CONTENTS 1. Save NJ Libraries 2. Celebration of 25 Years of Service 3. 1st INFOLINK LIB CUP Gaming Tournament 4. Tech Talks 2010   1. Save NJ Libraries March 16, 2010 changed the landscape of our libraries and our lives. With his FY11 proposed budget, Governor Christie started the library community on a tilt-a-whirl of advocacy, analysis, angst, strategy, defense, and offense. Unprecedented budget cuts impacted the regional library cooperatives and multi-type libraries across the network resulting in the heartbreak of job losses, service reduction or elimination, and structural reorganization. Encompassed in a cloud of uncertainty, each of us is striving to serve our users while we await the final shape of state and local budgets. Massive advocacy efforts may mitigate some of the damage. Join your INFOLINK colleagues on May 19th to hear the latest budget updates; to share successful tactics; to report the ramifications of local funding cuts; and to reenergize for a final advocacy push. Advocacy Rally INFOLINK Spring Membership Meeting Wednesday, May 19, 2010 Monroe Township Public Library           1:30—2:30     Networking and Catered Refreshments           2:30—3:15     Business Meeting including a short presentation by                                the INFOLINK Gaming Task Force           3:15              Advocacy Rally with State Librarian Norma Blake,                            Pat Tumulty, NJLA Executive Director and YOU! RSVP by May 14 to carol@infolink.org or call the office to register. [ back to top ] 2. Celebration of 25 Years of Service INFOLINK – with our dedicated Executive Board, determined office staff, stellar committees, and exceptional library staff in over 900 member libraries – celebrates twenty-five years of service. April 25, 1985 was the launch of the Union Middlesex Regional Library Cooperative under the direction of Gail L. Rosenberg. Five other cooperatives followed soon thereafter. INFOLINK, its member libraries and the other amazing members and staff of the New Jersey Library Network point proudly to: user-centered, service-focused libraries with local networks and websites that offer a multitude of online resources – onsite and remote; with reliable Internet access – both wired and wireless; with library spaces as library places; proactive library administrators who plan strategically; network effectively; experiment purposefully; and, manage efficiently; & trained library staff who practice Web 2.0 skills, who demonstrate a commitment to the full diversity of actual and potential users; who go beyond library walls to search for and locate information and resources; who share resources proficiently; and who are highly valued by the users they serve. Colleagues—one and all — take a bow. Cheryl O’Connor, INFOLINK Executive Director [ back to top ] 3. 1st INFOLINK LIB CUP Gaming Tournament by Allen McGinley, Piscataway Public Library Wii favorite Super Smash Bros. Brawl was the focus of a regional library gaming tournament in eastern New Jersey recently. On April 17, 2010, INFOLINK (The Eastern New Jersey Regional Library Cooperative) sponsored a video game tournament at the Elizabeth Public Library. Total attendance was 50, including parents, siblings, and random competitive gaming enthusiasts. The Brawl competitors consisted of 19 teens and tweens, representing six different area public libraries: Cranbury, Hillside, Piscataway, Sayreville, Scotch Plains, and Summit. [ See more photos on Flickr! ] The broadest competition was in League 1 (the middle school bracket, grades 6-8) which featured a draw of 16 blood-thirsty tween combatants. League 1 began with four seeding matches, each consisting of four players all brawling at the same time, to determine ranking seeds. The final bracket was set up NCAA basketball March Madness-style with east, west, north, and south divisions, each with players ranked 1-4. Once seeding was determined, the tournament entered the bracket mode and featured one-on-one, single elimination competition. This bracket featured upsets-galore and ended with just four players remaining by noon. After lunch was served, the afternoon began with League 2 (the high school bracket, grades 9-12). Though not as deep as the tweens, with only 3 participants making the trek to Elizabeth, League 2 featured competition that was just as fierce. This bracket featured a 3-brawler seeding round, with all three teens competing simultaneously. Once seeding was determined, League 2 moved straight to the bracket competition with a 2 v. 3 match, followed by the winner competing against the 1 seed in the final. Seeds held true in this bracket with Demetrius Pettway (Cranbury Public Library) defeating Anthony Sasso (Sayreville Public Library) in the finals. Fueled by a chocolate brownie inspired sugar rush and pure middle school gaming blood lust, the afternoon session culminated with the final four playoff from League 1. When the dust settled, it was Kyle Bolton standing atop the tournament bracket with a victory over fellow-Piscataway Public Library gamer Matthew Buys. Testing was not done for performance-enhancers, but there must be something in the water in Piscataway, NJ. This tournament was the culmination of the Lib Cup 2009-2010 gaming season, which featured 13 participating libraries. In addition to Lib Cup, INFOLINK is also responsible for a Gaming Service that loans video game equipment to central NJ libraries. This service began in March 2009, and is scheduled to end May 28, 2010 after fulfilling its projected goals. [ back to top ]   4. Tech Talks 2010 Mi-Sun Lyu, Program & Services Coordinator This Spring INFOLINK and the INFOLINK Technology Committee scheduled four Tech Talk Sessions; three of these Tech Talks are presented by the members of the INFOLINK Technology Committee.  On April 6, our own prestigious Doug Baldwin, Cranbury Public Library and Allen McGinley, Piscataway Public Library led two Tech Talk sessions  at the East Brunswick PL --- 1) Local History Goes High Tech and 2) Engaging Users with Digital Media: Ideas for Practical Podcasts and Vodcast. In the morning, Doug and Allen presented Local History Goes High Tech, exploring how libraries can use technology to update their history collection and make it more accessible to their community. They also showcased a variety of successful projects to reinvigorate local history, including podcasting oral histories, scanning newspapers and other historical documents, and integrating digital historical images with Google Maps to create an Interactive Community Map. [ See more photos on Flickr! ] Doug and Allen also led Engaging Users with Digital Media: Ideas for Practical Podcasts and Vodcasts which followed in the afternoon.  They discussed practical projects using podcasting and vodcasting tools, including fun teen programs, presenter promos, patron interviews, prerecorded "shows", as well as recordings of library programs and events. Both Tech Talks were enhanced by the speakers’ offering many different aspects of the topics. During the demo sessions at the end of each program, the presenters shared practical and useful tips for the recording and editing process along with how and where to share creations on the web. They also provided ideas on how you can generate content for library users at minimal cost using technology and web resources. Forty people attended and each program received solid evaluations. As a follow-up on the discussions during the Tech Talks, Doug and Allen created a wiki (http://librarylounge.pbworks.com/Tech-Talk-2010) where people can access presentation materials and resources related to those topics.  INFOLINK and the INFOLINK Technology Committee encourage members use this wiki as a place to share projects that you do or will do at your own libraries using technology tools like podcasting and vodcasting. Two more Tech Talks will be offered this Spring as below: - Google Wave, Wed., May 5 @ Rahway PL - Drupal in Libraries, Tue., May 18 @ Rahway PL All INFOLINK Tech Talks are provided at no charge, but registration is required.  Find more details on our CE page at: http://www.infolink.org/services/education_and_training/   Fall CE Schedule and Workshop Descriptions at: http://www.infolink.org/services/education_and_training/ CE Online Registration at: http://www.infolink.org/services/education_and_training/registration_form/ [ back to top ]   INFOLINK The Eastern New Jersey Regional Library Cooperative 44 Stelton Road Suite 330 Piscataway, NJ 08854 www.INFOLINK.org Phone: 732-752-7720 or 1-866-505-LINK FAX: 732-752-7785 or 1-800-793-8007 Staff Cheryl O’Connor, Executive Director Mi-Sun Lyu, Program & Services Coordinator Nanette Cox, Business Admin Carol Fishwick, Members Services Executive Board Roberta Bronson Fitzpatrick, President Phyllis Aronowitz Sheila Fitzgibbon Judith Gardner Elizabeth Gloeggler Mark Jackson James Keehbler Dorothy Key Mary Lewis John Malar Lina Podles Caroyln Ryan Reed Pat Reilly JoAnn Tropiano