The Agenda - Faculty and Staff Newsletter

Category: Articles

  • A Project Finds Its Moment: Books We Read, (Virtually) at Chang Science Library

    Like people across the country and the world, many Rutgers students, faculty, and staff now find themselves stuck at home, their normal routines of work and leisure upended by the coronavirus pandemic and efforts to mitigate its spread. Chang Science Library has a prescription for the isolation and anxiety of social distancing: a good book.

    Chang Library’s Books We Read program, begun in the fall of 2019 to promote recreational reading on campus, has retooled and refocused for the present challenge: helping users discover pleasure reading that they can access at home.  A website hosted through sites.rutgers.edu offers guides to ebook and audiobook resources available to the Rutgers community or to the general public as well as reading recommendations and links to other recreational library activities. The first coronavirus-specific initiative within Books We Read was dubbed RUGRAT: Rutgers University Groups Reading Alone Together. A partner initiative, Cook Reads, was targeted specifically at Cook campus staff.

    In the fall of 2019, the Books We Read program officially began with a marathon reading of Harry Potter in Chang Science Library on the Cook Campus, as a partnership among New Brunswick Libraries, the School of Environmental and Biological Sciences, and student groups Rutgers Reads and Muggle Mayhem. The fall semester focused on curating a LibGuide for recreational books available at Rutgers University Libraries and on creating short story discussion sheets for use in recreational reading groups. When the COVID-19 pandemic began threatening campus life, however, the mission to promote recreational reading had to become less reliant on physical spaces and in-person gatherings. A blog post on March 8 marks the beginning of the new initiative, highlighting ebook and audiobook resources available online.

    Shortly after that March 8 post came the project’s first recommended reading list for the pandemic, “Classics for the Coronavirus.” The following weeks have seen more “social distancing” book recommendations, from public health nonfiction for the curious to travel fiction for those feeling cooped up. These recommendations have tried to balance the different motivations people may have for reading at the current time by including texts that deal with disease or isolation as well as texts that allow for a few hours’ escape from reality. After all, reading has traditionally offered guidance, reassurance, or space to process events as well as a way to forget one’s troubles.

    Statistics from our similar initiative at the Rutgers Center of Alcohol Studies Library called R4R @ Rutgers: Reading for Recovery, funded by an ALA Carnegie-Whitney grant in 2015–2016, indicated the possible applications of guided reading in difficult times. Books We Read draws on this experience while scaling up from the specific issues around addiction and recovery to the wide range of needs people may have in a global pandemic. Whatever Rutgers community members are looking for in a book, the Books We Read site aims to help them find it.

    Responding to the popular demand how to find a particular ebook or newspaper article, and wary of the random, dubious ebook download recommendations popping up on Rutgers-related social media and mailing lists, we added a few pages on how to find electronic resources from RUL with a Net ID. Highlighting ebook resources allowed us to showcase the comprehensive LibGuide to electronic resources, while a happy accident prompted us to add a guide to newspaper access.

    The same demand inspired us to incorporate media outside of books, increasing the visibility of the remote resources that Rutgers has to offer for both instruction and fun. Patrons may be surprised to hear that Rutgers allows remote access to some video resources; the site explains how to find them and offers some public health documentary recommendations. No matter the platform, the Books We Read project equips patrons with library resources and empowers them to ask for help.

    Patrons with an artistic flair (or who simply want to stop reading books for a moment and start drawing in them!) are connected through the Books We Read site to Rutgers’ Color Our Collections page, a project of Special Collections and University Archives (SCUA) that allows people to print out and color a curated set of images from the library’s holdings. Coloring archival images and making buttons or magnets from them has been a crowd favorite at in-person library events, and the online link allows users to enjoy the activity from the comfort of their own homes. In addition to fun and recreation, the site also connects users with potential archival resources for remote learning: a new page recommending SCUA resources links readers to the SEBS-specific installment in SCUA’s Archives at Home series, including a video interview.

    A robust social media presence has helped amplify the program’s impact, reaching out on widely used platforms in order to guide and inform online library users adjusting to remote instruction and research. The School of Environmental and Biological Science Office of Communications and Marketing has been instrumental in promoting the site, helping to drive nearly four thousand pageviews and counting in the past month or so of online-only operation.

    Books We Read has proven a successful tool to promote libraries while building connections and communities. Rutgers University Groups Reading Alone Together, in addition to a silly acronym (RUGRAT), captures the paradoxical promise of reading at a time like this: reading is one of the oldest and most effective ways to be alone without feeling alone. The Books We Read program maintains that even without a physical space to gather, the library can still offer, in addition to continuing support for remote learning and research, the simple solace of a good book. Visit us at go.rutgers.edu/booksweread.

    Nicholas Allred and Judit H. Ward

  • Hosting Virtual Events with Webex

    Thinking of hosting a virtual event and don’t know how to?

    The COVID-19 pandemic has instantly changed how we work and interact with each other. It’s a challenging time for all of us. All in-person meetings, events, and training have been transformed to online, and there are several online collaboration tools available for Rutgers faculty and staff. This article describes how you can schedule an interactive online event using Webex.

    Webex is freely available to all Rutgers faculty and staff. Before you can start using Webex, you must activate your license. Once you have activated your license, you can start scheduling your online event. There are three different solutions available in Webex:

    Webex Meetings Center provides a simpler way to have a face-to-face meeting experience with your colleagues. You can present, share your screen, and collaborate on projects in a centralized space.

    Webex Events Center makes hosting an online event easy. Whether you are hosting a brown bag event or a webinar, you can deliver an interactive presentation with multimedia, along with Chat, Q&A, and polling, to engage your audience. Refer to OIT’s Getting Started with Cisco Webex Events for step-by-step instructions to schedule an event.

     Webex Training Center is suitable for lecture style classes. You can deliver live, interactive sessions to students anywhere, and keep them engaged with hands-on training, tests, and breakout sessions to enhance their learning.

    When you are hosting a Webex event, you can provide additional security by requiring a password. If you specify a password, attendees must provide it to join the event. Webex makes it possible for attendees and panelists to join an event without a license.

    Are you planning a virtual event but not sure how to choose the right solution? Take a look at this Webex Suite Comparison chart. If you still need assistance, please send an email to support@rulhelp.rutgers.edu and help will be on the way!

  • Library Instruction Continuity

    The Library Instruction Continuity Resources Guide.

    In light of our “new normal” circumstances, we have created a LibGuide that lists many helpful resources and documentation to support remote instruction.  The Library Instruction Continuity Resources LibGuide includes information on how to conduct live conferencing and record lectures that students may access on demand.  Additionally, it contains links to many helpful University-wide provisions such as direct links to Rutgers Emergency Preparedness for Synchronous/Asynchronous Instruction, and the Teaching and Learning with Technology department.  The guide also contains links to online resources by campus.

    Visit the LibGuide to view all of these valuable resources, and to see how to create and share instructional content in a remote instruction environment.

    For questions about the Library Instruction Continuity Resources LibGuide, contact Maria Breger at maria.breger@rutgers.edu

    View the complete list of the Libraries Teaching & Learning topics.

  • Website Redesign Project Update – May 2020

    Screenshot of NewCity discovery report
    The discovery report is available on the project team’s staff resources site.

    The Discovery phase of the website redesign project has officially concluded. Feel free to peruse NewCity’s Discovery Report, which outlines their findings from their onsite visit, one-on-one interviews with some key stakeholders, discussions with the core project team, an intercept survey, and analytics. They tease out some of the characteristics that make RUL’s different units unique, as well as what unites everyone, and what some of our biggest challenges will be as we move forward with this project.

    We’re excited to be starting audience research this month. Over the next ten weeks, NewCity and the RUL project team will be working with local teams and directors to survey and interview our user groups, define the brands and goals for each campus, and move toward a baseline understanding of what our users need and how they behave. While we’d love to be able to meet face-to-face with our users, we’re not letting COVID-19 slow our progress—we’re working with NewCity to develop a robust research plan that we can deploy entirely online.

    To help coordinate, conduct, and analyze this research, we’ve formed a Local Library Owners team, an augmented version of our core project team. We’re happy to welcome John Gibson, Samantha Kannegiser, Angela Lawrence, Amber Judkins, Christie Lutz, and Victoria Wagner to the project.

    Audience research doesn’t apply only to our external users; we’ll be working with the RUL audience as well. As we develop a web presence that has room for more “local flavor,” we need to be sure to empower local content editors to create and contribute content and design that works best for their units. Our new site will employ a component-based system that will allow local contributors flexibility and ease in creating and customizing local content while keeping the site sustainable for the central technical team.

    The project team continues to meet bi-weekly, with additional meetings now being added as we begin the next period of intense focus on audience research.

    You’re welcome to reach out anytime with questions or comments. Send us an email: webservices@rutgers.libanswers.com

  • Ex Libris Implementation Team Update – May 2020

    Rutgers students, faculty, and staff can now access over a million digitized texts available through HathiTrust’s Emergency Temporary Access Service (ETAS). In response to the current public health crisis, HathiTrust is providing member libraries with temporary access to digital versions of print titles that would otherwise be inaccessible due to library closures. As a result, the Rutgers community now has online access to over 1.2 million volumes previously only available in print. This is in addition to the more than 6 million public domain and Creative Commons-licensed works already accessible through HathiTrust.

    Rutgers users can search for these titles in QuickSearch or the HathiTrust Digital Library. Books available through ETAS include a note indicating temporary access.

    View in QuickSearch.
    View in HathiTrust.

    Terms of service

    • “Temporary Access” books require NetID login and can only be accessed by Rutgers students, staff, and faculty.
    • “Temporary Access” books can be read online only. Unlike “Full View” books in HathiTrust, they cannot be downloaded for offline reading.
    • “Temporary Access” books can be checked out for one hour. The banner at the top of the browser informs you how long the book is checked out to you. Your access to the book will automatically renew as long as you are actively reading it.
    • If the book you want is currently checked out, a message will display letting you know that the book is in use. Check back later to see if the book has been returned. Unfortunately, it is not possible to request or place a hold on a book. Because access is limited, users are encouraged to return books as soon as they are done using them.
    • “Temporary Access” books will only be available online until access to the Libraries’ print collection is restored.

    For more information, including instructions for accessing ETAS books on your mobile device, see https://www.hathitrust.org/ETAS-How-To

     

  • Recapping State of the Libraries 2020

    Thanks to everyone who attended State of the Libraries on Wednesday. We had over 200 folks join the meeting, and I’m so glad you all found the time to be there even with the competing demands of work and home. It was no replacement for our traditional in-person gathering, but it was nice to feel a sense of togetherness despite the circumstances and our physical distance.

    If you haven’t had a chance to yet, I encourage you to view the poster presentations prepared by our colleagues from across the Libraries:

    It is so inspiring to view these and reflect on all the good work that has been done over the last year, as well as how we are preparing for the work that lies ahead. There will be no shortage of challenges in the year to come, but with all the creativity and dedication on display through these presentations, I know we are well-equipped to handle whatever comes our way.

    If you’d like to review them, you can view the slides from all the presentations on our staff resources site or a recording of the entire event on YouTube.

    As you might imagine, a lot of activity happened behind the scenes to make sure everything went smoothly. Special thanks to Kalaivani Ananthan, Matt Badessa, Tracey Meyer, Joann Parrone, Ed Smith, and the Major Events Committee—Elsa Alves, Matt Bridgeman, Ann Marie Latini, Erica Parin, Tonie Perkins, Jennifer Reiber, and Daphne Roberts—for their support.

    We also received some great actionable feedback that we will incorporate into our future virtual gatherings, so thanks to everyone who provided thoughtful comments via the feedback form.

    A theme that emerged from all of yesterday’s presentations was collaboration, and State of the Libraries was just another example of what we can accomplish when we all work together with a common goal and sense of purpose. I hope we can carry forth some of those lessons and apply them to our work moving forward. In the coming months, it’ll be more important than ever to identify the areas where we can leverage our shared interests and maximize our impact on the university community.

  • This Month in the Agenda – March 1982

    That’s Special

    Anticipating the physical and programmatic merger of the Department of Special Collections, University Archives, and the Records Management Program later this spring, University Librarian Hendrik Edelman has asked Ruth Simmons to serve as coordinator.

    Funds for the renovation of the New Jersey Room, staff offices on the B Floor and stack space on the BB Floor of Alexander Library have been received from the Board of Trustees and the University Administration. It is expected that all physical changes will be completed by this summer.

    The Agenda 4, no. 9 (March 1, 1982)

    Brenda in Charge

    Brenda Johnson has been named Head, Document Delivery Services/New Jersey Reference Services effect March 15. In this new position, Brenda will manage the interlibrary loan borrowing and lending service, provide assistance in bibliographic verification and location, and maintain liaison with unit reference librarians at RGL libraries and at other state, national, and international institutions.

    The Agenda 4, no. 11 (March 15, 1982)

    Wine and Dine

     

    Camden Gets the News

    IN/FORM is a group of databases which include items published in the Philadelphia Inquirer and the Philadelphia Daily News; the major Philadelphia daily newspapers. IN/FORM provides full text access to these papers and permits searching on words/phrases in the complete text, and searching on fields such as headlines, bylines, and a limited set of descriptors and delimiters.

    The Agenda 4, no. 12 (March 22, 1982)

    Hey, Watch It!

    FROM THE PRESERVATION OFFICE

    No Scotch tape should be used under any circumstances to attach notes to the covers of books. Please place your memo concerning the book inside the front cover.

    The Agenda 4, no. 13 (March 29, 1982)

  • Web Redesign Project Team Update – March 2020

    Participants sort cards during NewCity’s on-site visit in February.

    The website redesign project has gotten underway. We are currently in the discovery phase, which has several objectives: to identify stakeholders and learn about their goals for the project; to uncover our needs as local communities delivering shared resources; to understand our technical infrastructure and plan for the future; and to strategize future engagement with our internal and external audiences.

    The project is being managed as a joint venture between Rutgers University Libraries and NewCity, a website design company experienced with higher education, large non-profits, and commercial companies.  The project team, which is co-led by Antonio Barrera (Library Applications and Development) and Amy Kimura (SUS), includes members from across RUL: Doug Allen, Matt Badessa, Megan Lotts, John Powell, Jonathan Torres, and Yini Zhu.

    On February 11 and 12, 2020, three members of the team from NewCity came for an on-site visit. They met with the project team, Cabinet, and additional faculty and staff representatives from across the campuses to lead a number of activities designed to explore the needs of our stakeholders, communities, and to reflect on each unit’s similarities and differences, while considering success measures for this project. One of the main goals was for NewCity to get to know us so they can be sure they’re capturing the authentic voices of the libraries.

    NewCity will use these conversations and stakeholder interviews, together with a wealth of other qualitative and quantitative data, to build a comprehensive Discovery Report that they will deliver in the coming weeks. This report will help inform our site’s design and content strategy. We’ll make it available on the project team’s website, where you can also find other key documents related to the project.

    We plan to launch the new sites in June 2021 in order to minimize mid-year disruption. That gives us ample time to build the sites, provide training, and populate the new spaces with helpful, up-to-date content that best fits the need of each location and supports streamlined delivery of our shared resources. We will continue to update our project team site as we make progress, so check back frequently.

  • Digital Exhibits Page

    Continuing the work of presenting our digital projects in a consistent arrangement, the Digital Exhibits page is available with its first five digital exhibitions. The page summarizes the completed projects and links to each online exhibition and its exhibit catalog. While the panels and web pages reflect the distinctiveness of the subjects, they share unified theming. They have consistent links back to the main Digital Exhibits page as well as the Libraries home page. Be sure to check back from time to time, as more are on the way in the months to come.

  • Digital Projects Status Page

    Over the past couple of years, the digital projects team in Shared User Services has been actively assisting campus libraries in organizing their work on digital collections, and making them available online. Thirty-one such projects are now publicly accessible through our digital collections page and span a variety of topics, from Inclusion and Diversity, to showcasing the research articles and presentations of our undergraduates. This list continues to grow, as new collections are proposed and some of our ongoing projects continue to be renewed and expanded upon.

    But everyone wants to know what’s in the pipeline. In order to keep the RUL community up to date on the projects we’re working on, we’ve created a page for Pending and In-Progress Digital Projects that lists most of the digital collections and exhibits that are upcoming, along with their status and proposed work timelines. We hope you’ll visit our status page and keep abreast of our ever-growing digital collections work!