New Jersey Monthly is compiling a list of events around the state celebrating the centennial of the passage of the 19th amendment. If your library is planning any events (likely virtual at this point) that you would like to have publicized, please contact Barbara Leap  tofu...@yahoo.com  with the details. Carol Simon Levin 908 781-6041 or 361-6519  tellingherstories.com_ NJ Council for t ...Continue Reading

*Library Design Strategies in the Age of Social Distancing* Description   How are librarians preparing to allow people back into the library once we have all moved beyond curbside delivery? There will certainly be a lot of anxiety and wariness of internal spaces, close contact, and safety for both the staff and the public. Join Architect Jim Kovach, Senior Associate at VMDO, for a webinar on architectural strategies that librarians might consider employing to create a safe an ...Continue Reading

Update: Sorry, I keep forgetting that my instructions to everyone for accessing the Comics Collection are from my State Library access. For anyone else, you'll get a screen after clicking the URL link that asks for  your log-in or profile. Ignore that and click on "Switch Library" that's on the left-hand side under the NJSL logo to access the page with the collection. ~Sharon Best regards, Sharon Rawlins, MLS, she/her/hers Youth Services Specialist for Lifelong Learning NJ State Library 185 West S ...Continue Reading

Please excuse cross-postings * * *Free Comics & Graphic Novel E-Books for Children and Teens in New Jersey & Virtual Library Comic Convention July 30th from 1 – 6 pm (Registration Open)* The New Jersey State Library is participating in an online Virtual Library Comic Convention hosted by BiblioLabs on July 30th from 1 – 6 pm ET, featuring interactive sessions with leading talent. We encourage you, and those in your communities, to attend this free event. During the convention, San Jose (CA) librarians wil ...Continue Reading

FYI, There are virtual group meetings available for adults and for teens aged 14 – 18, among other groups listed here, in case you are interested or care to share this information with colleagues or the teens you serve in your libraries. The Mental Health Association in NJ has provided mental health training sponsored by the NJ State Library for public library staff in the past. ~Sharon   All the best,   Sharon Rawlins, MLS, she/her/hers Youth Services Specialist for Lifelong Learning NJ State Library 185 We ...Continue Reading

Please excuse cross postings   FYI,   I’m sharing this free webinar opportunity: You are invited to join a free webinar sponsored by ALA's Committee on Literacy and ALA's Office for Diversity, Literacy and Outreach Services (ODLOS). Though not an exhaustive definition, we can think of food literacy, from the individual to the community level, as knowledge, skills, and behaviors that contribute to balanced diets and take into account structural factors such as access, security, and sustainabili ...Continue Reading

Please excuse cross postings   I know how much you’re all stressed out. I hope this makes you smile. It was shared with me and I’m passing it along in case you haven’t already seen it.   ~Sharon   Children’s Books for Pandemics by Stephanie Trilling https://www.facebook.com/pg/strilling/photos/?tab=album&album_id=108114034183227&__tn__=-UC-R   Stephanie has literally done at least 100 different covers - Go to the link above – there are many, many more…..   ~Sharon   All the best,   S ...Continue Reading

FYI,   If anyone is interested:   Tennessee State Library and Archives is pleased to host a webinar Thursday, July 9th at 3-4:30 pm EST on *_Tackling Racism in Classic Children’s Literature._ * *You don’t need to register for this, just join when it starts. It will not be recorded.* * * We all know that there are outdated and racist classics on our shelves. These books reflect a homogenous past, yet they still thrive in an ostensibly multicultural present. How do we hold fast to intellectual freedom whil ...Continue Reading

Hi, Lina,   I didn’t see that anyone responded to your email to the discussion list. But, I do want to say that I think this year is going to be different from any year before. I’m sure there are a lot of factors involved besides the pandemic, like the fact that kids and adults may have screen fatigue, or may want to be outside as much as possible due to being cooped up inside for months. I don’t think you can compare registrations and participation to previous years. I think we’re all just going to have to accep ...Continue Reading

Please excuse cross postings   Hi, Everyone,   I know you’re in the middle of launching your summer reading programs for  #ImagineYourStory now, but I need you take a couple of minutes to answer the following questions at:* https://tinyurl.com/ybgs9mjn* by *July 15, 2020*. CSLP's 2022 theme is "Oceanography" and the artist is Sophie Blackall. What slogan suggestions do you have for this theme?  For Example:  "Dive Into Reading"  or "Splash Around with a Good Book ...Continue Reading