NJ State Library

At the New Jersey State Library, we’re celebrating our achievements from 2024 while laying the groundwork for some really interesting projects in 2025. If 2024 was the year of applications and planning, 2025 is the year to start implementation of multi-year projects.

• We’re grateful to the six libraries that have agreed to host an Americorps member to work on digital literacy as a pilot this year, and hopeful it will be successful for all involved.
• Teaching Information Literacy, an IMLS grant that is developing instructional activities and training related to New Jersey’s emerging information literacy standards, is poised to move forward in significant ways – look for trainings to be announced in late spring 2025.
• New Jersey has a robust Digital Equity Plan and the New Jersey State Library is looking forward to working with the Office of Broadband Connectivity to implement key programs that will support residents in accessing devices, and the internet, and building digital literacy skills.
• Finally, we’re about to launch Rev 250, a grant opportunity aimed at helping public libraries develop materials, resources, programs and tools for celebrating America’s semiquincentennial and New Jersey’s essential role in founding American democracy.

Wishing all of you the best as your new year gets underway; please don’t hesitate to reach out and let us know what you’re up to. We’re always happy to hear from libraries about the great work happening around the state and showcase your work to a statewide audience.

Jen Nelson  State Librarian

 

Click here to read full update in PDF format.

The post State Librarian’s Update – January 2025 appeared first on New Jersey State Library.

Building upon the goodwill and partnerships started with our statewide Telehealth program three years ago, please join the New Jersey State Library for this virtual summit to introduce the new NJHealthConnect@YourLibrary Digital Toolkit and website, generously funded by a grant from the National Network Libraries of Medicine Region 2. The summit will introduce the topic of Telehealth in libraries, review resources for health and mental health literacy from specialists in the field, and demonstrate how to use the toolkit to create a scalable Telehealth program in your library.

Telehealth in Libraries Virtual Summit and Introduction to the NJHealthConnect@Yourlibrary Virtual Toolkit Wednesday, February 26, 2025, 9:00-12:30 Click here to register. Telehealth in Libraries Summit Agenda

9:00-9:10        Welcome, Michele Stricker, Deputy State Librarian, New Jersey State Library

9:10-9:45        Intro to Telehealth in Libraries, Alta Porterfield, DE Division of  Library

9:45-10:05      NJSL Health Resources, Martha Sullivan, Reference Librarian, New Jersey State Library

10:05-10:35     Mental Health Resources, Robert Kley, Exec. Director, Mental Health Association of NJ

10:35-10:45     BREAK

10:45-11:10     Telehealth and other NNLM Resources, National Network Libraries of Medicine

11:10-11:30     Health Literacy: Connecting with your Community, Karen Parry, Dir., East Brunswick PL

11:30-11:50     NJHealthConnect@YourLibrary Virtual Toolkit, Michele Stricker, NJSL

11:50-12:30     Apps/Modules, Kathy Schwarting, Palmetto Care Connections; Andrea Levandowski, NJSL

 

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The United States Semiquincentennial, or 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, will be celebrated on July 4, 2026 and will be marked by a variety of events around the country. Many of the American Revolution’s singular events took place in New Jersey, including more battles than in any other colony. Additionally, New Jersey’s first State Constitution predates the U.S. Constitution, and was used as a model for it. Because libraries are revolutionary places and instrumental in safeguarding community history, they are uniquely positioned to highlight and share information about the semiquincentennial.

We are excited to announce an opportunity for public libraries across New Jersey to mark the United States Semiquincentennial. As we celebrate New Jersey’s pivotal role in our nation’s history, we encourage your library to apply for a REV 250: Examining the Semiquincentennial through a Jersey Lens grant.

This funding initiative, administered by the New Jersey State Library, will allow public libraries to celebrate and share the rich history of New Jersey. Your library can design projects that highlight the people, places, and events that shaped our state.

We encourage all public libraries to apply for one of the available grants, with awards ranging from $2,500 to $25,000. Grant applications will open February 5, 2025 and close on March 21, 2025. The grant options include:

• Digitization Projects to safeguard and provide access to local historic materials.
• Public Programming to celebrate and educate through events and community engagement.
• Special Collections to build or enhance library collections related to New Jersey’s rich history.

The full grant guidelines will be released by the end of this month. An informational webinar will be held on January 31, 2025, to review the guidelines and answer any questions. If you are interested in this grant opportunity, we highly encourage your participation in this session.

Click here to register for the informational webinar.

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Calling all New Directors in the New Jersey Library Community:

Our annual New Directors Orientation will be offered as a virtual event this February. As a new director, NJSL is here to support you in your role by offering basic training on a number of topics that are considered core knowledge for any leader of a public library in the state. Please register below and join us on the following dates.

Wednesday, February 12, 2025 Wednesday, February 19, 2025 TOPICS INCLUDE:

• Library Law
• Budgeting
• Purchasing
• Strategic Planning
• Working with Trustees & Elected Officials
• Managing Library Staff and more!

Stay tuned for the full agenda and please note that while this training is geared toward new library directors, ALL LIBRARY DIRECTORS ARE INVITED TO ATTEND!

Click here to register

The post Register Now for the 2025 Annual Virtual New Directors Orientation appeared first on New Jersey State Library.

Increase in Genealogy Research Assistance Requests at the New Jersey State Library

 

A message from Genealogy Research Librarian, Regina Fitzpatrick: The Increase

Summer is a great time to do Genealogy Research, as evidenced by the increase in number of reference questions on this subject!  From July-September 2024, I was delighted to assist several researchers exploring their family histories.  From very basic requests for specific record types or contact information for a repository, to complex questions that required a good deal of research, I responded to a total of 47 Genealogy requests over the course of these three months.  I had an almost daily streak of researching or responding to these questions.  My number of Genealogy requests October-December 2024 is 30, by contrast.

Types of Questions

The time periods covered by my July-September questions ranged from the 1600’s to the present day. Most questions related to individuals who were from New Jersey and lived here during the 1800’s or very early 1900’s.  Many of the researchers were looking for ways to identify parents of an individual ancestor, so that they could trace the line further back.  For the record, the best way to do this if your ancestor lived after May 1848, is to check their death certificate, which may list parents’ names.  If your ancestor died before May 1848, estate papers or deed records or court cases may also provide this information.

Interesting Examples

I want to close with three examples of the interesting questions I got during this time period.  I hope this will give you an idea of the range of topics I covered, and some of the ways I can assist in connecting you to resources that may help answer your family history questions!

Example 1:

Half hour in person research consultation with patron looking for a family who lived in Sussex County in 1830 and hoping to determine how land was divided between two sisters. I also sent the patron an e-mail with resources they could access from home including digitized tax ratables, Early Land Records Database, Sussex Co Deeds on FamilySearch.org, and a history of Sussex County on Internet Archive. Also sent her two book lists relating to the family surnames of interest in our collection. I advised the patron to check the Genealogy Collection here for: our Tax Ratable index, Genealogical Magazine of New Jersey index, and Sussex County Genealogy Books. Also pulled a bound 1860 (reprint 1984) property map for them.

Example 2:

Patron researching great grandmother’s father, who was part of a circus visiting Jersey City in 1913. I was not able to find any information on him, other than his name on the great grandmother’s marriage certificate. Patron was also able to confirm that a circus with his surname was in Jersey City at the right time. Great Grandmother’s mother may have died giving birth to her, and it’s unclear whether or not she was married. I gave several research suggestions, including checking city directories, 1915 state census, WWI draft registrations, marriages, divorces, birth, and death records, both in NJ and NYC. Also suggested doing newspaper research via the Jersey Journal Archive.

Example 3:

I conducted an in-depth consultation with a researcher looking for the daughter and wife of Thomas Bloomfield, the founder of Woodbridge, NJ.  The patron had information from Find a Grave and other internet resources that said he possibly settled in Massachusetts prior to coming to NJ.  I was hoping to find proof of his wife’s name and their marriage and confirm that her known ancestor was their daughter. I gave the researcher a strategy for finding information about Thomas Bloomfield in our collection and four additional resources: Genealogical Magazine of New Jersey, Calendar of NJ Wills, Settlers of the Plantation of Piscataway and Woodbridge, and family histories to start with.  Also gave the patron a brief tour of the genealogy collection, focusing on areas that would be useful for them to browse. I explained New Jersey State Archives’ Early Land Records and Colonial Marriage Bonds databases and how to navigate to these from home, plus how to use the State Library’s catalog to find family histories.

The post An Update from NJSL’s Genealogy Librarian, Regina Fitzpatrick appeared first on New Jersey State Library.

The Talking Book and Braille Center (TBBC) is excited to invite adult patrons aged 18 and over to participate in the Chilly Chapters Winter Reading Challenge (WRC). This eight-week challenge will run from January 6, 2025, to February 28, 2025, encouraging participants to engage in reading during the winter months. Registration Details Participants can register for the WRC from December 2, 2024, to December 23, 2024. Registration is free and can be completed by contacting Liz Kelly via:

• Phone: (800) 792-8322 ext. 805
• Email: lkelly@njstatelib.org

Upon registration, participants will receive:

• A comprehensive packet with challenge rules.
• Curated lists of recommended books.
• A reading log to track their reading progress.

The first 75 patrons to register will receive a TBBC logo gift! Reading Program Details

• Duration: January 6, 2025 – February 28, 2025
• Eligibility: Adults (18+) registered with NJSL Talking Book and Braille Center.
• Reading Log Submission: Participants must submit their completed reading logs by March 1, 2025. Logs can be submitted via:
  • Email: Send a photo or a list of read books to lkelly@njstatelib.org.
  • Mail: Ensure logs are postmarked by February 28, 2025 (participants must provide their own postage).
  • Phone: Consult with a Readers Advisor to add titles to the reading log.

Prizes All registered participants who report reading at least one book will receive one entry into a prize drawing for $100 Visa Gift Card. Additional entries can be earned as follows:

• 2 Entries: For the top 10 patrons who read the most books.
• 3 Entries: For the top 5 readers.
• “Most books read” Prize: A tactile chess set will be awarded to the participant with the highest number of books read.

Prize Drawing The drawing will take place on Friday March 14, 2025, with winners notified by email or phone. Results will also be announced in the Spring issue of the TBBC Newsletter.

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