Conference Updates
Programs from the Young Adult Services SectionMar 26 2019 - 11:58amThe Young Adult Services Section never disappoints with their conference programming, and this year is no different!
First off, don’t miss Library Social Work: Engage the Fusion on Friday May 31 from 11:30 am-12:20 pm. This panel includes speakers from Long Branch Library and Brooklyn Public Library! Have you ever considered hiring a social worker to help teens in your community? You’ll want to hear how other libraries are handling it as well.
Don’t miss out on the Garden State Book Awards luncheon right after this presentation from 12:30-2:00 pm! The speaker this year is the executive director of the National Book Foundation, and has previously served as a consultant for the Sundance Institute, San Francisco Film Society, the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards, and ReelWorks Teen Filmmaking. Lucas also serves on the literary council of the Brooklyn Book Festival.
Two important programs for teen librarians are How to Run a Successful Volunteer Program and After School With Middle School on Friday May 31, 2019 from 2:30-3:20 pm.
After School With Middle School deals with the eternal question of how to provide enriching programs for middle schoolers when they come to the library after school and how to manage noise and other patrons’ expectations.
How to Run a Successful Volunteer Program is helpful for librarians planning to start a volunteer program at their library and tips to manage an ongoing volunteer program with presenters from all over the state of New Jersey.
Come check out these and many other fabulous programs at the 2019 NJLA Conference!
-Stacey Shapiro, 2018-2019 NJLA Conference Committee
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Reference Programs At Annual ConferenceMar 25 2019 - 1:02pmThis year, the Reference Section will sponsor and co-sponsor a number of programs to engage and inspire you.
To highlight just a few:
Librarians Fighting the Opioid Crisis: A Conversation Starter What does it mean to fight the opioid crisis from inside the library? Join us for a conversation starter with library colleagues and community health professionals on engaging with our communities in need from a public health standpoint. We'll discuss Narcan training for library staff, ways to share addiction information and break stigmas in our libraries, and how to respond to the opioid epidemic with education, compassion, and action. Co-sponsored with the Diversity & Outreach Section.
Break on Through to the Other Side: Publishing Professionally Do you have ideas that would benefit the library community but the prospect of publishing overwhelms you? This panel is presented by librarians who were once in your shoes: they were apprehensive about the publication process, yet have all successfully published many times. We’ll discuss different avenues for publishing, finding the right journal to publish in, how to handle peer reviewer comments, and tips for putting your ideas to paper. Co-sponsored with the College and University Section.
Library Social Work: Engage the Fusion We all know that the modern work of libraries aligns with social work, but more libraries are actually starting to hire social workers on staff. Join colleagues from some of the first East Coast libraries to join in: New Jersey’s own Long Branch Public Library and Brooklyn Public Library in New York. Hear how it all came to be, how to sell it to the board of trustees, the community impact, the opportunities, and all about the new PLA Social Worker Task Force. Co-sponsored with the Diversity & Outreach Section.
Lisa Thornton, NJLA Conference Committee 2018-2019
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Administration and Management Section NJLA19 HighlightsMar 18 2019 - 11:48amAre you in an Administrative or Management position? Do you want to be? Check out the programs sponsored by the Administration and Management Section of NJLA. This year we are pleased to have 2 pre-conference programs and 3 regular session programs for your enjoyment. On Wednesday, May 29 in the morning session, co-sponsored with Small Libraries Section is What Makes a Proposal Great? Beyond the Basics of Grant Writing for Your Library and after a box lunch (included with your full-day pre-conference registration,) we are pleased to offer Guiding Your Library in Year-Round Learning and Training for the afternoon session.
Our Thursday, May 30 offerings include How Often Does Your Library Break The Law?: Library Confidentiality in the morning and in the afternoon the return of Why Are We Still Doing This? (Revisited).The pros and cons of several timely topics will be presented in a lively, fast paced format.
On Friday, May 31 be sure to check out Shoulda, Woulda, Did, and Can: Exploring Boundaries and Ethics for Managers.
The Administration and Management Section meets regularly throughout the year, and we welcome anyone who is in a supervisory or management position or wants to be to attend our meetings. Check the NJLA Calendar for dates.
-Evalina Erbe, 2018-2019 NJLA Conference Committee |
Programming Spotlight: Diversity and OutreachMar 8 2019 - 2:07pmProgram Spotlight from Diversity & Outreach Section
As a section formed in 2013 from the Special Populations Section, Bookmobile Roundtable, and GLBTI Roundtable, the Diversity & Outreach Section strives to bring programs to the NJLA Annual Conference that empower our peers to engage underrepresented communities. We aim for our program attendees to walk away with renewed energy to serve their community in unique and meaningful ways!
This year we are so excited to offer a slate of programs that explore the ever-evolving nature of outreach services, from inclusive programming to social work in libraries. Below, we’ll highlight a selection of programs and activities. What does it mean to fight the opioid crisis from inside the library? Are librarians first responders? Is NARCAN training right for your staff? Librarians Fighting the Opioid Crisis: A Conversation Starter will offer an interactive discussion in which there are no easy answers. Our library colleagues who have had NARCAN training will share their first-hand experiences. Community health professionals from Mental Health New Jersey will provide useful resources and educate on what opioid addiction looks like in our communities. Together, we’ll explore how to respond to the opioid epidemic with education, compassion, and action.
Let’s talk shop! Join us for an Outreach Librarian Meet-Up at Coastal Craft Bar. This meet-up is for anyone who calls themselves an Outreach Librarian, or does any type of outreach work, from the Bookmobile to the Pop-Up Library and beyond. We’ll connect and share stories while unwinding after a whirlwind conference day!
Don’t forget to pack a donation! The Home & Away Donation Drive will benefit both Covenant House, a local Atlantic City teen shelter, and a school library in Coamo, Puerto Rico impacted by Hurricane Maria. D&O and Urban Libraries have partnered with ALA and REFORMA’s Adopt-a-Library program to bring this drive to the conference. We appreciate any and all contributions, including gift cards, clothing, books, and monetary donations.
With our friends in Children’s Services, Reference, History & Preservation, Small Libraries, Urban Libraries, and Young Adult Services, we are also presenting and co-sponsoring the following programs:
Exclusively Inclusive: Tips and Strategies from Professionals Outside Libraryland Wed. 5/29 @ 2:00pm-5:00pm, Wildwood 12&13 Do you struggle with knowing how to develop inclusive youth services programming? In this presentation, you will hear from experts from the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, including a physical therapist, occupational therapist, pediatrician, and audiologist. You will learn tips and strategies for ensuring your programs are accessible to ALL children with various needs. Join your colleagues for a highly interactive panel discussion on this important topic!
Exploring our Past: African American Genealogy Thu. 5/30, 3:10-4:00pm, Wildwood 10&11 This program is designed to help librarians who receive reference questions about African American genealogy. Attendees will learn from experts in the field about some noteworthy organizations and strategies to help field these questions.
Rethinking Outreach to Visiting Populations and Non-Residents Fri. 5/31 @ 11:30am-12:20pm, Wildwood 24&25 Visitors and non-residents are an often-untapped population looking for vital information about your community while they are in town. Whether they are tourists, international students, traveling businesspersons, or looking to relocate, the library is a source of unique mirco-information these patrons are looking for. Through increased outreach to tourist destinations and building community partnerships the Cape May County Library is rethinking how they approach an important portion of their population. This presentation will focus on some new ideas that you can do in your library to reach out to this group.
Library Social Work: Engage the Fusion Fri. 5/31 @ 11:30am-12:20pm, Wildwood 12&13 We all know that the modern work of libraries aligns with social work, but more libraries are actually starting to hire social workers on staff. Join colleagues from some of the first East Coast libraries to join in: New Jersey’s own Long Branch Public Library and Brooklyn Public Library in New York. Hear how it all came to be, how to sell it to the board of trustees, the community impact, the opportunities, and all about the new PLA Social Worker Task Force.
A Queer Idea Fri. 5/31, 11:30am-12:20pm, Wildwood 6&7 Although Newark Public Library enjoys a tradition of increasingly pronounced inclusiveness in services, collections, and programs--Director Jeffrey Trzeciak has initiated additional engagement with underserved populations. The most recent project is a partnership with the city’s LGBTQ center, granted a first-floor room in the Main Library (see http://newarklgbtqcenter.org for some details). Reference and circulating collections will also inhabit this space, and a new position has been created: this reference librarian will be a liaison with LGBTQ communities in the greater Newark area. Please join a lively discussion of this and other such overtures.
Small Budget, Big Impact: Cost-Effective Programming Fri. 5/31, 3:40-4:30pm, Wildwood 6&7 You can plan creative and engaging programs on a limited budget with limited staff. We will be discussing some innovative ways small libraries can make a big impact with programs. This program will discuss ways to implement programming with limited resources. Topics will include using the expertise of community members to offer free/low-cost programs, etc. Audience participation is also welcome. Prepared by Ally Blumenfeld, President of the Diversity and Outreach Section and Head of Information & Adult Services, Elizabeth Public Library |
Keynote: Chris BohjalianMar 1 2019 - 1:13pmWe are excited to welcome Chris Bohjalian to the NJLA Annual Conference this year! Mr. Bohjalian is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of 20 books and his work has been translated into over 30 languages. He is well known for writing compelling fiction incorporating contemporary social issues and how those issues have an impact in the everyday lives of ordinary people.
From looking at his social media and web presence, it is not a secret that Mr. Bohjalian love libraries. He has written a blog post about modern libraries and often posts pictures of Vermont libraries to his social media accounts. "Chris will be speaking to the New Jersey Library Association about his life and work — and, more importantly, about the importance of their lives and work as librarians. He will be signing books afterward" (http://chrisbohjalian.com/events/chris-speaks-to-the-new-jersey-library-association/).
In order to engage conference attendees, President Leah Wagner invites everyone to participate in an association-wide One Book event. The three options for our first NJLA One Book event are:
To cast your vote for which of Mr. Bohjalian's books we should read, please take this survey. The survey will be open until March 15 and the book with the most votes will be announced by the end of March.
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An interview with our keynote: Dr. Nell PainterFeb 28 2019 - 2:05pmDr. Nell Irvin Painter is a force to be reckoned with: accomplished historian and scholar, fine artist with a piece currently on display at Rutgers, author of eight books (so far)… and she will be our keynote speaker at the NJLA Conference on Thursday, May 30, 2019.
I had the opportunity to speak with Dr. Painter, who is fresh off a book tour in France, as the French edition of The History of White People (Histoire Des Blancs) was just released on January 31st. We will be hearing from Dr. Painter at Conference about Old in Art School: A Memoir of Starting Over, her first non scholarly book, in which she narrates her experience going back to school for a Bachelor’s and Master’s in painting in her 60s. Many of us who work in libraries will find her tale relatable, as it is fairly common to approach our field from another background.
When I asked Painter how she knew it was the right time to pursue her BFA, she told me “I wanted to and I could,” going on to elaborate that while it was a bit early for retirement, she had thought that her book The History of White People was done and that her parents were stabilized. After years of teaching graduate students, she was ready for that new challenge. The process for applying to MFA programs can be intimidating. Dr. Painter said, “You can’t know what is good art. That mystique is kind of set up to be scary.” Art is subjective, a topic which is explored in her memoir quite a bit. Beyond skill, she had to make her work stand out. While Painter seems to excel at moving outside of her comfort zone, writing this memoir was “hard” and she gives some credit to her very experienced agent. Even though she had authored several historical books, Painter had to move her work into something very personal. Old in Art School “asks the reader to enter into an emotional instead of intellectual relationship” and it took about a year and a half to find the narrative style. Like a true artist, Painter felt using a fountain pen and paper was an expressive way for her to venture into those places. The next project for Dr. Painter will be a fusion of all of her talents and paths, as she plans to create an artist book which has a working title of The History of White People For Dummies. It will include drawings, digital collages, and text, which will get to the heart of the questions she is frequently asked about the book, without the scholarly backstop. It will be a lighthearted work to contrast the “400 tense pages of scholarship” in the original work, which took her ten years to complete. Painter is wonderfully engaging to speak with, and I am looking forward to hearing from her at the NJLA Conference. She told me “Librarians are my favorite people” and mentioned that The History of White People is dedicated to the Princeton University Library. Partial credit for her love for librarians can also go to the single award earned by any of her books-- Sojourner Truth, A Life, A Symbol (1996) was the nonfiction winner of the Black Caucus of the American Library Association. However, we can look forward to hearing about how Old in Art School fares, as it is currently a finalist in the autobiography category for the National Book Award. Dr. Nell Irvin Painter also loves cats and knitting socks and recently enjoyed reading Washington Black: A Novel by Esi Edugyan.  Morgan Taylor, NJLA Conference Committee 2018-2019
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Conference Kick-OffFeb 25 2019 - 11:55amConference Kick-off: Engage Your Mind Games!
The President’s theme sets the tone for the NJLA Conference every year, but location is everything -- so this year, we are taking advantage of the Atlantic City vibe and kicking off Conference with a special boardwalk-inspired event Wednesday evening. Beginning around 7:00pm in the Exhibit Hall, we’ll be engaging and inspiring with flair, games, and snacks!
Okay, so we know that Harrah’s Resort is technically on the bayside, but we’ll bring the Jersey Shore Boardwalk to you . . .
On Wednesday, May 29, you are invited to mingle with colleagues, friends and coworkers while enjoying a night filled with comedy, magic, ESP and more! Dennis More’s Mind Games will be our feature show, along with other boardwalk-themed activities (you might just see a caricaturist or even a psychic!), and there will be plenty of finger food to go with our fancy cash bar. You are welcome to stroll in, out of, and through the hall throughout the evening at your leisure, actively participating or socializing at your own pace.There is sure to be something for everyone, particularly tasty boardwalk bites!
Our line-up of in-depth program sessions on Wednesday are not to be missed and we invite you to make a full day of it. Take advantage of $79 Waterfront Tower room rates, and take part of this engaging, interactive, and fun opportunity to participate with conference-goers, presenters and vendors in an informal, completely stress-free environment.
Come kick off Conference in good old-fashioned jersey-shore style this year!
-Kate Jaggers and the 2018-2019 Conference Committee |
Why Academic Librarians should attend NJLA ConferenceFeb 21 2019 - 1:18pmCalling all Academic Librarians!
Bonnie Lafazan, Library Director at the Woodbridge campus of Berkeley College, is looking forward to another great NJLA Conference in Atlantic City and hopes many of her academic librarian colleagues from NJ- and beyond!- will attend.
Bonnie is the current president of the ACRL-NJ/NJLA/College and University Section and many of you may recall some of her presentations from previous NJLA Conferences. An enthusiastic supporter of professional development activities, Bonnie is excited about the nine programs sponsored or co-sponsored by the College and University Section and shares her top three reasons to attend:
Bonnie hopes that many of her academic librarian colleagues, from NJ and beyond, will be joining her in Atlantic City for the 2019 NJLA Conference. The Conference dates, May 29-May 31, work well for many academic librarians so don’t miss this opportunity to be engaged and inspired by attending!
Interviewed by Nancy Weiner, NJLA Conference Committee 2018-2019 |
Why Should YOU Attend the 2019 NJLA Conference? - School LibrariansFeb 13 2019 - 10:38amFill out that Professional Day request...you want to be at NJLA!The theme of the NJLA 2019 conference challenges participants to “Engage and Inspire” this year. As a school librarian, adopting this motto ensures success and collaboration for the remainder of the school year ahead. Yes, even school librarians must make it a priority to attend the NJLA conference! As an attendee and presenter, and a school librarian, I have gained much from the years making the drive to this annual conference. It will be time well spent away from school as you learn strategies to stay on the cutting-edge, participate in advocacy, and build relationships across the state.Keeping It Current
Makers, therapy dogs, and innovative programming. Keeping current is one of the ways that school librarians remain dynamic in their profession. Most programming that a public library does, especially when it comes to Children’s and Teen’s, can easily be adapted for a school setting. Bringing in guests for book talks, testing out new tech toys, and empowering young people as creators all have a solid place in a school day. In fact, empowering students as creators, collaborators, and explorers is a cornerstone of the newly updated AASL National School Library standards. These are the themes that come up in the NJLA conference sessions, led by librarian experts who have already done a lot of the troubleshooting so that your adaptation can be as smooth as possible. Additionally, attending conference gives school librarians ways to discover and participate in collaborative initiatives such as the Garden State Book Awards or Read Across America activities. Don’t forget, NJLA’s Children’s Services Section and Young Adult Services Section are heavily represented at the conference. The librarians who make up these sections are often in the community serving very important patrons - your students!
Securing A Voice Attendance at NJLA ensures that school librarians have a presence and a voice within the association. While New Jersey school librarians’ unique curricular goals (and more!) can be achieved through the guidance of NJASL, it is NJLA that is the voice for librarians and libraries of all types, throughout the state. A day trip to NJLA will leave you feeling invigorated and empowered by your chosen profession. In fact, NJLA has recently taken significant steps for the protection and celebration of school libraries: forming a School Libraries Taskforce, founding the Unlock Student Potential initiative, instating the I Love My School Librarian campaign, and fighting for state legislation that would put certified school library media specialists back in schools. NJLA is also behind new legislation that would require Information Literacy skills be taught in schools as a required curriculum. However, without school librarians to communicate their needs and contribute their expertise, these initiatives cannot succeed. Building Bridges You are not confined to your geographical region when it comes to making connections with other librarians. There is no reasons that as a school librarian you should shy away from making practical connections with public libraries outside your county. For example, my school library is located in Bergen County and through my network of people that I met via time spent at NJLA , I was able to borrow maker materials from a library in Middlesex County, with permission of course. The materials were actually not being used by this library at the moment but were completely shiny and new to me! Being able to try out these materials in my school library with my students let me show my principal the value of them on student learning. I was successful in obtaining my own materials in the budget the following school year - all thanks to a professional librarian connection! The message here is that networking via conferences at NJLA opens up your professional world, with the potential to benefit your students and maximize their exposure.
School librarians know that district-mandated PD is often irrelevant, uninteresting, and/or limited in scope. Rarely does it truly meet the needs of a school librarian because more often than not, their supervisors are not librarians! Attending NJLA helps you feel like you are part of a bustling city, instead of a lonely island. Signing up for an email list, joining a roundtable discussion, or laughing it up at a social event all lead to significant opportunities to better your professional practice. Attending NJLA will not only leave you engaged and inspired, it will leave you with one new thing you can try in school tomorrow. So track down an interoffice envelope and put that Professional Day request form in today. See you at the conference! Maureen Carroll is a School Librarian at Hackensack Middle School in Bergen County, serving students in grades 5 through 8. Nominated as Teacher of the Year in 2016, Maureen also leads the Future Ready committee at her school. A co-recipient of the NJLA Amy Job Partnership Award, Maureen is thankful every day for her fantastic partnership with her local public Teen’s and Children's librarians as they work to find creative ways to serve the children of Hackensack together.
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Why Should YOU Be at Conference (MLIS student edition)Feb 7 2019 - 1:13pmTop 5 reasons MLIS students should attend the NJLA Conference 2019
1. Networking: It’s been drilled into us, networking is an important key to professional success. Conference offers oodles of opportunities to network with all types of library and information professionals in one place! In addition to program sessions, there are lunches, social events, and poster sessions which provide different formats for you to practice your elevator pitch and make all sorts of new connections. New this year will be opportunities to learn more about NJLA, which offers networking and professional development events throughout the year.
2. Meet IRL: With so many MLIS programs expanding their offerings through online coursework, many of us have classmates and professors with whom we’ve forged great relationships, albeit virtually. Conference is a great place to meet in-person! Check in with your university’s ALA and ACRL student chapters or with your MLIS program director and inquire about plans for a student meet-up.
3. Find out more about what’s new and interesting in the library world across the state and beyond: Even if you’ve been actively working in a library as an MLIS student, it’s important to see the practical side of what’s happening in libraries, both the innovations and the challenges, to supplement all of that theory we get in class.
4. It’s a learning buffet: At Conference, you’ll find sessions on topics of importance to academic, public, and school librarians. Whether you are interested in emerging technologies, library instruction, collection development, children’s programming, community outreach, or digital collections there will be sessions for you. It’s all here; sample away!
5. Kick back and relax: Conference room rates in the NJLA block are $79 per night and extend into the following weekend. Enjoy some R&R in AC after you’ve maxed out on all things Library. You deserve it!
And this might be a good time to remind all MLIS students that you can join both NJLA and ALA for one low price through the ALA’s Joint Student Membership program, giving you access to networking and professional development opportunities in your state and on a national level.
Lisa Thornton is recent Rutgers MI grad (Jan 2019) and member of the Conference Committee. She has attended several previous Conferences as a paraprofessional and most recently as an MI student. |
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