The library community under the umbrella of LibraryLinkNJ (LLNJ) has come together with representatives from across New Jersey to develop best practices and guidelines for libraries in New Jersey when the Governor’s order closing libraries is lifted. With nearly 2,600 public, academic, school and special libraries in its membership, LLNJ is best equipped to manage this initiative. With representatives from the New Jersey State Library (NJSL), New Jersey Library Association (NJLA), New Jersey Library Trustee Association (NJLTA), and Board Members of LibraryLinkNJ on the task force, this collaboration is expected to be far-reaching.
On April 16, 2020, the LLNJ Executive Board established a new taskforce on COVID- 19, and charged the taskforce to explore issues, strategies, and solutions relative to the reopening of libraries post COVID-19. Board member, Ralph Bingham, was nominated to serve as the chair of the new LLNJ COVID-19 taskforce.
Areas of inquiry for TOPCATS include but is not limited to:
- Coordinated efforts for reopening New Jersey’s libraries
- Needs assessment for providing library services post COVID-19.
- Communication Strategies for reopening our libraries
- Staff training needs for working in a post COVID-19 environment
- Advocacy, to ensure that libraries are included in New Jersey’s safe reopening initiatives
- Framework for NJ libraries’ Response, Recovery & Resilience in the post COVID-19 environment, in the context of how our communities have changed and how we as libraries should respond.
This coalition includes small, medium and large public libraries, county libraries, consortia, academic and school libraries and representatives from around the state.
The Taskforce realizes that not one shoe is going to fit everyone but wants to make sure that libraries have the information they need to make decisive, realistic, and systematic plans for reopening sooner than later.
The first meeting was held on Friday, April 24, under the stewardship of Chair Ralph Bingham and LibraryLinkNJ Interim Executive Director, Juliet Machie. At that meeting the large group was divided into 5 working works including: Best Practices, Communications & Outreach, Futures, Policy & Advocacy, and Survey. The next Task Force meeting is scheduled for Friday, May 1.
This coalition plans on sharing news and information regularly as we know that there is much “misinformation” already circulating in the Library community. The goal is to provide actionable plans and tools that can be presented to Library Boards and decision makers, to preempt something being imposed upon Libraries without input.
Members of the TOPCATS Group as of April 30, 2020 include:
| Name (Last Name Alphabetically) | Organization |
| Ralph Bingham, Task Force Chair |
Gloucester County Library System LLNJ Board Member |
| Phillip Berg | MAIN, LLNJ Board Member |
| Chris Carbone |
South Brunswick Public Library LLNJ President |
| Danielle Cesena | NJLA | Glen Rock Public Library |
| Mary Chute | New Jersey State Library |
| Ranjna Das | Burlington County Library System |
| Linda Devlin | Camden County Library System |
| Corey Fleming |
Paterson Free Public Library LLNJ Board Member |
| Dave Hansen | BCCLS |
| James Keehbler | Hunterdon County Library |
| Allan Kleiman |
Montville Township Public Library LLNJ Board Member |
| Christopher Korenowsky | Somerset County Library System |
| Bonnie Lafazan |
Berkeley College Library, LLNJ Board Member |
| Mi-Sun Lyu | MentorNJ | LibraryLinkNJ |
| Juliet Machie | LibraryLinkNJ |
| Robb Mackes | HSLANJ |
| Luca Manna | PALS Plus |
| Allen McGinley | Teaneck Public Library |
| Kathleen Moeller -Pfeiffer | New Jersey State Library |
| Darren O’Neill | Morris County Library |
| Andrea Orsini | Cape May County Library |
| Eileen Palmer | LMxAC |
| Kimberly Paone | Matawan Aberdeen Public Library |
| Pat Pavlac | New Jersey Library Trustees Association |
| Will Porter | Sussex County Library System |
| Pamela Price | Mercer County Comm College |
| Robert Rynkiewicz | Atlantic City Free Public Library |
| Susanne Sacchetti | Cumberland County Library |
| Jeffrey Trzeciak | Jersey City Free Library |
| Pat Tumulty | New Jersey Library Association |
| Kurt Wagner | VALE |
| Maureen Wilkinson | Warren County Library |
We ask that you reach out to the TOPCATS Chair, rbingham [at] gcls.org (Ralph Bingham), or the LLNJ Interim Executive Director, juliet [at] librarylinknj.org (Juliet Machie), with any areas of concern that you may have.
Allan Kleiman
Chair of Communications & Outreach
TOPCATS