The Agenda - Faculty and Staff Newsletter

Author: Lara De Meo Hoyt

  • Faculty and Staff News

    Awards & Honors

    Fernanda Perrone, archivist and head of the exhibitions program for Special Collections and University Archives, will be inducted as a Fellow of the Society of American Archivists at the society’s 2025 annual meeting in August. 

    Zara Wilkinson, reference and instruction librarian at Robeson Library, won the 2025 NJLA Research Award for “The prevalence of textbook affordability and OER initiatives at ARL libraries,” which was published in The Journal of Academic Librarianship in July 2024. After the award ceremony, she presented a summary of the research project and its findings. 

     

    New Endeavors 

    Kamilah Holtz, library associate II at Dana Library, has been admitted to the master of information program at the Rutgers School of Communication and Information in New Brunswick. She begins the program this fall. 

    Ann Marie Latini, head of access services for Robeson Library, was elected as the academic library Representative for the LibraryLink NJ Executive Board. Her three-year term began July 1. 

     

    Graduations  

    The following Rutgers University Libraries employees earned advanced degrees in May: 

    • Rose Barbalace, library supervisor I at Alexander Library, received a master of human resource management from the Rutgers School of Management and Labor Relations. 
    • Bret McCandless, music and performing arts librarian at Douglass Library, received a PhD in musicology from Indiana University–Bloomington. His dissertation was “You’ve Got to Be Carefully Taught: A History of Educational Programs for Musical Theater Writers,” advised by Judah Cohen, PhD. 
    • Edward Robinson, library associate II at Robeson Library, received a master of information (MI) degree with a concentration in archives and preservation from the Rutgers School of Communication and Information. 

     

    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: 

    40 YEARS

    • Fatima Cunha, library associate II, Access Services, Dana Library
    • Vincent Pelote, senior archivist and digital preservation strategist, Institute of Jazz Studies, Dana Library

    20 YEARS

    • Krista Haviland, library associate II, Access Services, Library of Science and Medicine
    • Amy Joyner, business assistant II, Administration and Technology
    • Soo Jung Lee, library associate II, Access Services, Library of Science and Medicine
    • L. Miller, library associate II, Access Services, Math/Physics Library
    • Gillian Newton, librarian II, Access Services, Alexander Library
    • Michele Petosa, senior administrative assistant and coordinator of libraries human resources, University Librarian
    • Caryn Radick, digital strategies librarian as of July 2025 (formerly digital archivist, Special Collections and University Archives, Alexander Library)

    10 YEARS

    • Christine Lutz, NJ regional studies librarian and head of public services, Special Collections and University Archives, Alexander Library
    • Consuella Askew, vice president of university libraries and university librarian
    • Mina Ghajar, education and research librarian, Smith Library
    • Ermira Mitre, library technician I, Access Services, Smith Library
    • Amanda Presler, business manager, Administration and Technology

     

    Arrivals 

    The following faculty and staff members joined Rutgers University Libraries during this fiscal year: 

    • Paige Morgan, assistant vice president for collections and digital strategies, University Librarian (June 2025) 
    • Stephen Bacchetta, metadata archivist, Special Collections and University Archives, Alexander Library (March 2025) 
    • Quionne Scott, senior executive assistant, University Librarian (April 2025)                  
    • Joanne Dera, science librarian, Dana Library (March 2025) 
    • Michael Montalbano, history of medicine processing archivist, Smith Library (March 2025) 
    • Benjamin Houtman, processing archivist, Institute of Jazz Studies, Dana Library (January 2025) 
    • Amanda Clay Powers, associate university librarian for Rutgers University–Newark, Dana Library (January 2025) 
    • Lara De Meo Hoyt, director of communications and marketing, University Librarian (August 2024) 

     

    Departures 

    The following faculty and staff members left Rutgers University Libraries this year. 

    • Fatima Cunha retired as library associate II in August 2025. 
    • Gillian Newton retired as library associate II in Access Services at Alexander Library in July 2025. 
    • Julie Still retired as reference and collection development librarian at Robeson Library in July 2025. 
    • Al King retired as records standardization designer for Special Collections and University Archives in July 2025. 
    • Julia Maxwell resigned as social sciences librarian at Alexander Library in June 2025. 
    • Mark Papianni retired as technical coordinator A/V services at Dana Library in April 2025. 
    • John Brennan retired as senior executive assistant in the Office of the University Librarian in March 2025. 
    • Lisa Ryder resigned as senior web content specialist in January 2025. 
    • Dan DelMonaco resigned as education/research librarian at Smith Library in January 2025. 
    • Laura Mullen retired as behavioral sciences librarian/open access specialist at LSM in July 2024. 
    • Zohreh Bonianian retired as library supervisor II at Alexander Library in July 2024. 
    • Geoffrey Wood resigned as metadata librarian at TSB in  September 2024. 
    • Emily Cerri resigned as library tech I at RWJ Library in October 2024. 

  • Fernanda Perrone to Be Inducted as SAA Fellow

    Headshot of Fernanda Perrone
    Fernanda Perrone’s career has been marked by significant contributions to the archival profession, particularly in documenting underrepresented groups, mentoring emerging archivists, and fostering international collaborations.

    Fernanda Perrone, archivist and head of the exhibitions program for Special Collections and University Archives, will be inducted later this month as a Fellow of the Society of American Archivists (SAA) during an awards ceremony at the 89th Annual Meeting of the Society of American Archivists in Anaheim, California. The distinction of Fellow is the highest honor bestowed on individuals by the SAA and is awarded for outstanding contributions to the archives profession.

    A distinguished archivist with over 30 years of experience, Perrone earned a PhD from Oxford University, where she focused her research on women’s education. This laid the groundwork for her professional focus on women’s history throughout her career. She has spent her decades-long career at Rutgers University Libraries, beginning as an assistant in the manuscript department at SCUA and eventually earning a full professorship. Since 2003, she has served in her current role of archivist and head of the exhibitions program.

    Perrone’s career has been marked by significant contributions to the archival profession, particularly in documenting underrepresented groups, mentoring emerging archivists, and fostering international collaborations. In her position at Rutgers, she has developed diverse subject expertise in women’s history, gender studies, the history of Rutgers, and the history of westerners in Japan during the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

    Her work curating and promoting the William Elliot Griffis Collection, which documents the experience of Westerners in Japan during the late 19th and early 20th centuries, has led to the development of international partnerships. Through her outreach, a group of scholars who studied Korean materials in the Rutgers collections discovered a set of unique photographs. Due to the destruction of many rare historical objects during the Korean War, photos like these represent an important cultural recovery. This discovery led to a collaboration with the National Archives of Korea to digitize the recovered photographs. Currently, Perrone is co-authoring an edited volume entitled Rutgers Meets Japan: A Trans-Pacific Network of the Late Nineteenth Century. For the book, coming out from Rutgers University Press this year, she invited scholars in art, history, and Asian studies to analyze the early transnational relationship between Rutgers University and Japan.

    Perrone is particularly recognized as an expert on the archives of women’s religious communities. Her scholarly output includes numerous publications on women’s religious education, state-level voting rights history, and women artists’ archives, with notable works such as The Douglass Century: Transformation of the Women’s College at Rutgers University and On Account of Sex: Women’s Suffrage in Middlesex County, New Jersey. In 2013, she contributed a chapter to Perspectives on Women’s Archives (SAA). Her chapter, as well as the book, has spanned disciplines to reach historians, librarians, and other scholars thinking about the effect and importance of women’s archives. Her broad impact is also evident through her international and interdisciplinary speaking engagements: from New Jersey and Texas state and regional historical associations to MARAC and SAA to the Universities of Keio and Rikkyo in Tokyo, Japan.

    Speaking about Perrone’s work, one supporter wrote that she has an “unwavering dedication to researching, preserving, and advocating for the archival record of women. She has remained steadfast in her commitment to ensuring that SAA recognizes and includes women’s experiences in the historical record.” Another supporter remarked, “Dr. Fernanda Perrone represents the best that the archival profession has to offer. She is a leading figure who unselfishly gives her time and energy to promote her profession.”

  • Robeson Library Undergraduate Research Awards for 2025

    Cindy Do won an award for her research project, “Chronic Stress Elevates the Risk of Parkinson’s Disease.”

    The Paul Robeson Library Undergraduate Research Award recognizes excellence in undergraduate research projects that make use of a range of library resources, collections, and services and show evidence of critical thinking, originality, and creativity. 

    All winners have their papers added to our digital collection in RUCore and presented lightning talks at the award ceremony held on April 8 as part of Rutgers University–Camden’s reimagined Research Week, now known as SPARK! 

     

    The award winners for 2025 were: 

    First Place 

    Shaan Mody, “Theta/Beta-Ratio Neurofeedback Training: A Better Long-Term Solution for Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder” 

    Second Place 

    Cindy Do, “Chronic Stress Elevates the Risk of Parkinson’s Disease” 

    Jordyn Smith, “The Natural Antimicrobial Effects of Honey, Yogurt, and Pickle Juice on Escherichia coli B, Escherichia coli K-12, Staphylococcus epidermidis, and Pseudomonas fluorescens” 

    New Researcher (limited to first-year students) 

    Kruthy Takkala, “Islamophobia and Why it is Harmful” 

     

    The evaluation committee included Ophelia Hostetter, associate professor of English; Samantha Kannegiser, student success librarian; John Powell, reference and instruction librarian; Shauna Shames, associate professor of political science; and Zara Wilkinson, reference and instruction librarian. 

  • Facilities Updates Across the Libraries

    Close-up of a couch in a lounge space
    The second floor of LSM features new Stylex showroom furniture that was donated by the manufacturer.

    Multiple libraries are undergoing or have recently completed improvements and repurposing of existing space.  

    Front door swipe card access is now complete at all eight Rutgers–New Brunswick locations (seven libraries plus the Annex), with the most recent installations (completed in FY25) having occurred at Art, Chang, Carr, Douglass, and Math/Physics Libraries, and at the Library of Science and Medicine. Swipe card access also was installed at the entrances to two spaces in Alexander Library: the Pane Room and the Alexander Hughes Room.  

    New ADA-compliant door operators have been installed at LSM and at Chang Library.

    LSM’s previously unused E Classroom was redesigned as Open Quiet Study space for patrons, providing new study space for at least 20 students. This refresh includes 10 repurposed mobile tables acquired from another Rutgers department at no cost. 

    The second floor of LSM features new Stylex showroom furniture.This high-end collaborative furniture seating for 16 was donated to the library by the manufacturer. 

    Robeson Library added a second Zen Den—a mindfulness space for students to destress. Robeson also has removed damaged furniture and repositioned existing furniture on the main floor of the library. 

    Smith Library’s computer lab has updated technology and has added numerous docking stations in the public areas. 

    For most of August, the first floor of Alexander Library is undergoing a refresh including new paint, corner rails, carpet, and cove base, as well as wood refinishing, for the circulation desk and surrounding areas.  The bathrooms in this section of the building are also being repainted. (The Pane Room and portions of the library’s basement floor received a similar refresh during the last fiscal year.) The Pane Room and Hughes Room will not be available or bookable for the first three weeks of August, and for much of this project, the circulation desk will be moved temporarily to the welcome desk in the lobby.

  • Strong Showing at ALA Conference

    Megan lots stands next to an exhibit
    Megan Lotts installed a “Lil’ Zine Vending Machine” in the ALA Connect Lounge.

    Rutgers University Libraries were well represented at the ALA Annual Conference & Exhibition, held in Philadelphia’s Pennsylvania Convention Center from June 26 to June 30. In a preview article, American Libraries Magazine characterized the theme of the conference as follows: 

    “As the Association – and the nation – approach monumental anniversaries, library workers will reaffirm and celebrate what it means to run institutions foundational to democracy, equity, and civic discourse. Many sessions in this year’s program reflect the issues currently weighing on the profession, such as intellectual freedom, access, advocacy, and funding.” 

    Here are the Rutgers University Libraries faculty who presented at ALA: 

    Katie Anderson, reference and instruction librarian based at Robeson Library, was part of a panel discussion on AI Ethics and the Library. The session was highlighted in articles covering the conference by Publishers Weekly and by the Library Journal. 

    Maria Deptula, health sciences collections librarian, and Mina Ghajar, education and research librarian, both based at Smith Library, presented their poster, Open Access & Transformative Agreements – Awareness, Perception, Experience. 

    Ann Marie Latini, head of access services at Robeson Library, and Zara Wilkinson, reference and instruction librarian based at Robeson Library, presented their poster, Night at the Museum: Curating a Museum Pass Program at an Academic Library. 

    Megan Lotts, art librarian based at the Art Library, installed a “Lil’ Zine Vending Machine” in the ALA Connect Lounge. Publishers Weekly wrote about the zine vending machine and quoted Lotts in its event coverage. Lotts is the author of The Playful Library: Building Environments for Learning and Creativity (ALA Editions, September 2024). 

    Julia Maxwell, who was a social sciences librarian based at Alexander Library until June 30, co-presented a poster, Public Libraries & Older Adults: An Evidence-Based Annotated Bibliography for Social Workers & Librarians. Her co-presenter was Marybeth Baisden, a graduate assistant in the School of Social Work. 

    Sungmin Park, resource description librarian based at TSB, co-presented a poster, Uncovering Systemic Bias in Library of Congress Subject Headings: A Comprehensive Study on Gendered Headings. Her co-presenter was Yuji Tosaka, assistant director in the library at The College of New Jersey. 

     Li Sun, continuing resources and Asian languages catalog librarian based at TSB, presented her poster, Automating the Management of Cataloging Records with AI.  

    Sonia Yaco, digital initiatives librarian based at Alexander Library, was part of a panel presentation, Old Pages, New Tricks: AI-Powered Discovery and Instruction in Special Collections.

  • ‘One Libraries’ Engagement Day Focused on Well-Being

    A large room full of people seated at round tables
    Engagement Day was held on May 30 at Livingston Student Center.

    On Friday, May 30, more than 100 Rutgers University Libraries faculty and staff gathered for the Libraries’ first organization-wide Engagement Day. The full-day, in-person event was held at Rutgers University–New Brunswick’s Livingston Student Center. All library locations were closed for the day. 

     

    Professional Development Focused on Well-being 

    Engagement Day featured two professional development sessions focused on emotional and psychological well-being. The first was held virtually, earlier in the week. On May 27, Ralph Gigliotti, assistant vice president for organizational leadership in University Academic Affairs, led a virtual talk framed by his book, Post-Crisis Leadership: Resilience, Renewal, and Reinvention in the Aftermath of Disruption.  

    Then, the morning of May 30 featured an interactive two-hour wellness session provided by ScarletWell, a holistic wellness initiative dedicated to bolstering the health and wellness of Rutgers–New Brunswick students, faculty, and staff. The session introduced participants to the Pause, Breathe, Move, and Nourish framework—an accessible approach to integrating self-care into daily life. Components of the session included guided meditation, reflective activities, group discussion, and movement. The presenters were Dr. Amy B. Spagnolo, senior program coordinator for ScarletWell and former associate professor in the Department of Psychiatric Rehabilitation and Counseling at Rutgers School of Health Professions; psychologist and mindfulness expert Patrick Connelly; and Peggy Swarbrick, director of ScarletWell and a professor in the Rutgers Graduate School of Applied and Professional Psychology’s Applied Psychology Department and director of ScarletWell. 

     

    Afternoon of Team Building 

    The afternoon of Engagement Day featured a variety of team building options. Hourly Tai Chi lessons on Livingston Lawn were offered by John Gaddy of John Gaddy’s Karate and Boxing Studio in High Bridge. Inside, the Rutgers University Libraries Major Events Committee provided both organized and self-paced activities, including Bingo, balloon race games, trivia, raffles, giant Jenga, Tetris Tumble, board games, and coloring.

    Game prizes were generously donated by the Rutgers University Libraries unit heads: Consuella Askew, Abbey DiPaolo, Regina Koury, Caroline Muglia, Tony Nguyen, and Amanda Clay Powers. 

    Raffle prizes were a variety of Rutgers swag items provided by units from throughout the university.