New Jersey State Library Newsletter

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

The New Jersey State Library and the INFOLINK Library Cooperative invite you to join us for a brief overview of:

* FY2011 Budget
* Future of statewide services
* Statewide cooperative
* Broadband Technology Opportunity Grant (BTOP) award

Please join us and bring your questions for Norma Blake, New Jersey State Librarian; New Jersey State Library Staff: Victoria Rosch, Peggy Cadigan, Kathleen Peiffer, Sheri Shafer, CFO, Mike Rasimowicz, Director of IT and Bob Keith, Technologist; Cheryl O’Connor, INFOLINK Executive Director.

The meetings will be held at six locations throughout the state.

UPCOMING MEETINGS:
* Fairleigh Dickinson University’s Giovatto Library in Teaneck (August 12 from 9:30-11:30)
* East Brunswick Public Library (August 12 from 2:00-4:00)
* and the Gloucester County Public Library, Mullica Hill Branch (August 13 from 9:30-11:30)

PAST MEETINGS:
* Middletown Public Library (July 26 from 9:30-11:30)
* Hamilton Public Library (July 26 from 2:00-4:00)
* Wharton Public Library, Wharton, NJ in Morris County (July 28 from 10:00-12:00).

Space is limited; please click here to promptly register online.
For technical assistance with registration, please contact John Cooper, New Jersey State Library jcooper@njstatelib.org
For questions about the meetings, please contact Peggy Cadigan, New Jersey State Library pcadigan@njstatelib.org or 609-278-2640, X113

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.

The Division of the State Library proposes to readopt NJAC 15:21, State Library Aid and Grants with the following substantive changes. The full text of the proposal may be found at 42 NJR 1492(b).

NJAC 15:21-2.3 describes minimum requirements for the receipt of per capita State library aid regarding compliance with laws governing public libraries, training of trustees and professional librarian positions. An increase in the amount of library-related education for library trustees from three hours per year per board to seven hours per year per board is proposed. This requirement may be met by free workshops provided by the State Library, free webinar training and in-house training. This requirement will raise the minimum standard for the receipt of per capita State library aid. No economic impact is anticipated. A codification change is also proposed to make the subsection easier to read. This will not change the meaning of the section and will improve clarity.

NJAC 15:21-2.5 describes minimum requirements for library materials and their availability. An amendment is proposed subsection (c) and Chart B to remove the requirement for paid print periodical titles. Because of the availability of electronic resources, this collection has become a browsing collection the size of which is best determined locally. No economic impact is anticipated.

Submit written comments by September 17, 2010 to:

Victoria Rosch, Associate State Librarian
New Jersey State Library
PO Box 520
Trenton New Jersey 08625-0520
Fax: (609) 278-2650
Email: vrosch@njstatelib.org

If adopted, these amendments will apply in 2011. For 2010, the current periodical requirement and training of trustees at 3 hours per board per year remains.

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.”

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/

On May 28, 2010, the Retired and Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP) of Mercer County, NJ, awarded the Barbara A. Brown RSVP Station Manager’s Award to Karen Carson, broadcast coordinator of the New Jersey State Library Talking Book & Braille Center. This was a newly created annual award that was presented for the first time to Karen at the annual brunch honoring RSVP volunteers. The award recognized the most exemplary performance by an RSVP Station Manager (site volunteer coordinator) to facilitate the work and impact of RSVP volunteers in the community. In photo, Karen is shown with volunteer Ken Phillips.

RSVP is a nationwide volunteer program for adults age 55 and over who are looking for ways to stay active while serving their community. RSVP is part of Senior Corps of the Corporation for National and Community Services.

As Audiovision’s broadcast coordinator, Karen recruits, trains, schedules and oversees all of TBBC’s volunteers: 213 volunteers totaling over 3,777 hours in FY2009. Karen is also responsible for tracking the hours and mileage of TBBC volunteers over 55 who choose to participate in the RSVP program.

State Library staff member Cindy Warrick (center) poses with authors and educators Sal Marino (L) and Dick Handschuch (R) who gave a talk from their book, "The Beach Bum’s Guide to Boardwalks." More than 50 attendees enjoyed learning some history, some stories, some stats and some facts about the boardwalks of New Jersey at the June 16 lunch-time talk.