• Staff members from LBH were on hand at the Trustee Institute to demonstrate assistive technology software and devices to help people who are blind and visually impaired. LBH staff is available to present a variety of informational programs in cooperation with public libraries throughout New Jersey.
• The 5th Annual Trustee Institute was held Sept. 28-20 at Ocean Place in Long Branch. Over 200 trustees attended programs that followed this year’s theme of the Library as the Third Place, or as the keynote speaker referred to it, the “great good place�. As has been the case with our prior year programs, the State Library partnered with the NJ Library Association and the NJ Library Trustee Association on this popular event.
• The first meeting of the State Librarian’s Blue Ribbon Task Force on the Future of Libraries took place in September. The task force will meet once a month for four months, discussing one topic each month. The Task Force will produce a report to the State Librarian on the possibilities and opportunities it identifies to keep libraries relevant for customers now and in the future.
• NJKI Advocacy took center stage in September as many LDB staff were involved in a variety of activities including: planning a meeting regarding the continued funding of NJKI in FY08; reporting on the status of NJKI to library, business and legislative partners; preparation of advocacy documents for use by NJKI customers; meetings to present the case for NJKI to state legislators and staff; and continued participation in events designed to market and showcase this program.
• LDB’s youth services consultant was a guest on A.M. Connections discussing good books for parents and caregivers to share with their children.
• The New Jersey State Library is partnering with New Jersey Library Association, Monmouth County Library and the Women’s National Book Association to promote National Reading Group Month. Two authors will be appearing at the Monmouth County Library to celebrate the event. The State Library has distributed letters to state librarians throughout the country encouraging them to lend their support next year.
• The New Jersey State Library was a sponsor at the New Jersey State Chamber of Commerce Conference and Expo where we continued to gain new NJKI users and advocates. The NJKI marketing consultant presented a workshop.
• Our marketing director presented a workshop entitled, “Six steps to Outreach Success�. NJSL and the South Jersey Regional Library Cooperative sponsored the workshop, which was held at the Willingboro Public Library.
• The Marketing Dept. had three different articles published in their entirety in Interface, the newsletter of the Association of Specialized and Cooperative Library Agencies (ASCLA). The articles highlighted the broad array of the State Library’s work. One featured a Braille literacy arts event staged by LBH at Grounds for Sculpture in Hamilton Twp. while another focused on the Get a Library on Online program. A third article gave an overview of three NJSL marketing campaigns: Three Reasons, Super Librarian Comic Book and YouTube comic contest.
• The New Jersey Collection will be visited by the Conservation Center for Art and Historic Artifacts to assess the New Jersey and Rare Book collections. The project is the result of a successful grant application made by SLIC.
• Our health/medical librarian compiled and sent a bibliography of recent health books for posting to the State Dept. of Health and Senior Services intranet. And our business librarian was a roundtable speaker at the New Jersey Association of Women Business Owners meeting, where she gave an overview of library resources and how to find marketing and competitor information in business databases.