Continuing Education
CJRLC continuing education programs help libraries keep abreast of
trends in the library world, and help staff members acquire the knowledge and skills
necessary to perform effectively in current and future assignments. It is often difficult
for individual libraries to provide these educational opportunities alone. CJRLC offers
workshops and programs that meet these needs for our Region, alone or in combination with
the other three Regions and the NJ State Library. Committees and members often suggest
topics for workshops and seminars, which are planned and implemented by CJRLC staff and
offered to Regional members at low cost. Recent CJRLC workshops have included: finding the
best medical reference sources, science fiction and fantasy for children and teens,
blogging and RSS, book repair, and improving reference interview skills. The CJRLC office
has a library of tape and video programs from conferences for
borrowing. Members are alerted to all these opportunities through our newsletter, listserv, website,
calendar,
and mailings. See the tabs on our Home Page for more
information.
Technology
Training
CJRLC helps member libraries stay current in technical matters in several ways:
| Computer training classes: CJRLC offers classes taught
by computer professionals to Region members at Computer Insight in Eatontown. Classes are
offered almost every weekday, and cover a diverse array including Microsoft programs,
Internet training, Web design, and PC literacy. We can also offer training in a member
library with the facilities and the need. Non-library staff in schools can also enroll in
classes. See Training page for
more information. |
|
Electronic database training: Training sessions
in the use of electronic reference databases are frequently scheduled for Region members.
These classes may be taught by representatives from the vendor, staff members in the
Region, or CJRLC staff. Sessions are held at CJRLC or in member libraries. Classes are
announced in flyers in our monthly mailings, in our newsletter,
our listserv, and our website.
HouseCalls: CJRLC's no cost, in-your-library, personalized
service helps libraries make the best use of the free electronic databases. Anyone who
needs help setting up or using the databases can call or email Amy Kearns, CJRLC's Program
Coordinator (amy@cjrlc.org) for an appointment. Amy is
also available for in-service workshops at schools. See flyer for more information.
Technology Committee: this committee provides a forum for all
Region members to discuss technology issues, products, and best practices. It also
provides educational programs. In the past, the Technology Committee has offered programs
on virtual reference, library security, and teaching computer skills to the public.
Programs and meetings are open to the entire Region. See the Committees page for more information.
Other Programs: Since technology changes so rapidly, CJRLC
periodically offers additional workshops and seminars led by local and
nationally-recognized leaders in library technology issues to help our members stay
abreast of new developments.
Cooperative
Projects
Membership in CJRLC opens the door for you to provide services to your
customers that you couldn't afford on your own. With CJRLC grants and subsidies, libraries
have been able to provide cutting edge services that are also great marketing tools. Some
examples are described below.
Wireless Access: With matching funds from the NJ State Library,
CJRLC provided funds for libraries to provide free public wireless Internet access and to
help libraries market that access.
|
ListenNJ: With start-up funding from CJRLC and the INFOLINK
Regional Cooperative, 20 libraries were able to provide audiobooks directly to their
customers at home for downloading and using on their MP-3 players. The vendor for this
project is Overdrive. The Regional Cooperatives provided publicity materials as well.
Libraries pay less and have access to a greater number of titles because of the
cooperative nature of this project. |
NextReads: A new readers' advisory service from
EBSCO, NextReads gives libraries a way to email their readers lists of books in genres
that they enjoy reading, customized to their collections, and linked to their catalog
holdings. CJRLC members benefit from a reduced consortium price to take part in this
brand-new (2006) service.
Reference
Services
Electronic Database Reference Services: CJRLC member libraries
have access to an array of electronic database reference services through the Region, the
NJ Library Network, or the NJ State Library. Some databases are available at a discounted
price; some are subsidized wholly or in part by CJRLC and the New Jersey State
Library. These free and discounted databases have the advantage of allowing even small
libraries to offer their patrons access to resources beyond their individual purchasing
ability. Larger libraries can widen the range of their reference sources. CJRLC is
continually canvassing our members so that we can offer the most useful databases. We
provide training sessions and in-library support (see the Technology
section above) to help staff make the best use of these databases. Most of these databases
can be set up for both in-library and at-home searching.
The list below briefly describes a few of the electronic databases
currently available. See the Discounts page.
Wholly Subsidized Database:
EBSCOHost: a full-text database of thousands
of magazine and newspaper articles, charts, historical documents, encyclopedias, and more.
Discounted Databases (a sample):
Wilson Biography Plus Illustrated:
Includes biographical information from Current Biography, the World Authors
Series, Junior Authors and Illustrators and additional information from
dozens of biographical sources from other publishers' reference works.
SIRS: Updated daily, SIRS
provides information on social issues, science, history, government, the arts, and
humanities from full-text articles, Internet sources, and textbooks in an array of
databases suitable for elementary through high school users as well as adults.
Infolit Committee: This committee takes on projects designed to
highlight the importance of teaching library research skills in all types of libraries and
from elementary school age through adult. Their most visible project has been the Help Pages section of our website, which provides instructions for
patrons on solving common research and computer problems and links for librarians to
various helpful resources. See Committees page.
* Telephone Reference
Center: There has been a change
in service effective January 1, 2008.
| QandANJ is a network of experienced, professional New Jersey
librarians from around the State, offering free, live, interactive search assistance to
your patrons 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, via the Internet. It uses technology that
combines Internet chat with the ability to send websites and other information directly to
a patron's computer. It is designed to provide fast answers from web-based sources,
including in-depth databases funded by libraries. It is administered by the South Jersey Regional Library Cooperative
and supported by Federal Library Services and Technology Act funds administered by the New Jersey State Library. See QandANJ website. |
|
JerseyClicks: A one-stop electronic database
source accessed anytime by anyone with a New Jersey public library card. Entering a search
term allow you to search across a suite of high quality databases and customize results.
See JerseyClicks website
Healthy New Jersey is a web-based reference source for medical
information for your patrons that includes information on health and wellness, diseases
and conditions, New Jersey health issues, and links to further sources. It is produced by
the Consumer Health Information Task Force at University Libraries at the University of
Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey. See www.healthynj.org.
Children's
Services
Book Evaluation Program
This program, administered by Neptune Township Public Library, gives children's librarians and
school media specialists an opportunity to examine and review new books before purchasing.
In FY 2002, publishers sent more than 2600 children's and young adult titles to the Book
Evaluation center. At bi-monthly meetings, librarians and media specialists share reviews,
exchange ideas, and pick up new books. A selection of the book reviews appears in "Book Notes," the CJRLC Book Evaluation newsletter, which is
distributed to all school and public libraries. See the Committees page.
The SchoolGroup
This CJRLC committee offers a number of programs every year which are of interest to
school librarians, including information on automating school media centers and using
electronic databases. Participation in Task Force programs provides a great opportunity to
meet and exchange ideas with other school librarians. See the Committees page.
Delivery
Service
The four Regional Library Cooperatives operate a statewide delivery
service for public, school, academic, and special libraries that are members of their
Regional Library Cooperatives. Handling over one million items each year, it is the
backbone of resource sharing among members of the New Jersey Library Network. Materials
shipped include books, audio-tapes, CDs, DVDs, videos, documents, boxes of books, bulk
loans that are part of a library circuit, and other library materials. Interlibrary loan
items are shipped through this system. Participation in the delivery system is based on
need. Delivery schedules vary from two days per week to five days per week. See the CD&L section of the Breaking News page for more
information.
Interlibrary
Loan Services
CJRLC and the New Jersey Library Network provide several options for
interlibrary loan services, depending on your local resources. In all cases, however,
protocols in New Jersey are that libraries attempt to borrow from other libraries within
their own region first, second from other New Jersey libraries, and finally from libraries
outside the state.
Regional cooperative members can participate in JerseyCat for
interlibrary loan searches and requests. With JerseyCat, library staff and patrons can
conduct real-time searches of catalogs of libraries around the state and make interlibrary
loan requests. More details about using JerseyCat will be found at www.jerseycat.org, including the
calendar of training session for JerseyCat users.
For staff members involved in interlibrary loan, the Interlibrary
Loan Committee of CJRLC (CJILL) meets several times a year to enhance members'
knowledge of interlibrary loan procedures and practices, to provide networking
opportunities for interlibrary loan practitioners, and to promote resource sharing and
document delivery throughout the region. Meetings are held twice per year at participating
libraries. Membership is open to all CJRLC interlibrary loan practitioners. See the Committees
page and the CJILL blog.
CJRLC
Listserv
Our email listserv allows members to receive information from us and
communicate with each other. Even if you can't leave your library, you can stay in touch
with other librarians in the region, post questions, and find out how your colleagues are
managing. Instructions for joining are a
click away as well as the archives of discussions so you can track down that piece of
information you didn't think you'd need until you deleted it. See the Listserv section on the Breaking News page.
Other
Services:
Among our other services are:
- Our monthly newsletter CJRLC Update, print and electronic: current issue and archives
- Our website: www.cjrlc.org
- Tools to help libraries evaluate their services
- Our staff, available Monday through Friday, 8:30 to 4:30, to
help you
Our services are always changing and growing in response to our
members' needs.
Let us know what we can do to help you! |
