FYI,   I shared this information in the chat of a recent YASS meeting but not on the discussion list ~Sharon   JerseyConnect is excited to announce a new free service called Remote Assist available to all libraries across the state, to help reach remote patrons or provide services in the library while maintaining social distance. Here are some of the key features available:Remote assistance lets you connect with patrons anywhere, from anywhere, to assist them with using library resources. Patrons just need ...Continue Reading

FYI,   Mark your calendars for our 3rd Latinx MiniFest Mexican-American Conversations in Children's Literature/Conversaciones Mexico-Estadounidenses en Literatura Infantil. Award winning author,  David Bowles,/They Call Me Güero /will keynote on Saturday, March 6, 2021, 10:15 am – 1:00 pm. Our rock star group of panelists include:  Aida Salazar, Alexandra Diaz, Ernesto Cisneros, Matt de la Peña, YuYi Morales, Isabel Quintero and Donna Barba Higuera. For more information and to ...Continue Reading

FYI,   Opening for a Children’s Coordinator (PT) at Ringwood Public Library   *From:* LibraryLink <no-r...@librarylinknj.org> *Sent:* Tuesday, January 19, 2021 1:44 PM*To:* job-...@llnjd7prod.virtual.vps-host.net*Subject:* Children's Coordinator--Ringwood   Children’s Coordinator Position Title: Children’s Coordinator (PT) Position Class:  Library Support Position—Library Assistant or Senior Library Assistant--DoQ Salary Range:  Shall be consistent with NJLA recommended starting salaries ...Continue Reading

FYI, As part of the federal CARES Act funds allocated to the New Jersey State Library, the online tutoring service Brainfuse has been licensed for all New Jersey public libraries from February 1-June 15, 2021. Due to the setup required for this product, the goal is to have all public libraries able to access Brainfuse by February 15, 2021.  Brainfuse may be reaching out to libraries for needed information in the near future. Those libraries who are already Brainfuse subscribers will receive a credit and/or rebate. ...Continue Reading

Forwarding from another list - one of the presenters is the makerspace coordinator at Warren County Library, Sandy Roberts. She is also asking for some feedback from libraries on their STEM and maker programs (see questions below) so if you have any based on her questions - you can reach her at srob...@warrenlib.org----- On Thursday, January 21 at 7 pm I'll be participating in Make's Plan C Live: The State Of Play panel. Here's the description: Are the kids alright? And, what are they doing? Few topics have crea ...Continue Reading

Please excuse cross postings   FYI,   I received this information today and thought that those of you working with teens who are looking for volunteer opportunities to give back to their communities – especially to seniors - might be interested in sharing this with the teens so I’m passing it along. Any questions should be addressed to /covi...@gmail.com./   ~Sharon Hello, *My name is Manjari Madhusudanan and I am a volunteer with the student-run COVID Networks. *We are reaching out because we are i ...Continue Reading

Showcasing Services During the Pandemic this February We are happy to announce that the 2021 New Jersey Library Snapshot Day will begin on February 1st and be held throughout the month of February. Snapshot Day is an annual celebration where the New Jersey library community comes together to document the wonderful people, places, events, materials, and experiences that make up a day in the life of the library. Snapshot Day started in New Jersey libraries in 2007 as a response to the simple question: “what would happen ...Continue Reading

Good afternoon, I wanted to briefly share some information from a Rutgers student who I have been working with who does neuroscience workshops for kids and teens (grades 2-8). His organization is called The Brain Bunch and he has done his program in several libraries and schools in the central Jersey area. He has revamped his in-person hands-on workshops and turned it into a flexible 45 min, 1hr or 2 hr virtual workshop offering called "The Virtual Brain Fair". He is offering these workshops at no-co ...Continue Reading

FYI,   The deadline to apply for this grant is January 15th so I know there’s not much time – and the grants are usually awarded to education based groups or organizations but libraries are eligible to apply. Just thought I would send it out just in case. ~Sharon NSLA knows last year was an exceptionally challenging season for summer learning programs. Yet, we want to acknowledge the many programs that pivoted during the crisis and found innovative ways to keep kids learning, safe, and healthy. ...Continue Reading

Just in case you’re not a member of NJLA but wanted to know…. Hi everyone!   I would like to officially announce the winners of the 26th Annual Garden State Teen Book Awards! While we would normally wait to announce the winners closer to the NJLA Conference, we want to let you know the winners now. Winners are listed below and a formal press release is attached.    Stay tuned for an announcement soon about our GSBA Luncheon speaker! FICTION GRADES 6-8 New Kid by Jerry Craft   FICTION GRADES 9-1 ...Continue Reading