About Joanne  

Joanne P. Roukens served as the Assistant Director for LibraryLinkNJ, The New Jersey Library Cooperative (LLNJ) in Piscataway, NJ from 2010 - 2019. LLNJ is a non-profit corporation connecting all New Jersey’s libraries to each other and the resources they need to serve their communities.  Its members are multi-type libraries and library-related agencies located in the twenty-one counties of New Jersey.  Joanne’s primary responsibility was coordinating the statewide continuing education program. Previously she was the Executive Director of the Highlands Regional Library Cooperative (HRLC) in Denville, NJ.  HRLC provided resources, services, expertise and continuing education programs to 975 member libraries in a seven-county region in northern New Jersey. She began her tenure at HRLC as the Program Coordinator in charge of continuing education.  Joanne was with the Morris County Library (Whippany, NJ) for 14 years. Serving in a variety of professional capacities, her last position with the library was as the Public Education Coordinator/Supervising Librarian Circulation Services. Resume available on request.

Joanne has a BA in History from Ramapo College of New Jersey, concentrating in ancient Near Eastern studies. Her childhood ambition was to be an archaeologist. Having every intention of doing graduate work in ancient Near Eastern history, language and literature, she changed her mind for the wider job opportunities offered in librarianship.  Clearly the pursuit of copious monetary rewards was not one of her career goals. Joanne did her Masters degree in Library Studies at Rutgers University.  

Joanne’s professional path changed in the 1990s, while working at the Morris County Library.  When the library was closed to the public for a few days for new carpet installation, she was asked to coordinate and conduct staff development activities.  She loved the experience. In 1998, she attended the Train-the-Trainer multi-day workshop conducted by the New Jersey State Library. It was a life changing experience. She went on to earn a Certificate in Training from the New Jersey Department of Personnel and became the Co-Coordinator of the New Jersey Train-the-Trainer Program from 2001 - 2005. 

Joanne was the New Jersey Library Association’s 2007 Librarian of the Year.  She also received the President’s Award from the New Jersey Association of School Librarians in 2017.  Two of the proudest moments of her career.

Joanne has a keen interest in many things, but especially in film and has a wide knowledge of film history.  If assigned to start library services on the Moon, she would be sure to bring with her copies of Lawrence of Arabia, Seven Samurai and Now Voyager.  

A very proud member of the Library Gods & Goddesses Trivia Team, her contribution is expertise in classic film, literary detectives/classic mysteries, British history, and food. Joanne is still waiting to apply her deep knowledge of royal tiaras in a competition. 

She is a devoted fan of the authors Ray Bradbury, Dorothy L. Sayers and Jane Austen. She shares her life with wonderful friends and family, and misses her late friend the silver toy poodle Mr. Darcy very, very much.