Please excuse cross postings Hi, Everyone, It’s that time of the summer when I, as the CSLP State Representative, ask for those of you working in public libraries to complete the summer reading survey created by the Collaborative Summer Library Program (CSLP) statistics committee. This survey was created so CSLP can better assess the usefulness of the materials offered by the program on a national level to better serve you, the CSLP membership! Here is the link to the survey: https://forms.gle/5N2agGJmmeqWodJh6&nb ...Continue Reading

BUILDING CHESS PROGRAMS IN PUBLIC LIBRARIES Monday August 7 at 7 pm. Princeton Public Library Community Room.  In partnership with public libraries, Impact Chess offers free chess instruction to children with the opportunity to play with others. This presentation will cover why chess is a good fit for libraries, how the game benefits children in their cognitive development and critical thinking skills, and getting started building a vibrant youth chess program in your library.Representatives of the first 10 ...Continue Reading

FYI,   *Shared on behalf of the Institute for Museum and Library Services (IMLS)*   Please consider responding to this request for information about community-focused information literacy programming and services in your library. It was issued by the Institute of Museum and Library Services on behalf of a federal taskforce on information literacy. Congress requested the formation of the taskforce and its development of a website, which will host resources usable to local organizations such as museu ...Continue Reading

FYI, ALA invites library users across America to submit nominations for the* I Love My Librarian Award *_through September 30, 2023_! Ten outstanding librarians will receive $5,000 and the honor of a lifetime, including being celebrated on stage at ALA's LibLearnX Conference in Baltimore in January 2024. Honorees will also receive complimentary LibLearnX registration as part of their award packages as well as a $750 travel stipend. We know librarians of all kinds go above and beyond t ...Continue Reading

FYI,   Although this isn’t specifically youth services related, I’m sharing this opportunity with you. Please share it with your library administration and colleagues in other departments. Library facilities are critical infrastructure in the best of times. Climate change promises to increase the critical nature of library facilities to build community resilience and well-being. Climate change is predicted to bring more severe and frequent storms, an increase in the number of heat waves, and regionally specific ha ...Continue Reading

Just forwarding the information about President Obama’s letter to library workers.   ~Sharon   All the best, *Sharon Rawlins, MLS (she/her/hers)*/Youth Services Specialist/ /Library Development Bureau/*New Jersey State Library* *P.*  609-278-2640 x116    *E.*  sraw...@njstatelib.org*W. * www.njstatelib.org   185 West State StreetP.O. Box 520, Trenton, NJ  08625 *From:* ALA President Emily Drabinski <Memb...@ala.org> *Sent:* Monday, July 17, ...Continue Reading

FYI,   Three libraries from NJ are the recipients of  ALA Teen Sci Fi Great Stories Club grant awards. The libraries are the Atlantic County Institute of Technology, Highland Park Public Library and Maplewood Memorial Library. Congratulations to all the NJ libraries who received these awards! Here is the press release: https://www.ala.org/news/member-news/2023/06/american-library-association-awards-29-libraries-teen-sci-fi-great-stories-club   ~Sharon     All the best, *Sharon Rawlins, MLS ...Continue Reading

Please excuse cross postings   *2026 Slogan and 2027 Theme Listening Sessions* *Save the Date!  *Thursday, August 24 ~ 1pm Eastern *OR * Friday, September 08 ~ 3pm Eastern   Talk up your favorite *2026 Slogan and 2027 Theme *from the vetted and translated voting slate.   How are the* Listening Sessions *different from the previous Wordsmithing sessions?  The longer list of possible slogans has now been reviewed for copyright, trademark and translated into Spanish.  We will not be tweakin ...Continue Reading

*FYI,* * * Learn more about services available to all NJ libraries and their patrons! All are welcome to these virtual information sessions, hosted by the New Jersey State Library. For comments, questions or feedback, please reach out to Michael Maziekien, Shared Services Project Specialist in the Library Development Bureau, at mmaz...@njstatelib.org.   *Back-to-School with EBSCO* Thursday, August 10, 2023 at 2:00 PM It’s back-to-school, so let's review the ways in which your EBSCO resources support your scho ...Continue Reading

FYI,   The American Library Association last published the Intellectual Freedom Manual in 2021, and it is now time for a new edition. Erin Berman and John Spears, the co-editors, are looking for input on what is needed in this next edition from library staff, students, trustees, educators, and anyone who has in stake in supporting intellectual freedom. It doesn’t matter whether you have never heard of the Intellectual Freedom Manual or you refer to it often—they want to hear from you. Please take a few minutes to ...Continue Reading