Category: Rutgers University–New Brunswick

Faculty and staff news from the libraries at Rutgers University-New Brunswick.

Video Conferencing Best Practices
We’re all attending lots of videoconferences and there are ways to make the experience better for both the host and remote sites. Here are some tips to insure everyone can see, hear, and participate regardless of where they are.

Courtesy and empathy are the key factors of a successful video conference. Hosts and participants at the host site are responsible for removing all barriers to participation for remote attendees. Remote attendees need to be engaged and inform the host if they encounter any difficulties in their abilities to participate.

Host:
- Please share any documents remotely at least one day before the scheduled meeting. All participants need to have all documents that will be discussed and it can disenfranchise participants at a remote location to hand out and discuss materials only to those physically present in the room.
- A few minutes before the meeting starts do an audio-visual check with participants at the remote sites.
- Check the placement of the furniture and positions of the participants at the host site. Everyone should be facing the screen and should be able to be seen and heard by the Video conferencing attendees.
- Host should begin the meeting by going around the table and clearly identifying the people in the room of the host location. Host should also greet teleconferencing participants.
- Check with the remote attendees throughout the meeting to see if they have questions or comments.
- If “pushing screens” make sure to return to room view ASAP so that remote attendees can once again see their colleagues and join the discussion. If during a presentation a lengthy discussion ensues switch back to room view to bring the remote attendees back into the conversation.
Attendees at Host Sites:
- Speak clearly and audibly. Be aware of the position of the microphones in the room.
- Be aware of the line of sight of remote colleagues.
- Refrain from noise near the microphones such as tapping and paper shuffling.
Attendees at Remote Sites:
- Arrive several minutes early for an audio-visual check and to confirm connection.
- Alert the host ASAP to any audio-visual problems.
- Mute the microphone when not speaking to diminish distracting noise.
- Upon leaving take leave of the host and the other participants.
- If unable to attend, let the host know ASAP so as the meeting is not broadcast into an empty room.
Sources:

Lifesize “Video Conferencing Best Practices.” 2016. Available: https://www.lifesize.com/~/media/Documents/Related%20Resources/Briefs/Video%20Conferencing%20Best%20Practices.ashx.

Richardson, Nicole Marie. Inc. “11 Dos & Don’ts of Video Conferencing Etiquette.” January 13, 2011. Available http://www.inc.com/ss/video-conferencing-best-practices.
November 29, 2016

Dr. Barchi Tours the Tallcase Clocks in Special Collections and University Archives

barchi-clock — President Robert Barchi adjusts a tallcase clock in the Rutgers University Libraries Special Collections and University Archives.

A couple of weeks ago, Special Collections and University Archives hosted a special visitor — President Robert Barchi.

A big fan of tallcase clocks (AKA grandfather clocks), President Barchi saw all of four of the clocks in SCUA’s collection and even took a moment to perform an on-the-spot repair to an early nineteenth-century clock that was donated by the family of Wallace Todd Eakins (1889-1968), RC’11. After a quick adjustment, the clock was once again happily tick-tocking away.

In honor of this visit, we’re proud to highlight this collection of tallcase clocks. Read below for photos of the beautiful clock faces and information about their provenance and donation.

	Movement: 8-day clock; square clock face not signed Case: intended for a (later) clock movement with an arched clock face; attributed to Nicholas Williamson Parsell (1797-1877) by the donor and is likely the same clock cited by Margaret E. White in Early Furniture Made in New Jersey, 1690-1870 ([Newark, N.J.]: The Newark Museum Association, c1958): “A tall clock with case attributed to Nicholas Parsell is owned by Catharine Schneeweiss.” Location: Special Collections and University Archives reading room (behind sign-in desk), Alexander Library Donor: Ralph Heyboer (1918-2011) of Linden, New Jersey Provenance: movement created in 18th century; case created in 19th century; evidently owned at one time by Catharine Hardenbergh Schneeweiss (1893-1977), the daughter of Henry P. Schneeweiss; per donor: “from estate of Henry P. Schneewiess family” Note: per Somerset County Historical Quarterly (vol. 8): Nicholas W. Parsell had a daughter Mary who married F.M. Schneeweiss, the father of a Henry Schneeweiss. Per Rutgers University Biographical Files: Alumni (Class of 1877): Henry P[arsell] Schneeweiss (1856-1930), who served as the treasurer of Rutgers from 1915 to 1928, was the son of Franz Maxmillion Schneeweiss and Mary (Parsell) Schneeweiss. He married Mary Cornelia Hardenbergh, a descendant of the first president of Queens College [now Rutgers University], and resided at 56 College Avenue at the time of his death. Received: 1992; acquired, from the same donor, with other items (e.g., monogrammed china, said to be from the Parsell family, and a mahogany secretary bookcase) identified as having the same provenance
	Movement: 8-day musical clock; arched clock face not signed, but movement perhaps by Leslie & Williams, per similar musical clock at Monmouth County Historical Association [see: William E. Drost, Clocks and Watches of New Jersey (c1966)] Case: Federal era; includes linear inlay; attributed to Matthew Egerton, Jr., New Brunswick, N.J., per similar clock cases with cabinetmaker’s labels [in addition to Drost, see, for example: “Silver Jubilee Exhibitors,” Antiques, LX (October 1951)] Location: Special Collections and University Archives office area, Alexander Library Donor: G. Willard Quick (1892-1970) [bequest] Provenance: per donor: belonged to Tunis Quick (1762-1836), Readington Township, Hunterdon County; per donor’s widow: “moved from the Quick home in Hunterdon County, New Jersey to Loudon County, Virginia, in 1871” Note: Also per donor’s widow: “Restored to its present condition and put in running order, early in 1940.” Weights augmented at this time? Received: December 1987 [from Florida, evidently following the death of the donor’s surviving spouse]
	Movement: 8-day clock; presumably by “J. Martin & Son, New York” as stated on the arched clock face Case: Mahogany?; maker unknown Location: Clifford P. Case Room, Special Collections and University Archives, Alexander Library Donor: Wallace Todd Eakins (1889-1968), a member of the Rutgers College Class of 1911 [bequest] Provenance: created about 1825; “the Eakins family grandfather clock” per donor Received: destined for or received in Special Collections by March 1970
	Movement: 8-day clock; arched clock face signed by retailer (Tiffany & Co.), but movement itself (likely to name a maker such as Korfhage) not examined Case: likely German Location: Special Collections and University Archives reading room (between windows), Alexander Library Donor: per small metal plaque: “Presented by the Class of 1903” Provenance: created about 1900; per Hand-Book of the Grounds and Buildings . . . of Rutgers College ([New Brunswick, N.J.]: The College, 1904): “presented to the College on Class Day, June 16th, 1903, on behalf of the Class of 1903. The clock is a large ‘grandfather’s’ clock, in an oak case, and is the work of Messrs. Tiffany & Company. It is placed in the reading room of the Ralph Voorhees Library” [a building dedicated in 1903]; presumably transferred to new library building [now Alexander Library] about 1956; in Libraries’ central administrative offices immediately prior to 2016 transfer to Special Collections and University Archives Received: 2016

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November 29, 2016

Button Making Events: A Magnet for Engagement

On Thursday, November 10^th, 2016, Tara Maharjan, Processing Archivist, Janki Patel, Undergraduate, Art History & Art Library reference assistant, and Megan Lotts, Art Librarian, hosted a pop-up button making space in the lobby of Alexander Library. At this event patrons had the opportunity to create and make their own button, take a pre-made button of an image from Rutgers University Libraries Special Collections and University Archives, and view a vintage button collection, discovered in a basement, in Edison, NJ.

The inspiration for purchasing a button maker came from the Association of College & Research Libraries (ACRL) annual conference in 2013, when Char Booth, current Associate Dean, Library at California State University San Marcos, spoke about libraries building good will within their communities and noted that the button maker they purchased was worth its weight in gold.

Button making can be a low-cost pop up making space that addresses the idea of object, from concept to consumption. In the case of a button, a wearable item is the outcome. Creating a button can strengthen ones’ creative thinking and problem solving skills. Furthermore, it also addresses finding and using images and understanding copyright laws.

Throughout the event many positive comments were made by Rutgers students, faculty, staff, alum, and non-affiliate patrons. Multiple reference questions were asked, and a few patrons inquired about other making opportunities available at the Rutgers University Libraries. Also during the event, the hosts connected with a new student, who was uncertain about navigating the Rutgers systems, and we could share with her information about the libraries, the campuses in general, and what to do in the local area. Lastly, following the event a student reached out from a Rutgers Learning Living Communities (LLC), to ask for 23 Paul Robeson buttons. The LLC is currently researching Robeson, and they all wanted this image from the RUL collections to wear proudly.

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November 29, 2016
Retirement & You
Gary Golden’s retirement cake!

Retirement is defined as “withdrawal from one’s position or occupation or from active working life”. Retirement is the goal most employees look forward too. Others not so much. There are a lot of decisions to make and for many the process can be daunting! Educating yourself on this important process is extremely important. To help explain the vital steps, please take note of the following info below:

1.) Attend a retirement seminar here at Rutgers
- Retirement seminars are offered through UHR: You can register for a session through the UHR Learning and Development Course Registration System under the Human Resources Development tab: https://hrservices.rutgers.edu/crs/ then Employee Benefit and Work Life Programs drop down
- PERS members – Tuesday, December 6, 2016 -10-NOON
- ABP members – Wednesday, January 25, 2017 – 10-11:30
2.) Review accumulated leave balances (must take all accumulated leave prior to retirement date) with supervisor or Libraries HR to figure out last physical day at work

3.) Choose a retirement date (must be 1^st of the Month)

4.) Write a brief letter to advise your supervisor of your retirement plans, making sure the letter includes your retirement date (i.e. 3/1/2017) and last physical day at work

5.) Complete and submit PERS or ABP pension paperwork to UHR

6.) Libraries HR finalizes retirement and confirms pension paperwork completed
November 29, 2016
The Rutgers 250 Thank You picnic was a great success

New Brunswick Chancellor Edwards gifted each faculty and staff member of the Libraries with a small commemorative bell and provided us with funds toward an event to recognize the efforts of our colleagues throughout the anniversary year. So, we planned a picnic!

Thanks to his generosity and additional funds from the central administration of the Libraries, we were able to rent the log cabin and picnic area of Rutgers Gardens for the afternoon. Our colleagues donated their time for set up and break down of the event; supplied lawn games for us to enjoy; and led short nature walks through the gardens. And of course, the ice breaker BINGO gave us all opportunities to meet our colleagues and a chance to win a wonderful prize package of Libraries’ swag. It was truly a group effort and we owe a big thank you to everyone who helped to plan and make this day incredibly special. We had well over 150 of our colleagues in attendance and every unit was well-represented. Thank you especially to our colleagues in Camden and Newark for making the trip.

We were also honored to have Chancellor Edwards in attendance and to give a few words of thanks to the Libraries. He is a big fan of what we do and that was evident in his short remarks.

I hope you enjoy this slideshow of photos from the picnic.

November 2, 2016

Quick Takes on Events & News – November 2016

Save the date for Open Textbook Network Workshop – November 18, 2016

Rutgers University Libraries are excited to host a two-hour workshop for faculty which will be led by the Open Textbook Network, which is a national alliance of higher education institutions committed to improving access, affordability, and academic success through the use of open textbooks. The workshop will take place in New Brunswick, but teleconferencing will be available to other locations. Faculty who attend this workshop will learn more about the pedagogical benefits of open textbooks, as well as discover open textbooks in their field. They will also have the opportunity to review an existing open textbook and receive a stipend ($200).

Counterfeit Caesars at the Zimmerli

Tim Corliss teamed up with classics professor Corey Brennan on a new display of counterfeit coins from the Ernst Badian Collection of Roman Republican Coins. Counterfeit Caesars: The Criminal Genius of Coin Forger Carl Wilhelm Becker (1772–1830) is on display at the Zimmerli Art Museum through February 6, 2017.

Buttonmaking event at Alexander Library

On Thursday, November 10th, Alexander Library will host a buttonmaking event for students and the Rutgers community from 3 to 4 p.m. Using our new buttonmakers, they can create a button and take it home. Students can bring an image or color one on-site. Paper & coloring utensils will be available to create customized designs at the event. Pre-made buttons will also be available for taking home. This event is co-sponsored by the Learning & Engagement Team, the Art Library, and Special Collections and University Archives.

Cambridge Structural Database and RUL Data Management Services

Co-sponsored by the CCDC and Rutgers University Libraries in New Brunswick, this workshop will present information about the Cambridge Structural Database, as well as data management best practices and data management services available through the Libraries. The second half of the presentation will be a hands-on demonstration of the uses of the CSD. Please register for one or both parts of the workshop.

The Legacy of Robert Moevs concert

Jonathan Sauceda has teamed up with the Mason Gross School of the Arts to plan a celebratory concert of the modernist composer who taught at Rutgers University from 1964 to 1991. The Legacy of Robert Moevs is a free event taking place Sunday, November 13, 2016 at 7:30 p.m. at Richard H. Shindell Choral Hall, inside Mortensen Hall on the Douglass Campus. It will feature the music of Moevs, as well as composer and sound artist Judith Shatin and Steven Kemper.

Mary H. Dana Women Artists Series Galleries Welcomes “Laura Anderson Barbata: Collaborations beyond Borders”

This fall, the Mary H. Dana Women Artists Series Galleries in the Mabel Smith Douglass Library will welcome the 2016-17 Estelle Lebowitz Endowed Visiting Artist Exhibition, Laura Anderson Barbata: Collaborations Beyond Borders. The exhibit contains selected highlights of textile, sculptural, 2-dimensional, and video works from the traveling exhibition Transcommunality.

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November 1, 2016

Organizational changes clarify collections acquisitions and processing, holdings management, and interlibrary loan
In this column last month, I talked about changes in the organization that were designed to separate central and local responsibilities and to improve our information control functions, particularly in relation to the website, discovery infrastructure, and collections. Shifting the coordinating functions for shared users services from RIS to the newly formed Shared User Services department has created an independent central unit that will work equally with all of the Directors to establish priorities for the website, discovery, shared reference services, and digital projects across the University.

This month, I want to follow up on a second round of organizational changes designed to similarly clarify central/local responsibilities and this time to also focus on the coordination of information related to collections. Previously, the AUL for Collection Development and Management (CDRM) did not have a direct reporting relationship with the units that acquired and managed collections. This reduced opportunities for coordination and accountability.

The changes announced in October will significantly improve the transparency of our practices and decisions by creating teams that are focused on different aspects of collections—acquisitions, holdings management, interlibrary loan, and collections processing.

So, what happened and who is affected?
- DTS has been redefined as Collection Services and Resource Sharing (CSRS). This new unit, reporting to the AUL/CDRM, will include ILL and provide an integrated view of acquisitions where ILL is considered a strategy for providing access to content. Shifting the ILL unit from RIS to CDRM has the added benefit of further clarifying central and local decision-making.
- To keep the efforts of the newly defined CSRS focused on the complexities of acquisitions, the Holdings Management Unit (HMU) will move from the department to report directly to the AUL/CDRM. In the future, we will look for ways to use the mountains of valuable information that is captured in CSRS to formalize an assessment function. When it is established, this function will work closely with the HMU which relies heavily on information about collection use for its operations.
- Not all of the DTS employees moved to CSRS. Some employees became a part of CTS, thus consolidating most of the physical resource workflow processing in that department.
With these changes, we have created an organization that aligns much better with the University’s structure and with our RCM budget requirements. We have created a single unit that is completely focused on managing the central components of collections from acquisitions to holdings management. And, while there are still some details related to access services and some committees that need to be addressed, the major universitywide functions of RIS have officially shifted to central units. Although RIS did an excellent job coordinating shared services, there was always ambiguity regarding decision-making within the unit. Hopefully, these changes will provide more clarity and allow New Brunswick Libraries, together with Special Collection and University Archives, to establish their unique identity.
November 1, 2016
Halloween fun at the Mathematical Sciences and Physics Library

The Mathematical Sciences and Physics Library included separate prizes for their student workers and library users.

This Halloween season the Mathematical Sciences and Physics Library asked and answered an important question: how many mathematics, engineering, or pharmacy students does it take to figure out how many peanut and peanut butter M&M’s are in a jar?

From October 17 to October 31 the library held a candy guessing contest for both their student employees and library users–6 lucky winners in total were declared on November 1.

According to L. Melanie Miller, the students have used many different methods and tools to put forward their best guess.

“What is most fascinating, is watching how a number of students have used ruler’s, calculators and several different calculations to figure out how many pieces of candy there are in the jars,” said Miller.

She also notes that a number of the student workers collaborated to help each other figure it out. Miller describes the scene, saying, “they measured the width, length and circumference of the Jars and even went so far as to include the size and shape of the candy into their calculation.”

An example of one student’s candy counting equation taking into account the diameter and height of the jar measured in candy.

Needless to say, this has been a fun activity for both users and staff. From funny discussions about the choice of candy — what was it about peanut M&Ms? Why not choose plain ones? To last ditch efforts to coerce or persuade the librarians to reveal the correct number of M&M’s, the users and students workers who participated made this a great program.

So, what were the prizes that were on the line?

Student Staff Prizes

1^st Prize – $15.00 Amazon Gift Card

2^nd Prize – the Jar of Candy

3^rd Prize – $5.00 Cash

User Prizes

1^st Prize – the Jar of Candy

2^nd Prize – Library Gift Bag

3^rd Prize – Library Gift Bag

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November 1, 2016
A rare find in the Rutgers Art Library

Interaction of Color on display at Rutgers Art Library. Photo credit: Megan Lotts.

Rutgers Art Library recently unearthed a 1963 copy of a book by Josef Albers, Interaction of Color. The 1963 copy is special, in part, because of its size and format. It was, according to Yale University Press, originally published “as a limited silkscreen edition with 150 color plates.” There were only 2000 original copies made and they sold out quickly. Some copies of this valuable book have made it to auction in recent years.

Following this limited run, Interaction of Color was released in smaller format books (shown in the photo above is art librarian Megan Lotts’ version from the 1990s) and eventually an app from Yale University Press.

The book was on display at the Art Library as part of the launch for the coloring book and will be put to good use in several courses in the spring, according to Lotts.

“I personally feel that this is a spectacular example of the evolution of a book, and will definitely be showing this off to my Byrne seminar in the spring, as well as the Color classes out of Mason Gross Visual Arts. I’ve been fortunate to show this book off to many people from the Zimmerli, MGVA, and arts enthusiasts since we have found it. This book really leaves a lot of mouths dropping.”

For a complete history of Interaction of Color, see this interesting article from The Amherst College Press.

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November 1, 2016
Piloting Stories on the Libraries’ Instagram Account: A Case Study
Back in August, Instagram announced a new feature called Stories. Similar to their counterparts on Snapchat, Instagram stories allow users to create a “slideshow” of images and/or videos that is viewable for 24 hours before disappearing.

Last week, we (@rutgerslibraries on Instagram) published our first story to help promote the New Brunswick Music Scene Archive anniversary panel and exhibit. Following are some reflections after our first foray into using this new feature.
Pros
- As is suggested by their name, stories allow you to shape a narrative around your subject in a way that a single image or video may not.
- Much like Snapchat stories, Instagram stories are well-suited to capturing action as it is happening. This allows you to leverage the “fear of missing out” to generate excitement around your programming.
- When you post or update a story, your account appears in a list that runs across top of others’ Instagram feeds. This extra visibility is a welcome boon given recent changes to the platform’s timeline algorithm.
- You can experiment with the story-based approach to social media without having to build a new audience from scratch on a different platform.
Cons
- While you can download your story content to your camera roll as it is published, the preferred portrait orientation makes it difficult to repurpose your content elsewhere. Shooting in landscape orientation requires your viewers to either turn their heads awkwardly or rotate their phones, an inconvenience that puts your content at risk of being skipped over.
- The 10 second limit on video clips presents some challenges. For example, a speaker’s comments can easily run over and get cut off, necessitating additional takes.
- Viewing statistics disappear along with the image or video they are attached to, complicating assessment.
- Instagram’s story editing tools (basic text and drawing) are limited compared to Snapchat’s, especially its robust filter system.
Next Steps
- Identifying more story opportunities to allow for additional testing. (If you have any ideas, please get in touch!)
- Incorporating stories into the Instagram content schedule.
- Formalizing the procedure for recording and reporting story viewing statistics.
October 31, 2016