CE Updates:

• Online Learning
• On-Site, On-Demand Staff Development Program

Following our May Membership Meeting, the Executive Board welcomed newly-elected members:

• Ruth Bogan (PALS Plus) - 2nd term
• Michelle McGreivey (Hoboken High School) - 1st term
• Kathy Schalk-Greene (Mount Laurel Library) - 2nd term
• Robin Siegel (CentraState Medical) - 1st term
• Rick Vander Wende (Lay Representative) - 1st full term

Warm congratulations to our colleagues who were elected to LibraryLinkNJ Executive Board officer positions at the July 10th Board reorganization meeting:

• President: Jane Crocker (Rowan College at Gloucester County, Sewell)
• Vice President: Candice Brown (Clifton Public Library)
• Secretary: Margaret Shapiro (Demarest Public Library Trustee)
• Treasurer: Kimberly Paone (Matawan-Aberdeen Public Library)
• Assistant Treasurer: Joe Toth (Richard E. Bjork Library, Richard Stockton College of New Jersey)

Second-term Board President Jane Crocker shares, “I am so pleased to again serve as the President of the LibraryLinkNJ Executive Board, as we continue to provide essential and innovative services to the libraries of New Jersey. I look forward to working with the Board – returning and new members – as well as the extremely capable, knowledgeable and pleasant staff of the Cooperative. It is indeed an honor to be a part of this organization and I thank you for your support as we move forward to meet the challenges of our constantly changing environment.”

The Executive Board page on our website provides a complete list of Board members, as well as contact information for each of them.

New Discounts

EasyBib Academic Edition - through 12/31/14
Our EasyBib discount now includes the Academic Edition. Previously, the discount only applied to the School Edition. Academic Edition can create citations in multiple styles and includes the Digital Notebook for research organization, as well as embedded catalog search. Academic libraries receive 15% off list pricing. K-12 schools and public libraries continue to receive 15% off, as well. Additionally, subscriptions now include a three-course professional development program to help drive the adoption and implementation at your school.

World Trade Press - through 12/31/14
World Trade Press publishes high-quality, in-depth reference products covering travel, country and US state information, a comprehensive maps product and more. An easy-to-use product for creating resumes is included in the offer, as well. All products are well priced and discounted further for LibraryLinkNJ members. Public, K-12 school, and academic libraries are eligible for this offer.

For full offer details, visit one of the following pages:
Offer for public libraries
Offer for K-12 school and academic libraries

Discount Suggestions, Anyone?

Do you have ideas for products that might be candidates for a LibraryLinkNJ discount? Let us know via the discount suggestion form. Not all suggestions can become discounts, but your input is a major factor in our decision-making.

Our new discount on World Trade Press came to us as a suggestion from member (and former LibraryLinkNJ Executive Board member) Mary Lewis of Union Township School District Libraries. She said, “These databases allow me to keep current information on all states and most countries without having books for all of them."

We are grateful for Mary’s suggestion and look forward to hearing some more!

Online Learning

Fresh Lit 2014 Webinar Cancelled
Unfortunately, we’ve had to cancel this annual treat with Roz Reisner. We do hope to reschedule with her for later this year, but in the meantime, she has very graciously shared with us this amazing handout, detailing her favorite new and forthcoming literary titles for 2014. As you’ll see, it’s very detailed and includes not only the excellent, evocative blurbs we’ve come to know and love from Roz, but also some handy read-alike suggestions to help guide you and your readers.

We’ll be posting a link to it on our website, at the webinar’s page, as well, and of course, archives of the 2013 and 2012 editions of this webinar are available for your edification and enjoyment any time.

Save The Date!
Everyone’s a Readers’ Advisor: Training & Merchandising Strategies For Public & School Library Staff
A webinar with Stephanie Anderson, Head of Reader’s Services for Darien Library (CT)
Wednesday, September 17, 2014 | 3-4:30 PM
Registration opens at 9 AM on Monday, August 18!

In this program, we'll talk about the skills associated with providing readers' advisory beyond the RA interview, focusing on the importance of good displays and merchandising. We'll use many photos of effective displays, both in the library world and outside of it, to demonstrate why certain simple tricks can both increase your circulation and increase your connections with patrons. And finally, we'll talk about how you can share these new (or refreshed!) skills with everybody in your library in order to catalyze more excitement around your library's readers' advisory services.

Objectives:
After participating in this webinar, you will be able to:

• Identify a few simple tricks that will enhance the effectiveness of any book display
• Implement a set of guidelines that will keep displays and shelves looking approachable and browsable
• Begin training your colleagues or staff on how to use these principles

Registration opens at 9 AM on Monday, August 18!

On-Site, On-Demand Professional Development Program
New Programs and Consultants Added!
The Program for School Libraries is in the works

LibraryLinkNJ subsidizes 75% of On-Site, On-Demand Staff Development for Public, Academic and Special Libraries
Let Us Help You Make a Difference!

Ongoing professional education is essential in the work lives of all staff members, and we want to make it as efficient and cost-effective as possible. We will subsidize 75% of the program cost! Our consultants and consulting firms have developed high-interest, proven continuing education programs especially for teams of staff members.

How Does the Program Work?

• We are presenting a menu of diverse on-site training options for you to choose from and will provide the workshop of your choice at your library. Select a program for your team. Use what works for you.
• LibraryLinkNJ will accommodate as many requests as possible.
• Funds for this program are limited, so book early to ensure your participation.
• Deadline for booking programs for FY2015 (July 1, 2014 to June 30, 2015) is May 15, 2015.
• Your library may choose one program—half day or full day—per year from the Menu of choices.
• LibraryLinkNJ will subsidize 75% of the cost.
• * Special Note on the 75% subsidy - New in FY15
  • The 75% subsidy applies only to the workshops on the listed Menu of choices.
  • Programs that are not on the Menu of choices (OFF-MENU) will be subsidized as follows:
    • 50% of speaking fee only
    • No subsidy for travel or any other program costs
    • Limit of subsidy is $1,000

How Do We Proceed?

• Go to the main On-Site, On-Demand Staff Development Page for all program details.
• Then complete the On-Site, On-Demand Staff Development Program Interest Form. Filling out the form does not commit you to anything. It provides LibraryLinkNJ staff with the information we need to provide you with additional program information and estimated costs.

C.L. Quillen, Director of the Spotswood Public Library, and Ilene Lefkowitz, Supervising Adult Services Librarian at Denville Public Library, have recently published their first book together, Read On…Romance: Reading Lists for Every Taste, with Libraries Unlimited. Read on for details on their process and the fun, informative goodies between the covers -- of their book, you guys! This is a family newsletter.

Q: Congratulations on the publication of your book! How long has it been a work in progress? How did you choose to write about romance, rather than any other genre you love and know well?

Ilene: The book took about a year and a half to write, but a lot of that time was spent doing reading/research. There is a very funny story about how we chose to write about Romance. C.L. might want to tell it. We both read and enjoy romance books and were very familiar with the genre before the project began.

C.L.: Ilene and I went to PLA in Philadelphia and while we were there we ran into Barry Trott while standing online in the Booklist Booth. Barry is the “Read On…” series editor and I’ve known him for several years. We started talking and Barry said that they were trying to find someone to write the romance book for the series and could I think of anyone who might want to do it. I turned to Ilene and said, “Want to write a book?”

Q: Do you have favorite chapters? Which was the hardest to write?

Ilene: Romance is such a character-driven genre that it made writing the Character chapter easy. For me the hardest chapter to write was the Language chapter. It was tougher to come up with those lists. We had fun with many of the lists. My favorite lists to compile were the Biker Babes – romances featuring motorcycles in some fashion -- and the Shifty Characters because I have a soft spot for Shapeshifter romances.

C.L.: No matter which genre I read, I tend to read for story, so that was my favorite genre. As Ilene said, the Language chapter was a challenge, but I enjoyed researching the He Writes Romance list for that chapter. There are more men who write romance than you might think. My favorite of the lists was the culinary romance list, Romancing the Stove. We also had a lot of fun coming up with punny titles for the lists.

Q: We loved the photos of C.L. at the book's launch at ALA Annual in Las Vegas. Do you have other promotional events planned for your colleagues in NJ?

C.L. & Ilene: We are working on a few promo events. We will keep LibraryLinkNJ posted!

Q: What's next?

C.L & Ilene: We have two projects under development at the moment. One is writing for Libraries Unlimited’s developing online education site and the other is writing a chapter about romance for a book on Adult/Teen Crossover books, also to be published by Libraries Unlimited.