and even vent a little. This Meetup is a judgement-free zone for library workers of all types who want to commiserate with their fellow caregivers about how to manage it all!

Next Meetup: Wednesday, 9/18, 2pm-3pm

School Libraries

3rd Wednesday Semi-Monthly, 4pm-5pm; Hosted by Michelle McGreivey and Darby Malvey

School librarians and school library staff are invited to join us for discussions focused on the unique challenges, opportunities, and needs of K-12 school libraries. Whether you’re alone in your school or district and just looking for a chance to connect with colleagues, new to school libraries and seeking guidance for your program, or a veteran hoping to share your knowledge and see what’s new, our School Library Meetups are for you!

Next Meetup: Wednesday, 10/16, 4pm-5pm

Tech

3rd Thursday Monthly, 3pm-4pm; Hosted by Doug Baldwin

An opportunity to discuss any topics related to technology, applications in libraries, technology challenges and success, and much more as we face an uncertain future where tech will play a vital role in our work and public services. This meetup is for any library staff, at all levels, who are interested in and would like to talk about topics in technology.

Next Meetup: Thursday, 9/19, 3pm-4pm

African American Library Staff

4th Wednesday Monthly, 2pm-3pm; Hosted by Muriel Odrick

African American Library Staff are invited to come together for an online meetup to share our thoughts, cares, challenges, and ideas while building community and caring for each other. Library workers who do not identify as African American but desire to grow their understanding of African American issues and become our allies are also welcome to attend.

Next Meetup: Wednesday, 10/23, 2pm-3pm *No September Meetup due to the LLNJ Inclusion Conference

We would also like to thank our 2024 sponsors: Astra House Books for Young Readers, W.W. Norton & Company, Penguin Random House, Hachette Book Group, Levine Querido, Abrams Books, HarperCollins, Out of Print, Lee & Low, Macmillan, Chronicle

Preserving Podcasts in Institutional Repositories

12:30pm EDT on Friday September 13

In 2020, the University of Minnesota Archives conducted a campus survey to identify the number of podcasts produced by departments and to identify digital preservation needs for digital audio files. The archivists also looked at the history of podcasting at higher education institutions and the value of podcasts as an informational resource and as a historical record. Our findings indicate that podcasts can be many things at once–an institutional record, a serial publication, and a form of grey literature or self-publishing. We reasoned that institutional repositories are an ideal solution for the preservation of and access to podcasts. Like their text-based counterparts, podcasts in IRs receive the same benefits, including indexing in Google Scholar, URL permanency, statistical tracking, and inclusion in digital preservation workflows. This presentation will review this research and look at how we are currently capturing and preserving podcasts on an ongoing basis.

Presenter Information:

• Erik A. Moore is Head of the University of Minnesota Archives and Director of the University Digital Conservancy, the University of Minnesota's institutional repository of scholarly works, research data, and institutional records.

• Sarah Barsness is the University Digital Records Archivist at the University of Minnesota Archives, where she works with the University's IR and born-digital archival collections, including archiving web-based content.

To access the Zoom site, please register now for this meeting:

https://zoom.us/meeting/register/tJMvceqtpzwsHtDYWS_rchrX5m7G3s7BG3DS

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