Category: Staff News

Virtual Posters from State of the Libraries 2026

The annual State of the Libraries was held as a virtual event on July 29, 2026. Eleven virtual posters provided a glimpse into the diverse work of Rutgers University Libraries faculty, staff, and student employees. Below are descriptions and links to these posters, which are housed on the Rutgers University Libraries Staff Resources Site.

A Guide to Generative AI Features in Major Databases & Platforms – Many e-resources providers are adding generative AI features to their platforms, and the Rutgers University Libraries electronic resources unit needed a simple way to share practical information about them with Rutgers University Libraries personnel and patrons. To accomplish this, we created the Generative AI Features in Major Databases & Platforms LibGuide, which provides information about generative AI features that are currently available in Rutgers’ major databases and electronic resources platforms of broad interest to students, staff, and faculty. This presentation will cover the guide’s purpose, scope, and design, as well as the process for adding new generative AI features to the guide and announcing them to the Rutgers University Libraries Community. Presented by Elizabeth York (Collections and Digital Strategies).

Automating Multimedia Captioning with Whisper AI and High-Performance Computing – As multimedia assets in library collections grow, providing accurate, timely closed captioning remains a significant accessibility and workflow challenge. This poster presents a scalable solution developed at Rutgers University Libraries that utilizes Whisper, an open-source speech recognition model, deployed on the Amarel high-performance computing cluster. By automating the generation of WebVTT caption files for diverse audio and video assets, this project significantly reduces manual transcription time, ensures compliance with accessibility standards, and enhances the discoverability of institutional media collections. Presented by Chad Mills (Libraries Applications and Development).

Building Belonging Through Onboarding: A “One Libraries” Approach to Welcoming New Employees at Rutgers University Libraries – This poster provides an overview of the development of the Onboarding Task Force, including its formation, objectives, and current progress in the implementation process. Presented by Kalaivani Ananthan, Mary Beth Weber, Amanda Clay Powers, Ann Marie Latini, Francesca Giannetti, Hadiyah Sellers, Jennifer Reiber, Naomi Gold, Priyanka Naik, Richard Jutkiewicz, Soo Lee, and Victoria Wagner.

Overdue Since 1776: Curating America’s 250th Birthday With the Rutgers–Camden History Department – During the spring semester of 2026, Paul Robeson Library partnered with Professor Carly Goodman’s undergraduate History 304 class on an exhibit celebrating America’s birthdays. Members of the class each selected an item to showcase the variety of ways Americans marked these milestones. Together, they reveal two dimensions of our shared identity: on the one hand, spectacle and consumerism, and on the other, the unfinished work of the Revolution. Presented by John Powell (Paul Robeson Library).

Evaluating AI-Generated Subject Terms for Cataloging Assistance – Brief MARC records lacking subject headings limit discovery. This study evaluates whether generative AI can assign accurate FAST subject terms using only call numbers, titles, and authors. Presented by Li Sun (Cataloging and Metadata Services).

Evidence Synthesis Service Models and Current Practices among Academic Health Sciences Libraries in the United States – Academic health sciences libraries (AHSLs) have been providing systematic reviews (SRs) and other evidence synthesis (ES) services for many years. However, there are no established guidelines or standards for providing such services, let alone for integrating the artificial intelligence (AI) tools into the workflows of supporting evidence synthesis projects. A project was conducted to examine how academic health sciences libraries in the United States provide SR-ES services. This poster presents the findings from this examination. Presented by Yingting Zhang (Robert Wood Johnson Library of the Health Sciences).

Media without Limits – We are a team of student Accessibility Quality Assistants dedicated to making audio-visual content more accessible to diverse audiences by creating and refining accurate, high-quality closed captions for select videos provided by Rutgers University Libraries. Our process complies with closed-captioning guidelines that follow federal accessibility standards and aligns with industry practices used by major streaming platforms. We subsequently meet on a weekly basis to review, interpret, and modify guidelines with respect to contexts specific to each film or video. Our presentation gives an overview of our work and how we proceed with fulfilling the Libraries’ commitment to accessibility. Presented by Sanchita Dighe, Franzen Quicho, Snehal Sinha, and Cynthia Sitarz.

Shipping Centralization: Delivering Success – An overview of the preparation, steps taken, and current progress of centralizing Shipping for the libraries. Presented by Luke Sangiamo (Logistics, Shipping, and Handling).

Stronger Together: One RUL IT – A centralized IT model provides streamlined support, improved service delivery, and a more consistent experience across the organization. It strengthens communication, increases transparency, improves efficiency, promotes staff development, and enhances team coverage and backup support. By working as one team, we can deliver more reliable service and better support for you, our customers. Help us serve you better by submitting all technology requests through the IT ticketing system. Every ticket helps us prioritize requests, route them to the appropriate team member, distribute workloads effectively, track issues from start to finish, and ensure that no request falls through the cracks. Stronger Together: One RUL IT. Submit a ticket and let us help you! Presented by Abigail DiPaolo, Kalaivani Ananthan, and John Gibson (Administration and Technology).

The Journey Towards Accessibility Compliance – Rutgers University Libraries have been working to comply with Title II ADA requirements for providing accessible digital content for users with disabilities. The Libraries Applications and Development team has taken the lead in the auditing, reporting, training and technical remediation of the Libraries’ interfaces and content. In this presentation, we’ll give an overview of the past year’s work and look ahead to areas of future focus. Presented by Antonio Barrera (Libraries Applications and Development).

The State of Digital Strategies – The Digital Strategies department was formed within Collections and Digital Strategies as part of the 2025 reorganization of Rutgers University Libraries. This poster shares some of the developments, events, and accomplishments from the department’s first year. Presented by Isaiah Beard, Paige Morgan, and Caryn Radick (Collections and Digital Strategies).

August 13, 2026
Seen and Heard

A July 6 Rutgers Today story featured summer reading recommendations from five of our librarians: Melissa De Fino, cataloging and metadata librarian, Collections and Digital Strategies; Naomi Gold, reference and instruction librarian, Dana Library; Tony Nguyen, associate university librarian, Rutgers Health Libraries; John Powell, reference and instruction librarian, Paul Robeson Library; and Lily Todorinova, undergraduate experience librarian/open educational research, Douglass Library. The story’s “If you like this, try that” format offers alternate books to consider if you can’t get your hands on the latest bestsellers.

Melissa De Fino and Mary Beth Weber, coordinator for training and mentorship, received a rare gold star review from Library Journal for their book, Library Technical Services: Future Forward (Bloomsbury, November 2025). “This valuable work provides a window into the magic and dedication behind the scenes that are necessary to make library resources available to users,” wrote reviewer James Rhoades.

Maria Deptula, health sciences collections librarian at Smith Library, and Mina Ghajar, education and research librarian at Smith Library, represented Rutgers Health at the 14th International Congress on Medical Librarianship (ICML) 2026 in Glasgow, Scotland, from July 14–16. They presented “Evidence-Based Practice in Action: Evaluating Open Access and Transformative Agreements to Inform Library Strategy at Rutgers Health,” highlighting their research on open access publishing and transformative agreements and engaging with health information professionals from around the world.

Becky Libourel Diamond, Business Instruction Librarian at Carr Library, was featured in an article in Bucks County Magazine. The article highlighted her books on culinary history with a special focus on her new book that comes out this month, City Tavern: The Founding Table―Colonial Dining, Revolutionary History, and the Restaurant at the Center of it All (Westholme Publishing, August 2026).

City Tavern: The Founding Table is Diamond’s fifth book and her third with Westholme Publishing. The book takes readers inside the City Tavern, the Philadelphia hotspot where the men crafting the country’s future met for dining, drinking and discourse. When the Continental Congress convened in Philadelphia, City Tavern was designated as a neutral spot for delegates to make connections, solicit opinions, and offer off-the-record thoughts and solutions―all over a pint of ale or glass of Madeira. This important role continued throughout the Revolution and beyond. Many of the founding fathers dined there, and George Washington even used it briefly as his headquarters. City Tavern: The Founding Table views this crucial time in America’s history through the tavern’s lens, and the book’s publication aligns with America’s 250th anniversary year. Judit Hajnal Ward, science reference and instruction librarian at Chang Library, interviewed Diamond about the book for a recent Books We Read post.

Richard Jutkiewicz, head of access services at Smith Library, was invited to present at Yeshiva University on June 17. The presentation, part of a mini-symposium titled The 21st Century Academic Library, was on “Connecting Through Craft: Library Outreach and Marketing with Crochet and Knitting Programs.” This outreach presentation highlighted a program that library technician Ermira Mitre had developed for medical students interested in crafting. The program and presentation provided an example of how academic libraries can connect with students and create partnerships with student organizations.

Ann Marie Latini, head of access services at Robeson Library, recently co-authored an article published in the Journal of Diversity & Inclusion Research titled, “Breaking Barriers in Nursing Education: A Scoping Review on the Experiences of Nursing Students with Disabilities Using Arksey and O’Malley’s Framework.” The article examines the experiences of nursing students with disabilities and highlights barriers and opportunities for creating more inclusive nursing education environments.

Latini and Jutkiewicz presented at the New Jersey Academic Libraries (NJAL) Summer Workshop, hosted by the NJAL Access Services group at Drew University in Madison. Their presentation was titled “Building Belonging Through Onboarding: A ‘One Libraries’ Approach to Welcoming New Employees at Rutgers University Libraries.” The presentation highlighted the research, planning, early development stages, and future directions of a collaborative, system-wide onboarding program designed to connect new hires with colleagues, resources, and the broader library community. Inspired by work completed through the ARL Strategies Institute, the initiative emphasizes engagement, mentorship, shared learning, and cross-campus collaboration.

Christie Lutz, New Jersey regional studies librarian and head of public services in Special Collections and University Archives, gave a presentation, “This is Larkin Barkin’: New Jersey’s Own Country and Western DJ Don Larkin” at the 42nd Annual International Country Music Conference, held in May at Belmont University in Nashville, Tennessee.

Lutz was interviewed for and quoted in the recent American Archivist article “All the Freaks We’ve Saved: The Louisville Underground Music Archive in Retrospect and Comparison.” As part of their study, the authors sought to take the pulse of punk archives similar to their own now that time has passed since these archives were founded. Lutz provided information on the New Brunswick Music Scene Archive, housed in Special Collections and University Archives. The authors also cited Lutz’s 2022 American Archivist article, “Making a Scene: A Scenes Approach to a Local Music Archives,” as well as Adriana Cuervo’s review essay of three books on DIY music archiving in The American Archivist 81, no. 2 (2018). This article is a follow-up to the authors’ 2016 seminal American Archivist article, “Saving All the Freaks on the Life Raft: Blending Documentation Strategy with Community Engagement to Build a Local Music Archives.”

Fernanda Perrone, archivist and head of the exhibitions program for Special Collections and University Archives, and co-editor Haruko Wakabayashi, an associate teaching professor in the School of Arts and Sciences, appeared at a launch and signing event for their recent book on August 1. During the event, held at the American Buddhist Study Center in New York, they discussed Rutgers Meets Japan: A Trans-Pacific Network of the Late Nineteenth Century (January 2026, Rutgers University Press).

Christopher Sterback, system administrator for Information Technology Services, presented in a HathiTrust sponsored webinar on the experience of a library partner working on the Google Books project. Because the May 19 webinar was presented to five universities that are currently onboarding, Sterback focused on the experience of working on the project from the member perspective. The webinar was titled “Ingest Orientation Session for New Google Scanning Partners” and, in addition to Sterback, included presenters from the HathiTrust and the California Digital Library, which manages the bibliographic metadata for HathiTrust contributors.

Elizabeth Surles, archivist, Institute of Jazz Studies, Dana Library, presented her paper “Measuring What Matters: A Diversity Audit Tool for Archives” at the Society of American Archivists Research Forum on July 15.

August 13, 2026
Seen and Heard

A drawing by Megan Lotts, art librarian, is featured on the cover of College & Research Libraries News. Her sketch captures the energy of the 2025 American Library Association Annual Conference in Philadelphia, where conversations around intellectual freedom and digital equity took center stage. (The 2026 ALA Annual Conference will be held June 25–29 in Chicago.)

Bart Everts, reference and instruction librarian at Robeson Library, was quoted in The Gleaner (Rutgers University–Camden’s student newspaper) about the value of the annual Rutgers–Camden Graduate Student Organization hike in Wissahickon Valley Park. “There are countless studies simply on the mental health value of walking, but I think getting out into nature, away from cars and other stressors, not just the stresses of school but of 21st-century life, is vital to our well-being, at least it certainly is to mine,” Everts said. He added that the library’s stressbuster initiatives, including therapy dogs and the Zen Den, complement GSO’s efforts. “Alwin and the GSO have done such a great job with events like this hike, not simply as a way to get away from schoolwork, but also to bond a group of students who come from such a diversity of backgrounds, countries, cultures, and experiences.”

June 18, 2026
Faculty and Staff News
Corisa Mobley-Victory, Principal Management Assistant at Smith Library, is a certified Mental Health First Aider for Youth and Adults from the National Council for Mental Wellbeing and the Missouri Department of Mental Health. Through this certification program, she is trained to recognize and provide initial support to individuals experiencing mental health or substance use challenges. While this certification does not qualify individuals to diagnose conditions, it equips participants with practical tools, compassionate response techniques, and knowledge of available resources to help connect individuals with professional support when appropriate. The program also provides continuing education credits, and certification remains valid for three years.

Service Recognition

Multiple faculty and staff members from Rutgers University Libraries were recognized by the university at receptions held in May (faculty) and June (staff) for their years of service to Rutgers. The honorees are:

50 YEARS
- Natalie Borisovets, humanities and social sciences librarian/Newark bibliographer, Dana Library
30 YEARS
- Charlene Houser, business manager III and supervisor, Administration and Technology
- Mei Ling Lo, science research librarian, Library of Science and Medicine
- Andres Martinez, library supervisor I, Access Services, Douglass Library
- Fernanda Perrone, archivist and head of the exhibitions program, Special Collections and University Archives
- Lucille Vidal, library supervisor I and head of serials acquisitions, Administration and Technology
20 YEARS
- Ashwin Bijur, system administrator, Administration and Technology
- Qun Luo, library associate I, Interlibrary Loans, Collections and Digital Strategies
- Alfreda Richardson, library assistant II, Access Services, Library of Science and Medicine
- Christopher Singh, unit computing specialist, Administration and Technology
- Li Sun, continuing resources and Asian languages catalog librarian, Collections and Digital Strategies
- William Torres, library assistant II, Access Services, Alexander Library
10 YEARS
- Yeewah Chan, web developer, Administration and Technology
- Bart Everts, reference/instruction librarian for the Camden campuses of Rowan University and Camden County College, Robeson Library
Recent and Upcoming Birthdays

Join us in acknowledging the faculty and staff members with birthdays during June, July, and August.

June

Matthew Bridgeman
Jodi Costeira
Abigail DiPaolo
Anna Huang
Michele Petosa
Karen Rock-Agard
Yingting Zhang

July

Isaiah Beard
Gargi Chatterjee
Adriana Cuervo
Erika Gorder
Alexandria Londres Grayson
Alicia Haggenmiller
Pamela Hargwood
Tara Kelley
Elizabeth Kim
Albert Lee
Irina Loutchkina
Mary O’Mara
John Powell
Edward Robinson
Quionne Scott
Edward Suarez
Li Sun
Michele Tokar
Jonathan Torres
Paul Young

August

Natalie Borisovets
Jennifer Dickerson
Jie Geng
John Gibson
Naomi Gold
Krista Haviland
Angela Lawrence
Shirley Lewis
Mohammad Mansouri
Orla Mejia
Grace McGarty
James Silverstein
Jeffrey Teichmann
Zara Wilkinson
Latisha Williams
June 18, 2026
Staff Advisory Committee Town Hall: March 2026
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)?
April 30, 2026
Staff Advisory Committee Town Hall: November 2025

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

The Staff Advisory Committee Town Hall in November aimed to emphasize the importance of staff voices in shaping the committee’s initiatives.

The Staff Advisory Committee (SAC) held a town hall on November 6. The purpose of the event was to emphasize the importance of staff voices in shaping the committee’s initiatives by encouraging participation from the Rutgers University Libraries staff. The committee hopes to amplify staff voices to advise leadership and foster transparency between the Libraries’ units.

Report of the VPUL/UL

Consuella Askew, vice president for university libraries and university librarian, began the meeting with an update on the Libraries’ strategic planning progress. She thanked Tony Nguyen and the faculty and staff who served on the Strategic Goal Writing Task Force for producing a comprehensive report and hosting a town hall. As a next step, the Libraries Leadership Team will take the task force’s recommendations and develop a more refined set of goals, objectives, and activities, along with an accompanying narrative to flesh out the strategic plan.

Askew updated the group on the Libraries’ core services. A small group from the Libraries Leadership Team will develop documents that communicate these core services visually. The team will draft internal documents, which will be used to help inform operational decision-making, as well as external documents for advocacy to stakeholders.

Mary Beth Weber’s work in her new role as coordinator for training and mentorship was also highlighted by Askew. Weber is working with a host of internal and external stakeholders, including SAC leadership, Planning Committee leadership, and the Libraries’ human resources manager, to create and deliver enrichment programming. She’s also charged with launching an internal leadership program, as well as externally focused educational programming that centers the Libraries as the intellectual hub of the university. The University Librarian’s Symposium Series on AI in Higher Education, launched on November 10, is a prime example of this external programming.

Askew concluded her report with her thoughts on how the staff can demonstrate the Libraries’ contributions to the academic and research priorities of the university. She stressed how the SAC has played a vital role in building an inclusive work environment to further these goals.

SAC Overview and Highlights

John Gibson, SAC chair, gave an overview of SAC’s accomplishments for the year. He highlighted the development of the governance foundation, a staff resources page, and an anonymous feedback form. He also mentioned the group’s participation in workforce planning, DEI initiatives, and the AI task force. In addition, the committee is looking to launch mini-town halls, discuss enrichment proposals, and explore mentorship opportunities.

Gibson also acknowledged the work of Secretary Roselyn Riley-Ryan and Ex Officio Hadiyah Sellers.

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 Tracy Meyer, focused on bylaws, elections, and nomination cycles. The group is now preparing for Spring 2026 elections and is seeking new members to help with the committee.

Andy Martinez of the Communications Committee reported on the workflow development of posting SAC minutes and the creation of a procedural manual. The group’s future goals include content writing and new stories published on the staff website and in The Agenda.

The Enrichment Activities Committee, chaired by Andrew Ruggiero, reported on its goals of promoting wellness, leadership, and professional development. Current projects include safety training, tech learning, and staff recognition.

Ruggiero concluded with some complimentary words for fellow committee member Grace McGarty. Ruggiero talked about how she brings out her best to serve others and that this was a guiding vision of the work of the Enrichment Activities Committee.

Unit Representative Updates

The town hall then moved on to some general updates from the individual units.

Rutgers–Camden, represented by Jennifer Rieber (Robeson Library), asked if anyone with questions or feedback could please reach out to her as the unit representative.

Isaiah Beard from Central acknowledged the work of retiring staff member Renee Clark. She has served in a range of roles in the Technical Services Building (TSB). Working for Rutgers since 1979, she had been in TSB making sure our materials reach our sites and the community we serve.

Rutgers–New Brunswick, represented by Jamey Silverstein (Carr Library/Annex), acknowledged his fellow staff colleagues who, like him, are wearing many hats due to staffing shortages. He provided an update on Douglass Library, where work is in progress to renovate the Media Service Point for use by University Online Education Services.

Video of the full town hall is accessible here:

Staff Advisory Committee Town Hall – November 10, 2025

December 17, 2025
Yini Zhu Retires after 26 Years of Service at Smith Library

Yini Zhu, Managing Librarian and Acting Associate Director at the George F. Smith Library of the Health Sciences, retired on January 1, 2023.

Yini was hired in 1997 as the Microcomputer/Media Librarian at UMDNJ’s Smith Library. Her interest and expertise in using technology led her to successfully pursue a master’s in biomedical informatics from the then UMDNJ – School of Health Related Professions. In 2004, she was promoted to Managing Librarian and Head of Access Services, a position she maintained through the merger of UMDNJ and Rutgers. In this role, she managed the circulation, interlibrary loan, media, and technical support teams and services at Smith Library. Most recently, Yini was named Interim Associate Director and co-lead of the Health Sciences Libraries this past September.

Yini has led the Access Services staff through many changes and challenges, including migrating to ExLibris and ALMA, sunsetting Loansome Doc, migrating workstations from CORE to RAD, and pivoting services to accommodate remote instruction to support RBHS during the pandemic. She has expertly represented the Health Sciences Libraries on the Fulfilment Team; the Resource Sharing Team; the Web Improvement, Web Redesign, and Web Teams; the Google Books group; and so many more. She enjoyed teaching and training Access Services staff on workflows and procedures using a variety of platforms, including ExLibris, SpringShare, Canvas, and Kaltura. She served as the Health Sciences Libraries expert on Leganto, providing instruction and troubleshooting to faculty and academic departments throughout RBHS.

Yini is a longstanding member of the Medical Library Association (MLA) and the New York-New Jersey Chapter of the Medical Library Association. She served on the Medical Informatics Section of MLA since 2014. She has presented at the Access Services conference, VALE annual conference, RUL State of the Libraries, the National Network of Libraries of Medicine, and Medical Library Association annual meetings. In 2015, Yini was awarded a health information awareness grant by the National Network of Libraries of Medicine. As PI, she designed an outreach program, SHARE the Info: Spread Health Awareness with Resources and Education. In 2001, she received the outstanding service award from the NY/NJ chapter of the MLA.

Prior to her time at UMDNJ, Yini held various roles and positions at Wayne Public Library, Bergen Academy and Bergen Technical School, Highland Park Library, and the East Asian Library at Rutgers University, to name a few!

Yini’s vast experience, positive attitude, and collegial spirit will be sorely missed. We thank her for her many years of service and tireless commitment to the Health Sciences Libraries and our constituencies.

We know Yini will enjoy this next chapter and fill it with family, travel, and time for herself. We offer our congratulations and wish her the very best.

February 1, 2023
Rutgers University Libraries Welcome Dr. Tajah Ebram as Black Studies Librarian

Dr. Tajah Ebram

Rutgers University Libraries and the Black Bibliography Project (BBP) are delighted to announce the appointment of Dr. Tajah Ebram as Black Studies Librarian. In addition to supporting faculty and students working in Black studies, Dr. Ebram will serve as the Rutgers lead for the BBP, which seeks to revitalize the practice of bibliography for African American literary and cultural studies. She will be based in Alexander Library, collaborating across the campus and with BBP colleagues at Yale University.

Dr. Ebram received her PhD in 2020 from the University of Pennsylvania, specializing in 20th-century Black literary and cultural studies, with a focus on Black radicalisms. Her dissertation was an interdisciplinary cultural history of the MOVE Organization. Dr. Ebram comes to us from Haverford College, where she taught courses on Black Philadelphia, race and ecology, and Black feminisms and the carceral state. She brings additional expertise in cultural geography, public humanities, and digital humanities.

Please join us in welcoming Dr. Ebram to the Rutgers community.

January 31, 2023
SOAR Staff Acknowledged in Cancer Research Communications Journal

Rutgers University Libraries’ SOAR staff received a published acknowledgment in the January 2023* issue of Cancer Research Communications. Kudos to Geoff Wood, metadata librarian for Scholarly Communication and Collections, for helping author David Axelrod archive the supplementary data for his article in SOAR. We are pleased to see the Libraries recognized for their contributions to faculty research.

*Cockrell, C. and D.E. Axelrod. (2023). Combination chemotherapy of multidrug-resistant early-stage colon cancer: determining optimal dose schedules by high-performance computer simulation. Cancer Research Communications, 3: 21-30. https://doi.org/10.1158/2767-9764.CRC-22-0271

About Cancer Research Communications

Cancer Research Communications is an open-access peer-reviewed journal encompassing the full spectrum of cancer research.

About SOAR

SOAR (Scholarly Open Access at Rutgers) has been developed as a convenient website where Rutgers scholars can deposit their work and access further information about open access. Rutgers authors deposit legal copies of scholarly articles into SOAR at the time of the article’s final acceptance for publication, at no cost to them, making scholarship freely accessible to readers and researchers worldwide on the Internet. SOAR staff will research all permissions for you at the time of deposit. SOAR is crawled by Google and ensures access over time. Once it’s deposited, you’ll receive a permanent link for your article that you can use on your website, CV, courseware, and for social networking.

January 10, 2023
Erika Gorder Appointed University Archivist

We are delighted to announce that Erika Gorder has been appointed University Archivist.

Erika began working at Rutgers University Libraries in 1992 as an assistant archivist and, after time at several other repositories, returned in 1997 as an archivist at the Institute of Jazz Studies. She has worked in University Archives, serving as Interim, Associate, and Acting University Archivist since 1998.

Erika earned a master’s degree in history and archival studies from New York University, a master of library and information science degree from Rutgers University, and a bachelor’s degree from Rutgers College.

Please join us in congratulating Erika on a well-deserved appointment.

January 2, 2023