Having Your Voice Heard: Underserved Minority Members

Register for the 11/28/2023 session →

Program Description: Being an ally comes in many forms. Hear from minority members who work in libraries about their experiences and how they found their voice in the field.

Learning Objectives:

• Addressing people using their appropriate pronouns
• How to manage microaggressions in the workplace
• Identifying and taking action to address racism

By the end of this workshop, participants will be able to:

• Learn vocabulary to talk without gendered terminology
• Demonstrate empathy to others
• Become an Ally!

Panelists:

• Pham Condello has been a presenter and trainer for over 15 years and has been working in the library world for over 20.  She has presented all over the US, including Hawaii where she was the Children’s Services Coordinator for the Big Island of Hawaii. Currently she works for the Old Bridge Public Library as the Coordinator of Patron Services which is just a fancy name for the Head of Childrens, Teens and adults.  

• Carina Gonzalez (she/her) is a Senior Adult Services Librarian with the Piscataway Public Library. Her passions in librarianship include social justice, access, and intellectual freedom. She began her career as an Elementary Library Media Specialist followed by being a High School Library Media Specialist. She then went on to become an Outreach Academic Librarian before finally finding her home in public librarianship. Carina is an accomplished writer, professional web designer, and entrepreneur. You can learn more about her at www.librariancarina.com.

• Nicole Marconi is the Collections Manager at the Hoboken Public Library. She previously worked as the Access Services Manager also at the Hoboken Public Library, and the Head of Youth Services at Newark Public Library. She is a career changer, having a thirteen year career as a professional stage manager on Broadway, Off-Broadway, and regional theater productions. She hosts cooking and knitting tutorials at her library every month. In her spare time, she enjoys hanging out with her cats and singing along to musical theater soundtracks. 
• Ashley Mitchell (she/her) is an Adult Services Librarian at Camden County Library System. She has been working in libraries for over 20 years with experience in Circulation Services, Technical Services, and Adult Services. Ashley is extremely passionate about diversity, equity, inclusion, belonging, and accessibility – she is the leader of her library’s Diversity & Inclusion Team and the NJLA Equity & Mentorship Task Force. Ashley is also active in the NJLA Diversity & Outreach Section and the Library Workers of Color Section. Ashley eagerly seeks out enriching cultural experiences in her free time and she loves cats!
• Melaina Squicciarini (they/them) is a Youth Services Librarian specializing in Teens at the Highland Park Public Library. Their special interests are collection development, particularly YA novels featuring main characters who are queer and/or people of color, take & make crafts, Star Wars Day programs, attending and presenting professional development, ensuring everyone feels welcome at the library, and interacting with authors through social media, conferences, and book launches. Melaina is currently serving on the 2024 Rainbow Round Table Book Committee and as Member at Large on the YA Services Section of NJLA.

Register for the 11/28/2023 session →

How to use Google Photos

See a demonstration of how to access and use Google Photos. Topics covered will include uploading images, changing settings, sharing photos, and staying organized. Presented by Crystal Hooper, branch manager at SCLSNJ.

Register for the 12/7/2023 session →

Having Your Voice Heard: Interpersonal Skills through Empathy

Register for the 12/19/2023 session →

Program Description: To Come

Learning Objectives: To Come

By the end of this workshop, participants will be able to: To Come

Panelists: 

• Carina Gonzalez (she/her) is a Senior Adult Services Librarian with the Piscataway Public Library. Her passions in librarianship include social justice, access, and intellectual freedom. She began her career as an Elementary Library Media Specialist followed by being a High School Library Media Specialist. She then went on to become an Outreach Academic Librarian before finally finding her home in public librarianship. Carina is an accomplished writer, professional web designer, and entrepreneur. You can learn more about her at www.librariancarina.com.

• Ashley Mitchell (she/her) is an Adult Services Librarian at Camden County Library System. She has been working in libraries for over 20 years with experience in Circulation Services, Technical Services, and Adult Services. Ashley is extremely passionate about diversity, equity, inclusion, belonging, and accessibility – she is the leader of her library’s Diversity & Inclusion Team and the NJLA Equity & Mentorship Task Force. Ashley is also active in the NJLA Diversity & Outreach Section and the Library Workers of Color Section. Ashley eagerly seeks out enriching cultural experiences in her free time and she loves cats!

• Melaina Squicciarini (they/them) is a Youth Services Librarian specializing in Teens at the Highland Park Public Library. Their special interests are collection development, particularly YA novels featuring main characters who are queer and/or people of color, Star Wars Day programs, attending and presenting professional development, ensuring everyone feels welcome at the library, and interacting with authors through social media, conferences, and book launches. Melaina is currently serving on the 2024 Rainbow Round Table Book Committee and as Member at Large on the YA Services Section of NJLA.

• Ruth Ware: To Come

Design Techniques for Canva Users

Register for the 2/27/2024 session →

Discover new design techniques in Canva to help you create branded materials for your Library programming, resources, and events. We will review main design principles and explore the basic functions of Canva.

Presenters:

• Carolyn Donchevich has been a graphic designer for over 20 years and has worked for several well-known retail companies including Tommy Hilfiger, Ann Taylor, and One Kings Lane where she helped to drive business and support company goals through effective marketing collateral and internal communication pieces. Donchevich graduated cum laude from Binghamton University with a Bachelor’s degree in Graphic Design and English, where literature was also a large focus of her studies. Great design and photography have always been an influential part of Donchevich’s life and she loves to inspire and guide others to discover their own design potential. Contact: [email protected]

• Jennifer Amorese-Berrios is the System Training Coordinator for the Somerset County Library System of New Jersey where she creates and implements useful training sessions across all ten SCLSNJ branches. Previously, Amorese-Berrios worked at SCLSNJ for approximately four years as a Youth Services Library Assistant. In this role, she would spark childrens’ interest in reading and learning as well as connect with the local community through various fun and educational programs. Before working at SCLSNJ, she had an Environmental Education internship with the Raritan Headwaters Association where she discovered her passion for teaching inspiring programs and community engagement. Amorese-Berrios is currently a graduate student pursuing her MLIS degree through San Jose State University. She graduated cum laude from Rutgers University with a Bachelor of Science degree in Environmental Planning and Design. She enjoys creating art, taking nature walks with her husband, reading, and spending quality time with her adorable pet hedgehog and cat. Contact: [email protected]

Register for the 2/27/2024 session →

LibraryLinkNJ AI Series – Webinars

LibraryLinkNJ and LibraryLinkNJ Tech Advisory Group (L-TAG) are pleased to announce webinars on AI topics they will host this upcoming fall and winter! All content will be continually updated with the latest news, developments, and techniques.

Jim Craner, Library Technologist with the Galecia Group, will be presenting these webinars, and each attendee will use the Galecia Group’s integrated PLAID AI training & experimentation platform so you can try while you learn!

• Target audience: Any LLNJ member library staff who is interested in the workshop topic(s)
• Cost: $10/person to register for each session
• Registration:
  • Registrations for these webinars open at 9am on Monday, September 25, 2023
  • Registration is limited to 20 people for each webinar
  • Registration requires a user account login. If you don’t have an active user account with us, please use this online form to create one

CREATING AI IMAGES FOR YOUR LIBRARY Thursday, January 25, 2024, 2-4pm2-3pm: Live, 1-hour instructional webinar3-4pm: “Open Lab” practice sessionLearning Objective: Acquire the skills to create engaging and compelling images for library marketing materials using AI tools.Master the use of AI tools like DALL-E2 and Midjourney to create and edit images for your library’s promotions. Learn about mask/fill techniques, copyright issues, and AI features in existing tools such as Canva. You’ll use the Galecia Group’s PLAIDapp interface to access OpenAI’s DALL-E2 image service to create your own images in this session.

AI INTEGRATION WITH LIBRARY DATA AND OPERATIONS Thursday, February 8, 2024, 2-4pm2-3pm: Live, 1-hour instructional webinar3-4pm: “Open Lab” practice sessionLearning Objective: Understand how to integrate AI services into library operations for enhanced efficiency and effectiveness.Explore the integration of AI into your library’s existing tools, processes, and operations to maximize efficiency. Learn about building a chat-powered knowledge base, ILS integration, discovery layer possibilities, and chatbots in Slack and Teams. You’ll use the Galecia Group’s PLAIDchat interface in this class so that you can immediately try what you’ve learned.

Become a Virtual NJALA Presenter!

Are you interested in becoming a virtual presenter? 

• Do you need to place to test a planned presentation on a captive audience?
• Want to collaborate with other library workers on an assigned topic? 
• NJALA is here to help you do it!

The New Jersey Association of Library Assistants hosts monthly virtual presentations on a variety of topics relevant to library workers. We are seeking virtual presenters to speak on many topics. 

Please fill out the questionnaire below to submit a presentation proposal. Email [email protected] with questions and our Digital Liaison, Crystal Hooper, will get back to you.

Curious, but not-sure about this yet? Here are some fast-facts about our virtual presentations:

• Sessions last for 1-hour (including Q&A).
• NJALA Committee Members moderate the event.
• The virtual platform is hosted via Zoom.
• Presentations get recorded and added to our YouTube video archive. Your session can skip the recording by request. Check out our previous sessions here. 
• We’ll work with your schedule to pick the date and time of day to offer your presentation.

Want to present more than one topic? Fill out this form individually for each presentation idea!

Sign Up Here!