CE Updates

• Serving the Spectrum
• Adventures in Learning
• Lynda.com

LibraryLinkNJ just launched a new online resource -- The LibraryLinkNJ TechEx (Technology Exchange) -- where you can share your knowledge and showcase your work.

This online, statewide resource is a user-generated platform designed to help member libraries learn from each other. TechEx is a one-stop shop for sharing links to resources on technology in our libraries and in our work lives. It connects members to library staff who manage specific technology projects (social media, loaning e-readers, using productivity tools, etc.) and showcases the work of New Jersey’s libraries.

This effort is a key initiative approved by the membership for FY13: launch an online presence showcasing reliable resources in the areas of library trends, best practices and innovative technology.

Contributions are already rolling in! Here are some of the great resources and projects LibraryLinkNJ members have shared:

• Replace your vendor-supplied OPAC with VuFind! - submitted by Kurt Wagner, William Paterson University’s Cheng Library WPU implemented VuFind, an open source, stand-alone replacement interface that incorporates many "next generation" features that users have come to expect from an online experience. Kurt shared the story of the project, as well as helpful links to documentation about VuFind.
• Trello - submitted by Karen Brodsky, Bernardsville Public Library Karen shared this free, web-based project management tool, saying that it is “easy to use” and “great for collaborative projects.”
• Setting up a library iPad program - submitted by Doug Baldwin, Piscataway Public Library Doug posted a link to an article describing one library’s process for establishing an iPad-lending program.

Join your colleagues in using and posting to TechEx at http://librarylinknj.org/techex - it’s easy and you’re guaranteed to learn something new!

Delivery for eligible school libraries will cease on June 21, 2013 and will resume on September 9, 2013. Thank you to the members of the New Jersey Association of School Librarians Board who provided input toward this date determination.

Tuesday, June 18th, in the afternoon at 3 locations to be announced soon.

On The Agenda:
The Executive Board and Executive Director will post for Voting Representative review and action:

• A proposed FY14 slate of Executive Board members
• A proposed FY14 Service Plan
• A proposed FY14 Budget

There will also be a review and update of the Statewide Strategic Plan.

Mark your calendars and we look forward to seeing you!

Three years ago, community member Natasha Celestin-Civil approached Teen Librarian Michelle Petrasek with the idea of hosting a prom dress drive and giveaway for the city’s teen girls. Cinderella For A Day was originally conceived as a small event, but thanks to a successful collaboration with local merchants and community members, the program has outgrown the Library’s meeting room and will now be held at Whole Life Community Church. Michelle is especially pleased with this development, since the church offers “a big hall, a changing area, storage space, on-site parishioners who help sort the gowns by size, a pastor and other strong men to carry piles of dresses around the building for us, and access to a kitchen area so that we can provide more refreshments!”

Petrasek has registered 110 girls for this year’s event -- up from 30 in 2012 -- and she and Celestin-Civil have accepted dresses from colleagues, library patrons, parishioners at their churches, local businesses and more. Petrasek is particularly proud of the positive outcomes from the program: “We make sure every girl leaves with a dress. Staff & volunteers from both the Library and the church work the event, helping girls when they come out of the dressing room, and helping them choose dresses that suit their body type. Additionally, many girls win raffles for free makeovers, thanks to the generosity of local salons & hairdressers. Moms and daughters rave about their experiences every year.”

New Discounts

• AWE - May 1 - June 15, 2013
  Special tri-state volume discount offer on Early Literacy Station and AfterSchool Edge products for all library types.

Serving the Spectrum: Making Your Library a Welcoming Space for Children with Autism and Their Caregivers
Presented by: Kiera Parrott, Head of Children’s Services, Darien Library, CT
Tuesday, April 30, 2013 | 10-11:30 AM
Registration closes on 4/24.

Across all racial, ethnic and socioeconomic demographics, 1 in 88 children is diagnosed with autism. As more children and adults with autism visit libraries, staff must confront new challenges and opportunities to serve these patrons well. In this workshop, participants will get a general overview of autism spectrum disorders (ASD), examples of best practices for serving people with autism in the public library, and specific tips on developing or adapting library programs for young children ages 3 to 8 with ASD.

Learning Objectives:
After participating in this webinar, library staff will be able to:

• Identify the varied needs and sensitivities of people with autism using library services.
• Adapt and modify existing service models and programs to better accommodate people with autism.
• Develop a sensory-based program specifically tailored to children with ASD who are ages 3 to 8 years old.

Don't miss out! Register today!

Adventures in Learning: Winning Library Programs that Educate and Entertain
Presented by: Tamara Richman, Mary Jacobs Library, Somerset County Library System
Wednesday, May 22 | 10-11:30 AM

Save the Date -- Registration opens on 4/22!

Description:
The nationwide adoption of the Public School Common Core Standards places new emphasis on non-fiction reading and writing for children. Let’s capitalize on this development in education by offering fun, appealing programs that integrate these standards and showcase our fantastic non-fiction collections. In this webinar, you’ll discover detailed programming suggestions for children in pre-school through 5th grade, and new ways to use the best of today’s non-fiction books to educate and entertain. Programs will focus on a variety of themes, many of which can be used for 2013’s Statewide Summer Reading theme, Dig into Reading!

Learning objectives
After participating in this webinar, library staff will be able to:

• Provide a wide selection of practical, out-of-the box programs that build on children’s existing knowledge and emphasize standards-based science, math and social studies knowledge.
• Identify the qualities of good non-fiction books suitable for sharing with children of different ages.
• Utilize existing digital resources and create new ones to attract and entertain media-savvy children during library programs.
• Employ children’s existing knowledge about the world around them to build dynamic, interactive programs that develop critical thinking skills.

Lynda.com - NEW! We’ve bought 10 more seats! More training, less waiting!

We are thrilled to announce that LibraryLinkNJ has purchased an additional 10 licenses for the Lynda.com Online Training Library, for a total of 30 seats each month. We’re offering this expanded service in direct response to your positive reviews and high demand -- we’re delighted that our members have embraced this learning opportunity. Now there will be more training opportunities available, with less competition for seats and less time on waiting lists.

The additional seats will be available starting in May. Registration will be open on Tuesday, May 14th and Wednesday, May 15th.

For full details of this popular online training program -- how it works and how to access the service -- see the Lynda.com page on our website.

If you have any questions about the program, contact Joanne Roukens.

In this new feature, we’ll be sharing highlights from LibraryLinkNJ’s social media channels. We’re active on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and Tumblr. You may be familiar with some, all, or none of these social media services, so this month, we focus on what they all are!

Facebook: the great behemoth of them all. Facebook has been around since 2004 and boasts over one billion active users worldwide. You can use it to connect and share -- text updates, photos, videos, links and more -- with friends, family and colleagues. LibraryLinkNJ has a frequently-updated Page on Facebook, where we share news, links and photos. We recently made it even easier to follow us on Twitter and Pinterest through our Facebook Page.

Twitter: some people call this service micro-blogging, but the analogy of a pithy cocktail party is more apt. You get 140 characters for each update, or Tweet, and you need to work within those parameters to get your idea across. Twitter is great for live, conversation-style note-taking at conferences and other events, and for building your Personal & Professional Learning Networks. Follow us for live dispatches from programs & events, and for links to useful, interesting library-related news.

Pinterest: this online bulletin board service is incredibly popular and very useful for documenting library programs, craft ideas, new materials, speaking events, special collections, and more. It’s kind of a rabbit hole -- so easy to get sucked into all the pretty images and great ideas! -- so be careful with your time! You can follow some or all of our boards here or learn more about how libraries can use Pinterest by catching up with our two-part webinar.

Tumblr: If Pinterest & Twitter had a social media baby, it would be Tumblr: full of funny images, animated GIFs, links, videos, and even good old-fashioned text posts. Long dominated by teens and enthusiastic fans of cult TV shows, Tumblr has seen an influx of many librarians, libraries and library-related agencies have started to participate in a lively community of Tumblarians. We’re delighted to count ourselves among their ranks.