The annual State of the Libraries was held as a virtual event on July 29, 2026. Eleven virtual posters provided a glimpse into the diverse work of Rutgers University Libraries faculty, staff, and student employees. Below are descriptions and links to these posters, which are housed on the Rutgers University Libraries Staff Resources Site.
A Guide to Generative AI Features in Major Databases & Platforms – Many e-resources providers are adding generative AI features to their platforms, and the Rutgers University Libraries electronic resources unit needed a simple way to share practical information about them with Rutgers University Libraries personnel and patrons. To accomplish this, we created the Generative AI Features in Major Databases & Platforms LibGuide, which provides information about generative AI features that are currently available in Rutgers’ major databases and electronic resources platforms of broad interest to students, staff, and faculty. This presentation will cover the guide’s purpose, scope, and design, as well as the process for adding new generative AI features to the guide and announcing them to the Rutgers University Libraries Community. Presented by Elizabeth York (Collections and Digital Strategies).
Automating Multimedia Captioning with Whisper AI and High-Performance Computing – As multimedia assets in library collections grow, providing accurate, timely closed captioning remains a significant accessibility and workflow challenge. This poster presents a scalable solution developed at Rutgers University Libraries that utilizes Whisper, an open-source speech recognition model, deployed on the Amarel high-performance computing cluster. By automating the generation of WebVTT caption files for diverse audio and video assets, this project significantly reduces manual transcription time, ensures compliance with accessibility standards, and enhances the discoverability of institutional media collections. Presented by Chad Mills (Libraries Applications and Development).
Building Belonging Through Onboarding: A “One Libraries” Approach to Welcoming New Employees at Rutgers University Libraries – This poster provides an overview of the development of the Onboarding Task Force, including its formation, objectives, and current progress in the implementation process. Presented by Kalaivani Ananthan, Mary Beth Weber, Amanda Clay Powers, Ann Marie Latini, Francesca Giannetti, Hadiyah Sellers, Jennifer Reiber, Naomi Gold, Priyanka Naik, Richard Jutkiewicz, Soo Lee, and Victoria Wagner.
Overdue Since 1776: Curating America’s 250th Birthday With the Rutgers–Camden History Department – During the spring semester of 2026, Paul Robeson Library partnered with Professor Carly Goodman’s undergraduate History 304 class on an exhibit celebrating America’s birthdays. Members of the class each selected an item to showcase the variety of ways Americans marked these milestones. Together, they reveal two dimensions of our shared identity: on the one hand, spectacle and consumerism, and on the other, the unfinished work of the Revolution. Presented by John Powell (Paul Robeson Library).
Evaluating AI-Generated Subject Terms for Cataloging Assistance – Brief MARC records lacking subject headings limit discovery. This study evaluates whether generative AI can assign accurate FAST subject terms using only call numbers, titles, and authors. Presented by Li Sun (Cataloging and Metadata Services).
Evidence Synthesis Service Models and Current Practices among Academic Health Sciences Libraries in the United States – Academic health sciences libraries (AHSLs) have been providing systematic reviews (SRs) and other evidence synthesis (ES) services for many years. However, there are no established guidelines or standards for providing such services, let alone for integrating the artificial intelligence (AI) tools into the workflows of supporting evidence synthesis projects. A project was conducted to examine how academic health sciences libraries in the United States provide SR-ES services. This poster presents the findings from this examination. Presented by Yingting Zhang (Robert Wood Johnson Library of the Health Sciences).
Media without Limits – We are a team of student Accessibility Quality Assistants dedicated to making audio-visual content more accessible to diverse audiences by creating and refining accurate, high-quality closed captions for select videos provided by Rutgers University Libraries. Our process complies with closed-captioning guidelines that follow federal accessibility standards and aligns with industry practices used by major streaming platforms. We subsequently meet on a weekly basis to review, interpret, and modify guidelines with respect to contexts specific to each film or video. Our presentation gives an overview of our work and how we proceed with fulfilling the Libraries’ commitment to accessibility. Presented by Sanchita Dighe, Franzen Quicho, Snehal Sinha, and Cynthia Sitarz.
Shipping Centralization: Delivering Success – An overview of the preparation, steps taken, and current progress of centralizing Shipping for the libraries. Presented by Luke Sangiamo (Logistics, Shipping, and Handling).
Stronger Together: One RUL IT – A centralized IT model provides streamlined support, improved service delivery, and a more consistent experience across the organization. It strengthens communication, increases transparency, improves efficiency, promotes staff development, and enhances team coverage and backup support. By working as one team, we can deliver more reliable service and better support for you, our customers. Help us serve you better by submitting all technology requests through the IT ticketing system. Every ticket helps us prioritize requests, route them to the appropriate team member, distribute workloads effectively, track issues from start to finish, and ensure that no request falls through the cracks. Stronger Together: One RUL IT. Submit a ticket and let us help you! Presented by Abigail DiPaolo, Kalaivani Ananthan, and John Gibson (Administration and Technology).
The Journey Towards Accessibility Compliance – Rutgers University Libraries have been working to comply with Title II ADA requirements for providing accessible digital content for users with disabilities. The Libraries Applications and Development team has taken the lead in the auditing, reporting, training and technical remediation of the Libraries’ interfaces and content. In this presentation, we’ll give an overview of the past year’s work and look ahead to areas of future focus. Presented by Antonio Barrera (Libraries Applications and Development).
The State of Digital Strategies – The Digital Strategies department was formed within Collections and Digital Strategies as part of the 2025 reorganization of Rutgers University Libraries. This poster shares some of the developments, events, and accomplishments from the department’s first year. Presented by Isaiah Beard, Paige Morgan, and Caryn Radick (Collections and Digital Strategies).