The COVID-19 pandemic has devastated our economy with unprecedented levels of unemployment, small business closures, limited service options for businesses, and more. During this virtual panel presentation, you will learn about programs, services, and collaborations in libraries that are supporting individual job seekers, unemployed workers seeking benefits, and small businesses. There will be a brief question and answer period at the end of this program. The goal of this program is to share ideas and to offer inspiration - not to offer specific guidelines for libraries to follow.

Sponsors
NJLA Professional Development Committee
NJLA Administration & Management Section
NJLA Reference Section
LibraryLinkNJ

Registration

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Considering the Human Element in Chat Reference Interactions

Marie L. Radford
Chair and Professor, Department of Library and Information Science
Rutgers University
May 22, 2020

According to Socrates: “Wisdom Begins in Wonder.” When I’m seeking inspiration for my writing,

research and teaching, I begin by considering what I’m currently wondering about. During this dark

time of the Covid-19 pandemic, social isolation, and physical library closures across NJ, I’ve been

wondering about what is happening in reference services, particularly as many librarians have had to make a quick pivot from

the traditional mix of face-to-face, phone, email, and chat to mainly online communication modes. I’ve had a deep interest

over many years in studying real-time live chat reference, with a particular focus on how to develop quality virtual

relationships when all you have is the written text. Lacking verbal and nonverbal cues, we can’t easily determine someone’s

age, gender, English language proficiency, or if the individual has a disability, etc.  Is the person on Ask-a-Librarian chat a

pre-teen student, or a caregiver trying to help with homework?  How do we show our smile and openness while responding in

chat?

I started to investigate my question of what is currently happening in live chat reference with a conversation with Laura

Costello, the Virtual Reference Services Librarian at Rutgers University Libraries, and one of our doctoral students.  She said

that at Rutgers, the volume of live chat questions has risen sharply since spring break when the University migrated all

classes to online, and the physical library was closed due to the pandemic. This week, even with classes having ended, she

told me that the chat volume continued to be surprisingly high. So, we wondered, is this trend something that is happening all

over the US? What plans/policies did libraries have in place for crisis planning for reference services? Were these adequate?

What changes have taken place in live chat to respond to the pandemic? From the viewpoints of librarians and service users,

have these virtual relationships flourished or languished?

Inspired by these questions, we decided to embark on a nationwide research project to discover what has been going on in

live chat reference. Taking a mixed method approach, from this June to August we aim to interview 25-30 academic librarians

who have direct responsibility for live chat services during the pandemic (including Heads of Reference or Chat Services,

Associate Directors for User Services), as well as survey 250-300 academic librarians (from universities, colleges, and

community colleges) who have been directing or providing chat service since March 2020. Our review of the literature

discovered that a few researchers have already started to document what happened to user services when physical libraries

had to close on very short notice. Hinchliffe and Wolff-Eisenberg (2020) found that the sudden closure of colleges and

universities forced academic libraries to rapidly switch to online only reference. Of course, chat reference is well-adapted to

the online-only environment, although the accelerated transition to fully virtual service delivery required to "flatten the curve"

(Haelle, 2020) made it challenging for libraries to rapidly transform user services.

Our research is theoretically grounded in Goffman’s (1967; 1959) work in relational communication, facework, and impression

management. A good deal of my previous research (e.g., see Connaway and Radford, 2011; Radford, 2006) took this

approach and found that an important goal of live chat reference is building virtual relationships in addition to responding to

information or instructional needs. This work has practical applications, especially in this time of pandemic. When the public,

students, and our library staff are already stressed to the max, te interpersonal dimensions become more important than ever.

My research found that respect, politeness, compassion, and a friendly manner are critical factors in people’s perceptions of

success in all library encounters, but especially so in live chat. My suspicion is that we will find that these relational,

interpersonal elements have become more pronounced when we talk to and survey librarians about their chat services during

social distancing lockdown.

I wonder if the stressors of everyday life (certainly made more intense in the pandemic) will be reflected in what we will find.

Will my suspicion be correct that there have been more difficult encounters, caused by external economic and relationship

woes? Will people under pressure be seeking more reassurance and compassion in virtual reference? How has the move of

all social/interpersonal encounters to online environments impacted the relational aspects of reference? How will this change

affect reference service post-pandemic? Stay tuned to see what we discover when our research concludes this fall. In the

meantime, we all need to look within ourselves for inspiration. It is important to be mindful of self-compassion, as well as

empathy for others, including our library users, in the midst of this unprecedented upheaval in our professional lives and the

unanticipated transformation of library service delivery. The changes to libraries brought by Covid-19 will have an impact on

our practices, and the needs and expectations of our users, far into the future. Indeed, a reference renaissance is occurring

which has been surreptitiously on the rise, now becoming more visible (see Radford, 2012). Investigating these changes will

help our organizations and ourselves to emerge from this time of crisis with new perspectives, enhanced creativity, more

flexible strategies, the wisdom to adapt to future challenges, and the renewed resolve to cultivate excellent virtual

relationships.

Connaway, L. S. & Radford, M. L. (2011). Seeking Synchronicity: Revelations and Recommendations for Virtual Reference.   

     Dublin, OH: OCLC Research. Available: http://www.oclc.org/reports/synchronicity.en.html and in print.

Haelle, T. (2020). Why everything is closing for Coronavirus: It’s called ‘flattening the curve.’ Forbes. https://www.forbes.co

     /sites/tarahaelle /2020/03/13/why-everything-is-closing-for-coronavirus-its-called-flattening-the-curve/#4added966e2b

Hinchliffe, L. J. & Wolff-Eisenberg, C. (2020). First this, now that: A look at 10-Day trends in academic library response to

Leadership & Education Committee

Erica Krivopal
Co-Chair, Leadership & Education Subcommittee
Piscataway Public Library
ekrivopal@piscatawaylibrary.org

The NJLA Leadership and Education Subcommittee, as part of the Professional Development Committee, encourages participation in leadership roles in the association and provides training for potential leaders. To accomplish these goals, the committee oversees NJLA’s Emerging Leaders and Internship Programs. Emerging Leaders started with a grant from the Karma Foundation in 2002. Since then, the program has continued to provide leadership training for over 250 librarians new to the profession or new to New Jersey librarianship. The next cycle of Emerging Leaders is anticipated to begin in Fall 2020. To see sample topics from previous cycles, please visit: http://njlamembers.org/content/emerging-leaders.

The NJLA Internship Program provides an opportunity for library school students to become familiar with the NJLA, particularly its committees and sections; to network with peers and library leaders from around the state; and to participate in service learning. Any NJLA member attending library school is eligible to apply, assuming they have not previously been a member of an NJLA committee. Interested in getting involved with the Internship Program? Look for updates in Summer 2020!

The Leadership and Education Subcommittee is also a co-sponsor of MentorNJ. Funded by the New Jersey State Library and LibraryLinkNJ, MentorNJ serves as a gateway to librarians and library paraprofessionals new to the profession or to the state. This is another way we interact with new professionals, while promoting a sense of pride and kinship within the New Jersey library community. Through MentorNJ, we have built a mentor network, both virtual and in-person, available to all library staff. In addition, we provide job shadowing opportunities to allow students to further explore their career options.

MentorNJ also strives to create an environment that supports and promotes effective resource-sharing and successful collaboration in the New Jersey library community. Committee members work closely with the MentorNJ Task Force on statewide projects to accomplish these goals. For example, we are currently collaborating on the Technology Unconference, originally planned for April 2020, now rescheduled for November. The Technology Unconference will allow all library staff, no matter their job description or experience level, to converse and learn from colleagues around the state on all things technology. Our hope is for this to be a catalyst to start an even larger statewide conversation that will help all of us to feel more confident and empowered in technology use and implementation.
 
During the pandemic, committee members continue to work with MentorNJ to provide leadership to the library community. We’ve been collaborating with MentorNJ Task Force members to host online meet-ups and bring ideas we generate together to fruition. For example, the LibraryLinkNJ Executive Board’s “Taskforce on Post COVID-19 Alignment, Trends & Strategies (TOPCATS)” project was based on the suggestions from these sessions. More information about MentorNJ can be found here: https://librarylinknj.org/MentorNJ.
 
Additionally, the Leadership and Education Subcommittee sponsors informational sessions at the annual NJLA conference. Previous offerings include Introverted Leadership: How Introversion Leads to Success, Communication in the Library Workplace, and a reception for Emerging Leaders graduates. We are continuously looking for new and exciting programs to sponsor, including our planned 2020 events NJLA Crash Course in Library Leadership and Frustration Free Tech?! Tips and Tricks.
 
I have been a member of the Leadership and Education Subcommittee since 2013, and it is my favorite committee to work on! I love being able to work with students and brand new librarians, connecting them with training opportunities and mentors throughout the state. If you are passionate about the future of librarianship, this is the committee for you! Please feel free to contact me with any questions.

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Kerry Weinstein, NJLA Member at Large

Let’s back up. How did I get to the Executive Board?

It started with a phone call in spring 2019.

I saw the red blinking light on my work phone and involuntarily cringed. Like many older millennials, phone calls aren’t my jam.
 
I dialed into my voicemail to find a message from then-NJLA Past President/then-Chair of the Elections subcommittee Michael Mazekian.
 
When we connected, he asked me to run for Secretary. A few days later I responded with “Yes.”
 
I lost that election to Kate Jaggers.
 
A few weeks later, Michael Mazekian called again. This time he asked me to run for Member-at-Large to fill the vacancy left by Jen Schureman Brennan. Again, I said “Yes.”

Since this was a special election, I needed a petition signed by my NJLA colleagues to join the ballot. Through campaigning in the Coolbrarians Facebook group and appealing to friends in the field, I completed this step in a few days. A few weeks after the election, I received an email from then-President Tonya Garcia stating I was elected to fill the vacancy.

Librarianship is my second career. After earning a Bachelor of Arts in English from Douglass College at Rutgers University, I took the Praxis in English Education K-12 with a plan to start the alternate route to teaching although I knew in my bones that leading a classroom wasn’t for me. (Ask me about the time I made a five-year-old cry!) I spent the summer after graduation applying for jobs while curating iTunes playlists (the latter hasn’t changed, now I use Spotify) until I landed an Assistant position at John Wiley & Sons, a publishing house in Hoboken.

I earned a few promotions at Wiley, but soon grew bored with cubicle life. The recession of 2008 wasn’t kind to publishing, and subsequent years brought restructuring and layoffs. I applied to the MLIS program at the School of Communication and Library Information Science (SCILS) at Rutgers University. I started in fall 2008 as a part-time online student while working full-time. This was the time of my life where I had virtually no social life and pretty much stopped watching television. (I probably haven’t watched your favorite show from the late 2000s/early 2010s. Sorry.)

I enjoyed my classes, learning about librarianship (although the real lessons come when you start working in the field), and collaborating with my cohort. When it was time for an internship, I inquired at the Hoboken Public Library and became one of their first interns. That turned into a part-time job at the Reference Desk, an opportunity I was thankful to have.
 
Eventually the part-time job turned into full-time, and I spent four years as a Reference Librarian before moving to Fort Lee Public Library in 2018. In that time, I got involved with NJLA, and was part of the Emerging Leaders 2014-2015 class. This experience was impactful because I saw how engaged NJLA leadership was when leaders came to speak at the Emerging Leaders sessions. I was committed to giving back.

My chance came in 2017, when I became Vice President of the Reference Section. In 2018 I became President and was privileged to plan the Adult Services Forum that October.

Back to August 2019, my first Executive Board meeting. I observed how the meetings are run. The Executive Board functions through the work of the subcommittees and task forces. I belong to the Organization Subcommittee, which liaises with Section and Committee Leadership on a monthly basis to share pertinent NJLA news--invitations to upcoming Executive Board meetings, which all NJLA members can attend.
 
If you’ve skipped to the end of my piece, I will leave you with these takeaways: Get involved. Check your voicemail. Say yes.
 
Kerry Weinstein
May 4, 2020
 
Kerry Weinstein (she/her/hers) is the Programming/Reference Librarian at Fort Lee Public Library, and often finds that her writing/editing skills from her publishing days at John Wiley & Sons are still in demand. Previously she was a Reference Librarian at Hoboken Public Library. Outside of librarianship, her interests include books, podcasts, fitness, and spending time with her friends and family.

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Professional Development Tips From Your Peers

Doug Baldwin, Head of Technology,

Piscataway Public Library

These are certainly some challenging times we find ourselves in. In the midst of a pandemic, libraries have activated in responding to the needs of our communities in whatever modes are available to us from virtual programming, to wellness calls, to digital reference services, and much more to ensure that communities still know we are here and here to serve them.

Like many of you, the challenges of what remote work looks like and meeting yesterday's expectations with today’s situations really requires striking a balance. Looking at my remote work way of life, I have tended to focus on :

• Creating work and non-work time, in conjunction with my family’s schedule, so I know when I am Head of Tech and when I am husband/dad. 
• Learning to change my work style to fit my present remote environment and what that means
• Funny enough, trying to spend LESS time on technology.  As it turns out, what I first emulated as remote work was not really how I worked at the office (so yeah, I really don't spend 6-7 hours in front of the screen every day like I thought .. a few early headaches cleared up that misplaced rumor up for me).
• Taking time to breathe, relax and give myself a break .. which again, was harder than I thought!

This is all to just reflect on what we are all contending with, and all going through, and let you know how proud I am of our whole profession in what we have accomplished thus far, and continuing to look forward to how we will innovate and adapt to meet our new challenges.
 

I reflect on this also as a way to provide context on what staying up to date in our field has come to look like during a time like this. I am sure like myself, many of you are finding that our standard or “go to” resources or tools have now had to be supplemented with new ones to meet the moment, meet the times, and meet our changing needs. This has led me to find new perspectives on how I look at our profession now, and how I will look at it going forward into a future of many unknowns.
 

Much of my work in the profession is related to both technology and the maker movement, so much of my reading in the profession is specifically geared in those areas. From a technology perspective, I really like websites such as Mashable, Engadget, Lifehacker and TechCrunch. These are definitely accessible for tech and non-techie alike and provide a variety of insights into both tools and resources, their use, as well as current challenges and issues that are perpetual when discussing tech. When I really feel like geeking out and looking at things like specifications, new hardware and hardware reviews I like to check out Tom's Guide.
 

In the realm of making and makerspaces, there are a few places I turn to. Two of the most fun for project ideas and just seeing what interesting things people are trying are Instructables and Hackaday. Instructables in particular is interesting since it's designed as a portal to provide instructions for builds. I have been inspired by many projects I have found here, including my newest hobby of building random things with PVC (sometimes to my wife’s chagrin!). Alternatively, Hackaday focuses more on DIY technology hack projects which can go in all sorts of directions.  Maker Ed is another site I really like for both its project ideas, but also with its focus on education and instruction in making. Finally, if you have interest in connecting with a more local community of formal and non-formal maker educators, you can subscribe to the NJ Makers Consortium email list. It happens to be where I share most of the opportunities and stories in the field I come across.
 

As far as peeps I like to read (i.e. blogs) - my current faves include Jason Griffey, danah boyd (not capitalized) and David Lee King. Jason was in libraries a long time and has an interesting perspective on technology in relation to libraries with a focus on the more cutting-edge technologies. David Lee King, on the other hand, can be a nice change of pace as he tends to blog in bite-size chunks focusing specifically on how technologies can or are being used in libraries today. danah boyd is one of my favorite voices out there speaking at the cross section of technology and social behavior - she has a really interesting voice and perspective in this area.
 

Since all of this has transpired, I have also discovered some new places to visit, learn and grow. Learning Revolution provides access to a great amount of free webinars and learning resources in the area of education technology. Library 2.0 has been holding virtual conferences for a while and continues to offer these free opportunities for all to benefit from.

I would also be remiss if I did not mention one of the initiatives I am part of right here in NJ, MentorNJ. This initiative is focused on providing networking and learning opportunities for library staff at all levels, and we have been hosting a number of weekly virtual meetups which will continue throughout the month of May. They are a great and simple way to remote network from home and find connection with the library community here in NJ.
 

Recommended Resources :

• Mashable (https://mashable.com)
• Engadget (http://engadget.com)
• Lifehacker (https://lifehacker.com)
• TechCrunch (https://techcrunch.com)
• Tom’s Guide (https://tomsguide.com)
• Instructables (https://instructables.com)
• Hackaday (https://hackaday.com)
• Makered (https://makered.org/)
• NJ Makers Consortium (email listserv) - https://groups.google.com/d/forum/nj-makers-consortium 
• David Lee King (https://davidleeking.com/)
• Jason Griffey | Pattern Recognition (http://jasongriffey.net/wp/)
• danah boyd (http://www.zephoria.org/thoughts/)
• Learning Revolution (https://learningrevolution.com) 
• Library 2.0 (https://library20.com)
• MentorNJ Meetups (https://librarylinknj.org/projects/MentorNJ)

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Pathways to Success

Jessica Trujillo
 Head of Youth & Teen Services
 Montclair Public Library
 

Tell us a little bit about your current position and what you do at your current job.
I am currently the Head of Youth & Teen Services at the Montclair Public Libray. I started my position in September 2019. I lead my team of four full-time and five part-time staff in our efforts to serve Montclair’s youth, their caregivers, and educators.

Did you always envision yourself working in a public library?  
Nope. Not at all. In fact, my sister suggested it when I was an undergrad and I scoffed at the suggestion. The only time I used the library when I was younger was in elementary school but we stopped going because I would get fines and again in high school just for assignments. I was a prolific reader but I purchased my books through a mail-order service.
 
What sort of educational and professional background did you have coming into this position?
I had a BA in English from the University of Washington and an MLIS from Rutgers. I had previously worked in a bookstore (r.i.p. Borders).

What was your motivation for pursuing management positions?
My main motivation for pursuing a management position is that I have an opinion on everything and I wanted to be in a position where I could maximize my impact.

What are your favorite things about your job?
My favorite thing about my current position is working with my team to develop solutions on a shared goal. Everyone in my department is incredibly smart, hardworking, and creative and there has not been a single idea, strategy, initiative that has not been improved by them. Each of us comes with different strengths and skill sets and it is very energizing to bounce ideas off of each other.

My second favorite thing is that my administration gives me the room and support to come into work with my whole self. I am given the room to dream big and ask questions. I approach work with the attitude of, “if you don’t ask the answer is always no. So you might as well ask and you are no worse off.” This is not to say that everything I suggest is approved but it is always taken into account, which I appreciate.

What challenges have you faced that you did not anticipate?
From the time I started to answer these questions and now in the middle of social distancing, our lives have changed tremendously. I can confidently state that I did not anticipate a worldwide pandemic to factor into my life. The impact on the way we are working with the addition of becoming full-time caregivers and/or teachers has me, like many folks, stretched incredibly thin. But some of the lessons I learned when I first transitioned to being a new supervisor ten years ago have been helpful.

The first is to be humble and ask for help when needed. Chances are, at some point in your career, you will find yourself in a situation that is just beyond your skill and knowledge set. But we are librarians, so you know that we do not necessarily have to know the right answer right away, you just need to know where to look for the right information. The first step is acknowledging what I do not know or where I am struggling and asking for help from mentors and colleagues. I have also found it helpful to remind myself that the goal is not perfection, it is growth. When you have had a good run of being competent and successful, falling on your face can be especially hard. Just the acknowledgment that this is part of the process of growth has helped me move past moments of professional angst.

The second invaluable lesson is to delegate work and be clear about my expectations. Everyone has a finite capacity for work if they want to maintain a balance with other parts of their life. There are certain tasks that are very black and white in how they have to be done, for example, shelving correctly or tasks around money but in our profession, there many tasks that can be completed in a variety of ways. Delegation of work is imperative for efficiency. Important components to keep in mind are to make your expectations clear, to not micromanage your staff, and to give your staff the space to complete the task in a way that is meaningful to them. If you are clear with staff about what specific elements are important to incorporate into the task, be okay that it is completed differently than how you would do it as long as the key goals are met.

Lastly, I learned how to manage the capacity of my team. It is very hard to say no to staff who are full of energy and innovative ideas because you want to support their professional growth. But as a supervisor, you have to strike a balance between your staff and the department’s needs. For every new initiative, you have to figure out what impacts there might be on the department as a whole.

Do you have any advice for people looking to try a new career path?
If you are interested in changing career paths, do an inventory of why you would like to change paths. Ask yourself what aspects of your current position you enjoy and what parts you do not enjoy. Figure out what is most important to you. What are your deal breakers in a position? Once you have that information in your pocket, talk to people with the job you would like to explore and see if it is a good fit for you. I also would recommend taking a skills assessment test like Clifton Strengths, True Colors, What Color Is Your Parachute, etc.

What would your ideal career in “library land” look like?
My ideal career in library land would keep me challenged and engaged if not every day, then most days. Also, I would be given the freedom and support to solve problems creatively and would keep learning.

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A Work From Home Exercise Plan *

by Theresa Agostinelli

Does working from home leave you feeling twisted like a pretzel? My gym is closed so I am unable to attend the in-person Pilates, yoga, and weight training classes that keep me relaxed, focused, and strong. Time spent sitting at a computer in places in my home that were not designed for work has been leaving me stiff and achy. 

My former workday included walking from the parking lot from my car at the beginning and end of the day, and walks during my lunch or dinner breaks. I would also walk around to different parts of the library while performing different tasks and assisting students. Now that I am home, I leave my bed and walk to the kitchen to work on my laptop, making brief forays to the refrigerator for snacks. I have to make a point to move my computer throughout my house to avoid sitting still for hours on end. This inactivity has not been good for me. 

Recently, I have also been experiencing brain fog that surely has been brought on by this ongoing period of fear and uncertainty. Sometimes in the middle of working on a project, my mind will just shut off. (My guess is that sharing a workspace with two cats; my two, teenage daughters; and my husband on occasion; isn’t helping the situation.) All signs are pointing to the fact that I need to bring exercise back into my life to help restore focus. The boost to my immune system also couldn’t hurt. 

Doing what librarians do best, I started searching for exercise classes on YouTube and creating a folder for favorites. Suffering from analysis paralysis, I spent more time looking for videos than necessary. And, as I’m sure you already suspected, these videos are more effective when you follow along with the routines rather than just view and classify them.  

Running into one of my Pilates classmates at the supermarket recently was just the boost that I needed. She told me that some of the instructors from our gym were hosting free classes through Instagram (ovox.tough & ovox.tone) and Facebook.  While I was skeptical about these formats at first, I found I was able to take classes this way (even from my phone). After completing a few classes, I felt ready to tackle my growing list of saved YouTube videos. 

Here are a few of my favorites:

Yoga

Barbara Benagh - I own Barbara's Yoga for Stress Relief DVD and I've used it more times than I can count. Her routines are gentle and soothing.

• Yoga for Stress Relief (55 min)
• Yoga for Complete Beginners (22 min)

Denise Austin has been offering fitness instruction for over thirty years and I would be hard-pressed to find anyone with more pep. Check out her YouTube channel for all kinds of exercise videos.

• AM Yoga Wake Up Workout | LifeFit360 | Denise Austin  (10 minutes) I have been doing this one every morning - it's a great way to quickly stretch every part of the body.

Yoga With Adriene Instructor Adriene Mishler has a YouTube channel with a wide variety of yoga classes. I enjoy her calm demeanor and relaxing routines.

• Total Body Yoga - Deep Stretch | Yoga With Adriene (45 min)
• Yoga for Neck and Shoulder Relief (17 min)

Pilates

The Balanced Life from Robin Long Pilates instructor Robin Long's YouTube channel offers brief but effective snippets of Pilates workouts. They are a good way to start the day. For a fee, you can access additional videos and personalized support.

• 10-Minute Ring Routine
• Relaxing  Evening Pilates (10.29 min)
• Pilates for When You Don't Feel Good (13.5 minutes)

 
Kristin McGee's classes are challenging and effective. I enjoy her no-frills teaching style.

• Weight Loss Pilates (60 minutes) This class moves at a pretty fast pace and mixes cardio with floor work.
• Pilates Total Body (35 minutes)

Weight Training

HASFit This channel has a whole variety of videos taught by married couple Coach Cozak and Claudia that follow a HIIT format. Instructions are clear and modifications for each move are offered.

• 30 Minute Beginner Weight Training for Beginners - Home Strength Training Full Body Dumbbell Workout
• 45 Min Weight Training Workout + Abs: Home Strength Training Full Body Dumbbell Workout Women & Men

NicoleSteenFitness routines are a little challenging but her positive energy and enthusiasm makes them easier.

• HIIT Workout with Weights (28.55 min)

*Please check with your doctor before engaging in any exercise program.

Do you have any suggestions for staying fit? Please share them with me @ agostinellit@gmail.com

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NJLA Adult Services Forum

NJLA's annual Adult Services Forum, held on Oct. 22, 2019, drew about 80 people to share ideas and hear presentations about how libraries can
serve their communities. The two "hot topic" sessions were geared to all participants: "Facial Recognition, Technology, and Privacy Issues"
in the morning, and "Community Outreach: Why It Matters!" in the afternoon. The forum also featured sessions on "Cutting the Cable
Cord," "Library Services for New Parents," "Engaging Patrons ThroughSocial Media," and "What Libraries Can Do to Support Genealogical
Researchers." The day featured presentations and thoughtful discussion by librarians and others involved in library research and services
throughout New Jersey. Summaries, and PDF copies of the presentations, are online: http://njlamembers.org/content/asf-2019-survey-presentations.

The event was held at the Holmdel Library and Learning Center, a branch of the Monmouth County Library, which features an innovative
design within the large Bell Works complex. A key feature of the space is Bell Works' large atrium under skylights, encouraging collaboration
in a "metroburb."

VALE Conference Recap

Cara Berg, President, NJLA College & University Section/The New Jersey Chapter of the Association of College & Research Libraries

While it might seem like a long time ago, the 2020 VALE/ACRL-NJ/NJLA CUS User’s Conference was just this January. It was one of the last times this year a large group of New Jersey librarians were able to gather together, and looking back on it, I am grateful we had that opportunity!

The VALE Conference looked very different this year. Traditionally, VALE is held at Rutgers University in the Busch Conference Center and completely on its own. This year, VALE was co-located with EDGECon and was moved to the beautiful Ocean Place Conference Center in Long Branch. Sessions at VALE included traditional presentations, a networking session, lightning talks, and round tables for a full and wide-ranging conference experience.

With the theme of Inclusive Libraries: Connecting Users in the Digital Age, attendees were able to view top-quality presentations and experience stunning ocean views, even in January. The keynote, Jason Schmidt, talked about academic publishing and paywalls and was very well received.

It was truly wonderful to work with a group of such talented librarians to plan this conference and I’m thrilled to have been a part of that team. The conference would not have been what it was without the work of so many people. I look forward to our next VALE Conference together!

VALE Conference Photos
VALE Conference Website with Program Descriptions
 

NJLA Youth Services Forum

The Youth Services Forum in October 2019 was held at the Monroe Township Public Library, and included lively presentations by youth services librarians and authors Leeza Hernandez and Wil Mara. There were several presentations that targeted teen librarians, starting with "Welcoming Teens to the Library," which included best practices for addressing how all library staff interact with teens in the building based on research about teen brain development and behaviors. Akiema Buchanan (Paterson), Jenna Ingham (East Brunswick) and Stacey Shapiro (Cranford) presented "We Have Diverse Books, Now What?," which was a lively discussion on how to serve your community by going beyond ordering diverse titles for your collection. Tips included how to talk to your teens about diversity, book displays, and programs with community organizations that celebrate holidays of cultural significance. Hannah Lee (Sayreville) presented "Chapter Quest Role Playing Game," which provided step-by-step instructions for leading your own fairytale, myth, or folk-tale based role play game at your library. The "Lending Nontraditional Items @ Your Library" panel was a "petting zoo" type presentation by librarians from Cape May County, Cherry Hill, East Brunswick, Livingston, and Sparta. Highlights included a popcorn machine, American Girl Dolls, sewing machines, and knitting looms.