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

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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.

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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.

The post Join the TBBC Winter Reading Challenge: Chilly Chapters! appeared first on New Jersey State Library.

The Northeast Summit on Climate Adaptation for Library Facilities, which consists of State libraries and agencies from Maine to Maryland, invites you to save the date for our next webinar, “Library Greenscapes: Cultivating Climate Resilience, Community, and Learning Outdoors.”

This virtual event will take place on Tuesday, February 4, from 1:00pm to 2:30pm and will feature a keynote from MA, landscape architect Lisa Giersbach of the G2 Collaborative, and a panel discussion of librarians from VT, MA, and MD who have transformed their library’s exterior landscapes.

More information and a registration link will be forthcoming. We hope to see you there!

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Thanks to a generous grant from the National Network Libraries of Medicine Region 2, the New Jersey State Library invites you to attend the following in-person workshop trainings offered at five locations throughout the state. The workshops will be presented by the Mental Health Association of New Jersey and cover the following topics:

1. Self-Care for Librarians: Addressing burnout, mind and body wholeness.
2. Dealing with Crisis: For front desk who have to handle fraught customers and QPR suicide prevention certification.

Each session will provide additional community resources, access to information, and additional online training and support services available to the libraries, as well as access to annual mental health awareness and education materials, along with a direct line into the MHANJ Call Center for questions and consultation.

Please note: Attendance is limited to 25 per location and is open to one person per library.

Dates and Locations:

• January 6 from 9:00am to 3:30pm – Cumberland County Library, Bridgeton
• January 13 from 9:00am to 3:30pm – Newark Public Library, 4th floor auditorium
• February 3 from 9:00am to 3:30pm – Elizabeth Public Library
• February 24 from 9:00am to 3:30pm – Atlantic County Library, Mays Landing
• March 10 from 9:00am to 3:30pm – Burlington County Library Headquarters

Lunch will be provided. Please indicate any dietary restrictions in the registration form.

Click here to register.

Questions? Please contact Andrea Levandowski at alevandowski@njstatelib.org

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The New Jersey State Library (NJSL) is issuing a Request for Quotations (RFQ) to be received by the New Jersey State Library, emailed to skowalski@njstatelib.org, no later than 11:59 p.m. January 10, 2025. The New Jersey State Library (NJSL or State Library) seeks qualified vendors to provide statewide access to a wide range of electronic resources and services for state residents and libraries of all types. We anticipate entering a three-year contract (July 1, 2025 – June 30, 2028) with selected vendor(s) to fulfill the educational, recreational and informational needs of New Jersey residents and libraries with digital  and online content made available through JerseyClicks. Quotations submitted in response to this RFQ may be awarded to the lowest responsible bidder(s), price and other factors are considered.

Please click here for the official request for quotations.

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The New Jersey State Library (NJSL) seeks representatives to serve on the Library Network Review Board. Representatives will serve a two-year term beginning January 1, 2025. Representatives of all types of libraries, including K-12 school, academic, and public libraries, are encouraged to apply.

The Library Network Review Board (LNRB) meets at least annually and advises the State Librarian on matters pertaining to necessary or desirable statewide and inter-regional programs or services; and types of interaction and linkage of the New Jersey Library Network with interstate and national library networks. The board is composed of four members appointed by the LibraryLinkNJ Executive Board and up to four members appointed by the State Librarian. Each member of the Library Network Review Board serves for a term of two years, and may be reappointed for a second term.

The New Jersey State Library (https://www.njstatelib.org), an affiliate of Thomas Edison State University, is led by State Librarian Jennifer R. Nelson and provides services for NJ libraries, the state legislature and government employees, Thomas Edison State University staff and students, and registered borrowers.

LibraryLinkNJ (https://librarylinknj.org) is a nonprofit, multi-type library organization established under the New Jersey Library Network Law and the regulations under New Jersey Administrative Code. 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. LLNJ has over 1,300 voting representatives from more than 2,500 public and private school, public, academic, institutional, corporate, health sciences and special libraries and library-related agencies. Members join at no charge and pay no dues.

To apply, send an email to mmaziekien@njstatelib.org by Wednesday, December 20, 2024. Please submit a summary of your professional experience (i.e., resume, short bio or profile link).

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Calling all patrons of the New Jersey State Library Talking Book and Braille Center!

We invite you to reminisce about beloved homemade meals and treats. Do you have a cherished recipe you’d like to share? We’re excited to announce a nationwide project where TBBC patrons and NLS staff members can contribute their favorite recipes!

Think back to the comforting taste of your mom’s kitchen, the delightful casseroles you enjoyed after school, or those unforgettable Christmas cookies from your grandma. We want to gather these recipes for “The Community Table,” a unique collection that will be produced in audio, braille, and (eventually) large print.

Join librarians from South Carolina and Florida as they create a heartfelt anthology filled with love, memories, and culinary delights from across the country.

To contribute, please email your recipe along with a brief paragraph explaining why it’s special, to tbbc@njstatelib.org.

Thank you for helping us create something truly wonderful to share!

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The New Jersey State Library is happy to announce the six libraries selected to participate in the Digital Navigation Corps, an initiative led by Literacy Minnesota to bring full-time AmeriCorps members organizations in high-need communities.

The selected libraries are:

• Atlantic City Free Library
• Edison Public Library
• Linden Public Library
• New Brunswick Free Public Library
• Pennsauken Free Public Library
• Union City Public Library

The Digital Navigation Corps is an AmeriCorps State and National program that will place 28 AmeriCorps members in locations in Minnesota, New Jersey, North Carolina, and Texas to provide digital literacy and job readiness training. This locally responsive, scalable solution to the digital equity crisis will place individual AmeriCorps members as Digital Navigators in libraries, nonprofits, and public agencies to help connect digitally disenfranchised people with nearby digital inclusion activities that address their unique needs. The New Jersey State Library is a State-Level Partner in this initiative.

Through a competitive application and review process six New Jersey public libraries have been selected to serve as host sites. These libraries will provide the vision, project plan, day-to-day management of the project, and on-site supervision of their AmeriCorps members.

The Digital Navigation Corps is expected to launch with services to the public in January 2025. For questions or more information, please contact Andrea Levandowski, Adult Services Specialist: alevandowski@njstatelib.org.

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The New Jersey Division of Aging Services (DoAS), an organization within the New Jersey Department of Human Services, strives to make it easier for older adults to live in their community as long as possible with independence, dignity, and choice.

The Division administers a number of federal- and state-funded programs that provide assistance for everyday needs. Access to some of these programs is available with NJSave, an application that can help older adults and individuals with disabilities save money on Medicare premiums, prescriptions, utilities, and other living expenses. Click here to learn more about NJSave.

New Jersey residents ages 60 and older can also remain socially engaged, learn new skills, and become more proficient with technology with free access to GetSetUp, an online platform that hosts live classes taught by older adults for older adults. GetSetUp is available 24/7 and offers hundreds of classes across a wide range of topics, including art, health, technology, and travel. Click here to register through the State’s partnership with GetSetUp.

If your library is interested in learning more about these and additional DoAS programs and services, as well as how the Division can help you promote them to your patrons, please email DoAS.Outreach@dhs.nj.gov.

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The New Jers​​​ey High School Consumer Bowl is an educational competition for high school students across the state. It was established in 1997 to educate young adults on a variety of consumer issues and is approved under the New Jersey Department of Education Professional Development Guidelines, thus enabling teachers who coach the students to obtain professional development credits.

Schools participate free of charge and study materials and additional study links are provided through our website. All participating students receive Certificates of Achievement. Winners at the county and regional level receive trophies. First, second and third-place winners at the state level, the final level of competition, receive individual medals.

If you are interested in participating in the New Jersey High School Consumer Bowl, please contact Dulcelina Pena at PenaD@dca.njoag.gov or P.O. Box 45027 Newark, New Jersey 07101.

Click to download promotional poster. Entrance deadline has been extended to November 18th, 2024.

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Please join us for the New Jersey Cultural Alliance for Response Virtual Summit. Cultural Institutions and Climate Resiliency November 12, 2024, 9:00 AM – 12:00 PM REGISTER AT: https://bit.ly/3zZREn2

Keynote: Adapting Facilities for Climate Resilience

Join Rebekkah Smith Aldrich, MLS, LEED AP, Executive Director of the Mid-Hudson Library System, Co-Founder/Board President of the Sustainable Libraries Initiative, and principal author of the National Climate Action Strategy for Libraries for an introduction to the idea of sustainability as a core value and practical tips for ensuring cultural institutions have facilities are more resilience in the face of the predicted impacts of severe weather brought on by climate change. Rebekkah Smith Aldrich currently serves as the co-chair of the American Library Association’s (ALA) Special Task Force on Sustainability, as an advisory board member for the ALA Center for the Future of Libraries, and is a founding board member of the ALA Sustainability Round Table and the co-founder of the New York Library Association’s Sustainability Initiative.

Program: Collections Climate Resiliency Cohort for Coastal New Jersey and Delaware

Speaker: Dyani Feige, Director of Preservation Services, Conservation Center for Art & Historic Artifacts

The Conservation Center for Art & Historic Artifacts (CCAHA), in partnership with Christopher Cameron of Sustainable Heritage, is introducing a Collections Climate Resiliency Cohort. With generous funding from the National Endowment of the Humanities, this initiative is aimed at small-to-midsized collecting institutions located in coastal regions of New Jersey and Delaware. The vast majority of land in both New Jersey and Delaware lies within what geologists call the Atlantic Coastal Plain, which has a heightened vulnerability to storm inundation and sea-level rise. Collecting institutions need to undergo a paradigm shift in their thinking, a monumental task, to begin to approach planning in a way that both increases sustainability efforts to mitigate their own contributions to climate change while also preparing and adapting for projected outcomes in an ever-riskier world.

Program: Jumpstart Your Arts Readiness Plan with dplan/ArtsReady

Speaker: Mollie Quinlan-Hayes, Fund Development and Program Officer, NCAPER

Arts and cultural organizations are vulnerable not just to natural disasters, but to crises due to accidents, deferred maintenance, negligence, public health emergencies, and human-caused events such as community unrest, cyberattacks, and violence. As a steward of your institution’s collections and creative assets, you want to protect them, maintain your business operations, and continue to serve your community in the wake of an emergency. dPlan/ArtsReady is an online emergency preparedness and response tool for arts and cultural organizations – of any size, scope, or discipline. NJCAR members can get a free one-year subscription (a $100 value)! This session will walk through how the tool works and how to jumpstart your plan. It builds on the elements you already have in place and lets you work at your own pace to create your customized preparedness plan!

Click here to register. 

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The New Jersey State Library collaborated with the New Jersey Library Association (NJLA) to create a media relations guidebook for NJ libraries.

This is a basic guide to media training that covers key concepts and skills to help library staff effectively communicate with the media. The goal of this resource is to help library staff feel prepared and confident to take a call from a journalist at any given time! This is a great resource to keep handy for reference in the future when interview opportunities arise.

Click here to access the Media Training 101 Guidebook.

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