Category: Articles

  • Holiday Well Wishes from Phil Wilson

    I wish you all a merry Christmas, happy holidays, and a happy new year! For those who know me, you know that I love you. For those who don’t know me, know that I love you too!

    You may have read the tragic story about the 40-year-old entertainer, Twitch. His succumbing to depression reminds us to value the people around us and never assume all is well. Though this is dubbed the season to be jolly, many of us fall into depression for various reasons. It should be a time of celebration and merriment, but some are overwhelmed by memories of their lost loved ones.

    If you’re feeling depressed, please don’t try to tackle the process alone—seek professional help (e.g., the Rutgers University Human Resources Wellness Support page is a great resource). In the meantime, know that you’re surrounded by people who wish you well, value you, smile when you enter the room, appreciate your work, value your opinion, want to talk to you, want to listen to you, think you’re funny, and love you just the way you are!
    This season, and every time you remember, make sure to share positive thoughts with those blessed to be in your circles. Your smile may be the only smile a person may see for the day. Your gratitude goes much farther than you think and is of greater value than most monetary gifts (I’ll gladly take a GMC Hummer EV).

    So happy holidays to you! I hope all is well and you enjoy your family (RUL, blood) and loved ones this season and recognize the value in their lives and yours.

    Warmest regards,

    Phil Wilson
    Library Specialist I
    Robert Wood Johnson Library

  • RWJ Library’s Holiday Book Tree and Book Billboard

    RWJ Library's 2022 holiday book tree and book billboard.

    Health Sciences Libraries staff and students rang in the holidays with a festive book tree and book billboard in RWJ Library.

  • Douglass Library Hosts Pop-up Concert Stressbuster

    On December 14, Douglass Library hosted a pop-up concert featuring performances by Rutgers Mason Gross School of the Arts Chamber Music Ensembles. More than 30 people gathered in the Mabel Smith Douglass Room to enjoy the finals week stressbuster event. 

    “Sometimes music has the ability to relax and re-energize us, so we were pleased to host this musical stressbuster to help students unwind during finals week,” said Bret McCandless, Music and Performing Arts Librarian at Douglass Library and coordinator of the pop-up concert. “Each performance is a component of the Chamber Music courses offered by Rutgers Mason Gross School of the Arts. We are grateful to the musicians for volunteering their time and talent.” 

    The concert program included the following:

    • Beethoven’s Duo for Violin and Cello No. 1 WoO 27 (Allegro comodo) performed by Janai Vazquez-Diaz (violin) and Kira Harris (cello)
    • Beethoven’s String Quartet Op. 18, No. 1 (Allegro con brio) performed by Ana Constantine (violin), Elly Ha (violin), Anzhi Ji (viola), and Oliver Cole (cello)
    • Jan Bach’s “Two-Bit Contraptions” performed by Pavana Karanth (flute) and William Sizemore (French horn)
    • Beethoven’s Duo for Clarinet and Bassoon No. 3 WoO 27 (Aria con Variazioni) performed by Haley Rogers (flute) and Brendan Kopevos (bassoon)
    Douglass pop-up concert featuring a violin and cello duo.
    Beethoven’s Duo for Violin and Cello No. 1 WoO 27 (Allegro comodo) performed by Janai Vazquez-Diaz (violin) and Kira Harris (cello).
    Douglass pop-up concert featuring a string quartet.
    Beethoven’s String Quartet Op. 18, No. 1 (Allegro con brio) performed by Ana Constantine (violin), Elly Ha (violin), Anzhi Ji (viola), and Oliver Cole (cello).
    Douglass pop-up concert featuring a flute and French horn duo.
    Jan Bach’s “Two-Bit Contraptions” performed by Pavana Karanth (flute) and William Sizemore (French horn).
    Douglass pop-up concert featuring a flute and bassoon duo.
    Beethoven’s Duo for Clarinet and Bassoon No. 3 WoO 27 (Aria con Variazioni) performed by Haley Rogers (flute) and Brendan Kopevos (bassoon).
  • Health Sciences Libraries Publishes December Issue of Impact Newsletter

    RWJ Library holiday book billboard and display.
    RWJ Library holiday book billboard and display.

    Rutgers Health Sciences Libraries (HSL) is pleased to announce the December issue of its Impact e-newsletter. Please click this link to read the latest HSL news, events, and features, including:

    • December De-Stressing
    • Holiday Treats
    • Librarian Receives ORCID Honor

    Subscribe today to get Impact delivered to your inbox!

  • Ex Libris Implementation Team Update – December 2022

    The Ex Libris Implementation Team is hard at work on the Alma Post Implementation Review. We look forward to sharing the results in the new year and wish everyone a restful and peaceful holiday break!

  • NEA Big Read/Catalog of Unabashed Gratitude Exhibit Extended Through January 2023

    Paul Robeson Library‘s exhibit for the NEA Big Read/Catalog of Unabashed Gratitude by Ross Gay has been extended through January 2023. The event is hosted in partnership with the Rutgers–Camden Center for the Arts (RCCA). Attendees can receive free copies of Gay’s book (while supplies last) and contribute a tag to the accompanying installation piece by RCCA.

    Robeson Library's NEA Big Read/Catalog of Unabashed Gratitude event.

    Robeson Library's NEA Big Read/Catalog of Unabashed Gratitude event—RCCA installation piece.

    Robeson Library's NEA Big Read/Catalog of Unabashed Gratitude event.

  • NBL Shipping, Logistics, and IT Departments Holiday Party

    On December 9, the New Brunswick Libraries’ Shipping, Logistics, and IT departments held their annual holiday party and white elephant gift exchange. Guests enjoyed pizza, snacks, refreshments, and dessert in Alexander Library’s break room. The always-entertaining gift exchange featured many amusing and unusual items, encouraging much wheeling, dealing, and stealing. A good time was had by all!

    Shipping, logistics, and IT departments holiday party.
    White elephant gifts of many shapes and sizes surround the festive holiday tree.
    Shipping, logistics, and IT departments holiday party.
    Guests enjoy pizza, snacks, and refreshments before the white elephant gift exchange.
    Shipping, logistics, and IT departments holiday party.
    Luke Sangiamo, coordinator of shipping and receiving, explains the white elephant gift exchange rules.
    Shipping, logistics, and IT departments holiday party.
    Elena Schneider, events and program manager, thanks guests for attending the holiday party.
    Shipping, logistics, and IT departments holiday party.
    Ray George, shipping assistant, unwraps his gift.
    Shipping, logistics, and IT departments holiday party.
    Guests eagerly await their turn to choose or steal a white elephant gift.
  • Megan Lotts Drawing Selected for CR&L News Cover

    Congratulations to Art Librarian Megan Lotts for having her drawing of Scott Hall (from inside the Art Library) selected for the cover of this month’s C&RL News! Read the newsletter at this link.

    December 2022 C&RL News cover featuring Megan Lotts' Scott Hall drawing.

     

    December 2022 C&RL News caption about Megan Lotts' Scott Hall drawing.

  • New Collections and Modules from Adam Matthew Digital

    Adam Matthew logo.

    As a Big Ten Academic Alliance (BTAA) member, Rutgers University Libraries has permanently purchased all Adam Matthew Digital content published from 2019 to 2022, totaling 16 new collections and seven new modules added to our existing collections. In 2020, through Partnership for Academic Library Collaboration and Innovation (PALCI), Rutgers University Libraries permanently purchased all Adam Matthew content published through 2018. With this new purchase, Rutgers now owns all Adam Matthew content published through 2022.

    With this collective purchase as part of the BIG Collection initiative, each BTAA member institution gained all the Adam Matthew collections published through the end of 2022 that it did not yet own. By working collectively, BTAA was able to achieve a reduction of 90% off the list price, and each member’s payment was pro-rated based on the Adam Matthew collections and modules it already owned, so Rutgers paid only for the content it did not yet own.

    Please see the list of Rutgers’ new collections and modules below. We have added every new collection to the Databases list. An easy way to view a list of the new collections is to look at the December 2022 section of the New Databases page. In some cases, we already owned modules in a collection, and now, we have gained an additional module or modules in that same collection. In these cases, we already had a databases list entry for the collection, so we simply added the new module information to the existing database page’s Description section. We are adding all the new collections and modules to QuickSearch as well. Please note that all Rutgers’ Adam Matthew content is also cross-searchable via AM Explorer.

    Adam Matthew Digital produces digitized primary source collections by sourcing original documents and other materials from libraries, museums, and archives worldwide. Because Adam Matthew is based in the United Kingdom, many of the collections concentrate on British history, culture, and literature. However, many other topics are also represented, and the primary source materials have many interdisciplinary uses.

    Please add the Adam Matthew collections to your instructional materials and share them with faculty and students. If you are a subject librarian, please check which collections are relevant to your subject areas. Given the large volume and the need for quick accessibility, preliminary subjects have been assigned to the new collections. Please contact Electronic Resources Librarian Elizabeth York if you want a database added to one of your subjects or to be a Best Bet for your subject(s). Also, please notify Elizabeth if any subject assignments need to be corrected.

     

    New Collections:

    America in World War Two
    Digitized primary sources illustrating United States military and civilian involvement in WWII.

    Central Asia, Persia & Afghanistan, 1834-1922
    Digitized files from the British Foreign Office regarding Central Asia, Persia, and Afghanistan.

    Colonial Caribbean
    Digitized files from the British Colonial Office regarding the Caribbean.

    Early Modern England
    Digitized primary sources illustrating everyday life in 16th- and 17th-century England.

    Ethnomusicology: Global Field Recordings
    Digitized field recordings and accompanying materials from around the world.

    Food and Drink in History
    Digitized primary sources documenting food and drink in global history.

    Foreign Office Files for Southeast Asia, 1963-1980
    Digitized files from the National Archives of the United Kingdom regarding Southeast Asia.

    The Gilded Age and Progressive Era
    Digitized primary sources documenting United States culture, industry, and politics during the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

    Interwar Culture
    Digitized periodicals published in the United States and Britain between the World Wars.

    Life at Sea
    Digitized primary sources documenting Anglo-American sea travel from 1600-1900.

    Mass Observation Project
    Digitized archive of the Mass Observation Project, a public opinion survey program conducted by the University of Sussex, dating from 1981-2009.

    Nineteenth Century Literary Society: The John Murray Publishing Archive
    Digitized primary source materials from the John Murray publishing company, a major British publishing house.

    Poverty, Philanthropy, and Social Conditions in Victorian Britain
    Digitized primary sources documenting poverty and efforts to alleviate it in 19th-century Britain.

    Sex and Sexuality
    Digitized primary sources, including materials from the Kinsey Institute, documenting attitudes toward sexuality, gender, and sexual behavior in the United States, Great Britain, and Australia from the 19th to 21st centuries.

    Shakespeare’s Globe Archive
    Digitized production and architectural archives of the reconstructed Shakespeare’s Globe theater in London.

    Victorians on Film
    Digitized films produced during the Victorian era, primarily in Great Britain.

     

    New Modules:

    Colonial America

    Digitized collection of the materials on North American colonies held in the Colonial Office files at The National Archives of the United Kingdom in London. Rutgers previously owned only Modules I-IV. We now also own Module V: Growth, Trade and Development.

    East India Company

    Digitized archives of the London administration of the East India Company and the pre-1947 government of India. Rutgers previously owned only Modules I-II. We now also own Modules III-V:

    • Module III: India Office Records, G: Factory Records for China, Japan, and the Middle East
    • Module IV: India Office Records, E: Correspondence: Early Voyages, Formation, and Conflict
    • Module V: India Office Records, E: Correspondence: Domestic Life, Governance, and Territorial Expansion

    Medical Services and Warfare

    Digitized primary sources documenting medical history during times of armed conflict dating from the mid-19th to the mid-20th century. Rutgers previously owned only Module I. We now also own Module II: 1928-1949.

    Service Newspapers of World War 2

    Digitized newspapers originally produced by members of various service branches on both sides of the conflict. Rutgers previously owned only Module I. We now also own Module II, which contains additional newspaper titles.

    Socialism on Film

    Digitized films originally produced in Communist countries during the 20th century. Rutgers previously owned only Modules I and II. We now also own Module III: Culture and Society.

  • NBL’s 2022 Finals Week and Stressbuster Events Schedule

    Stressbuster.

    Stop by the following NBL locations for finals week/stressbuster events:

    Alexander Library
    • Thursday, December 15, to Friday, December 23
    • Stop by Alexander Library for a treat during finals week! At various times, Stressbuster Grab n’ Go snack bags will be placed in the lobby (while supplies last).
    Art Library
    • Thursday, December 15, to Friday, December 23
    • Visit the Art Library during finals week for a Stressbuster Grab n’ Go snack bag (while supplies last).
    Carr Library
    • Thursday, December 15, 3–4 p.m.
    • Tuesday, December 20, 3–4 p.m.
    • Visit Carr Library during finals week for Stressbuster Grab N’ Go snack bags (while supplies last).
    Chang Library
    • Thursday, December 15, 11 a.m.
    • Take a study break at Chang Library and refuel for finals with delicious snacks (while supplies last).
    Douglass Library
    • Thursday, December 15, noon–2 p.m.
    • Monday, December 19, 10 a.m.–noon
    • Wednesday, December 21, noon–2 p.m.
    • Thursday, December 22, 10 a.m.–noon
    • Stop by Douglass Library for snacks and water bottles (while supplies last).
    Math and Physics Library
    • Thursday, December 15, 1–4 p.m.
    • Friday, December 16, 1–4 p.m.
    • Warm up at Math and Physics Library with coffee, cocoa, or apple cider (while supplies last).
    LSM
    • Thursday, December 15, 11 a.m.
    • Good luck with finals! Stop by LSM for a snack break and games.