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)?
