The Agenda - Faculty and Staff Newsletter

Category: Feature

  • Let Me Reintroduce Myself: Coordinator for Training and Mentorship

    head shot of an adult
    As the inaugural Libraries-wide coordinator for training and mentorship, Mary Beth Weber has moved to a new office within Alexander Library.

    Much of my career at Rutgers University Libraries has been in technical services, primarily in resource description (aka cataloging), and I’ve collaborated with many colleagues regarding projects, gift collections, and related concerns. As part of our recent reorganization, I was offered a new role that’s different in many ways from the work I had been doing. While I don’t have direct reports, I’m managing projects and initiatives.  

    As the inaugural coordinator for training and mentorship, I’ve been charged by our vice president for university libraries (VPUL) to oversee the Libraries’ enrichment program and to implement strategies to maximize success and promote continuous learning. The intent is to foster a learning community and unify training initiatives across our organization. The primary goals of my position are: 

    • Collaborate with the Libraries Leadership Team, communications director, Libraries Human Resources, Staff Advisory Committee, and faculty Planning Committee to identify professional development needs and implement targeted enrichment activities that support library personnel. Partnerships are essential for success. Through our collective wisdom, we can meet the needs of our workforce through all stages of their careers. Learning never ends, and there will be new skills and standards that we’ll need to master and apply to our work. 
    • Expand the scope of the Mentoring Program to be more inclusive and available to all library personnel. This will be a big change that will require input from both faculty and staff. While there are some differences between employment requirements for faculty and staff, there are more things they have in common, such as the need for guidance and connection. The program traditionally paired new hires with experienced colleagues. That will continue, and I’d like to consider expanding the types of mentoring offered to include just-in-time assistance for a specific short-term need.  
    • Develop a leadership program for frontline supervisors, middle managers, and executive personnel. The VPUL has previously mentioned EmpowerU; the goal is to prepare leaders across the Libraries to effectively handle the challenges and changes that our organization is facing and to prepare for the future. Our leaders have various backgrounds, skills, and experience, and the intent is to develop and strengthen those skills. By fostering foundational leadership principles such as strategic thinking, communication, and talent development, participants will be empowered to lead proactively and innovatively.   
    • Develop a master calendar of professional development opportunities. This will help with planning new offerings and avoid the conflict of scheduling multiple programs at the same time. Additionally, I’d like to create a streamlined means to share continuing education and professional development activities with the entire organization. People have emailed items to me, and that’s been great. I want to strike a balance between overwhelming people with emails and ensuring that they get information in a timely manner. One way to handle this is through a regular column in The Agenda. Another is to post events to the staff site.

    Some recommended resources for continuing education and enrichment follow: 

    • WebJunction is provided by OCLC support. WebJunction is free and open to personnel from all types of libraries. Access is provided to courses and webinars. 
    • The Carterette Series is produced by the Georgia Library Association. These webinars are free and open to anyone. Past webinars, including recordings, slides and resource links are in the organization’s archives.  
    • The Training Magazine Network requires users to create a free account to access webinars (upcoming and past), a calendar of events, and regular emails about training resources. 
    • The Insperity Blog provides resources on business management and leadership that are applicable to library work.  

    I’ve relocated from my long-term “home” in the Technical Services Building on Busch Campus to the administrative suite on the third floor of Alexander Library on the College Avenue Campus. Feel free to stop by to say hello. Have other ideas? You can also call me or book an appointment to speak with me.  

  • Turning the Page: Special Collections at Robeson Library

    Nesting dolls made to look like the Rutgers Scarlet Raptors mascot
    These Scarlet Raptors nesting dolls are part of the Special Collections at Robeson Library.

    After nearly 30 years, Julie Still retired from her role as a history liaison and special collections librarian. Following her retirement, I became the acting Paul Robeson Library liaison for history, world languages, and special collections. I am very excited to take on this role, and I am particularly looking forward to the work ahead in Robeson Special Collections as Rutgers University–Camden celebrates its centennial in 2026. Moreover, as an alum of the undergraduate history program (not quite a century ago!) I have both a personal and professional connection to Rutgers history.  

    The special collections housed at Robeson Library fall into three broad categories: ephemera and realia from campus history, campus publications, and collections from the Camden and South Jersey communities, including two haiku-related collections (Nick Virgilio Haiku Archive and the Pamela Miller Ness Fine Arts Haiku Collection). Since the campus was founded in 1926, we’ve had a number of student-produced newspapers, literary journals, and pamphlets, and the student newspapers are among my favorite items in the collection. These publications are a great primary source for campus history but also give insight into how the campus community responded to world events, including the civil rights movement and the Vietnam War. On a lighter note, I often find myself reading the features sections to see what music and movies were popular with students during a particular era.  

    Building on Julie’s work, I plan to use my time in this role to promote the collection to Rutgers–Camden and beyond. With that goal in mind, Robeson Library is participating in Archives Month Philly, an annual event showcasing collections from throughout Greater Philadelphia. I saw this as an opportunity to create a small exhibit featuring highlights from the past century to share beyond the Rutgers community.  

    As part of the Distinctive Collections team, I enjoy our discussions on special collections policy and challenges, as well as the opportunity to promote our collection beyond Rutgers–Camden in the context of One Libraries. I hope to move forward with some of the digitization projects in the works, including making the campus newspaper The Gleaner and our theater bills available online. I also plan to work on collections guidelines for Camden. Of course, I look forward to collaborating with the Research Support Services team, and with my fellow liaisons and Rutgers faculty members in history and world languages.   

  • Digitizing Jazz from the Archives

    Audio reels and digital audiotapes lying on a table in front of a record player
    Audio reels and digital audio tapes from the Jazz from the Archives collection will soon be digitized to support teaching, learning, and research at Rutgers.

    The Institute of Jazz Studies, Rutgers University Libraries, began work this fall on a grant-funded project to digitize the Jazz from the Archives collection. This vital work is possible through a $36,837 Recordings at Risk grant from the Council on Library and Information Resources (CLIR).

    Spanning 1979–2006, the Jazz from the Archives collection includes approximately 650 open reels and digital audio tapes (DATs) produced by Newark’s WBGO-FM and co-produced by the Institute of Jazz Studies.

    These recordings capture rare alternate takes and feature in-depth interviews with renowned musicians, bandleaders, producers, and managers. Far more than a typical radio program, Jazz from the Archives offered a rich educational experience, making it a vital resource for Rutgers students and faculty, as well as scholars worldwide, students of all ages, and the public.

    The collection has broad research value for those studying jazz, music, civil rights, American history, and the history of radio. Digitization will both preserve this at-risk material and expand access, ensuring that it can continue to inform teaching, learning, and scholarship for years to come. The digitized radio programs will be accessible through the Rutgers University Libraries digital repository (RUcore).

  • From Idea to Reality: Rutgers University Libraries Roll Out 24/7 Lockers

    Bright red locker shown outside a building
    Carr Library is among the most recent locations to have 24/7 pickup lockers installed.

    A key aspect of my role within Rutgers University Libraries is the centralized coordination of fulfillment activities across the library system. In this context, “fulfillment” encompasses the processes that ensure users receive the materials or services they request. I also serve as chair of the Fulfillment Working Group, represent fulfillment on the Library Services Platform Management Team, and contribute to additional strategic initiatives. 

    In 2023, I was invited to collaborate with a small team to assess market solutions for pickup lockers compatible with Alma. Our evaluation involved conducting interviews with peer institutions and locker vendors to collect technical specifications, pricing details, and user feedback. Based on our research, we recommended piloting LuxerOne pickup lockers—a proposal that received full support from Libraries Leadership. Following this endorsement, I was appointed to lead the project and partnered with the Fulfillment Working Group, recognizing their critical role in driving the initiative forward. And so, the journey began! 

    In early 2024, we began Phase I of a three-phase locker implementation plan. Mabel Smith Douglass Library (Rutgers University–New Brunswick) and Paul Robeson Library (Rutgers University–Camden) were selected as pilot locations. This project introduced me to university departments I had rarely interacted with before, including Institutional Planning and Operations, Facilities, Office of Information Technology, University Communications and Marketing, and University Procurement Services, along with numerous external contractors and vendors. The project involved many complex components, ranging from electrical and ethernet upgrades to site preparation, system integration, configuration, workflow development, and assessment. Each installation also required extensive collaboration with the vendor and its subcontractors to ensure successful execution. 

    As a team, different Rutgers University Libraries units also brought their expertise to the table, including the Business Office, Library IT Services, Library Applications and Development, and Access Services. The team leads at Robeson and Douglass Libraries, Ann Marie Latini and Andy Martinez, were instrumental throughout all three phases, assisting with workflow development, creating training documentation, and becoming our resident experts for the later phases. 

     

    A Phased Approach to Success 

    Phase I officially went live in June 2024. By the start of the fall semester, the lockers were in full swing, with patrons picking up their materials in less than three days on average. 

    Phase II brought lockers to Newark, with lockers at the Dana Library (Rutgers University–Newark) and the George F. Smith Library (Rutgers Health) both becoming operational in February 2025. 

    Phase III introduced lockers to five more locations across Rutgers–New Brunswick: Archibald S. Alexander Library and Art Library on the College Avenue campus, James Dickson Carr Library on Livingston campus, and the Library of Science and Medicine and Mathematical Sciences and Physics Library on Busch campus. All five of these locations were up and running by September 2, 2025. 

    These shiny red lockers are now located outside the front entrance of nine libraries. The placement ensures patrons can easily pick up their materials at any time, on any day, as the lockers are fully accessible 24 hours a day, seven days a week. To date, over 1,500 different patrons have used lockers to pick up library materials. Staff have made over 5,000 deliveries to the lockers, and on average, 14 percent of items are picked up outside of library operating hours.  

    The work does not stop here. We continue to fine-tune our processes, evaluate patron needs, and identify ways to optimize this service to better serve our community.  

  • AADC Reunion Visit to Douglass Library

    Two people sit at a table, smiling and holding an open yearbook.
    Barbara Gray Nicholson, a 1950 graduate of the New Jersey College for Women, with Kayo Denda at Douglass Library.

    On June 6, during the Associate Alumnae of Douglass College reunion, multiple alumnae visited Douglass Library. As an indication of the meaning Douglass Library holds for Douglass alumnae, the library is consistently an option on the reunion’s list of activities.  

    The highlight of this year’s visit was Barbara Gray Nicholson, a 1950 graduate of the New Jersey College for Women (NJC), which later became Douglass College. While at NJC, she met her husband, a Rutgers College of Agriculture student, also from the class of 1950. They married after graduation, settling in North Carolina, where she lived from 1956 to 2019, studied library science, and worked in a small public library. For the last five years, she has lived in Nebraska, close to her son.

    Nicholson talked about visiting the library, then located in the basement of Recitation Hall (now Ruth Adams Hall, having been renamed in honor of a former Douglass College dean), and about the professors she admired. They include renowned English constitutional law historian Margaret Judson and seeds specialist Jessie Gladys Fiske, who later became chair of the Department of Biological Sciences. She had fond memories of the dances on campus, through which she met her husband, and the old Packing Box gym next to Voorhees Chapel with an open floor furnace. The students in the mandatory modern dance class had to dance gingerly, navigating around the metal fence surrounding the opening, to avoid getting burns. 

  • 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. 

  • Generative AI Features in Major Databases and Platforms

    Conceptual AI illustration featuring a computerized profile of a human head
    A new LibGuide provides information about generative AI features that are available to users within the Libraries’ major databases and platforms.

    Several platform providers have recently added generative AI features to Rutgers University Libraries’ e-resources. To bring this information together, we created a LibGuide: Generative AI Features in Major Databases & Platforms. This new guide provides information about generative AI features that are available to Rutgers University Libraries users within the Libraries’ major databases and platforms.  

    The guide is written at a general introductory level and may be used by librarians, students, staff, and faculty. Though it cannot exhaustively cover every aspect of each feature, it gives users the basic information they need to get started. Where possible, it includes links to more extensive tool documentation provided by the platforms. As new features are released and updated, the guide will be updated accordingly. In addition, future announcements about new features and updates will link to the guide. 

    This is a focused guide that introduces generative AI features currently available within our major databases and platforms; it is intended to be manageable in scope and useful to a broad audience. It does not cover AI features that are unavailable to Rutgers University Libraries users or AI tools that are located outside of the Libraries’ major e-resources. In this changing environment, the guide will be reviewed periodically to ensure the information is accurate and to confirm that this is still the best way of sharing this information. 

    Rutgers University Libraries faculty and staff are encouraged to familiarize themselves with this guide, consider incorporating these new AI features into their instruction and research, and share it with a broader audience.

  • 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.

  • Letter to the Libraries

    I am pleased to announce the re-launch of The Agenda, a newsletter first issued in February 1979 to improve internal communication within Rutgers University Libraries. At that time, The Agenda was a weekly printed newsletter, and it has since taken on many revised formats.

    Today, of course, we have many more technologies and platforms to keep us connected across campuses – but I firmly believe in the importance of continuing to produce a publication through which we can stay informed as a community and celebrate our successes. From this point forward, The Agenda will publish as an online newsletter once every two months.

    This has been and will continue to be a period of great change for Rutgers University Libraries. I mean “great” in multiple senses of the word: huge, remarkable, and excellent.

    First, it goes without saying that in our lives and work, we have faced huge changes for many years – whether we are talking about a global pandemic, political and social unrest, rapid technological advancements, or many levels of transitions in leadership – from the Libraries to Rutgers to world leaders. In the past year alone, we have faced a rapid succession of federal orders impacting Rutgers, and Jonathan Holloway, a well-respected and historic president, left the university at the end of June. At Rutgers University Libraries more specifically, we have undergone remarkable changes in moving toward our One Libraries model and a reorganization.

    We need to give ourselves space to acknowledge how unsettling all this change can be. This is why, through Engagement Day and a virtual professional development leading up to it, we chose to focus on post-crisis leadership and wellness.

    “Great” change also can mean “excellent” change. Our reorganization and One Libraries focus will help us work smarter and serve our communities better. We also can look forward to the opportunities presented by new leadership as President William F. Tate IV ushers Rutgers into its next chapter, and as Tonya Smith-Jackson takes over as chancellor of Rutgers University–Newark, effective August 1. Multiple new leaders, faculty, and staff members have recently joined us or taken on new roles at Rutgers University Libraries. I encourage you to read about them on the Faculty and Staff News page.

    I hope you enjoy this new issue and iteration of The Agenda. Your thoughts on future content for this publication are always welcome! Please send your ideas to Lara De Meo Hoyt at lara.hoyt@rutgers.edu.