By Elena Schneider and Luke Sangiamo
James “Jim” Robinson retired from Rutgers University on September 1, 2022. Jim has been an essential member of Rutgers University Libraries for over 36 years, so he will be greatly missed. We have all benefited from his dedicated service, detailed knowledge, and wonderful sense of humor.
Jim in his familiar black attire, July 2022 (photo by Dennis Mark/Rutgers University Libraries).
Jim began his career at Rutgers in 1986, briefly working at the physical plant warehouse and quickly transitioning to the libraries a few months later. Having family already working at the libraries (Jim’s mother worked in the processing department for Technical Services), pursuing a career at Rutgers was a natural step. He quickly considered his coworkers to be more like family than just other employees, and he developed a deep passion for the labor movement and student political organization. Pursuing a degree while working at the university, Jim developed an interest in Architectural Historic Preservation. Beginning at Rutgers, Jim later attended Bucks County Community College, which operated one of the top Historic Preservation programs, obtaining his degree in 1999.
His career at Rutgers brought him to join Special Collections & University Archives for six years, applying his interest in Historic Preservation to managing the logistics of our most unique collections. He later joined the New Brunswick Libraries’ Shipping and Receiving Department—serving in an indispensable role for years to come. At Shipping, Jim developed close relationships with many of our faculty and staff across all library locations while serving as a core member on the front line of maintaining our day-to-day operations. After the Return to Rutgers plan in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Jim was one of the first employees to return to our buildings five days per week, visiting each building daily and providing a pivotal service enabling the strength of our recovery. Both remotely and after returning, he contributed to our digital newsletter each week—his weekly song playlist was an early step in reconnecting our community to each other.
An example of Jim’s eclectic song playlists, which colleagues enjoyed during the pandemic.
Outside of work, Jim has a strong passion for music, being classically trained in multiple instruments for over 35 years and having produced and promoted a music series for over two decades. In retirement, Jim plans to utilize his experience to continue being a tour manager for musicians around the globe, working with various artists through the hundreds of relationships he has built through the years. He plans to devote more of his time to his love of music and supporting those in the industry, both new and experienced artists alike.
Jim also plans on volunteering at The Raptor Trust, an organization that provides care for injured birds of prey and education to the public. Being passionate about the outdoors and wildlife, he also plans to spend time at The Great Swamp National Wildlife Refuge, one of his favorite locations for bird watching and to quietly enjoy his love for reading and books. If he discovers more “free time” after embracing his wide variety of interests, he has discussed working part-time at a bookstore or a public library.
Jim in the NBL delivery van, his “second office.”
We thank Jim for everything he brought to Rutgers and shared with our community. We will miss Jim’s dedication, historical knowledge, humor, and excellent music recommendations. We wish him the best in his future endeavors and are excited to see the next steps he takes on his journey.
