Category: Universitywide

In 2022, Rutgers University Libraries embarked on a comprehensive review of their organizational structure with the goal of improving operational efficiency, clarity, and communication. Part of this process involved the identification of service areas that could benefit from greater system-wide coordination and support. One of those areas was research support, which encompasses a broad range of specialized, high-touch services such as managing research data, conducting systematic reviews, and evaluating research impact.

While traditional services like reference and borrowing have been centrally coordinated for years, research support evolved much more opportunistically in response to local needs, resources, and expertise as well as rapidly changing technologies, funding expectations, and modes of scholarship. While this approach allowed for the development of responsive and innovative services, it also led to inconsistencies in quality, coverage, and integration. It therefore became necessary to explore ways of scaling these services to meet growing demand across the university and ensure their sustainability.

To help address this challenge, the Research Support Services (RSS) group was formed in the fall of 2025 to coordinate the development and delivery of library services that support research across the life cycle. Under the direction of the coordinator for research support services, this group is responsible for providing training, outreach, and support to researchers on topics such as:

• Artificial intelligence
• Copyright
• Evidence synthesis
• Open access
• Research data
• Researcher identity and impact
• Scholarly publishing

Reporting to the associate vice president for campus libraries, the goals of RSS are to:

• Support researchers at all stages of the research life cycle, from project design to publication and beyond
• Increase campus awareness and use of library research support services
• Build capacity among library faculty to provide specialized research support
• Foster a culture of open, ethical, and impactful scholarship
• Continuously evaluate and adapt services to emerging research needs and trends

RSS is composed of library specialists across the Libraries and organized in the following teams:

Artificial Intelligence

Members: Katie Anderson, Joanne Dera, Triveni Kuchi, Mei Ling Lo, Jonathan Torres, Sonia Yaco, Yingting Zhang

Supports researchers in understanding how to use and responsibly integrate artificial intelligence (AI) tools into their research workflows, including guidance on:

• Identifying and evaluating AI tools appropriate for research
• Writing effective prompts, evaluating outputs, and documenting use of AI
• Understanding the technical limitations and ethical implications of AI
• Ensuring ethical and transparent AI use in compliance with academic integrity, intellectual property, and data privacy standards

Evidence Synthesis

Members: Matthew Bridgeman, Maria Deptula, Bart Everts, Mina Ghajar, Pam Hargwood, Samantha Kannegiser, Mei Ling Lo, John Maxymuk, Stephen Modica, Yingting Zhang

Supports researchers in performing scoping, systematic, and other structured literature reviews, including guidance on:

• Formulating a viable research question
• Choosing an appropriate review methodology
• Selecting relevant databases
• Developing an effective search strategy

Research Data

Members: Francesca Giannetti, Triveni Kuchi, Laura Palumbo, Susan Oldenburg, Jonathan Torres, Ryan Womack, Sonia Yaco, Yingting Zhang

Supports researchers in collecting, analyzing, documenting, and sharing research data, including guidance on:

• Finding and accessing specialized datasets
• Using data analysis and visualization tools
• Creating data management plans
• Selecting a repository for data sharing

Researcher Identity and Impact

Members: Joanne Dera, Mei Ling Lo, Jonathan Torres, Yingting Zhang

Supports researchers in promoting their scholarly work and evaluating its reach, influence, and engagement, including guidance on:

• Creating researcher profiles and identifiers
• Interpreting bibliographic metrics like citation count, impact factor, and h-index
• Using bibliographic tools to perform citation analyses
• Using scholarly networking tools to promote their research and identify potential collaborators

Scholarly Publishing, Open Access, and Copyright

Members: Jeffrey Carroll, Maria Deptula, Rhonda Marker, Janice Pilch, Zara Wilkinson, Yingting Zhang

Supports researchers in navigating the complex landscape of scholarly publishing, open access, and copyright, including guidance on:

• Identifying reputable, high-impact journals for publication
• Understanding author rights and negotiating publisher agreements
• Identifying funding for article processing charges (APCs)
• Ensuring compliance with funder and institutional open access policies
• Navigating copyright and licensing issues

Each team has a designated team representative who serves as a member of the RSS Steering Committee, which meets monthly to coordinate the delivery of research support services across libraries, develop standardized policies and best practices, and act as the primary decision-making and strategic advisory body for RSS. Additional information, including the group’s charter and meeting minutes, can be found on the staff website.

To support this exciting work, a new Research queue has been created in LibAnswers. The queue can be used to direct questions on any of the aforementioned topics to the appropriate library specialists. Patrons can also send their questions directly to the queue by emailing ask_research@libraries.rutgers.edu.

Library faculty and staff interested in learning more about the work of RSS are invited to attend an information session to be held in early spring. Details will be distributed via email. In the meantime, feel free to send any questions to me at jdeodato@rutgers.edu.

 

 

 

You’ve probably seen my job title—head, open knowledge strategies—and wondered what it means. My position is new, but it builds on work that many people in the Libraries have been doing for a long time. The short explanation is that my job touches on all things “open” at the Libraries to help our services thrive. Collaboration, leadership, and outreach are woven throughout all facets of my work.

I have several distinct areas of responsibility. For each of these, I’ll summarize my role or give an example of what programs and services I’m responsible for.

Rutgers’ Open Access Policy and Institutional Repository

I’m responsible for increasing awareness of the university’s open access policy and institutional repository, Scholarly Open Access at Rutgers (SOAR). I keep our outreach materials up to date. Presentations and other resources on SOAR for use by library employees are available on the Staff Resources page under Project Outreach Materials. The latest addition is a single PowerPoint slide about SOAR that librarians can download and insert into their presentations about general library services.

Open and Affordable Textbooks (OAT) Program

I coordinate the OAT Program. So much is contained in that simple statement! Through OAT, the Libraries award research funds to Rutgers faculty who redesign their courses to use free or low-cost materials or who create a new open (and free) textbook.

Open Access Publishing

I advise current and potential journal editors and managing editors of the Libraries-hosted open access journals on best practices. All these journals are adding accessibility requirements and implementing workflows to ensure that articles are accessible. They have also begun to articulate their journals’ expectations of how editors, reviewers, and authors can use artificial intelligence tools.

Transformative Agreements

I lead outreach and promotion of open access publishing opportunities through the Libraries’ transformative agreements. I collaborate with others to report on the use of these agreements (e.g., Rutgers units and subject areas). Coming soon: a full presentation and a single slide about our transformative agreements.

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

I provide consultative guidance and programming to help our graduate programs uphold institutional policies and best practices. This year, the emphasis is on ensuring that all submitted electronic theses and dissertations comply with ADA Title II requirements for accessibility.

Open Access Issues (access, ownership, and rights)

I lead the planning of our annual Open Access Week programming. If you couldn’t attend October’s events, check out our recordings of the presentations.

The best part of my work is the opportunity I have to collaborate with so many people. For SOAR, I get to work with Library Applications and Development and Cataloging and Metadata Services. For OAT, I team up with liaisons from all our chancellor-led units, Libraries central offices, and instructors across the university. I’ve included library liaisons in conversations with graduate programs about accessibility. By virtue of my position, I also participate in organizations such as the Big Ten Academic Alliance (with Jeff Carroll, I am a member of the BTAA’s Scholarly Publishing Peer Group), the Library Publishing Coalition, and SPARC’s Coalition of Open Access Policy Institutions (COAPI). Each of these groups is active and grappling with similar issues at our respective institutions.

As the Libraries evolve, so will my role. I’m excited to keep learning and collaborating with you.

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).

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.  

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.

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.