The Agenda - Faculty and Staff Newsletter

Category: Feature

  • New Milestones for Robeson Undergraduate Research Award

    A group of people poses, smiling, with five people in the middle holding certificates.
    Left to right: Zara Wilkinson, Samantha Kannegiser, Tiffany Chan, Renuka Kumar, John Powell, Thaha Alam, Niayla Silvera, Emma Bogdan, Tom Risch, Regina Koury

     

    Paul Robeson Library celebrated the sixth annual Undergraduate Research Award on April 16 as part of the official campus SPARK! week (Showcase of Projects, Art, Research, and Knowledge). Five undergraduates were awarded cash prizes ranging from $250 to $1,000 for their exemplary research projects making use of a range of library resources, collections, and services. Friends, family, and the Rutgers University–Camden community were invited to the award ceremony to hear the winners discuss their research.

    There were many firsts celebrated in this award cycle. This was the first time that:

    • All awardees are women.
    • There was a tie for first place.
    • One first-place winner is a junior.
    • A poster project won an award.
    • The New Researcher (first-year undergraduate) awardee scored as highly as some of the upper-level student awardees.

    This was also the second award cycle in which one of our previous awardees won for a second time. Emma Bogdan, 2026 runner-up, also won an honorable mention as a first-year student in 2023.

    Each year, Samantha Kannegiser, student success librarian, and Zara Wilkinson, reference and instruction librarian, facilitate the yearlong Undergraduate Research Award cycle. This year’s evaluation committee included Oscar Holmes IV, professor and director of the Rutgers University Student Executive Program and a professor and researcher in human resources/organizational behavior, School of Business–Camden; Jennifer Oberle, associate teaching professor, Department of Biology; and John Powell, reference and instruction librarian, Robeson Library.

    All winning projects will be added to the Paul Robeson Library Undergraduate Research Award digital collection.

  • Special Collections and Digital History Class Collaboration in Camden

    Image on left shows a person photographing a rolled up red blanket with a Rutgers Camden logo printed on it. Image on the right shows a room full of people seated at tables, working.
    Digital history students worked in groups to digitize and create web content featuring items from Special Collections at Robeson Library.

     

    Special Collections and Digital History Class Collaboration in Camden

    Over the Spring Semester, Special Collections at Robeson Library hosted Jesse Bayker’s digital history class as part of their class project commemorating Rutgers University–Camden’s centennial. Robeson librarian Bart Everts met with Bayker during the fall semester to plan how students might interpret the history of Rutgers–Camden and the region through items in the collection. When the class began in January, Everts provided an orientation including a history of the campus, best practices for handling archival items, and access and publication guidelines and restrictions.

    The students worked in groups, consulting with Everts to find items that best fit their area of focus, including Queer history, athletics, Black and Latinx activism, the Bancroft School, and campus publications. They then worked to digitize the items, create metadata, describe and interpret their selections, and ultimately host them on the course website with a finding aid. The class presented their project to history and library faculty at the end of the semester. Feedback from both students and faculty bodes well for further collaboration between Special Collections at Robeson Library and the Department of History. You can view the students’ work on the Digital Camden Archive.

  • 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.”

  • Celebrating Rutgers Composers

    View from behind of a darkened audience, with a musical performance taking place onstage
    Robert Grohman and Jonathan Spitz perform Scott Ordway’s composition Prelude (In the Wide Spaces of the Day).

     

    On April 18, in conjunction with the Mason Gross School of the Arts 50th Anniversary Celebrations, Rutgers University Libraries cosponsored a concert of music by composers who have taught and studied at the school since its inception in 1976. The idea for the concert came from Music and Performing Arts Librarian Bret McCandless, who manages the Robert Moevs Collection at Mabel Smith Douglass Library, and was organized with much help from the Music Department’s Associate Director, Maureen Hurd. Robert Moevs was an award-winning composer who taught at Rutgers from 1964-1991, cultivating a generation of composers and musicians.

    The concert, held at Schare Recital Hall on Rutgers–New Brunswick’s Douglass campus, included music by Moevs, former faculty member (and Pulitzer Prize winner) Charles Wuorinen, alumna Courtney Bryan (MacArthur Fellow) and Nkeiru Okoye, current faculty members Scott Ordway and Robert Aldridge, and current students Lily Tang and Alon Nechushtan. In anticipation of the Mason Gross anniversary, McCandless had curated a catalog of music by Rutgers Composers at Rutgers University Libraries. Music by Moevs, Wuorinen, Bryan, and Okoye was sourced and curated from the Blanche and Irving Laurie Performing Arts Library’s collections, and access to Moevs’s compositional sketches provided artistic context for the performance of his piece, Una collana musicale (“A musical necklace”), which has been performed at many Moevs celebrations.

    The event also incorporated materials from Rutgers University Libraries for a display to give context to the composition program over the last 50 years, including a series of concerts held at Carnegie Hall that highlighted the many prominent composers across the three Rutgers campuses in 1976: Gerald C. Chenoweth, Phillip Corner, Noel Da Costa, Daniel Goode, Robert Moevs, Claire Polin, Larry Ridley, Michael Smolanoff, George Walker, and Louie L. White.

  • Examining the Evolving Meaning of America’s Birthdays

    Three people are looking down at objects in a display case.
    A new student-curated exhibit at Robeson Library highlights the ways Americans have celebrated, marketed, and redefined the nation’s founding ideals over time.

     

    On April 30, Robeson Library hosted an opening reception for its latest exhibit, America’s Birthdays: Selling & Redefining the American Dream. The event brought together students, faculty, librarians, and guests to celebrate the launch of the exhibition and the collaborative work behind it. The students’ research, creativity, and curatorial efforts were recognized, and visitors had an opportunity to engage directly with the themes and stories explored throughout the exhibit.

    Developed through the Rutgers–Camden history course America’s Birthdays: The History of Celebration and Memory, taught by Assistant Professor Carly Goodman, the exhibition was created in conjunction with the nation’s upcoming 250th anniversary in July 2026. Student curators examined how Americans have commemorated the country’s founding through major anniversaries in 1876, 1926, and 1976, as well as through annual Fourth of July celebrations. The exhibit explores how these moments of remembrance have shaped public understandings of the American Dream and reflected changing ideas about national identity.

    Featuring objects researched, interpreted, and installed by students, America’s Birthdays: Selling & Redefining the American Dream highlights the ways Americans have celebrated, marketed, and redefined the nation’s founding ideals over time. The exhibition examines themes of patriotism, consumer culture, public memory, and the ongoing pursuit of the promises of the American Revolution. Through their work, the student curators invite visitors to consider how each generation has celebrated and challenged the meaning of America’s “birthdays.”

    The exhibit will remain on display at Robeson Library over the summer. Learn more about the students’ work in Goodman’s story on the Rutgers–Camden website.

  • Honoring Paul Robeson’s Legacy

    A person speaks at a podium.
    An event celebrating the enduring impact of Paul Robeson was facilitated by Jason L. James, Director, Strategy and Operations Support Initiatives for Rutgers–Camden Student Academic Success.

     

    On February 19, Robeson Library hosted an evening that honored the enduring impact of Paul Robeson, the distinguished Rutgers alumnus, activist, artist, and scholar. The program highlighted Robeson’s powerful legacy through curated reflections and engaging dialogue, offering a rich exploration of his contributions to social justice, culture, and intellectual life.

    Facilitated by Jason L. James, Director, Strategy and Operations Support Initiatives for Rutgers–Camden Student Academic Success, the event celebrated a shared commitment to scholarship, leadership, and cultural impact. Librarian John Powell spoke about the life of Paul Robeson, including his time spent as a scholar and athlete at Rutgers in New Brunswick, where he was a two-time All-American in football. While at Rutgers, Robeson was also inducted into the Phi Beta Kappa Society and Rutgers’ Cap and Skull Honor Society and was valedictorian of his graduating class in 1919.

    The evening was co-sponsored by the Division of Diversity, Inclusion and Community Engagement (DICE), Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Inc. – Nu Gamma Lambda Chapter, and NAACP Rutgers University-Camden Chapter.

  • Staff Advisory Committee Town Hall: March 2026

    line-drawn illustration of chat bubbles with the words "Town Hall Meeting"

    Andy Martinez, Corinne Suarez, and Eddie Suarez also contributed to this report.

     

    Summer Leadership Transition of the Executive Council

    John Gibson began the meeting by announcing that he will step down as chair of the Staff Advisory Committee Executive Council as his term ends in June.  Jeff Teichmann will take over as chair on July 1, 2026.

    Report of the VPUL/UL

    Gibson shared some updates on behalf of Consuella Askew. The AI Symposium, which was a partnership with Libraries leadership and Mary Beth Weber, was a success with a lot of attendees and robust participation. Rutgers University Libraries Engagement Day is happening this May. Staff are encouraged to attend as it’s a great opportunity to get together, talk with one another, and learn new things about the Libraries.  Lastly, an offer was made to the selected candidate for the New Brunswick AUL position.  Stay tuned for more updates.

    Progress Updates

    Gibson gave an overview of SAC’s accomplishments for the year. He reminded the group of how far we’ve come, from having a small voice on system-wide discussions to now having representation in high-level discussions alongside faculty leadership. Gibson stated, “The SAC is not just the Executive Council. It is our standing committees, our unit representatives, and it is every staff member who chooses to engage, whether by attending a town hall, completing a survey, submitting a proposal, or serving on a committee. Through collective effort, we have participated in system-wide strategic planning and leadership retreats, advanced conversations around mentorship and professional development, developed and delivered staff-focused safety and de-escalation training with strong engagement, and contributed staffers to core services discussions.” He concluded by thanking staff for their outstanding work and encouraged them to continue to bring up new ideas and proposals and complete the feedback forms as they are vital in helping the SAC move forward.

    Standing Committee Reports

    The standing committee chairs gave their group reports highlighting each committee’s key contributions from the staff.

    The Governance Committee, led by Tracey Meyer, will ask for nominations for positions that are open for election in the next few weeks. Key positions open for nominations include the chair-elect of the SAC Executive Council, the governance committee chair, the secretary, and unit representatives. Meyer thanked everyone who voted for the bylaw’s amendment, which passed with 23 votes in favor and 0 against. The amendment will allow meeting minutes to be approved in-between meetings so they can be distributed before the next meeting.

    Gibson spoke on behalf of Andy Martinez of the Communications Committee. The committee continues to ensure that SAC documentation and minutes are posted to the Libraries staff site. They wrote an article for The Agenda and have collected feedback forms for the SAC town halls.

    The Enrichment Activities Committee, led by Andrew Ruggiero, thanked everyone who attended the recent De-Escalation Training hybrid session. It was one of their most well-attended events with a lot of in-person participation. The experience of working with RUPD Community Affairs and Community Policing allowed the committee to tailor training to fit their specific needs. This partnership will develop a proposal for additional programming on the topic of mental health first aid as well as further sessions focused on promoting faculty and staff safety.

    Ruggiero thanked Elena Schneider Kerr and the rest of the Enrichment Activities Committee for working on an internal assessment initiative where we analyze how we spend our time in the office.

    Gibson thanked Human Resources and the Communications Committee for their contributions toward The Agenda, including writing articles and announcing work anniversaries and birthdays.

    Unit Representative Updates

    The town hall continued with some updates from each unit representative.

    Jennifer Reiber of Robeson Library shared that they will have a new part-time library assistant to help with Access Services. They have moved equipment around in the library to comply with ADA regulations. Edward Robinson has organized monthly game nights to provide more engagement with the users in the building. Robinson and Ann Marie Latini, head of access services, are meeting with the Instructional Design and Technology department to discuss electronic reserves and copyright policies to ensure their instructors are better informed.

    For Central, Isaiah Beard shared that Midnight Tech successfully held 12 book chats since its launch in March 2024. Book chats are held every other month, with staff taking turns choosing selections, preparing a few questions, and leading the discussion. Beard thanked all his colleagues in Central for giving him the opportunity to represent them on the SAC.

    Jamey Silverstein, representing Rutgers–New Brunswick, thanked everyone who helped elect him for the opportunity to represent New Brunswick, as well as those who have provided him with unit updates. He shared that there have been staff shortages in the last couple of years due to many retirements. Units will rely on cross-training of positions to support the demand.

    Beginning in mid-February, Alexander Library is open until 2 am, five days a week, and Carr Library is open until 2 am, 4 days a week. Douglass Library installed a chess station for students to utilize during study breaks. The Library of Science and Medicine had a meet-and-greet session with librarians from LSM and Robert Wood Johnson Library. They plan on having more sessions.

    Chris Singh of Dana Library announced a social mobility poster exhibition hosted by the Office of the Provost at Dana Library. The opening ceremony had about 75 guests in attendance, and Chancellor Tanya Smith-Jackson of Rutgers–Newark made opening remarks. Dana staff are also working on putting together a break room on the first floor that will be accessible for all library personnel.

    For the Rutgers Health libraries, Jonas Desir shared that Robert Wood Johnson Library staff are having weekly meetings with the Helix Relocation Logistics team, with a tentative move date expected during the second week of May. Additionally, as part of the Robert Wood Johnson Library move, Maria Deptula (Smith Library) is working on integrating 70 boxes of journals into the library system. Robert Wood Johnson Library also celebrated 12 work study students becoming full medical students. At Smith Library, Ermira Mitre created a presentation and video highlighting their crocheting and knitting events for the Rutgers Health Joy at Work Mini-Grant program.

    The town hall concluded with a breakout session in which staff discussed two topics.

    • Name a small improvement that would make your day-to-day work feel smoother or more enjoyable?
    • Who or what would you like to give a quick shout-out to from your unit (or beyond)?

  • New Digital Collection: Rutgers Meets Japan

    Old, sepia-toned portrait of a group of people
    The Rutgers Meets Japan digital collection invites users to explore the people and places that shaped a pivotal moment in global education and cultural exchange.

     

    We are pleased to announce the launch of Rutgers Meets Japan, a new digital companion collection that brings to life a remarkable trans-Pacific story of intellectual exchange, cultural connection, and shared history. Developed in conjunction with the book Rutgers Meets Japan: A Trans-Pacific Network of the Late Nineteenth Century, this digital collection expands upon the book’s narrative by providing open access to a rich set of historical photographs drawn from the William E. Griffis Collection.

    The collection features portraits of some of Rutgers’ earliest Japanese students, as well as images of alumni who traveled to Japan as teachers and missionaries during the late 19th century. These photographs offer a rare visual window into a formative period of U.S.-Japan relations, capturing individuals, institutions, and everyday scenes across locations such as Fukui, Yokohama, Tokyo, and Shizuoka. In addition to images reproduced in the book, the digital companion includes many photographs that could not be published due to space constraints, significantly broadening access to these materials for researchers, students, and the public.

    Funded by a grant from the New Jersey Historical Commission, the project involved the careful digitization, transcription, and annotation of materials, ensuring both accessibility and scholarly value. By pairing rigorous historical scholarship with digital access, Rutgers Meets Japan invites users to explore the people and places that shaped a pivotal moment in global education and cultural exchange.

    The launch of this digital collection also coincided with an event held on April 17, Rutgers Meets Japan: In Conversation with the Authors. This event was held in the Alexander Library Pane Room and featured presenters Haruko Wakabayashi and Fernanda Perrone, with Janet Walker moderating.

  • Erosion of Truth: A Workshop on Mis/Disinformation in the Age of AI

    Two people are seated in high chairs at the front of a room. One smiles and gestures with her hands while talking.
    The highlight of the workshop was a Q&A session with New York Times technology journalist Tiffany Hsu, who specializes in misinformation reporting.

     

    On April 1, librarians at Dana Library hosted The Erosion of Truth: How to Protect Yourself from Mis/Disinformation in the Age of AI, a hybrid virtual/in-person workshop. Mis- and disinformation in society’s information landscape is not new; however, the proliferation of generative artificial intelligence has compounded its impact on individuals, society, and our democracy. This workshop introduced foundational information literacy strategies for critically evaluating news and media content, along with available online tools to support this work. Students, faculty, and staff explored the rapid development of AI-generated deepfake videos, manipulated images, and viral misinformation, and tested their ability to distinguish between AI-generated and authentic content. Attendees were also introduced to real-world examples and professional fact-checking techniques, leaving with a personal toolkit for verifying information. 

    The highlight of the workshop was a Q&A session with New York Times technology journalist Tiffany Hsu, who specializes in misinformation reporting. Hsu fielded questions on topics including how New York Times reporters verify images and video, the challenges posed by AI-generated content to investigative journalism’s ability to establish credibility and truth, and the role that social media platforms play in the spread of misinformation. Participants enthusiastically expressed appreciation for her insights into these critical issues. 

    We hope to continue this discussion as technologies used to fabricate, manipulate, and mislead grow increasingly sophisticated, with the library planning additional workshops and learning opportunities to strengthen our community’s information resilience in the age of generative AI. 

    Co-Organizers of the event: Joanne Dera, Diane Biunno, and Naomi Gold 

  • Data for Change: Women in STEM Wikidata Edit-a-Thon

    Two people pose smiling in front of a large screen with an image projected that reads, "AMPLIFYING WOMEN IN STEM IN WIKIDATA: Why representation in open knowledge matters - especially in the age of AI
    Diane Biunno and Joanne Dera were among the co-organizers of the Women in STEM Wikidata Edit-a-Thon.

     

    On March 4, Dana Library hosted a Wikidata mini edit-a-thon focused on Women in STEM in collaboration with librarians from NJIT. The event brought together 13 participants ranging from beginner to advanced contributors, including students, librarians, and experienced Wikipedians. Attendees represented Drew University, NJIT, Smith Library, and Dana Library, along with members of the regional Wikimedia community. We were especially fortunate to have leadership from Wikipedia NYC and the Philadelphia Wikisalon in attendance. Their expertise was invaluable in supporting participants who were new to Wikidata and helping guide the editing process throughout the session. 

    During the edit-a-thon, participants expanded and strengthened approximately 30 Wikidata entries related to Rutgers and NJIT graduates. Contributors added new data points, improved existing information, and incorporated reliable references to support the entries. Participants also drew on Rutgers University Libraries and NJIT Libraries resources to enhance the records, demonstrating how library collections and research materials can be used to improve structured data and increase the visibility of our libraries’ collections and resources. 

    In addition to the hands-on editing work, participants learned what Wikidata is, how it functions as structured linked data, and why contributing to it matters. The session highlighted how improving data about women in STEM helps make their contributions more visible and discoverable. Because major platforms, such as Google, and large generative language models, such as ChatGPT and Google Gemini, draw on Wikipedia and Wikidata, expanding these records helps broaden public knowledge and address systemic gaps and biases in how women’s achievements are represented online and in AI-driven systems. 

    The event was a strong success and demonstrated significant growth potential. As a result, we are now in conversations with Wikipedia NYC and NJIT about organizing additional events and expanding this collaboration. With greater support from the Wikimedia community, future edit-a-thons could scale to larger participation and further leverage Rutgers and NJIT library collections to enrich Wikidata entries, both strengthening the global knowledge graph and helping drive researchers and readers back to our library resources and collections. 

    Co-organizers of the event:
    Dana Library Team: Joanne Dera, Diane Biunno, and Angela Lawrence
    NJIT Libraries Team: Bob Vietrogoski and Jill Lagerstrom