Virtual Meeting, Books & Reading Community of Practice

In 2025, the New Jersey Council for the Humanities will begin to host quarterly meetings of a community of practice for librarians, family and ESL literacy educators, and book lovers from all walks of life. These virtual sessions will be provided as a platform for professionals engaged in public reading and discussion programs to share their experiences, build a collective knowledge base for learning from each other’s practices, and connect with each other and NJCH. Through discussions moderated by the group facilitators and NJCH staff, the sessions will provide an opportunity to network with like-minded professionals, share challenges and successes in this program area in the state, and discuss strategies for strengthening public awareness of the importance of books and reading in the current moment.

At this first-ever meeting of the community of practice, new members are invited to gather virtually to get to know one another, share challenges and successes from their respective organizations, and to establish common ground for future discussions and group meetings. The group facilitators, Debra Lampert-Rudman (Executive Director, People and Stories / Gente y Cuentos) and Joy Robinson (Principal Librarian – Adult Services, Piscataway Public Library), will invite participants to consider what makes a “successful” public reading and discussion program, and to collectively imagine what success can look like in this programmatic area.

If you require accessibility services, please contact Sylvester Cruz, NJCH Grants and Partnerships Coordinator: scruz@njhumanities.org.

RSVP

Please RSVP using the form below.

To join the COP, please complete the COP interest form at https://njhumanities.org/programs/in-the-weeds/#cop.