The Agenda - Faculty and Staff Newsletter

Category: News

  • New Brunswick Libraries Acquire “The Big Book”

    Alcoholics Anonymous bookThe New Brunswick Libraries have acquired a first edition of “The Big Book,” the popular name for Alcoholics Anonymous: The Story of How More Than One Hundred Men Have Recovered from Alcoholism, written by the A.A. founder, Bill Wilson (or Bill W).

    Since it was first published in 1939, in an edition of 4,650 copies, “The Big Book” has sold over 30 million copies, making it one of the best-selling regularly updated books of all time. The Library of Congress named it one of the 88 “Books that Shaped America.” The fellowship, Alcoholics Anonymous, took its name from the book’s title.

    The Rutgers copy of “The Big Book,” so called for the thickness of the paper in the original edition, was probably the one reviewed by E.M. Jellinek through a project, also launched in 1939, funded by a Carnegie Corporation grant that essentially birthed the field of alcohol studies. As Jellinek reflected in a piece written for AA Today,

    One day that year, I found on my desk a book with a yellow and red dust cover. Its title was Alcoholics Anonymous. With a sigh, picked it up and said to myself: “some more crank stuff.” But I hardly read a few pages when I realized that I had one of the precious gems before me.

    After the Center of Alcohol Studies (CAS) moved from Yale to Rutgers in 1962, the book became part of the McCarthy Collection, named after Raymond McCarthy, the director of education and training at CAS. The annotations are believed to be in his hand.

    An unassuming trade book bound in red cloth, “The Big Book” hardly resembles the “precious gem” it is. From across the room, it might be mistaken for a copy of Webster’s Desk Dictionary. However, due to its historical significance, copies of the first edition regularly sell for five and even six figures. For comparison,  a copy of Webster’s A Compendious Dictionary of the English Language,  a first ed. of Webster’s first dictionary (1806), is priced at $4,063, a Babylonian clay tablet from Syria, ca. 1600-1500 BC, which provides a list of fish used for teaching purposes, is valued at $1,500-$2,500 and a Coptic-Greek glossary, written on vellum in Egypt in the sixth or seventh century, likely intended for use by a professional scribe in the civil service, is estimated at between $12,000 and $18,000. Moreover, the profound emotion “The Big Book” stirs in the A.A. fellowship surpasses the admiration of even the most devoted logophile.

    William Bejarano, former senior information specialist at CAS, recalls preparing for the center’s annual Summer School of Addiction Studies, which traditionally included an open Alcoholics Anonymous meeting. “John,” who was running the meeting, asked if the rumor that the center owned a copy of “The Big Book” was true, and if he might see it.

    “We were taken aback by his response — jaw agape, he treated the item almost as a sacred text, going so far as to kiss the cover and speak in hushed tones.”

    After being cataloged and preserved in a conservation housing, “The Big Book” will safely repose in Special Collections and University Archives, along with The King James Bible, and the editio princeps of Homer.

    Michael Joseph, Judit Ward

    Further reading:

    Bejarano, W., & Ward, J. (2015). AA and the Center of Alcohol Studies: Our story. SALIS News, 35(3), 10-12.

    Bejarano, W., 2015. CAS Archives: A First Edition of the AA “Big Book”. CAS Information Services Newsletter, 9(3) 6-10.

    Ward, J. H., Bejarano, W. & Allred, N. (2016). Reading for Recovery (R4R): Bibliotherapy for addictions. Substance Abuse Library and Information Studies, 3, 50-69.

  • Government Documents Repatriation Project

    Puerto Rican government documentAlexander Library’s collection of uncatalogued government documents from Puerto Rico has found a new home… in Puerto Rico. Along with a small amount of related material from the equivalent collection at the Library of Science & Medicine, similar groups of documents from states like Louisiana and Hawaii have also been offered to libraries in those states. I conceived of this repatriation project in response to the natural disasters that have affected libraries across the United States and its territories.

    Jane Canfield, a librarian at Puerto Rico’s Biblioteca Encarnación Valdés at Pontificia Universidad Católica, was the first name that came to mind when the project was considered. Canfield has given multiple presentations to the government documents community about the damages and conditions in Puerto Rico following Hurricane Maria in 2017. Her response to the initial contact about the project was enthusiastic, and she ultimately accepted all of the items that were offered. Ranging from a 1905 edition of the Register of Porto Rico to a 1990 Bibliografia fitopatologica Puertorriquena, 1878-1989, 178 individual items were sent.

    Louisiana government documentHurricane Katrina, the floods of 2016, and other storms made Louisiana the first candidate in the continental United States to be considered for the project. A list of material from Louisiana and New Orleans was shared with a librarian at the University of New Orleans (UNO), who in turn shared it with other Louisiana libraries. While not all of the documents found a new home, more than 78% of the publications were requested and subsequently sent to UNO for dissemination. The University of New Orleans, the University of Louisiana at Lafayette, Loyola University, Nicholls State University, and the State Library of Louisiana were all able to fill gaps in their collections.

    A final response from the library at the University of Hawaii in Manoa, which suffered major damage in a 2004 flood, is forthcoming. Additional states, including Texas and Florida, may be considered when time permits.

    Although the original source of the documents may be lost to history, many were likely obtained via mailing lists or gift and exchange programs. Returning them to their points of origin is a small effort to assist in the rebuilding of collections damaged by hurricanes, floods, and other disasters.

    Special thanks go to Tom Glynn for reviewing the historical material before it was offered; to Elena Schneider, and others in the Shipping & Receiving department, who investigated shipping options, packed the boxes, and delivered the materials to the university department that handles US postal mail; and to Dee Magnoni, who graciously agreed to fund the shipping costs.

    The forgotten collection of state documents is a little less forgotten. The hope is that we run out of disasters before we run out of documents.

  • Introducing the Rutgers Health Sciences Libraries on Social Media

    Facebook page
    The @RutgersHSL Facebook page.

    Matthew Bridgeman and Sarah Jewell are leading the teams behind the new Facebook and Instagram pages representing the Rutgers Health Sciences Libraries. Matthew Bridgeman, an information and education librarian at Robert Wood Johnson, has both professional and personal experiences with Instagram. He began the Instagram account at Middlesex County College. In two years he grew the library’s presence and even had a post shared by the New York Public Library. The NYPL also has a great article on creating Instagram posts to be engaging called 20 Ways to Make People Fall in Love with your Instagram. He sees Instagram as a way to begin a discussion with students and faculty with creative photography.

    Sarah Jewell, an information and education librarian at the George F. Smith Library of the Health Sciences, primarily has experience doing social media for organizations outside the professional sphere. In the past, she has volunteered to do Facebook, Instagram, and WordPress work with writing and meditation-based organizations. “I see social media as a great vehicle for expressing passion about important work,” Sarah says. “When you express enthusiasm through this media, it is contagious, and it gets others excited about the work to be done.”

    Instagram
    The @RutgersHSL Instagram page.

    Some resources that Sarah uses to guide her social media efforts include the Rutgers Libraries Social Media Resources (which she helped create) and Young and Rossmann’s book titled Using Social Media to Build Library Communities. As the Rutgers Health Sciences Libraries staff is just getting the Facebook and Instagram accounts off the ground, she has been reaching out to her regular contacts to spread the word about the new way to communicate with the libraries. She was thrilled to see the Rutgers School of Public Health post on both Facebook and Instagram a promotion of the Rutgers Health Sciences Libraries pages.

    The primary goals of the Facebook and Instagram accounts are to promote library resources, services, and events to the Rutgers University community and to engage with the students, faculty, and staff of the seven schools under RBHS. The new Rutgers Health Sciences Libraries Facebook and Instagram accounts are off to a running start. The accounts’ plans are to keep a constant scheduled flow of content celebrating the students, faculty, and libraries from the schools of Rutgers Biomedical and Health Sciences. If you have not already followed them, connect with them now as they begin this adventure.

    Matthew Bridgeman and Sarah Jewell

  • What’s Happening around Rutgers – July 2018

    Yoga Tuesdays in Camden
    fitness flyer
    Join Connect the Lots for free fitness classes in Camden all summer long.

    As part of their #HealthyCamden series of weekly fitness classes, Connect the Lots offers free outdoor yoga classes at Johnson Park on Tuesdays from June through August. Classes begin at 6 p.m. For cancellations due to inclement weather, visit Connect the Lots on Facebook or Twitter after noon on the day of the class. Other weekly offerings include Zumba, House Party Fitness, Bootcamp, and Aqua Aerobics classes.

    Connect the Lots is a community-driven initiative to activate Camden, New Jersey’s vacant and underutilized spaces through the identification and implementation of artistic, cultural, and recreational projects and activities. The goals of the initiative are to engage Camden residents in neighborhood transformation, create safe nodes of activity, and to bring vibrancy to Camden’s corridors and public spaces. Learn more at the Connect the Lots website.

    kite+key Summer Tech Promotion
    tech flyer
    kite+key’s summer tech promotion offers special deals for faculty and staff.

    Take advantage of our promotion and spread your interest free payments using Employee Payroll Deduction! Purchase a Mac and receive $100 off + $100 kite+key Gift Card! Purchase an iPad Pro receive $50 off and $50 kite+key gift card! Purchase a Dell computer $499 and above, receive $100 eGift card + $50 kite+key gift card! Purchase Safeware Protection Plan and we double your theft coverage free! Visit our website here. Located in the Plaza at Livingston Campus 55 Rockafeller Road, Piscataway and the Hahne & Co. Building at 625 Broad Street, Newark. Prices and promotions are subject to change, some restrictions may apply.

    Rutgers Cinema
    rutgers cinema
    See first run movies at discounted prices at Rutgers Cinema.

    See first run movies at Rutgers Cinema while enjoying a special from our concession! Open to the public with free parking available in lot 112A.  Ticket prices with ANY valid school ID are $5 before 6pm and $7 after, no ID still a bargain at $7 before 6pm and $9.50 after. Rutgers Cinema is located in the Plaza at Livingston Campus, 105 Joyce Kilmer Avenue, Piscataway, NJ. Get tickets here, showtimes here.

    The Plaza at Livingston Campus
    The Plaza at Livingston is home to nine retailers.

    The Plaza at Livingston Campus is home to nine retailers: Henry’s Diner; Hoja Asian Fusion; Kilmer’s Market; kite+key, Rutgers Tech Store & TeKCheK, Rutgers Computer Repair; The Wright Cut; Qdoba; Starbucks; 16 Handles; Rutgers Cinema. The Plaza at Livingston Campus offers free visitor parking in Lot 112A. Click here for retail hours of operation.

    AfroBeat Fest comes to Newark’s Military Park on July 14.
    AfroBeat Fest

    African Soul Festival will be the largest celebration of culture and heritage of Africans on the continent and in the diaspora in the state of New Jersey. This free family friendly celebration on Saturday, July 14 at Military Park will bring out over 200 vendors featuring food, music, clothing, artifacts as well as entertainment from the diaspora.

    Experience the African cultural scene in Newark with a day full of entertainment, dancers, drummers, children’s village and the best vendors in NJ. Visit the Newark Happening website for more information or mark your calendar on Facebook.

    singer on stage
    The 13th Annual Lincoln Park Music Festival expands to a second weekend for the first time this year.
    Lincoln Park Music Festival

    The 13th Annual Lincoln Park Music Festival will take place from July 27 to August 4 at Lincoln Park, 450 Washington Street in Newark. For the first time ever, the Lincoln Park Music Festival expands to two weekends of music, arts, culture, and humanities.

    “Doin’ it in the Park” opening weekend features Family Day blues and jazz, a youth talent showcase, Gospel in the Park, Hip Hop Day, Health and Wellness/Sustainability Village, Senior Village, Kids Zone Village, and more.

    Weekend two focuses on the humanities, with “Unplugged” style conversations with creatives, free outdoor film screenings, a music-and-dance-party meets maker faire, and closing concert performances.

    For more information, visit the Lincoln Park Music Festival website.

  • Ex Libris Implementation Project Update – July 2018

    quicksearch logo
    The team is planning to visit each campus where we will hold open Q&A sessions. This will be an open forum where you can bring any questions or concerns you have about QuickSearch, Alma, or related processes.

    After much planning and preparation from all of the Libraries, QuickSearch and Alma went live on June 5. It’s so hard to believe that we are already almost four weeks past go live! The implementation team would like to thank everyone for your hard work in making go live a success. Each and every person in the Libraries has helped move us forward, be it by serving on a working group, attending a training, or by submitting a help ticket to point out a concern. We couldn’t have done it without you!

    Of course, we also continue to experience bumps along the way, but this is expected with an implementation this large. The team has spent much of the time since our last post focused on those bumps… addressing critical post-go live activities, implementing fixes, and responding to help tickets. In addition, we are reviewing our lists of known issues and possible future improvements in order to prioritize items for completion. The website will be updated with this information as soon as the process is complete.

    The team is also planning to visit each campus where we will hold open Q&A sessions. This will be an open forum where you can bring any questions or concerns you have about QuickSearch, Alma, or related processes. Be on the lookout for an announcement about dates in the very near future. Your feedback is critical and we really hope that you will join us.

    Lastly, as Tao steps away from the team, I would like to thank him for his contributions to the group and to the project. I know that we will all miss working with him as we continue to forge ahead.

    Abbey

  • Sunsetting the Library Catalog Committee

    LCC wordle
    The LCC began as the Public Access Committee when the Libraries were planning to implement the new Unicorn library information system from Sirsi in 1997.

    With the implementation of Alma and Primo, the Rutgers University Libraries bid a fond farewell to the Library Catalog Committee. Recent LCC “emeriti” are: Stephanie Bartz (New Brunswick Libraries, chair), Natalie Borisovets (Rutgers–Newark/Dana), Melissa De Fino (Central Technical Services), Joseph Deodato (Shared User Services), John Maxymuk (Rutgers–Camden/Robeson), Bob Warwick (Integrated Information Systems, retired), and Yini Zhu (Rutgers Biomedical and Health Sciences/Smith).

    The committee began as the Public Access Committee (shortened to PAC) when the Libraries were planning to implement the new Unicorn library information system (LIS) from Sirsi in 1997, which replaced an aging Geac catalog and Innovative (III) acquisitions system. At that time, “PAC” was one of several subcommittees of the LIS Committee tasked with implementing the new system.

    The first meeting of the Public Access Committee was held in April 1997. Although the name of the chair was not recorded in the meeting minutes, in attendance were the following.

    • Emily Fabiano, Alexander Library
    • Harriet Hemmasi, Cataloging
    • Rhonda Marker, Cataloging
    • Tracey Meyer, Database Management
    • Pat Piermatti, Library of Science & Medicine
    • Bob Warwick, Systems Department
    • Mark Witteman, Systems Department (Unicorn systems administrator)

    By fall 1998, Ann Scholz-Crane (Robeson Library) was chair of the group and it was Ann who asked Sam McDonald to place PAC meeting notes on the web. Minutes from October 1998 through the final meeting in July 2017 were made available in Staff Resources.

    In 2000, the committee was revitalized and reconstituted under Harriet Hemmasi, then acting associate university librarian for Technical & Automated Services. It became the IRIS Public Access Committee (IPAC). A new charge was issued and new members were added. Just two years later, in 2002, the charge was once again revised as the committee was moved from technical services to public services under the aegis of Jeanne Boyle, associate university librarian for Public Services & Communications.

    The final major transition for the committee took place in 2011, when the Libraries discontinued the name “IRIS” for the library catalog. The committee, which had been under the leadership of Stephanie Bartz since 2005, received a revised charge and changed its name to Library Catalog Committee.

    During its long tenure and multiple transitions, there have been many, many others who have served on this committee. Thank you, each one!

    Stephanie Bartz and Rhonda Marker

  • Quick Takes on Events and News – June 2018

    Dana Librarians Lead the Way
    librarian wins award
    Bobbie Tipton is recognized for having earned her ACUE credential in effective instruction. Credit: Bria Williams.

    Bobbie Tipton and Ann Watkins were recognized by the P3 Collaboratory at the Rutgers–Newark Chancellor’s Luncheon in May for having completed the Association of College and University Educator’s course in effective teaching practices, earning a national credential in the process. Dana Library had the distinction of being the unit with the highest number of participants thus far. Congratulations to Bobbie, Ann, and all who participated! Learn more in the Rutgers–Newark news article.

    photograph
    Michael Joseph will have a series of photographs on display in the Degrees of Abstraction exhibit in June.
    A Man of Many Talents

    Michael Joseph will have a series of eleven photographs titled “Comings/Goings” in the Degrees of Abstraction exhibition on display at the Rotunda Gallery in Jersey City from June 4 to 30. A reception will be held on Tuesday June 12. The exhibit is free and open to the public. Please see the Jersey City Office of Cultural Affairs website for more information.

    Bart Everts (c.) poses with Camden mayor Frank Moran (r.) during the Camden Bike Share launch event.
    Rubbing Elbows (and Tires!) with the Bigwigs

    Congratulations to Bart Everts for participating in a group bike ride with Camden’s mayor, Frank Moran, and Rutgers–Camden representatives in May. The event was held to mark the launch of the Camden Bike Share program.

    Something You’re Looking For?

    Three new finding aids are now available for Sinclair New Jersey collections in Special Collections and University Archives.

    Congrats to an Old Colleague

    Constantia Constantiou, who worked in the Libraries’ Scholarly Communications Center in the early 2000s, has been named the H. Carton Rogers III Vice Provost and Director of the Penn Libraries at the University of Pennsylvania. Congrats, Constantia! Learn more on the UPenn website.

  • 2018 Rutgers Giving Day Report

    The final numbers from Rutgers Giving Day are in and we are pleased to report that the Libraries raised over $12,000 from more than 60 donors. As usual, many of these gifts came from our own faculty and staff—so thank you all for your continued support!

    We were also excited to learn that we received extra funds from challenges on social media.

    Areas Challenge(s) Won: Award Total Amount:
    Libraries– Camden Lucky 21 $200
    Libraries– University Wide Scarlet Pride– social $500
    Libraries– Newark Lucky 21 $100

    As a tie-in to this year’s “Think Bigger” campaign, donors will be receiving a special acknowledgement letter and a light-up magnifier imprinted with the Rutgers University Libraries logotype.

    • letter
      Rutgers Giving Day donors will receive special acknowledgment letters for their gift from a library director.

    Thank you to all who made Rutgers Giving Day another success!

  • Milestone Celebrations for Rutgers University Libraries Staff (2018)

    Back in April, we acknowledged the Libraries faculty who are celebrating milestone employment anniversaries in 2018. Today, we celebrate staff who have reached their own milestones. Congratulations to you all and thank you for all you do for the Libraries!

    10 Jonathan Embres (Robeson Library)

    Jennifer Holland (Collection Development and Management)

    Kim Kaiser (Technical and Automated Services)

    Maria Kostic (New Brunswick Libraries)

    Erica Parin (Libraries HR)

    Ed Smith (Technical and Automated Services)

    Katrina Zwaaf (Technical and Automated Services)
    20 Teodoro Oblad (Smith Library)

    Suzanne Posluszny (Technical and Automated Services)

    Yini Zhu (Smith Library)
    30 Caroline Foote (Dana Library)

    Dorothy Grauer (Dana Library)

    Susan Killough (Technical and Automated Services)

     

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  • What’s Happening around Rutgers? May 2018

    Opening Day at the Rutgers Gardens Farm Market is May 4.
    Rutgers Gardens Farm Market

    Friday, May 4, 11 a.m. – 5 p.m.
    Rutgers–New Brunswick

    Opening day of the farmers market. Stop by for the fun including the Lettuce Festival and cooking demonstration. See which of your favorite vendors are back and who is new. Click here for more information.

    BOS
    The Black Organization of Students Celebrates their 50th anniversary on May 5.
    Kick Off Celebration: Reflections on the Founding of BOS

    Saturday, May 5, 5 – 9 p.m.
    Paul Robeson Campus Center – Essex Room
    Rutgers–Newark

    The Black Organization of Students Alumni Association (BOSAA) is celebrating the 50th anniversary of the founding of the Black Organization of Students (BOS) with a dinner and awards ceremony. Alumni, students, and friends are invited to join in an evening of acknowledging the sisterly and brotherly love, respect, and struggles that the pioneers of diversity demonstrated during the late 1967-1968 historic event. Click here for more information.

    tour
    Learn about battlefield preservation with the Mid-Atlantic Regional Center for the Humanities on May 5.
    History Preservation Workshop: Battlefield Preservation

    Saturday, May 5, 9 a.m. – 3 p.m.
    Historical Society of Princeton and Princeton Battlefield State Park

    “Landscapes of Conflict: Battlefield Preservation” will examine national, state, county, and municipal efforts at recognizing and preserving America’s fields of conflict. The day will include a morning of presentations from historians, archaeologists, and county planners and an afternoon battlefield tour. Part of the Continuing Education Program of the Mid-Atlantic Regional Center for the Humanities (MARCH) at Rutgers University–Camden.

    meditation
    Practice mindfulness meditation at free noontime workshops across Rutgers–New Brunswick
    Mindfulness Meditation

    Tuesday, May 8, noon – 1 p.m.
    Busch Student Center

    Wednesday, May 9, noon – 1 p.m.
    Student Activities Center

    Thursday, May 10, noon – 1 p.m.
    Douglass Student Center

    Rutgers–New Brunswick

    Mindfulness is the art of being a compassionate observer of your own experience. Meditation practice helps us to achieve mindfulness and reduce stress. All are welcome – faculty, staff, and students. No previous experience required. Click here for more information.

    photograph
    The Shadows of Houses is on display at the Paul Robeson Galleries through May 26.
    The Shadows of Houses

    Through Saturday, May 26
    Paul Robeson Galleries
    Rutgers–Newark

    The Shadows of Houses is a three-person show featuring black and white photographs from Terry Boddie, Shakia Lewis, and Cesar Melgar. The title of exhibition is taken from Newark native Amiri Baraka’s poem “Legacy,” a mediation on history and home. Melgar’s street photography cast a sharp eye on the inhabitants and city of Newark. Click here for more information.

    Dougls Lowy, MD, deputy director of the National Cancer Institute.
    2018 Annual Retreat on Cancer Research in New Jersey

    Thursday, May 24, 8 a.m. – 4 p.m.
    College Ave Student Center
    Rutgers Biomedical and Health Sciences

    Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey and the New Jersey Commission on Cancer Research host a forum for clinicians, researchers, faculty and students to learn about the latest in cancer research and treatment. Click here for more information.