The Agenda - Faculty and Staff Newsletter

Category: Rutgers Biomedical and Health Sciences

Faculty and staff news from the libraries at Rutgers Biomedical and Health Sciences.

  • WebEx Conferencing Available to All

    WebEx Conferencing Available to All

    webex screenshotThere are so many ways for video/web conferencing. Why should I use WebEx?

    Who: All RUL faculty and staff can initiate a WebEx call to hold virtual meetings.

    What: A WebEx meeting is an online meeting that allows you to meet and collaborate with other people. Attendees will need a computer, a laptop, a mobile device with Internet access, or even just a telephone to participate. For a full experience, use a webcam with a microphone. Videoconference endpoints can also be added to the meeting.

    When: WebEx is recommended for use in formal, informal, or even ad hoc situations involving small groups or large audiences, with both Rutgers employees and external participants.

    Where: WebEx can be used from any location with Internet, cellular, or telephone connectivity. Most of the RUL conference rooms are equipped to participate. When conference rooms are booked or when you would like to conference from your own office, or from the road, WebEx is the solution for you.

    Why: WebEx is ideal for easily connecting with internal or external participants, since invitees do not have to have any special software beyond a browser. To compliment your collaboration, Through WebEx, you can share your screen and present applications, share lectures, or co-edit documents. Meetings can be recorded through the click of a button and made available later.

    How:  Request the use of one of RUL’s WebEx licenses by emailing webex@rulhelp.rutgers.edu or by creating an RULHelp ticket. Bookroom also integrates the option to request a WebEx meeting when scheduling your conference location. Your local UCS, or IIS staff will then create your WebEx meeting, supply you with directions for using WebEx, and provide you with email invitations to send out to your participants. We can also provide a hands-on training session for anyone in RUL.

    Once the WebEx meeting is set up, you can join from any browser using a link found in the meeting invitation. In seconds, your browser will automatically download a plugin or app (if needed) after which you will be directly connected to the meeting. When joining by phone, call the WebEx number and enter the meeting number supplied in the meeting invitation.

    Want to know more? Contact IIS or your local UCSs. We are here to help!

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  • Quick Takes on Events and News – March 2018

    Leslin Charles received an award from Undergraduate Academic Affairs in February.
    Leslin Charles receives an award from Undergraduate Academic Affairs.
    Three Cheers for Leslin…

    Instructional design librarian Leslin Charles last month received an award from Rutgers–New Brunswick’s Undergraduate Academic Affairs for generosity and commitment to the education of Rutgers students. As all of us at the Libraries who have worked with Leslin know, this recognition is well-deserved. Congratulations, Leslin!

    …and for Julie and Zara!

    We’ve just received word that reference/instruction librarians Julie Still and Zara Wilkinson will be recognized as Rutgers University–Camden Women of Excellence today in honor of Women’s History Month. This distinction, conferred by the Office of Student Involvement, the Office for Violence Prevention and Victim Assistance, the Women’s & Gender Studies Program, and the Division of Student Affairs, honors faculty and staff and celebrates mentorship. Congratulations, Julie and Zara!

    An Unspecific Gift

    Barbara Madsen, associate professor in print at Mason Gross, presented a copy of Unspecific Object to rare books librarian Michael Joseph last month. Unspecific Object is an artists’ book containing 14 original photogravures and poems. For this work, people were invited to submit images of objects they collect past and present. Submissions ran the gamut from the sublime to the ridiculous.

    Barbara Madsen presents Michael Joseph with Unspecific Object.
    Barbara Madsen presents Michael Joseph with Unspecific Object.

    The winners were juried by Jared Ash, assistant museum librarian at the Metropolitan Museum of Art and Arezoo Moseni, senior art librarian at the New York Public Library. The material objects were sent to Barbara who created a photographic response. Ely Rosa Zamora, a Venezuelan poet, created her interpretation of the images in poetry. The limited edition of the artist book/portfolio was published by Choir Alley Press. Housed in an orange portfolio box, the edition size is 15 copies: the Rutgers copy is no. 8.

    Saying Farewell to a Dear Colleague

    Please join us for a cocktail reception celebrating the retirement of Jeanne Boyle, associate university librarian for planning and organizational research, on March 16 from 2 to 4 p.m. at Alexander Library. Contributions of $25 toward a gift (cash or checks made payable to Cash) can be sent with your response to Tonie Perkins at Alexander Library. Kindly RSVP by March 9.

    Celebrate the completion of the Badian Roman Coins Project on March 23.
    Celebrate the completion of the Badian Roman Coins Project on March 23.
    Celebrating a Classic Collection

    Celebrate the completion of the Badian Roman Coins Project at Alexander Library on March 23 at 3 p.m. The Badian Roman Coins Project is a collaborative effort to bring fully into the digital realm Rutgers’ Ernst Badian Collection of Roman Republican coins, one of the largest collections of its type in North America.

    The project contextualizes the collection’s 1,200 items through an ambitious, web-based public portal and archive, helping users undersand patterns of development in Roman money in its first 250 years. RSVP to attend at badiancoins.eventbrite.com.

    Physicians Assistants Exhibit on the Move

    The traveling National Library of Medicine exhibit Physician Assistants: Collaboration and Care is making a stop in the Great Hall of Robert Wood Johnson Medical School from 4 to 6 p.m. on March 1, as a centerpiece of a reception and celebration of “50 years of PA History” hosted by the Rutgers Physician Assistant program.

    The Physician Assistants exhibit will be the centerpiece of a PA Program reception on March 1.
    The Physician Assistants exhibit will be on view at a PA Program reception on March 1.

    The Rutgers PA program is part of the Rutgers School of Health Professions, and recently relocated to the sixth floor of the Robert Wood Johnson Research Tower. The March 1 event is a job fair for PA students and an open house for the PA Program. The event is cohosted by the PA programs at Seton Hall University and Monmouth University. Next up, the exhibit will move to the Library of Science and Medicine, where it will be on display through March 24.

    Main Street in Somerville, 1908.
    Main Street in Somerville, 1908.
    New Additions to NJDH

    The latest addition to the New Jersey Digital Highway offers a glimpse into 40 years of the history of central New Jersey.

    “Somerville and its Environs: Images from Central Jersey History 1885–1925” was curated by Jim Sommerville, a former librarian at Somerville Library of the Somerset County Library System. The collection is the first batch of photographs from the library system’s holdings that will be digitized and made available in high-resolution scans for use by teachers, students, and the public via the immersive, online information portal.

  • Ex Libris Implementation Project Update – March 2018

    Ex Libris Implementation Project Update – March 2018

    ExLibris graphicMigration Milestones in February

    The implementation project continued to move forward at a brisk pace. The Libraries’ Implementation Team finished the Alma configuration form and the Primo Central Index activation form. Ex Libris completed the Alma test data load and has released the Alma/Primo environments to us for data review and testing. Our Ex Libris consultants have given the library team very positive feedback: All of the tasks assigned to the Implementation Team have been completed on schedule or ahead of schedule. We are told that our data looks cleaner and has fewer problems than other libraries also migrating from Sirsi to Alma. The consultants are very confident about the successful launch of Alma and Primo on June 1st.

    Training for the Team and Working Groups

    In February, the Implementation Team continued the weekly training required by Ex Libris. All the working groups affiliated with the project were also engaged in extensive training in their functional areas. The considerable amount of time we are spending on internal training is paying off. Following a demo by two CTS staff on resource management at a training session, our Alma consultant remarked that she had never seen a client who could walk in at this stage of implementation and complete the tasks so smoothly!

    New Staffing Need

    As the implementation project progresses, we discovered an urgent need for an electronic resources librarian who has experience with Alma and Primo, so a new position was created and is being advertised. The new Electronic Resources Librarian will report to the Discovery Services Librarian and work closely with the CSRS staff responsible for licensing and renewing online journals and databases. In the past, we in the Libraries often talked about the need to increase staffing for e-resources management and support, since the library collections have shifted decisively from print to electronic. The new Electronic Resources Librarian position is an important step in that direction.

    Upcoming Workshop on Alma Workflows

    From March 13-15, an Ex Libris consultant will be onsite at Rutgers to conduct a three-day workshop on Alma. The primary goal of the workshop is to assist us with reviewing and defining major workflows using Alma. The format of the sessions will primarily be discussion as this is not a training exercise. The Implementation Team is working with Ex Libris to finalize the workshop agenda, which will likely include sessions on acquisitions, resource management, e-resources, and fulfillment. The working groups will decide who should attend the sessions in their respective areas.

    Plan for All Staff Trainings

    The Libraries’ working groups are also hard at work designing training and developing a related delivery plan to provide the training to our librarians and staff. As we reported last month, the all-staff training sessions will be conducted in person, by library staff, and with Rutgers data and configurations. Please stay tuned for more information about all staff training opportunities from the working groups.

    Tao Yang and Abbey DiPaolo

  • New Brunswick Faculty Author and Creator Event

    New Brunswick Faculty Author and Creator Event

    celebration of scholarship 2018New Brunswick Libraries is inviting faculty from Rutgers University-New Brunswick to join their New Brunswick Faculty Author and Creator Event.

    This year’s event will be an immersive experience, showcasing the full range of RU-NB intellectual output. We will create neighborhoods of content, featuring works such as monographs, journal articles, patents, startups, dances, musical scores, poems, stories, artworks…

    Event details:

    Date: Wednesday April 11, 2018

    Time: 5-7 p.m.

    Where: Alexander Library Reference Room, 169 College Avenue, New Brunswick

    What: Neighborhoods of content, a panel discussion, faculty lightning talks and demonstrations

    Wine and refreshments will be served.

    All faculty are invited to attend the celebration — even if they have not submitted a work for display. Please share this information widely — we would love to see a big crowd.

    RSVP here: https://rutgers.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_8oVMnXzKcMx2gyF

  • News from the Communications Department

    News from the Communications Department

    Lots of new marketing materials available on the communications department website this month. Let us know if you have any other ideas for things that would be useful:

    Event & Exhibit Flyer Templates

    These flyer templates are available to local units to help promote their upcoming events and exhibits. The templates are available in Word and Powerpoint, so they require no special software. We’ve tried to provide enough options and variations to allow some personalization and tailoring for specific locations and events. If you would like me to conduct any training on how to use these materials, please let us know. We also welcome any feedback and/or requests for variants of these templates.

    Group Study Room Sign Templates

    With the recent changes in how group study rooms are reserved, we have updated the signage templates with new QR codes. These are now available for libraries that are using the libcal service. If you have group study rooms that don’t use the libcal reservation system or other types of spaces that need signage, let us know. Scroll down on the Signage Templates page to find the new group study room signs.

    Materials for Library Liaisons

    There is a new section on the communications page for Project Outreach Materials. RASE-WG has provided materials for library liaisons who are doing outreach for the following projects. You can download presentations, flyers, and information sheets:

    Community Bulletin Board

    “Wouldn’t it be great if there was a space where people from the Libraries could post notices for one another if they have an item for sale or are selling Girl Scout Cookies or are playing a local gig with their band?” Yes– this would be great. Introducing the Rutgers University Libraries Bulletin Board. This is an open space where you can post any type of notice you would like to share with your colleagues. Thanks for the suggestion, Dee Magnoni!

    This bulletin board is powered by Padlet. If you want to create a post, click on the + sign in the lower right of the bulletin board. You can create a Padlet account for free OR you can post anonymously (in which case, I’d recommend including your name at the bottom of the post so people know who the post is from).

    You can access this bulletin board directly at https://padlet.com/rulibraries/bulletin (bookmark it!) or via the sidebar menu on The Agenda.

     

  • The URA-AFT Performance Appraisals Are Due April 30

    The URA-AFT Performance Appraisals Are Due April 30

    URA-AFT Performance Appraisal Process is upcoming with the appraisal period running from 5/1/2017 – 4/30/2018.

    Appraisals must be completed by 4/30/2018.

    Please feel free to contact Libraries HR with any questions!

  • Library of Science and Medicine Update


    An architect’s rendering of what the new space in LSM.

    New Brunswick (NB) and Rutgers Biomedical and Health Sciences (RBHS) are collaborating to upgrade spaces and publicize library services to our users, in particular those from RBHS schools (Robert Wood Johnson Medical School (RWJMS), School of Public Health, Ernest Mario School of Pharmacy, Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, the Physician Assistants program in the School of Health Professions), in Piscataway. One of the goals in recent draftsof the Libraries master plan for the Library of Science and Medicine (LSM) is to “create a science-focused atmosphere and establish a connection with RBHS.” In addition, the plan includes creating both “dedicated graduate study space,” and “dedicated RBHS study space” within the library.

    A plan is in place to encourage RBHS students to identify and use LSM and its resources. Survey data from RWJMS reveals that medical students do not currently identify with the library. The upcoming accreditation at RWJMS (March 5-7, 2018), spurred a feasibility study to upgrade study space and librarian support space at LSM to better serve the needs of graduate students in the health and life sciences on the Piscataway campus. Students from Pharmacy and Public Health are also in close proximity to LSM. Even though Pharmacy has recently opened their beautifully renovated building, LSM is still a very popular destination for Pharmacy students seeking serious study space.

    An open house for RWJMS students was held at LSM on Tuesday, February 13, to re-introduce students to LSM, view potential floor plans, the phased design for renovating space on the third floor, and view the location of the recently relocated MED-TEXT collection, approximately 1000 books recently relocated from the medical school to LSM. Approximately 100 medical students attended the event, which was positively received. Victoria Wagner and the librarians from Robert Wood Johnson Library of the Health Sciences (RWJ), along with faculty and staff from LSM, interacted with RWJMS students and faculty in attendance.

    The completed feasibility study, along with proposed floor plans, renderings, phasing plan and cost are nearing completion. Presenting and socializing the plan to stakeholders (RBHS schools and NB life sciences schools) and funders is a critical next step toward potential implementation. Mei Ling Lo has taken the lead on planning for the weeding of the bound journal collections on the north side of the LSM third floor. Journals are labeled for relocation to the Annex or discard, and a company will start moving items on April 2nd.

    An office, previously occupied by DTS on the LSM third floor, will provide the space for the RWJ librarians, who will begin providing services to students from that location in early March.

    A full meeting LSM and RWJ libraries took place on Friday, February 23rd at LSM. Plans were on display, updates were provided by Dee Magnoni and Judy Cohn, and then the 20 plus attendees broke into groups focused on space, access services, and deepening collaboration. One listserv for all LSM and RWJ librarians and staff was proposed to enhance communication. Other recorded recommendations are being transcribed to share back with the full group, which agreed to meet again in 2 months.

    These are exciting plans! We look forward to gaining momentum to fund this project.

     

     

     

     

     

     

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  • Thank you! Here is the Giving Tuesday 2017 Report

    Thank you! Here is the Giving Tuesday 2017 Report

    Last November, the Libraries participated in Giving Tuesday at Rutgers University. This is an annual event that follows the consumer traditions of Black Friday, Small Business Saturday, and Cyber Monday, to encourage individuals to support their favorite non-profits and charities.

    This year, Rutgers University received $174,483.19 in Giving Tuesday donations and we are happy to announce that the Libraries received over $6,500 in donations from 18 donors. This is excellent and actually places us 8th at the university overall in terms of total dollars raised. This outcome shows we are are supported and valued by our users and colleagues. These funds will help us do a lot of good at the Libraries.

    Giving Tuesday is far from a solo or even a departmental effort. We owe many thank yous — thank yous to colleagues who made donations in support of the Libraries and thank yous to faculty and staff who shared our Giving Day initiative and promoted it via your communications channels. This type of success is a group effort, and it is not possible without your help!

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  • News from the Communications Department

    News from the Communications Department

    The Communications Department shared our new website at the State of the Libraries poster session. We have been actively updating the site with more resources and materials that may be of use to you. Our most recent additions are:

    Brochures
    Sample of the brochures available via the Communications Department.

    Marketing Brochures and Bookmarks

    A visual list of the various brochures and bookmarks we have available. If you are interested in copies of these materials, send us an email.

    Social Media Resource

    Here you can find resources and tips and tricks for using social media at the Libraries. The social media guidelines, process for requesting a new social media account, and the social media manual are stored here. But you can also find information about joining the Libraries’ social media list serv (useful if you are managing any library social media account) and our social media directory. Eventually, I hope to move the social media directory to a more visible, public site as part of a refresh of the news and communications sites on the Libraries’ website. In the meantime, if you have a social media account that is not listed here, please let us know.

    Libraries Banner image
    This retractable banner is available for your events.

    New Retractable Banner

    We placed an order for a new retractable banner and this is available for loan if you need it. For more information on this and to see other items we have available for event support, please visit Loanable Equipment A/V and Events.

    Project Outreach Materials

    You can find project outreach materials for both ORCID and Open and Affordable Textbooks Program. Here you will find PDF copies of promotional brochures, powerpoint presentations for faculty outreach, and more. If you have other projects for which this type of resource center would be useful, let us know.

     

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  • Thinking about Frameworks

    It seems that in every aspect of the work of academic libraries, there is an increased interest in frameworks. For example, in response to the ”rapidly changing higher education environment,” the ACRL Information Literacy Competency Standards for Higher Education transitioned to the Framework for Information Literacy in Higher Education.  I am involved in a Big Ten initiative to develop a Framework for Discovery-to-Fulfillment Systems. Rutgers is also not immune to the charms of developing frameworks. Internally, there is a Libraries group developing a framework to describe the technical infrastructure and architecture of special collections (charge | minutes).

    The framework presented in OCLC’s Realities of Research Data Management report may be useful as we think about the categories and framework we could use to describe our services.
    The framework presented in OCLC’s Realities of Research Data Management report may be useful as we think about the categories and framework we could use to describe our services.

    Frameworks provide a way to divide complex goals and processes into manageable chunks while retaining information about relationships and dependencies between the components. Frameworks allow organizations to map multiple approaches to a goal and to tailor these pathways based on context. We have discussed the need to develop a better understanding of central and local services and responsibilities. We also need to develop infrastructure and services that advance the missions of our three campuses and a statewide health system. It seems that we would benefit from a framework that describes our services and illustrates the relationships and interdependencies between central and local units.

    I have been following the OCLC Research Library Partnership Reports on the Realities of Research Data Management. This is a “four-part series that explores how research universities are addressing the challenge of managing research data throughout the research lifecycle.” The first three parts are now available and are quite good, digging a little below the surface to discover underlying drivers that influence practices. This topic alone is worthy of quite a bit of conversation that is beyond the scope of this post; however, I mention it here because, in Part One of the series, OCLC develops a framework for describing categories of services related to Research Data Management that may be useful as we think about the categories and framework we could use to describe our services. These are not going to map directly onto the needs of Rutgers University Libraries as a whole, but they demonstrate a way of thinking about these issues that will be valuable.

    The categories of services included in Part One: A Tour of the Research Data Management (RDM) Service Space are:

    • Education—educating researchers and other stakeholders on the importance, and in some cases, the necessity, of responsibly managing their data and making arrangements for its long-term curation
    • Expertise—providing decision support and customized solutions for researchers working through specific research data management problems
    • Curation—supplying technical infrastructure and related services that support data management throughout the research cycle

    It seems to me that by generalizing and extending these concepts, we could develop service categories that would help us plan and implement new services. In recent years, we have been reacting to extensive changes occurring in the university, but with the larger environment stabilizing, we can start thinking more about the structure that will best support campus missions and begin to develop a common vocabulary to discuss planning and priorities. There will be more on this in the coming months, but I encourage you to visit the links in this post and start thinking about how these ideas can be applied to our work.