Dear Library Directors, When I wrote to you last week I received some emails that not all the counties were included on the list of census specialists. Here is the information for the four remaining counties as shared with me by the regional census bureau. Salem Jennifer Hamilton 475-529-1826 jennifer.j.hamilton@PROTECTED Somerset Alison Jackson 609-954-3894 allison.l.jackson@PROTECTED Tahirih Gomez-Smith 609-954-3977 tahirih.gomez.smith@PROTECTED Middlesex June Burton 959-200-6577 june.e ...Continue Reading

Dear Library Directors, As you are probably aware, beginning in December the State Library and the regional Census Bureau began collaborating on local workshops to help prepare library staff to assist their customers in completing the online 2020 census. However, as of January 21, the State Library was informed by census trainers that they were awaiting updated information from the federal Census Bureau and would need to postpone trainings. That temporary postponement, to the best of my knowledge, is now extended inde ...Continue Reading

Dear Colleauges, ReferenceUSA is currently down.  I have been in touch with our representatives from Infogroup and they are working on the problem as quickly as possible.  When they have corrected the issue and ReferenceUSA is accessable again I will let you know. Concurrently there is also an issue with ReferenceUSA geolocation authentication.  They are also working on this issue, which is intermittant across the state.  Patron experiencing log in issues can try the following steps to correct th ...Continue Reading

Dear Library Director, I hope that you received the January 8, 2020 letter from the Commissioner of the Department of Health Services (DHS) and the New Jersey State Library regarding free Narcan kits for public libraries. Even though the January 20 deadline to receive requests has passed, the Department still has some kits that can be sent to your library. All that you need to do is to send an email with the subject line “Naloxene for Libraries” to humanservices@PROTECTED by next Monday, January 27. Please include you ...Continue Reading

*The next annual New Directors’ Orientation will be held on March 18 & 25, 2020, from 9:00 am to 4:00 pm at the New Jersey State Library’s Talking Book and Braille Center (2300 Stuyvesant Avenue, Trenton, NJ 08618).* The two-day workshops will feature essential information for new library directors in the following areas: [*]Overview of New Jersey State Library services focusing on how we can help serve you in your new position as Library Director. [*]NJ Library Law [*]Purchasing Basics [*]Strategic Planning [ ...Continue Reading

Dear Colleagues, The Technical Assistance webinar for the Library Construction Bond Act is now archived and available to all New Jersey public library staff.  The webinar link is https://zoom.us/rec/share/7tMoJbr5-UVIHLfSsmbQVvEKQZzJaaa81iYc8vMOxUaPpMzHYIm6Xy6le0Q0mK2d This link is also available on the State Library’s Library Construction Bond Act web page: https://www.njstatelib.org/services_for_libraries/new-jersey-library-construction-bond-act/ Best regards, Kathleen Moeller-Peiffer, MSLS ALA Council ...Continue Reading

Technical Assistance Webinar for the New Jersey Library Construction Bond Act Presented by: New Jersey State Library and New Jersey Educational Facilities Authority Wednesday, January 22, 2020 1:30 p.m. – 3:30 p.m. This Webinar will provide library officials and other interested parties such as architects, library design consultants and elected officials with technical assistance on the completion of grant applications in connection with the New Jersey Library Construction Bond Act (the “Bond Act”). Presentations ...Continue Reading

Dear Colleagues, The Data Year 2019 Annual Survey is now open.  Either you or your designee should have received your username, password and the URL for the survey.  If you or your designee did not receive this information please let me know.  Please be advised that the deadline for submission of the Survey and Accuracy Certification is March 15, 2020.  The forms needed for the survey can be found at http://www.njstatelib.org/services_for_libraries/resources/per_capita_state_aid/ under the D ...Continue Reading

Dear Colleagues, Please read the important letter below from Carole Johnson, Commissioner, Department of Human Services and Mary Chute, State Librarian, regarding Narcan for libraries. https://www.njstatelib.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/Naloxone_Library_Letter.pdf ...Continue Reading

Dear Colleagues, Please be advised that on January 6, 2020 the Notice of Grant Opportunity for the Library Construction Bond has been published in the New Jersey Register. The State Library has now posted the Solicitation Package for the Winter 2020 grant application round.  The Solicitation Package is located at https://www.njstatelib.org/services_for_libraries/new-jersey-library-construction-bond-act/ Please be aware that there are specific rules regarding the submission of questions and s ...Continue Reading