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Virtual Academic Library Environment
Vale Nears Reality
A proposal to create a collaborative, electronic network of shared databases across all of New Jersey’s public and independent academic institutions has been submitted to the consulting firm, Walsh and Loeb for review. The consultants, hired by the New Jersey Presidents’ Council to review and recommend projects for funding under the NJ Higher Education Technology Infrastructure Bond Act, must finalize their recommendations by the end of March so that the Presidents’ Council may vote upon the projects at their April meeting.
The project, better known as VALE for Virtual Academic Library Environment, has been spearheaded by Dr. John Gaboury, William Paterson University’s Associate Vice President for Information Technology. If funded, the project would greatly expand access across the state to several important databases. Students and faculty at all participating colleges and universities would be able to search a core of resources including full-text general academic and business articles, a psychology database, and several full-text scholarly journals. Other VALE plans include the development of a transparent interface among the online catalogs of several libraries and improved electronic document delivery systems.
Library and information technology personnel around the State are excited about the possibility of mounting this statewide virtual system which will enable them to provide basic, core library resources at reduced prices, thereby also enabling them to direct local funds to other, more specialized databases. If approved, New Jersey’s students and faculty will find their access to electronic information greatly improved.
To learn more about the VALE project, go to the website: http://www.wpunj.edu/~vale
Library Receives Grant for Joint Project
The New Jersey State Library has awarded a grant to the David & Lorraine Cheng Library of William Paterson University, Wayne Public Library and the Wayne Highschool libraries for the shared purchase of three full-text web based online databases which will improve library service to student users in the area.
The databases, cooperatively selected to meet the identified needs of the student population, are Current Biography, World Authors and General Science Abstracts. Databases will be accessed at the Library's Electronic Resource Center via the Internet.
Jane Bambrick, of WPUNJ, will provide the training to all staff from the David & Lorraine Cheng Library, Wayne Public Library and the two highschools on how to search and use the databases.
Please call the Reference Desk at 720-2116 if you have questions about these resources.
Periodicals Reading Room Established
The Room is in the back of the Periodicals Department and can be reached by going all the way past the periodical stacks or making a left turn at the back of the Electronic Resource Center. ENJOY.
Fran Novick Retires
After serving the Library and Campus Community since 1986, Fran Novick has retired. Fran began as a Reference Librarian, focusing on support of and training in computer applications and databases.
As Library Automation grew and became a department in its own right, Fran moved from Reference to full time work coordinating the Library's growing electronic resources and conducting staff training.
In 1996 Fran moved to Curriculum Materials, managing the collection of juvenile books, textbooks, teaching and curriculum guides. She was also instrumental in the development of the area's Reference collection and the upgrading of its computer/online resources. She was active in support and liasion with the Nursing and Eduction departments, teaching Library Instruction and obtaining books and other materials for the library in support of their programs.
Fran has also been active in developing The Holocaust Collection of books and World Wide Web resources, located in Curriculum Materials and on the Library Web Page.
She is looking forward to a less hectic lifestyle with more time to travel and spend with her grandchildren.
Yvonne Roux Moves to
Curriculum Materials
The Library is pleased to announce that Yvonne Roux will be assuming the duties of Curriculum Materials librarian
Yvonne has been the Head of Lending Services, and recently completed a Masters Degree in Educational Media.
She will be assuming full-time duties in Curriculum Materials once a search is completed for a new Lending Services librarian.
Staff Activities
Anne Ciliberti with Mary F. Casserly authored "Collection Management & Integrated Library Systems" in Collection Management for the 21st Century 1997: Greenwood Press. Also authored, with Marie Radford "Empty Handed? A Material Availability Study and Transaction Log Analysis Verification" accepted for July 1998 edition of Journal of Academic Librarianship.
Anne Ciliberti, Pam Theus, and Ya’aqov Ziso were speakers and Amy Job was moderator at the Feb.4, 1998 workshop on Acquisitions Today and Tomorrow presented by the New Jersey Library Association Technical Services Section.
Amy Job was co-author with Mary Kay Schnare of The School Library Media Specialist as Manager published by Scarecrow Press, 1997.
Maureen Riley, Library Information Systems, attended VMS Basic Operator Training, Windows NT Server
Training, and the DRA Users Conference, all in preparation for a move to a Web based online catalog.
Pam Theus and Judy Matthew attended Culture Keepers: Making Global Connections a national conference sponsored by the Black Caucus of the American Library Association held in Winston-Salem, NC
on July 31-August 31, 1997.
Kurt W. Wagner, Reference Librarian, attended Computers in Libraries in Arlington, VA March 2-4.
At the March 21 Meeting of the New Jersey Communication Association at Montclair State Univeristy he participated in the panel "Moving Online: Delivering Content That Matters".
With Marie Radford, Wagner co-authored "Communication Webagogy: Using the World Wide Web for Research and Teaching" in the Fall 1997 issue of The New Jersey Journal of Communication.
Reception Honors Campus Authors
Nine years ago, at the suggestion of Eswar Phadia, now Dean of the College of Science and Health, the Library began sponsoring a reception to honor WPUNJ faculty and staff members who had work published. Materials traditionally included books, chapters in books, journal articles, and musical scores. More recently, we have acknowledged publications in electronic formats. The annual exhibit and bibliography gives everyone a chance to find out about the interests of many faculty and staff.
This year, the reception will be held on Wednesday, April 29th, at 3:30 PM in the Library’s Paterson Room. Always well attended, the reception provides a venue for all to join President Speert, Provost Sesay, and Associate Provost Hahn in honoring our colleagues.
Last year, a permanent WPUNJ author collection was established. The collection of books and media is cataloged and can be found through the Library’s online catalog. The material is housed in the Paterson Room and is sustained by donations from the authors. The display bookcase was donated by the AFT Local 1796.
Please contact Acquisitions Librarian, Pamela Theus at 720-2160 with questions about this event.
New Staff
Marc Caruso
Marc Caruso joined the Library on a full time basis on January 12th. A graduate of Don Bosco Prep in Ramsey, NJ, Caruso has extensive experience in professional sound and lighting. He owns and operates In The Mix, providing sound, music and lighting for events.
While completing his BA in Communication at WPUNJ, Caruso worked part-time in various capapcities: assisting in the development of the Telemedia Lab in Hobart Hall, and as a computer technician for the Library.
Caruso now serves as the Library's Computer Support Specialist coordinating all aspects of library computer hardware: network connectivity, CD-ROM servers, installations, upgrades, software, maintenance and technical support.
Caruso was born and raised in the area and makes his home in Haledon.
Denise Hagel
Denise Hagel joined the Library this year as Principal Audio/Visual Technician in Media Services Department, Evening Division . Hagel has a B.A. in Communications, with a film and television concentration, from Fairleigh Dickinson University.
Hagel also attended Emerson College in Boston. After graduating, she spent a few years working in the film and television industry in both NY and LA. Upon returning to her home in New Jersey, she has spent the past 7 years as manager of a small business.
Hagel is anxious to be working in a technical area once again, and looks forward to attaining a Masters degree in writing. She thoroughly enjoys her new position here and states that working with everyone in Media Services is a wonderful experience.
Bill Duffy is More than Books
Tracking down an elusive book in the Library is at times a challenge, but a lucrative one. Locating Bill Duffy is also worth the effort, because there is much more to this librarian than appears on the cover.
And there is no quick way to browse through his collection of accomplishments accumulated in his 18 years at the David & Lorraine Cheng Library. Duffy’s record of service to the institution provides a starting point.
Duffy has served on nearly every committee in the institution and, according to Senate Parliamentarian Dr. Lois Wolf, has shaped the perception of the librarians on campus as being involved in their institution.
“The key is to go beyond the routine of the job,” says Duffy. His corner office is cluttered with books and boxes and file cabinets; one wall is lined with classical music compact discs. From the time he arrives at work, sometimes by 8 a.m., until late in the evening, soft classical music plays.
But Duffy’s work seldom allows him time to enjoy his comfortable office setting. His personal service philosophy has resulted in involvement in activities on and off campus, and he usually can be found rushing to a meeting or a consultation.
His long commitment to service can be traced to time spent as a Seton Hall seminarian in Newark.
He was one of several seminarians working in a mostly black Catholic parish in the inner city. They ran programs for the church community and tried to offset the social upheaval of the day with service and compassion.
Duffy has always been academically inclined, and after a stint as a high school English instructor, he attained his masters of library science degree from Rutgers University.
“A family friend and librarian at Seton Hall had me picked out to succeed him there,” recalls Duffy.
But a certain course he took at Rutgers led him along a different path.
“Robert Goldberg’s class in library management pointed me here,” he admits, referring to a former director of the David & Lorraine Cheng Library. After filling several part time positions, Duffy was hired full-time in 1980 as a reference librarian.
Within a year he was serving on the Faculty Senate. According to Wolf:
“Bill reflects the service orientation of the librarians and serves as a wonderful example to the campus.” She remembers working with Duffy in extended sessions as they revised and codified the Senate and college bylaws.
Duffy’s service continues to the present. He is the Faculty Senate secretary and serves on the Senate Executive Committee.
“He’s a worker, not just a ‘joiner’,” says Wolf. “He wants there to be closure on issues that takes all perspectives into account.”
Duffy believes “we have to project ourselves out of the library and become involved, not just stay within the confines of our jobs.” “These are opportunities to make changes and have a positive effect on the institution.”
He actively mentors newer librarians, recommending them for committee assignments, assisting their projects, and guiding their career development.
Duffy is pursuing a Ph.D. in counseling psychology at Seton Hall University and in his personal time does family mediation consulting.
“Bill is a kind and generous man of principle,” says his office-partner, librarian Jane Bambrick. For most of Bambrick’s 28 years at the library, she has worked closely with Duffy.
“People will confide in Bill because he’s sympathetic and easy going,” she says. “I like sharing an office with him because he’s laid back and doesn’t get annoyed much.”
She calls him “a scholar and Renaissance man -- The office is always full of music and I’ve learned a lot about the classics. He will also emphasize and illustrate what he’s talking about with quotes of poetry or Latin ... that’s special.”
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