“Sometimes music has the ability to relax and re-energize us, so we were pleased to host this musical stressbuster to help students unwind during finals week,” said Bret McCandless, Music and Performing Arts Librarian at Douglass Library and coordinator of the pop-up concert. “Each performance is a component of the Chamber Music courses offered by Rutgers Mason Gross School of the Arts. We are grateful to the musicians for volunteering their time and talent.”
The concert program included the following:
Beethoven’s Duo for Violin and Cello No. 1 WoO 27 (Allegro comodo) performed by Janai Vazquez-Diaz (violin) and Kira Harris (cello)
Beethoven’s String Quartet Op. 18, No. 1 (Allegro con brio) performed by Ana Constantine (violin), Elly Ha (violin), Anzhi Ji (viola), and Oliver Cole (cello)
Jan Bach’s “Two-Bit Contraptions” performed by Pavana Karanth (flute) and William Sizemore (French horn)
Beethoven’s Duo for Clarinet and Bassoon No. 3 WoO 27 (Aria con Variazioni) performed by Haley Rogers (flute) and Brendan Kopevos (bassoon)
Beethoven’s Duo for Violin and Cello No. 1 WoO 27 (Allegro comodo) performed by Janai Vazquez-Diaz (violin) and Kira Harris (cello).Beethoven’s String Quartet Op. 18, No. 1 (Allegro con brio) performed by Ana Constantine (violin), Elly Ha (violin), Anzhi Ji (viola), and Oliver Cole (cello).Jan Bach’s “Two-Bit Contraptions” performed by Pavana Karanth (flute) and William Sizemore (French horn).Beethoven’s Duo for Clarinet and Bassoon No. 3 WoO 27 (Aria con Variazioni) performed by Haley Rogers (flute) and Brendan Kopevos (bassoon).
On December 9, the New Brunswick Libraries’ Shipping, Logistics, and IT departments held their annual holiday party and white elephant gift exchange. Guests enjoyed pizza, snacks, refreshments, and dessert in Alexander Library’s break room. The always-entertaining gift exchange featured many amusing and unusual items, encouraging much wheeling, dealing, and stealing. A good time was had by all!
White elephant gifts of many shapes and sizes surround the festive holiday tree.Guests enjoy pizza, snacks, and refreshments before the white elephant gift exchange.Luke Sangiamo, coordinator of shipping and receiving, explains the white elephant gift exchange rules.Elena Schneider, events and program manager, thanks guests for attending the holiday party.Ray George, shipping assistant, unwraps his gift.Guests eagerly await their turn to choose or steal a white elephant gift.
Stop by the following NBL locations for finals week/stressbuster events:
Alexander Library
Thursday, December 15, to Friday, December 23
Stop by Alexander Library for a treat during finals week! At various times, Stressbuster Grab n’ Go snack bags will be placed in the lobby (while supplies last).
Art Library
Thursday, December 15, to Friday, December 23
Visit the Art Library during finals week for a Stressbuster Grab n’ Go snack bag (while supplies last).
Carr Library
Thursday, December 15, 3–4 p.m.
Tuesday, December 20, 3–4 p.m.
Visit Carr Library during finals week for Stressbuster Grab N’ Go snack bags (while supplies last).
Chang Library
Thursday, December 15, 11 a.m.
Take a study break at Chang Library and refuel for finals with delicious snacks (while supplies last).
Douglass Library
Thursday, December 15, noon–2 p.m.
Monday, December 19, 10 a.m.–noon
Wednesday, December 21, noon–2 p.m.
Thursday, December 22, 10 a.m.–noon
Stop by Douglass Library for snacks and water bottles (while supplies last).
Math and Physics Library
Thursday, December 15, 1–4 p.m.
Friday, December 16, 1–4 p.m.
Warm up at Math and Physics Library with coffee, cocoa, or apple cider (while supplies last).
LSM
Thursday, December 15, 11 a.m.
Good luck with finals! Stop by LSM for a snack break and games.
“Ross Gay’s poetry collection celebrates life and goodness and that which nourishes us, fleetingly and forever, through love and loss,” said Noreen Scott Garrity, director of the Rutgers-Camden Center for the Arts. “He touches on everyday living and notices what we often take for granted. We are looking forward to welcoming guests to share in this enjoyable literary experience.”
Complimentary copies of Gay’s book will be available on a first-come, first-served basis in early November, and participants will have the opportunity to contribute to a What Are You Grateful For? installation piece constructed by the Rutgers-Camden Center for the Arts.
Launched in 2006, the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) Big Read aims to inspire meaningful conversations, artistic responses, and new discoveries and connections in participating communities. In partnership with Arts Midwest, the NEA supports programming centered around one of 15 different contemporary books.
Robeson Library hosted two events for Rutgers–Camden’s International Education Week (November 14–18). On Tuesday, November 15, the Global Studies Department held an International Quizzo game. On Wednesday, November 16, Robeson’s Bart Everts and Edward Robinson facilitated a Game and Puzzle Night which brought together Rutgers and Camden County College students for a night of classic board games, puzzles, food, and friendship. Click this link to view more photos.
As part of a long-standing agreement, Robeson Library serves as the research library for the Camden campuses of Camden County College and Rowan University.
IDEA students discuss a project in the Hatchery’s Learning Bar (Area 10). Photo by John Emerson.
Rutgers University Libraries are proud to announce the opening of the Hatchery Innovation Studio, an innovation and creation center located in Alexander Library on the College Avenue campus. This new library space is the first of its kind at Rutgers and offers students a wide range of flexible, collaborative spaces to work on projects, practice pitches, and explore design and entrepreneurship ecosystems.
The Hatchery provides a stimulating environment where students can ideate; learn from each other, faculty, and industry innovators; and discover passions, challenges, and solutions. The 4,000-square-foot studio can accommodate up to 85 people and features 11 flexible meeting and creative areas; multimedia equipment, including a television, entertainment system, and computers; contemporary, modular furniture; dry-erase boards and art supplies; and a ping pong table.
IDEA students collaborate in the Hatchery’s Hub (Area 1). Photo by John Emerson.
The Hatchery is a strategic partnership between Rutgers–New Brunswick Libraries and Rutgers’ Innovation, Design, and Entrepreneurship Academy (IDEA). The mission of IDEA is to integrate design and entrepreneurial thinking into the student experience. During the program, students participate in research, design challenges, and entrepreneurial thinking, as well as contribute to interdisciplinary projects focused on solving complex societal challenges.
To learn more about the Hatchery and to take a virtual tour, please visit libraries.rutgers.edu/hatchery.
Grand Opening Celebration
On October 25, 2022, the Libraries celebrated the Hatchery’s grand opening with more than 60 guests. IDEA staff provided tours of the space, and IDEA students offered live project demonstrations.
Rutgers officers, staff, and faculty cut the ceremonial ribbon at the Hatchery’s grand opening celebration. Pictured from left: Abby Kucks, IDEA Program Coordinator; Veronica Armour, IDEA Director; Prabhas Moghe; Dee Magnoni; Francine Conway; Sunita Kramer, former Associate Vice President for Research and Experiential Education; Saundra Tomlinson-Clarke, Senior Vice Provost for Academic and Faculty Affairs; and Consuella Askew.
Consuella Askew, Vice President for University Libraries and University Librarian, delivered welcome remarks, together with Prabhas Moghe, Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs; Francine Conway, Chancellor-Provost of Rutgers–New Brunswick; and Dee Magnoni, Associate University Librarian at Rutgers–New Brunswick Libraries. Three IDEA students—Fauzan Amjad ’24, Kritika Singh ’24, and Scott Rubin ’24—shared their experiences about the Hatchery and the IDEA program.
Consuella Askew.
“The Hatchery is a unique space that developed from a partnership between the Rutgers University Libraries, Rutgers University Leadership, and IDEA,” Askew said. “It provides a dynamic environment serving as a third space for our students to connect with our library and disciplinary faculty members, and our community members, to engage in the innovation process.”
Askew noted, “The Hatchery would not have been possible without the generosity and support from University Academic Affairs and Rutgers–New Brunswick. I thank Prabhas and Francine for their ongoing contributions and advocacy of this unprecedented space and the Libraries.”
Prabhas Moghe.
Moghe recounted the history of the Hatchery’s development and expressed his excitement for the new space and its potential for innovation.
Francine Conway.
Conway discussed the Hatchery’s role within the university: “The Hatchery is directly aligned with Rutgers–New Brunswick’s Academic Master Plan in its vision of bringing students together from diverse schools and disciplines for valuable, hands-on problem-solving.” She added, “I am excited for this partnership that will help students unlock new skills, explore the subjects that most deeply interest them, and build valuable experience that will propel them into the future.”
Dee Magnoni.
Magnoni expressed her gratitude to the university and the IDEA community: “The Hatchery is an innovation space that began with a conversation, took shape through a design process with IDEA students and staff, teaching faculty, and Division of Continuing Studies personnel. Consuella Askew provided the runway to proceed, Prabhas Moghe championed the effort, and Fran Conway supplied the scaffolding for our future success with the Rutgers–New Brunswick Academic Master Plan. Cheers to our tremendous collaborators, supporters, and partners!”
Veronica Armour, Director of IDEA, said, “We are excited for this partnership—IDEA is a first-year program that provides space for students to explore the innovation process by thinking about what problems they would like to solve. There is no better place for us to be situated than in the library to be able to build this community of student scholars, faculty, and industry mentors towards the discovery and exploration of interesting ideas.”
IDEA students gave presentations at the Hatchery’s grand opening.
Prabhas Moghe, Dee Magnoni, and Mukesh Patel, Assistant Professor of Professional Practice at Rutgers and Director of the Collaborative for Tech Entrepreneurship & Commercialization (CTEC), RSVP and Innovation Lab, with IDEA students in the Hatchery.Abby Kucks, Dee Magnoni, Sunita Kramer, and Veronica Armour at the Hatchery entrance.
Blood & Ink explores the slayings of star-crossed New Jersey lovers and how the century-old cold case fed America’s obsession with true crime stories. While conducting his research for the book, Pompeo relied heavily on Special Collections and University Archives (SC/UA), which he says houses the definitive academic archive on the murders. Pompeo used SC/UA’s Hall-Mills Collection, Wallace Conover Papers, and Stevens family letters. This presentation forms part of SC/UA’s Research Salon series, which features researchers who have used SC/UA’s resources in their work. The series is co-sponsored by the New Jersey Studies Academic Alliance.
Blood & Ink was published by William Morrow in September 2022, marking the 100th anniversary of the double murder of Reverend Edward Hall, rector of St. John the Evangelist Episcopal Church in New Brunswick, and Eleanor Mills, a singer in the church choir. The couple was reputedly having a scandalous affair, and their bodies were discovered artfully posed on a notorious lover’s lane on the border of New Brunswick and Somerset. Edward Hall’s wife, Frances, who was related to the wealthy Johnson family, and Eleanor Mills’ husband, Jim, were early suspects in the case. The bungled investigation by the police took years and failed to bring the criminals to justice. The trial featured eccentric characters such as Jane Gibson, a pig farmer who came forward with a purported eyewitness account of the murder and, at one point, testified from a stretcher brought into the courtroom. As well as investigating the fascinating details of the case, Pompeo shows how the rise of New York tabloid journalism and the resulting wars between papers of the 1920s kept the story alive. In an epilogue, Pompeo suggests his own theories on the still-unsolved case.
Over the years, many authors have tried to solve the case, including famed attorney William Kunstler, whose The Minister and the Choir Singer: The Hall-Mills Murder Case (1964) attributed the murders to the Ku Klux Klan. Another theory was offered by former dean Mary S. Hartman, who lived in Frances Hall’s house, now the residence of the Douglass Dean, in “The Hall-Mills Murder Case: The Most Fascinating Un-solved Homicide in America,” The Journal of the Rutgers University Libraries, 1984. The case has also inspired novels and plays, most recently Thou Shall Not, performed at St. John the Evangelist Church by Thinkery & Verse. Blood & Ink is unique in placing the case in the context of the rise of tabloid journalism and the popularity of true crime in the 1920s.
Symposium attendees enjoy Sandra Fernández’s artist presentation.
Special Collections and University Archives (SC/UA) hosted the 28th Annual New Jersey Book Arts Symposium (NJBAS) on November 4. The free event drew a capacity crowd in Alexander Library’s Pane Room and featured a workshop, artist presentations, and a panel discussion conducted by notable artists, curators, historians, and technologists. The program included:
To learn more about the NJBAS, please visit exhibits.libraries.rutgers.edu/nj-book-arts. Grant funding for the New Jersey Book Arts Symposium was provided by the Middlesex County Board of County Commissioners through a grant award from the Middlesex County Cultural and Arts Trust Fund. The NJBAS Advisory Board members are Karen Guancione, artistic director; Michael Joseph, founding director; Sonia Yaco, executive director; Martin Antonetti; Judith K. Brodsky; Fernanda Perrone; Amanda Thackray; Suzie Tuchman, and Kate Van Riper.
Suzie Tuchman conducts the triangle bookmaking workshop.Catherine LeCleire Wright shows symposium attendees how to create a triangle book.NJBAS attendees make triangle books during the workshop.Artist Sandra C. Fernández delivered a moving presentation about her life and work. Fernández is an Ecuadorian American artist currently living in New Jersey. Her work is rooted in the transborder experiences of exile, dislocation, relocation, memory, and self-conscious identity construction/reconstruction.Béatrice Coron, a renowned paper-cutting artist, and Rick Anderson, Director of Virtual Worlds at Rutgers, are collaborating on The Identity Project, an experiment both in form and content using technology to create an interactive artist book. This collaboration allows words and images to interact and behave in new and exciting ways. The Identity Project is presented by SC/UA. Learn more about the project at go.rutgers.edu/coron.Amee Pollack is a mixed-media and book artist and Senior Advisor and Student Success Counselor in the Department of Art & Design at the Mason Gross School of the Arts. She spoke about her art, which includes three-dimensional, fold-out book sculptures she had created with her artistic partner and close friend, Laurie Spitz, who passed away in 2017. Works by Spitz & Pollack, as their collaboration was known, are in the permanent collections of over 50 organizations, including the Brooklyn Museum, Cooper Hewitt Smithsonian Design Museum, New York Public Library Print Collection, and Yale University. Read more at masongross.rutgers.edu/why-i-made-this-amee-pollack and ameejpollack.com.Featured artist and historian Javiera Barrientos presented “A Personal Catalogue: Bookwork in Contemporary Latin America” and highlighted works by Carlos Oquendo, Maria Lucia Cattani, Francisca Prieto, Isol, Javiera Pintocanales, and Mariana Tocornal.During her curator presentation, Virginia Fabbri Butera interviewed Michael Cooper about the late Rocco Scary’s bookwork. Rocco Scary (1960–2022) was a multidisciplinary artist whose work on paper, in sculpture, and with artist books explored the concept of the identifiers or “triggers” for memory. To learn more about Scary, please visit roccoscary.com. Butera is the director of the Therese A. Maloney Art Gallery. She is also chairperson of the art, dance, and music program and a tenured professor of art history at @saintelizabethuniversity. Cooper is the creative director at Altech Corporation and principal of Cooper Graphics and Cooper Art Works LLC. He has over 40 years of fine art and commercial art experience.NJBAS executive director Sonia Yaco (left) and noted artist and art educator Judith K. Brodsky. Brodsky led the engaging panel discussion that concluded the New Jersey Book Arts Symposium. The lively discussion offered attendees an opportunity to hear more from the guest artists and ask questions. Brodsky highlighted the commonalities between the topics, including technology, social issues, and a sense of play, and encouraged the artists to share their thoughts and processes and talk about the future of books and bookmaking. Brodsky is a Distinguished Professor Emerita in the Mason Gross School of the Arts Department of Visual Arts and the Founding Director of the Rutgers Center for Innovative Print and Paper, which was renamed the Brodsky Center in her honor in 2006 (now The Brodsky Center at PAFA).Panel discussion with the NJBAS’ guest speakers.From left: Karen Guancione, Sandra Fernández, and Sonia Yaco. Guancione is the NJBAS’ artistic director. She creates a vision of the symposium each year and moderates the event. Michael Joseph (below) is the founding director of the NJBAS. He and Karen guide the selection of the artists and help to shape the event. As executive director, Yaco coordinates the event, secures funding, and with Karen and Michael, connects with the New Jersey book arts community.Michael Joseph, founding director of the NJBAS.
On August 23, 2022, the New Brunswick Libraries (NBL) Learning Community hosted its second annual Engagement Day for all New Brunswick Libraries faculty and staff. This professional engagement event is an important part of the NBL Learning Community’s effort to enhance the New Brunswick Libraries’ culture of collaboration, communication, and success.
Group photo of the NBL Engagement Day 2022 attendees at Rutgers Gardens.
Despite the challenges of our busy schedules, over 55 New Brunswick Libraries staff and faculty members participated in some or all of the day’s programming. The event was held online and in person to accommodate as many people as possible.
Before the virtual morning programming began at 9:00 a.m., we received warm welcomes from Consuella Askew, our new Vice President for University Libraries and University Librarian, and Dee Magnoni, the Associate University Librarian at Rutgers–New Brunswick.
Engagement Day attendees in the Rutgers Gardens pavilion.
Throughout the morning, presenters shared their expertise through nine sessions that ranged from interactive workshops to conversations and learning presentations. Two of the nine presentations were given by external specialists, six by Rutgers faculty and staff, and one by an NBL professional. Attendees were split into groups of three and chose from the following sessions:
Integrative Medicine
Do You Really Know What Time It Is? Horology: The Science of Measuring Time and Watchmaking
Employment Discrimination Law: What Is It and How Does It Affect Me?
Global Health and Its Impacts
Professional Development at Rutgers
Sharpening Your Resume and CV
Build Your Professional Brand
RU Aware of the Software Portal and OIT Help Desk
The Rutgers Geology Museum
Following the virtual programming, we traveled to Rutgers Gardens for lunch and an afternoon filled with learning, music, hats, and engagement. Lauren Errickson, Director of Rutgers Gardens, gave a presentation about the history of the gardens. Afterward, we participated in many entertaining activities such as games, origami, button making, a photo booth, self-guided walks through the gardens, and plenty of conversations.
Because of the pandemic, many attendees had not met in person for at least three years! Some of our new librarians met their colleagues face-to-face for the first time. It was wonderful to connect—and reconnect—this way.
The day concluded with career acknowledgments and recognitions, which included length of service tributes and promotion announcements. All Rutgers Gardens attendees were invited to participate in a Tricky Tray game. Raffle tickets were distributed for gift baskets generously made and donated by NBL staff and faculty. Lastly, we took a group photo to remember the day.
Awards and acknowledgments for NBL staff and faculty.
The NBL Learning Community Advisory Group thanks everyone who helped make Engagement Day a huge success! We are grateful to those who:
volunteered to be session hosts and emcees for the afternoon’s proceedings,
set up and broke down equipment in the Gardens,
organized carpooling and covered chat reference shifts,
donated items and helped assemble the gift baskets,
wore hats, and
contributed to many more efforts that aren’t listed here!
We especially thank Consuella Askew and Dee Magnoni for their incredible support, which included, but was not limited to, funding, pausing operations for the day across the libraries, and starting our day off by welcoming and encouraging us to engage and learn.
Gift baskets.Dee Magnoni and her butterfly hat.
We also thank the Engagement Day presenters:
Dr. Lauren Adamo, Director of the Rutgers Geology Museum
William Constantine, Director, Organizational and Talent Development
James M. Cooney, Esq., Associate Teaching Professor, Labor Studies and Employment Relations
Lauren Errickson, Director of the Rutgers Gardens
Julia Fuchs
Dawn Heintz, BSN RN OCN
Arpita Jindani, Associate Program Manager at the Institute for Health
Nicholas Manousos, Executive Director at Horological Society of New York
Carol McCarty, Research Collaborator at Rutgers University
Dr. Mindy O’Mealia, Program Director of Medical Professions & Life Sciences Career Interest Communities at Rutgers University
Laura Palm, MD
Dr. Sacha Patera, Strategic Partnerships and Industry-University Relations
Andrew Ruggiero, NBL-Unit Computing Specialist
Toi Tyson, Director of Career Communities and Campus Partnerships
Lastly, a huge and enthusiastic shout-out to all the New Brunswick Learning Community Advisory Group members: Stacey Carton, Becky Diamond, Erika Gorder, Grace McGarty, L Miller, Jill Morrow, Sue Oldenburg, Andrew Ruggiero, Luke Sangiamo, Elena Schneider, Jeff Teichmann, Kate Van Riper, and Ryan Womack! Without their behind-the-scenes and on-stage creativity, resourcefulness, willingness, and hard work, this day would not have been possible.
Dee Magnoni celebrates Barry Lipinksi’s 40 years of service at Rutgers.Awards and acknowledgments for NBL staff and faculty.More awards and acknowledgments.Round table discussions.Round table discussions.Round table discussions.Luke Sangiamo wears a chicken hat during the activities portion of Engagement Day.
