SJRLC Connections

Target Corporation grants

The Target Corporation is accepting applications for the Local Store Grants funding program. The Local Store Grants program provides funding that supports reading programs, the arts, and family violence prevention.

The Local Store Grants program is open to libraries, schools, nonprofits, and public agencies. The funding, grants ranging from $1,000 to $3,000, are awarded for programs that impact the arts, early childhood reading, or family violence prevention.

The early childhood reading grants, for example, support programs that encourage children to read together with their families.

The deadline to apply is May 31, 2008. If you have any questions, call Target Community Relations at (800) 388-6740 or Community.Relations@target.com.

For more information, visit http://tinyurl.com/r7van

Outreach campaign for the film The Truth About Cancer

Forwarded by the NJ State Library, Library Development Bureau, on behalf of the Association of Specialized and Cooperative Library Agencies.

The American Library Association is pleased to announce that it is working with WGBH Boston on the upcoming national outreach campaign for the film The Truth About Cancer, which will air on PBS April 16th at 9 p.m. (check local listings).  The 90-minute documentary film, followed by a 30-minute expert panel, hosted by news journalist and cancer survivor Linda Ellerbee will be the launching pad for events and projects across the country focused on creating community conversations around cancer survivorship.

ALA and WGBH encourage libraries to reach out to their local PBS stations to collaborate with them on events surrounding this film. In addition, WGBH encourages libraries to reach out to its national outreach partners on this project including the National Coalition for Cancer Survivorship (NCCS), Susan G. Komen for the Cure, the John Wayne Cancer Foundation, Lance Armstrong Foundation, YMCA of the USA and the Coalition of Cancer Cooperative Groups. These collaborations will provide an excellent opportunity for libraries to develop new—or strengthen existing—community partnerships, while offering a valuable service to their communities.

To assist in these outreach efforts, WGBH will offer extensive online resources, including downloadable handouts, which will be available on www.pbs.org/takeonestep starting in March 2008.  In addition, a limited number of free Outreach Toolkits including two event posters and a DVD Screener that will include 30 minutes of the film and the full expert panel to libraries that request them. WGBH asks that libraries not hold public screenings using the DVD screener until one week prior to the premiere broadcast.

To order the Outreach Toolkit, please go to: http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/takeonestep/request.html

Materials are limited and are available on a first-come, first-serve basis.

This collaborative project with WGBH is administered by the Reference and User Services Association (RUSA), a division of ALA.  Contact Barbara Macikas, RUSA, bmacikas[at]ala.org or 1-800-545-2433, ext. 4395.

Barnes & Noble and New Jersey libraries work together to promote "Love Your Library" Month

Thanks to Sharon Rawlins, Youth Services Consultant, NJ State Library for this information.
----------------------------------------------------

The vouchers for the "Love Your Library" promotion with public libraries and Barnes and Noble have been posted on the NJLA and NJYAC websites and are available to download and copy as needed.

As part of the event, libraries that do a display in their libraries promoting February as "Love Your Library" month with Barnes and Noble will be judged for their creativity.  The judges may not be able to get to all the public libraries personally to see the displays so they hope that libraries will submit digital photos of their displays. They can be e-mailed to me at the State Library anytime during the month of February.

One change since the initial announcement - activity sheets will not be available.

Barnes & Noble and New Jersey libraries work together to promote "Love Your Library" Month 

The New Jersey State Library is partnering with Barnes & Noble and the New Jersey Library Association to promote "Love Your Library" month in February 2008 to once again help fund the Statewide Summer Reading Program at all public libraries in New Jersey. Barnes & Noble will donate a percentage of every sale from every customer who presents a book fair voucher at any Barnes and Noble store in New Jersey during the month of February. The funds raised from this month-long event will benefit the children and young adults who participate in the 2008 Summer Reading Program. The theme of the 2008 Summer Reading Program is "Catch the Reading Bug" for the children and "Metamorphosis" for the teens. 

To participate in this program, a customer must use a voucher at the time of purchase. Vouchers are available to download from the New Jersey Library Association, www.njla.org and the NJ State Library's Youth Services web page, www.njyac.org.

In order to encourage as many public libraries to participate in this statewide event, Barnes & Noble has also generously agreed to give libraries the opportunity to win some incentives by participating in this event. These incentives include:

1. A $150 Gift Card: Libraries would be invited to do a display in their libraries promoting February as "Love Your Library" month in partnership with Barnes and Noble supporting the Statewide Summer Reading Program sponsored by the New Jersey State Library and New Jersey Library Association. These displays would be judged and the winning library will get a $150 B&N gift card. 
   
2. A $150 Barnes & Noble Gift Card for Libraries: Each Barnes & Noble store will distribute vouchers to a library in the town where they have a store. The library must put the name of their library on the vouchers.  At the end of the month a voucher will be drawn from all entries collected from all the stores in NJ and the winning library will receive a $150 Barnes and Noble gift card. The more vouchers that are given out from each library, the more chances that library has to win the gift card. Libraries not in a town where a Barnes and Noble store is located can download the vouchers from the NJLA or NJSL websites.
   
3. Gift Basket and $25 Gift Card for Customers: Each voucher would also have an entry form on it for an individual to have the opportunity to win a prize. The winning customer would get a gift basket for "family night" that would consist of a game, DVD, popcorn, a book by David Carter called "Love Bugs" and a $25 B&N gift card.

Possible Outreach opportunity

Some stores will be looking to have their local library host a program during the month. We encourage you to accept the invitation if you receive a call from a community relations manager. This is a wonderful way to promote the program. Not only will you be able to showcase your library, you'll also be able to remind your audience to use their voucher when they purchase materials. Of course, it would be great to remind them that every purchase with a voucher benefits all public libraries of New Jersey.  You won't be able to hand out vouchers in the stores during this month, but you can remind the people in your audience to ask for a voucher when they make a purchase, if they haven't brought one with them. 

For more information, contact Sharon Rawlins, Youth Services Consultant, NJSL, srawlins [at] njstatelib.org or 609-278-2640 ext. 116.