LibraryLinkNJ News

For more details about any of our projects, programs, or services please visit the LibraryLinkNJ website!

For questions, suggestions, or help with your account, please reach out to our CE Team: ce@librarylinknj.org

I am keeping my message brief this month because I don’t want to distract you from all the important content below which includes information about the resumption of statewide delivery to school libraries starting on September 8, a new 25% discount offer from Library Journal for online courses and subscriptions, and the extension of the 20% discount offer for AWE Learning Stations.

Our fall program calendar is packed with many exciting opportunities including our virtual fall conference on Connection on September 30; our upcoming New Member Information Session on September 16; and lots of other professional development opportunities. We have also included a Sneak Peak of upcoming events through the end of June 2026 so you can mark your calendar. Don’t miss the details below!

On behalf of our whole team, we wish all of our members - whether you’re working as school staff or faculty, supporting the students and educators in your community, or sending a loved-one back to the classroom - a safe, healthy, and happy school year!

Best regards,

Ralph

LLNJ One Day Virtual Conference: Connection

LibraryLinkNJ invites you to explore the power and value of connection at our Fall 2025 Virtual Conference. At this time of uncertainty and apprehension, join us to examine and uplift the connections and networks that support, enhance, and affirm the work New Jersey’s libraries do every day.

September 30, 2025

9am-3:30pm

Online via Zoom

Registration is free but limited to 300 participants; sign up today!

For a full conference schedule and the link to register, visit the event webpage.

Statewide Delivery to Schools

Delivery Service to schools will resume the week of Monday, September 8, 2025. School materials that were received in the delivery system after June 13, 2025 will be shipped out in September.

If you have any questions, please fill out our Delivery Support Form.

LibraryLinkNJ members can receive 25% off Library Journal & School Library Journal online courses, and 25% off subscriptions to Library Journal, School Library Journal, and The Horn Book.

• 25% off of all online courses
• 25% off of print, digital, or print+digital combo subscriptions
• Unlimited online access to all premium content
• Complete access to digital editions of the magazine
• Web exclusives plus full, searchable archives of articles
• Exclusive starred reviews, plus a searchable archive of all reviews
• Collection development advice, merchandising tips, and readers’ advisory
• Personal library with saved articles and reviews, and share collection ideas
• Access to research, case studies, webcast library, and more
• Free shipping of print issues to US subscribers

Find more details at: https://librarylinknj.org/about-us/news/online-course-subscription-discounts-librarylinknj-members

AWE Learning has extended its 20% discount offer for LibraryLinkNJ members on any AWE Learning Station until 12 PM (noon) on September 29, 2025!

Find more details at: https://librarylinknj.org/discounts/awe-learning-stations

Congratulations to Sharon Clarke of the Cherry Hill Public Library, who was one of ten lucky winners to snag a Summer Book Bash Prize Pack by attending one of this year's Book Bash events. Our thanks to Sharon for posing with her tote bag of books and bookish swag!

The LibraryLinkNJ LearningSpace is packed with fresh content made just for you. From emerging tech to critical thinking and inclusive practices, there's something for every library role. No login needed to browse—just click and learn.

Courses on the LearningSpace are specifically designed to support the professional development of library staff. Please note that these courses are not intended for use or access by the public.

Skill-Sharing Conversations

By popular demand! After a popular Skill-Sharing Conversation on Seed & Plant libraries, we're now focusing on gardening activities and programs for children. Library gardens offer a great way for children to come together to learn, grow, and contribute towards a healthy, balanced environment. Feel free join us as we learn about Summit Public Library's popular Little Sprouts garden club, which allows families to participate in STEAM-focused garden lessons and help the garden grow.

• Skill-Sharing Conversation: Kids' Gardening Clubs; Virtual; Wednesday, September 10, 10am-11am.

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People, Not Problems: Adapting the Person-Centered, Trauma-Informed Lens to the Library

Library staff encounter challenging situations regularly. Sometimes these situations are exacerbated by people’s trauma histories. We don't usually know their stories, but we can approach our patrons and our colleagues with a person-centered, trauma-informed (PCTI) lens.

• People, Not Problems: Virtual; Wednesday, September 10, 2pm-3pm. Brought to you by the Professional Development Alliance of Library Consortia.

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NC Live's Demonstrating Your Library's Value Series

This series will explore practical strategies and real-world examples for showcasing the impact of your library to key stakeholders. Five webinars will highlight creative and effective approaches for demonstrating value - no matter your budget or staffing levels.

• 9/11 @ 2pm: Beyond the Books: Strengthening Public Library Support through Strategic Relationships -
  
• 9/16 @ 2pm: Demonstrating The Library’s Value To Campus Stakeholders At A Private University: Impactful Practices for All Budgets and Staffing
  
• 9/22 @ 1pm: Your Library’s Greatest Hits: Turning Data into a Value Story
  
• 9/23 @ 2pm: Buzz Builders: How to Make Your Library the Talk of the Town
  
• 9/24 @ 2pm: Supporting Student Success Through Soft Skills: The Library’s Role in The QEP Process

Click Here to sign up for any or all of the webinars in this series.

Brought to you by the Professional Development Alliance of Library Consortia.

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Game On! Leveling Up in Cataloging and Acquisitions

This presentation will cover how technical services staff can find ways to make their jobs more exciting and fun. The presenters will share how to find holes in training, create more effective documentation and workflows, and determine the best data and statistics to compile to inspire collaboration and friendly competition among library staff.

Attendees will leave with a fresh perspective on the dynamic and engaging potential of the technical services department!

• Game On!; Virtual; Tuesday, September 16, 1pm-2pm. Brought to you by the Professional Development Alliance of Library Consortia.

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New Member Information Session

Join members of our LibraryLinkNJ team for a New Member Information Session designed to welcome you to the New Jersey Library Cooperative! Staff members in any and all positions are encouraged to join us as we explore what it means to be part of a LibraryLinkNJ institution and how you can benefit from the many resources and services offered by the Cooperative!

• LLNJ New Member Information Session; Virtual; Tuesday, September 16, 2pm-3pm.

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ADA Title II Toolkit

• September 16th, 2pm-3pm: Accessible Documents and Emails
• September 23rd, 2pm-3pm: Accessible Presentation Slides
  
• September 30th, 2pm-3pm: Website Accessibility
  

Visit our Toolkit webpage to learn more and to sign up for any or all events in this series!

Brought to you by the Professional Development Alliance of Library Consortia.
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Demonstrating The Library’s Value To Campus Stakeholders At A Private University: Impactful Practices for All Budgets and Staffing
As academic libraries face reduced budgets and limited staffing, demonstrating value has never been more critical. This session offers practical strategies for library administrators to engage key stakeholders, administration, faculty, and students, by aligning library services and resources with institutional priorities.

• Demonstrating the Library's Value to Campus Stakeholders; Virtual; Tuesday, Semptember 16th, 2pm-3pm. Brought to you by the Professional Development Alliance of Library Consortia.
  

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Health Literacy for Library Staff: Navigating PubMed and Google Scholar

LibraryLinkNJ is proud to offer an introductory series on Health Literacy for Library Staff. The series will cover medical terminology, consumer health resources, and the latest updates on PubMed and Google Scholar. This series is intended to assist reference librarians in responding to medical-related questions from patrons, but all library staff are welcome to attend, including managers of all levels.

• Health Literacy for Library Staff: Navigating PubMed and Google Scholar; Virtual; Wednesday, September 17, 3pm-4pm.

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Mental Health First Aid from the National Council for Mental Wellbeing is a nationally recognized program that offers Mental Health First Aid training courses designed to help participants react confidently, competently, and appropriately when they encounter an individual suffering from a mental health crisis. From identifying risk factors and warning signs to outlining strategies for assisting someone in the midst of a crisis, a Mental Health First Aid training course prepares participants to enact an action plan and utilize appropriate interventions when they encounter a mental health emergency.

• Youth Mental Health First Aid Training; Virtual; Thursday, September 18, 9am-1:30pm.

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Co-Creating a Student-Centered Research Support Service

Join Bekky and Hannah in their presentation about co-creating a user-centered research support service led by student experience. By expanding access to research support and investing in student leadership opportunities for undergraduate learners, this high-impact practice is one approach that librarians at the University of Minnesota Duluth have taken to involve student stakeholders in crafting a service for and by them.

• Co-Creating a Student-Centered Research Support Service; Virtual; Thursday, September 18, 1pm-2pm. Brought to you by the Professional Development Alliance of Library Consortia.
  

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Team Approach to Addressing Library Staff Dissatisfaction, Unhappiness, and Burnout

"Having fun isn't hard when you've got a library card" (Arthur Read), but it can be quite a challenge when you work at the library. Check out this session to discover ways an employee-driven, administration-supported library committee has worked to increase employee morale, build community among new and veteran library staff members, and provide off-campus networking opportunities with minimal planning, building wide collaboration, and budget limitations.

• Team Approach to Addressing Library Staff Dissatisfaction, Unhappiness, and Burnout; Virtual; Tuesday, September 23, 1pm-2pm. Brought to you by the Professional Development Alliance of Library Consortia.

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Librarian Launchpad: A Practical Guide for New Academic Librarians

Feeling overwhelmed in your new academic position? This session will explore how to navigate life as an early career librarian and highlight some common pitfalls new professionals often encounter. Using perspectives from different areas of librarianship, including patron-facing and internal positions, presenters will discuss methods for achieving work-life balance. Other topics, such as ways to combat imposter syndrome and the value of openness and vulnerability, will seek to normalize the first-time academic librarian experience. This session is also useful for supervisors and administrators who are interested in providing a supportive environment for new librarians entering the field.

• Librarian Launchpad; Virtual; Thursday, September 25, 2pm-3pm. Brought to you by the Professional Development Alliance of Library Consortia.
  

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Super Library Supervisors 2025

This series of training workshops in supervisory skills has been serving the New Jersey library community for more than 20 years. This fall, our workshop series will be available in-person at the Monroe Township Public Library. New and novice supervisors will cover the following topoics during this 4-day workshop series

• The Leader's Toolkit: Starting with Empathy
• Strategic Planning for Libraries: The Basics & Beyond
• Open & Honest Communication in the Workplace

• Building Relationships & Resolving Staff Conflict
• HR Basics Every Supervisor Should Know
• Personnel Documentation & Evaluation
• Giving & Receiving Feedback
• Knowing Your Strengths
  
  

Limited spaces are still available! Reach out to Stephanie Sendaula, stephanie@librarylinknj.org, for registration details!

• Super Library Supervisors; In Person; September 29, October 8, October 14, October 21, 10am-3pm. *Participants must attend all 4 sessions

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LibraryLinkNJ One Day Virtual Conference

LibraryLinkNJ invites you to explore the power and value of connection at our Fall 2025 Virtual Conference. At this time of uncertainty and apprehension, join us to examine and uplift the connections and networks that support, enhance, and affirm the work New Jersey’s libraries do every day.

We seek to examine both the connections libraries are entrusted to uphold, like our relationship to the law and the rights of our patrons, as well as those we elect to build, like partnerships with our community institutions, colleagues, and fellow libraries. From understanding our responsibilities and rights within the larger systems we’re part of, to celebrating the collaborations and cooperation that keep us growing and succeeding day-to-day, we hope you’ll join us for this opportunity to learn about and celebrate the connections that help our libraries thrive.

• LibraryLinkNJ Virtual Conference: Connection; Virtual; Tuesday, September 30, 9am-3:30pm.

Join us for any or all of our MentorNJ Meet-ups this month. No registration required!

Zoom links go out to our entire email list each Monday morning for the Meet-ups to be held that week.

• Disabled & Neurodivergent Library Staff - September 2, 2pm
  

• Wellness Wednesday - September 3, 3pm

• Indigenous American Library Staff - September 4, 10am

• API - September 4, 11am

• Maker Meet-up - September 4, 3pm

• Latino Library Staff - September 9, 10am

• LGBTQUIA+ Library Staff, September 10, 11am

• Adventures in Administration - September 11, 10:30am

• AI in Libraries - September 11, 2 pm

• *NEW DAY AND TIME* Juggling Parenting & Library Work - September 12, 10am

• School Libraries - September 17, 4:30pm

• Tech - September 18, 3pm

• Adventures in Administration - September 25, 10:30am

Want to know more about a meet-up? Check out our calendar!
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🚨In-Person Meetup Alert 🚨

The API Meet-up group is holding their October meet-up in person! Join them on their usual date at a later time: Thursday, October 2, from 1–3 PM

They invite everyone to join them for informal conversation and fun activities. The meet-up will be held at the South Plainfield Public Library. More information will be available on the meet-up info page soon!

LibraryLinkNJ's 25-26 Sneak Peek is here!

Download the document below for a look at some of the exciting things we have planned through the end of our Fiscal Year - including Book Mending Workshops, a new Leadership Training series, the return of AI Ambassadors, and much more! Don't see your favorites on the Sneak Peek? Don't worry - our usual Skill-Sharing Conversations, MentorNJ Meet-ups, and lots of exciting webinars are still in the works.

Delivery Service 2025

LibraryLinkNJ is responsible for the statewide, physical delivery of shared library materials for those institutions that choose to participate in our delivery service.

Delivery Reminders:

• Delivery routes and times are created by the vendor

• There is no guarantee of a specific time for delivery

• Due to the complexity of delivery routes, timing of delivery cannot be easily adjusted

• Delivery frequency is determined by LibraryLinkNJ

• LibraryLinkNJ is responsible only for the physical movement of materials; JerseyCat (including material requests and association actions in the JerseyCat system) is managed separately by the New Jersey State Library

• Delivery drivers are no longer required to sign the delivery log form. This form is used for internal purposes only to track delivery statistics required by LibraryLinkNJ.
  
  

Transit Time Reminders:

• Delivery is defined as delivering Monday through Friday during the time the library is open

• Timing adjustments to schedules will only be made in extraordinary cases and at the discretion of LibraryLinkNJ, assuming the changes do not incur additional costs

• The vendor contract sets the transit time between a shipping library and a destination library
  
  

Responsibilities of Participating Institutions

• All institutions participating in delivery are required to utilize the monthly Delivery Log Form to keep track of the number of packages delivered

• All institutions participating in delivery are required to post the location-specific barcode provided by LibraryLinkNJ at the delivery pick-up/drop-off location in their building. This barcode will be scanned by the driver during each visit

• All institutions participating in delivery are required to report their delivery statistics to LibraryLinkNJ monthly using the Delivery Stats Report Form

• Participating institutions should use the Delivery Ticket Form to notify LibraryLinkNJ of problems, requests, or library closures

• Participating institutions must print a Delivery Label for the receiving institution and include it in all delivery packages. *Please note that labels have been updated; please discard any previously printed labels and be sure to print and include the current labels available on our website now.
  
  

Holidays When There is no Delivery:

• New Year's Day

• Martin Luther King Day

• Presidents Day

• Good Friday

• Memorial Day

• Juneteenth

• Independence Day

• Labor Day

• Columbus Day/State Holiday

• Election Day

• Veteran's Day

• Thanksgiving Day

• Christmas Day
  
  

Contact Information

• If your library is not currently on the Delivery Service, and you would like to apply to participate, please reach out to Jennifer Bruno at the LibraryLinkNJ Office: jennifer@librarylinknj.org or (732) 751-7720 x104.

• For day-to-day Delivery Service questions, contact Carol Fishwick, LibraryLinkNJ Member Services at carol@librarylinknj.org or (732) 752-7720, ext. 102.

• If you wish to stop your Delivery Service for any reason or to change the frequency of your pickup, or if there is a change in your address, please reach out to Jennifer Bruno, LibraryLinkNJ at jennifer@librarylinknj.org or (732) 752-7720, ext. 104.

We'd like to take a moment to celebrate ten lucky participants from across the state who won prize packs full of literary swag as part of this year's LibraryLinkNJ Summer Book Bash! We would also like to thank each and every one of you who attended our Book Bash author and publisher events, and helped to make them a success. Thank you for all your support!

We would also like to thank our 2025 sponsors: Abrams, Bloomsbury, Chronicle, Disney Publishing, Hachette, Harlequin, Ideal Bookshelf, Lee & Low, Litograph, Out of Print, Penguin Random House, Simon & Schuster, Sourcebooks, W. W. Norton & Company

Applications are now being accepted for the New Jersey State Library’s Expanding Digital Literacy grant program. Public libraries can apply for up to $25,000 to develop and implement digital skills programs in their communities.

• Guidelines and application instructions are available on the NJSL website: https://www.njstatelib.org/digitalliteracy
• The deadline to apply is September 12, 2025, at 11:59 pm ET
• Questions should be directed to grants@njstatelib.org with the subject “Expanding Digital Literacy.”
• An informational webinar was held on August 7, 2025. A recording of the webinar and slides can be found here.

Freedom to Read Downloads and Posters

This spring, with continued support from Penguin Random House, the Freedom to Read Foundation (FTRF) Education Committee launched six downloadable posters that detail how public libraries, in particular, can support young people’s exercise of their First Amendment rights.

• One side of each poster provides concrete examples of how librarians and libraries serve as vital lifelines for students and all people in providing access to materials in many formats with a wide range of viewpoints, reference services, and programming.
• The second side of the six downloadable posters elaborates on the specific applications of court cases that protect First Amendment rights.
• The posters are ideal for classrooms, school libraries, and public libraries. You can download the 8.5x11, double-sided, full-color posters for free at this link, Downloadable Posters.

Last year, members of FTRF’s Judith Krug Education Committee worked in conjunction with the design team at Penguin Random House to create a full-size, glossy, First Amendment poster. The poster supports educating the general public regarding the legal precedents for the freedom to read.

• To receive a copy of the original larger poster, go to the FTRF First Amendment page and complete the form First Amendment Poster.

LibraryLinkNJ's Executive Board will hold their next meeting on Thursday, September 18 at 3pm via Zoom.

All LibraryLinkNJ members are welcome to attend Executive Board meetings. Find more information on the Executive Board page on our website!

We want to hear what you've got to say.

Please email suggestionbox@librarylinknj.org with feedback about our services and programs. Suggestions for new services and programs are welcome, too.

LibraryLinkNJ: Every New Jersey Library - Connected and Thriving

LibraryLinkNJ (formerly known as INFOLINK) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit corporation. Its members are multi-type libraries and library-related agencies located in the twenty-one counties of New Jersey. This area includes 8.79 million people. The population of the state is highly diverse and includes some of the largest communities of Spanish speaking and Asian Indian persons in the U.S.

LibraryLinkNJ – The New Jersey Library Cooperative has over 1100 voting representatives from over 2,500 public and private school, public, academic, institutional, corporate, health sciences and special libraries and library-related agencies. A member-elected Executive Board meets regularly to oversee the programs and services of the organization.

LibraryLinkNJ and its services are funded by the New Jersey State Library, which is responsible for the coordination, promotion and funding of the New Jersey Library Network. Members join at no charge and pay no dues.

Email: info@librarylinknj.org
Website: www.librarylinknj.org
Location: 2300 Stuyvesant Avenue, Ewing Township, NJ, USA
Phone: 732-752-7720
Facebook: facebook.com/librarylinknj
Instagram: @librarylinknj