Bob Wolk Retires as Special Collections & Archives Librarian

Bob Wolk retires from the University following 30 years of service.

     Bob Wolk joined the staff of the Sarah Byrd Askew Library in 1989 as the Government Documents Librarian. After two years he became Coordinator of Library Instruction. An advocate for Information Literacy Across the Curriculum, he developed a one-credit Info Lit course as early as 1993. The following year his article, “Dr. Research,” exposed a campus-wide plagiarist who annually wrote term papers and research assignments for hundreds of WPU students. The article resulted in his banishment from campus and won the New Jersey Library Association’s Research Award.

     Outside of the Library, Bob was active as chair of several senate councils, the NJLA History and Bibliography Section, organizing campus-wide film and lecture series, teaching Freshman Seminar, and serving as an Adjunct Professor in the History Department. Teaching classes was always Bob's favorite activity. He taught and developed syllabi for several courses including library research methods, Freshman Seminar, an Internship, Museum Studies, and Public History courses. He believed being a member of the teaching faculty was the place where teaching and mentoring came together to really make a difference.

     When WP transitioned to a University in 1997, Bob became the Special Collections and Archives Librarian, a position he held until his retirement in January. As Archives Librarian, Bob was responsible for developing policies and acquiring the collections of paper and electronic documents related to University and community history, WPU events, and campus-wide materials that make up a University depository of information.  The collections included the Papers of Congressman Robert A. Roe, Passaic Mayor Nicholas Martini, Hobart Manor, and more recently Bayonne beat poet, Herschel Silverman. Bob also organized the early stages of the Living Jazz Archive.

     Bob Wolk had a special interest in Oral History, participating and coordinating projects that recorded members of the Vanguard Orchestra, and student projects that captured memoirs of WPU students, senior teaching faculty members, WPU Administrators, and members of the Silverman family.

     In addition to his work in the Library and teaching courses, Bob served as co-coordinator of the Freshman Seminar Program for two years, Library representative to Local 1796 AFT Executive Board, and state-wide AFT Librarian Committee, and Grants Reviewer for the NJ Council on the Humanities. His grant applications to organize the Roe Papers generated almost $40,000 in awards.

     Working as a librarian, teacher, program administrator, and union leader, provided Bob valuable insight and multiple points of view into how the University functions as it educates students and helps them reach their personal goals.  He believes being a classroom teacher is key to effective reference work and understanding a student’s assignments, aspirations and behaviors to ensure the provision of efficient services that offer students not necessarily what they ask for or what they want, but rather, what they actually need.

January 30, 2019