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

Hi everyone!

This past summer we were approached by the New Jersey Makers Day (NJMD) board about the possibility of moving their work to our non-profit organization. After much discussion and the creation of a detailed project plan, both organizations signed a memorandum of understanding in January. This kicked off the process of transitioning NJMD from a non-profit organization to a project managed by LibraryLinkNJ with an advisory group like our MentorNJ and L-TAG project teams. We are excited to become the new home of NJ Makers Day beginning in July and to have the opportunity to build on the past decade of this successful initiative. Stay tuned for much more information about this in the coming months!

February was a very busy month for our team. We hosted the 2026 Library Love Fest at our annual mid-year Winter Meeting, and also attended the New Jersey Library Association/New Jersey Association of School Librarians Joint Conference in Atlantic City. It was great to connect with so many of you at these events! See below for recaps of the Winter Meeting and our conference activities.

Congratulations to our very own Communications & Outreach Assistant Megan Woods, who was recognized as a Rising Star at the Honors and Awards Ceremony at the NJLA/NJASL Joint Conference. We are proud of you, Megan!

Lastly, we are happy to present our LibraryLinkNJ FY25 Annual Report, created with our members and partners in mind. This edition of the report highlights our activities from July 1, 2024 to June 30, 2025, and is available for download as a PDF from our website.

Wishing you a joyous and peaceful Spring,

Ralph

Don't just manage projects. Accelerate them! This 3-day bootcamp bridges the gap between proven Project Management Best Practices (PMBOK) and the cutting-edge AI tools transforming the industry. While the public and private sectors race to understand the implications of AI, this course gives you the insights and strategy to adapt to the "AI reality”. Designed for both new project coordinators and seasoned program managers, this course integrates AI concepts into every module. Registration is now open. Don’t miss this excellent learning opportunity!

April 15, 23, and 28, 10am-3:50am.

• Location: Monroe Township Library, 4 Municipal Plaza, Monroe Twp, NJ 08831
• Cost: $550 per person for a 3 full-day series
• Space is limited to 20 participants. Registration will close on Friday, March 13, 2026

Find the full details at: https://librarylinknj.org/PM2026

We need your help! - EDI Resource Solicitation Form

EDI-NJ is conducting an audit of the equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) resources currently being used across New Jersey libraries. If you or your organization have participated in an EDI training, workshop, or program—or if you’ve come across a resource you believe is valuable and worth reviewing—we invite you to share it with us. Your input will directly inform this audit and help strengthen our collective EDI efforts statewide.

The information gathered through this solicitation will help us:

1. Better understand the types of EDI training and resources libraries are currently using

2. Identify gaps, strengths, and emerging needs

3. Inform future planning, recommendations, and shared resources

Thank you in advance for contributing your experience and insights. If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to reach out at edi@librarylinknj.org.

We're conducting a survey to better understand how our member public libraries currently use their meeting and event spaces and to assess interest in hosting future LibraryLinkNJ programs, including cultural events, exhibits, and possible pop-up experiences. The survey is quick and easy, and your responses will directly inform our planning to bring more engaging programs to your library.

Take the Survey at: https://forms.gle/3xpBMPR82TUMvePY8

Thank you for helping us shape exciting opportunities for our communities!

LibraryLinkNJ members can subscribe to Schlager Digital Library’s Essential Primary Sources, an online collection of more than 3,500 curated primary source documents with 2,500+ original scholarly commentaries. Designed to support teaching and research, the collection covers U.S. and world history, American government, ethnic and gender studies, religious studies, and business history.

Discounted pricing is available through July 31, 2026, with special rates for academic, public, and high school libraries.

To learn more or to order, contact Matt Haberman, Director of Sales, at matt@schlagergroup.com, or check out our "Discounts" page on our website: https://librarylinknj.org/discounts/schlager-digital-library

LibraryLinkNJ members receive special group rates for the Computers in Libraries 2026 Conference, held March 17–19 in Arlington, VA. Enjoy discounted pricing of $429 for the 3-day conference ($649 regular price) and $719 for the Gold Pass ($949 regular price).

Register using the LLNJ discount link or enter code 26LLNJ at checkout.
More details can be found at: https://computersinlibraries.infotoday.com/2026/default.aspx

Find more discount offers, including those from Newsreel and Library Journal, at https://librarylinknj.org/discounts!

The LibraryLinkNJ LearningSpace offers a range of on-demand resources designed to meet the changing needs of library staff. From emerging technologies to critical thinking and inclusive service approaches, you’ll find opportunities to strengthen your skills and broaden your perspective. All highlighted courses are open to everyone—no login required—and are crafted to support continued growth for staff in every area of library work.

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.

MentorNJ Mega Meet-up 2026

Join the MentorNJ Task Force for our annual Mega Meet-up, providing library staff from around the state an opportunity to gather together for networking, support, and learning! Whether you're a veteran MentorNJ participant or will be joining us for the first time, all are welcome at this fun, virtual event. This year's Mega Meetup schedule includes a keynote panel on leadership, breakout discussions, and more! Registration is now open. Sign up today!

• MentorNJ Mega Meet-up 2026; Virtual; Tuesday, March 24, 10:30am-3:pm.

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LLNJ 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! We'll help new members understand:

• What LibraryLinkNJ is
• Who is part of the LibraryLinkNJ team
• What LibraryLinkNJ can offer
• How library staff can get involved
• And more!

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; Friday, March 27, 11am-12pm.

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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 - March 3, 2pm

• Indigenous American Library Staff - March 5, 10pm

• Maker Meetup - March 5, 3pm

• API - March 9, 3pm

• Latino Library Staff - March 10, 10am

• LGBTQUIA+ Library Staff - March 11, 11am

• Adventures in Administration - March 12, 10:30am

• AI in Libraries - March 12, 2pm

• School Libraries - March 18, 4:30pm
• Mega Meet-Up - March 24, 10am **See more information under "Professional Development Opportunities**

• Adventures in Administration - March 26, 10:30am

Want to know more about a meet-up? Check out our calendar!

What a wonderful conference! We had a fantastic time connecting with so many of you at this year's NJLA/NJASL Statewide Conference in February. Whether you stopped by our booth in the Exhibit Hall, joined one of the MentorNJ Meet-ups, attended our EDI session "Building Equity Together," or dropped in for some book mending, it was truly great to see so many familiar and new faces. Your engagement and enthusiasm make everything we do worthwhile, and we hope to see you again next year!

We hope you felt the love! Thank you to everyone who joined us for the LLNJ Winter Meeting: Library Love Fest on February 10th. It was a joy to gather virtually and celebrate the incredible work happening in libraries across New Jersey. A heartfelt thank you to all of our speakers who shared their successes and inspired us--you truly were the stars of the show. If you missed it or want to revisit the highlights, the presentation recording and slides are available on the LLNJ LearningSpace.

There will be no statewide delivery service and the LibraryLinkNJ office will be closed on Friday, April 3rd, 2026, in observance of Good Friday.

If you are holding any extra Blue Bins that your library is not utilizing please leave them for your TForce Driver and they will take them. TForce is running low on LLNJ bins that we supply to libraries.

If you are no longer enrolled in the statewide delivery service and you are holding any LLNJ delivery supplies (Blue Bins, Plastic Bags), please contact Jennifer Bruno at jennifer@librarylinknj.org and we will arrange pickup of the supplies.

Registration is now open for New Jersey Makers Day 2026! Please register your sites here. New Jersey Makers Day 2026 will take place March 20-22nd. As always, we strongly encourage sites to pick dates that work best for your community.

LibraryLinkNJ's Executive Board will hold their next meeting on Thursday, March 19th 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