CE Updates:

• Webinar
• Face-to-Face Learning

In conjunction with the New Jersey State Library, we are very pleased to announce the winners of contract awards under the Makerspace Project. Fifteen member libraries -- 12 public, 1 school and 1 academic -- will be building makerspaces and developing programming for their communities.

In Manasquan, High School librarian Amy Edwards will be purchasing 3-D printers for use by students in social studies and science classes, as well as by student members of the school’s Maker Club. Students in the Maker Club will host Community Maker Nights to share their newly gained knowledge and skills with members of the community. Edwards has already established a partnership with a local makerspace, the Institute for Exploratory Research and is pursuing partnerships with community service organizations, as the Maker Club anticipates creating 3D printed assistive devices and learning manipulatives, quickly and inexpensively, to help these groups.

Hillsdale Free Public Library director Dave Franz reports that “both the staff and the Board of Trustees were immediately impressed” with the makerspace materials that have already arrived, including a 3D printer and large-screen iMac, which will be set up as a digital creation station. Franz continued, “our council liaison is tremendously excited that the library is offering opportunities to the young patrons. We are on track for a grand opening timed in conjunction with our MakerFaire on April 26, and may even do a "soft-launch” in advance of that event.

[ Photo above: Dave Franz shares that the kid in the photo is Myron Theilmeier. He attends all of their maker programs and is their Minecraft Wizard. He can't wait to play with their new tools! Hillside Public Library ] [ Photos below: "MakerSpace Wednesday - Hack a Toothbrush", Hillside Public Library ]

Please join us in congratulating all 15 of the following member libraries whose makerspaces will be opening over the course of the coming months:

• Atlantic City Free Public Library: MAKE | AC
• Caldwell College Library: Idea and Creation Station
• Caldwell Public Library: Sharing Our Stories Makerspace
• East Brunswick Public Library: EBPlay Lab
• Gloucester County Library System: The MakerStudio at GCLS
• Hillsdale Free Public Library: Play is Always On. Level Up!
• Hoboken Public Library: Hoboken Library Creation Space
• Manasquan High School Media Center: MHS Innovation Lab
• Mount Laurel Library: Make it @ Mount Laurel Library
• New Brunswick Free Public Library: NBFPL Handcrafting Makerspace
• Old Bridge Public Library: Old Bridge Library Idea Farm
• Parsippany Public Library: M3: Making Memories with Makerspace
• Plainfield Public Library: The Enterprise Zone
• Rutgers University Libraries: Fordham FabLab: Multimedia Collaboration Makerspace
• Somerset County Library System: Makerspace on the Go

Read more about each project at the State Library’s announcement page.

Many thanks to all who applied, and to the project evaluation task force for their diligent, thoughtful work in selecting the fifteen winners:

• Peggy Cadigan, New Jersey State Library
• Steve Chudnick, Brookdale Community College Library
• James Keehbler, Piscataway Public Library
• Leah Wagner, Monroe Township Public Library
• Cheryl O’Connor, LibraryLinkNJ

As you all know, multiple recent snow storms impacted delivery services significantly. In response, we increased communication regarding delivery cancellations to the membership, including notices on our homepage, the Forums, on Facebook and on Twitter. We supported Saturday delivery to public and academic libraries twice for catch-up purposes.

We’ll be watching weather reports closely for the rest of the winter and will keep you informed of cancellations in as timely a manner as possible.

Dynamex, our delivery provider, reports an urgent need for the return of extra blue tote bins. Please email Christine Bogert to let her know the number of tote bins you have available for pickup. We need your extra tote bins to keep this statewide service moving smoothly.

Discounts on Teen Health & Wellness, Digital Literacy, Financial Literacy and CyberSmarts/Teen CyberSmarts have been renewed. Two new products are now discounted: Core Concepts: Periodic Table and Core Concepts: Biology.

LibraryLinkNJ public and school library members receive 15% off Digital Literacy and Financial Literacy through May 15, 2014 (discount is 10% thereafter). Digital Literacy was the Library Journal Best New Database for 2013. A School Library Journal review said, “If ever there was an ideal product for the 21st-century student, this is it.” Teen Health & Wellness is discounted at 10%, as are CyberSmarts and Teen CyberSmarts Interactive Ebooks (one-time purchase).

Core Concepts: Periodic Table and Core Concepts: Biology are the first two offerings in a suite of products for grades 6-12 supporting STEM learning. The National Science Teachers Association calls Periodic Table a “one stop shop for properties, uses and history of the periodic table of elements.” Both are discounted at 15% through May 15, 2014 (10% thereafter).

See the LibraryLinkNJ Rosen Digital discount page for full details, including free trial access and vendor contact information.

Discount Renewals

• LearningExpress Library renewed through 12/31/14 Test prep, tutorials and ebooks for school and workplace use. 20% discount for public libraries.

Based on user needs, we have updated the nine main TechEx topics. We removed the Events/Places topic, which was underutilized, and added a new topic called Design/Development.

This new category is a great spot for posts on web design, graphic design, software development and coding.

Design/Development is already a hot topic on TechEx! You can find posts from Doug Baldwin (Piscataway PL), January’s Guest Contributor, on Coding for Amateurs. You can also find posts from John LeMasney (LeMasney Consulting), our Guest Contributor for February, on Graphic Design for Non-Designers.

Here are some of our favorite TechEx posts for February:

• A Short List of Open Source Design and Development Tools: John LeMasney shares some great free tools covering graphic design, layout, web design, content management and more.
• Circuit Stickers: Megan England of Atlantic City Free PL posts about Circuit Stickers, “electronic stickers that you can use to build glowing, sensing, and interactive projects without any complicated equipment or programming skills” [from their web page]. Megan’s post includes some photos of the cool things you can create with these.

Webinar: Even More Digital Tools for Teaching & Learning
Presented by Barbara DeSantis
Date: Thursday, March 27, 2014 | 3-4:30 PM

Join Barbara DeSantis – presenter of two previous Digital Tools for Learning & Sharing webinars – for another great session full of ideas and implementation strategies for using great digital tools with your K-12 students! She’ll cover everything from easy, beautiful newsletters and digital stories to organizational tools and dynamic slideshows.

After attending this webinar, you and your students will be able to:

• Create online newsletter and fliers with Smore
• Tell your story with Storyboardthat
• Post your thoughts on Padlet
• Organize everything with Evernote
• Go from paper to digital with QR codes
• Record yourself on Tellagami

Registration opens on Wednesday, February 26. Join us!

Face-to-Face Learning

Tech Speed Dating

Be sure to register now! Meet the right tech for you & your community! Learn from and with your colleagues in a relaxed, practical and fun environment!

Each program features:

• Table Talks - staffed by expert colleagues - talk, listen, discuss, and learn one-on-one.
• Hot topics - Program content is slightly different at each location.
• Gadgets and devices - get acquainted with your community’s favorite devices.
• Short presentations on tech, best practices and resources.

Ensure that your library and you are the go-to resource for your community on 21st century information, learning, and consumer technologies.

Audience: YOU! Yes, you! This program is for everyone working in libraries - no matter what type of library, level of knowledge, familiarity or comfort with tech. Mix, mingle and learn with newbies and techies alike.

• Wednesday, March 19, 2014, Monroe Twp. Public Library (Middlesex County)
  Registration Deadline: Thursday, March 6th, 4 pm.
• Wednesday, April 23, 2014, Gloucester County Library, Mullica Hill
  Registration Deadline: Thursday, April 10th, 4 pm.

Best Customer Service EVER: Cultivating Loyal Library Customers

Customer Service expert Steve Wishnack, presenter of our most popular webinar of the past three years, is coming back to New Jersey for two half-day face-to-face workshops in North & South Jersey.

Dates & Locations:

• Tuesday, April 1 at Parsippany Public Library
• Wednesday, April 2 at Gloucester County Library System’s Mullica Hill Branch

Registration is limited, so don’t miss these practical, interactive workshops -- they’re designed for library staff at all levels, in every kind of library!

Glowing feedback for Steve’s workshops:
“Best presentation I’ve had on the subject; appreciated learning new words to use and not use; and very relevant to the work we do at the library.” -- Kristina Casper, Assistant Director, Huntington Public Library, New York

“I already hear a new language of customer service being spoken among staff, and between staff and patrons.” -- Mary Schubart, Director, Islip Public Library, New York

Don’t delay, register today!