The Agenda - Faculty and Staff Newsletter

Category: Units

  • Virtual Poster Presentations from State of the Libraries 2025

    simple illustration showing video play, pause, and stop icons
    State of the Libraries 2025 included 10 virtual poster presentations.

    The annual State of the Libraries was held as a virtual event on August 13, 2025. The following virtual posters provided a glimpse into the diverse work of Rutgers University Libraries faculty and staff:

    An Automated Approach to Enhancing Legacy Library Catalog Records – Our library catalog contains numerous brief records lacking essential information, making it difficult to find items and creating accessibility challenges for users. Manually updating these records is labor-intensive and time-consuming. This poster presents an automated solution using Alma’s Analytics and batch-searching strategies. This innovative approach significantly improves cataloging efficiency, enabling updates of approximately 1,000 records monthly, a substantial increase from 1,000 annually. Presented by Li Sun and Neera Sondhi (Cataloging and Metadata Services).

    An Introduction to the Databases List – This poster provides a brief overview of the Rutgers University Libraries Databases List, including its searching and browsing options, the structure of each database list entry, and best practices for linking to databases. This overview will be helpful to those who are new to Rutgers University Libraries as well as longtime personnel who are interested in refreshing their knowledge. Presented by Elizabeth York (Collections & Digital Strategies).

    Assessing Film Condition: A Collaborative Approach to Preserving Jazz on Film – This poster presents a collaborative project between the Institute of Jazz Studies (IJS) at Rutgers–Newark and Special Collections and University Archives (SCUA) at Rutgers–New Brunswick to assess the condition of a unique collection of 16mm, 35mm, and 8mm films housed at IJS. It outlines the process developed to inspect the films, identify formats and lengths, and apply A-D Strips to test for acetate film degradation. The project highlights key preservation concerns and offers a practical workflow that others may adopt when evaluating similar audiovisual collections. Presented by Diane Biunno and Tara Kelley (Institute of Jazz Studies and Special Collections and University Archives).

    Bookable Spaces – The Libraries redesigned and improved the findability and information related to our bookable spaces. The student-forward effort was intended to provide more efficient access to one of the Libraries’ most used services. Presented by Antonio Barrera (Applications and Development).

    Highlights of Camden Special Collections – This poster highlights selections from Special Collections in Camden, including the Virgilio Papers, campus ephemera, and more. Presented by Bart Everts (Robeson Library).

    Migrating and Modernizing RUcore – This presentation will briefly cover the three-year journey the Libraries Applications and Development Team went through while migrating the RUcore repository and related services to new OIT-managed server environments. This includes upgrading out-of-date software, deploying the entire RUcore codebase via a change control system, and improving RUcore performance. Presented by Chad Mills and Yang Yu (Libraries Applications and Development).

    OAT Program Basics: What Everyone Should Know – This poster provides essential information about the Open and Affordable Textbooks (OAT) Program. This incentive program supports instructors in reducing course material costs for students through the adoption, adaptation, or creation of open and affordable course materials. Designed to help RUL employees confidently answer general questions from faculty and instructors, the poster outlines key program details, including award categories, evaluation criteria, and impact metrics such as student cost savings and the number of awards granted since the program’s launch in 2016. It will also list the OAT Team members who can provide more in-depth assistance with inquiries. Presented by Matthew Bridgeman, Naomi Gold, Rhonda Marker, Lily Todorinova, and Zara Wilkinson (OAT Team).

    Planning Committee – This poster presents a review of the activities of the committee during AY25 and a preview of the year to come. Presented by Melissa De Fino and Ryan Womack (Planning Committee).

    Server Migration Update – The Libraries have been engaged in a multiyear process to improve efficiency and maintenance for our servers. In this update, we will discuss the completion of the migration of 28 linux servers. Presented by Antonio Barrera and Ashwin Bijur (Applications and Development).

    Staff Advisory Committee – This poster includes highlights of the FY25 Staff Advisory Committee Annual Report and plans for FY26. Presented by Rose Barbalace and Jeff Teichmann (Staff Advisory Committee).

  • Let Me Reintroduce Myself: Coordinator for Training and Mentorship

    head shot of an adult
    As the inaugural Libraries-wide coordinator for training and mentorship, Mary Beth Weber has moved to a new office within Alexander Library.

    Much of my career at Rutgers University Libraries has been in technical services, primarily in resource description (aka cataloging), and I’ve collaborated with many colleagues regarding projects, gift collections, and related concerns. As part of our recent reorganization, I was offered a new role that’s different in many ways from the work I had been doing. While I don’t have direct reports, I’m managing projects and initiatives.  

    As the inaugural coordinator for training and mentorship, I’ve been charged by our vice president for university libraries (VPUL) to oversee the Libraries’ enrichment program and to implement strategies to maximize success and promote continuous learning. The intent is to foster a learning community and unify training initiatives across our organization. The primary goals of my position are: 

    • Collaborate with the Libraries Leadership Team, communications director, Libraries Human Resources, Staff Advisory Committee, and faculty Planning Committee to identify professional development needs and implement targeted enrichment activities that support library personnel. Partnerships are essential for success. Through our collective wisdom, we can meet the needs of our workforce through all stages of their careers. Learning never ends, and there will be new skills and standards that we’ll need to master and apply to our work. 
    • Expand the scope of the Mentoring Program to be more inclusive and available to all library personnel. This will be a big change that will require input from both faculty and staff. While there are some differences between employment requirements for faculty and staff, there are more things they have in common, such as the need for guidance and connection. The program traditionally paired new hires with experienced colleagues. That will continue, and I’d like to consider expanding the types of mentoring offered to include just-in-time assistance for a specific short-term need.  
    • Develop a leadership program for frontline supervisors, middle managers, and executive personnel. The VPUL has previously mentioned EmpowerU; the goal is to prepare leaders across the Libraries to effectively handle the challenges and changes that our organization is facing and to prepare for the future. Our leaders have various backgrounds, skills, and experience, and the intent is to develop and strengthen those skills. By fostering foundational leadership principles such as strategic thinking, communication, and talent development, participants will be empowered to lead proactively and innovatively.   
    • Develop a master calendar of professional development opportunities. This will help with planning new offerings and avoid the conflict of scheduling multiple programs at the same time. Additionally, I’d like to create a streamlined means to share continuing education and professional development activities with the entire organization. People have emailed items to me, and that’s been great. I want to strike a balance between overwhelming people with emails and ensuring that they get information in a timely manner. One way to handle this is through a regular column in The Agenda. Another is to post events to the staff site.

    Some recommended resources for continuing education and enrichment follow: 

    • WebJunction is provided by OCLC support. WebJunction is free and open to personnel from all types of libraries. Access is provided to courses and webinars. 
    • The Carterette Series is produced by the Georgia Library Association. These webinars are free and open to anyone. Past webinars, including recordings, slides and resource links are in the organization’s archives.  
    • The Training Magazine Network requires users to create a free account to access webinars (upcoming and past), a calendar of events, and regular emails about training resources. 
    • The Insperity Blog provides resources on business management and leadership that are applicable to library work.  

    I’ve relocated from my long-term “home” in the Technical Services Building on Busch Campus to the administrative suite on the third floor of Alexander Library on the College Avenue Campus. Feel free to stop by to say hello. Have other ideas? You can also call me or book an appointment to speak with me.  

  • AADC Reunion Visit to Douglass Library

    Two people sit at a table, smiling and holding an open yearbook.
    Barbara Gray Nicholson, a 1950 graduate of the New Jersey College for Women, with Kayo Denda at Douglass Library.

    On June 6, during the Associate Alumnae of Douglass College reunion, multiple alumnae visited Douglass Library. As an indication of the meaning Douglass Library holds for Douglass alumnae, the library is consistently an option on the reunion’s list of activities.  

    The highlight of this year’s visit was Barbara Gray Nicholson, a 1950 graduate of the New Jersey College for Women (NJC), which later became Douglass College. While at NJC, she met her husband, a Rutgers College of Agriculture student, also from the class of 1950. They married after graduation, settling in North Carolina, where she lived from 1956 to 2019, studied library science, and worked in a small public library. For the last five years, she has lived in Nebraska, close to her son.

    Nicholson talked about visiting the library, then located in the basement of Recitation Hall (now Ruth Adams Hall, having been renamed in honor of a former Douglass College dean), and about the professors she admired. They include renowned English constitutional law historian Margaret Judson and seeds specialist Jessie Gladys Fiske, who later became chair of the Department of Biological Sciences. She had fond memories of the dances on campus, through which she met her husband, and the old Packing Box gym next to Voorhees Chapel with an open floor furnace. The students in the mandatory modern dance class had to dance gingerly, navigating around the metal fence surrounding the opening, to avoid getting burns. 

  • Fernanda Perrone to Be Inducted as SAA Fellow

    Headshot of Fernanda Perrone
    Fernanda Perrone’s career has been marked by significant contributions to the archival profession, particularly in documenting underrepresented groups, mentoring emerging archivists, and fostering international collaborations.

    Fernanda Perrone, archivist and head of the exhibitions program for Special Collections and University Archives, will be inducted later this month as a Fellow of the Society of American Archivists (SAA) during an awards ceremony at the 89th Annual Meeting of the Society of American Archivists in Anaheim, California. The distinction of Fellow is the highest honor bestowed on individuals by the SAA and is awarded for outstanding contributions to the archives profession.

    A distinguished archivist with over 30 years of experience, Perrone earned a PhD from Oxford University, where she focused her research on women’s education. This laid the groundwork for her professional focus on women’s history throughout her career. She has spent her decades-long career at Rutgers University Libraries, beginning as an assistant in the manuscript department at SCUA and eventually earning a full professorship. Since 2003, she has served in her current role of archivist and head of the exhibitions program.

    Perrone’s career has been marked by significant contributions to the archival profession, particularly in documenting underrepresented groups, mentoring emerging archivists, and fostering international collaborations. In her position at Rutgers, she has developed diverse subject expertise in women’s history, gender studies, the history of Rutgers, and the history of westerners in Japan during the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

    Her work curating and promoting the William Elliot Griffis Collection, which documents the experience of Westerners in Japan during the late 19th and early 20th centuries, has led to the development of international partnerships. Through her outreach, a group of scholars who studied Korean materials in the Rutgers collections discovered a set of unique photographs. Due to the destruction of many rare historical objects during the Korean War, photos like these represent an important cultural recovery. This discovery led to a collaboration with the National Archives of Korea to digitize the recovered photographs. Currently, Perrone is co-authoring an edited volume entitled Rutgers Meets Japan: A Trans-Pacific Network of the Late Nineteenth Century. For the book, coming out from Rutgers University Press this year, she invited scholars in art, history, and Asian studies to analyze the early transnational relationship between Rutgers University and Japan.

    Perrone is particularly recognized as an expert on the archives of women’s religious communities. Her scholarly output includes numerous publications on women’s religious education, state-level voting rights history, and women artists’ archives, with notable works such as The Douglass Century: Transformation of the Women’s College at Rutgers University and On Account of Sex: Women’s Suffrage in Middlesex County, New Jersey. In 2013, she contributed a chapter to Perspectives on Women’s Archives (SAA). Her chapter, as well as the book, has spanned disciplines to reach historians, librarians, and other scholars thinking about the effect and importance of women’s archives. Her broad impact is also evident through her international and interdisciplinary speaking engagements: from New Jersey and Texas state and regional historical associations to MARAC and SAA to the Universities of Keio and Rikkyo in Tokyo, Japan.

    Speaking about Perrone’s work, one supporter wrote that she has an “unwavering dedication to researching, preserving, and advocating for the archival record of women. She has remained steadfast in her commitment to ensuring that SAA recognizes and includes women’s experiences in the historical record.” Another supporter remarked, “Dr. Fernanda Perrone represents the best that the archival profession has to offer. She is a leading figure who unselfishly gives her time and energy to promote her profession.”

  • Robeson Library Undergraduate Research Awards for 2025

    Cindy Do won an award for her research project, “Chronic Stress Elevates the Risk of Parkinson’s Disease.”

    The Paul Robeson Library Undergraduate Research Award recognizes excellence in undergraduate research projects that make use of a range of library resources, collections, and services and show evidence of critical thinking, originality, and creativity. 

    All winners have their papers added to our digital collection in RUCore and presented lightning talks at the award ceremony held on April 8 as part of Rutgers University–Camden’s reimagined Research Week, now known as SPARK! 

     

    The award winners for 2025 were: 

    First Place 

    Shaan Mody, “Theta/Beta-Ratio Neurofeedback Training: A Better Long-Term Solution for Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder” 

    Second Place 

    Cindy Do, “Chronic Stress Elevates the Risk of Parkinson’s Disease” 

    Jordyn Smith, “The Natural Antimicrobial Effects of Honey, Yogurt, and Pickle Juice on Escherichia coli B, Escherichia coli K-12, Staphylococcus epidermidis, and Pseudomonas fluorescens” 

    New Researcher (limited to first-year students) 

    Kruthy Takkala, “Islamophobia and Why it is Harmful” 

     

    The evaluation committee included Ophelia Hostetter, associate professor of English; Samantha Kannegiser, student success librarian; John Powell, reference and instruction librarian; Shauna Shames, associate professor of political science; and Zara Wilkinson, reference and instruction librarian. 

  • Generative AI Features in Major Databases and Platforms

    Conceptual AI illustration featuring a computerized profile of a human head
    A new LibGuide provides information about generative AI features that are available to users within the Libraries’ major databases and platforms.

    Several platform providers have recently added generative AI features to Rutgers University Libraries’ e-resources. To bring this information together, we created a LibGuide: Generative AI Features in Major Databases & Platforms. This new guide provides information about generative AI features that are available to Rutgers University Libraries users within the Libraries’ major databases and platforms.  

    The guide is written at a general introductory level and may be used by librarians, students, staff, and faculty. Though it cannot exhaustively cover every aspect of each feature, it gives users the basic information they need to get started. Where possible, it includes links to more extensive tool documentation provided by the platforms. As new features are released and updated, the guide will be updated accordingly. In addition, future announcements about new features and updates will link to the guide. 

    This is a focused guide that introduces generative AI features currently available within our major databases and platforms; it is intended to be manageable in scope and useful to a broad audience. It does not cover AI features that are unavailable to Rutgers University Libraries users or AI tools that are located outside of the Libraries’ major e-resources. In this changing environment, the guide will be reviewed periodically to ensure the information is accurate and to confirm that this is still the best way of sharing this information. 

    Rutgers University Libraries faculty and staff are encouraged to familiarize themselves with this guide, consider incorporating these new AI features into their instruction and research, and share it with a broader audience.

  • Facilities Updates Across the Libraries

    Close-up of a couch in a lounge space
    The second floor of LSM features new Stylex showroom furniture that was donated by the manufacturer.

    Multiple libraries are undergoing or have recently completed improvements and repurposing of existing space.  

    Front door swipe card access is now complete at all eight Rutgers–New Brunswick locations (seven libraries plus the Annex), with the most recent installations (completed in FY25) having occurred at Art, Chang, Carr, Douglass, and Math/Physics Libraries, and at the Library of Science and Medicine. Swipe card access also was installed at the entrances to two spaces in Alexander Library: the Pane Room and the Alexander Hughes Room.  

    New ADA-compliant door operators have been installed at LSM and at Chang Library.

    LSM’s previously unused E Classroom was redesigned as Open Quiet Study space for patrons, providing new study space for at least 20 students. This refresh includes 10 repurposed mobile tables acquired from another Rutgers department at no cost. 

    The second floor of LSM features new Stylex showroom furniture.This high-end collaborative furniture seating for 16 was donated to the library by the manufacturer. 

    Robeson Library added a second Zen Den—a mindfulness space for students to destress. Robeson also has removed damaged furniture and repositioned existing furniture on the main floor of the library. 

    Smith Library’s computer lab has updated technology and has added numerous docking stations in the public areas. 

    For most of August, the first floor of Alexander Library is undergoing a refresh including new paint, corner rails, carpet, and cove base, as well as wood refinishing, for the circulation desk and surrounding areas.  The bathrooms in this section of the building are also being repainted. (The Pane Room and portions of the library’s basement floor received a similar refresh during the last fiscal year.) The Pane Room and Hughes Room will not be available or bookable for the first three weeks of August, and for much of this project, the circulation desk will be moved temporarily to the welcome desk in the lobby.

  • Letter to the Libraries

    I am pleased to announce the re-launch of The Agenda, a newsletter first issued in February 1979 to improve internal communication within Rutgers University Libraries. At that time, The Agenda was a weekly printed newsletter, and it has since taken on many revised formats.

    Today, of course, we have many more technologies and platforms to keep us connected across campuses – but I firmly believe in the importance of continuing to produce a publication through which we can stay informed as a community and celebrate our successes. From this point forward, The Agenda will publish as an online newsletter once every two months.

    This has been and will continue to be a period of great change for Rutgers University Libraries. I mean “great” in multiple senses of the word: huge, remarkable, and excellent.

    First, it goes without saying that in our lives and work, we have faced huge changes for many years – whether we are talking about a global pandemic, political and social unrest, rapid technological advancements, or many levels of transitions in leadership – from the Libraries to Rutgers to world leaders. In the past year alone, we have faced a rapid succession of federal orders impacting Rutgers, and Jonathan Holloway, a well-respected and historic president, left the university at the end of June. At Rutgers University Libraries more specifically, we have undergone remarkable changes in moving toward our One Libraries model and a reorganization.

    We need to give ourselves space to acknowledge how unsettling all this change can be. This is why, through Engagement Day and a virtual professional development leading up to it, we chose to focus on post-crisis leadership and wellness.

    “Great” change also can mean “excellent” change. Our reorganization and One Libraries focus will help us work smarter and serve our communities better. We also can look forward to the opportunities presented by new leadership as President William F. Tate IV ushers Rutgers into its next chapter, and as Tonya Smith-Jackson takes over as chancellor of Rutgers University–Newark, effective August 1. Multiple new leaders, faculty, and staff members have recently joined us or taken on new roles at Rutgers University Libraries. I encourage you to read about them on the Faculty and Staff News page.

    I hope you enjoy this new issue and iteration of The Agenda. Your thoughts on future content for this publication are always welcome! Please send your ideas to Lara De Meo Hoyt at lara.hoyt@rutgers.edu.

  • Strong Showing at ALA Conference

    Megan lots stands next to an exhibit
    Megan Lotts installed a “Lil’ Zine Vending Machine” in the ALA Connect Lounge.

    Rutgers University Libraries were well represented at the ALA Annual Conference & Exhibition, held in Philadelphia’s Pennsylvania Convention Center from June 26 to June 30. In a preview article, American Libraries Magazine characterized the theme of the conference as follows: 

    “As the Association – and the nation – approach monumental anniversaries, library workers will reaffirm and celebrate what it means to run institutions foundational to democracy, equity, and civic discourse. Many sessions in this year’s program reflect the issues currently weighing on the profession, such as intellectual freedom, access, advocacy, and funding.” 

    Here are the Rutgers University Libraries faculty who presented at ALA: 

    Katie Anderson, reference and instruction librarian based at Robeson Library, was part of a panel discussion on AI Ethics and the Library. The session was highlighted in articles covering the conference by Publishers Weekly and by the Library Journal. 

    Maria Deptula, health sciences collections librarian, and Mina Ghajar, education and research librarian, both based at Smith Library, presented their poster, Open Access & Transformative Agreements – Awareness, Perception, Experience. 

    Ann Marie Latini, head of access services at Robeson Library, and Zara Wilkinson, reference and instruction librarian based at Robeson Library, presented their poster, Night at the Museum: Curating a Museum Pass Program at an Academic Library. 

    Megan Lotts, art librarian based at the Art Library, installed a “Lil’ Zine Vending Machine” in the ALA Connect Lounge. Publishers Weekly wrote about the zine vending machine and quoted Lotts in its event coverage. Lotts is the author of The Playful Library: Building Environments for Learning and Creativity (ALA Editions, September 2024). 

    Julia Maxwell, who was a social sciences librarian based at Alexander Library until June 30, co-presented a poster, Public Libraries & Older Adults: An Evidence-Based Annotated Bibliography for Social Workers & Librarians. Her co-presenter was Marybeth Baisden, a graduate assistant in the School of Social Work. 

    Sungmin Park, resource description librarian based at TSB, co-presented a poster, Uncovering Systemic Bias in Library of Congress Subject Headings: A Comprehensive Study on Gendered Headings. Her co-presenter was Yuji Tosaka, assistant director in the library at The College of New Jersey. 

     Li Sun, continuing resources and Asian languages catalog librarian based at TSB, presented her poster, Automating the Management of Cataloging Records with AI.  

    Sonia Yaco, digital initiatives librarian based at Alexander Library, was part of a panel presentation, Old Pages, New Tricks: AI-Powered Discovery and Instruction in Special Collections.

  • ‘One Libraries’ Engagement Day Focused on Well-Being

    A large room full of people seated at round tables
    Engagement Day was held on May 30 at Livingston Student Center.

    On Friday, May 30, more than 100 Rutgers University Libraries faculty and staff gathered for the Libraries’ first organization-wide Engagement Day. The full-day, in-person event was held at Rutgers University–New Brunswick’s Livingston Student Center. All library locations were closed for the day. 

     

    Professional Development Focused on Well-being 

    Engagement Day featured two professional development sessions focused on emotional and psychological well-being. The first was held virtually, earlier in the week. On May 27, Ralph Gigliotti, assistant vice president for organizational leadership in University Academic Affairs, led a virtual talk framed by his book, Post-Crisis Leadership: Resilience, Renewal, and Reinvention in the Aftermath of Disruption.  

    Then, the morning of May 30 featured an interactive two-hour wellness session provided by ScarletWell, a holistic wellness initiative dedicated to bolstering the health and wellness of Rutgers–New Brunswick students, faculty, and staff. The session introduced participants to the Pause, Breathe, Move, and Nourish framework—an accessible approach to integrating self-care into daily life. Components of the session included guided meditation, reflective activities, group discussion, and movement. The presenters were Dr. Amy B. Spagnolo, senior program coordinator for ScarletWell and former associate professor in the Department of Psychiatric Rehabilitation and Counseling at Rutgers School of Health Professions; psychologist and mindfulness expert Patrick Connelly; and Peggy Swarbrick, director of ScarletWell and a professor in the Rutgers Graduate School of Applied and Professional Psychology’s Applied Psychology Department and director of ScarletWell. 

     

    Afternoon of Team Building 

    The afternoon of Engagement Day featured a variety of team building options. Hourly Tai Chi lessons on Livingston Lawn were offered by John Gaddy of John Gaddy’s Karate and Boxing Studio in High Bridge. Inside, the Rutgers University Libraries Major Events Committee provided both organized and self-paced activities, including Bingo, balloon race games, trivia, raffles, giant Jenga, Tetris Tumble, board games, and coloring.

    Game prizes were generously donated by the Rutgers University Libraries unit heads: Consuella Askew, Abbey DiPaolo, Regina Koury, Caroline Muglia, Tony Nguyen, and Amanda Clay Powers. 

    Raffle prizes were a variety of Rutgers swag items provided by units from throughout the university.