National Reading Group Month Task Force Meeting, Tuesday, August 4, 2009, Hunterdon County Library, Flemington, New Jersey
The final program flyer: “Readers, Writers and Reading Groups: A Day of Reading Groups Workshop” (attached) with following information was distributed to the Committee members. The program will be at the College of New Jersey in Ewing Township. The registration form is on the NJLA website at: http://www.njla.org/NRGMprogram.pdg The program registration form will be submitted to the regional library cooperatives for them to post and an event page will also be on Facebook and Twitter. The keynote address will be given by Margo Hammond, the co-author of “Between the Covers: The Book Babes’ Guide to a Woman’s Reading Pleasure.”
The group decided that it would be best for Margo Hammond to stay in a hotel in the Ewing area. April Judge requested that all the contact people ask their speakers, if they need audiovisual equipments during their presentations. This will help us figure out what rooms they get to present their programs. Masha Hamilton’s publicist will be sending some books published by Unbridled Publishers for another raffle basket. We will get the items for a graphic novel basket, the writers/readers basket and a wine basket. April Judge will purchase the table clothes, mums and decorative pumpkins and gourds. Presenters should bring approximately 60 handouts. These will be posted on the WIKI and NJLA website after the event.
The next meeting will be held on Tuesday, September 15th at 1:30 pm at the Hunterdon
Public Library. 314 State Route 12 Flemington, NJ 08822 908-788-1444
Kiran B Patel
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National Reading Group Month Task Force Meeting, Tuesday, June 16, 2009, Hunterdon County Library, Flemington, New Jersey
The program flyer (attached) with following information was distributed to the committee members.
READERS, WRITERS, AND READING GROUPS: A Day of
Reading Group Workshops
OCTOBER 3, 2009
The College of New Jersey
Route 31
Ewing, New Jersey
9:15 AM to 3:30 PM
9:15 AM to 10:00 AM Registration and Coffee
Coffee and Refreshments Sponsored by Ebsco/Novelist
SESSION A: 11 - 11:40 AM
All Booked Up - Moderator: Nancy Madasci
A Perfect Match- Moderator: Jean Retkwa
Novelist- Moderator: David Lisa
Book Passion- Moderator: April Judge
SESSION B: 11:50- 12:30 PM
Starting, Running & Re-Energizing- Moderator: Kiran Patel
Comically Graphic- Moderator: Terry Edwards
Margo- Moderator: April Judge
Books that Never End-Moderator: Judy Fenelon
SESSION C: 1:30 - 2:15 PM
Book Passion- Moderator: April Judge
Not your Typical- Moderator: David Lisa
Authors Alive- Moderator: Terry Edwards
Reading Group Selections- Moderator: Laverne Mann
The following information of the Breakout Sessions was discussed:
1. A Perfect Match: Libraries and Community Reading Groups. Many of our library patrons belong to reading groups in the community, but are libraries serving their needs? How can we think outside the box to meet the needs of the exploding reading group phenomenon, at a time when they need the library's services the most? The discussion will cover reading group kits, reading group registration, procurement of titles, and ideas for promoting National Reading Group Month at your library.
Presenter: Terry Edwards, Hunterdon County Library
2. Comically Graphic: How to Plan and Lead Graphic Novel Reading Groups
Presenters: David Lisa, Library Development Bureau, NJ State Library; Laverne Mann, Senior Librarian, Mercer County Library System, Ewing Branch
3. Not Just Your Typical Reading Group: An Introduction to a Wide Variety of Reading Groups Presenters-Cindy LaRue, Belleville Public Library, Film and Book Discussions; Laverne Mann-Poetry Reading Groups; Monica Orr, Burlington County Library System, non-traditional reading groups
4. "Novelist to the Rescue! How This Electronic Resource Can Enhance Your Reading Group"
Presenters: Duncan Smith, Novelist
5. Starting, Running & Re-Energizing Your Reading Group. Starting a reading group is easy. But keeping it going is a little tricky. Together, with members from the group, we will share some book group basics, leadership skills, and tips for keeping book group members plugged in. Presenter: Deborah Bigelow, Director, Leonia Public Library.
6. Reading Group Selections-The Good, Bad and the Ugly. What makes a book a candidate for a lively and engaging book discussion? Why do books fail as reading group choices? Find out in this informative presentation.
Presenters-Judy Fenelon, Parsippany Public Library, Marianne Krantz, Morris County Library.
7. "All Booked Up”— Designing and Running Library Reading Groups for Readers Ages 7-17
Presenter: Priscilla Cordero, Ocean County Library
Pizza and Pages (or How to Host a Teen Reading Group for Library-phobic Teens) Discussion will cover how to select titles with high teen appeal, how to create a teen-centric PR campaign to get teens interested and how to keep the teens once they come.
Presenter: Elizabeth Erwin, Somerset County Library, Hillsborough Branch
8. Books That Never End: Using Spin-Offs and Book Maps in Your Reading Group. Inspired by literature and real lives, fiction “knock-offs” are becoming ever so popular. Fiction titles featuring Daphne Du Maurier, Rebecca, Sylvia Plath and Ted Hughes, F. Scott Fitzgerald, Jane Eyre, the Rat Pack and of course Jane Austen will be introduced as selections for unique discussions.
Presenters: April Judge, Director, West Caldwell Public Library, Jean Retkwa, Woodbridge Public Library
9. Book Passion: My Life as a Reading Group Facilitator: Tips from the Frontline. Be inspired to start or continue your work as a reading group leader by the words and wisdom of a professional reading group facilitator. Presenter: Esther Bushell, facilitator of community-based reading groups, former high school English teacher. She also serves as the coordinator for Community Reads, an annual event at the Perrot Memorial Library in CT.
Ester contributes blog posts on the Reading GroupGuides.com blog and she just launched her new website LITERARYMATTERS.NET.
10. Authors Alive: Incorporating Media into Your Children's and Teen Reading Groups. Presenter: Tim Podell of Tim Podell Productions. Website www.goodconversations.com
Morning Keynote Speaker.
10 AM- 10:45 AM
Keynote Speaker
Margo Hammond, co-author of Between the Covers: The Book Babes’ Guide to a Woman’s Reading Pleasures.
2:30 - 3:15PM
Afternoon Author Panel
Writers and Reading: A Panel Discussion of the Future of Reading and How It Will Impact Reading Groups
3:15: Wrap-up and Raffle:
Raffle of 5 Baskets
Next Meetings: August 4th and Sept 15th, 1:30 PM
Hunterdon County Library
314 State Rt 12
Flemington, NJ 08822
908-788-1444
Kiran B Patel
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NJLA Conference, 4/28/2009 - Long Branch, NJ - Kiran Patel
Keynote Speaker: Karen Hyman Do Libraries Rock? Some More than Others…
Karen impressed her audience with not only her humor and energetic personality but professionalism as well. She brought out following points that all of us can use in our profession:
Create a climate in your library that supports change.
Survey the environment continuously.
Look at what other libraries are doing, steal from the best and give them credit.
Treat every customer like a person. We have a long way to go in delivering service so stay in tune with your customer’s needs.
Customer expectations have risen. We need to provide information as quickly as their needs demand so that they can move on to the next task.
Following are the ways to make your library rock:
Use technology
Continuously train
Reduce clutter
Handle noise
Handle conflict
Have a plan
Develop partnerships with local agencies and local organizations
Create great programming
Learn what great libraries know about attracting and keeping customers.
Find the sweet spots: lower cost, lower labor choices with high potential for big results.
Karen’s 12-step Reinventing Your Library program have been a feature at every Public Library Association Conference since 2000 and have been presented at library conferences, staff days, and trustee workshops in 38 states/provinces in the U.S. and Canada.
Helping Your Patrons Understand the Global Financial Crisis: Looming Economic Meltdown or Useful Teaching and Marketing Tool. Celia Ross, Stratham Research
This workshop highlighted a number of useful tools and strategies for helping public library patrons find information on the financial crisis. According to ALA’s 2008 report, Americans visited their libraries nearly 1.3 billion times and checked out more than 2 billion items in the past year, an increase of more than 10% in both circulation and gate count compared to data from the last economic downturn in 2001.
The New Jersey State Library has launched a web site (gethelp.njlibraries.org) to help residents connect to state programs, services, and agencies that can assist them during the current recession. The site categories include work tools, financial tools, housing tools health tools, parental tools, and senior’s tools. Users will find resources to aid in paying bills, avoiding foreclosure, getting job advice, and filing for Medicaid.
Libraries can market the services and resources they already have!
Using the financial crisis as a lens, examine your collections and services (and search around to see what other libraries are doing):
Revamp your small business services and outreach to the business community
Access to databases and other resources
Consider expanding your technology training and other classes
Create subject guides and pathfinders. Hint: You don’t have to build it from scratch! Add the terms “library” or “libraries” to a Google search on financial crisis or economic crisis.
Additional Resources:
Recovery.gov
From ALA: Advocating in a tough economy toolkit: http://www/ala.org/ala/issuesadvocacy/advocacy/advocacyuniversity/toolkit/index.cfm
Jobseekers in US Public Libraries: http:///www.ala.org/ala/aboutala/offices/ors/plftas/Issues_Briefs/cfm
Showtime! Putting the Reader Center Stage. Diana Loevy, author of The Book Club Companion, founding editor of the reading groups websites for The Literary Guild and Black Expressions.
When it comes to offbeat book selections, anyone might feel he or she is a creative genius who wishes to enlighten the others who are less so. While this might have worked in a book club format that takes the form of a lecture series as many book clubs in the early part of the twentieth century, in today’s book clubs, at least a nod to consensus is the prevailing style.
Ms. Loevy presented book club leadership Do’s and Don’ts:
Do
Review the book and notes right before the club to keep it fresh
Make everyone feel welcome
Come up with a reliable system of reading and research that works for you
Do keep focused on the book discussion.
Do keep it all in perspective and refrain from blurting out fears, hopes and personal confessions to the first member you see enter the room.
Think back to what has worked well in the past and what have been your biggest howlers.
Encourage readers to bring in references from other books, movies, TV, plays, poetry and news.
Remember: It is the readers’ opportunity to shine and be heard.
Don’t
Clutch anyone by the arm and engage in prophecy while biting nails and looking around wildly.
Allow over-sharing personal reminisce to swamp the discussion.
Rely completely on the publishers’ discussion questions, though they can be helpful
Go crazy with a lot of research, stick to a few basics that work.
Reference Excellence Challenges: Realities and Possibilities. Marie L. Radford, Rutgers University, School of Communication, Information, and Library Studies.
Ms. Redford discussed the realities and possibilities we face in today’s libraries. She said that she has never seen a more exciting time for reference services. She believes that Virtual Reference (VR) or Face-to-Face (FtF) is on the rise. She saw the rapid and remarkable advances are taking place in a variety of library settings across the US and beyond. Groundbreaking experiments in outreach to user communities including on-ground as well as cyberspace communities (such as Facebook, MySpace, and Second Life) are appearing at an accelerating pace.The ASK cart (actual hotdog cart) is a mobile library service offered by the Penn State Berks Library to provide reference assistance. Designed as a simple, effective and fun approach to faculty and student outreach, the Library Dude aka Billie Walker and other librarians offer on-the-spot information and/or reference assistance outdoors. Equipped with wireless laptop and various goodies (high-lighters, candy, etc.) the librarians at Berks are increasing visibility and awareness of reference services (one-on-one consultations, specialized databases, etc.) and library resources (podcast, bestsellers, etc.)
Ms. Redford pointed out following issues which are central for promoting service excellence in the current library landscape:
Library users know when services are given enthusiastically.
Users greatly appreciate our knowledge, accurate information, personal, and friendly encounters with us.
Users would be happy to try out chat services, if they were informed.
Twitter.com may be the perfect social networking tool for solo librarians to seek instant help with difficult reference questions.
The secret to a vibrant future for reference is to embrace the change.
We need to declare a truce and try harder to appreciate and learn from those both older and younger than we are. We are victims of upgrade fatigue. To become less afraid, we need diverse, intergenerational teams to maximize our effectiveness and minimize the learning curves in this fast-paced profession.
In the end, service excellence comes down to building positive relationships with our users, one person at a time, whether FtF, phone, or online.
Excel 2007 Class, 4,22,2009 - Newark Public Library - Marilyn Weiss
I attended this class and found it very interesting, learned some new features for spread sheets, and how to use the tables and charts, which I was unfamiliar with. I am sure this will come in Handy in the future.
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NJLA Emerging Leaders, 11/21/08-4/20/09—Various Libraries—Michael Maziekien
Between November 21, 2008 and April 20, 2009, I participated in the NJLA Emerging Leaders program. In this series, library leaders from public, academic, and cooperative settings provided advice, support, instruction and encouragement to new librarians in the field.
On November 21, the meeting took place at the NJ Library for the Blind and Handicapped. After introductory speeches from NJLA President Heidi Cramer and NJLA Executive Director Pat Tumulty, a tour of the LBH gave participants an inside look at the services offered to library users with disabilities. In the afternoon, state librarian Norma Blake and NJ State Library staff welcomed us to the state library in Trenton, and spoke about the various new developments at the state library. A tour and closing comments from Emerging Leaders program director Karen Klapperstuck ended the day.
On December 12, we met at the Clark Public Library. HRLC Executive Director Joanne Roukens held two separate sessions. In the first, we learned skills for preparing and giving effective presentations. Joanne provided enlightening information on techniques to make compelling points and maintain the interest of the audience. In the second session, the True Colors personality test showed us the different types of personalities, and ways of reaching mutual understanding and avoiding conflict based on our individual “color” and those of the people around us.
On February 24, we met at the Mount Laurel Public Library. Director Kathy Schalk-Greene and Head of Reference David Calvanico discussed techniques for holding effective meetings. The lively, dynamic meetings held each morning at Mount Laurel keep everyone up to speed, while an interactive system for planning weekly staff meetings over the library’s intranet is a great innovation. After the break, a presentation and tour relating to the Trading Spaces initiative showed the realized potential of merchandising methods in libraries.
On March 23, we met at Monmouth University Library. After we selected the NJLA Committees which most interested us for future service, three speakers discussed major topics in libraries. Pamela Holmes of the East Orange Public Library talked about the importance of outreach, and the community service organizations her library had partnered with. NJLA Vice President Susan Briant spoke about the importance of our continued service to NJLA as library advocates. Carol Nersinger of the East Brunswick Public Library continues the discussion of advocacy, posing potential issues which we may all face at our libraries and allowing us to posit solutions.
On April 20, we held our final meeting at the Jackson Branch of the Ocean County Library. Connie Paul, Executive Director of CJRLC, shared the wisdom she has developed over a career spanning every type of library, sharing the words of librarians, marketing gurus, leadership experts and others. Graduation followed, and the final presentation of the program was given by SJRLC Coordinator Peter Bromberg. “The Value of Leadership, the Leadership of Value” was a message to future library leaders, describing what we will need for our profession to thrive: excellent customer service, adaptability, and a greater understanding of the needs of the modern patron were emphasized.
Every one of these sessions provided an excellent chance to learn from New Jersey’s library luminaries. I deeply value the opportunities to see the effects of successful library programs firsthand, to learn from librarians who had weathered difficult times and major changes, and to cooperate with future trendsetters in the field. I am confident that this series will help me to become an effective library leader!
TopOn March 30, 2009 I attended a meeting of the NJLA Reference Section at Drew University Methodist Archives. Major points of discussion included the possible creation of a “mini-conference” for reference and readers advisory in New Jersey, various programs around the state being set up to assist jobseekers, and programs to be sponsored and co-sponsored at the 2009 NJLA Conference. This was followed by an open discussion of recent trends in our libraries. A brief tour of the Methodist Archives was given by archivist Dale Patterson.
Introduction
The program highlighted the three most common forms of autism which librarians are most likely to encounter these being, Autistic Disorder, Pervasive Developmental Disorder – Not Other Wise Specified (PDD-NOS), and Asperger’s Syndrome. Autism can range from mild to severe cases and these three types are the most common. It is difficult to assess if a patron has autism but some signs may be in the way the patron approaches social, behavior and communication.
Some signs to look for are little or no speech, repeating exactly what one hears (echolalia), little interest in playing or socializing with others, and limited interests in activities. There are learning challenges, generalization problems, peaks and valleys in skills, trouble with putting things in perspective.
How Can Librarians Help Individuals with Autism?
1) Provide resources and information to the public by stocking up on reliable resources that cover the breadth of general to specific information on Autism. Such information sources can be books, internet resources, community group resources, schools, early intervention and bulletins. Have links to autism awareness sites on web page.
2) Understand that Autism and each individual with autism is unique.
3) Understand that often parents and care takers are looking for and welcoming the opportunity for their children to interact with others (especially their peers), and partake in their community as fully as possible.
What Can Librarians Do During Activities?
1) Individuals with Autism respond better with structured activities that are well organized with a clear beginning and end. This can be applied to both children and adults. For children just beginning a program let individuals know what the program will encompass, for example, today we will be reading three books and after that we will be doing a craft. Before you start reading, prepare as much as possible. For adult patrons using the computer, let them know the steps it will take for example to print out a document or to log onto a computer.
2) Anticipate that some individuals with Autism will require some time to participate and will need varying degrees of assistance from caretakers.
This may require you to re-read a page, repeat questions, directions, and be patient.
3) Reinforce good behavior, welcome individuals kindly with nice greeting, also make note of individual’s good behavior.
4) Let individuals know that they are going to be doing a certain activity, such as "Those were good stories" now let’s go and do the crafts on the tables." Make a transition from one part of the program to the other.
5) If you are having difficulty with a child ask a parent or caregiver to sit with and help the child.
Possible Program Idea
Autism program workshop for parents, maybe a partnership with the Phoenix Center?
National Reading Group Month Task Force Meeting, Hunterdon County Library, Flemington, New Jersey, Thursday, March 26, 2009
In celebration of National Reading Group Month, NJLA in partnership with the National Women’s Book Association will present: “A Day of Reading Group Workshops” during the month of October 2009 at the College of New Jersey.
This workshop will include following breakout sessions:
Outreach to Local Community Reading Group Leaders
Graphic Novel Reading Groups
Use of Technology-Current Future-in Reading Groups
Potpourri of Reading Groups
Literary Reading Groups
The Nuts and Bolts of Starting a reading group
Successful and Not So Successful Books
Children’s and YA Reading Groups
New Jersey Writers Panel
The committee members will gather more information regarding presenters, exact date of the program and flyers.
Next meeting will be on Tuesday, April 21st at 1:30 p.m. at the Hunterdon County Library, Flemington, New Jersey
Kiran B Patel
3/31/2009
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Present: JoAnn Tropiano, Kiran Patel, Jeanne Sylvester, Michael Maziekien, Nick Van Dorn, Trina Staropoli, Marilyn Weiss, Gioya McRae
The following items were discussed.
Nick Van Dorn - ReferenceUSA webinar Workshop Report - Nutley Public Library
On Friday, February 6, 2009, I participated in a webinar entitled Reference USA 101: ReferenceUSA for Job and Career Searching. During this presentation I learned tips on navigating through ReferenceUSA and how to create groups of company data on spreadsheets for those looking for specific jobs. The presenter for this webinar was Rick White.
Reference USA is a valuable resource for individuals looking for employment or information about corporations and business locally or abroad. More than 14 million businesses are listed on this database. There is also a drop down for the US New Business option, which limits the search to the past 6 months of recently added businesses. It is accessed through Jersey Clicks.
There are three main search types, Quick Search, Custom Search and Guided Search.
Guided search is the most comprehensive
Many types of options are given in Guided Search.
Some of these being:
Business Characteristics
Size of Business
Geography
Other Selections
Review Selections
Once company or group of companies are selected user is able to download information and print it out on an excel spreadsheet.
There are many types of selections that user can made when printing out information on company. Some of these being company name, address, city state, zip code, zip code + 4, delivery point bar code, and contact name: first and last, etc.
This was a valuable webinar and helped me learn a great deal about ReferenceUSA.
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