Author: Dennis Mark

  • Now on View: “Sandy Rodriguez: To Translate the Unfathomable” Exhibition

    Sandy Rodriguez artwork.
    Sandy Rodriguez, “Map for the Migrants Captured, Caged and Abused in I.C.E. Detention Centers in So. Califas, 2020-21” (from Codex Rodriguez-Mondragón, 2017- ), 32.5 x 47 inches, hand-processed watercolor on amate paper. Courtesy of Studio Sandy Rodriguez. Collection of Joshua Tree Highlands Artist Residency.

    Douglass Library is proudly hosting “Sandy Rodriguez: To Translate the Unfathomable” in the Mary H. Dana Women Artists Series Galleries. The exhibition will be on view through April 7, 2023.

    About the Exhibition

    The Rutgers Center for Women in the Arts and Humanities is pleased to announce that renowned artist Sandy Rodriguez has been named the 2022–23 Estelle Lebowitz Endowed Visiting Artist at Rutgers. The Lebowitz program annually brings to the university community and general public the work and ideas of exceptional women artists through solo exhibitions, lectures, and short campus residencies.

    Rodriguez’s recent work consists of maps, botanical studies, and figural compositions painted in hand-processed watercolors on amate paper with techniques, forms, and pigments of Mesoamerican manuscripts produced by the Mexica people and other Mexican natives in the first century after the Conquest of Mexico (1519–21). The exhibition is curated by Tatiana Flores, Director of the Center for Women in the Arts and Humanities and Professor of Art History and Latino and Caribbean Studies, and advised by Camilla Townsend, Distinguished Professor of History and Director of the Rutgers Working Group of Hemispheric Indigenous Studies. The exhibition will be Rodriguez’s first solo show on the East Coast and will be accompanied by an online catalog with an essay by Townsend.

    Venue Information

    The Mary H. Dana Women Artists Series Galleries are located in the Mabel Smith Douglass Library (8 Chapel Drive, New Brunswick, NJ 08901). The galleries are free and open to the public. Hours are Monday–Thursday, 9:00 a.m.–8:00 p.m.; Friday, 9:00 a.m.–6:00 p.m.; Saturday, 1:00 p.m.–3:00 p.m. (by appointment only) and are subject to the university libraries operating schedule. Further information about the exhibition, event RSVP/parking, and accessibility services can be found at cwah.rutgers.edu. Please direct all inquiries to womenart@cwah.rutgers.edu.

    About the Program

    The Lebowitz program is funded in part by the Estelle Lebowitz Memorial Fund, endowed in 1999 by Professor Joel Lebowitz, Director of the Center for Mathematical Sciences Research, Rutgers University, in honor of his late wife, artist Estelle Lebowitz. Sponsored by the Center for Women in the Arts and Humanities, Department of History, and the Institute for the Study of Global Racial Justice. Co-sponsored by the Center for Latin American Studies, Department of Art History, Department of Latino and Caribbean Studies, Department of Spanish and Portuguese, Institute for Women’s Leadership, Rutgers Advanced Institute for Critical Caribbean Studies, and The Language Center. The Mary H. Dana Women Artists Series is a program of CWAH in partnership with Rutgers University Libraries.

  • Rutgers University Libraries Celebrate Black History Month

    RUL Black History Month 2023 sign.

    The Libraries commemorated Black History Month with webinars, exhibits, and social media posts. Below are some highlights:

    Black History E-book Display at Robeson

    Photos courtesy of Rutgers–Camden’s Center for Urban Research and Education (CURE).

    Black History Month Display at Robeson 1 - Credit CURE

    Black History Month Display at Robeson 2 - Credit CURE

    Black History Month Display at Robeson 3 - Credit CURE

    Black History Month Display at Robeson 4 - Credit CURE

  • IJS Partners with NJPAC to Host Monthly Jazz Jam Sessions at Clement’s Place

    Clement's Place Jazz Jam Sessions (courtesy of Gregory Burrus).
    Jazz Jam Sessions at Clement’s Place (courtesy of Gregory Burrus)

    The Institute of Jazz Studies (IJS) is partnering with the New Jersey Performing Arts Center (NJPAC) to host “Jazz Jam Sessions” at Clement’s Place. Sessions are held on the third Thursday of each month. The 10-month performance series runs from September 2022 through June 2023.

    Jazz Jam Sessions is directed by pianist and bandleader James Austin Jr. and feature some of the Garden State’s finest jazz musicians. Musicians and singers of all levels are encouraged to jam and improvise with the professional band throughout the night.

    Admission is free, but guests must RSVP to attend. For more information, please visit this link. Follow IJS on Facebook to watch live streams of the jam sessions and on Eventbrite to stay up to date with the latest performances.

    Upcoming Schedule

    • Thursday, March 16, 2023: RSVP
    • Thursday, April 20, 2023: RSVP
    • Thursday, May 18, 2023: RSVP
    • Thursday, June 15, 2023: RSVP

  • Libraries Celebrate Love Data Week

    RUL Love Data Week 2023

    Love Data Week is an international celebration of data. Every year during the week of Valentine’s Day, institutions and others interested in data host and participate in local data-related events. The Libraries have been promoting the event since 2016. Laura Palumbo, chemistry and physics librarian/science data specialist at the Library of Science and Medicine, organized the effort to showcase the Libraries’ data workshops. Since this year’s theme was “Data: Agent of Change,” Laura posted a list of data resources about social justice issues on the Speaking of STEM blog.

    Please visit this link to read more about the Libraries’ Love Data Week celebration.

  • New Social Media Pages

    RUL social media.

    To help the Rutgers community stay connected with the Libraries, we established two new accounts (LinkedIn and Mastodon) and replaced an old one (Facebook). Please follow and share the social media accounts below to spread the word about our exceptional resources and services!

    New! Facebook: facebook.com/RULibraries (Facebook deactivated our old page without a clear explanation)
    New! LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/rutgerslibraries
    New! Mastodon: mastodon.social/@rutgerslibraries
    Twitter: twitter.com/RULibraries
    Instagram: instagram.com/rutgerslibraries
    YouTube: youtube.com/c/RutgersLibraries
  • Spring 2023 Workshops

    RUL spring 2023 workshops.

    Want to learn a new skill or refresh an existing one? Enroll in our free workshops today at libraries.rutgers.edu/workshops!

    Rutgers University Libraries’ spring 2023 workshops feature instructors, presenters, and subject-matter experts from our Camden, Newark, New Brunswick, and Health Sciences libraries. Our workshops are open to all members of the Rutgers community and offer instruction in:

    • Topics such as the digital humanities, data science, health sciences, Black history, library research, research papers, citation management, career development, digital privacy, software training, the Open and Affordable Textbooks Program, and more.
    • Research tools and methods such as Python, R, GIS, CINAHL, NVivo, data visualization, data management plans, systematic reviews, and more.

    Most of these workshops will be held online; several offer hybrid options. Please check back often as new workshops are added throughout the semester.

  • Apply for OAT Program Awards Now!

    OAT Program statistics.

    Rutgers University Libraries’ Open and Affordable Textbooks (OAT) Program has saved students more than $6.25 million to date. OAT is an incentive program that awards research funds to Rutgers faculty who either redesign their courses for affordability or develop new open textbooks. All Rutgers faculty are encouraged to apply and help the Libraries reduce the barrier of textbook affordability for even more students. Applications for OAT funding are open now through April 12, 2023, for the OAT Program Awards and May 17, 2023, for the OAT Authoring Awards.

    OAT Program Awards

    The OAT Program awards $1,000 in research funds to full- or part-time faculty/instructors or curriculum developers at Rutgers who make their courses more affordable through low-cost materials, library content, or open educational resources.

    Using open educational resources (OER) in your teaching is an impactful way to provide equitable access to learning materials, ensuring that all your students have a fair chance at meeting their academic goals and removing financial barriers that disproportionately affect students in marginalized groups. These resources also give you more control over your course content and enhance the student experience by allowing you to incorporate a broader, more diverse set of ideas and perspectives into your teaching.

    Learn more about the OAT Program Awards here.

    Deadline: April 12, 2023

    OAT Authoring Awards

    In addition to the course redesign awards, we offer $3,500 research fund awards to Rutgers faculty who create and develop a completely new open educational resource (OER) textbook by writing, developing, and creating the textbook and any relevant supplemental materials. Open textbooks are licensed by authors and publishers to be freely used and adapted. The award proposal should demonstrate a direct benefit to Rutgers courses, programs, and departments.

    Learn more about the OAT Authoring Awards here.

    Deadline: May 17, 2023

    Apply Today!

    For more information or to apply, please visit the OAT Program website at libraries.rutgers.edu/open-textbooks.

  • New Tools and Sites to Support Your Science Information Work

    Janel Mittelstedt, virtual reference librarian at Rutgers University Libraries, recently discovered several online resources of potential interest to colleagues working in the sciences. Below is a collection of science-oriented artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) research tools and platforms she curated:

    Research
    • Elicit: elicit.org (free account required)
      • Semantic search engine for literature review workflows, apparently based on Semantic Scholar. Results can be exported to Excel, and the engine can summarize papers as well.
      • Does not return the same results as Google Scholar, and seems to have limited access to articles published before 1995. Currently includes 175M papers.
    • SciSpace: typeset.io
      • AI assistant to summarize, explain, and analyze 8M+ papers.
      • Includes a writing platform with free/paid options.
    • Research Rabbit: researchrabbit.ai
      • A free platform to find, collect, visualize, and keep up with research in your area(s) of interest.
    Writing
    • SciFlow: sciflow.net
      • Writing platform for scientific articles, with journal-specific templates for 2K+ publications.
      • Free plans are available for researchers and students, as well as institutional licenses.
    Publishing
    • Operta Accesum: Open-source tool to harvest OA preprints for inclusion in institutional repositories.
    • Jot Journal Targeter: jot.publichealth.yale.edu
      • A search engine for identifying potential publishers for a biomedical research manuscript, from the Yale School of Public Health.
      • The software is open source and available here: github.com/Townsend-Lab-Yale/journal_targeter
    Possible Time Savers
    • Magical: getmagical.com
      • Chrome extension to automate text/data entry
    • Scribe: scribehow.com
      • Chrome extension to create visual documentation/step-by-step guides
    Personal Knowledge Bases/Second Brains/Notes Management
  • Libraries Host Finals Week Stressbusters

    Rutgers University Libraries hosted numerous stressbuster events to help students destress during finals week. Students enjoyed copious free snacks and activities during their study breaks.

    RUL stressbusters ad.
    Finals week stressbusters promotional graphic.
    NBL Snack Bags 1
    Bags with delicious treats were given away at Alexander Library throughout finals week.
    RUL stressbusters ad.
    Free snack packs sign.
    NBL Library Mobile Swag Display
    Library Mobile swag on the Alexander Library lobby table during finals week.
    DANA Destress Fest Ad
    Dana Library participated in Rutgers–Newark’s annual Destress Fest at the Paul Robeson Campus Center.
    DANA Destress Fest 1 Table - December 14, 2022
    Students engage with Dana Library staff during RU–N’s Destress Fest.
    DANA Destress Fest 2 Button Making - December 14, 2022
    Dana Library staff offered button-making activities at RU–N’s Destress Fest.
    DANA Destress Fest 3 Button Making - December 14, 2022
    Dana Library staff make buttons at RU–N’s Destress Fest.
    DANA Destress Fest 4 Pano - December 14, 2022
    A panoramic view of RU–N’s Destress Fest in the Paul Robeson Campus Center.
    DANA Destress Fest 5 Sculpture and Stained Glass Party - December 21, 2022
    Students gather in the Dana Libary Café for stressbuster activities.
    DANA Destress Fest 6 Sculpture and Stained Glass Party - December 21, 2022
    Students enjoy stressbuster activities in the Dana Libary Café.
    DANA Destress Fest 7 Sculpture and Stained Glass Party - December 21, 2022
    Sign for the DIY Sculpture and Stained Glass Party at Dana Library.
    DANA Library Mobile Swag Display
    Library Mobile swag table at Dana Library.
    HSL Cookies Coffee and Cocoa Stressbuster - Graphic - December 12, 2022
    Health Sciences Libraries’ “Cookies, Cocoa, and Coffee” stressbuster promotional graphic.
    HSL Cookies Coffee and Cocoa Stressbuster - Staff - December 12, 2022
    Health Sciences Libraries staff await students at the “Cookies, Cocoa, and Coffee” stressbuster at Smith Library.
    HSL Cookies Coffee and Cocoa Stressbuster - Students - December 12, 2022
    Health Sciences students enjoy the “Cookies, Cocoa, and Coffee” stressbuster at Smith Library.
    HSL Cookies Coffee and Cocoa Stressbuster - Tables - December 12, 2022
    The “Cookies, Cocoa, and Coffee” stressbuster setup.
    Robeson stressbusters ad.
    Robeson Library stressbuster ad.
    ROB Pajamapalooza 1 - December 14, 2022
    Robeson Library’s “Pajamapalooza” stressbuster.

    ROB Pajamapalooza 1 - December 14, 2022

    ROB Pajamapalooza 2 - December 14, 2022
    Robeson Library staff at their table for the “Pajamapalooza” stressbuster.
    ROB Pajamapalooza 3 - December 14, 2022
    Robeson Library staff with the prize wheel at the “Pajamapalooza” stressbuster.
    ROB Woof Wednesday - Gizmo - December 14, 2022
    Gizmo dresses up as a reindeer during Robeson Library’s “Woof Wednesday” event.
    ROB Woof Wednesday - Marly - December 14, 2022
    Marly helps students destress during Robeson Library’s “Woof Wednesday” event.
  • NBL Shipping, Logistics, and IT Departments Holiday Party

    On December 9, the New Brunswick Libraries’ Shipping, Logistics, and IT departments held their annual holiday party and white elephant gift exchange. Guests enjoyed pizza, snacks, refreshments, and dessert in Alexander Library’s break room. The always-entertaining gift exchange featured many amusing and unusual items, encouraging much wheeling, dealing, and stealing. A good time was had by all!

    Shipping, logistics, and IT departments holiday party.
    White elephant gifts of many shapes and sizes surround the festive holiday tree.
    Shipping, logistics, and IT departments holiday party.
    Guests enjoy pizza, snacks, and refreshments before the white elephant gift exchange.
    Shipping, logistics, and IT departments holiday party.
    Luke Sangiamo, coordinator of shipping and receiving, explains the white elephant gift exchange rules.
    Shipping, logistics, and IT departments holiday party.
    Elena Schneider, events and program manager, thanks guests for attending the holiday party.
    Shipping, logistics, and IT departments holiday party.
    Ray George, shipping assistant, unwraps his gift.
    Shipping, logistics, and IT departments holiday party.
    Guests eagerly await their turn to choose or steal a white elephant gift.