JP Porcaro’s CV

John Patrick “JP” Porcaro is a proven team-builder who can energize ideas, motivate people, and deliver results.

last updated January 2023

EDUCATION

MLIS, Rutgers School of Communication and Information, New Brunswick, NJ. 2006.
^{Took all Master’s level coursework required by NJ to become a certified School Media Specialist.}
BA in Philosophy, New Jersey City University, Jersey City, NJ. 2003.

AWARDS & RECOGNITIONS

• Bayonne Library awarded $1 Million grant through the New Jersey Library Construction Bond Act, 2021.
• Awarded Tenure in New Jersey City University Library, 2015. 
• New Jersey City University Core Values Team Award, 2013. 
• Library Journal Mover & Shaker, 2012. 
• American Library Association Emerging Leader, 2010.

BUDGETING & FISCAL EXPERIENCE

• Administers budget of the Free Public Library and Cultural Center of Bayonne, which has seen an increase from $1.85 million in FY 2018 to $3.02 million in FY 2023 – nearly double.
• Secured / oversees $1 million in grant funding from NJ Construction Bond Act. This included securing $1 million in matching funding, $650k of which was provided by a bond approved by Bayonne City Council. The total of cost of the construction project is over $3 million, which is not a small undertaking.
• Introduced fundraising platform integration into Bayonne Library’s website.
• Administered all purchasing for the New Jersey City University Guarini Library from 2011-2018. The purchasing budget was around $500 thousand per year.

WRITING

• Candidate’s Statement. American Libraries, Mar/Apr 2015, 16-17.
• Small Steps Make It Happen, EveryLibrary Blog, Feb 2014, online.
• New York Comic Con 2011. School Library Journal, Jan 2012, 20-21.
• First Amendment Rights. School Library Journal, Jan 2011, 23-24. 
• Fostering Community Engagement from $500. Booklist Feature, Nov 2010, online.
• The Pokémon Generation. School Library Journal, May 2010, 24-25.

INFLUENCE AND INTERVIEWS

• Highlights of running for American Library Association President include Reddit AMA, Hiring Librarians interview, a statement for American Libraries magazine, ACRL interview, Library Journal “meet the candidates,” & podcast with Carson Block.
• Worked with Librarian Wardrobe’s blog on the slate.com “This Is What A Librarian Looks Like” photo essay, Slate’s highest-trafficked photo essay ever, in 2014. This became the book that is now
• Made flavorwire.com’s “10 of the Coolest Librarians Alive” list, 2013.
• Named a “New Jersey Library Legend” while serving as the guest on NJ State Librarian Norma Blake’s monthly podcast, 2012.
• Two larger-scale Facebook projects I undertook (but am not currently involved in) are the creation of the NJLA Facebook page in 2009, and the creation and moderation of social media’s largest group for librarians, Library Think Tank, from 2010-2018.
• Worked as a credited researcher for the film “War Against The Weak”, based on the book “War Against the Weak – Eugenics and America’s Campaign to Create a Master Race” by NY Times Bestselling Author Edwin Black. This is why I have a legitimate IMDB page. 2006 – 2009.

EVERY SPEAKING & MODERATING ENGAGEMENT (I think I remembered them all!)

(2013 – 2017). Moderator, with Patrick Sweeney, American Library Association’s Annual Conference & Midwinter Meeting “Ignite” sessions. (These sessions were routinely the most well-attended non-keynote sessions at their respective events)

(2015, April 28). “Making It Happen Where You Are” Featured Speaker, Connecticut Library Association Conference.

(2015, April 17). “Inspiring Change, Advocating Goodness, Making It Happen” Closing Keynote, Kentucky Library Association Academic and Special Sections and Special Library Association Kentucky Chapter 2015 Joint Spring Conference.

(2015, March 31). “Making It Happen Where You Are” Webinar presented on behalf of New York Library Association Conference.

(2014, December 19). “Library Leadership At All Levels” Webinar presented on behalf of Gale Cengage for their Gale Geek Webinar series.

(2014, December 6). Keynote for Special Libraries Association Michigan Chapter holiday luncheon, Dearborn, MI.

(2014, December 5). “Inspiring Change, Advocating Goodness, & Making It Happen” Presentation on behalf of Gale Cengage and the Library of Michigan, Farmington Hills, MI.

(2014, June 29). “Professionalism is Killing the Profession” Presenter for Conversation Starter, American Library Association Conference, Las Vegas, NV.

(2014, June 3). “New Job Titles for 21st Century Librarians” Panel Member for Presentation at the New Jersey Library Association Conference, Atlantic City, NJ.

(2013, October 23). “Making It Happen Wherever You Are” Webinar presented on behalf of the Leadership Development Forum and New Member Round Table of the Virginia Library Association.

(2013, June 5). “I Can Borrow What?” Panel Member for Presentation at the New Jersey Library Association Conference, Atlantic City, NJ.

(2013, March 24). “How to Run a Tournament: Bringing Together Your Local Community” Panel member for Presentation at PAX East Video Game convention, Convention Center in Boston, MA.

(2013, February 27). “Emerging Technologies and Trends in the Library World” Panel Member for Presentation at Rutgers MLIS Colloquium, New Brunswick, NJ.

(2013, January 26). “Something Awesome TBA” Ignite Session on Gamification, American Library Association Midwinter Meeting, Seattle, WA.

(2012, December 13). “50 Awesome Things for Kids and Teens” Keynote for Essex County Children’s Librarians group, South Orange, NJ.

(2012, December 6). Keynote for Nassau County Library Association Young Adult Services Division’s annual brunch, Uniondale, Long Island, NY.

(2012, October 8). Keynote for Westport Public Library’s staff development day, Westport, CT.

(2012, October 4). “Make It Happen – Take Action” Panel Member for The Library 2.012 Worldwide Virtual Conference.

(2012, July 10). “Digital Libraries – Connectivity, Convergence, Confluence” Virtual Member for Panel Discussion at the Library Management Institute Summer Conference, Philadelphia, PA.

(2012, June 7). “2012 NMRT Online Program: Professional Networking for New Librarians” Panel Member for ALA’s New Member Round Table annual webinar series.

(2012, June 6). “Visualize it: Information & Operations” Panel Member for Presentation at the New Jersey Library Association Conference, Atlantic City, NJ.

(2012, June 5). “50 Awesome Things” Panel Member for Presentation at the New Jersey Library Association Conference, Atlantic City, NJ.

(2012, May 8). “50 Awesome Things” Panel Member for Presentation at the Connecticut Library Association Conference, Groton, CT.

(2012, April 18). “The Future of College Libraries: Serving Undergraduate Students” Panel Member for Rutgers SCARLA program, New Brunswick, NJ.

(2012, March 22). “Visualize it: Information & Operations” Panel Member for Presentation at the Computers in Libraries Conference, Washington, DC.

(2012, March 16). “What Makes a Collection? Redefining the Library through the Collection” Panel Member for Presentation at Public Library Association Conference, Philadelphia, PA.

(2012, February 1). “Mobile Gaming in Libraries” Handheld Librarian Online Conference.

(2012, January 17). Spoke on “ALA Think Tank” and “#makeithappen” for IFLA “New Librarians Global Connection: best practices, models and recommendations” quarterly webinar series.

(2011, October 13). “Video Game Collection Development for Libraries” Panel Organizer and Moderator at New York Comic Convention, Jacob Javits Center, New York, NY.

(2011, October 13). “National Gaming Day @ your library: Using Video Games and Comic Books as Library Outreach Tools” Panel Organizer and Moderator at New York Comic Convention, Jacob Javits Center, New York, NY.

(2011, October 3). Lead discussion group on ALA’s Emerging Leaders program titled “#makeithappen”, New England Library Association conference, Burlington, VT.

(2011, June 26). “Video Games for Teens in the Library” YALSA Pecha Kucha presentation at the American Library Association Conference, New Orleans, LA.

(2011, June 25). “#makeithappen” American Library Association Emerging Leaders Summit, New Orleans, LA.

(2011, May 12). “Using Gaming and Graphic Novels to Market Library Services” Library Association of Rockland County Conference, Nanuet, NY.

(2011, May 3). “Video Games in Libraries: Collection Development and Community Engagement” New Jersey Library Association Conference, Long Branch, NJ.

(2011, May 2). “#makeithappen” National Library Unconference Day ’11 Virtual Keynote.

(2011, May 2). “Gaming in Libraries: Programming, Marketing, Collection Development & the Future” Connecticut Library Association Conference, Stamford, CT.

(2011, January 7). Co-facilitated the 2011 American Library Association Midwinter Unconference titled Remixing Libraries, San Diego, CA.

(2010, November 17). Guest Speaker for Rutgers Association of School Librarians’ colloquium on “Librarianship Choices”, New Brunswick, NJ.

(2010, November 17). “Pokémon, Learning, and Libraries” Webinar presented on behalf of Infolink for their continuing education class offerings.

(2010, October 18). “10 Technologies Every Librarian Should Know” Panel Member for Presentation at the NJLA Adult Services Forum, Manalapan NJ.

(2010, October 18). “Video Game Collection Development 101” NJLA Adult Services Forum, Manalapan NJ.

(2010, October 8). “Why Graphic Novels Should Be In Your Library” Panel Member for presentation at the New York Comic Convention, Jacob Javits Center, New York, NY.

(2010, August 25). “Video Game Collection Development 101” Webinar presented on behalf of the Nebraska State Library Commission for their NCompassLive series.

(2010, June 28). “Pokémon, Learning, and Libraries” American Library Association Conference, Washington, DC.

(2010, June 28). “Using Gaming as a Tool for Libraries and Classrooms” American Library Association Conference, Washington, DC.

(2010, June 27). “Video Game Collection Development: The Basics” American Library Association Conference, Washington, DC.

(2010, June 27). “Using Gaming and Graphic Novels to Market Library Services” American Library Association Conference, Washington, DC.

(2010, June 25). “ASCLA 21st Century Grant” Poster Session at the American Library Association Conference, Washington, DC.

(2010, April 27). “Using Gaming and Graphic Novels to Market Library Services” New Jersey Library Association Conference, Long Branch, NJ.

(2010, April 17). “Getting Your Graphic Novel Collection Started: How To Select, Shelve, And Promote Great Lists For Kids, Tweens, Teens, and Adult Collections” Panel Member for presentation at the Chicago Comic & Entertainment Expo, Lakeside Center, McCormick Place, Chicago, IL.

(2010, April 16). “Using nontraditional media to teach literacy skills to boys (and girls!)” Chicago Comic & Entertainment Expo, Lakeside Center, McCormick Place, Chicago, IL.

(2010, April 13). “Crafting Online Personas” Computers in Libraries Conference, Arlington, VA.

(2010, March 13). “Gaming: All Libraries & All Ages” Presented webinar on behalf of 8bitlibrary.com.

(2009, October 28). “How to Stream your Presentations on the Internet,” NJLA Ref, Tech & Tango Adult Services Forum, Manalapan NJ.

(2009, June 12). Won BattleDecks competition at Pres4Lib Library Presentation Camp, Princeton Public Library, Princeton, NJ.

(2008, April & October). “A Perfect Fit: Programming That Fits Your Community and Your Budget”, Panel Member for Infolink Continuing Education Classes, Livingston, NJ.

(2007, March). Guest Speaker for Rutgers Association of School Librarians’ colloquium on “Youth Services in New Jersey”, New Brunswick, NJ.

(2006, April 25). “Recruiting for Libraries – What Have We Learned?”, Panel member for presentation at New Jersey Library Association Conference, Long Branch, NJ.

(2004, October 4). “How Public Libraries Can Help Homeschoolers”, Panel member for presentation at the NJLA Youth Services Forum, Manalapan, NJ.