Congratulations to Art Librarian Megan Lotts for having her drawing of Scott Hall (from inside the Art Library) selected for the cover of this month’s C&RL News! Read the newsletter at this link.
Author: Dennis Mark
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Rutgers University Libraries Announce Opening of Groundbreaking Hatchery Innovation Studio
IDEA students discuss a project in the Hatchery’s Learning Bar (Area 10). Photo by John Emerson. Rutgers University Libraries are proud to announce the opening of the Hatchery Innovation Studio, an innovation and creation center located in Alexander Library on the College Avenue campus. This new library space is the first of its kind at Rutgers and offers students a wide range of flexible, collaborative spaces to work on projects, practice pitches, and explore design and entrepreneurship ecosystems.
The Hatchery provides a stimulating environment where students can ideate; learn from each other, faculty, and industry innovators; and discover passions, challenges, and solutions. The 4,000-square-foot studio can accommodate up to 85 people and features 11 flexible meeting and creative areas; multimedia equipment, including a television, entertainment system, and computers; contemporary, modular furniture; dry-erase boards and art supplies; and a ping pong table.
IDEA students collaborate in the Hatchery’s Hub (Area 1). Photo by John Emerson. The Hatchery is a strategic partnership between Rutgers–New Brunswick Libraries and Rutgers’ Innovation, Design, and Entrepreneurship Academy (IDEA). The mission of IDEA is to integrate design and entrepreneurial thinking into the student experience. During the program, students participate in research, design challenges, and entrepreneurial thinking, as well as contribute to interdisciplinary projects focused on solving complex societal challenges.
To learn more about the Hatchery and to take a virtual tour, please visit libraries.rutgers.edu/hatchery.Grand Opening Celebration
On October 25, 2022, the Libraries celebrated the Hatchery’s grand opening with more than 60 guests. IDEA staff provided tours of the space, and IDEA students offered live project demonstrations.
Rutgers officers, staff, and faculty cut the ceremonial ribbon at the Hatchery’s grand opening celebration. Pictured from left: Abby Kucks, IDEA Program Coordinator; Veronica Armour, IDEA Director; Prabhas Moghe; Dee Magnoni; Francine Conway; Sunita Kramer, former Associate Vice President for Research and Experiential Education; Saundra Tomlinson-Clarke, Senior Vice Provost for Academic and Faculty Affairs; and Consuella Askew. Consuella Askew, Vice President for University Libraries and University Librarian, delivered welcome remarks, together with Prabhas Moghe, Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs; Francine Conway, Chancellor-Provost of Rutgers–New Brunswick; and Dee Magnoni, Associate University Librarian at Rutgers–New Brunswick Libraries. Three IDEA students—Fauzan Amjad ’24, Kritika Singh ’24, and Scott Rubin ’24—shared their experiences about the Hatchery and the IDEA program.
Consuella Askew. “The Hatchery is a unique space that developed from a partnership between the Rutgers University Libraries, Rutgers University Leadership, and IDEA,” Askew said. “It provides a dynamic environment serving as a third space for our students to connect with our library and disciplinary faculty members, and our community members, to engage in the innovation process.”
Askew noted, “The Hatchery would not have been possible without the generosity and support from University Academic Affairs and Rutgers–New Brunswick. I thank Prabhas and Francine for their ongoing contributions and advocacy of this unprecedented space and the Libraries.”
Prabhas Moghe. Moghe recounted the history of the Hatchery’s development and expressed his excitement for the new space and its potential for innovation.
Francine Conway. Conway discussed the Hatchery’s role within the university: “The Hatchery is directly aligned with Rutgers–New Brunswick’s Academic Master Plan in its vision of bringing students together from diverse schools and disciplines for valuable, hands-on problem-solving.” She added, “I am excited for this partnership that will help students unlock new skills, explore the subjects that most deeply interest them, and build valuable experience that will propel them into the future.”
Dee Magnoni. Magnoni expressed her gratitude to the university and the IDEA community: “The Hatchery is an innovation space that began with a conversation, took shape through a design process with IDEA students and staff, teaching faculty, and Division of Continuing Studies personnel. Consuella Askew provided the runway to proceed, Prabhas Moghe championed the effort, and Fran Conway supplied the scaffolding for our future success with the Rutgers–New Brunswick Academic Master Plan. Cheers to our tremendous collaborators, supporters, and partners!”
Read Magnoni’s Hatchery article at this link.
Veronica Armour, Director of IDEA, said, “We are excited for this partnership—IDEA is a first-year program that provides space for students to explore the innovation process by thinking about what problems they would like to solve. There is no better place for us to be situated than in the library to be able to build this community of student scholars, faculty, and industry mentors towards the discovery and exploration of interesting ideas.”
IDEA students gave presentations at the Hatchery’s grand opening.
Prabhas Moghe, Dee Magnoni, and Mukesh Patel, Assistant Professor of Professional Practice at Rutgers and Director of the Collaborative for Tech Entrepreneurship & Commercialization (CTEC), RSVP and Innovation Lab, with IDEA students in the Hatchery. 
Abby Kucks, Dee Magnoni, Sunita Kramer, and Veronica Armour at the Hatchery entrance. -
DEI Spotlight – December 2022
December 2022 Spotlight
The DEI Committee 2.0 was formed in late 2021 and comprises staff and faculty representing all Rutgers campuses. The committee’s mission is to:
- respect and foster perspectives that reflect varying backgrounds, identities, roles, and their intersections;
- create and support structures and behaviors that encourage equity, fairness, and justice; and
- promote an environment of belonging, respect, opportunity, and empowerment.
Reporting to the Vice President for University Libraries and University Librarian and the Libraries Leadership Team, the committee serves as an advisory body to the Libraries in support of RUL and university core DEI values and university priorities. In the past year, the committee worked with the RUL Human Resources department to review hiring practices and create a more inclusive work environment. The committee meets bimonthly and is currently working on its next charge, which will be announced soon.
Read the DEI Committee’s November 2022 Meeting Minutes
Read the DEI Committee’s October 2022 Meeting Minutes
DEI Committee Members
DEI Training and Events
Participate in the following training and events to expand your DEI knowledge:
Strategies and Tactics for Recruiting to Improve Diversity and Excellence (STRIDE) Workshop
Date: Wednesday, December 14, 2022
Time: 11:00 a.m.–1:00 p.m.This two-hour workshop reviews research-driven best practices to recruit for diversity and excellence across every stage in the search process and is designed to help faculty produce diverse candidate pools and run effective searches. STRIDE workshops are recommended for faculty members with key roles in faculty recruitment efforts (e.g., search committee chairs and members).
Babs Siperstein Humanities and Medicine Seminars
The Siperstein Seminars take an inclusive and intersectional approach to broaden the understanding of LGBTQIA+ issues to build healthcare workers’ capacity and knowledge base, thus increasing their ability to provide more comprehensive and holistic healthcare. To learn more about the seminars, please click this link.
Seminar: Transgender and Nonbinary Representation in Comics
Speaker: Tara Madison Avery
Date: Monday, December 19, 2022
Time: 6:00–7:00 p.m.Tara Madison Avery is a cartoonist, bi activist, and the publisher of Stacked Deck Press, an imprint devoted to comics of LGBTQAIU interest. As a cartoonist, Avery created the bi-themed webcomic Gooch and has published stories in several queer-themed comics anthologies, including We’re Still Here: An All-Trans Comics Anthology (which she co-edited and published), winner of the 2019 Ignatz Award for Outstanding Anthology. She was invited to the 2015 and 2016 Bisexual Community Briefings at the White House and was chair of the Los Angeles Bi Task Force from 2013 to 2015. Avery has also been a board member of Prism Comics, a nonprofit organization that promotes LGBTQ comics, comics creators, and fandom, since 2012. In her work with Prism Comics, she has moderated several LGBTQ-oriented panel discussions at comic conventions across the country, including the first all-transgender panel at San Diego Comic-Con in 2014.
Thank you to Kayo Denda, Head of the Margery Somers Foster Center and Librarian for Women’s Gender And Sexuality Studies, for organizing and promoting wonderful events.
World Braille Day
Date: Wednesday, January 4, 2023
World Braille Day is celebrated every year on January 4 to commemorate the birthday of Louis Braille, founder of the braille system. Braille is a tactile writing system used by people who are visually impaired.
DEI Reads
Check out what the DEI Committee is currently reading:
- “From Safe Spaces to Brave Spaces: A New Way to Frame Dialogue Around Diversity and Social Justice” (Chapter 8 of The Art of Effective Facilitation: Reflections from Social Justice Educators, edited by Lisa M. Landreman)
DEI Resources
Explore these resources to learn more about DEI:
- Rutgers University Equity and Inclusion: diversity.rutgers.edu
- Center for Diversity Education and Bias Prevention Workshops: nbdiversity.rutgers.edu/educational-workshops
- Racial Equity Institute: racialequityinstitute.org
DEI Spotlight Archive
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New Brunswick Libraries’ Celebration of Scholarship 2022 a Resounding Success
NBL’s Celebration of Scholarship 2022 was held in the Mabel Smith Douglass Room at Douglass Library. On October 26, New Brunswick Libraries (NBL) hosted their annual Celebration of Scholarship (COS) at Douglass Library to highlight and recognize the scholarly accomplishments of authors and creators across the wide range of disciplines at Rutgers–New Brunswick. More than 60 guests attended the event, which was held in person for the first time since the pandemic.
Associate University Librarian for New Brunswick Libraries Dee Magnoni welcomes guests and introduces keynote speaker Dr. Alan Robock. COS 2022 highlighted 256 submissions from all Rutgers–New Brunswick schools, including 135 journal articles, 84 monographs/books, 29 book chapters, seven sound recordings, and one film. These works were displayed in physical and virtual spaces at the library. Follow this link to view the submissions.
This year’s keynote speaker was renowned climate scientist Alan Robock, a Distinguished Professor of climate science in the Department of Environmental Sciences at Rutgers’ School of Environmental and Biological Sciences. Dr. Robock presented “Global Famine After Nuclear War,” a thoughtful discussion about the catastrophic impact of nuclear war on food security, and then answered questions from the audience.
Dr. Robock at the lectern. 
Dr. Robock presented “Global Famine After Nuclear War.” The co-sponsors who made this celebration possible are the Margery Somers Foster Center, Rutgers Global, and Rutgers University Press. To learn more, please visit the Celebration of Scholarship website.
The audience applauds after Dr. Robock’s keynote presentation. 
Dr. Robock answers questions following his presentation. 
NBL hosted its Celebration of Scholarship 2022 event at Douglass Library. 
Guests peruse the Celebration of Scholarship book submissions. 
Magnoni with Rutgers’ Vice Provost for Undergraduate Education Carolyn Moehling. 
Associate Professor Martin Gliserman of Rutgers’ School of Arts and Sciences looks over the book display at COS. 
Dr. Changlu Wang of Rutgers’ Department of Entomology with “Biology and Management of the German Cockroach,” a book he co-wrote with Chow-Yang Lee and Michael K. Rust. -
EVPAA Meets with RUL
On October 27, 2022, Prabhas Moghe, Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs (EVPAA), presented his vision and goals for the Office of the EVPAA (OEVPAA) to Rutgers University Libraries (RUL) staff and faculty. The information shared during this virtual meeting will be instrumental to RUL’s organizational strategies. To watch the presentation, please follow this link and click “EVPAA Meeting with RUL” under the Assessment, Reports & Communications section.
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President Holloway Delivers Address to University Senate at Alexander Library
On September 23, 2022, President Jonathan Holloway delivered his address to the University Senate in Alexander Library’s Teleconference Lecture Hall. Members of the Rutgers community were invited to attend the hybrid meeting.
The president spoke about serving and supporting students, recognizing differences, and serving the common good. He emphasized the importance of boosting student success and building a culture of collaboration at Rutgers.
“The more we do this work, the more we become a university where there is an established reputation of listening to and working with all of our constituents,” Holloway said. “Forging this reputation is part and parcel of building the beloved community that I asked us to aspire to become when I started my presidency. I stand by that aspiration and have been excited to see so many different members of the community embrace that ethos and join in the effort to improve this great university.”
Please click this link to read the Rutgers Today article.
The Rutgers University Senate is a universitywide deliberative body consisting of representatives of Rutgers faculty, students, staff, administrators, and alumni.
Photos by Nick Romanenko
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RUL Announces Launch of Library Mobile App
Rutgers University Libraries is pleased to announce the launch of Library Mobile, an innovative app designed to enhance the Rutgers community’s library experience. The new app delivers seamless integration with the Libraries’ vast resources and services, providing an intuitive interface with personalized content.
Library Mobile can be downloaded at libraries.rutgers.edu/app and is available for iOS and Android. After logging in with their Rutgers NetID, users can quickly access hours, study space reservations, course reading lists, and research assistance. The feature-rich app also allows users to conveniently search for content, manage their accounts, and stay up to date with library events.
Rutgers is proud to be the first North American institution to release the Library Mobile app, developed in partnership with Ex Libris, a leading global provider of cloud-based solutions for higher education and research. Feedback submitted through the app helps the Libraries to improve not only the app but also the resources and services it provides.
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Collective Yearning: Black Women Artists from the Zimmerli Art Museum
“The Sunflower Quilting Bee at Arles,” 1996, Color lithograph, Image and Sheet: 22 9/16 × 30 1/16 inches, Collection of Judith K. Brodsky. Gift of the @brodskycenteratpafa. ©2022 Faith Ringgold / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York, Courtesy ACA Galleries, NY. Collective Yearning: Black Women Artists from the Zimmerli Art Museum is on view through December 14, 2022, at Douglass Library and the Zimmerli Art Museum.
Featuring prints, photographs, and multimedia artworks, this exhibition is the first time the university has conducted a comprehensive and methodical review of its holdings of art by Black women artists. Many of the artists have ties to New Jersey, New York City, and Philadelphia, ranging from canonical figures such as Rutgers faculty and artists Emma Amos and Kara Walker to emerging artists Nona Faustine, Atisha Fordyce, and Daonne Huff. The exhibition is curated by Dr. Amber Wiley, Assistant Professor, Art History, Rutgers University, and her students Jasmine Daria Cannon, Kyle b. co., Helen Gao, Grace Lynne Haynes, Emily Hu, Grace Kim, Desiree Morales, Michael Randall, and Audrey Roclore.
Artists: Emma Amos, Chakaia Booker, Barbara Bullock, Elizabeth Catlett, Nona Faustine, Atisha Fordyce, Nefertiti Goodman, Daonne Huff, Margo Humphrey, Stefanie Jackson, Carmen Cartiness Johnson, Nadine DeLawrence Maine, Nell Painter, Howardena Pindell, Faith Ringgold, Betye Saar, Lorna Simpson, Shinique Smith, Renée Stout, Sharon E. Sutton (FAIA), Mickalene Thomas, Kara Walker, Bisa Washington, and Carrie Mae Weems
Main Exhibition
Mary H. Dana Women Artists Series Galleries, Douglass Library
8 Chapel Drive, New Brunswick, NJ 08901
Hours: Monday–Friday, 9:00 a.m.–6:00 p.m.; weekends by appointment only. Hours are subject to the university libraries operating schedule.
Admission: Free and open to the public**Student tour guides, trained under the direction of student curator Kyle b. co. as part of the Douglass Faculty Fellows Program, will take place in the Douglass Library (Mary H. Dana Women Artists Series Galleries) through December 9 during the following times: Monday–Thursday, 4:00–6:00 p.m., and Friday, 4:30-6:00 p.m. No reservation is required for a tour, but if you would like to schedule a tour outside of the scheduled times, please email kco@mgsa.rutgers.edu to inquire. Availability of tour guides is limited outside of the set tour times.
Satellite Exhibition
Focus Gallery, Zimmerli Art Museum
71 Hamilton Street, New Brunswick, NJ 08901
Hours: Saturday and Sunday, 12:00 p.m.–5:00 p.m.; Wednesday and Friday, 11:00 a.m.–6:00 p.m.; Thursday, 11:00 a.m.–8:00 p.m.; closed Monday and Tuesday.
Admission: Free and open to the public
Website: zimmerli.rutgers.eduA series of special events with guest speakers, panel discussions, and roundtables will be held on November 9. For more details and to view the schedule, please visit zimmerli.rutgers.edu.
This exhibition is sponsored by the Center for Women in the Arts and Humanities and the Zimmerli Art Museum. Funding was provided by Douglass Residential College, the Institute for the Study of Global Racial Justice, and an anonymous donation. Co-sponsored by the Institute for Women’s Leadership. The Mary H. Dana Women Artists Series is a program of CWAH in partnership with Rutgers University Libraries.
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Stephen Modica Contributes to Systematic Review
Stephen Modica (MLS), Health Sciences Librarian at the George F. Smith Library of the Rutgers Health Sciences Libraries, is a contributing author on a recently published Systematic Review (SR) entitled, Exercise in the Aquatic Environment for People With Primary Hip Osteoarthritis: A Systematic Review and Meta-analyses. Osteoarthritis arthritis (OA) of the hip affects 31 million Americans, and aquatic exercise is one of the options to manage this condition. The literature search for this SR began in the spring of 2015 using Ovid MEDLINE, CINAHL, and PEDro (Physiotherapy Evidence Database), illustrating the time it takes to complete an SRed. Stephen contributed to the methodology, and the final search strategies are published in the article. Stephen has been a Librarian for Information and Education Services at Smith Library since 1997.
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Dr. Consuella Askew Named Vice President for University Libraries and University Librarian
President Jonathan Holloway and Executive Vice President Prabhas Moghe make historic appointment for new leader of Rutgers University Libraries
Rutgers University has selected Dr. Consuella Askew as its new Vice President for University Libraries and University Librarian. On July 18, 2022, she became Rutgers’ 15th University Librarian and the first person of color in the institution’s 256-year history to hold the position.
“President Holloway and I believe that under Dr. Askew’s leadership, Rutgers is well suited to chart a strategic direction for Rutgers University Libraries, especially with a view to closely aligning the libraries to enhance the goals of academic units,” Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs Prabhas Moghe said. “A part of this work will involve centering the Libraries at the heart of our community and our commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging; optimizing the Libraries’ collections, personnel, and services to enrich the teaching, learning, and research that occur across the University; establishing organizational coherence across the Libraries; and developing a strategic plan—all values that President Holloway has articulated.”
Rutgers University Libraries is a core component of the University’s academic mission. The Libraries’ faculty and staff provide access to vast and unique resources, archives, and expertise to foster interdisciplinary collaboration, advance faculty and student teaching and research, and empower student success. Rutgers University Libraries rank among the nation’s top research libraries with more than five million volumes, over one million digital resources, and 26 integrated libraries, centers, and reading rooms throughout Rutgers campuses and chancellor-led units.
Leading the Way to Library Excellence
Askew brings to Rutgers a rich set of experiences and a library career that spans nearly 30 years. She is a forward-looking academician who has served as Interim Vice President for University Libraries and University Librarian since May 2021. In her previous role as the Associate University Librarian for Rutgers–Newark, Askew led Dana Library through a strategic planning process, a multimillion-dollar renovation, and an organizational restructuring to encourage innovation, community engagement, and operational excellence.
A Commitment to Higher Education
Prior to Rutgers, Askew worked in various educational settings, such as public schools, Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Hispanic Serving Institutions (HSIs), community colleges, and private and public institutions. Askew served as the Associate Dean for Public Services at Florida International University Libraries and held leadership positions at the City University of New York (CUNY), where she was appointed the inaugural Chief Librarian for the CUNY Graduate School of Journalism. She was also a member of the research and development team that created LibQUAL+ for the Association of Research Libraries. This industry-standard tool is used to assess user perceptions of library service quality and has been adopted by over 1,300 libraries worldwide, including Rutgers. An active contributor to the academic libraries profession, Askew serves on the executive board of the HBCU Libraries Alliance and the editorial board for the award-winning journal portal: Libraries and the Academy. Askew has published and presented widely on cultivating library leadership, developing a culture of library assessment, and adapting library services to meet evolving user needs.
Askew holds a bachelor’s degree in English from Spelman College and a master’s degree in library and information studies from the University of North Carolina. She earned her doctoral degree in higher education from Florida International University. She is also an alumna of multiple prestigious library leadership programs, including UCLA’s Library Senior Fellows Program, the longest-standing formal leadership development program for librarians in the country.