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

After a cold and snowy winter across New Jersey, we know libraries and communities across the state are looking forward to the sunshine and warm weather just around the corner!

At LibraryLinkNJ, this is the time of year when our team not only looks forward to sunnier days and spring flowers, but also looks ahead to our plans for the upcoming year. We’re busy behind the scenes organizing both big ideas and small changes designed to make LibraryLinkNJ an even better resource for our member libraries.

If you want to hear about what we’ve got planned for next year, be sure to save the date now for our upcoming Spring Membership Meeting! We’ll meet via Zoom on June 18, 2026 to share exciting updates and next year’s plans (more details below).

And of course between now and then we still have plenty of spring Continuing Education opportunities available to our members, including new on-demand modules, an array of offerings from our friends at the Professional Development Alliance, and the continuation of favorites like Mental Health First Aid and an in-person Craft Show & Share. Read on for details, or check out our Event Calendar for more information.

Wishing everyone sunny days ahead,

Ralph

LibraryLinkNJ is looking for library advocates to join its Executive Board! Three Member-at-Large positions are open, each serving a three-year term beginning July 1, 2026.

This is a great opportunity to help support and strengthen libraries across New Jersey. Ideal candidates are employed at an LLNJ member institution and bring diverse perspectives, experiences, and a shared commitment to library collaboration and growth. Board members attend monthly virtual meetings and contribute a few hours each month to committee work.

• To apply, email nominations@librarylinknj.org with your resume or a short bio.
• Deadline: April 14, 2026 at 4:00 PM

At their March meeting, our Executive Board adopted an updated Code of Conduct for our in-person and virtual events. The updated LLNJ Code of Conduct is available on our website.

Programming library staff who serve youth patrons are invited to join us for a Show & Share event! Show off your successful kids and teen crafting ideas, get inspired by your colleagues from around the state, and even share or swap your leftover craft materials!

Planning craft events at your library can leave you struggling to find options that are achievable, affordable, and appealing. Join us to show off what has worked for you (or to warn us about what hasn’t) and refresh your own program plans with ideas from others. Plus, bring your leftover craft supplies and unused materials to share in our Swap Shop; you’ll give your old materials new life and maybe even head back to your own library with some new-to-you supplies to put to good use!

• Youth Craft Show & Share 2026; In-Person; Monday, May 11, 10am-1pm.
• Location: SCLSNJ Montgomery Brach, 100 Community Drive, Skillman, NJ 08558

During their March meeting, the EDI-NJ group engaged in insightful discussions to help shape the direction of the assessment development, including clarifying our intended outcomes, identifying preferred approaches, and beginning to surface important considerations for implementation. We will continue these discussions at our April meeting, working with Ozy, our EDI Consultant, to complete the EDI Individual Assessment this spring. We will focus on:

1. Implementation considerations (privacy, use of results, safety)

2. How to connect assessment results to meaningful action and outcomes

3. Drafting and refining sample scenarios

4. Identifying structures for ongoing development and collaboration

• EDI-NJ: Individual EDI Assessment Discussion; Virtual; Wednesday, April 22, 2026, 3-4PM.
• Please find Ozy’s slide deck in PDF format and the pre-read from the March discussion.
• The meeting is open to all NJ library staff.

Save the Date! LibraryLinkNJ will host its 2026 Membership Meeting on Thursday, June 18 at 2:30 PM via Zoom. This spring meeting will include a brief business session, with agenda items open for member voting.

• Open to members across the LibraryLinkNJ community
• Virtual format makes it easy to attend from anywhere!

More details and registration information will be shared soon!

Covering academic exams, career certifications, and professional licensure, Mometrix eLibrary delivers the broadest range of test prep content available today. With digital study guides, practice tests, and flashcards for over 1,000 different exams, it is the premier test prep solution for libraries, universities, schools, and businesses. And it's available at a friendly price in a package customized for your needs. Mometrix is happy to offer a 10% discount off of our standard, annual subscription pricing for LibraryLinkNJ member institutions.

• For more information, to request a demo, or to request a price quote with the included LibraryLinkNJ discount, please contact Jay Willis, Vice President, at 888-248-1219 or jay.willis@mometrix.com.
• To learn more about this offer, check out our "Discounts" page on our website: https://librarylinknj.org/discounts/mometrix-elibrary

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.

Just Added

• ¿Cómo Se Dice? - Programs & Events - New Jersey library staff are encouraged to practice their library-related Spanish language skills! Join a native Spanish speaker from the NJ library community and practice common vocabulary and phrases surrounding one of four library-related topics.

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.

Small Changes, BIG Impact: Making Library E-Resources Impossible To Miss

Is your library’s digital collection the "best-kept secret" in town? It doesn’t have to be. Join us for a practical, high-energy webinar focused on turning your e-resources from hidden gems into household names. In this session, we’ll cover ways to adjust your website’s real estate for more discoverability, email and social media strategies that stop the scroll, and how to turn your programs and events into marketing secret weapons that make e-resources a natural part of every patron’s visit. By the end of the hour, you’ll have a toolkit of low-effort, high-impact tactics to make your digital library visible, accessible, and - most importantly - impossible to ignore.

• Small Changes, BIG Impact: Making Library E-Resources Impossible To Miss; Virtual; Tuesday, April 7, 2pm-3pm.

• This event is brought to you by NC LIVE via the Professional Development Alliance of Library Consortia (PDA).

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From Concept to Display: Creating Impactful Library Exhibitions

Join us for a webinar on creating impactful library exhibitions. Melanie Emerson (School of the Art Institute of Chicago) and Leora Siegel (Chicago Botanic Garden, Lenhardt Library) will draw on their experience across academic, museum, and research library contexts to illuminate the value of exhibitions as a core library function. They will consider why exhibitions matter—how they activate collections, advance institutional missions, support teaching and research, and cultivate meaningful engagement with diverse audiences. From increasing the visibility of underrepresented materials to opening new entry points into collections, exhibitions provide dynamic opportunities to interpret, contextualize, and connect.

• From Concept to Display: Creating Impactful Library Exhibitions; Virtual; Wednesday, April 8, 2pm-3pm.
• This event is brought to you by CARLI (Consortium of Academic and Research Libraries in Illinois) via the Professional Development Alliance of Library Consortia (PDA).

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Teaching Data Literacy

Joddy Marchesoni, the Data Services Librarian at Wake Forest University, will help you kickstart data literacy instruction sessions at your library using established ACRL guidelines. You'll also practice fun and engaging activities to inspire your patrons to love data, too!

In this webinar, we will explore how to approach data literacy in library instruction sessions through hands-on activities and open resources. “The data literate individual understands, explains and documents the utility and limitations of data by becoming a critical consumer of data, controlling one’s personal data trail, finding meaning and taking action based on data. One can identify, collect, evaluate, analyze, interpret, present and protect data” (Oceans of Data Institute). We will discuss how to consider faculty and student needs around data literacy and how librarians are well-positioned to build data culture at their institutions. The Adopt a Dataset activity is a great way to practice evaluating data, and can be used as inspiration for your own activities!

• Teaching Data Literacy; Virtual; Tuesday, April 14, 1pm-2pm.
• This event is brought to you by FLVC (Florida Virtual Campus) via the Professional Development Alliance of Library Consortia (PDA).

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Visibility Over Perfection: Social Media for Libraries

Does your library’s social media feel like another "overdue" task on an endless to-do list? Between managing collections and serving patrons, finding the time to craft the "perfect" post can feel impossible. But here’s a secret: Your community doesn't need perfection - they need to see you.

Join us for a webinar designed specifically for busy library staff who need to balance a digital presence with limited time and resources. We’re moving away from high-production stress and toward "scrappy" storytelling - the kind that builds genuine connection without the burnout.

• Visibility Over Perfection: Social Media for Libraries; Virtual; Tuesday, April 14, 2pm-3pm.
• This event is brought to you by NC LIVE via the Professional Development Alliance of Library Consortia (PDA).

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NJ Statewide EDI Initiative Group (EDI-NJ) Meeting

Join us in this coalition of NJ's library organizations to tackle EDI issues in our state's libraries.

• NJ Statewide EDI Initiative Group (EDI-NJ) Meeting; Virtual; Wednesday, April 15, 2:30pm-3:30pm.

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Copyright and OER Creation

Open Educational Resources offer powerful opportunities for teaching and learning—but they also raise important copyright questions. This webinar will guide librarians and faculty through creating OER, including how and when copyrighted materials can be used in the creation of open content. Topics include licensing, fair use, attribution, and practical strategies for combining open and copyrighted works in ways that support teaching goals while managing risk.

• Copyright and OER Creation; Virtual; Thursday, April 16, 2pm-3pm.
• This event is brought to you by PASCAL (Partnership Among South Carolina Academic Libraries) via the Professional Development Alliance of Library Consortia (PDA).

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Adult Mental Health First Aid Training

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.

LibraryLinkNJ is proud to partner with Hackensack Meridian Hospital System to offer both Adult and Youth Mental Health First Aid training to our members. Mental health emergencies can touch nearly any aspect of library service, and we invite staff in any position from any library type to register for this valuable training course.

• Adult Mental Health First Aid Training; Virtual; Friday, April 17, 9am-2:30pm.

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¿Cómo Se Dice? Spanish Basics for Library Staff

Learning Spanish with our on-demand ¿Cómo Se Dice? series? Join us for live Spanish language practice! Luisa and Yesenia will join us on the final Thursday of each month at 11am for a one-hour Zoom where attendees can ask questions, practice pronunciation, engage in sample conversations, and improve their Spanish skills! This month, the topic will be "Programs and Events."

• ¿Cómo Se Dice? Spanish Basics for Library Staff; Virtual; Thursday, April 30, 11am-12pm.
• Attendees should complete the Programs and Events On-Demand Module prior to attending the conversation practice event!

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.

• Indigenous American Library Staff - April 2, 10pm

• Maker Meetup - April 2, 3pm

• Disabled & Neurodivergent Library Staff - April 7, 2pm

• LGBTQUIA+ Library Staff - April 8, 11am

• Adventures in Administration - April 9, 10:30am

• AI in Libraries - April 9, 2pm

• Latino Library Staff - April 14, 10am
• Tech - April 16, 3pm
• K-Culture - April 21, 1:30pm

• Adventures in Administration - April 23, 10:30am

• Leading Lean Libraries - April 28, 1pm

• API - April 30, 2pm

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

Last month, LibraryLinkNJ staff members Darby and Ralph attended the International Coalition of Library Consortia (ICOLC) conference, held in mid-March at the University of Central Florida. The event brought together library consortia from across North America, and produced valuable ideas, fresh insights, and new opportunities for collaboration to support and strengthen services for New Jersey libraries. Thank you to our partners at FLVC, SEFLIN, NEFLIN, and UCF Libraries for hosting!

PLAID (Public Libraries & AI Development) is a practical framework that helps libraries test, evaluate, and roll out AI tools in ways that fit their policies, staff capacity, and community needs. Explore these concise guides to better understand where AI technology is today, how it’s already showing up in public libraries, and where it’s likely headed next for your community.

Access the training videos here!

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.

Libraries serving small or rural communities are invited to apply for the National Small and Rural Library Creative Writing Program Grant from Cosmic Writers. With support from the Tigris Foundation, the program will award 10 need-based scholarships that provide free training, curriculum, coaching, and creative writing materials to support youth programming! This is a great opportunity to expand or launch creative writing programs for young patrons.

• Applications are due April 10 at 11:59 PM CT
• Apply through the online form here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfpmX9NlAv3zLdepqJg1-SSoBeLVb3u5Wk0PeR8xztILtSwvg/viewform

The New Jersey State Library, in partnership with the New Jersey State Archives, has launched NJ250: Living Documents, Evolving Rights, a new digital exhibition exploring the evolution of New Jersey’s three state constitutions. Created in anticipation of the nation’s 250th anniversary in 2026, the exhibit highlights how ideas of rights, representation, and governance have changed over time.

• Interactive content traces key themes like individual rights and landmark court interpretations
• Offers access to primary sources and historical materials for deeper exploration

Interested? Be sure to check out the exhibit at https://www.njstatelib.org/exhibits/nj250/

Rutgers Project ECHO is offering a free, virtual Sickle Cell Disease (SCD) ECHO program running March to July 2026, aimed at increasing awareness, education, and support across New Jersey. Hosted by Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, the program includes sessions for healthcare providers, as well as learning opportunities for patients, caregivers, and community members. It features three learning tracks (provider, patient/caregiver, and community-focused), all open to participants. The patient and caregiver sessions begin April 14.

• Visit the site for more information: https://projectecho.rutgers.edu/echo/sickle-cell-disease-sickle-cell-trait-echo/
• Registration link: https://go.rutgers.edu/scd-cc

LibraryLinkNJ's Executive Board will hold their next meeting on Thursday, April 16th 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