Simply Amazing

Final Report to the State Librarian
Blue Ribbon Task Force on the Future
September 2008

The New Jersey State Library’s Blue Ribbon Task Force on the Future met for the first time on September 27, 2007. The Task Force was charged with recommending how libraries could meet the projected changes occurring in NJ, now and in the future. These changes included serving groups of library members who are increasingly diverse and older. Over the course of six months, the 25 participating professionals on the task force, from all types of libraries, explored other trends and how libraries could fully utilize technological advances to better serve the public.

The Task Force was conceived to follow up on the ground-breaking work of the Mid-Atlantic Library Futures Conference organized by a consortium of six state libraries from the mid-Atlantic region that took place in May 2007 in Atlantic City. The New Jersey State Library provided a leadership role in this conference.

After the Futures Conference, excitement ran high among many of the attendees who then wanted to meet again in June to brainstorm and share ideas on the future of NJ libraries. After this meeting, State Librarian Norma Blake decided to create this special task force to better prepare NJ libraries for the changes occurring in the demographical and technological world and to help them find ways to better serve New Jersey’s government, libraries, and residents. Librarians were invited to apply to participate on the task force. Over 50 librarians statewide applied, but the State Library decided to limit its size to 25 members to keep it a workable number.

The members of the Task Force were: Marian Bauman, Neptune Public Library, Mary Lynn Becza, Somerset County Library, Alka Bhatnagar, Camden County Library, Cathy Boss, Jersey Shore University Medical Center, Judy Cohn, UMDNJ Library, Heather Craven, Union County College, Cindy Czesak, Paterson Public Library, Ranjna Das, Burlington County Library, Janie Hermann, Princeton Public Library, Leslie Kahn, Newark Public Library, Amy Kearns, Central Jersey Regional Library Cooperative, James Keehbler, New Providence Library, Melissa Kopecky, South Orange Public Library, Carol Nersinger, East Brunswick Public Library, Eileen Palmer, Libraries of Middlesex Consortium, Paul Pattwell, Newark Public Library, Roz Pelcyger, Glen Rock Public Library, Karen Pifher, Somerset County Library, Nicole Politi, Ocean County Library, Kathy Schalk-Greene, Mount Laurel Library, Julie Senack, Atlantic City Public Library, Andrea Simzak, Rutgers SCILS student, Valerie Smith, Roxbury Public Library, Dale Spindel, Kenilworth Public Library, Sara Weissman, Morris County Library.

The Task Force met monthly from September 2007 to March 2008 and covered many topics of current and future relevance to libraries. During the meetings, a series of guest presenters interacted with Task Force Members on issues and trends that will impact on libraries. Each meeting included time for small group discussion, group recommendations, and consensus building on the major areas of importance. The Task Force came to a consensus on various recommendations for future services and initiatives for the New Jersey State Library. The recommendations were then presented by the Task Force to the State Librarian and the NJ library community at the New Jersey Library Association Conference in April.

The following are the key recommendations of the Blue Ribbon Task Force. The New Jersey State Library should:

• Continue to identify the most compelling issues facing libraries today and in the future and will convene task forces and focus groups to discuss these issues.
• Act as a clearinghouse for information, taking on the role of seeking out and providing resources and experts. NJSL will provide supportive training materials and offer a forum where libraries can exchange ideas.
• Convene summits open to outside agencies and organizations on topics which

will serve to identify libraries as the solution to various problems statewide.

• Fund a “Technomobile,” a van outfitted with technology that can be used as a wireless training lab. The van will travel to underserved rural and urban areas of the state. It can also be used at special events and in partnership with other organizations, i.e. health organizations could offer workshops using the training lab. The van would also be equipped with podcasting and videocasting equipment. The State Library should also offer a “Gadget Garage” to demonstrate new technology.
• Create a portal for use by residents, offering federated searching and more. For example, when looking for information about recycling, it will offer information about books available in the local library, articles available through JerseyClicks, the address of the local recycling center, organizations that support recycling, etc. The portal will be searchable by keyword, town name, zip code, and topic. It will also contain a database of local experts (ex- expert gardeners, teachers, etc.)The portal will be a database of “social capital” and be interactive, incorporating elements of “Library Thing,” allowing users to add content.
• Explore the possibility of a Statewide Library Card, investigate the potential of World Cat and develop an open source catalog.
• Fund the use of Geographic Information Systems in at least one urban and one rural area of the state to help the libraries identify members of their community who are/are not using the library and to help identify necessary outreach efforts.
• Fund “Transformation Grants” in libraries that want to transform their customer service model and/or their physical space. Transformations could include: a Netflix model for service, the use of concierge desks in libraries, a Deweyless library, kiosks outside of library buildings or drive-up window, new teen spaces, transit station outposts, SWAT Teams of Library Transformers, longer library hours, and unique ways of removing barriers to library service.

Peggy Cadigan, Consultant for Innovation and Communication
Tina Keresztury, Associate State Librarian
Co-Facilitators, Blue Ribbon Task Force on the Future