M. Jerry Weiss Center
ACCESS THE M. JERRY WEISS CENTER BOOK REVIEWS
New Jersey City University dedicated the M. Jerry Weiss Center for Children's and Young Adult Literature in honor of Dr. M. Jerry Weiss, Distinguished Service Professor of Communications, Emeritus at NJCU. Dr. Weiss is a nationally recognized expert in the field of children's and adolescent literature and a pioneer in the field of Whole Language. The Center was dedicated and officially opened on October 5, 2006.
The M. Jerry Weiss Center for Children's and Young Adult Literature houses recently published books from a number of publishers. Members of the NJCU community, as well as local teachers and community members, are encouraged to visit the Center and are invited to browse and review the latest children's and young adult books. We also lend these latest titles to any member of the University community (including alumni) as well as educators/librarians and donors.
The administrative office of the Center, housing the majority of our collection, is located in room 103 of NJCU's Grossnickle Hall. The collection also includes books in the juvenile materials of NJCU's library which, once reviewed, move from the administrative office to the 3rd floor of the Guarini Library. Books which are part of the collection are designated with a book plate indicating that the materials have been donated as part of the collection. There is also a large collection of autograph copies donated to Jerry and the University by the authors in the special materials collection of the Guarini Library. Review the variety of materials available.
Mission
The M. Jerry Weiss Center for Children's and Young adult Literature, the Northeast's premier review center, offers a unique literature collection that encourages the exploration of children's and young adult literature and illustrations.
The M. Jerry Weiss Center strives to:
- promote the use of quality, authentic literature in the home and classroom;
- introduce pre-service teachers to the importance of literature in the curriculum;
- serve as a resource for teachers, media specialists, students, and parents seeking innovative ways to encourage children and young adults to explore quality literature; and
- create partnerships with and disseminate information to NJCU's community at-large, including school districts and parents.
Previous Guest Lecturers
The M. Jerry Weiss Center Lecture Series has hosted luminaries and laureates with expertise in children's and young adult literature. Some prominent guest lecturers:
- T. A. Barron
- Mohieddine El labbad
- Gregory Galloway
- Mel Glenn
- Laura Godwin
- Walter Dean Myers
- Sergio Troncoso
- Christopher Myers
- Yvonne Thorton
- Carlos Hernadez
- Leonard S. Marcus
- Richie Narvaez
- Betsy Lewin
- Neela Vaswani
- Daniel Nayeri
- Lisa K. Winkler
- Mike Wimmer
- Eric Velasquez
- Ted Lewin
- Thomas Chatterton Williams
- James Ransome
- Peter Maloney
- William Low
- Mark Teague
- Todd Strasser
- Jacqueline Woodson
- Felicia Zekauskas
- Leonard S. Marcus
- Alex Simmons
- Laura Vaccaro Seeger
- C. Alexander London
CONTACT US
Grossnickle Hall, Room 103
201-200-3548
weisscenter@njcu.edu
Ms. Lynn Zisa, Interim, Co-Director
Dr. Lace Cassidy, Interim, Co-Director
Ms. Jeanine Joyce, Administrative Assistant
HOURS
Monday-Friday: 8:30 am - 4:30 pm
Evening hours available by request
Closed on major holidays*
*Please note that if the M. Jerry Weiss Center is closed, books which are part of the collection may be found in the Juvenile Collection on the 3rd Floor of the Guarini Library.
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