This paper presents selected key findings of the first phase of a multiphase research study commissioned by the New Jersey Association of School Librarians (NJASL) in 2009 and undertaken by the Center for International Scholarship in School Libraries (CISSL) at Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey. The overall research agenda seeks: (a) to construct a picture of the status of New Jersey's school libraries and the work of school librarians in the educational landscape of New Jersey, (b) to understand the contribution of quality school libraries to education in New Jersey, (c) to understand the contextual and professional dynamics that inhibit and enable school libraries to contribute significantly to educational agendas, and (d) to make recommendations to key stakeholders to develop a sustained and long-term program of capacity-building and evidence-based continuous improvement of school libraries in New Jersey. (Contains 4 figures and 1 table.)