Dear Members of the New Jersey library community,

As the State Library begins our eighth week of working from home, I wanted to let you know that you can still count on us for the services that we have always provided. Although they may take different forms, we are still offering continuing education classes virtually. For example, this week, the week of May 11 we will be hosting Ask the Expert with the New Jersey State Archives, the Financial Side of College Graduation, Resume Tips and Tricks, and Thursdays with MyHeritage. We also have statewide access, through June 30, to Academic Search Ultimate, Business Source Ultimate and all Ebsco ebook collections, from K-12 to college to public library choices. And of course, State Library staff may be reached via email or phone for your questions.

In terms of planning for the future we, along with the New Jersey Library Association, are working with LibraryLinkNJ to outline a reasonable return to work scenario which will be shared with all New Jersey libraries. As you might imagine, one of the shared priorities throughout this planning is the safety of our staff and patrons.

Since the Governor recently renewed his health emergency mandate for an additional thirty days, we can only guess, but would anticipate that State Library staff may be returning to the State Library Information Center and the Talking Book and Braille Center in early June. I will keep you all posted if that timeframe changes.

Finally, I hope that you and your families are in good health. While this is a very trying time for so many, the remote services that you continue to offer are a lifeline and provide a sense of community for so many in the state. Keep up the good work!

Sincerely,

Mary Chute
State Librarian