Ann Hoang is Appointed Interim University Librarian at NJIT

Below is the announcement from Provost Fadi Deek

I am pleased to announce the appointment of Ann D. Hoang to the position of Interim University Librarian, effective July 1, 2016.

Ms. Hoang has been serving as the Assistant University Librarian at NJIT since December 2006, where her responsibilities have included initiatives related to open source library management systems with other NJ academic libraries and overall library management. Her emphasis has been on library user satisfaction, systems and technology infrastructure, workflow design analysis, and service and process evaluation. Ms. Hoang is a current member of the American Library Association (ALA), Library Information and Technology Association (LITA) and she serves on the LibraryLinkNJ Website Advisory Taskforce.  Ms. Hoang is also an active participant in the Virtual Academic Library Environment of NJ and her contributions to this initiative were recognized when she received the Technology Innovation Award in 2013.

Ms. Hoang has gained administrative experience in positions of increasing responsibility, from Reference and Materials Delivery Coordinator to Library Supervisor at Rutgers University; from Manager of Information Commons and Library Systems to Associate Director at Brookdale Community College; to Assistant University Librarian, and now to Interim University Librarian at NJIT. In these positions, she has been actively involved in budget management, library technology development, staff hiring and evaluation, and forward-thinking concepts related to the future of academic libraries.

Ms. Hoang earned a master’s degree in Business Administration, a master’s degree in Library and Information Science and a bachelor’s degree in Economics, all from Rutgers University.

Please join me in congratulating Ann Hoang as Interim University Librarian.

Thank you,
Fadi

I certainly wish Ann all the best in her new position.

Publications of Bruce Slutsky as of June 2016

Slutsky, B., & Aytac, S. (2016). Bibliometric Analysis and Comparison of Two STEM LIS Journals: Science & Technology Libraries and Issues in Science & Technology Librarianship (2005–2014). Science & Technology Libraries, 35(2), 152-171. doi:10.1080/0194262X.2016.1171191

Aytac, S., & Slutsky, B. (2015). Research in Academic Reference Librarianship: Review of the 2008–2012 Published Research. The Reference Librarian, 56(3), 205-215. http://dx.doi.org/ 10.1080/02763877.2014.1002730

Aytac, S., & Slutsky, B. (2014). Published Librarian Research, 2008 through 2012: Analyses and Perspectives. Collaboartive Librarianship, 6(4), 147-159.

Slutsky, B., & Aytac, S. (2014). Publication Patterns of Science, Technology, and Medical Librarians: Review of the 2008–2012 Published Research. Science and Technology Libraries, 33(4), 369-382. doi:10.1080/0194262X.2014.952486

Osorio, N. L., Slutsky, Bruce. (2012). A Tribute and BioBibliometric Study of Ellis Mount, the First Editor-in-Chief of Science & Technology Libraries. Science and Technology Libraries, 31(4), 394-411. doi: 10.1080/0194262x.2012.730385

Slutsky, B. (1993). Communicating Science to the Public: An Address to Non-Science Librarians. The Reference Librarian(No. 40), 73-87

Slutsky, B. (1991). The American Chemical Society Career Consultants Program. The Indicator, 72(8), 24
.
Slutsky, B. (1991). A Careers in Chemical Information Workshop. Journal of Chemical Education, 68(1), 43-45.

Slutsky, B. (1991). How to Avoid Science Anxiety Among Sience Librarians. Science and Technology Libraries, 12(1), 11-19.

Slutsky, B. (1990). Asksam in the New York Public Libary. In M. Fox (Ed.), Exploring Asksam (pp. 43-58). New York: Future Communications Systems.

Slutsky, B. (1990). Informed Career Choices. Chemical and Engineering News, 68(2), 3.

Slutsky, B. (1990). Other Chemical Information Careers. Chapter One, 4(3), 32.

Slutsky, B. (1989). A Chemical Abstracts Training Seminar for Science Librarians. Science and Technology Libraries, 10(1), 55-76.

Lamb, F. A., Cote, Philip N., Slutsky, Bruce, Vitimberga, Bruno M. (1974). Reduction of 9 - (p-methoxyphenyl)-9-fluorenylacetaldhyde on activated alumina. Journal of Organic Chemistry, 39(18). doi: 10.1021/jo00932a026

Best Wishes to Maria Denaro on Her Retirement

After 25 years of dedicated service to NJIT Maria Denaro is retiring.  Everyone appreciates the fine workthat she did behind the circulation desk all those years.  She must have worked with thousands of students, faculty and staff.  I think she is a little young to retire, but the decision was hers to leave at this time.

I certainly wish her all the best and now she'll have all the time she needs for her leisure time activities.  She will be sorely missed.

Remembering Richard Sweeney for His Kindness

Today I tried to get to work a little early as it was the day of the Chemistry Olympics at NJIT. When I got to the library I observed some commotion by the circulation staff, but I couldn't pay attention to it as I was in a hurry to get to the competition. I started out as usual but at 9:30 I got an email from Davida saying that Rich Sweeney was hit by a car as he was crossing the street after parking his car. He was hurt very badly and was taken to the hospital. About two hours later Cindy Wos from the chemical engineering department came in to say that he died from the injuries he sustained in the accident.

Just after lunch I returned to the library as the staff huddled together comforting each other. President Joel Bloom and Provost Fadi Deek came by to comfort the staff and brought a few people from the counseling center.

I must remember Richard Sweeney for the kindness he should the staff over the 20 years he was University Librarian. Just after he assumed the position he invited the entire library staff to his home for a barbeque. It always a tradition for him to take people out to lunch for their birthdays. Sometimes it would be in a group while other times he would take one person out. He was especially kind to me in September 1997 when he went out of his way to attend my father's funeral. On several occasions he went to funerals of family members of staff. He always liked to make small talk with me about the New York Mets.

He will be certainly be missed by the entire NJIT and library communities. My sincere condolences to his family.

To quote radio personality Harry Harrison “Every day should be unwrapped like a precious gift.”

Chemist Bill Skawinski is Retiring

Today there was a very nice retirement party in the Chemistry Department for Bill Skawinski.  I wrote a nice entry about Bill in this blog in 2008.  I have known him for all the years I have worked at NJIT and I must say that it was a pleasure.  I taught a class to his honors section of organic chemistry on how to find toxicological information on substances.  He will be sorely missed.

New Publication

"Bibliometric Analysis and Comparison of Two STEM LIS Journals: Science & Technology Libraries and Issues in Science & Technology Librarianship (2005–2014)" has been published on Taylor & Francis Online. It is available at:http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/0194262X.2016.1171191.

Random Thoughts for April

It is near the end of April as we approach the end of the spring semester.  My major complaint is that the situation is same old same old.  We still get so few walk up reference transactions, yet I read on librarian listservs that other libraries report many questions even in the evening hours.  My theory is that NJIT students are “tech savvy” and can navigate through online databases with minimal assistance.  I am more upset that students majoring in chemistry and related disciplines rarely ask for more me.  Years ago I had regular consultations with graduate students and faculty.

This semester I taught a share of the research roadmaps which are given to freshman taking a required humanities course.  As in previous semesters most students don’t hand in their assignments on time, while some don’t even bother.  What can we do?

20 months until I retire at the end of 2017.