By Eric Schwarz
Co-Chair, NJLA Professional Development Committee
(Email: professionaldevelopment@njlamembers.org)

Happy September!

Two of my dedicated colleagues on the PD Committee have stepped up in their leadership roles.

Neil Grimes is serving this year as Co-Chair with me. You can thank Neil for the well-researched articles he has written for the past few newsletters (including this one). Through his research, writing, and other work, Neil has shown his ongoing dedication to, among other topics, literacy, equity, and programming for underserved populations.

Katie Kotacska is our new Vice Chair. She’s the person who has shepherded all of the surveys mentioned above, and who has taken on making sense of the NJLA speaker fund, among other projects.

I’ve had the pleasure of getting to know Neil and Katie both professionally and personally through Zoom meetings, many emails, and finally, meeting this year at the NJLA Conference in Atlantic City.

I'd also like to highlight a few resources that NJLA provides via the Professional Development Committee:

1. NJLA has a $2,000 annual fund for speaker fees outside the annual conference, organized by one or more sections or committees of NJLA. The PD Committee is tasked with initially reviewing applications for this fund, and in 2021-2022 only $500 of this fund was spent. (The money doesn’t roll over from year to year, however.) Programs organized under this fund must be open to, and should be promoted to, all NJLA members. The programs may be in person, online, or hybrid, and there may or may not be a registration fee. There is currently no formal application process, though this may change.
2. NJLA has a professional Zoom account that is meant specifically for professional development programs and/or committee or section meetings, whether one time or ongoing. Under this account, a Zoom meeting can be set to record automatically, and there are other settings that we can review to make your meeting run smoothly.
3. We’ve published the results of three surveys we conducted in 2022. (Read more about the surveys in January and March, and in May). We hope that these surveys will help committees and sections plan programs to meet the needs of NJLA members. We’d love to run more of these surveys in 2022-2023, to go out to the entire membership. We just need help to come up with the topics.

For any questions about these resources, please email us at professionaldevelopment@njlamembers.org.

With warm wishes,
Eric

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Apply for the 2022-2023 NJLA Internship Program

In its ninth year, the NJLA Internship Program offers graduate students enrolled in a library and information science program the opportunity to become active in the New Jersey Library Association, the oldest library-focused professional association in the state.

Each successful applicant will be appointed as an intern to a single committee or section for the current NJLA year, which ends June 30, 2023.

Interns will have the opportunity to attend meetings virtually; to network with peers and library leaders from around the state; and to participate in service learning.

Requirements for participation are: (1) enrollment in a library and information science graduate program (or related program), (2) membership in NJLA, (3) no previous NJLA committee appointments.

Interns must attend three meetings, two virtual and one hybrid, with their intern cohort throughout the year beginning with the internship orientation on Wednesday, October 19, 2022.

The deadline to apply is September 28, 2022. Limited openings are available.

For more information about NJLA’s committees and sections, please visit njlamembers.org. For any questions, please contact the NJLA internship co-coordinators, Heather Kristian (heather.kristian@gmail.com) and Ellen Ryan (eryan@ber.mainlib.org).

Apply now: NJLA Internship Program 2022

Apply for the 2022-2023 NJLA Emerging Leaders Program in October

Have you been a librarian for less than five years? Are you interested in developing your leadership skills to enhance your career?

Then consider applying for the NJLA Emerging Leaders Program. In five in-person sessions, participants will discuss leadership topics, explore their own leadership styles, network with other emerging leaders and meet established leaders in the profession from around the state.

Each applicant to the Emerging Leaders Program must be an NJLA member, obtain support from their supervisor, and agree to serve on an NJLA committee or section from 2023 to 2025.

For details about the program email emergingleaders@njlamembers.org. The application will open in early October and the deadline is Friday, Oct. 28.

NJLA Survey Provides Feedback on Challenges in Library Programming

By Eric Schwarz
(Email: professionaldevelopment@njlamembers.org)

The NJLA PD Committee’s survey in May 2022 sought feedback from NJLA members and other library workers, about areas they would like to learn about in order to provide programming to their libraries' community/patrons. There were 34 respondents to the May survey, the third of three surveys that we conducted in 2022.

Below we present some of the highlights from the May survey. For complete details on the surveys, including the questions and responses, please see our online article. The article contains multiple graphics to make sense of the responses.

The first three questions in May asked about specific types of programs for different age groups. The top three answers for each question were:

1. Children’s programming:
   • (10 responses each for two choices): Informational topics, for example lectures on STEM topics; read to a dog/animal events.
   • (8 responses each for two choices): Bilingual programs; makerspace/Makers Day.
   • (7 responses each for three choices): Games; musical performances; storytimes.
2. Teen/Young Adult programming:
   • (14 responses): Hands-on/crafts.
   • (13 responses): Life skills/finances.
   • (12 responses): Digital citizenship: navigating online and using social media (for example, etiquette and safety concerns).
3. Adult programming:
   • (17 responses each for three choices): History (local); job skills; photography/art.
   • (15 responses each for two choices): Life skills/finances; music/dance performances or lectures.
   • (14 responses each for three choices): Citizenship classes and programs; cooking; computer instruction – level 1 (basic).

The final two questions asked for free-text responses.

Question #4 was: “What challenges do you face in reaching out to your community or publicizing your programs?” Here are some highlights of the 22 responses:

• Patrons not registering in advance.
• Trouble finding the right channel to advertise programs, for example, a local newspaper going online but no longer being printed.
• Trouble reaching specific populations: adults without young children; patrons who are not already using the library (4 responses); large immigrant, mainly Hispanic community; “minority communities”; patrons without digital access or who do not use social media.
• Staffing issues: “Our part-time staff are not interested in providing word of mouth about our programs or services”; no staff resources to post signs in local shops.
• Other situations: library building closed since September 2021; configuration of library space; “Our community doesn't attend programs. We don't know why or how to motivate them”; “People don't want to leave their houses. Or they don't know what we are offering!”; competition with New York City events.

There were eight responses to question #5, “Any other comments?” Two of these responses, as well as one of the responses to question #4, concerned lack of money for programming. Two other respondents said that they don’t know what kinds of programs their patrons want. One respondent said they wanted to learn how to set up equipment for hybrid programming.

Another respondent: “Though we had an ESL program for years, we were not able to provide this during the pandemic.” The other two respondents said they appreciated the opportunity to share ideas with other programming staff.

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Know Yourself! A Guide to Getting Organized (Sept. 21)

Did you know that your internal clock impacts what time of day you're most focused, most creative, most likely to make a mistake, and most likely to be in a good (or bad) mood? In this session, we will cover getting to know yourself, how to organize your day for prime levels of productivity, and a few online tools that can help you along the way. Join NJALA for Know Yourself! A Guide to Getting Organized at 10 a.m. on Wednesday, Sept. 21, hosted by Amy Behr-Shields, Director of Summit Free Public Library, and Crystal Hooper, Somerset County Library. Register here.

NJLA Conference Proposal Workshop (Sept. 22)

Get tips on submitting proposals for the 2023 NJLA Conference at an online workshop, to be held Thursday, Sept. 22 at 2 p.m. Register here. (More details on the conference are detailed in the article below.)

Data Science in 2022, Topics and Trends (Sept. 22)

Data Science in 2022, Topics and Trends: Challenges for Libraries and Researchers: Thursday, Sept. 22 from 7 p.m. to 8 p.m. (free, online), presented by the New Jersey Community of the Special Libraries Association (NJ SLA). Click here for more information and to register.

LibraryLinkNJ Virtual Conference: Access & Accessibility (Sept. 28)

Following the success of last year's Information Equity Conference, LibraryLinkNJ (LLNJ) is pleased to announce that its one-day, virtual fall conference, Access & Accessibility, will return for a second year! This free online (Zoom) event will be held Wednesday, Sept. 28 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Register here. (Registration closes Wednesday, Sept. 21.)

Youth Services Forum (Oct. 17)

The theme of NJLA's 2022 Youth Services Forum is We're Back: Librarians Get Shh! Done. The forum will be held at Monroe Township Library on Monday, Oct. 17 from 8:45 a.m. to 3 p.m. Questions? Email Project Manager Jenna Ingham (jennakingham@gmail.com).

Reference & Adult Services Section Forum (Oct. 20)

The theme of NJLA's 2022 Reference & Adult Services Section Forum will be Tough Topics: Empowering Solutions. Sessions will include “Unique Resources for Serving the Public,” “Serving the LGBTQIA+ Community in Your Library,” and “Handling Challenging Patrons.” This free event will be held Thursday, Oct. 20 from 1 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. at Monroe Township Library in Middlesex County. The registration page includes the full schedule and speaker information. Questions? Email Kate Russo (kate@southriverlibrary.org).

Breaking Down Barriers Unconference (Nov. 17)

NJLA Diversity and Outreach Section's 2022 Breaking Down Barriers Unconference is scheduled for Thursday, Nov. 17 at Elizabeth Public Library (11 South Broad Street). Stay tuned for additional details and registration.

NJ Academic Libraries Conference (Jan. 6)

Proposal Tips Webinar Set for Sept. 14

The annual New Jersey Academic Libraries Conference (NJALC) will be held virtually via Zoom on Friday, Jan. 6, 2023. This year’s conference theme is Supporting the Academic Community and Beyond: The Power of Community, Collaboration, and Connection. The conference planning committee is currently seeking your proposals for breakout sessions, lightning talks, roundtable discussions, and themed lunch events and also posters. No idea or project is too small for the NJALC! This is the largest conference for academic libraries, librarians, and library workers in New Jersey, and to encourage proposals from all who are affiliated with NJ academic libraries. Proposals are open for graduate students and out-of-state librarians as well.

If you’ve never submitted to the NJ Academic Libraries Conference before, the conference co-chairs will be hosting a proposal tips webinar on Wednesday, Sept. 14 at 1 p.m. This is your opportunity to learn more about how the committee chose the theme, what the breakout and poster subcommittees are looking for in proposals, and any other questions you might have. Register for the webinar.

Registration for the conference will be announced later this fall. The NJALC aims to be an approachable, inclusive, and encouraging experience for all attendees and presenters. The conference supports new and innovative solutions to library challenges and fosters dialogue and discussion for library workers across the spectrum of academic libraries from our newest participants to those who have attended every conference since the beginning!

You can reach out to Alyssa Valenti (alyssa.valenti@raritanval.edu) or Nicole Potdevin (potdevin@fdu.edu), conference co-chairs, with any questions you may have. We look forward to seeing you there!

Additional LLNJ Programs

• Full list of upcoming programs, including Meet-Ups, which are not listed below.
• Subscribe to the LLNJ newsletter.

All programs below are free. All will be held online via Zoom, except for the Adult Crafts program on Nov. 15.

• Adult Mental Health First Aid: Wednesday, Sept. 14, 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Save the dates: Youth Mental Health First Aid, Wednesday, Nov. 30; Adult Mental Health First Aid, Wednesday, Dec. 14.
• Skill-Sharing Conversation: Selecting Spanish Language Materials: Tuesday, Sept. 20, 3 p.m. to 4 p.m.
• Securing & Safeguarding Your Library Setup Webinar: Thursday, Sept. 22, 10 a.m. to 11 a.m.
• Elevating Libraries as Civic Spaces: Tuesday, Oct. 4, 2 p.m. to 3 p.m.
• Best Practices for Land Acknowledgements: Wednesday, Oct. 5, 3 p.m. to 4 p.m.
• Ready for Anything? Successful Resiliency Grants from LLNJ: Thursday, Nov. 3, 2 p.m. to 3 p.m.
• Videogames as Tools for Digital & Visual Literacy: Thursday, Nov. 10, 2 p.m. to 3 p.m.
• Staff Show & Share: Adult Crafts: Tuesday, Nov. 15, 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Location: Woodbridge Public Library, branch location to be determined.
• NJ Law Against Discrimination in the Workplace: A Webinar from the NJ Division on Civil Rights: Wednesday, Nov. 16, 10 a.m. to 12 noon.

NJLA Programs/Meetings, Diversity/Outreach Programs, and More

Many programs are announced after the deadline for publication of our PD Newsletter, which comes out three times a year. Please check these sources for additional programs:

• NJLA Events Calendar
• NJLA Diversity & Outreach Section's Professional Development Opportunities Calendar: Both free and paid continuing education offerings in New Jersey (or online) that focus on the topics of diversity, outreach, equity, inclusion, LGBTQIAAP+, and access.
• Webinars and Other Training Events: Upcoming and Archived

Digital Equity in the 21st Century Public Library By Neil Grimes Education & Curriculum Materials Librarian, William Paterson University of New Jersey (Email: grimesn@wpunj.edu) In the 21st century, there is a need for digital equity to close the divide that exists in communities across the United States. Libraries and librarians can lead efforts to close this digital divide. Read the complete article. Top of Page My Librarianship Is Genetic By Bonnie Cohen Lafazan Assistant Library Director, Springfield Free Public Library (Email: blafazan@springfieldpubliclibrary.com) Tell us a little bit about how you got here. I could not fully answer how I got here without talking about my mother. In 1974, when I was 3 years old, my mother Adrea would drive several times a week from Wayne, NJ, to Brooklyn, NY, where she pursued a Master’s in Library Science degree. My mom had already earned a Master’s in Education, and she worked as an English as a second language (ESL) instructor and as an advisor to student teachers at Montclair State College. Her example ingrained in me the value of the pursuit of education. Some 45+ years later, now with three degrees myself, I serve as an Assistant Director of a New Jersey library, a position similar to the one my mother once held until she became the Director of the Belleville Public Library, where she worked for more than 25 years! Tell us a little bit about her career. During her 25-year tenure at Belleville Public Library, my mom served as a leader of multiple library committees. She received numerous awards and honors for her accomplishments. She was President of the Administration Section of the NJLA, receiving an Outstanding Service Award. She was also Chair of NJLA’s Exhibit Committee, Public Relations Chair for the first New Jersey Regional Library Cooperative, and President of Libraries in Focus. Working with a Cablevision consortium for libraries in Essex and Union counties, she produced more than 100 library-related programs for local TV station WBHS. Additionally, she served as the Public Relations Chair of the Belleville Rotary Club, President of the Wayne Rotary Club, Literature Chair of the Belleville Woman’s Club, and Vice President of the Belleville Chamber of Commerce. Among her accomplishments, she established Belleville Public Library as one of the first New Jersey libraries to provide internet access; at the time, referred to as an “electronic doorway library.” My mom received numerous grants and funding for art, poetry, and musical concert performances at the library. With the grant money, she purchased a grand piano so musicians could perform at the library. My mother never stopped working for the betterment of the community! In 1999, at her retirement dinner, she received a congressional proclamation from the Honorable Bill Pascrell, Jr., as a tribute for her service to Belleville and her commitment to the community. Later that year, she was awarded Educator of the Year by Kappa Delta Phi, New York University. What did she do after she retired? In 1999, six months after retiring, she was again working in the library. After substituting for a few months, she became the Media Center Librarian for the Schuyler Colfax Middle School in Wayne, NJ, where she worked for six years. Wow, your mom had a very impressive career. How did her career influence your decision to become a librarian? As much as she loved bragging about her two lawyer daughters (my sister is a Certified Elder Law attorney in Milburn, NJ), she always thought I would enjoy a librarian career. We attended a reception together in 2000 when Pratt Institute, her alma mater, opened its Manhattan campus. I loved everything about the idea of pursuing a Master’s in Library Science, but I was resistant. A job layoff five years later pushed me to pursue my MLS at Pratt. After 10 years of working in corporate entertainment law, I realized that I wanted to create a future that conformed with my core beliefs and to perform work that I would enjoy. My mom was thrilled when I was accepted to Pratt. We discussed the career possibilities, the challenges, and the profession’s future. She thought I would make a great librarian with my natural ability to work well with people, along with my legal background and my skills in communications, research, computers, and teaching. (I taught online communications law classes at the time.) While she saw that the field was rapidly changing given the digital environment, she was not concerned. She thought that I would adapt very well given my technical know-how. She felt strongly that I would be an active voice in keeping libraries alive. She felt confident that I would have the same career satisfaction and success as she did and would make a wonderful contribution to the profession. So, was she right? Of course, my mom was always right! In December 2005, my mother was diagnosed with leukemia. Sadly, after only a short stay at the hospital to begin treatment, she passed away in early January 2006 due to complications from pneumonia. Entering Pratt Institute and participating in class discussions about libraries and librarians less than two weeks after my mother’s passing was one of the most challenging and surreal, yet motivating, experiences of my life. My mother was with me during library school, at graduation, and in every experience since then. I have felt her presence and her guiding me every step in my career as a librarian. And yes, my mom was right; I really enjoy librarianship! Tell us a little bit about your educational and professional background. I graduated from Rutgers University with a dual journalism and political science major. I continued to law school at New England School of Law, receiving my JD and passing the New Jersey bar. Upon graduation, I worked at Court TV as an Associate Producer. I later worked as an entertainment licensing attorney at several media companies in New York City, including ABC News, BMG Entertainment, New Line Cinema, and MTV Networks. As much as the entertainment world was exciting, the day-to-day drafting and negotiation of contracts was not my true calling. I always thrived on research and teaching, and of course, a career in librarianship was always in the back of my mind. Tell us about your library career. I obtained my MLS in 2007, and in 2008 began my career as an academic librarian at Berkeley College. I worked as the Director of the Woodbridge Campus Library for more than 14 years, where I was responsible for the operation and supervision of the campus library, including overseeing the budget, services, collection development, staffing, information literacy instruction, and outreach/programming. Early on, I became active in local library organizations and presented almost every year at NJLA and VALE. In later years, I also presented at ACRL, ALA, and Computers in Libraries. I served on various committees, most notably the ACRL-NJ Marketing and Outreach Committee and the VALE Conference Planning Committee. I also was appointed as a Board Member for the Rutgers School of Information Advisory Board, where I served a three-year term. At Berkeley, I was also involved in a variety of library and college-wide committees. In recent years I served as the President of the NJLA-CUS/ACRL-NJ and President of the Board of Trustees of LibraryLinkNJ, where I still serve as a board member. My involvement in professional development has always been an essential part of my library career. The support, networking, and learning opportunities are invaluable and unique to librarianship. These opportunities would never be obtained from the workplace alone. This past year I received the NJLA CUS/ACRL-NJ Distinguished Service Award for contributing to librarianship in higher education in New Jersey. The award came at a perfect time to solidify my years of service, as I left academic librarianship this year to pursue the next stage of my career at a public library. I also understand you have participated in some advocacy work for NJ libraries. Can you tell us more about that? Yes! When my now-10th grader was entering 6th grade, I learned there was no vibrant middle school library and only one certified media library media specialist at the high school in my district of Springfield, NJ. I teamed up with Beth Thomas, another Springfield resident who happened to be the Vice President of the New Jersey School Libraries Association at the time, and we attended many school board meetings, arguing the essential need for school librarians to be employed in the district. While there is still only one librarian at the high school who serves the whole district, we brought to the attention of the school board the value of having school librarians to enhance learning and prepare students for college and the workplace. We also pointed out the aging collection and lack of consistent library services for our students. Funding was allocated later that year to renew the print and digital collections. Plans are currently under way for a newly constructed state-of-the-art media center at the middle school. We are still optimistic that a highly qualified librarian will manage that space! Why public libraries? Why now? During the pandemic, when my local public library reopened, I began working as a part-time reference librarian. I enjoyed working with the public, and it was great to have in-person interactions again with patrons, who were also excited to be back at their home library. When the full-time Assistant Director position opened up, I went for it. I was more than prepared for a permanent change.  Tell us a little about what you hope to accomplish in your new role. I am concerned about the adult population and their lack of information and digital literacy skills. With strong library programs in K-12 and during college, there is at least an opportunity to learn these essential skills. Beyond that, unless individuals take it upon themselves to learn, they are seriously lacking those opportunities. This can have severe consequences as it can result in difficulty navigating everyday needs and services, long-term effects of not fully understanding their digital activities (i.e., privacy issues, scams), and not fully distinguishing legitimate information from misinformation. I hope to establish programs to support this type of adult learning in our public library and beyond. I also hope to improve the marketing and publicity for the library so that the community understands that the library is not just a place to check out books. The library offers a plethora of resources for all ages, as well as opportunities to learn and participate in our programming and events. What’s your favorite thing about your job? I love that every day there is an opportunity to teach a patron something new, whether it’s how to navigate a resource, find a book, or tell them something they didn’t already know about our library services. If your mom were alive, what would she say about you and the library profession today? She would be in horror at the state of the book bannings and book challenges across our nation, and she would stand up and fight for intellectual freedom. I also know how proud of me she’d be for navigating and advocating for this profession, which can be demanding, stressful, misunderstood, and unappreciated. She would tell me to always look at the positives in each day, continue to make a difference in serving my community, and enjoy what I do, despite it all. It must be in the genes! Top of Page