On December 22, members from the Collection Acquisitions department gathered to celebrate the holidays and their accomplishments over the past year. We were happy to see so many smiling faces!
Category: Staff News
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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.
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DEI Spotlight – December 2022
December 2022 Spotlight
The DEI Committee 2.0 was formed in late 2021 and comprises staff and faculty representing all Rutgers campuses. The committee’s mission is to:
- respect and foster perspectives that reflect varying backgrounds, identities, roles, and their intersections;
- create and support structures and behaviors that encourage equity, fairness, and justice; and
- promote an environment of belonging, respect, opportunity, and empowerment.
Reporting to the Vice President for University Libraries and University Librarian and the Libraries Leadership Team, the committee serves as an advisory body to the Libraries in support of RUL and university core DEI values and university priorities. In the past year, the committee worked with the RUL Human Resources department to review hiring practices and create a more inclusive work environment. The committee meets bimonthly and is currently working on its next charge, which will be announced soon.
Read the DEI Committee’s November 2022 Meeting Minutes
Read the DEI Committee’s October 2022 Meeting Minutes
DEI Committee Members
DEI Training and Events
Participate in the following training and events to expand your DEI knowledge:
Strategies and Tactics for Recruiting to Improve Diversity and Excellence (STRIDE) Workshop
Date: Wednesday, December 14, 2022
Time: 11:00 a.m.–1:00 p.m.This two-hour workshop reviews research-driven best practices to recruit for diversity and excellence across every stage in the search process and is designed to help faculty produce diverse candidate pools and run effective searches. STRIDE workshops are recommended for faculty members with key roles in faculty recruitment efforts (e.g., search committee chairs and members).
Babs Siperstein Humanities and Medicine Seminars
The Siperstein Seminars take an inclusive and intersectional approach to broaden the understanding of LGBTQIA+ issues to build healthcare workers’ capacity and knowledge base, thus increasing their ability to provide more comprehensive and holistic healthcare. To learn more about the seminars, please click this link.
Seminar: Transgender and Nonbinary Representation in Comics
Speaker: Tara Madison Avery
Date: Monday, December 19, 2022
Time: 6:00–7:00 p.m.Tara Madison Avery is a cartoonist, bi activist, and the publisher of Stacked Deck Press, an imprint devoted to comics of LGBTQAIU interest. As a cartoonist, Avery created the bi-themed webcomic Gooch and has published stories in several queer-themed comics anthologies, including We’re Still Here: An All-Trans Comics Anthology (which she co-edited and published), winner of the 2019 Ignatz Award for Outstanding Anthology. She was invited to the 2015 and 2016 Bisexual Community Briefings at the White House and was chair of the Los Angeles Bi Task Force from 2013 to 2015. Avery has also been a board member of Prism Comics, a nonprofit organization that promotes LGBTQ comics, comics creators, and fandom, since 2012. In her work with Prism Comics, she has moderated several LGBTQ-oriented panel discussions at comic conventions across the country, including the first all-transgender panel at San Diego Comic-Con in 2014.
Thank you to Kayo Denda, Head of the Margery Somers Foster Center and Librarian for Women’s Gender And Sexuality Studies, for organizing and promoting wonderful events.
World Braille Day
Date: Wednesday, January 4, 2023
World Braille Day is celebrated every year on January 4 to commemorate the birthday of Louis Braille, founder of the braille system. Braille is a tactile writing system used by people who are visually impaired.
DEI Reads
Check out what the DEI Committee is currently reading:
- “From Safe Spaces to Brave Spaces: A New Way to Frame Dialogue Around Diversity and Social Justice” (Chapter 8 of The Art of Effective Facilitation: Reflections from Social Justice Educators, edited by Lisa M. Landreman)
DEI Resources
Explore these resources to learn more about DEI:
- Rutgers University Equity and Inclusion: diversity.rutgers.edu
- Center for Diversity Education and Bias Prevention Workshops: nbdiversity.rutgers.edu/educational-workshops
- Racial Equity Institute: racialequityinstitute.org
DEI Spotlight Archive
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AvramCamp 2022: My Experience
AvramCamp is a one-day preconference offered by Core, a division of American Library Association (ALA). The event is named in honor of Henriette Avram, the creator of MARC format. It was offered on July 29 as a virtual event. Core describes AvramCamp as “a safe and welcoming space for women and non-binary technology library workers to explore common challenges faced, learn strategies for dealing with them, and discuss specific tools to build confidence….” AvramCamp is open to anyone, and registrants don’t need to be ALA members. Attendance was limited to 60 participants, who were from a range of libraries and at different points in their careers.
The event opened with a discussion of ALA’s code of conduct, an overview of a jamboard (a virtual bulletin board with virtual post-its), and a guided meditation. The meditation was led by Ginger Stevens, a certified meditation coach and certified life coach. It was the first event I’ve attended that began with a guided meditation!
The meditation was followed by a keynote by Dr. Sharon Whitfield, Electronic Resources and User Access Librarian, Rider University. Dr. Whitfield is also a researcher, and her primary focus is gender and library technology. Her keynote was titled “Schrodinger’s Workplace: Existing in Multiple States of Being,” and focused on the impact of external departments and constant interruptions on our work. Whitfield stressed that we tend to make more mistakes when we’re fragmented. Other drivers include increased workloads due to post-COVID retirements and vacancies and an uncertain future. She discussed how we can take control in such circumstances.
Attendees were asked to reflect on our workplace and the various roles in which we serve. Whitfield asked attendees to discuss how they felt fragmented, both at work and in their personal life at home. We discussed whether we felt successful at multitasking and if we were effective at decision-making amid numerous interruptions. Whitfield addressed fragmentation and Imposter Phenomenon. Fragmentation can lead one to feel like an imposter, and she asked participants to acknowledge if they had felt that way.
The next topic was gendered fragmentation, a common part of the culture of academia. Women are often viewed as nurturers and take on more service. This is particularly true for BIPOC women. Women who are in technology fields often lack mentors. Whitfield noted that Imposter Phenomenon isn’t exclusive to women and reported that 70% of the general population have experienced imposter tendencies in relation to their work.
Whitfield shared a working definition of Imposter Phenomenon, which is common to high achievers, who are unable to internalize and accept their success. They often attribute their success to luck and fear that they will be revealed as a fraud. Although men may also suffer from Imposter Phenomenon, Syndrome, Whitfield reported that they tend not to internalize their feelings.
The discussion moved to an examination of the unintended consequences of fragmentation and Imposter Phenomenon, which include workplace mobbing (i.e., bullying), decision making that doesn’t balance short- and long-term consequences, toxic work environment, and burnout from taking on too much responsibility. Workplace mobbing is common in libraries due to lack of clear job descriptions and this results in people being pulled into different fragmented areas. Attendees were asked to consider what we might do to stop fragmentation and feelings of imposter phenomenon.
The remainder of the day was devoted to two breakout sessions and a closing discussion. Participants were asked to use virtual sticky notes to suggest discussion topics for the two afternoon breakout sessions. The suggestions with the most votes were selected (imposter phenomenon and invisible disability/neurodiversity). Feedback from the Imposter Phenomenon session included:
- Adopting the mindset that there’s no true emergency in the work we do.
- Recognizing that we may be our own worst critic.
- The phrase “just say no” isn’t just about drugs and may be used at work.
Feedback from the invisible disability/neurodiversity discussion included:
- Provide training tools and resources for student employees/co-workers based on how you wish you had been trained.
- Disclose to co-workers; explain the things that you need to be successful at work to those who need to know.
- Ask students at hiring if they need accommodations—mental/physical/religious accommodations.
The session ended with a recap of the breakout sessions and an open discussion.
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Laura Costello Appointed Director of Strategic Planning and Assessment
Laura Costello was appointed Rutgers University Libraries’ new Director of Strategic Planning and Assessment, effective October 10. Laura came to RUL from Stony Brook University Libraries in 2018 as our Virtual Reference Services Librarian. In 2021, she was promoted to Research and Instruction Services Coordinator. Laura brings to this leadership position a set of skills informed and honed by her responsibilities here at Rutgers and by her previous roles as Head of Research and Emerging Technologies at Stony Brook University and Head of Library Materials and Acquisitions at Teachers College, Columbia University.
Laura has been an integral part of the implementation, administration, and training activities for several of our current data collection platforms, including Alma analytics and Springshare’s LibAnswers and LibInsight. She was also instrumental in the implementation of Leganto. This past year, she stepped in and took on the responsibility for compiling and submitting RUL’s statistical data for the ACRL, ARL, and IPEDS surveys in the absence of a full-time assessment person.
Her interest in assessment is evidenced by her body of scholarship. She has written and presented on library topics such as reference, space programming, and collections with a focus on assessment. A productive scholar, Laura has authored or co-authored three books, seven book chapters, and over 20 peer-reviewed articles and other publications. Laura is currently the managing editor for the Virtual Reference Bibliography and serves as a peer reviewer for Evidence Based Library and Information Practices. Her interest in assessment methods has led her to pursue a Ph.D. in Communication, Information, and Media at Rutgers with a focus on Library and Information Science. She expects to complete her degree in 2024.
Her record of service to the Libraries, the University, and the profession is extensive; the following are some highlights. On the national level, her activities include being a member of the Big Ten Academic Alliance Virtual Reference Peer Group since 2020 and the LITA Assessment & Research Committee since 2016, for which she has served as Vice-Chair and Chair. Laura has been actively engaged in the governance structure and informing Libraries operations as Vice Chair of the Faculty Planning Committee and a member of the RUL Scholarly and Professional Activities Committee.
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James “Jim” Robinson Retires after 36 Years
By Elena Schneider and Luke Sangiamo
James “Jim” Robinson retired from Rutgers University on September 1, 2022. Jim has been an essential member of Rutgers University Libraries for over 36 years, so he will be greatly missed. We have all benefited from his dedicated service, detailed knowledge, and wonderful sense of humor.
Jim in his familiar black attire, July 2022 (photo by Dennis Mark/Rutgers University Libraries). Jim began his career at Rutgers in 1986, briefly working at the physical plant warehouse and quickly transitioning to the libraries a few months later. Having family already working at the libraries (Jim’s mother worked in the processing department for Technical Services), pursuing a career at Rutgers was a natural step. He quickly considered his coworkers to be more like family than just other employees, and he developed a deep passion for the labor movement and student political organization. Pursuing a degree while working at the university, Jim developed an interest in Architectural Historic Preservation. Beginning at Rutgers, Jim later attended Bucks County Community College, which operated one of the top Historic Preservation programs, obtaining his degree in 1999.
His career at Rutgers brought him to join Special Collections & University Archives for six years, applying his interest in Historic Preservation to managing the logistics of our most unique collections. He later joined the New Brunswick Libraries’ Shipping and Receiving Department—serving in an indispensable role for years to come. At Shipping, Jim developed close relationships with many of our faculty and staff across all library locations while serving as a core member on the front line of maintaining our day-to-day operations. After the Return to Rutgers plan in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Jim was one of the first employees to return to our buildings five days per week, visiting each building daily and providing a pivotal service enabling the strength of our recovery. Both remotely and after returning, he contributed to our digital newsletter each week—his weekly song playlist was an early step in reconnecting our community to each other.
An example of Jim’s eclectic song playlists, which colleagues enjoyed during the pandemic. Outside of work, Jim has a strong passion for music, being classically trained in multiple instruments for over 35 years and having produced and promoted a music series for over two decades. In retirement, Jim plans to utilize his experience to continue being a tour manager for musicians around the globe, working with various artists through the hundreds of relationships he has built through the years. He plans to devote more of his time to his love of music and supporting those in the industry, both new and experienced artists alike.
Jim also plans on volunteering at The Raptor Trust, an organization that provides care for injured birds of prey and education to the public. Being passionate about the outdoors and wildlife, he also plans to spend time at The Great Swamp National Wildlife Refuge, one of his favorite locations for bird watching and to quietly enjoy his love for reading and books. If he discovers more “free time” after embracing his wide variety of interests, he has discussed working part-time at a bookstore or a public library.
Jim in the NBL delivery van, his “second office.” We thank Jim for everything he brought to Rutgers and shared with our community. We will miss Jim’s dedication, historical knowledge, humor, and excellent music recommendations. We wish him the best in his future endeavors and are excited to see the next steps he takes on his journey.
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Scholars Collaborate on Unique Book Project at RUL
From August 11–13, a group of scholars met in New Brunswick to work on a new book. Tentatively titled, In Search of True Ways: Rutgers and Japan during the Early Meiji Period, this book is being edited by Haruko Wakabayashi of Rutgers’ Department of Asian Languages and Cultures and Fernanda Perrone of Rutgers University Libraries Special Collections and University Archives (SC/UA). This project is unusual in that it combines scholarship written in English with that written in Japanese, giving a broad perspective and bringing to light much new information.
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Judy Cohn Retires after Distinguished Four-Decade Career
Judy Cohn, Assistant Vice President for University Libraries and Associate University Librarian at Rutgers Biomedical and Health Sciences (RBHS) Libraries, retired on September 1, 2022. Her retirement serves as the final milestone of an illustrious 40+ year career that began at the College of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey Rutgers Medical School, Raritan Valley Hospital, and culminated at Rutgers University Libraries (RUL).
Judy Cohn at Alexander Library, August 2022 (photo by Dennis Mark/Rutgers University Libraries). Judy received her BA (1975) and MLS (1976) from Rutgers University. She started her career as an Assistant Librarian at the College of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey (CMDNJ) Rutgers Medical School, Raritan Valley Hospital in Greenbook, NJ, where she oversaw its collection development and management of its audiovisual collection, along with some public services responsibilities. Her career trajectory aligned with the growth of what is now RBHS, as she moved from positions held at CMDNJ Greenbrook to the University Medical Center in Stratford, NJ, before settling in Newark. During this period, Judy also nurtured and guided aspiring health sciences librarians as an adjunct faculty member with the Rutgers University School of Communication and Library Studies. Within a few years of arriving in Newark to serve as the Director of the George F. Smith Library of the Health Sciences, she began her ascent up the leadership ladder at the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey (UMDNJ). She was promoted to Assistant University Librarian and Director for UMDNJ–Smith Library, then Acting University Librarian for UMDNJ. Before the merger, she was the Associate Vice President for Scholarly Information/University Librarian for UMDNJ for 11 years. In 2013, Judy became a part of the Rutgers University Libraries team as the result of the merger of Rutgers University and UMDNJ.
Her contributions to the Libraries, the University, and the library profession are substantial. Below are just a few examples:
Judy stewarded the UMDNJ Libraries throughout the UMDNJ/Rutgers University merger and the subsequent integration with the Rutgers University Libraries. In the aftermath of the integration and before the dust settled, she emerged as an invaluable member of the RUL Leadership Team, marshaling a talented and illustrious group of committed RBHS librarians and staff who fully immersed themselves in the RUL organization. In 2018, she organized the highly successful Scholarly Research Symposia for the RBHS faculty. Throughout the years, Judy had been called upon on multiple occasions to serve as Cabinet liaison to a Libraries working group, task force, or committee, including the Discovery Work Group, the Research and Scholarly Environment Working Group, and most recently, the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee.
Judy was a major contributor to the execution of the Resetting the Rutgers University Libraries plan in her role as the Assistant Vice President for University Libraries. She readily took on additional tasks to help the organization move forward, demonstrating her commitment to the success of RUL. Judy was a critical part of planning and implementing the team-building sessions for the RUL Leadership Team led by a group from the University’s Center for Organizational Leadership. Likewise, she was an instrumental partner as we collaborated with the re:work consultants, who led a group of our RUL colleagues through a strategic process resulting in drafts of new mission and aspirational statements. The consultants also conducted an organizational structure review of our Libraries. These are but some examples demonstrating Judy’s exceptional competence and effectiveness as a leader.
Judy’s expertise in Medical and Health Sciences librarianship was recognized by her colleagues at RBHS, where she served on the New Jersey Medical School Clinical Curriculum and Pre-Clinical Curriculum Committees. She boasts an extensive and illustrious history of professional service at the regional and national levels. Judy has led preeminent organizations in her field, serving as President of the Association of Academic Health Sciences Libraries, President of the Health Sciences Library Association of New Jersey (HSLANJ), and Chair of the VALE Executive Committee (VALEnj). While these leadership roles are indicative of her reputation and the esteem in which she is held in the profession, she has also been recognized by her peers for her contributions to the field with numerous awards, including the Health Sciences Librarian of the Year award from HSLANJ and the Distinguished Service Award from the UMDNJ School of Health-Related Professions.
Retirement Party
On August 26, 2022, the Libraries hosted a retirement party for Judy at Calandra’s il Vecchio Cafe in Caldwell, New Jersey. More than 30 colleagues, family members, and friends attended to celebrate her remarkable career. Special guest speakers, including Judy’s husband (Lee), sister (Sara), and daughter (Jesse), regaled the audience with humorous stories and tales of Judy’s impressive accomplishments. Colleagues also took the opportunity to express their happiness and gratitude for Judy’s leadership and friendship.
Judy enjoyed her “Still the Boss” ornament. 
Happy retirement, Judy! 
Judy with family, friends, and colleagues. 
Judy talks with guests at her retirement party. 
Vice President for University Libraries and University Librarian Conseulla Askew (left) presents Judy with a Proclamation of Gratitude for her 40+ years of service. 
Judy with members of the Rutgers University Libraries Leadership Team (from left: Dee Magnoni, Associate University Librarian at Rutgers–New Brunswick Libraries, VPUL/UL Conseulla Askew, Judy, Interim Associate University Librarian at Rutgers–Newark Rhonda Marker, and Director of Communications Dennis Mark). -
John Brennan Promoted to Senior Executive Assistant to the Vice President for University Libraries and University Librarian
John Brennan was promoted to Senior Executive Assistant to the Vice President for University Libraries and University Librarian (VPUL/UL), effective August 6, 2022. John had ably served in this role in an interim capacity for seven months and will continue to be an asset to the Office of the VPUL/UL and the Rutgers University Libraries administration.
John has been with the Libraries since 2005 as a Senior Administrative Assistant for Technical and Automated Services (TAS), where he managed an assortment of diverse functions that included budget monitoring and reporting, facilities management, project management, and oversight for work-study students. In his new role, John will provide diversified and confidential support to VPUL/UL Consuella Askew and her office in a wide range of library-wide strategic areas. Among his new responsibilities, he will be the primary point of administrative contact for the VPUL/UL and the University Libraries for internal and external constituencies, manage my schedule, and will provide oversight and management for the administrative suite of the University Libraries.
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Nita Mukherjee Retires after Nearly 40 Years of Service
After almost 40 years of dedicated service to the New Brunswick Libraries, Nita Mukherjee retired on August 1, 2022.
Over the last 30+ years, Nita worked at multiple locations across Rutgers University, Rutgers University Libraries (RUL), and New Brunswick Libraries (NBL). She started her career at Rutgers in 1982, working in the Data Control Department in the Administrative Services Building (ASB) on the Busch campus. In the mid-1980s, she joined the Circulation Department of the Douglass Library to start her career with RUL/NBL. During her time with RUL/NBL, Nita contributed greatly to the work at Copy Cataloging in the Library Technical Services Building (TSB), the Libraries Annex Access Services, Alexander Library Access Services, and Douglass Library Access Services. Finally, in 2008, she began her time managing the Chang Science Library on the Cook campus.
Nita is retiring as Branch Coordinator for the Stephen and Lucy Chang Science Library, a site she managed for the past 14 years. She made the Chang Library a warm and inviting location for students, faculty, and staff. She worked with countless undergraduate students over the years, both in her role as the site’s Student Coordinator and as the first contact at the circulation desk onsite. Nita thrived when helping students and faculty, bringing a mix of compassion, professionalism, and dedication to her work to these interactions.
Nita and her husband of 46 years, Arun, plan to continue living in the area. She looks forward to spending time with her family, her two daughters with careers in law and medicine, and her five grandchildren. She will devote more time to traveling, volunteering, and two of her long-standing passions: gardening and reading.