New Jersey State Library Newsletter

At the 2010 New Jersey Library Association Annual Conference, the NJLA History & Preservation Section honored Michele Stricker, deputy director of the New Jersey State Library’s Library Development Bureau, with the Susan G. Swartzburg Preservation Award for her leadership, creativity and commitment in the field of preservation and conservation of library resources. The award has been presented since 2003 and honors the memory of Susan G. Swartzburg, a librarian and author whose leadership in New Jersey inspired and influenced many others in the areas of preservation of library materials, archives and the book arts.

According to the committee, “we have all had cause recently to reflect on the value of the work done by the State Library, and … the impact a dedicated and energetic leader can have within that institution in forwarding the mission of the History and Preservation Section. This award recognizes Michele’s activity in dealing with the big picture issues in New Jersey.”

In her five years at the State Library, Stricker has taken on the role of preservation, conservation and disaster-preparedness specialist in addition to her other duties. She has diligently brought to the attention of NJ libraries workshops, grant opportunities and program presentations, and has most recently worked with the American Library Association on programs and resources for the first ever ALA Preservation Week, May 9-15, 2010.

Her other accomplishments include creating workshops for NJ librarians on “How to Survey your Public Library’s Preservation Needs;” “A Matter of When, Not If: Preventing and Preparing for Library Disasters;” and “Fund-raising for Preservation;” and the creation of a Preservation Resources Web page on the New Jersey State Library Web site that has information on state, regional and national preservation programs, institutions, organizations and funding sources. She has partnered with the Newark Museum, Rutgers University Libraries, the New Jersey State Museum and the New Jersey State Archives on an Institute of Museum and Library Services’ Connecting to Collections grant for the purpose of developing a statewide conservation plan. She was responsible for the selection, purchase and dissemination of eighty-five disaster response kits to NJ libraries that attended the 2008 disaster preparedness workshops, as well as the grant posting for the Library Regional Response Network Initiative grant that funded the contents of one emergency response locker with $10,000 of emergency supplies to be used in the case of a large-scale disaster.

The Burlington resident holds a bachelor’s degree from Tyler School of Art of Temple University, a master of fine arts in Museum Studies from Syracuse University, a master of arts in Art History from the University of Pennsylvania, and a master’s in Library & Information Science from Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ.

Photo from left: Michele Stricker, Deputy Director of Library Development for the NJ State Library, Maria Esche, director Moorestown Public Library, Kathy Schalk-Green, director Mount Laurel Public Library, Christine King, director Willingboro Public Library, Gail Sweet, director Burlington County Library, Westampton, and Kim Ruth, Burlington County Library.

The New Jersey State Library announced that the Burlington County Library, 5 Pioneer Blvd., Westhampton, has been awarded $10,000 in emergency supplies to be used in case of a large-scale emergency. The Library Regional Response Network Initiative provides the supplies needed by libraries to build a regional partnership for emergency response in the event of a large-scale disaster. It also ensures that the emergency supplies are readily accessible to every library in the network and that volunteers will be available to help. Network libraries include the Burlington County Library System, and the public libraries of Willingboro, Mount Laurel and Moorestown.

The supplies, which include Shop Vacs, dehumidifiers, plastic crates, brooms, mops and hard hats, are to be used to rapidly clean and preserve a library’s contents in the event of flood, fire or other disaster. The equipment is being stored at the Westhampton site in a tractor trailer, which makes mobile response to other libraries in the network possible.

The program, which is supported by the NJ State Library through funding by the Institute for Museum and Library Services, will serve as a pilot project on how NJ libraries address disaster response and recovery, and provide a model that can be replicated by librarians seeking to create their own regional response network.

MORE PHOTOS

Ever wonder how to store old baseball cards? How to carefully handle a fragile old family photo? How to preserve your digital diary or your quilt collection? Everyone who saves things, from family mementos to world-class collections, has similar questions.

Libraries care for their vast and varied collections everyday, so they are the perfect places for learning about preservation. In recognition of this, the American Library Association will launch its first Preservation Week May 9–15, 2010. The New Jersey State Library is partnering with ALA in developing and piloting a new workshop to help your library celebrate collecting and preservation in your community, and to highlight your institution as a source of preservation information.

Preservation is a theme that can be used to bring in people and develop new audiences in your library. You do not have to be an expert in preservation to present informative programs to the public. This workshop will give you the ideas and resources you will need to develop successful preservation programming for your customers.

Participants will learn some basic preservation strategies for assisting the public in caring for their family treasures, as well as ideas for fostering preservation awareness and developing outreach programs in your community.

Possible outreach and awareness ideas include digitizing family photographs or papers, digital archiving and metadata for the home photographer, display of family treasures, sharing your family food heritage, a memories “road show,” caring for family documents, scrapbooking for posterity, organizing family collections, home movie day, quilt/wedding dress care, and disaster recovery for important family papers. Register now for what promises to be an interesting and informative workshop for library directors, preservation staff, or program/outreach managers.

Cost: $20 (covers continental breakfast and lunch)
Time: 9:30– 3:30 workshop (9:00-9:30 Registration)

March 30: Parsippany Troy Hills Public Library
March 31: Hasbrouck Heights Public Library
April 7: East Brunswick Public Library
April 8: Cherry Hill Public Library

Space is limited. Registration and payment takes places online at: https://secure.thriva.com/Reg/Form.aspx?IDTD=1607587&IDRPH=1659115

For further information please contact Michele Stricker, Deputy Director, Library Development Bureau, New Jersey State Library at mstricker@njstatelib.org.

The New Jersey State Library is pleased to announce the appointments of Victoria Rosch (photo left) to the position of Associate State Librarian for Special Projects, Peggy Cadigan (center) to the position of Associate State Librarian for Innovation & Outreach Strategies, and Michele Stricker (right) to the position of Deputy Head of Library Development.

In her new position, Rosch will be responsible for working on pilot and other special projects, advocating for legislative priorities, overseeing construction issues and assuring compliance with various administrative requirements and priorities. She will continue to write regulations and serve as a resource for library law. She began her career with the New Jersey State Library in the Library Development Bureau in 2003, and has served for the last two years as deputy director of the bureau. Her responsibilities included managing the Per Capita State Aid grant program and regulation updating, and serving as the state data coordinator and as a resource for New Jersey library law. For the 12 years prior to joining the staff of the State Library, Rosch held various positions of increasing importance at the Gloucester County Library, including eight years as the library director. She is a graduate of Rutgers University – Camden and received her Masters of Public Librarianship from Rowan University. She is a member of the New Jersey Library Association and the American Library Association.

Cadigan’s duties will include giving presentations on the future of libraries both in and out of state, and addressing varied audiences of library professionals and other interested parties to present information about State Library programs and projects. She will explore ways to enhance the State Library’s services to the libraries and residents of the state by engaging in partnerships and seeking development opportunities. She is also planning a follow-up to the Mid-Atlantic Library Futures Conference which she convened with other partners in 2005. Her most recent successful venture was the creation and implementation of “Snapshot Day,” held in 2009 in partnership with the New Jersey Library Association. The purpose of Snapshot Day was to capture the impact that New Jersey libraries have on their communities on a typical day. A survey captured the daily activities of libraries across the state, and revealed that, in just one day, more than 160,000 people walk through the doors of New Jersey’s libraries. The American Library Association will be promoting Snapshot Day as a national event. Cadigan graduated magna cum laude from Hobart & William Smith College, Geneva, N.Y., and received her Master’s degree in Library Science from Rutgers University.

As Deputy Head of Library Development, Stricker will be responsible for working on library law, trustee education, the Trustee Institute, preservation and disaster preparedness programs & grants, and other grants programs. She had been serving as consultant for Library Trustees, Preservation and Literacy at the State Library, and received certification as a Preservation Management Consultant from the Rutgers School of Communication & Information. She was one of only 70 representatives from libraries and museums nationwide selected by the federal Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) to attend a national forum last June in Buffalo, New York, entitled “Stewardship of America’s Legacy: Answering the Call to Action.” Stricker holds a bachelor’s degree from Tyler School of Art of Temple University, a master of fine arts in Museum Studies from Syracuse University, a master of arts in Art History from the University of Pennsylvania, and a master’s in Library & Information Science from Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ. She is a member of the American Library Association Preservation & Reformatting Section, a board member of NJ Library Association History & Preservation Section, and Lyrasis Preservation Group.

The New Jersey State Library encourages everyone to visit the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s www.ready.gov Web site and sign up for their sixth annual National Preparedness Month, a campaign that focuses on encouraging the public to learn how to prepare their families for a disaster. FEMA is working closely with states on this national initiative to help communities make simple preparations for disaster preparedness.

Visit New Jersey’s own resource Web site dedicated to personal and community preparedness maintained by the Office of Emergency Management at www.ready.nj.gov for specific state and regional information related to emergency planning. There you will find plenty of information for your library to share with your customers, including recommended items to include in a basic emergency supply kit.

Because FEMA recommends that all families and businesses be prepared for an emergency, the New Jersey State Library purchased a number of disaster response kits. Due to limited funding, these kits were offered to those libraries who attended the NJSL sponsored Disaster Planning Workshops last year and expressed an interest in writing a disaster plan for their libraries. The workshops taught librarians about the types of disasters specific to New Jersey; ways to prevent fire and water disasters; risk assessment of the library facility and collections; response and recovery; and how to write a disaster plan.

More Preservation initiatives from the New Jersey State Library are planned throughout the coming year. For preservation online training guides, disaster preparedness, grants for preservation, and lists of suppliers and vendors, visit the NJSL Preservation Resource website at: http://www.njstatelib.org/LDB/Preservation/.

For further information contact Michele Stricker at mstricker@njstatelib.org.

So, Make a Plan, Be Informed, and Get Involved!