State Focused Action Plan

New Jersey 

FINAL 10/6/2012

In the State Forecast Survey, conducted by the Government Printing Office, 80% of New Jersey respondents indicated that their parent institutions had suffered budget cuts, but that they were providing the same or greater levels of service, even though 60% indicated that the cuts had resulted in reduced staffing levels.  Given these conditions, New Jersey’s State Action Plan, rather than requiring individual libraries to complete specified activities, will focus on group projects that will benefit all New Jersey depositories.  The Documents Association of New Jersey (DANJ) will coordinate the projects and place updates on its Web page– http://www.danj.org.  All New Jersey depositories are, of course, invited to participate in the project(s) of their choice. 

Initiative 1: Depository Promotion   - All libraries 

Actions/Plans:

1.1. DANJ will work with depository libraries to create a brochure, poster and/or other promotional materials to be distributed to New Jersey depositories.

1.2. New Jersey depositories will distribute DANJ-provided materials to local non-depository libraries. They will request feedback as to whether the materials were helpful, and communicate their findings to DANJ.

Initiative 2: Create online sources to help with common depository issues – all libraries

Actions/Plans:

2.1. Create a FAQ for the DANJ web page, including an exchange of reference questions that can be answered with government information.

2.2 Depository libraries will be encouraged to create FAQs and Pathfinders of their own, describing electronic and print resources available through the depository, where such resources do not already exist.  DANJ members will assist with this if the library desires.

2.3. Add a page to the DANJ website listing new sources for the information found in discontinued resources (such as the Sourcebook of Criminal Justice Statistics).

2.4 – Several Libraries indicated on their Library Forecast Surveys that they do small-scale or on-demand digitization.  DANJ will investigate creating a unified archive of these items.

2.5. Update the “New Librarian’s Starter Kit”

Initiative 3: Increase collaboration and training opportunities for depository libraries – all libraries

Action/Plans:

3.1. Continue to offer training and support through the six DANJ meetings held each year and offer excellent programs on government documents to the New Jersey and Tri-State library community through the DANJ annual fall conference.

3.2. Investigate recording the DANJ annual conference in order to share the presentations with librarians who cannot attend, and to preserve them for future reference.

3.3. Increase attendance at the conference by:

            a. Creating a press release for the conference to reach a wider audience.

            b. Promoting the conference as a continuing education opportunity.

3.4. Create training videos and Powerpoint presentations on government documents, including reference, collection management and technical servicing of collections.  Powerpoints could be housed on the DANJ website. 

3.5 Send DANJ newsletter to all depositories, and possibly other audiences.

Initiative 4: Legacy Collections – libraries with legacy collections

Action/Plans:

4.1. New Jersey Depositories with legacy collections will provide a description of collection strengths to be included on the DANJ Webpage.

Participants:

 Geetali Basu, Susan Bucks, Ma Lei Hsieh, Sue Lyons, Deborah Mercer, Linda Oppenheim, Wen-Hua Ren, Laura Saurs, Susan White, Mary Fetzer

Reviewers:

Susan McCabe, Teri Taylor, Ellen Bonacarti, John Maxymuk, Dianne Oster, Mei Ling Chow, Beth Patterson, Ella Strattis, Ann DeRenzis, Sharon Tucker, David Hollander

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