About the State Library

The New Jersey State Library, an affiliate of Thomas Edison State University, is led by State Librarian Jennifer R. Nelson and provides services for NJ libraries, the state legislature and government employees, Thomas Edison State University staff and students, and registered borrowers.

Welcome to the New Jersey State Library’s website!

The State Library of New Jersey envisions a future in which all New Jerseyans have access to exceptional library services and to the information resources they need to achieve their personal, educational and professional goals. Here’s what we do to achieve this vision:

  • Serve as the principal library of state government – The State Library Information Center’s mission is to preserve and facilitate public access to state government information and provide library resources and services that support the operational needs of state government agencies and Thomas Edison State University employees and students.
  • Build the capacity of all libraries in the state – Our Library Development Bureau coordinates programs for libraries to help them increase capacity to serve their local communities. These sections facilitate the administration of state and federal grants, and provide statewide services such as: continuing education and training for library directors, staff and trustees, interpretation of library law and legislation, interlibrary loan, statewide online electronic resources, statistics and surveys, and the development of statewide programs, pilot projects and special initiatives that support key areas of continuing need.
  • The New Jersey Talking Book & Braille Center is a special public library that circulates books and magazines especially made for persons who cannot use regular printed material because of a visual or physical disability.

We invite you to look around our website to discover some of the incredible resources we make available.

We encourage you to use our services:

  • Visit the State Library in Trenton to make use of our nationally noted genealogy collection.
  • Visit our online library from your computer to see state publications and genealogy materials.
  • Do you have a friend or relative whose eyesight is failing? Contact the Talking Book and Braille Center and sign them up for this free service.
  • Finally, visit and support your local public library. It is the best deal in town (free!) and I bet that you will find something to surprise and delight you.

Libraries continue to be anchor institutions in our communities that provide access to knowledge and lifelong learning through our collections, our services and our relationships with civic and business organizations. Enhancing this infrastructure and building on our collective strengths our goal in order to enable libraries to improve the health of New Jersey and make the region stronger.


These opportunities are made possible in part with funds provided by the Institute of Museum and Library Services, administered by the New Jersey State Library.