Dear Colleagues, Please tell your trustees to register for the November Trustees' Check-in on Thursday, November 18th at 7:00PM.  There will be a discussion about libraries going fineless after COVID and the ramifications of this policy change.  Please use the following link to register: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_h_AgFzaLRoucF6522miTQQ Best regards, Bob Keith Director of Library Law, State Aid, and Statistics New Jersey State Library Street Address: 185 W. State St. Trenton, NJ 0860 ...Continue Reading

Dear Colleagues, Due to scheduling conflicts the November Directors' Check-in has been cancelled.  The next Directors' Check-in will be December 14th.  The registration link for that will be sent out in the near future. The registration link for the November Trustees' Check-in will be sent out shortly. Best regards, Bob Keith Director of Library Law, State Aid, and Statistics New Jersey State Library Street Address: 185 W. State St. Trenton, NJ 08608 Mailing Address: P.O. Box 520 Trenton, NJ 08625 ...Continue Reading

Dear New Jersey library community,   The New Jersey State Library (NJSL) has hired an independent consultant to evaluate the services we provide that are funded by the Library Services and Technology Act. We are very interested in getting your feedback on these services via this survey: https://survey.alchemer.com/s3/6581886/New-Jersey-State-Library-Survey   All staff working in New Jersey libraries of any type as well as in New Jersey organizations that support libraries are encouraged to participate. Your ...Continue Reading

Dear Directors, As you all know, last year the State Library was granted nearly $1 million in CARES Act funding. A large portion of those funds were used to fund the following statewide services: Capira Curbside SimplyE Zoom Read Squared Brainfuse Remote Desktop software Ebooks from Baker and Taylor I am currently compiling our annual report to the Institute of Museum and Library Services and I would very much like to include quotes from you as to the usefulness of one or more of these resources to your community. ...Continue Reading

Telehealth ARPA Opportunity for Public Libraries The ongoing pandemic has put a spotlight on inequities in the healthcare system, especially among those most vulnerable. There is a need for public libraries to play a role in advancing health equity that can be bridged through the *NJHealthConnect @ Your Library*, funded by the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) opportunity. This new program, administered by New Jersey State Library, and implemented by *Just For The Health Of It!* at East Brunswick Public Library, addre ...Continue Reading

Posted on behalf of PLA.  If you have any questions about the following information please contact PLA. *PLA launches Benchmark, a new tool for data-driven planning and advocacy in public libraries * Benchmark: Library Metrics and Trends provides libraries with data visualizations and peer comparisons that can help libraries plan, make informed decisions, and tell the story of their impact. Through Benchmark, library workers have access to a centralized collection of their library data, includin ...Continue Reading

Dear Colleagues, Please visit the following links for statistics and State Aid payment information. 2020 Library Statistics: https://www.njstatelib.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/DataYear2020Statistics.xlsx FY2022 State Aid Check Amounts: https://www.njstatelib.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/FinalCheckAmountFY22.xlsx FY2022 State Aid Award Letters: https://www.njstatelib.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/AwardLettersFY22.pdf Please let me know if you have any questions. Best regards, Bob Keith ...Continue Reading

Posted on behalf of The New Face of Library Makerspaces Join us to help build a national Collective of library professionals who support one another to develop and deliver community-centered maker programs. An opportunity to lead In conjunction with a 2-year IMLS Grant Project The New Face of Library Makerspaces, we are looking for 6-7 libraries to serve as Charter Members to help lay the foundation for a national Collective, and take a leadership role in the project. The libraries chosen will have their p ...Continue Reading

You’re invited! NJSL has 30 open licenses available for New Jersey libraries to participate in a pilot program with the Northstar Digital Literacy Assessment project. While Northstar is free to use, a license for your library (single location or including branches) will allow you to assess users and issue digital literacy certificates. Northstar is a preeminent tool for helping people understand their digital literacy skills and needs, and has curriculum available for designing digital literacy classes. NJSL is pleased ...Continue Reading

Dear Colleagues, The recording of the October Trustees' Check-in is available at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WhNE8CPDSlM The November Trustees' Check-in will be held at 7:00PM on Thursday, November 18th.  A separate registration email will follow. Best regards, Bob Keith Director of Library Law, State Aid, and Statistics New Jersey State Library Street Address: 185 W. State St. Trenton, NJ 08608 Mailing Address: P.O. Box 520 Trenton, NJ 08625 P: 609-278-2640x192 F: 609-278-2650 rkeith@PROTECT ...Continue Reading