FYI, My colleague at the Washington State Library shared information with me about a Summit that might be of interest that’s being sponsored by the Washington Library Association. It’s happening virtually on Friday, September 8th. They are allowing non-Washington Library Association members from other states to attend and it costs $55 to register as a non-WLA member. More info here: [1] https://www.wla.org/2023-neurodivergence-libraries-summit ~Sharon All the best, Sharon Rawl ...Continue Reading

Building Equity-Based Summers Initiative Has the lasting impact of the pandemic had you reevaluating traditional services and programs? Does “equity” feel too big to tackle by yourself? Consider being a part of Building Equity-Based Summers (BEBS)! BEBS is an Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) [1]grant-funded national initiative focused on assisting public library staff in gaining the skills necessary to work with systematically marginalized communities. The NJ State Library ...Continue Reading

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: [1]https://f ...Continue Reading

FYI, ALA I Love My Librarian Award Nominations Open Has a librarian made a difference in your life or gone above and beyond to serve your community? ALA's I Love My Librarian Award invites library users like you to recognize the accomplishments of exceptional public, school, college, community college, or university librarians. Each year, up to 10 librarians are honored at a ceremony and receive a $5,000 cash award. The deadline to submit nominations is September 30, 2023. [1]Learn mor ...Continue Reading

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: [1]https://f ...Continue Reading

BUILDING CHESS PROGRAMS IN PUBLIC LIBRARIES Monday August 7 at 7 pm. [1]Princeton Public Library Community Room. In partnership with public libraries, [2]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. ...Continue Reading

FYI, Shared on behalf of the Institute for Museum and Library Services (IMLS) Please consider responding to this [1] request for information about community-focused information literacy programming and services in your library. It was issued by the [2]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 organizati ...Continue Reading

FYI, ALA invites library users across America to submit nominations for the [1]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 to serve ...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. SAVE THE DATE - November 8, 2023 - Northeast Summit on Climate Adaptation for Library Facilities - Virtual Summit 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. Clim ...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. [1]...@njstatelib.org%0b" style="color: #2199e8; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-weight: normal; line-height: 1.3; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-align: left; text-decoration: none;">sraw[2]...@njstatelib.org ...Continue Reading