FYI, Twelve *rural public libraries* will receive $15,000 in grant funding, three STEAM exhibitions, and more to enhance STEAM offerings for their communities,hoping to reach communities with a large Latino population.   Those interested in applying on behalf of their library are invited to complete a brief, 15-minute Notice of Intent (NOI) about their community demographics and needs by July 20. www.ala.org/news/member-news/2020/05/... * Through the STAR Net STEAM Equity Project, ...Continue Reading

We are almost at the end of the third week of our summer reading program and our overall registration is only about half of what it usually is by the end of of 8-9 week program.  Is anyone else experiencing low numbers?  Do you think this is because it is an online program (we have never done it online until this year) or because the library is only open for curbside pickup so no one can come to the library or to in-person programs? Before the end of the school year we made a video promoting summer reading an ...Continue Reading

FYI,   The American Library Association (ALA) invites library workers to apply to be part of Resilient Communities: Libraries Respond to Climate Change, a pilot program to help public and academic libraries engage their communities in programs and conversations that address the climate change crisis.   The project will fund in-person and virtual film screenings, community dialogues and related events based on local interest in 25 public and academic libraries, and it will provide instruction and support for ...Continue Reading

FYI,   Forwarding this information below in case you want to share it with youth in your communities.   ~Sharon   All the best,   Sharon Rawlins, MLS, she/her/hers Youth Services Specialist for Lifelong Learning NJ State Library 185 West State St. P.O. Box 520 Trenton, NJ 08625-0520 sraw...@njstatelib.org 609-278-2640 ext. 116 609-278-2650 – fax / / *From:* AWISNJ <awis...@ccsend.com> *Sent:* Wednesday, July 1, 2020 11:31 AM*To:* Sharon Rawlins <sraw...@njstatelib.org>*Subject:* A ...Continue Reading

 Hi, Everyone,   I received this message from a RI magician that I’m sharing with your as an FYI.   My name is Thomas Holmes AKA The Great Baldini a RI magician.  I just completed an hour long Imagine Your Story video: https://youtu.be/DKoxMCge1aI It was created for children but will make everyone smile and feel happy.  It is unlisted on my YouTube channel and can only be accessed by the above link.  I would like to share it with all the New Jersey Libraries for free.  My goal is to ...Continue Reading

 *Free Comics & Graphic Novel E-Books for Children and Teens in New Jersey & Virtual Library Comic Convention July 30th from 1 – 6 pm (SAVE THE DATE: More Details to Come)* In response to COVID-19 pandemic, the NJ State Library has partnered with BiblioBoard to launch a free e-book library of selected graphic novels and comics available for children and teens in New Jersey during the summer months. As of right now, there are 3,767 titles available to access, with additional content being added soon. Y ...Continue Reading

FYI, I’m sharing this information I saw on the discussion list for the association of rural and small libraries. I thought it was worth sharing if anyone’s interested. *Sanford Lab’s first-ever virtual Neutrino Day events July 6-11* Mark Hanhardt, is an astrophysicist at the Sanford Lab in Lead, SD is working on projects to learn more about dark matter. Each year the lab hosts Neutrino Day, which has now expanded to a week of events highlighting science, dark matter, and the exploration of our universe. With the c ...Continue Reading

*OverDrive offers anti-racism books free to libraries* OverDrive is making anti-racism and social justice books available to libraries at no charge and with simultaneous use as part of a program called Black Lives Matter: Community Read. "The titles included ... are focused on #ownvoices and are intended to help patrons read, listen, learn and grow as they expand their knowledge of race relations," the company notes, with titles including "The Hate U Give," (available June 22 – July 19 in e-book an ...Continue Reading

FYI,   Here are some helpful antiracism booklists from the Cooperative Children’s Book Center: *“Race and Racism: Selected Books for PreK-Grade 12” * *“Black Experiences: Affirmation and Resilience, Activism and Resistance in 45 Books for PreK-Grade 12”. *See information below.   © 2020 Cooperative Children’s Book Center We’ve received a number of requests from around Wisconsin in recent days for books for children and teens addressing systemic racism. But just as important, we know, thanks to Black coll ...Continue Reading

FYI, Dear Colleagues,  The New York Public Library is thrilled to announce the launch of our new self-paced early literacy training, /Raising the Bar: Integrating Early Childhood Development into Librarian Professional Developmen/t. This*/ free/* training expands on the work of our train-the-trainer materials to offer a comprehensive self-guided individual learning experience. Developed for librarians of all experience levels, this self-paced training can be completed at any time and in any plac ...Continue Reading