HPPL Participates in NJLA

NJ Library Association announces Incoming President, Highland Park Library Director

Incoming NJLA President Kate Jaggers accepting the President’s Badge of Honor from current President Jen Schureman Brenner.

The signature event of the New Jersey Library Association is their Annual Spring Conference, which took place this past June 3 and 4, attracting over 600 librarians, library workers, Trustees, Friends, students and vendors to an all-virtual platform for the first time in the Association’s 130-year history. And this year, Highland Park Public Library staff participated in a big way!

HPPL Director Kate Jaggers was formally introduced as the NJLA President, with her single-year term beginning at the start of the fiscal year on July 1, 2021. In her installation speech during the President’s Welcome program on June 3, Kate shared little-known details of some of NJLA’s traditions and history, and shared her vision for the Association’s future. Her 2021-22 Presidential theme “Embracing Opportunity” highlights engagement, mentorship, and inclusion.

Kate extends her gratitude to outgoing NJLA President Jen Schureman Brenner, retired Executive Director Pat Tumulty, and current Executive Director Juliet Machie, as well as HPPL Board President Helen Rovner for their professional support and encouragement. She says, “I couldn’t possibly take on the roles in leadership that I have–especially at this time–without the guidance of those who came before, including NJLA’s long history of strong Past Presidents, and the support of my Board of Trustees and Highland Park Library staff. I’m also lucky that my husband and four-year-old allow me so much freedom to stretch my librarian wings!”

Kate Jaggers sat on the NJLA Executive Board for the past eight years, as Member at Large, Secretary, and most recently Vice President/President-Elect. Since becoming an active member in 2005, her involvement in NJLA has included a wide variety of committee work, multiple years chairing the Annual Conference, and leadership in the Young Adult Services Section.

Part-time Librarian Jennifer Larsen is the incoming President of the Readers Advisory Section of NJLA, and Youth Services Librarian Karen Jarzabski is also taking on a leadership role for the 2021-22 year as Member-at-Large for the Children’s Services Section. (Karen has previously held a seat on the Young Adult Services Section Executive Board as well.) And Valeri Drach Weidmann, Circulation Coordinator, was a first-time presenter as part of a panel highlighting “Community, Clubs, & COVID” on June 3 at this year’s Conference.

Established in 1890, NJLA (www.njla.org) is the oldest and largest library organization in New Jersey. NJLA advocates for the advancement of library services for the residents of NJ, provides continuing education and networking opportunities for library workers, and supports the principles of intellectual freedom and promotes access to library materials for all.

Job Opportunities

There are no employment vacancies at this time. Please check back!

The Borough of Highland Park and Highland Park Public Library are Equal Opportunity Employers (EOE). Applicants must comply with the “New Jersey First Act.” All Highland Park Borough employees over 18 are required to complete a background check and hiring is contingent on a clean record. All employees between the ages of 14-18 require working papers.

Update on Library Closure due to COVID-19

MARCH 16, 2020

As recommendations and reports are changing hour-by-hour with regard to the risk of COVID-19 (Coronavirus), your public library is prioritizing the health and safety of patrons and staff.

Following the lead of many other government and public agencies, Highland Park Public Library remains closed to the public for the time being. Staff will now only be available by email to provide reference and informational services. Please email us at highlandparklib@gmail.com or adultref@hpplnj.org, and we promise to reply within 24 hours.

We ask that you do NOT return any materials at this time. The outdoor book drop will be locked throughout the rest of the building closure. While the risk of transmission through surfaces is not extremely high, we are being as cautious as possible for the safety of library staff. All due dates have been extended through mid-April, with continued extensions forthcoming as necessary. There will be no fines charged during this time.

The library continues to provide many online resources. If you are a resident of Highland Park and do not have a library card, but would like to freely download ebooks and audiobooks, as well as access other valuable databases, please email us for a temporary card number. Keep your eye on our online newsletter and Facebook for more details about making the most of our virtual resources. (Share this message and encourage others to sign up for our online newsletter.)

As a reminder: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, as well as the World Health Organization, stress the importance of practicing social distancing and discontinuing large gatherings in order to slow the rate of transmission, lowering the number of active cases at one time. The simple act of closing our physical doors and keeping staff at home temporarily can help us avoid overwhelming the healthcare system. For a more detailed explanation, please visit flattenthecurve.com. The most current and best possible resource for all information related to COVID-19 still remains through the CDC: www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/index.html.

Please email us with any questions, or visit us online at www.hpplnj.org.

Thank you for your patience during a time of uncertainty. Please keep yourselves safe by staying home, limiting interactions with others, washing your hands, and taking care of each other in whatever ways you can.

Coronavirus/COVID-19 Resources

State and Local Resources

New Jersey COVID-19 Information Hub: The State of New Jersey has put together a list of resources about the COVID-19 virus including testing sites, signs and symptoms and FAQs about social services. From this hub you can access COVID-19 specific unemployment information and information on employees that might be hiring during the crisis and much more. https://covid19.nj.gov

The Department of Health 24-hour hotline for coronavirus-related questions and concerns: 1-800-222-1222

Middlesex County Updates
www.middlesexcountynj.gov/Government/Departments/PSH/Pages/2019-CoV.aspx

Resources from the New Jersey State Library
https://libguides.njstatelib.org/covid2019

NJ Dept of Health information for schools and businesses www.nj.gov/health/cd/topics/covid2019_schoolbusiness.shtml

NJ Parent Link – Navigate Parenthood, Navigate New Jersey Updates on Covid-19 and many other topics geared to parents and caregivers.

NJ Division of Taxation- following the federal government the state is working to extend the filing until July 15. Check their website for up to date information. https://www.state.nj.us/treasury/taxation/

End of Life Care– The New Jersey’s Quality Healthcare institute COYL program has a digital toolkit with some great resources to help open up the discussion on End Of Life care and make the topic of advance care planning much more comfortable for all. Five Wishes, a great document that helps you prepare for the end of life is being provided for free.

Federal and Other Resources

MEDLINEPLUS – Consumer health site of the National Library of Medicine
https://medlineplus.gov/coronavirusinfections.html

MedlinePlus in Spanish, French, Arabic, Russian, and Mandarin Chinese
https://medlineplus.gov/languages/coronavirusinfections.html

Centers for Disease Control- CDC pages with links on how disease is spread, symptoms, prevention. The site also provides updates including U.S. and global hotspot locations and travel risks. www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/index.html

World Health Organization- FAQs from WHO, the United Nations public health agency (available in English, Spanish, French, Arabic, Russian, and Mandarin Chinese)
www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus-2019

Internal Revenue Service- The IRS has information on Coronavirus tax relief. The deadline to file your Federal Income tax has been extended until July 15, 2020. https://www.irs.gov/

Letter from the Library Director: March 16, 2020; March 13, 2020

Update from the Library Director: May 18, 2020

Details of phased Reopening Plan, approved by Library Board of Trustees, June 10, 2020

Update from the Library Director: June 14, 2020

Announcing Our New Director

Highland Park Public Library Names Kate Jaggers New Director

Open House – Sunday March 22 from 2-4pm

The Board of Trustees of the Highland Park Public Library today announced that Katherine M. Jaggers has been appointed Director of the Library. She succeeds Jane Stanley, who retired in December.

“Kate Jaggers brings a sterling record of improving library services, engaging community members and other stakeholders, and managing the increasingly complex operations of today’s library, all of which is central to our mission,” said Library Board President Helen Rovner. “She has first-hand experience building budgets, managing fundraising efforts and contributing to effective communication and marketing strategies—skills that will be invaluable as we pursue an ambitious strategic plan.”

On March 22, from 2 to 4 pm, the Library will host an open house to which all members of the public are invited to meet the new director.

“I’m honored to be joining an institution that prides itself on providing the kind of welcoming space, diverse programs, rich collections and up-to-date technology that help make Highland Park such a great place to live,” said Ms. Jaggers. “And I’m excited about the opportunity to work closely with the community, library patrons and the dedicated staff as we embark on the next chapter in the Library’s commitment to excellent public service.”

Prior to taking the helm of the Highland Park Library, Ms. Jaggers served as Associate Director of Piscataway Public Library in Piscataway, NJ. She began work there in 2011, holding a series of positions of increasing responsibility, including Senior Librarian, Adult/Young Adult Department; Supervising Librarian, Head of User Services; and Interim Library Director.

Ms. Jaggers’ professional experience also includes serving as Young Adult Librarian at Franklin Lakes Public Library, Library Associate at the Paterson Free Public Library, and Library Assistant at Clifton Public Library. She is active in the New Jersey Library Association (NJLA), currently serving on its Executive Board. The daughter of a children’s librarian, she earned a Master of Information and Library Science degree from Rutgers University and a Bachelor of Psychology degree from the College of New Jersey.

Library Receives Funding to Develop Youth Coding Programs

Highland Park Public Library received $500 from the American Library Association (ALA) to help plan and implement coding activities during Computer Science Education (CS Ed) Week 2018 (December 3-9) and beyond. Highland Park Public Library is one of 250 school and public libraries around the country to receive this micro-funding from Libraries Ready to Code, an initiative of the American Library Association sponsored by Google.

Coordinator of Adult Services, Sherry Johnson said, “We are very excited to be involved in this program. Libraries should be at the forefront of computer science because we have the ability to reach people that don’t have access to Coding in their homes and schools. This type of program from ALA and Google will help libraries reach out to people who need training for today’s job market. ”

“ALA is pleased to provide micro-funding to Highland Park Public Library and other Ready to Code libraries,” said ALA President Loida Garcia-Febo. “We hope this micro-funding will not only generate enthusiasm for CS Ed Week, but spark year-round programming to develop critical thinking and digital skills youth can draw on over a lifetime.”

Highland Park Public Library will jumpstart CS Ed Week with a program on Monday, December 3 at 4:30, but the library will highlight computer science all week and we will continue to offer computer science programming in the future. For more information on Monday’s program or to register contact Sherry Johnson or Karen Jarzabski at adultref@hpplnj.org or 732-572-2750.

Earth Day 2018 with Artist Coleen Tyler

Artist Coleen Tyler helped families with grade school children assemble a window wave from single use plastic bags at a library environmental workshop. The recycled art work they created, inspired by Japanese Artist Hokusai, is on display in the Children’s Room. Many plastic bags are swept into our rivers and oceans and often end up in the Great Pacific Ocean Garbage Patch, which is made up of 80% plastic bottles, bags, and other products. The community worked together to spread awareness of this environmental danger. Check out our Big Wave in the Children’s Room and borrow The Plastic Ocean, an environmental film available at the library.

Coleen Tyler and big plastic wave

An Engagement at the Library

Goldberg engagement
Sylvie said “Yes”. Benjy Goldberg asked his girlfriend Sylvie Sapadin to accompany him to an art exhibit at the library. With the help of Coordinator of Adult Services Sherry Johnson, he was able to arrange the room with their photos. It’s now official, and the library has its first engagement!