The Agenda - Faculty and Staff Newsletter

Author: Lara De Meo Hoyt

  • Faculty and Staff News

    Arrivals

    Ben Cafaro joined Rutgers University Libraries as senior digital content producer on July 27. This new central communications position involves web and social media content responsibilities. Cafaro’s previous role as digital strategy specialist at the Zimmerli Art Museum.

    Ying Zhang joined the Libraries as associate university librarian for Rutgers University–New Brunswick on August 10. Previously at the University of Central Florida Libraries, she held roles focused on research impact, technical services, and collections and resource management.

     

    Departures

    Quionne Scott, senior executive assistant to the vice president for university libraries, left for a new opportunity in the university’s Office of University Labor Relations as director of academic labor relations. Her last day with the Libraries was August 7.

    Roman Frackowski retired as library associate I within Collections and Digital Strategies, effective August 1. He was hired as a monographs cataloger in recognition of his prior experience working at Penn State and his extensive language skills. During his time at Rutgers, he assisted with training when the Libraries transitioned from GEAC ILS to a Sirsi/Dynix system, was instrumental in the Libraries’ contribution to the BTAA Cooperative Cataloging Partners initiative due to his language expertise, contributed to the cataloging of many non-English titles for the International Youth Literature Collection, and provided cataloging for an average of 2,500 books per year. Many of the new books that researchers have used have been available to them because of his work. In recognition of his cataloging expertise, he was invited twice to India to provide cataloging courses for a vendor.

    Kelly Worth retired on August 1. She began her journey with the Libraries in 1998, working part-time in the Library of Science and Medicine administrative office. She transitioned to a full-time role in Alexander Library Administration on March 1, 1999, and since moving to Douglass in 2001, she had been an integral member of the Administrative Services Team of the Rutgers–New Brunswick Libraries. Over more than two decades, Kelly’s dedication, professionalism, and unwavering commitment made a lasting impact on the Rutgers–New Brunswick Libraries team and the broader library community.

    Alicia Haggenmiller resigned as library technician I at Smith Library. Her last day with the Libraries was August 7.

     

    Professional News

    Francesca Giannetti was recently elected to the editorial board of the Journal of the Text Encoding Initiative. This international journal is an organ of the Text Encoding Initiative Consortium, a digital humanities community that focuses on digital editing, linguistic analysis, and humanities dataset creation.

     

    ITS Baby News: Welcoming Eleanor and Theodore

    We are delighted to share some wonderful news from two members of the ITS team and their growing families!

    Ed Smith and his wife, Daiara, welcomed their daughter, Eleanor Andressa Smith, on March 12, 2026.

    Albert Lee and his wife, Jen, welcomed their second son, Theodore Peter Taeyeon Lee, on July 7, 2026.

    Please join us in congratulating Ed, Albert, and their families on these joyful milestones. We wish them all the very best as they enjoy their beautiful new arrivals!

     

    Recent and Upcoming Birthdays

    Join us in acknowledging the Rutgers University Libraries faculty and staff members with birthdays in August, September, and October.

    August

    Natalie Borisovets
    Jennifer Dickerson
    Jie Geng
    John Gibson
    Naomi Gold
    Krista Haviland
    Angela Lawrence
    Shirley Lewis
    Mohammad Mansouri
    Orla Mejia
    Grace McGarty
    James Silverstein
    Jeffrey Teichmann
    Zara Wilkinson
    Latisha Williams

    September

    Kalaivani Ananthan
    Diane Biunno
    Francesca Giannetti
    Samantha Kannegiser
    Ann Marie Latini
    Soo Jung Lee
    Rhonda Marker
    Paige Morgan
    Priyanka Naik
    Janice Pilch
    Amanda Presler
    John Rake
    Jennifer Reiber
    Luke Sangiamo
    Neera Sondhi
    Corinne Laura Suarez
    Lilyana Todorinova
    William Torres

    October

    Joanne Dera
    Raymon-Arthur George
    Ermira Mitre
    Corisa Mobley-Victory
    Antoinette Perkins
    Caryn Radick
    Hadiyah Sellers
    Christopher Sterback
    Lucille Vidal
    Victoria Wagner
    Yang Yu

  • Need to Know

    Submissions to The Agenda

    Submissions for the next issue of The Agenda are due by Monday, October 5. Please submit all content using The Agenda Submissions form. If you are interested in writing a feature, please first contact Lara De Meo Hoyt at lara.hoyt@rutgers.edu to discuss your idea.

     

    Communications and Branding Resources

    Are flyers and other materials with outdated Rutgers logos still hanging around your library? The Visual Identity Resources page on the Staff Resources Site has links to Rutgers branding guidelines, downloadable logos, letterhead, and PowerPoint templates. If you have questions about how to handle outdated materials, please contact Lara De Meo Hoyt at lara.hoyt@rutgers.edu.

     

    Upcoming change: Microsoft Publisher to be retired on October 1

    Microsoft has announced that it will permanently retire Microsoft Publisher on October 1, 2026. After that date, Publisher will no longer be included in Microsoft 365 subscriptions, and support for existing versions at Rutgers will end.

    What does this mean?

    After October 1, 2026:

    • Publisher will be removed from Microsoft 365 installations.
    • Microsoft 365 subscribers will no longer be able to open or edit Publisher (.pub) files in the application.
    • Standalone versions (e.g., Publisher 2019/2021) may continue to function but will no longer receive updates or security fixes from Microsoft.

    What should users do in preparation for Publisher’s retirement date on October 1?

    Microsoft recommends converting existing .pub files to PDF or Word prior to October. We recognize that file conversions may not fully preserve formatting or layout, and users should plan accordingly.

    For guidance on file conversion, users can refer to these instructions.

    Visit the Rutgers IT Help portal for additional information and recommended alternatives.

    Questions or concerns?
    Please send an email to support@libraries.rutgers.edu

  • Virtual Posters from State of the Libraries 2026

    Minimal video media player Interface on blue background

    The annual State of the Libraries was held as a virtual event on July 29, 2026. Eleven virtual posters provided a glimpse into the diverse work of Rutgers University Libraries faculty, staff, and student employees. Below are descriptions and links to these posters, which are housed on the Rutgers University Libraries Staff Resources Site.

    A Guide to Generative AI Features in Major Databases & Platforms – Many e-resources providers are adding generative AI features to their platforms, and the Rutgers University Libraries electronic resources unit needed a simple way to share practical information about them with Rutgers University Libraries personnel and patrons. To accomplish this, we created the Generative AI Features in Major Databases & Platforms LibGuide, which provides information about generative AI features that are currently available in Rutgers’ major databases and electronic resources platforms of broad interest to students, staff, and faculty. This presentation will cover the guide’s purpose, scope, and design, as well as the process for adding new generative AI features to the guide and announcing them to the Rutgers University Libraries Community. Presented by Elizabeth York (Collections and Digital Strategies).

    Automating Multimedia Captioning with Whisper AI and High-Performance Computing – As multimedia assets in library collections grow, providing accurate, timely closed captioning remains a significant accessibility and workflow challenge. This poster presents a scalable solution developed at Rutgers University Libraries that utilizes Whisper, an open-source speech recognition model, deployed on the Amarel high-performance computing cluster. By automating the generation of WebVTT caption files for diverse audio and video assets, this project significantly reduces manual transcription time, ensures compliance with accessibility standards, and enhances the discoverability of institutional media collections. Presented by Chad Mills (Libraries Applications and Development).

    Building Belonging Through Onboarding: A “One Libraries” Approach to Welcoming New Employees at Rutgers University Libraries – This poster provides an overview of the development of the Onboarding Task Force, including its formation, objectives, and current progress in the implementation process. Presented by Kalaivani Ananthan, Mary Beth Weber, Amanda Clay Powers, Ann Marie Latini, Francesca Giannetti, Hadiyah Sellers, Jennifer Reiber, Naomi Gold, Priyanka Naik, Richard Jutkiewicz, Soo Lee, and Victoria Wagner.

    Overdue Since 1776: Curating America’s 250th Birthday With the Rutgers–Camden History Department – During the spring semester of 2026, Paul Robeson Library partnered with Professor Carly Goodman’s undergraduate History 304 class on an exhibit celebrating America’s birthdays. Members of the class each selected an item to showcase the variety of ways Americans marked these milestones. Together, they reveal two dimensions of our shared identity: on the one hand, spectacle and consumerism, and on the other, the unfinished work of the Revolution. Presented by John Powell (Paul Robeson Library).

    Evaluating AI-Generated Subject Terms for Cataloging Assistance – Brief MARC records lacking subject headings limit discovery. This study evaluates whether generative AI can assign accurate FAST subject terms using only call numbers, titles, and authors. Presented by Li Sun (Cataloging and Metadata Services).

    Evidence Synthesis Service Models and Current Practices among Academic Health Sciences Libraries in the United States – Academic health sciences libraries (AHSLs) have been providing systematic reviews (SRs) and other evidence synthesis (ES) services for many years. However, there are no established guidelines or standards for providing such services, let alone for integrating the artificial intelligence (AI) tools into the workflows of supporting evidence synthesis projects. A project was conducted to examine how academic health sciences libraries in the United States provide SR-ES services. This poster presents the findings from this examination. Presented by Yingting Zhang (Robert Wood Johnson Library of the Health Sciences).

    Media without Limits – We are a team of student Accessibility Quality Assistants dedicated to making audio-visual content more accessible to diverse audiences by creating and refining accurate, high-quality closed captions for select videos provided by Rutgers University Libraries. Our process complies with closed-captioning guidelines that follow federal accessibility standards and aligns with industry practices used by major streaming platforms. We subsequently meet on a weekly basis to review, interpret, and modify guidelines with respect to contexts specific to each film or video. Our presentation gives an overview of our work and how we proceed with fulfilling the Libraries’ commitment to accessibility. Presented by Sanchita Dighe, Franzen Quicho, Snehal Sinha, and Cynthia Sitarz.

    Shipping Centralization: Delivering Success – An overview of the preparation, steps taken, and current progress of centralizing Shipping for the libraries. Presented by Luke Sangiamo (Logistics, Shipping, and Handling).

    Stronger Together: One RUL IT – A centralized IT model provides streamlined support, improved service delivery, and a more consistent experience across the organization. It strengthens communication, increases transparency, improves efficiency, promotes staff development, and enhances team coverage and backup support. By working as one team, we can deliver more reliable service and better support for you, our customers. Help us serve you better by submitting all technology requests through the IT ticketing system. Every ticket helps us prioritize requests, route them to the appropriate team member, distribute workloads effectively, track issues from start to finish, and ensure that no request falls through the cracks. Stronger Together: One RUL IT. Submit a ticket and let us help you! Presented by Abigail DiPaolo, Kalaivani Ananthan, and John Gibson (Administration and Technology).

    The Journey Towards Accessibility Compliance – Rutgers University Libraries have been working to comply with Title II ADA requirements for providing accessible digital content for users with disabilities. The Libraries Applications and Development team has taken the lead in the auditing, reporting, training and technical remediation of the Libraries’ interfaces and content. In this presentation, we’ll give an overview of the past year’s work and look ahead to areas of future focus. Presented by Antonio Barrera (Libraries Applications and Development).

    The State of Digital Strategies – The Digital Strategies department was formed within Collections and Digital Strategies as part of the 2025 reorganization of Rutgers University Libraries. This poster shares some of the developments, events, and accomplishments from the department’s first year. Presented by Isaiah Beard, Paige Morgan, and Caryn Radick (Collections and Digital Strategies).

  • Seen and Heard

    A July 6 Rutgers Today story featured summer reading recommendations from five of our librarians: Melissa De Fino, cataloging and metadata librarian, Collections and Digital Strategies; Naomi Gold, reference and instruction librarian, Dana Library; Tony Nguyen, associate university librarian, Rutgers Health Libraries; John Powell, reference and instruction librarian, Paul Robeson Library; and Lily Todorinova, undergraduate experience librarian/open educational research, Douglass Library. The story’s “If you like this, try that” format offers alternate books to consider if you can’t get your hands on the latest bestsellers.

    Melissa De Fino and Mary Beth Weber, coordinator for training and mentorship, received a rare gold star review from Library Journal for their book, Library Technical Services: Future Forward (Bloomsbury, November 2025). “This valuable work provides a window into the magic and dedication behind the scenes that are necessary to make library resources available to users,” wrote reviewer James Rhoades.

    Maria Deptula, health sciences collections librarian at Smith Library, and Mina Ghajar, education and research librarian at Smith Library, represented Rutgers Health at the 14th International Congress on Medical Librarianship (ICML) 2026 in Glasgow, Scotland, from July 14–16. They presented “Evidence-Based Practice in Action: Evaluating Open Access and Transformative Agreements to Inform Library Strategy at Rutgers Health,” highlighting their research on open access publishing and transformative agreements and engaging with health information professionals from around the world.

    Becky Libourel Diamond, Business Instruction Librarian at Carr Library, was featured in an article in Bucks County Magazine. The article highlighted her books on culinary history with a special focus on her new book that comes out this month, City Tavern: The Founding Table―Colonial Dining, Revolutionary History, and the Restaurant at the Center of it All (Westholme Publishing, August 2026).

    City Tavern: The Founding Table is Diamond’s fifth book and her third with Westholme Publishing. The book takes readers inside the City Tavern, the Philadelphia hotspot where the men crafting the country’s future met for dining, drinking and discourse. When the Continental Congress convened in Philadelphia, City Tavern was designated as a neutral spot for delegates to make connections, solicit opinions, and offer off-the-record thoughts and solutions―all over a pint of ale or glass of Madeira. This important role continued throughout the Revolution and beyond. Many of the founding fathers dined there, and George Washington even used it briefly as his headquarters. City Tavern: The Founding Table views this crucial time in America’s history through the tavern’s lens, and the book’s publication aligns with America’s 250th anniversary year. Judit Hajnal Ward, science reference and instruction librarian at Chang Library, interviewed Diamond about the book for a recent Books We Read post.

    Richard Jutkiewicz, head of access services at Smith Library, was invited to present at Yeshiva University on June 17. The presentation, part of a mini-symposium titled The 21st Century Academic Library, was on “Connecting Through Craft: Library Outreach and Marketing with Crochet and Knitting Programs.” This outreach presentation highlighted a program that library technician Ermira Mitre had developed for medical students interested in crafting. The program and presentation provided an example of how academic libraries can connect with students and create partnerships with student organizations.

    Ann Marie Latini, head of access services at Robeson Library, recently co-authored an article published in the Journal of Diversity & Inclusion Research titled, “Breaking Barriers in Nursing Education: A Scoping Review on the Experiences of Nursing Students with Disabilities Using Arksey and O’Malley’s Framework.” The article examines the experiences of nursing students with disabilities and highlights barriers and opportunities for creating more inclusive nursing education environments.

    Latini and Jutkiewicz presented at the New Jersey Academic Libraries (NJAL) Summer Workshop, hosted by the NJAL Access Services group at Drew University in Madison. Their presentation was titled “Building Belonging Through Onboarding: A ‘One Libraries’ Approach to Welcoming New Employees at Rutgers University Libraries.” The presentation highlighted the research, planning, early development stages, and future directions of a collaborative, system-wide onboarding program designed to connect new hires with colleagues, resources, and the broader library community. Inspired by work completed through the ARL Strategies Institute, the initiative emphasizes engagement, mentorship, shared learning, and cross-campus collaboration.

    Christie Lutz, New Jersey regional studies librarian and head of public services in Special Collections and University Archives, gave a presentation, “‘This is Larkin Barkin”: New Jersey’s Own Country and Western DJ Don Larkin” at the 42nd Annual International Country Music Conference, held in May at Belmont University  Nashville, TN, May 2026.

    Lutz was interviewed for and quoted in the recent American Archivist article “All the Freaks We’ve Saved: The Louisville Underground Music Archive in Retrospect and Comparison.” As part of their study, the authors sought to take the pulse of punk archives similar to their own now that time has passed since these archives were founded. Lutz provided information on the New Brunswick Music Scene Archive, housed in Special Collections and University Archives. The authors also cited Lutz’s 2022 American Archivist article, “Making a Scene: A Scenes Approach to a Local Music Archives,” as well as Adriana Cuervo’s review essay of three books on DIY music archiving in The American Archivist 81, no. 2 (2018). This article is a follow-up to the authors’ 2016 seminal American Archivist article, “Saving All the Freaks on the Life Raft: Blending Documentation Strategy with Community Engagement to Build a Local Music Archives.”

    Fernanda Perrone, archivist and head of the exhibitions program for Special Collections and University Archives, and co-editor Haruko Wakabayashi, an associate teaching professor in the School of Arts and Sciences, appeared at a launch and signing event for their recent book on August 1. During the event, held at the American Buddhist Study Center in New York, they discussed Rutgers Meets Japan: A Trans-Pacific Network of the Late Nineteenth Century (January 2026, Rutgers University Press).

    Christopher Sterback, system administrator for Information Technology Services, presented in a HathiTrust sponsored webinar on the experience of a library partner working on the Google Books project. Because the May 19 webinar was presented to five universities that are currently onboarding, Sterback focused on the experience of working on the project from the member perspective. The webinar was titled “Ingest Orientation Session for New Google Scanning Partners” and, in addition to Sterback, included presenters from the HathiTrust and the California Digital Library, which manages the bibliographic metadata for HathiTrust contributors.

    Elizabeth Surles, archivist, Institute of Jazz Studies, Dana Library, presented her paper “Measuring What Matters: A Diversity Audit Tool for Archives” at the Society of American Archivists Research Forum on July 15.

     

     

     

     

     

     

  • Seen and Heard

    A drawing by Megan Lotts, art librarian, is featured on the cover of College & Research Libraries News. Her sketch captures the energy of the 2025 American Library Association Annual Conference in Philadelphia, where conversations around intellectual freedom and digital equity took center stage. (The 2026 ALA Annual Conference will be held June 25–29 in Chicago.)

    Bart Everts, reference and instruction librarian at Robeson Library, was quoted in The Gleaner (Rutgers University–Camden’s student newspaper) about the value of the annual Rutgers–Camden Graduate Student Organization hike in Wissahickon Valley Park. “There are countless studies simply on the mental health value of walking, but I think getting out into nature, away from cars and other stressors, not just the stresses of school but of 21st-century life, is vital to our well-being, at least it certainly is to mine,” Everts said. He added that the library’s stressbuster initiatives, including therapy dogs and the Zen Den, complement GSO’s efforts. “Alwin and the GSO have done such a great job with events like this hike, not simply as a way to get away from schoolwork, but also to bond a group of students who come from such a diversity of backgrounds, countries, cultures, and experiences.”

  • Need to Know

    Submissions to The Agenda

    Submissions for the next issue of The Agenda are due by Monday, August 3. Please submit all content using The Agenda Submissions form. If you are interested in writing a feature, please first contact Lara De Meo Hoyt at lara.hoyt@rutgers.edu to discuss your idea.

     

    Library Closures for Summer

    Considering a robust list of collection management projects and faculty and staff vacation schedules, we have developed a plan to close three library buildings to patrons—Art, Chang, and Math & Physics—from July 1 to August 17.

    Library operations in these three buildings will be focused on circulation and collection management projects. Patrons will be able to request the libraries’ physical materials for 24/7 locker pickup or for shipment to their homes.

     

    Open Access Publishing Agreement with Wiley Renewed, with Changes

    The Big Ten Academic Alliance (BTAA) Center for Library Programs has finalized its open access agreement with Wiley for 2026–2027. This new agreement continues to provide support for open access publishing with limits to coverage for article processing charges (APCs) in certain journals.

    What Is Continuing

    Corresponding authors affiliated with Rutgers may continue to publish an unlimited number of open access articles in Wiley’s hybrid OA journals without paying APCs for articles editorially accepted and author agreement completed by December 31, 2027.

    Rutgers faculty, staff, and students will continue to have unlimited reading access to the full Wiley journal portfolio. This includes perpetual access rights to subscribed content obtained during the agreement period.

    What Is Changing

    With this new agreement, a limited number of APCs for Wiley’s gold OA journals will be available to eligible corresponding authors. Articles submitted to Wiley gold journals are guaranteed to be covered if submitted by August 31, 2026. After this date, authors will need to seek other sources of funding support to cover APCs.

    Rutgers University Libraries have communicated with researchers and research deans about these changes via email, social media, and a news story. Researchers are being encouraged to reach out to Rutgers University Libraries for help navigating these changes.

  • Faculty and Staff News

    Corisa Mobley-Victory, Principal Management Assistant at Smith Library, is a certified Mental Health First Aider for Youth and Adults from the National Council for Mental Wellbeing and the Missouri Department of Mental Health. Through this certification program, she is trained to recognize and provide initial support to individuals experiencing mental health or substance use challenges. While this certification does not qualify individuals to diagnose conditions, it equips participants with practical tools, compassionate response techniques, and knowledge of available resources to help connect individuals with professional support when appropriate. The program also provides continuing education credits, and certification remains valid for three years.

     

    Service Recognition 

    Multiple faculty and staff members from Rutgers University Libraries were recognized by the university at receptions held in May (faculty) and June (staff) for their years of service to Rutgers. The honorees are:

    50 YEARS

    • Natalie Borisovets, humanities and social sciences librarian/Newark bibliographer, Dana Library

    30 YEARS

    • Charlene Houser, business manager III and supervisor, Administration and Technology
    • Mei Ling Lo, science research librarian, Library of Science and Medicine
    • Andres Martinez, library supervisor I, Access Services, Douglass Library
    • Fernanda Perrone, archivist and head of the exhibitions program, Special Collections and University Archives
    • Lucille Vidal, library supervisor I and head of serials acquisitions, Administration and Technology

    20 YEARS

    • Ashwin Bijur, system administrator, Administration and Technology
    • Qun Luo, library associate I, Interlibrary Loans, Collections and Digital Strategies
    • Alfreda Richardson, library assistant II, Access Services, Library of Science and Medicine
    • Christopher Singh, unit computing specialist, Administration and Technology
    • Li Sun, continuing resources and Asian languages catalog librarian, Collections and Digital Strategies
    • William Torres, library assistant II, Access Services, Alexander Library

    10 YEARS

    • Yeewah Chan, web developer, Administration and Technology
    • Bart Everts, reference/instruction librarian for the Camden campuses of Rowan University and Camden County College, Robeson Library

     

    Recent and Upcoming Birthdays

    Join us in acknowledging the faculty and staff members with birthdays during June, July, and August.

    June

    Matthew Bridgeman
    Jodi Costeira
    Abigail DiPaolo
    Anna Huang
    Michele Petosa
    Karen Rock-Agard
    Yingting Zhang

    July

    Isaiah Beard
    Gargi Chatterjee
    Adriana Cuervo
    Erika Gorder
    Alexandria Londres Grayson
    Alicia Haggenmiller
    Pamela Hargwood
    Tara Kelley
    Elizabeth Kim
    Albert Lee
    Irina Loutchkina
    Mary O’Mara
    John Powell
    Edward Robinson
    Quionne Scott
    Edward Suarez
    Li Sun
    Michele Tokar
    Jonathan Torres
    Paul Young

    August

    Natalie Borisovets
    Jennifer Dickerson
    Jie Geng
    John Gibson
    Naomi Gold
    Krista Haviland
    Angela Lawrence
    Shirley Lewis
    Mohammad Mansouri
    Orla Mejia
    Grace McGarty
    James Silverstein
    Jeffrey Teichmann
    Zara Wilkinson
    Latisha Williams

  • Engagement Day 2026 Builds Connectedness

    Collage of two images. A person poses behind a 2-dimensional sculpture of a dress, and a group of people gathers around a different sculpture.
    Team-building activities included a sculpture and landmarks walk on Livingston campus.

     

    Engagement Day 2026 was held on Friday, May 22 at Livingston Student Center. About 90 Rutgers University Libraries faculty and staff gathered for a day of professional development and team building.

    The theme was Building Bridges: Creating a Connected Workplace. Connie Cinko, a human resources professional with a focus on learning and development, led the morning session. Framing the discussion with The Five Dysfunctions of a Team by Patrick Lencioni, Cinko led attendees through a series of interactive exercises to examine the core behaviors for a work environment that supports connectedness. Topics explored include trust, unconscious bias, respect, and communication skills.

    In the afternoon, employees chose from a variety of team-building activities. Tai Chi lessons on the patio were led by John Gaddy of John Gaddy’s Karate and Boxing Studio in High Bridge. Meditation sessions in the Gathering Place were led by Reka Somodi, senior director, promotion of well-being, from the Rutgers Health Office of Clinical and Health Affairs. Art librarian Megan Lotts led button making, events and program manager Elena Schneider led stone painting, and additional options included a self-guided sculpture and landmarks walk on campus, in addition to cards, board games, bocce, and giant Jenga.

    “Engagement Day is an important event for us as an organization,” said Consuella Askew, vice president for university libraries and university librarian, in her opening remarks. “It gives us the opportunity to come together across campuses, roles, and units—to reconnect, to reflect, and to strengthen the relationships that make our work possible and our organization successful.”

  • Seen and Heard

    In celebration of America’s 250th, Rutgers University Libraries produced a professional video to highlight the work of our archivists and the importance of distinctive collections. Special Collections and University Archives collaborated with Middlesex County and Cornelius Low House (the Middlesex County museum) on a special exhibit that opened on Saturday, April 11, and runs through the end of 2028. A reel-formatted version of the video was shared on Rutgers University Libraries Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn pages, with more than 20,000 views on Instagram alone. The video was also shared in this story, which was featured in Rutgers Today on Monday, April 13, and has since been shared on universitywide social media pages. The video also was entered into the ARLIES Film Festival, which had a record 49 entries and took place on April 28 during the Association for Research Libraries annual meeting.

    Charles Casseus, Luke Sangiamo, and Ray George transformed the Block R into an open book for display in the R Garden on Rutgers Day. Their work of art incorporates bookbinding fabric, cardboard, 3D printed letters, and a compilation of images, maps, and graphical designs. The project is a visual representation of the extensive Rutgers University Libraries system: 11 libraries across all Rutgers locations, five distinctive collections, and a robust online presence. We posted pictures on all Rutgers University Libraries social media channels: Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, X (formerly Twitter), and Threads.

    The Spring 2026 issue of the NJAL Newsletter features numerous articles about Rutgers University Libraries.

    Mary Beth Weber participated in a panel discussion for the opening plenary session at the Coalition of Networked Information’s (CNI) Spring 2026 Meeting in Salt Lake City. The plenary session, “Libraries Leading Campus AI: Claiming our Seat at the Table,” was moderated by Rebekah Cummings, digital matters director, University of Utah. Co-panelists were Jessica Davila, associate dean of digital strategies and innovation, University of Oklahoma; Michael Meth, dean, San Jose State University; and Doralynn Rossman, dean of the library, Montana State University. Having a seat at the table was an important discussion point at CNI. It was further emphasized that having a seat is essential, while having the right people at the table is critical. This includes dissenting voices, as they represent considerations that others might have ignored or with which they may be unfamiliar.

    Paige Morgan was awarded a place in the Pencerdd program with Literature Wales, which supports and mentors poets who are relatively new to the ancient poetic craft of cynghanedd, which creates harmony through a mixture of alliteration and assonance. She is the first American to take part in the program. View the program website in Welsh.

     

  • Faculty and Staff News

    Kelly Worth retired on Friday, April 17. She began her journey with the Libraries in 1998, working part-time in the LSM administrative office. She transitioned to a full-time role in Alexander Library Administration on March 1, 1999, and since moving to Douglass in 2001, she has been an integral member of the Administrative Services Team of the Rutgers–New Brunswick libraries. Over more than two decades, her dedication, professionalism, and unwavering commitment have made a lasting impact on Rutgers University Libraries.

    Recent and Upcoming Birthdays

    Join us in acknowledging the faculty and staff members with birthdays during April and May.

    April

    Joseph Deodato
    Rebecca Diamond
    Regina Koury
    David Kuzma
    Fernanda Perrone
    Clotilde Twagiramariya
    Kate Van Riper
    Daphne Roberts
    Kelly Worth

    May

    Sung Min Park
    Consuella Askew
    Roselyn Ravi Riley-Ryan
    Andres Martinez
    Catherine Pecoraro