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).
