New Jersey State Library Newsletter

The New Jersey State Library, in partnership with PSEG Foundation and Praxair Foundation, reminds students, parents and teachers that free homework help is available to them at 109 public libraries through the popular Homework Help NJ program. Students in grades kindergarten to 12, and in introductory college courses, will be able to get free help with their math, science, social studies and English assignments via the Internet. This online tutoring program, delivered by Tutor.com, allows students with library cards to chat online with tutors who can help them tackle their homework problems. Spanish-speaking tutors are available for help with math and science assignments.

Homework Help NJ is available through NJ libraries in Belvidere, Bridgeton, Camden, Deptford, Elizabeth, Elmer, Franklin Township, Gloucester City, the Gloucester County library, Harrison, Jersey City, Monroe Township, Newark, New Brunswick, Paterson, Paulsboro, Penns Grove, Pennsville, Pitman, Princeton, Salem, Washington Township, Wenonah, West Deptford, Westville, Willingboro, Woodbridge, Woodbury, Woodstown, and all the public libraries in Burlington, Essex, Hudson, Morris and Passaic counties. The assistance was made possible by a $250,000 grant from PSEG Foundation, with additional grant funding from Praxair Foundation..

Homework Help NJ is designed to provide the highest quality of one-on-one instruction. Tutors are available online and on demand, 7 days a week from 2 to 10 p.m. Whether students need just a few minutes of help or a significant amount of time to better understand a complex concept, certified Tutor.com tutors work with students to help them build their confidence and do well in school.

A new service called Adult Career Center is also available, which provides adult customers with tutors to help them study for standardized tests, such as the GED; review and proof-read resumes and cover letters; and have access to a resource center containing test preparation materials, job search tips and ways to help their children with homework. The Resource Center materials are available 24/7.

The State Library established Homework Help NJ in select libraries under a Cornerstone Grant of $265,000 from PSEG Foundation in 2007. It was also made available to all students enrolled in NJ After 3 after school programs. Over 90 percent of those who used the service said that it had helped them complete homework assignments, improved their grades and made them more confident about their school work.

“The New Jersey State Library, through the NJ Library Network, has long been committed to the education of young people and adults through a variety of programs we have funded and encouraged local public libraries to offer,” said Norma Blake, New Jersey State Librarian. “The extra assistance available to students from Homework Help tutors has the potential to instill a sense of success and accomplishment that will carry forward into the school day.”

Students who live in one of the 110 designated municipalities can connect to a Homework Help NJ tutor through their local libraries, or from their home PC or Mac with their library card number. The program Web site is www.homeworkhelpnj.org. In addition, students enrolled in NJ After 3 can access Homework Help NJ at local program sites. NJ After 3 nonprofit partner sites include Boys & Girls Clubs, faith-based groups, museums, universities, community development corporations, YW/YMCAs, and others.

Tutor.com has been delivering its Homework Help® service to students in the U.S. through libraries since 2001. More than 5 million homework help sessions have been delivered to date–with an average of 5,000 sessions each evening.

Photo: Julie Weintraub, director of client services for Tutor.com, shows Carrie Stafford and her sister Grace how to use the Homework Help NJ program available through many New Jersey libraries.

John DeWitt (left) of Midland Park, NJ, was honored at “Covering the Bases, a Night Out with the Trenton Thunder” at Waterfront Park on July 29, 2010, in recognition of his dedicated commitment to serving other individuals with disabilities for over 50 years. The 78 year old DeWitt, who has been visually impaired all his life, owns and operates De Witt & Associates, a company that trains people with vision loss or learning differences to use accessible computer-based products so they can compete successfully with their sighted peers. His greatest legacy is the lives he has enriched as a teacher and mentor. A large number of New Jersey’s employed blind citizens and seniors with vision loss owe their training and computer skills to DeWitt, including many of the customers of the NJ State Library Talking Book & Braille Center (TBBC) who learned the computer skills that enable them to download TBBC’s new digital audio books.

The event was hosted by the New Jersey Department of Human Services’ Commission for the Blind and Visually Impaired and the Trenton Thunder Baseball Team, to promote full community inclusion and awareness of the potential and achievements of individuals who are blind and visually impaired. DeWitt was nominated by TBBC to receive the award.

DeWitt brings an extraordinary range of interests and skills to his efforts to serve those with vision impairment, and has had an impact both in New Jersey and at the national level in fields as diverse as radio, assistive technology, and teaching. He is a Julliard graduate who was the National Program Director for CBS’s FM stations from 1966-1972; he continues to serve on the New York Public Radios’ Community Advisory Board for two stations: WNYC and WQXR. DeWitt was instrumental in the early 1990s in inventing the concept that led to the first Windows internet browser that was accessible to blind users: pwWebSpeak.

DeWitt is pictured with Sherlock Washington, a blind athlete and a member and co-founder of the New Jersey Lightning, a team of visually impaired athletes from central Jersey that compete in an adaptive form of baseball called Beep Baseball.

An article by Sharon Rawlins, Youth Services Consultant for the NJ State Library, about the State-wide Summer Reading Program appeared in July’s NJ Afterschool Action, a monthly e-newsletter put out by the NJ School-Aged Care Coalition for afterschool programs. Sharon is a member of the coalition’s advisory committee.

READ THE ARTICLE

On Tuesday, September 21, from noon to 1 p.m., the New Jersey State Library will present a free lunch-time program, From Every End of this Earth, with New York Times best-selling author, Steven V. Roberts. In his book, Roberts follows thirteen immigrant families and tells the story about why they came to this country and how they transitioned into a culture different from their own. The program will be held in the State Library’s 2nd floor Reading Room, 185 West State St., Trenton.

Roberts, a journalist for 40 years, grew up in Bayonne, NJ. He has covered some of the major events of his time, from the antiwar movement and student revolts of the 60s and 70s to President Reagan’s historic trip to Moscow in 1988 and eleven presidential campaigns. He is a well-known commentator on many Washington-based TV shows, and, with his wife, journalist Cokie Roberts, writes a nationally-syndicated newspaper column..

From Every End of this Earth is his third book. From this Day Forward, written with his wife, spent seven weeks on the New York Times best-seller list; and his second book, My Fathers’ Houses, is a childhood memoir which was featured at the National Book Festival in Washington.

To attend this free program, contact cwarrick@njstatelib.org or 609-278-2640 ext. 172.

The series will continue on Oct. 20 with Dr. Mark Lender discussing his book This Honorable Court, and on Nov. 16, Arthur Lefkowitz will present “New Jersey in the American Revolution.”

CHICAGO—Norma E. Blake has won election to the vice president/president-elect of the Association of Specialized and Cooperative Library Agencies (ASCLA).

Blake has served New Jersey libraries for over 30 years, and has been the New Jersey State Librarian for the last nine years. During her tenure at the State Library, Blake has played a leadership role in many significant projects that have helped libraries to evolve towards the service and technology expectations of the future. She has led libraries toward the future through the development of innovative programs that serve as national models for delivering services to all populations of library patrons. This includes creating New Jersey’s first statewide marketing campaign for libraries; implementing a highly successful interlibrary loan system; developing New Jersey’s first Web portal and virtual reference services, providing access to statewide resources; providing statewide Internet access for libraries through JerseyConnect; expanding popular statewide programs such as the Statewide Summer Reading Program for children and teens; and encouraged the implementation of innovative programs and services for the blind, deaf, and hard of hearing at the New Jersey State Library’s Talking Book and Braille Center.
This long list of accomplishments has not gone unnoticed—the New Jersey Knowledge Initiative won the Innovation award from the National Council of State Governments for helping New Jersey’s economy by providing specialized databases for small businesses, researchers, students and teachers. Numerous grants have also been awarded, including two IMLS federal grants for librarian recruitment, a federal grant for developing the New Jersey Digital Highway and Live Homework Help. Her most recent achievement was securing a $7.5 million in grants from the Broadband Technology Opportunities Programs the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation for computer security, hardware and broadband.

“I am honored to have been selected to serve as vice president/president elect, ” said Blake. “There is a great diversity among the divisions of ASCLA and every one of its sections has been hard hit by tough economic times. ASCLA is one of the best vehicles for providing members with the tools to sustain and grow their institutions now and in better times to come.”
Blake serves her profession as a member of New Jersey Network’s Citizens Advisory Board; the Board of the Southern New Jersey Development Council; SCALES, the State Council of Adult Literacy Education Services and the Lincoln Bicentennial Commission. She is affiliated with the New Jersey Library Association and the American Library Association. She is also liaison to the Urban Libraries Council for COSLA, the Chief Officers of State Library Agencies; secretary of Chief Officers of State Library Agencies in the Northeast; and member-at-large of the State Library Agency Section (SLAS) of ASCLA. Her professional accolades have been plentiful: she was selected as the New Jersey Library Association’s Librarian of the Year, elected President of NJLA, a member in the Leadership NJ Class of 2000, received the Distinguished Service Award 2005, by NJLA-CUS-ACRL NJ, was named a 2008 Woman of Distinction by the Girl Scouts of Central and Southern NJ, and was selected by Library Journal as the 2008 Librarian of the Year.

Blake began her term at the conclusion ALA’s 2010 Annual Conference. A complete list of ASCLA election results are posted at the ASCLA blog.

ASCLA, a division of the American Library Association (ALA), is a diverse organization of librarians and support staff who work in academic and public libraries, state agencies, specialized libraries and multi-type cooperatives, as well as those who are self-employed. Not an ASCLA member, but interested in discounted registration rates on conference, ASCLA preconferences and other ASCLA events? Join, renew or add ASCLA to your ALA membership at www.ala.org/membership.

The New Jersey State Library and local libraries from across the state have partnered with the New Jersey Sports & Exposition Authority to encourage readers to “Read Like a Library Champion” during their local library’s Summer Reading Program by giving them the opportunity to win tickets to IZOD Center events by logging in the books they read at at www.njlibrarychampions.org. Discount tickets for select IZOD Center family shows are also available at www.IZODcenter.com, by using the code LIBRARY.

Congratulations to the 25 summer readers who won a family four-pack of tickets to see The Wiggles on Aug. 17 by participating in their local library’s program:
Demetrick Family – Clark Library
Bertinato Family – Clifton Library
Schwartz Family – Clifton Library Allwood
Bartram Family – East Brunswick Library
Fiumaro Family – North Edison Library
Mauer Family – Fanwood Library
Kusznier Family – High Bridge
Quinn Family – Howell Library
Krempasky Family – Hunterdon County Library
Sammet Family – Kenilworth Library
Klesitz Family – Kinnelon Library
Johnson Family – Roxbury Library
Goriscak Family – Sussex County Library
Pennino Family – Jefferson Library
Lincoln Family – Old Bridge Library
Catania Family – Oradell Library
Dharia Family – Princeton Library
Silva Family – West Windsor
Steinfeld Family – South Plainfield Library
Fritton Family – Warren County Library Franklin Branch
Hart Family – Waldwick Library
North Family - Warren County Library Franklin Branch
Siuffe Family – Wayne Library
Hecht Family – Wayne Township Library
Abdelfattah Family - Alfred Baumann Library West Paterson

The contest for free tickets to see Sesame Street Live from Sep. 30 to Oct. 3 started August 1. To enter go to www.njlibrarychampions.org. Contests to win tickets to see Disney Live! On Nov 12-13; and Disney on Ice Nov. 23-28 will start soon.

For the past eight years, The State Library has supported the NJ Library Association’s Summer Reading Program with a $50,000 grant. This worthwhile initiative attracts thousands of children and teens each year. In 2009, over 145,000 children and teens across New Jersey participated, reading over two million books. Since its inception, the Summer Reading Program has inspired and motivated children to read purely for fun, without the pressure of taking tests or writing book reports, keeping their minds sharp, improving their reading skills and expanding their imaginations.

Library Champions is a community based public awareness campaign featuring role models from the sports, entertainment and literary fields designed to encourage reading and educate the public about the important role New Jersey libraries have in transforming the lives of their customers. Celebrity Library Champions include Yankee’s pitcher A.J. Burnett, Devil’s forward Zach Parise, Giant’s defensive end Justin Tuck, Net’s guard Devin Harris and best-selling author and New Jersey native, Judy Blume.

For more information on winning tickets to great shows at the Izod Center, check with your local library and sign up for their Summer Reading Program.

Ralph Wilson, New Jersey State Library staff member, packs up books donated to Marines and sailors serving on the USS Peleliu, an aircraft carrier with the Seventh Fleet in the Pacific. Libraries, individuals and friends of library associations throughout the state contributed the books. They will be used for the professional reading program, which encourages Marines and sailors to increase their knowledge of U.S. military history.

Visit the USS Peleliu’s website.

The New Jersey State Library, in conjunction with the Atlantic Highlands Public Library and Hudson Mermaid Productions, will host a free outdoor screening of the award-winning movie Greetings from the Shore on Thursday, August 12, at 8:30 p.m. at the Atlantic Highlands Municipal Harbor Gazebo, 2 Simon Lake Dr., Atlantic Highlands.

Greetings from the Shore is a coming-of-age romance starring Paul Sorvino, David Fumero and Kim Shaw. It was filmed entirely on the Jersey shore, primarily in Lavallette. The story is about a young girl who, after her father dies, spends one last summer at the Jersey Shore before heading off to college. When her plans fall apart, the girl stumbles into a mysterious world of Russian sailors, high-stakes gambling and unexpected love. Director Greg Chwerchak calls the film “a semi-autobiographical tale. It’s a bit like Dirty Dancing at the Jersey Shore.”

Those attending should bring lawn chairs or blankets and the screening is weather permitting. Following the screening, Chwerchak and writer Gabrielle Berberich will answer questions from the audience and sign DVDs of the movie. “Gabrielle and I both benefitted tremendously from public libraries growing up,” Chwerchak said. “We’re thrilled to be partnering with the State Library for this free event.”

For more information contact the Atlantic Highlands Library at 732-291-1956 or go http://greetingsfromtheshore.com.

The New Jersey Commission for the Blind and Visually Impaired partnered with the School of Education at The College of New Jersey (TCNJ) to create an innovative new summer program for high school students with visual impairments. Participants in the Work Skills Prep Program @ TCNJ are blind or visually impaired and have added challenges to gaining employment upon graduation, such as limited work experience or other disabilities. The program’s goal was to give the students the opportunity to learn the skills necessary to be competitive in the job market.

The students, aged 16 to 21, lived in a dormitory and attended classes on campus. The classes were geared to teach practical skills such as interviewing for a job, team work and effective communication. The students also learned how to perform activities of daily living by using assistive technology devices; learning skills to compensate for low or no vision; travel skills in order to safely navigate in their environment; and ways to advocate for themselves in order to gain independence.

The students, like Melissa Rivera of West Long Branch, worked at a variety of jobs every weekday at various locations including the NJ State Library Talking Book & Braille Center. At the library, they performed tasks such as rewinding cassettes to assure quality control when the cassettes circulate to the next blind customer. The students liked working at the library, because they themselves were customers and they love listening to books on tape.

To encourage kids and teens to “Read Like a Library Champion” this summer, the New Jersey State Library is giving them a chance to win a NJ Devils/Modell’s hockey jersey autographed by NJ Devils’ forward and Olympic Silver Medalist Zach Parise. To enter, all young readers have to do is read a book, go to the website www.njlibrarychampions.org, and click on the contest page. The contest runs until September 1, 2010, when a winner will be randomly selected.

Library Champions is a community based public awareness campaign featuring role models from the sports, entertainment and literary fields designed to encourage reading and educate the public about the important role New Jersey libraries have in transforming the lives of their customers. Celebrity Library Champions include Parise, Yankee’s pitcher A.J. Burnett, Giant’s defensive end Justin Tuck, Eagles defensive end Trent Cole, and best-selling author and New Jersey native, Judy Blume.

During the summer, libraries all across New Jersey participate in the Summer Reading Program. As incentives to keep kids reading during the summer, libraries in partnership with the IZOD Center are giving them the opportunity to win tickets to IZOD Center events by logging in the books they read at www.njlibrarychampions.org. Readers may win tickets to see The Wiggles on Aug. 17; Sesame Street Live on Sep. 30 to Oct. 3; Disney Live! On Nov 12-13; and Disney on Ice Nov. 23-28. Discount tickets for select IZOD Center family shows are also available at www.IZODcenter.com, by using the code LIBRARY.

For the past eight years, The State Library has supported the NJ Library Association’s Summer Reading Program with a $50,000 grant. This worthwhile initiative attracts thousands of children and teens each year. In 2009, 110,000 children and teens across New Jersey participated, reading nearly two million books. Since its inception, the Summer Reading Program has inspired and motivated children to read purely for fun, without the pressure of taking tests or writing book reports, keeping their minds sharp, improving their reading skills and expanding their imaginations.

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At its annual conference in Washington, D.C., The American Library Association presented the New Jersey State Library with the 2010 John Cotton Dana Library Public Relations Award, which recognizes and honors outstanding achievement in library public relations. The award, which is sponsored by H.W. Wilson and the Library Leadership and Management Association, is considered to be the most prestigious of all library awards in the field of public relations.

The State Library received the award for its “Tell Us Your Story” library campaign that motivated and mobilized staff from 240 New Jersey libraries to identify messages and cultivate customer stories. Those stories were used locally and in a statewide multi-media campaign that reached millions of people, including elected officials. The campaign provided a marketing toolkit to participating libraries and established a library communication network linking more than 500 users.

“Our ‘Tell Us Your Story’ campaign came at a critical time,” said Norma Blake, New Jersey State Librarian. “According to a NJ Library Association survey, many librarians felt that marketing was not very important. When the recession hit, that changed. Faced with a combination of funding cuts and huge increases in demand from families in financial crisis, our libraries had to adopt tactics to get support from their customers. This campaign trained librarians in marketing techniques and got their customers involved through story telling.”

The campaign was conceived as a result of the Online Computer Library Center’s study From Awareness to Funding: A Study of Library Support in America, which showed that most people have no idea how libraries are funded. Because of that, they were not aware of the growing financial pressures facing libraries that would result in service/program reductions. New Jersey libraries were facing cuts in state aid and legislation that would reduce funding at the local level, as well. Libraries needed to work with their supporters to stave off funding, service and program cuts at a time when users were demanding more services.

“This campaign received widespread support from library customers of all ages,” said Nancy Dowd, the State Library’s Director of Marketing (pictured with Gary Cooper, public relations & news media contact). “Librarians learned what the business world has known all along, that marketing is important for continued success and growth. They also learned that their customers have compelling stories about the value of libraries that they are very willing to share and have a powerful voice with elected officials.”

The John Cotton Dana (JCD) honor has been awarded continuously since 1946 and is sponsored by the H.W. Wilson Company, the H.W. Wilson Foundation and the Library Leadership and Management Association, a division of the American Library Association. “In these challenging economic times effective marketing techniques are essential to communicate the many valuable services and programs provided by libraries to meet the increasing needs of their customers,” said Linda Holtslander, JCD committee chair. “The committee was impressed by the high quality of [this] public relations campaign.”

Thomas Edison State College has received a $5.1 million federal grant to support the New Jersey State Library’s Broadband Technology Opportunity Program, a project designed to add computer workstations, upgrade Internet connectivity and provide job search assistance and workforce development programs at hundreds of libraries throughout New Jersey.

The grant, provided by the National Telecommunications and Information Administration as part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act’s Broadband Technology Opportunity Program, was announced on July 2 and was the only award made to a New Jersey institution in round two of funding. The award, along with a $1.5 million grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation made to the New Jersey State Library, an affiliate of Thomas Edison State College, will be used to add computers at 124 libraries, upgrade connectivity at 79 libraries, and provide job search assistance, employment skills, workforce development programs and other online resources at 365 libraries across New Jersey. The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation gave an additional $150,000 to the New Jersey State Library to support E-rate technical assistance, which will help sustain the project’s services.

“This grant will help to pave a road to economic recovery for our state,” said New Jersey State Librarian Norma Blake. “New Jersey job seekers are facing a job market in which access to computers and broadband Internet is a basic requirement for job searches, employment applications and workforce skills training. With this award, New Jersey libraries will provide the access to the Internet and free training to help get New Jersey residents back to work and stimulate the economic growth our state needs. We are pleased to partner with the New Jersey Library Association, NJN, the NJ League of Municipalities and the NJ Council of County Colleges.”

Dr. George A. Pruitt, president of Thomas Edison State College, said “New Jersey libraries are uniquely positioned to play a key role in our state’s economic recovery by greatly enhancing the accessibility of broadband Internet to New Jersey residents. The New Jersey State Library has an extraordinary record of developing and leveraging online resources for the citizens of New Jersey, including thousands of adult learners who are enrolled students at our institution.”

“This funding will provide critical resources needed to expand technology infrastructure at libraries across New Jersey,” said Michael Drewniak, Press Secretary to Governor Chris Christie. “The federal award, along with the generous grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, will help New Jerseyans with the technology support they need to find work and develop new skills, while increasing access for underserved communities. As New Jersey begins its economic recovery, these resources will be an invaluable community asset and help people get back to work.”

A consortium of New Jersey’s community colleges will deliver training using its existing curriculum for library staff and job seekers. In addition, residents will receive online content and training developed by New Jersey Network, the public broadcasting network in New Jersey. This project is designed to enhance broadband capability and workstations in New Jersey libraries so they can become strategic job-creating facilities providing increased availability of job search assistance and workforce development programs. More than 5 million New Jersey residents will be served through this initiative.

BTOP Public Job Center Criteria and Project Goals:
• Establish libraries as “instruments of recovery” by providing job search assistance, employment skills and workforce development programs enabled by the increase in broadband connectivity in high-need communities
• Serve vulnerable populations (unemployed, underemployed or other vulnerable populations: non-English speakers, seniors, disabled, etc.)
• Provide technical support and other resources to support job search and career advancement by establishing libraries as community anchor institutions
• Job search assistance, employment skills and workforce development programs will be offered in partnership with community colleges and New Jersey Network
• Advance the use of E-services for training, employment, digital literacy, and education
• Stimulate employment and provide job opportunities.

Scope of the Project
The NJ Libraries Anchor Institutions as Instruments of Recovery project proposes to:
• Offer affordable pricing for high-speed Internet access services to libraries from the state’s major service providers
• Serve up to an additional 22,500 computer users weekly, offer in-person training for as many as 12,800 residents over the life of the project, and provide online content and databases to the approximately 440,000 unemployed and 230,000 underemployed residents of New Jersey
• Provide up to 938 new workstations to libraries across the state.

“Federal investments in connecting libraries to high-quality Internet services are critical to realizing the universal broadband access our country needs,” said Jill Nishi, deputy director of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation’s U.S. Libraries program. “When libraries provide broadband to communities, they can deliver valuable online opportunities that help people find jobs, further their education, and access important government information. We hope that this BTOP award will help other public and private funders understand the importance of investing in public technology access at New Jersey’s libraries.”

About the Opportunity Online Broadband Grant Program
States participating in the foundation’s Opportunity Online broadband grant program received technical and consulting assistance to develop competitive funding proposals for BTOP, and will receive federally-required matching funds from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, to support their respective BTOP-funded projects. Participating states will also receive assistance to help secure additional federal E-rate funding to sustain broadband connection costs in the future. The foundation solicited letters of interest for the Opportunity Online broadband program from state libraries seeking to acquire significant additional broadband access for public libraries. The foundation chose to support states that articulated the most compelling and feasible projects aligned with the objectives of the BTOP program. The foundation also considered a state’s need for assistance in developing a competitive BTOP proposal.

About the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
Guided by the belief that every life has equal value, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation works to help all people lead healthy, productive lives. In developing countries, it focuses on improving people’s health and giving them the chance to lift themselves out of hunger and extreme poverty. In the United States, it seeks to ensure that all people—especially those with the fewest resources—have access to the opportunities they need to succeed in school and life. Based in Seattle, Washington the foundation is led by CEO Jeff Raikes and Co-chair William H. Gates Sr., under the direction of Bill and Melinda Gates and Warren Buffett. Learn more at www.gatesfoundation.org or join the conversation at Facebook and Twitter.

The NJ State Library received a 2010 Silver Astra Award in the Out-of-Home Campaign category from the NJ Communications, Advertising abd Marketing Association for its Library Champion Billboard Campaign.

On June 23, 2010, soccer fans gathered at the Piscataway John F. Kennedy Public Library with members of the Women’s Soccer Team Sky Blue FC to watch the United States/Algeria FIFA World Cup match. Rosana (in photo above) was one of the many Sky Blue team members who signed autographs at halftime.

The New Jersey State Library has partnered with Somerset based Sky Blue, the 2009 Women’s Professional Soccer Champions, to encourage readers to “Read Like a Library Champion” this summer by giving them the opportunity to win tickets to home games at Rutgers University’s Yurcak Field by logging in the books they read at www.njlibrarychampions.org.

Library Champions is a community based public awareness campaign featuring role models from the sports, entertainment and literary fields designed to encourage reading and educate the public about the important role New Jersey libraries have in transforming the lives of their customers. Celebrity Library Champions include Yankee’s pitcher A.J. Burnett, Devil’s forward Zach Parise, Giant’s defensive end Justin Tuck, Net’s guard Devin Harris and best-selling author and New Jersey native, Judy Blume.

Established in the fall of 2006, Sky Blue Soccer made its debut on the field with the launch of Jersey Sky Blue in the W-League of the United Soccer Leagues in 2007. Sky Blue Soccer is an internationally respected organization with the goal to be established as a leader for high-level soccer in the United States and around the globe. Sky Blue Soccer’s company concept is based on an integrated program that allows players to progress in soccer from the youth levels to the amateur ranks to professional status. In addition to operating Sky Blue FC on the professional level, Sky Blue Soccer also runs the Sky Blue Soccer School - a youth training program in which players can “Train like the Pros … with the Pros.” The Sky Blue Soccer School provides positive female role models and female trainers who have competed at the highest level both in college and professionally in the United States and abroad.

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NJ Devils player and Library Champion Zach Parise will have a special place in the Roselle Fire House. Library Director Keith McCoy and Friends President Maureen Boyle presented Chief Paul Mucha with a signed poster of Zach. The poster is one of fourteen celebrity posters distributed to libraries around the state. Athletes and authors have teamed together to promote libraries and encourage fans to read.

Learn more about the campaign including opportunities to win free tickets to popular family events at: njlibrarychampions.org/