#new jersey libraries

[librarylinknj]

Grumpy Cats Here! Get Your Freshly Bagged Grumpy Cats!

chplib's Grumpy Cats are THE grumpiest cats. You would be, too, if you were polybagged like that!

[librarylinknj]

Kate Tkakic's ears must surely have been burning this morning. I think I recommended this starter pack about 20 times! Thanks for participating in today's Tech Speed Dating workshop, NJ library peeps! (w/a special shout-out to Melissa & the gang at chplteens.)

[librarylinknj]

Cinderella For A Day: A Beautiful Partnership

Three years ago, community member Natasha Celestin-Civil approached Paterson Free Public Library's Teen Librarian Michelle Petrasek with the idea of hosting a prom dress drive and giveaway for the city’s teen girls. Cinderella For A Day was originally conceived as a small event, but thanks to a successful collaboration with local merchants and community members, the program has outgrown the Library’s meeting room and will now be held at Whole Life Community Church. Michelle is especially pleased with this development, since the church offers “a big hall, a changing area, storage space, on-site parishioners who help sort the gowns by size, a pastor and other strong men to carry piles of dresses around the building for us, and access to a kitchen area so that we can provide more refreshments!”

Petrasek has registered 110 girls for this year’s event -- up from 30 in 2012 -- and she and Celestin-Civil have accepted dresses from colleagues, library patrons, parishioners at their churches, local businesses and more. Petrasek is particularly proud of the positive outcomes from the program: “We make sure every girl leaves with a dress. Staff & volunteers from both the Library and the church work the event, helping girls when they come out of the dressing room, and helping them choose dresses that suit their body type. Additionally, many girls win raffles for free makeovers, thanks to the generosity of local salons & hairdressers. Moms and daughters rave about their experiences every year.”

More photos from this weekend. And from 2012's event.

[njlibraryroadshow]

ALL libraries are welcome to participate. Step 1 - Let your staff know you are participating in Snapshot Day on October 24, 2012. Build up the excitement! Step 2 - Visit our wiki: http://njla.pbworks.com/Snapshot

Print out the form (http://fs19.formsite.com/njla/form250483359/index.html), review it with your staff and keep copies at all of your service desks. Step 3 - Keep up to date. “Like” us on Facebook for updates: http://www.facebook.com/njlibrarysnapshot, join the conversation using Twitter hashtag #NJSD12, and follow the discussion on the NJ Library Roadshow Tumblr blog at: http://njlibraryroadshow.tumblr.com/ Step 4 - Participate on October 24, 2012 (or whichever date you've selected). Check out what other states have done on other Snapshot Day's across the country: http://www.ala.org/advocacy/advleg/statelocalefforts/snapshotday/state Step 5 - Submit your statistics, comments from customers and photos by November 7, 2012. (It's easy! Step-by-step instructions and helpful handouts on our wiki) Step 6 - While the day and activities are fresh in your mind, USE the results! Great ideas at http://njla.pbworks.com/w/file/59942626/20easyways2012.doc

[njlibraryroadshow]

Warming the cockles of my heart today:

Colleagues excited to go on this crazy adventure with me & Andy!

Colleagues working together to develop an amazing itinerary showcasing some of the best stuff going on in NJ libraries!

Colleagues being 100% game to dive right in & learn how to tumbl!

Thank you so much, NJ State Library peeps Tiffany, Cathi, Sharon & Gary!

CC-licensed image by Flickr user silence86. Thank you, too!