SJRLC Connections

One Book New Jersey (OBNJ) Launch

Posted on behalf of Kate Vasilik, Chair, One Book New Jersey 2008
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Good morning and Happy Launch Week!

There are many programs scheduled on the OBNJ calendar for this week, and I hope you have much success with your kids, teen, and adult participation this week and throughout the year.  Don't forget to take advantage of Cafe Press (www.cafepress.com/onebooknj) for all of you contest and advertising needs!

There are a few announcements that OBNJ is very excited to make!

1.  All of the extra posters have been distributed throughout New Jersey.  Thank you - especially to school libraries - for all of your interest!

2.  Check on the website (www.onebooknj.org) soon and add your comments to our very own Message Board.  This will be a convenient place for book, program, and idea discussion and input.  Please continue to direct specific questions about OBNJ, posters, the calendar, or the website to me at kate_thelibrarian[at]yahoo.com or vasilik[at]bccls.org.

3.  OBNJ will be hosting online book discussions of both the teen selection, Dr. Franklin's Island, and the adult selection, The Plot against America.  The teen discussion will take place on Thursday, April 3 at 7:00 p.m. and Thursday, April 17 at 7:00 p.m.  The best part: Ann Halam, author of Dr. Franklin's Island will be joining us for these discussions!  The adult discussion will take place during the month of October, National Reading Group Month.  Mark your calendars now!  We will keep you posted in terms of instructions for logging into these discussions as the date gets closer.

4.  More details also coming soon about a chance to enter the first OBNJ Program Contest!  Start preparing now by thinking up some creative programming related to the OBNJ selections.  Take some pictures of your participants, crafts, or events if you can, and keep posting your programs on the calendar!

5.  If you posted a program scheduled during Launch Week, you might be the random winner of a set of 2008 OBNJ titles.  The winner will be announced by February 25th!  Good luck!

Kate Vasilik
Chair, One Book New Jersey 2008

One Book NJ is presented by the New Jersey Library Association in collaboration with
and funded by the New Jersey State Library which is responsible for the coordination, promotion and funding of the New Jersey Library Network.

Katherine Vasilik, Young Adult Librarian
Franklin Lakes (NJ) Public Library
tel: 201-891-2224 x105
fax: 201-891-5102
vasilik[at]bccls.org
kate_thelibrarian[at]yahoo.com

It is good to have an end to journey toward, but it is the journey that matters, in the end. [Ursula K. LeGuin]

One Book NJ News

News from Kate Vasilik, 2008 Chair, One Book New Jersey
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Just a few things to keep you up-to-date for OBNJ 2008...

Most public libraries should have already received the OBNJ posters.  If you have not received yours by next week, please first check your building (libraries were only sent one poster per building) or your library system headquarters (posters for branch libraries were sent to your main building).  We do have a number of extra posters.  If you would like a second poster for your building, please email me.  Also, posters were only sent to all of the public libraries in the state - if you are a school library, or know of a school library, who would like to display a poster, please let me know.  Please also let me know where the poster can be delivered (preferably with your CD&L number).

Launch Week is quickly approaching!  Make sure to get your programs up on the website calendar (www.onebooknj.org) as soon as they are planned.  All libraries with programs scheduled during Launch Week, February 10-16, 2008, are automatically entered into a random drawing to win a free set of this year's OBNJ selections.  Also, if you place an order with Cafe Press (www.cafepress.com/onebooknj) this week, your products should arrive mid-February.  Check out some of the cool products with images of the OBNJ logo or this year's poster image!  Use these products are give-aways and prizes during Launch Week.  A OBNJ t-shirt can work as a great promotion year-round!

Kate Vasilik
2008 Chair, One Book New Jersey

One Book NJ is presented by the New Jersey Library Association in collaboration with and funded by the New Jersey State Library, which is responsible for the coordination, promotion, and funding of the New Jersey Library Network.

Katherine Vasilik, Young Adult Librarian
Franklin Lakes (NJ) Public Library
tel: 201-891-2224 x105
fax: 201-891-5102
vasilik [at] bccls.org
kate_thelibrarian [at] yahoo.com

It is good to have an end to journey toward, but it is the journey that matters, in the end. [Ursula K. LeGuin]

One Book New Jersey is proud to be back for its sixth year!

Check out the One Book New Jersey website (www.onebooknj.org) for more information on Launch Week & Cafe Press!  Posters will be packaged and sent to NJ libraries soon, and you should receive your poster by the end of January.

Please join your fellow NJ libraries by recognizing OBNJ's official Launch Week during February 10-16, 2008 -- plan a program, prepare booktalks, provide giveaways, be creative!  Check the OBNJ website for great program ideas, related films, and read-alikes for each of the 2008 selected titles.  Remember: February is Love Your Library Month, so invite all of your library users to be a part of Launch Week!

Please remember to post all of your related programs to the OBNJ calendar.  All libraries with a program scheduled during the week of February 10-15 on the calendar will be entered into a raffle to receive a set of 2008 titles.  Winners of the Launch Week Raffle will be notified by February 25.

One Book New Jersey is on Cafe Press!! www.cafepress.com/onebooknj

Help promote and support One Book New Jersey!  Check out our site on Cafe Press for some fantastic gift ideas, contest prizes, and giveaways at programs and during Launch Week.  Grab something for yourself and something for your loyal library users!  Proceeds from Cafe Press go directly to the New Jersey Library Association in support of programs like One Book New Jersey to benefit NJ libraries and library users.

One Book New Jersey Selections

From Kate Vasilik, Chair, One Book New Jersey 2008
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Start brainstorming for ways to use this year's One Book New Jersey titles in your library!

The Readers Advisory Roundtable and the 2008 One Book New Jersey committee are proud to announce the selections of each category:

• Read to Me: Anansi and the Moss-Covered Rock by Eric A. Kimmel
• Middle Grade: The Sisters Grimm: Fairy-Tale Detectives by Michael Buckley
• Teen: Dr. Franklin's Island by Ann Halam
• Adult: The Plot Against America by Philip Roth

More news from OBNJ will be announced over the next couple of months, including raffle information and details of a statewide launch in February 2008.  In the meantime, start thinking of great ways to program and promote these titles at your libraries this year!

Kate Vasilik
Chair, One Book New Jersey 2008

One Book NJ is presented by the New Jersey Library Association in collaboration with and funded by the New Jersey State Library which is responsible for the coordination, promotion and funding of the New Jersey Library Network.

Author event at Monmouth County Library, Oct 30

Posted on behalf of Nancy Dowd, Sharon Rawlins and April Judge ----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Librarians invited to author event : http://www.sjrlc.org/PDF/monmouth.pdf

Please join The New Jersey Library Association, New Jersey State Library and Monmouth County Library for a special presentation by two nationally known authors, Beth Gutcheon (Leeway Cottage) and Jamie Saul (Light of Day),  to celebrate National Reading Group Month which is sponsored by the Women's National Book Association each October.    Joining the authors will be Barbara  Mead, publisher of Reading Group Choices.

The event will take place October 30 at 7 p.m at at the Monmouth County Library, 125 Symmes Drive, Manalapan. 
The cost is $10. A book signing will   follow the presentation. 

To register email April Judge at judge@bccls.org.

"Librarians have the chance to get involved in celebrating this special month listening to two featured authors.  We hope that this event will generate enthusiasm for National Reading Group Month so that they can plan and present special programs next October.

Many libraries already get the periodical Reading Group Choices, published by Barbara Mead. It is a wonderful resource for libraries looking for book selections for their reading groups because it includes titles just for adults and also adult books that can be used for teen reading groups too. There are discussion questions included for each title. If your library does not have it, this program would be the perfect opportunity to find out more about it.

For more information on this program go to: http://www.njstatelib.org/News/news_item.php?item_id=807

Flyer and registration at: 

http://www.sjrlc.org/PDF/monmouth.pdf. To register email April Judge at 

judge@bccls.org

Joining the Audiobooks Consortium

Would you like to join the Audiobooks Consortium?
(www.sjrlc.org/audiobooks)

The South Jersey Regional Library Cooperative Digital Audiobooks Download Center went live on January 30, 2006. In 2007 the project expanded, delivering service to eighteen libraries. 

Since inception, we have circulated over 12,500 audiobooks from a collection of more than 1300 general interest titles (1447 copies) that we have purchased, and our annual subscription to 75 “always available” titles. We continue to add new titles and copies the collection on a monthly basis.

We’d love to have you join us! We are approaching our annual opportunity for current participating libraries to re-up and for new libraries to join the Digital Audiobooks Consortium.

Important dates

• October 1, 2007: Deadline for Letter of Agreement
• November 15, 2007: Deadline for receipt of Annual Fees at SJRLC office

Getting the specifics

• Letter of agreement: www.sjrlc.org/audiobooks/agreement
• Details on participation: See Audiobooks FAQ at www.sjrlc.org/audiobooks/projectfaq
• To see the collection from the end-user’s perspective : Go to http://sjrlc.lib.overdrive.com

Questions?

Call or email Peter Bromberg at 856 346-1222 or bromberg@sjrlc.org 

NextReads offer

Interested in offering NextReads to your customers? 

Check out our website for details, sample newsletters, and letter of agreement:
http://www.sjrlc.org/nextreads.

• Are the avid readers in your library looking for new reading ideas in mystery, historical fiction, romance, fantasy?
• Do you get frequent questions on suggested titles for teens, biographies, current events, thrillers and suspense?
• When all of your copies of the best sellers are out, do you want to be able to direct your readers to other books on your shelf that are similar or read-alikes?
  
  With NextReads your library can proactively reach out to your customers and remind them monthly of the great books you have for them.
   

NextReads is a subscription email service developed by the creators of NoveList. With NextReads, you'll expand fiction and nonfiction readers'
advisory services beyond the walls of your library, and beyond the bestsellers. NextReads provides 20 monthly and bimonthly online newsletters for library customers, including fiction and nonfiction genre coverage, plus two lists created just for library staff. Allnewsletters are easily customizable to carry your library's branding and additional news and link to your holdings.

The SJRLC Executive Board has approved funding of this project for 2007-2008. All SJRLC members are eligible to participate!  SJRLC will pay the
NextReads annual base fee for libraries that will:

• Cost share at a discounted rate of $20 per 1000 library card holders.
• Customize the NextReads newsletters with library masthead and news.
• Communicate availability of Next Reads newsletters with a link on your home page, through other communications mechanisms and through printed PR provided by SJRLC.
  

Use the capability provided to link titles recommended in NextReads Online Newsletters to your web-based catalog. Library customers can go
directly to the catalog to check availability or place a hold!

Use the NextReads lists when making collection development choices. It would be extra nice if people could get the books in a timely fashion.

Want to get involved?

• Go to www.nextreads.com to sign up for your own trial subscription and to get more information.
• Go to www.sjrlc.org/nextreads to see sample newsletters, and download a letter of agreement (due by August 1)
   

SJRLC services are funded by the New Jersey State Library, an affiliate of Thomas Edison State College

Cherry Hill Library and NextReads

How does Cherry Hill Public Library have more than twice as many NextReads subscribers than the next closest library? Katie Hardesty, Public Relations Director at the Cherry Hill Library loves NextReads and promotes the heck out of it. At CHPL, they:

• Distribute flyers and bookmarks within the building.
• Display NextReads description and logo prominently on their Web site.
• Print the latest copies (available without having to sigh-up for the service!) and use them for readers’ advisory at adult, youth services and circulation desks.
• Put a description of the service in the “Readers & Writers” section of their newsletter.
• Send “blast e-mails” to more than 6,500 library users. 

Katie’s advice for your library:

• The service is terrific. Get staff to embrace it and use it whenever someone is looking for a good read. Offer to sign them up on the spot!
• NextReads gives you all the stuff you need to promote the service: templates for flyers, bookmarks and sample press releases.  Visit www.nextreads.com and click on the “Marketing” tab for downloadable templates.
• Get Press! Cherry Hill Library mentions NextReads in an upcoming story in the Courier-Post that will feature online book clubs.
• Customize the NextReads newsletter template: Cherry Hill added information about their May Home Design Series in the May Do-It-Yourself Newsletter. If you are having an author come in who writes mysteries, include that event info in the next Mystery Newsletter - your target audience is right there!

Fiction and Mystery are the most popular among the newsletters with Cherry Hill customers.  Summer is prime time to promote a good read.  Tell your users about this great FREE service!

If you're library is interested in offering NextReads, check out the SJRLC project page at: www.sjrlc.org/nextreads.  Commitment letter is due by August 1st. 

Book Expo Discount

Book Expo is in New York City this year, and once again they are offering discounted registration for librarians;  a 3 day pass is $55 and a one day pass is $30. 

Click here for discounted registration form.  (direct link: http://tinyurl.com/2qfkhs)

Free Comic Book Day

Is your library signed up for Free Comic Book Day yet? Deadline is February 23!

The New Jersey State Library and INFOLINK are inviting public and school libraries to join us in an awesome public awareness campaign this spring as we partner with Diamond Comics to launch our Super Librarian Comic Book as part of Free Comic Book Day on May 5.

• Be part of the excitement as NJ launches its first ever- Super Librarian Comic Book.
• Invite your teens to plan an event around free comic book day
• Sign up to be partner with Diamond Comics- see link to form below
• You get free Super Librarian comic books from the State Library and can arrange to get supplies from your local comic book store
• We’ll be joining with Diamond Comics to promote the event statewide and will be directing the media to local libraries to highlight how our libraries are meeting the needs of local teens
• We’ll also be running a YouTube/Comic drawing contest for teen – details coming soon!

The comic book community wants to make your library a prominent part of its biggest day with a special, NO COST cross promotional opportunity. Sign up today!

Print out the form at the link below and Fax to Nancy Dowd by February 23.
FORM: http://www.njyac.org/docs/NJ_Library_Flier_color.pdf 

 Nancy Dowd, New Jersey State Library
Director of Marketing
Blog: The M Word

Bookswim: Books by mail

via Tame the Web

Michael Stephens Writes...
 

Add this to Starbucks book clubs, wifi, and music sales, iTunes movie downloads and "third place" contenders like the aforementioned Starbucks or Panera Bread and you have a whole bunch of services, physical spaces and web sites competing for what libraries used to have a hold on.

Frankly, if a site like BookSwim flies, we need to be very aware and plan accordingly. I hope some of those innovating libraries out there are working on a Netflix model and that they will share it openly ASAP.

This troubles me. In fact let's look at the big picture of the last few days in notable news:

A library CLOSES to prevent young people from being rowdy

A site LAUNCHES soon that duplicates the successful Netflix model for the library "brand" - BOOKS!

What do these two events forecast for the future of libraries folks?

SEE ALSO:

• Hello, Grisham -- So Long, Hemingway?   (Wash. Post, Jan 2)
• How I would Run a Library System. (Ross Notes, Jan 2)
• BookSwim Homepage

 

The book I wish people would read...

Kathy Sierra over at Creating Passionate Users is celebrating National Book Month by hosting an open thread on "The Book I wish People Would Read..."   

I know want to know the book that you wish people would read. It doesn't have to be your favorite book, or what you think is the best book... just one you've found yourself wishing more people would read. The rules for this open post:

* One non-fiction and one fiction book
* If that's too tough, you can have one runner-up in each category
* A sentence or two (no more than three) about WHY you wish people would read it

Head on over to the open thread, leave your comments and read the rest.  You'll be sure to see suggestions you agree with, suggestions you disagree with and suggestions you never heard of.  Here are mine (off the cuff):

Fiction:  Fletch, by Gregory MacDonald.  The first in an uneven, but often brilliant series.  Why read it?  Because the movie was so stupid (ok, some laughs) but it was faithless to this wonderful comedic mystery.  Hey, it won the Edgar Allan Poe AND the Mystery Writers of America awards in 1975.  (Runner Up, Flynn, by Gregory MacDonald.  Fletch is a great character...Flynn is better!)

Nonfiction: Change the Way You See Everything, by Kathryn Cramer and Hank Wasiak.  At first glance it might seem a little fluffy and new-agey, but on closer reading it's very common sense and practical.  This book reminds us that our perceptions and behaviors are our own choices.  I found the book very empowering and centering, and hey, it's got one of coolest covers I've seen in the awhile!