Our friend and colleague Robert White, who led the Bergen County Cooperative Library System so capably for 30 years, passed away at the age of 70 in December. We honor his decades of dedicated and progressive service to New Jersey libraries, and wish he were still here to urge us ever onward. NJLA honored him as a Library Champion in 2015. In an up-to-the-minute use of technology that Robert would surely have appreciated, his memorial service was captured via Facebook Live at the New Milford Public Library.
Karen Avenick, retired as the Assistant Director of the Camden County Library System, passed away in December. In addition to her work at Camden County, Karen was instrumental in developing the NJ Train the Trainers and Super Library Supervisor programs. Karen was also very active in NJLA, serving as President in 2002 - 2003. She was also head of the Advocacy Team at the South Jersey Regional Library Cooperative, working with SJRLC director Karen Hyman on training and advocacy for all types of libraries.
Rest in power, Robert and Karen. We miss you. Colleagues can further Robert and Karen’s legacies by contributing to the BCCLS and NJLA Scholarships endowed in their names: The Robert W. White Scholarship (one of several named awards under the Mary Joyce Doyle Scholarship Awards program) and The Karen Avenick Scholarship.