The Agenda - Faculty and Staff Newsletter

Author: Matt Badessa

  • Quick Takes on Events and News — August 2017

    Two Thumbs Up 

    A glowing review of Ron Jantz’s book Managing Creativity: The Innovative Research Library (ACRL, 2016) was recently penned for the Journal of Electronic Resources Librarianship by Kathy Hughes of Montclair State University. In her review, Hughes notes:

    This book’s very valuable contribution lies in the fact that the author takes what has been written about creativity in other organizational types, explains how it relates to the research library and offers thought provoking arguments for the increasing need for libraries (organizations that are not traditionally thought of as innovative) to think creatively. He offers solid suggestions for how this might be achieved and much appreciated hope for the future of the research library.

    This book is a must read for leaders who care about the health of their organizations.

    Kudos to Ron for the continued success of his book! 

    Receiving Recognition Overseas

    Congratulations are in order to our colleagues Judit Ward and William Bejarano, formerly of the Center of Alcohol Studies Library, whose factsheet on bibliotherapy was published to the Knowledge Hub of the United Kingdom’s Society for the Study of Addiction in July. The article is based on their hands-on experience developing Reading for Recovery (R4R), a resource geared towards those interested in bibliotherapy, or guided reading, for substance use problems. Founded in 1884, the society supports the communication of scientific knowledge about dependence on alcohol, nicotine, and other drugs, and publishes the world’s oldest addiction journal, Addiction.

    A Warm Welcome

    Mark your calendars for Tuesday, August 8 from 3 to 4:30 p.m. as Shared User Services hosts a welcome reception for our new web services librarian Amy Kimura. The reception will take place in the area outside the Teleconference Lecture Hall on the fourth floor of Alexander Library. Shared User Services will provide snacks and beverages. Join us as we welcome Amy to Rutgers!

    Lunch with a Side of Research Metrics 

    The Research and Scholarly Environment Working Group is organizing a brown bag workshop on research metrics for you in case you are asked by users for help on measuring their research impact. The workshop will be held on Thursday, September 14, from 12 to 1 p.m. and again on Monday, September 18 from 1 to 2 p.m. for those who missed the first session. Both will be conducted in the Pane Room at Alexander Library.

    A Libraries Luau

    Don’t forget to RSVP for the Faculty and Staff Appreciation Picnic! Join us on Thursday, August 17 from noon to 4 p.m. at the Rutgers Gardens Log Cabin and Pavilion for fun and games, music, and a delicious BBQ style menu with plenty of healthy and vegan-friendly options. Best of all, this year’s picnic is luau-themed, so get ready to celebrate Hawaiian style!

    Celebrating Ella on Her Centennial
    Ella Fitzgerald
    Ella Fitzgerald, 1979. Photo: Tad Hershorn.
     

    Save the following dates as our colleagues at the Institute of Jazz Studies host curated listening sessions celebrating Ella Fitzgerald on her centennial:

    • Thursday, September 14, 6–8 p.m., led by archivist Elizabeth Surles
    • Thursday, December 7, 6–8 p.m., led by executive director Wayne Winborne

    These events are the second and third of a three-part series that was kicked off by archivist Tad Hershorn in July.

    New Resources for a New Semester 

    Just in time for the fall semester, several new resources were announced since the last issue of the Agenda:

    • BMJ Case Reports is the largest collection of case reports available online, containing more than 13,500 articles. A case report is defined as a detailed report of the symptoms, signs, diagnosis, treatment, and follow-up of an individual patient.
    • Encyclopedia of Social Work is a continually updated online resource maintained by the National Association of Social Workers and Oxford University Press. It includes over 700 articles on topics from international issues to ethical standards, more than 200 biographies on key figures in social work history, and references and links to supplemental resources.
    • Symptom Media is an online mental health education and training film library that contains over 300 mental health simulations including DSM 5 and ICD guided films and assessment tools. It provides visual guideposts to help students and practitioners better understand what a particular diagnosis looks like and provides points of reference for cross comparisons and differentiations between diagnoses.

  • Faculty and Staff Appreciation Luau

    This year’s Faculty and Staff Appreciation Picnic will be held on Thursday, August 17 from 12 to 4 p.m. at the Rutgers Gardens Log Cabin and Pavilion (140 Log Cabin Road, North Brunswick, NJ 08902). There will be fun and games, music, and a delicious BBQ-style menu (with plenty of healthy and vegan-friendly options). Best of all, this year’s picnic is luau themed, so get ready to celebrate Hawaiian style!

    Please RSVP here.

  • Quick Takes on Events and News — July 2017

    Honorable Achievements

    Sherri Farber, reference assistant at the Paul Robeson Library, received the Outstanding Student Award at the School of Communication and Information Honors Day 2017 for her work in the Master of Information Program. She is also a recipient of the 2017–18 Distinguished Library and Information Science Department Scholarship. Congratulations, Sherri!

    You’ve Been Accepted—Now What?

    John Bader will answer this question when he visits Alexander Library on July 6 to talk about his book Dean’s List: 10 Strategies for College Success. This is sure to be a great program with lots of practical advice, so if you are working with high school or early start students this summer, be sure to encourage them to attend.

    Visitors from Afar

    The Libraries welcomed a delegation of librarians and publishers from Japan in June. They enjoyed a tour of the Digital Curation Research Center and a pop-up display of the William Eliot Griffis Collection in Special Collections and University Archives, among other activities. Read the full recap of the day’s proceedings on our website.

    Free People Read Freely

    The Freedom to Read Foundation recently announced that the Rutgers Art Library is one of seven institutions that were selected to receive a grant in support of Banned Books Week events in September. The planning is well underway and there are lots of fun activities in store for our students come the fall. Congratulations to Megan Lotts for bringing this grant home for Rutgers!

    OAT Project Receives RUSA Endorsement

    The Rutgers University Student Assembly has issued a resolution endorsing the Open and Affordable Textbooks (OAT) Project. The resolution “supports the expansion of the Open and Affordable Textbooks Project to permit more grantees and the launch of additional Open Education Resource initiatives to supplement this grant program.” President Barchi takes RUSA resolutions seriously into consideration, so the assembly’s support is a major coup for the Libraries. Kudos to Lily Todorinova, who spearheads this project for us, and who is hard at work preparing to launch the second round of grants in the fall.

    Celebrating Childhood Studies

    A new exhibit at Robeson Library features the work of the prestigious Childhood Studies Department at Rutgers–Camden. It was installed just in time for the Society for the History of Children and Youth Biennial Conference, which was held at Rutgers–Camden in June. The display looks fantastic thanks to the keen eye of John Powell, so stop by the library before July 31 to see for yourself.

    A Parking Garage in the Lobby?

    No, not exactly—but a new piece of art is slated for installation in the lobby of Robeson Library in August. Parking Garage is among several works by eminent American sculptor George Segal that were recently donated to Rutgers–Camden. Accompanied by several of Segal’s drawings, it will replace the Future Scholars mural currently in the lobby.

  • Summer AuthorTalks Return to Alexander Library

    • Tisha Bender P.U.N.C.H. AuthorTalk, June 2016

    We are happy to announce that the Libraries are once again collaborating with Rutgers’ Office of Summer and Winter Sessions to cosponsor a series of talks at Alexander Library this summer. Save the following dates and stay tuned to the Agenda and our website for more information on the talks as they approach. We hope you will share the word with colleagues and students and plan to join us yourselves!

    Azzan Yadin-Israel, Professor, Jewish Studies, Rutgers–New Brunswick
    The Grace of God and the Grace of Man: The Theologies of Bruce Springsteen     (Lingua Press, July 2016)
    Thursday, June 29, 4–5:30 p.m.

    Bruce Springsteen’s words and music have been part of the American landscape for nearly half a century, and are today cherished by millions worldwide. Indeed, Springsteen has been known to inspire religious devotion among his fans, and his shows with the E Street Band are often compared to a revivalist congregation. However, there has not been a comprehensive scholarly study of the biblical and theological motifs in Springsteen’s lyrics until now. Reading Springsteen’s songs as one would a poem, The Grace of God and the Grace of Man sheds new light on Springsteen’s work.

    John Bader, Former Dean of Academic Advising and Undergraduate Academic Affairs, Johns Hopkins University
    Dean’s List: 10 Strategies for College Success     (2nd ed., Johns Hopkins University Press, March 2017)
    Thursday, July 6, 4–5:30 p.m.

    Deans at America’s top institutions—including Harvard, Princeton, Stanford, Yale, and Columbia—join John Bader to tell students what they need to know to have a rich and rewarding college experience. A complete reworking, this second edition includes information on managing workloads and faculty relationships, as well as new material focused on first-generation challenges and international students. Dean’s List offers a thoughtful, commonsense approach to higher education that allows students to make the most of their four years on campus—and beyond.

    Third talk TBA. More information coming soon!

  • Quick Takes on Events and News — June 2017

    Don Quixote sculpture outside Carr Library

    An Unexpected Visit

    Last month, Carr Library received an unexpected visit from artist Katya Silis, whose father Nikolai is the sculptor of Don Quixote with a Flower, the statue that sits adjacent to the walkway leading to the entrance of the library. Katya, who traveled from New York with a friend just to see and photograph the sculpture, was delighted to see its prominent location on campus and expressed her gratitude to Carr Library associate Grace McGarty.

    Ankita (l) and Bela (r) Gupta

    Mother and Daughter: Both Graduates

    Congratulations are in order for Bela Gupta, library associate in the Monographs Cataloging Section of Central Technical Services, and her daughter Ankita, who both graduated in May. Bela received her master’s degree summa cum laude in library and information science from the School of Communication and Information, while Ankita, who hopes to become a veterinarian, received her bachelor’s in animal science from the School of Environmental and Biological Sciences, where she was on the dean’s list and in the General Honors Program. The happy graduates were also featured in the latest issue of the SEBS Explorations magazine.

    Exhibit in Memoriam of a Beloved Colleague

    On May 24, Dana Library celebrated the opening of Art and Jazz: A Tribute to Ed Berger. The exhibit, curated by Joanne Leone, features the works of over 50 students at Arts High School in Newark who had worked with Leone to learn how to express the experience of listening to jazz in their art. Ed Berger, former Institute of Jazz Studies associate director and special projects librarian, had been planning the exhibition with Leone when he passed away suddenly earlier this year, and Leone carried on with the plans in his memory. The opening reception featured a performance by the Arts High Jazz Band as well as many touching remarks delivered by Ed’s friends and colleagues. The exhibition will remain in the Dana Room Gallery through August 26 with selected works remaining on view through the fall.

    Arts High School Jazz Band Performs at Art and Jazz opening reception. Video: Nancy McMurrer.

    Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden Visits Paul Robeson Library

    Dr. Carla Hayden meets Katie Anderson and Krisellen Maloney.

    This year, Rutgers University–Camden welcomed Dr. Carla Hayden, Librarian of Congress, as their commencement speaker. Dr. Hayden has broken new ground as both the first woman and the first African American to hold this position. So, you can imagine how excited the faculty and staff at Paul Robeson Library were to meet her when she stopped by earlier this week before addressing our 2017 graduates and receiving an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters.

    We were delighted to give her a tour of the Library and to present her with a tote bag full of Rutgers goodies.

    SCUA Archivists to Talk Rutgers’ Slave-Holding History

    The Old Dutch Parsonage in Somerville. Photo: Hillary Murtha via NJ.com.

    University archivist Tom Frusciano and public services and outreach archivist Helene Van Rossum will take part in a presentation on the slave-holding history of Rutgers’ founders at the Old Dutch Parsonage in Somerville on June 17 at 2:30 p.m. Topics to be explored include stories of early slave-holding leaders of Rutgers College–including the relationship between the Hardenbergh family and Sojourner Truth–and connections between Rutgers and the Dutch Reformed Church during the Revolutionary War years. There is a suggested donation of $5 and advance registration is recommended. Click here for more information on the program.

    The Garden State through the Eyes of Its Beholders

    Jersey Collective: The First Two Years is on display at the Paul Robeson Library now through June 15.

    Jersey Collective is a collaborative Instagram project that showcases the beauty of New Jersey and the talent of photographers who live here. Over 100 diverse people from all over the state have been featured, from as young as age 13 to over 50. Each week, a different person takes over the Instagram account, treating followers to their unique style and point of view while sharing their favorite parts of the Garden State.

    The images displayed in the exhibit are a selection from the first and second years of the project, spanning from March 2014 to March 2016.

    New Resources in Women’s and Gender Studies

    Two new resources for women’s and gender studies were recently announced: Travel Writing, Spectacle and World History: Women’s Travel Diaries and Correspondence from the Radcliffe Institute for Advance Study, Harvard University and Women in the National Archives (UK). The former includes unique manuscripts, diaries, travel journals, correspondence, photographs, postcards, and ephemera created by women travelers from circa 1835 to 1976, while the latter includes a finding aid to women’s studies resources in the National Archives of the United Kingdom as well as original documents on the suffrage question in Britain, 1903–1928, and the granting of women’s suffrage in the colonial territories, 1930–1962. For more information, click here.

  • Celebration of Scholarship Digital Exhibit Now on View

    The 2017 Celebration of Scholarship digital exhibit can be viewed at libraries.rutgers.edu/celebration.

    The digital exhibit for the 2017 Celebration of Scholarship is now available for viewing. It features the works of 125 members of the Rutgers faculty in disciplines ranging from fine arts to pharmacology at Rutgers–Camden, Rutgers–Newark, Rutgers–New Brunswick, and Rutgers Biomedical and Health Sciences.

    Some highlights include:

    • A medical student didactic in which participants discuss episodes of Seinfeld through the lens of a psychiatrist;
    • The first-ever art history of video games;
    • A project to translate all 30,000 lines of extant Anglo-Saxon poetry into modern English verse;
    • A feature film about the life of the director’s grandfather, a 90-year-old Japanese-American widower living in Honolulu;
    • A blog presenting 20 years of research on eating, body image, and weight management so that it is accessible to a general audience;
    • A chapter celebrating the accomplishments of law librarians of color;
    • A book detailing research on mathematical models of vehicular traffic networks;
    • Histories of New Brunswick and Newark, as well as a look at life on the shore in the wake of Hurricane Sandy;
    • And many projects led by our colleagues, including Janet Brennan Croft, Bonnie Fong, Sarah Jewell, Marty Kesselman, Megan Lotts, Christie Lutz, and Judit Hajnal Ward.

    Learn more about these and other works by exploring the exhibit at libraries.rutgers.edu/celebration.

  • Quick Takes on Events and News — May 2017

    StressbustersThe New Brunswick Libraries announced their schedule of #Stressbusters events for the spring exam period. Highlights include a photo booth at the Math/Physics Library, button making at the Art Library, and pet therapy sessions at Alexander, Douglass, Kilmer, and LSM.

    MARAC Spring 2017 was held April 20–22 in Newark.

    Don’t despair if you happened to miss out on the recent Mid Atlantic Regional Archives Conference in Newark, as Tara Maharjan put together a comprehensive Storify of the event (titled Adaptable Archives: Redefine, Repurpose, and Renew) that’s the next best thing to having been there in person.

    Several new exhibits opened across the Libraries this past month:

    At the Art Library, a display of undergraduate student work from the Environmental Planning Studio of the Department of Landscape Architecture will be on view through May 31. Students in the studio were challenged to create a master plan for the Bergen County park system, and the exhibit communicates their creative solutions and work through large-scale posters.

    There's a Run in My Tights

    At Paul Robeson Library, There’s a Run in My Tights: Classic Comic Book Covers from the Golden Age and Beyond is on display through May 4. This display, which opened in advance of the 2017 Camden Comic Con, highlights superheroes such as Bat Girl, Aquaman, Luke Cage and the X-Men, as well as villains like Cat Woman and misunderstood monsters like Werewolf By Night.

    A group exhibition of works by students in the Women, Gender, and Creativity House of Douglass Residential College is on display now at Douglass Library. Students in this community explore topics of gender, sexuality, identity, creativity, perception, and visual communication of women in the arts. The exhibition highlights the self-portraits, sculptures, video performances, and written works produced by the student artists during the course of the academic year. It closes on May 1, so be sure to check this one out while you can.

    Finally, many new resources were announced in April:

    • The Andrew Hill Collection at the Institute of Jazz Studies contains the papers, music, and audiovisual recordings of acclaimed pianist, composer, bandleader, and educator Andrew Hill (1931–2007). The collection was processed as part of the 2016 Jazz Archives Fellows residency.
    • Attitude Check - Independent voices
      Attitude Check (vol. 1 no. 1, 1969) via Independent Voices.

      JAMAevidence provides guides to the systematic consideration of validity, importance, and applicability of problems and outcomes in health care. It consists of three textbooks, user tools, and forms useful to the critical appraisal process. See more in our deep dive.

    • Academic Video Online Premium provides access to over 50,000 videos from reputable producers such as BBC and PBS, mostly on the subjects of social sciences, American history/American studies, music and performing arts, science and engineering, and health sciences.
    • Independent Voices is a full-text database of alternative press periodicals published in the U.S. in the second half of the 20th century. It includes publications like Aegis (1978-87), Death Ship Times (Fat Albert’s) (1972-74), The Feminist Voice (1971-72), Meatball (1969-71), Off Our Backs (1970-76), The People’s Voice (1980-1983), San Francisco Good Times (1969-72), Up from the Bottom (1971-74), Where It’s At (1968-70), the Yardbird Reader (1972-76), and Zeitgeist (1965-69), among dozens of others.

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  • Quick Takes on Events and News – March 2017

    Open and Affordable Textbooks Project Will Save Almost $1.6 Million in First Year

    Petros Levounis of New Jersey Medical School plans to use his grant to publish an affordable textbook for medical students by medical students.

    More than 32 classes are switching over to low cost or no-cost textbook solutions as part of the Open and Affordable Textbooks (OAT) Project, with a projected savings of $1,597,444 over the next year.

    In 2016, President Barchi asked the Libraries to pilot the OAT Project to address soaring textbook costs and to introduce more affordable materials into the classroom. The original plan was to provide 12 grants to faculty to incorporate low-cost course materials into their classes. Thanks to higher than expected faculty interest and the quality of their proposals, the Libraries quickly expanded the pilot program to 32 grants, impacting courses across the university in fields ranging from psychiatry, sociology, and public affairs to English, business, and physics. (For a complete list of grant recipients, please click here.)

    Click here to read the news release, which includes reflections on the project from grant-winning professors Petros Levounis (Department of Psychiatry, Rutgers Biomedical and Health Sciences), Neil Sheflin (Department of Economics, Rutgers–New Brunswick), and Matthew Giobbi (Department of Psychology, Rutgers–Newark).

    Kilmer Library Named in Honor of James Dickson Carr

    This month, the Board of Governors voted to rename Kilmer Library in honor of James Dickson Carr, Rutgers’ first African American graduate. He completed his degree in 1892, was a member of the Phi Beta Kappa honor society, and went on to attend Columbia Law School.

    Chancellor Richard Edwards told Rutgers Today that the library’s new name will be a fitting tribute to Carr, who was a noted scholar.

    “Having Mr. Carr’s name on a building that is a core part of academic life where students go to study and where research is conducted is an important way to recognize his accomplishments,’’ he said.

    Following graduation from Columbia Law School, Carr went on to become an assistant district attorney of New York County and held other offices in New York City government. To learn more about this accomplished Rutgers alumnus, please read this article from the Journal of the Rutgers University Libraries.

    31st Annual Bishop Lecture: “Through the Eyes of a WWI Combat Engineer”

    Bishop Lecture invite
    The 2017 Bishop Lecture will be presented by Dr. Virginia Dilkes, whose father served in WWI as a combat engineer.

    Join Rutgers Special Collections and University Archives for the opening reception and the 31st annual Louis Faugères Bishop Lecture by Dr. Virginia A. Dilkes on the subject of “Through the Eyes of a WWI Combat Engineer,” at 6 p.m. on Thursday, March 9, 2017.

    The lecture will also be the opening reception of the Rutgers University-New Brunswick Spring 2017 exhibition “Heaven, Hell, or Hoboken!”: New Jersey in the Great War. The exhibition, commemorating the Centennial of the Great War, will examine the storied history of our state during the Great War, showcasing one-of-a-kind documents, photographs, and artifacts from Rutgers University’s Special Collections and University Archives, the National Guard Militia Museum of New Jersey, and the Johnson & Johnson Archives.

    Virginia Dilkes was born and raised in Iselin, New Jersey.  She earned her doctoral degree from the University of Michigan. Her interest in World War I stems from her father, who was a combat engineer in WWI. She has edited and published her father’s World War I memoirs in the book Remembering World War I: An Engineer’s Diary of the War. She is a volunteer for the U.S. WWI Centennial Commemoration Commission.

    Celebration of Scholarship Takes Place in March

    The annual Celebration of Scholarship will take place this year from March 27 to March 31. There will be coordinated events and displays across the Libraries, a social media campaign, a website presence, and more.

    We need your support in soliciting submissions from Rutgers faculty of works to include in our showcase. In a departure from years past, we are accepting projects of all different types, not just books.

    The submission forms and event info for Camden, Newark/New Brunswick, and RBHS are all available on the Celebration of Scholarship webpage.

    Dana Library to Participate in Women in Media-Newark’s Annual International Film Festival

    From the Rutgers–Newark press release: “Women in Media-Newark will hold its eighth annual International Film Festival March 28 through April 6 in celebration of Women’s History Month. Working in conjunction with Rutgers University–Newark, their major partner, WIM-N will host film festival over nine days at six venues.  All events are free and open to the public.

    “On Mach 31 – April 1, a symposium on Tayari Jones’ acclaimed novel ‘Silver Sparrow’ will take place as part of the film festival, in collaboration with Rutgers University-Newark’ s John Cotton Dana Library, as part of the Essex County Library Directors ‘Big Read Film’ screenings. A natural hair care demonstration and panel discussions also will take place at this free event. Dr. Consuella Askew, director of the Dana Library, states, ‘The John Cotton Dana Library at RU-N is a proud partner of the WIM-N Film Festival and the Symposium on Dr. Jones’ novel ‘Silver Sparrow’. Libraries are by design culturally based organizations. We acquire and make accessible many resources – not just books – that foster an informed citizenry in an increasingly global world. By virtue of its mission, our partnership with the WIM-N organization helps us meet this objective by enabling us to connect with our community in an engaging and meaningful way. We look forward to strengthening our partnership with WIM-N in the future.’”

    READ Club Meets at Rutgers Art Library

    A recent news story in the Daily Targum highlighted the READ club–“Rutgers’ first and only book discussion group,” according to their website. This group meets each month to escape the rigors of textbook and classroom reading and discuss a work of fiction, ranging from contemporary novels and literary fiction to poetry and short story collections.

    The club meets in the Art Library and will be discussing Selma, 1965: The March that Changed the South at its February meeting.

    #WednesdayWisdom Rolls Out in March

    Wednesday Wisdom
    Wednesday Wisdom kicks off in March with an inspirational quote by Greek writer Nikos Kazantzakis.

    In response to a student’s suggestion on Instagram, we’re taking steps to add an inspirational flair to our library spaces and social media accounts. Each Wednesday starting on March 1, we will post a motivational quote to our social media channels using the popular hashtag #WednesdayWisdom. The quotes will also be provided in advance for posting throughout the libraries. Special thanks to Mary Hasaballa for the idea and to all the volunteers who are helping to bring a little positivity to the everyday lives of our students!

    New Acquisitions in Special Collections and University Archives

    The latest post on the What Exit? blog details acquisitions from fall 2016 to winter 2017. Highlights include titles such as The Mass Grave at the First Reformed Church, Scarlet and Black Volume 1: Slavery and Dispossession in Rutgers History, The Ironbound: An Illustrated History of Newark’s “Down Neck,” Runaway Dream: Born to Run and Bruce Springsteen’s American Vision, and The Southern Education of a Jersey Girl: Adventures in Life and Love in the Heart of Dixie.

    University of Oklahoma Libraries Survey

    The University of Oklahoma Libraries invite you to participate in a research study being conducted under the auspices of the University of Oklahoma Norman Campus, entitled “Faculty Status: The Next Generation,” IRB #654523.

    The purpose of this study is to investigate whether faculty status and the opportunity to earn tenure are important considerations for recent graduates of MLS/MLIS programs who are seeking professional jobs in academic libraries.

    If you received a master’s degree in library or information science in 2012 or later, you are eligible to participate in the study. The findings from this project will provide information that will shed light on the preferences of job seekers who are relatively new to the library and information profession.

    Your participation will involve completion of an online survey and should take about 5 to 10 minutes of your time. Your involvement in the study is voluntary, and you may choose not to participate or to stop at any time. This survey is anonymous. No identifying information about you will be gathered.

    If you have any questions about this research project, please feel free to call Karen Antell at 405-325-4142 or email kantell@ou.edu. Questions about your rights as a research participant or concerns about the project should be directed to the Institutional Review Board at the University of Oklahoma-Norman Campus by phone at 405-325-8110 or via email at irb@ou.edu.

     

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  • Quick Takes on Events and News — February 2017

    Records at Play: The Institute of Jazz Studies @50

    A new exhibit of materials from IJS titled Records at Play: The Institute of Jazz Studies @50 is the inaugural exhibit in the Paul Robeson Galleries at Express Newark ( 54 Halsey Street, Newark, NJ 07102). On display through the end of the calendar year, this will be the first time the IJS has exhibited so many of its treasures at once. Although they represent only a small fraction of the Institute’s collections, the artifacts, documents, and sound recordings in this exhibit provide a record of IJS history and the music at its core.

    From the Boarding House to the Board Room: 250 Years of Women at Rutgers

    The Libraries collaborated with multiple university partners on the documentary “From the Boarding House to Board Room:  250 years of Women at Rutgers” by award winning filmmaker June Cross which was shown last October. Kayo Denda just received notice that the YouTube video for the panel discussion following the film screening is now available.

    About “From the Boarding House to Board Room”: Rutgers was founded in 1766 to educate young men, and so it remained for the first 152 years. Yet from the beginning women played vital but unrecognized roles. This film, directed by award-winning filmmaker June Cross and produced by the Institute for Women’s Leadership consortium, highlights the multiple layers of Rutgers’ ongoing transformation – from the campaign to create a separate, co-ordinate women’s college to the first female students to enter Rutgers College. While Rutgers’ story is distinctive, it is also universal. The film considers the radical transformation of higher education and how this revolution continues to meet the needs of 21st century students.

    Staff examines microfilm
    Tara Kelley trains NJDNP staff in operation of the equipment.

    New Jersey Digital Newspaper Project February Update

    The latest blog from the New Jersey Digital Newspaper Project introduces us to the new dedicated office space that has been prepared for the project at Alexander Library. It is replete with all the equipment needed for analyzing the papers on microfilm: “film reel arms, a light box, densitometer, jeweler’s loupe, a 100x handheld microscope, static-free cloths and (of course) white gloves,” writes project director Caryn Radick. Reach out to Peter Konin if you are interested in seeing the space.

    Perhaps even more exciting, the advisory board has selected the newspapers that they hope to digitize and submitted them for approval to the Library of Congress. Once the titles are approved an announcement will follow shortly, so stay tuned for more from the NJDNP!

    SCUA Archivists Teach NJ Librarians Practical Skills

    Tim Corlis and Erika Gorder teamed up in January to teach the NJLA workshop, “Archival Basics for Librarians: A workshop for new archivists and special collections librarians.” This workshop is geared toward public libraries who may encounter historical materials or have archival issues come up. It provides practical advice on immediate issues of preservation, writing a finding aid, archival materials, etc. This year, around 25 people participated and they had to turn additional registrations away. The need for this type of course is increasing. Winnowing library budgets mean there aren’t funds to hire archivists, though there continues to be a real need for archiving and conservation skills.

    Pony Wilson exhibit
    The Pony Wilson exhibit at Robeson Library. Credit: John Powell.

    Exhibit at Robeson Library Remembers Longtime Athletic Director

    Remembering Coach Wilbur “Pony” Wilson is on display now through March 8 at Paul Robeson Library. Wilson was the athletic director at Rutgers–Camden for over 28 years and coached the Pioneers basketball team to the first 20-win season in Rutgers–Camden athletics history. Under his leadership, the university expanded its varsity sports program from five to 14 teams, and his was the first name enshrined in the Rutgers–Camden Circle of Honor in February 2000.

    The exhibit was recently featured on the official Scarlet Raptors website.

    Showcasing the Kalmyk Journey

    The Kalmyks originated in Dzhungaria (today’s northern Xinjiang, China) in the 16th century. They proceeded via Russia and western Europe and, during the 1950s, established unique diasporic communities in Philadelphia as well as in Paterson and Howell. hrough illustrations, photographs, artifacts, and music recordings drawn from the Kalmyk Diaspora Archives Project, this exhibition showcases the Kalmyk journey from pastoral nomadism to post-WWII urban and suburban America.

    From Pastoral Nomadism to Global Urbanism: The Complex Journey of Kalmyks in America and Russia is on display at Douglass Library from January 20 through March 31, 2017.

    NLM Director Appointed Interim NIH Associate Director for Data Science

    The National Institutes of Health (NIH) announced that National Library of Medicine director Patricia Flatley Brennan, RN, PhD will assume an additional role as NIH interim associate director for data science.

    The associate director for data science and team provide input to the overall NIH vision and actions undertaken by each of the 27 institutes and centers in support of biomedical research as a digital enterprise. Among other duties, the office oversees the Big Data to Knowledge (BD2K) initiative, stimulating the best developments in the data science community.

    “I believe the future of health and health care rests on data—genomic data, environmental sensor-generated data, electronic health records data, patient-generated data, research collected data,” Dr. Brennan observed. “The data originating from research projects is becoming as important as the answers those research projects are providing.”

    Read more in the full news release form the National Library of Medicine.

     

    GIF IT UP? Winners

    The Digital Public Library of America announced the winners of the GIF IT UP competition. Enjoying this example? See more at their website.

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  • Quick Takes on Events & News – January 2017

    CERRUCHA, Mapping Skin Deep (Mexican, 6 years, Leon) 2014

    Living in the Shadows: Underground Immigrant Communities

    For the spring semester, the Mary H. Dana Women Artists Series Galleries at Douglass Library will feature a group exhibit titled Living in the Shadows: Underground Immigrant Communities from January 17 through April 7.  The exhibit is a multidisciplinary creative inquiry into irregular migration and hidden and undocumented immigrant communities. Public events slated for the coming months include a reception and artists’ discussion at Douglass Library on March 1 at 5 p.m. as well as three screenings of the film Don’t Tell Anyone (No le Digas a Nadie): at the Paul Robeson Galleries, Rutgers–Newark on March 22 at 4 p.m.; at the Ludwig Global Village Living Learning Center, Rutgers–New Brunswick on March 30 at 7 p.m.; and at the New Brunswick Free Public Library on April 25 at 6 p.m.

    2017 Jazz Archives Fellowship

    Applications are open for the 2017 Jazz Archives Fellowship. The program offers three fellows a two-week residency at the Institute of Jazz Studies (IJS) that provides practical training in archival organization and processing. Major components include a general orientation, a visit to several New York metropolitan area music archives, discussions and learning opportunities about archival and digital collection management issues, and meetings with Rutgers faculty, staff, and administrators about diversity and how it can be served by a specialized archive like the IJS.

    New Brunswick Music Scene Archive Anniversary Exhibit

    An exhibit of materials commemorating the one-year anniversary of the New Brunswick Music Scene Archive is on display now through February at Alexander Library. Reflecting the history of the city’s independent music since the 1980s, the display features a wide variety of objects—from records and tapes to zines, flyers, and other ephemera—that were donated from the personal collections of those involved in the scene over the years. Highlights include issues of Jersey Beat and New Brunswick Underground, flyers for shows held at the Court Tavern and the Melody Bar, and recordings from local acts such as The Blasés and The Weeping Cysts.

    Watching the Teen Detectives

    Nancy Drew books on display at Robeson Library.

    No mystery is too big or too small for the crack team of literary teen detectives on display through January 20, 2017 at Paul Robeson Library. Featuring many investigative ingénues from the infamous Stratemeyer Syndicate publishing group, the exhibit Watching the Teen Detectives highlights the detective work of Nancy Drew, the Dana Girls, Beverly Gray, Cherry Ames, Judy Bolton, Connie Blair, Penny Parker and Trixie Belden. Adding to the intrigue, boy detectives Biff Brewster, Ken Holt, Tom Quest, Rick Brant, and the Three Investigators are equally capable of collecting clues and catching criminals.

    #CareerTuesdays

    The Libraries have partnered with University Career Services to offer support for students who are seeking employment either while at school or after graduation. Over the next few months, look for #CareerTuesday tips each week on our social media. We will be featuring resources and services such as the Vault Career Guides, our career collections and LibGuides, and Career Services’ drop-in resume critiques at Kilmer Library.

    Luke Cage Gets the Libguide Treatment

    Krista White, digital humanities librarian and head of media services at Dana Library, has created a timely libguide for African American culture, books, and music related to the television show Luke Cage. Luke Cage was the first black superhero to get his own comic book series, first appearing in the early 1970s, and the television show joins a raft of other Marvel-based television series on Netflix. Since debuting this fall, the show has, according to media sources, taken on deeper relevance, serving as a symbol of pride and resistance to police brutality for the black community.

    #SpecialCollectionsSunday

    This 1936 Count Basie telegram was featured on #SpecialCollectionsSunday for the IJS.

    Over the course of the last semester, you may have noticed a new regular feature on our social media channels: #SpecialCollectionsSunday. The idea behind this feature is simple: to shine the spotlight on a different special collection each month by posting pictures from it every Sunday throughout the month.  So far, we’ve highlighted four different themes: in October, we featured the New Brunswick Music Scene Archive; in November, the Institute of Jazz Studies; in December, the realia collection at Paul Robeson Library; and in January, the special collections in the history of medicine at George F. Smith Library. The response so far has been positive and, beyond the many likes and shares, we’ve even received a few inquiries from folks wishing to learn more about the materials we’ve featured.

    This is a great way to call attention to some of our unique holdings and, as it only requires a handful of scans or snapshots, participation is easy. Please contact Matt Badessa with ideas for future themes or if you would like to have your collection featured.