Reference Department

REFERENCE DEPARTMENT ANNUAL REPORT 2005-2006

I. Achievements for 2005-2006

Reference and Related Services

 Responded to 30,544 Reference, Research and Information questions from patrons – In Person and Telephone.

Reference - 18,112 Research - 175 Information - 12,257

 Serving on an ongoing committee (Reference and Instruction Training Plan Committee) to train non-reference librarians to assist at the reference desk and to prepare them to teach classes in the New Student Experience Program, beginning in Fall, 2007. (Nicole Cooke, Chair, Carol Nurse, Kevin Prendergast) Non-reference librarians who assisted at the reference desk in 2005/2006 were Mei-Ling Chow, Eduardo Gil, Brian Hancock and Steve Shapiro. Laura Levy and Joyce Schaffer will start working at the reference desk in July, 2006 and Su Hu will begin during the Fall, 2006 Semester.

 Scheduled thirty-one appointments with graduate students who needed individual help with their research projects and the use of Library resources. (Trone) The statistics for the past two years are as follows: 2004/2005 25 2005/2006 31

 Coordinated the “Ask a Librarian” electronic reference service and responded to ninety-five questions in 2005/2006. (Trone) The statistics for the past three years are as follows: 2003/2004 102 Questions 2004/2005 87 Questions 2005/2006 95 Questions

 Coordinating a new initiative to offer individual library consultations for faculty (similar to the one that we now have in place for graduate students. (Nurse) Faculty will be able to make individual appointments to receive an orientation to the Library and/or help in preparing meaningful library assignments for their students.  Coordinated the use of OCLC FirstSearch for faculty and graduate students. In 2005/2006, 1,221 searches were performed and World Cat continues to be the most heavily used database. (Trone) The statistics for the past three years are as follows: 2003/2004 3,573 Searches 2004/2005 3,270 Searches 2005/2006 1,221 Searches - (1,107 searches were from World Cat)  Participated in several orientations for incoming freshmen and transfer students by staffing a library information table in the Student Center. (Reference librarians, coordinated by Carol Nurse)

 Prepared a Guide for faculty and doctoral students on searching OCLC World Cat. (Vincenti)

 Designing an online Library Basic Skill Tutorial. (Cooke, Vincenti)

 Designing short informational movies for basic skills such as checking the periodical list and filling out interlibrary loan forms. (Cooke, Vincenti)

Instructional Activities

 Taught 232 classes in the Library Instruction Program for 5,088 students.

188 Undergraduate classes. - Includes 59 classes taught in the Fall, 2005 New Student Experience Program. Twenty-one of the 59 classes taught in the New Student Experience Program were double classes with one librarian teaching two sections at the same time. 36 Graduate classes 8 Miscellaneous classes

Summer, 2005 - 12 classes Fall, 2005 - 138 classes Spring, 2006 - 82 classes

Sixty-seven classes, undergraduate, graduate and miscellaneous were taught in Room 203, the Electronic Classroom.

Librarians taught the following number of library instruction Classes in 2005/2006. Nicole Cooke 39 Classes Judith Lin Hunt 4 Classes Carol Nurse 26 Classes Kevin Prendergast 18 Classes Luis Rodriguez 4 Classes Patricia Sanders 97 Classes Steve Shapiro 1 Class Thomas Trone 13 Classes William Vincenti 30 Classes

The following number of students attended a library instruction class in 2005/2006: Summer, 2005 275 Students Fall, 2005 3,213 Students Spring, 2006 1,600 Students Total 5,088 Students

 Worked with the Directors of the New Student Experience Program to arrange library visits for 59 classes (included in the count of undergraduate classes outlined above. (Nurse, Sanders)

 Participated in two International Students orientations for fifty students, 9/2/05 and 1/13/06. (Not included in the count of classes above.) (Hunt)

 Conducted library tours and reference assistance for two high school classes. (Not included in the count of classes above.) (Sanders, Bryant) Central High School, Newark 40 Students 10/28/05 (tour only) Verona High School 28 Students 3/13/06 (tour and a research assignment on literary criticism)

 Conducted six walk-in workshops in Room 203 during the Spring, 2006 Semester - three on “Searching the Internet” and three on “Search Library Resources.” A total of forty-four students attended. (Included in the count of classes above.) (Vincenti)

 Prepared a presentation on library resources, both print and electronic, for the Weston Science Scholars Program, a group of approximately forty juniors and seniors from Montclair High School who were participating in a special five week intensive summer program in the sciences. (Sanders)

 Arranged for a presentation on “Library Instruction: Two Approaches” by librarians from Seton Hall University and William Paterson University – January 4, 2006. (Reference and Information Training Plan Committee  Completed and summarized the results of a Reference Department survey of College Writing I instructors, 2005/2006. (Cooke)

 Selected to participate in the Fall, 2006ACRL Institute for Information Literacy: “The Intentional Teacher: Renewal Through Informed Reflection” (Cooke)

Interlibrary Services

 Responded to 7,679 interlibrary loan requests from our patrons and from borrowing libraries for books and periodical articles. In addition, there were 434 requests by our patrons for books and journal articles that were either owned by Sprague Library or available electronically. (Prendergast, Ferreira, McInerney, Bryant) Interlibrary Loan statistics for the past three years: 2003/2004 7,110 2004/2005 7,110 2005/2006 7,679

 Trained Sergio Ferreira as the new Technical Library Assistant in Interlibrary Services to replace Louise McInerney when she retired on 1/31/2006. (Kevin Prendergast, assisted by Louise McInerney)

 Eliminated the use of paper forms for book and periodical requests and new receive all requests for interlibrary loan materials electronically. (Prendergast, Ferreira, McInerney)

Databases/Reference Tools

 Added the following databases to the Library collection: Biomedical Reference Collection Business Source Premier – (NJ Knowledge Initiative) Cochrane Library ComDisDome Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature – (NJ Knowledge Initiative) EBSCO Online Reader Historical New York Times Library, Information Science and Technology Abstracts – (Free From EBSCO) Medline – (NJ Knowledge Initiative) MLA – Modern Language Association – (Switched from Silver Platter to EBSCO) Nature Journals – (NJ Knowledge Initiative) New York Times and Wall Street Journal – (Direct Access through our ABI/Inform Subscription) Nursing and Allied Health Collection – Comprehensive – (NJ Knowledge Initiative) Opposing Viewpoints Research Center OVID Journals – (NJ Knowledge Initiative) Regional Business News – (NJ Knowledge Initiative) Scopus – (Long-term trial) Ulrichs – (Upgraded to unlimited users) Wiley Interscience – (173 journals through the NJ Knowledge Initiative)

 Serving on the Database Review Committee which recommends the selection or de-selection of online databases to the Associate Dean for Public Services. – (Sanders, Chair, Cooke, Gil, Nurse, Shapiro, Vincenti)

 Continues to evaluate the reference collection and arrange for the transfer of the majority of bibliographies (LC letter Z) to the circulating collection where they will be given appropriate subject classification numbers. (Sanders)

Technology/Equipment/Furniture

 Selected new furniture (tables, chairs, benches) for Room 110. (Prendergast) The project was completed in the Fall, 2005.

 Rearranged the furniture, indexes, abstracts and encyclopedias in the reference area after the new ceiling was installed in the summer of 2005 and, in the spring of 2006, rearranged the reference office as construction continued on the Library Café. (Reference staff)

 Keeps the computers and equipment in Room 203, Library Electronic Classroom, in good working order. Added a dry erase board to the equipment that is available in the room. (Vincenti)

 Keeps the computers in the reference area and Interlibrary Services in good working order. (Vincenti, Shapiro, Cain)

Archives

 Serves on the Library Digitization Committee to investigate models of newspaper digitization using Content DM in preparation for the digitization of the Montclarion, Montclair State’s student newspaper. (Sanders)  Worked with faculty, students, staff, alumni and one book publisher to answer several in-depth research questions using the Sprague Library Archives. (Sanders)

 Worked with the Dean of Library Services to locate materials in the Sprague Library Archives on Dr. Harry A. Sprague, second President of Montclair State, in preparation for a visit by members of the Sprague family. (Sanders)

 Continues to send volumes of The Montclarion, Montclair State University’s student newspaper to be microfilmed. Certain volumes of these newspapers are also being digitized and will be included on the MSU Homepage. (Sanders) Microfilm for Fall, 1986–Spring, 2002 is complete and 1966-1976 is in progress.

Administration

 Prepared and revised the Reference Departments’ Strategic Plan for 2006/2008 and worked with the LAC to draft and revise the entire Strategic Plan for Sprague Library, its divisions and its departments. (Sanders)

 Recommended the cancellation of several standing orders for reference materials, online databases and services such at the Princeton Access Card due to anticipated budget cuts in 2006/2007. The Princeton Access Card was used three times in 2005/2006.

 Prepared a list of major Functions of the Reference Department for the Dean of Library Services to include in her presentation to the University Administration in preparation for the anticipated budget cuts in 2006/2007.

 Prepared a detailed proposal to reduce the number of hours for part- time reference librarians during 2006/2007 from 39 hours a week to 27 hours a week (a cut of over 30%) in preparation for the anticipated budget cuts in 2006/2007. (Sanders) In addition, regular reference librarians and Eduardo Gil are working on most Saturdays during the 2006 Summer Session.

 Worked with Emily Crowell, Rutgers SCILS student, to introduce her to reference services as part of her internship at Sprague Library and trained her to work part-time reference librarian on Friday evenings during the Spring, 2006 Semester. (Reference Librarians)  Prepared written summaries of the monthly LAC meetings for the reference staff, full-time and part-time. (Sanders)

 Organized and chaired several meetings for reference librarians and prepared detailed minutes for distribution to all librarians (full-time and part-time) who serve at the reference desk. (Sanders)

 Prepared monthly summaries of LAC meetings for distribution to all Reference Department staff (full-time and part-time) and to Randy Cain and Steve Shapiro. (Sanders)

 Participated, by private interview, with other members of the LAC in a research project conducted by the Dean of Libraries at Washburn (Kansas) University on “The Role of Assessment in Library Decision Making.” (Sanders)

 Serves as a Mentor for the ARL (Association of Research Libraries) Institute to Recruit a Diverse Workforce and met with her mentees at the ALA Midwinter Conference in San Antonio and the ALA Annual Conference in New Orleans. (Nurse)

 Serves as the Sprague Library representative to the “Small Business Institute Independent Study, conducted by MSUs School of Business. (Vincenti)

 Surveyed faculty, students and librarians on the redesign of the Article Linker button. (Vincenti)

 Worked on redesigning the signage for the Print Release Station in the reference area. (Vincenti)

 Serving several hours each week as a checker at the temporary Library entrance (during construction of the Library Café) while the regular guards are unavailable, checking bags and keeping a count of the number of patrons leaving the building. (Bryant)

 Serves as a book reviewer for Library Journal, audio-book reviewer for Library Journal, audiovisual material reviewer for Educational Media Reviews Online and is a member of the Library Advisory Board for Oxford University Press. (Cooke)  PERSONNEL

Louise McInerney, Technical Library Assistant in Interlibrary Services, retired in January, 2006. She was replaced by Sergio Ferreira, who was promoted from a Principal Library Assistant and was transferred from the Periodicals Department. Madeline Ruggiero, part-time reference librarian, resigned in December, 2005. She was replaced on Friday evenings during the Spring, 2006 Semester by Emily Crowell. Emily was doing an internship at Montclair State as part of her work for an MLS Degree from Rutgers School of Communication, Information and Library Studies. She received reference training as part of her internship here and worked out very well. She is not returning next year because she received her degree and was offered a full-time position in a public library. This was the first time that we have used an intern or paraprofessional at the reference desk and everyone was very pleased with the results.

 NEW STUDENT EXPERIENCE

During the summer of 2005, a reference librarian attended all of the new student orientations and answered questions from students and their parents about the Library.

In the Fall, 2005 Semester, reference librarians, assisted by Judith Hunt and Luis Rodriguez, taught fifty-nine classes for students in the New Student Experience Program. Most classes were taught during the first week of October, but some were scheduled for either the week before or the week after. Due to the large number of classes requesting library visits, twenty-one of these classes were doubled – one librarian teaching two sections at once. With the double sections, about fifty students at a time crowded into Room 110 or stood in the doorway and, because of the large number of students, a library tour was usually not included.

All instructors in the New Student Experience Program were sent a follow-up evaluation form asking for comments and criticism – what worked and what didn’t work. The most negative criticism was about the size of the double classes and the fact that students did not get a tour. Another negative criticism was that students did not get hands- on experience using the computers to search the library databases. It had already been pointed out to all of the instructors that students would get this hands-on experience when they returned to the Library later in the semester with their College Writing I classes and were preparing to write a term paper. It is not yet clear what format the 2006 New Student Experience classes will follow, but there will not be any double classes. During the summer, Carol Nurse plans to set up a meeting with the Director of the Program to discuss the Library’s participation in the classes. One suggestion we have is to give the students in in-depth tour and include the more detailed information that is usually given in New Student Experience with the College Writing I classes.

To take some of the pressure off of the reference librarians, and to eliminate the double classes, Eduardo Gil, Judith Hunt, Luis Rodriguez and Steve Shapiro have offered to teach sections of these classes when needed. Both Rooms 110 and 203 will be used if we have two classes meeting at the same time.

 COLLEGE WRITING I

During the Fall, 2005 semester, reference librarians taught 26 College Writing I classes, down from 42 classes during the same period in 2004. A survey was distributed to all professors who brought their classes into the Library and the results of this survey were summarized by Nicole Cooke. The reasons for the drop in the number of classes (from 42 in 2004 to 26 in 2005) coming into the Library are uncertain. Many of the professors who teach College Writing I are adjuncts and might not be aware of our Library Instruction Program. Also, students might have told their professors that they had already been to the Library for one or two classes and didn’t need another one. Plans for Fall, 2006 include sending a flyer to all professors in the English Department about our Library Instruction Program and giving students in the Freshman Experience (New Student Experience) Program a Library tour instead of a class.

 NON REFERENCE LIBRARIANS AT THE REFERENCE DESK

At the request of Dr. Hunt, Dean of the Library, non-reference librarians are gradually being trained in reference techniques and tools and assigned a weekly reference desk schedule. In addition, some librarians will be trained to teach classes in the New Student Experience Program, beginning in Fall, 2007. A Reference and Instruction Training Plan Committee (Nicole Cooke, Chair, Carol Nurse, Kevin Prendergast) was formed to examine the question and set up a training plan for those librarians who have never worked at the reference desk or who haven’t worked there in several years. Laura Levy and Joyce Schaffer are scheduled to being working two hours a week at the reference desk in July, 2006. Non-reference librarians who worked at the reference desk regularly in 2005/2006 were Mei- Ling Chow, Eduardo Gil, Brian Hancock (started in February, 2006) and Steve Shapiro.

In January, 2006 the Committee arranged for a presentation to our librarians on “Library Instruction: Two Approaches.” The speakers were Beth Bloom from Seton Hall University and Nancy Weiner from William Paterson University. They each spoke about how they integrated non-reference librarians into the library instruction programs at their institutions.

 PHYSICAL FACILITY

Sprague Library Café – Construction of the Sprague Library Café started in March, 2006. The main entrance to the Library was closed, the front porch and steps were demolished and a temporary entrance was created at the emergency exit on the north side of the reference area. Since there is no security gate at the temporary entrance, a staff member is always on duty to check bags and packages and count the number of patrons leaving the building. The reference storeroom and part of the reference office were cleaned out and taken for the Café. This area will contain the restrooms for the café.

Since construction started on the Café, noise has been a problem in the reference area, especially when the workers are drilling into concrete. The reference offices and Room 110, a teaching classroom, are only separated from the construction area by a piece of plywood. It is hoped that the Café, when it is completed in September, will be fully soundproofed. If it is not, it will be difficult to teach classes in Room 110 or work in an office along the east wall of the reference area once the Café is opened. The sound of flushing toilets will be especially distracting when teaching a class in Room 110.

HVAC – The biggest problem with the physical facility, particularly in the original section of the Library building that was completed in 1963, is the HVAC. It was our understanding that, when the new ceiling in the reference area was completed during the summer of 2005, that repairs had been made, the HVAC would be greatly improved and that everyone would be much more comfortable. This has not been the case – in fact, this seems to have been the worst year that we have ever had in this building. During the winter of 2005/2006, which was an unusually mild winter, heat poured out of the vents and made everyone very uncomfortable. There didn’t seem to be any way to adjust or stop it. In the spring, it was determined that the air conditioner in the original building was not functioning properly and there was no money available to repair it. At the end of June, 2006, the reference area continued to be hot, airless and uncomfortable. People have taken many hours and days of sick leave because of HVAC problems and, at this time, it doesn’t look as if there will be any improvement in the near future. Or, for that matter, the future.

The noise from the construction of the Sprague Library Café, combined with the poor quality of the HVAC, make for very unpleasant and unhealthy working conditions.

II. Objectives for 2006/2007

 Continue to expand the Library Instruction Program, both on the undergraduate and graduate levels, and to discuss plans to assess all classes.

 Offer classes or other relevant library instruction to high school students in the area who are connected with Montclair State University and who are doing college-level research assignments.

 Work closely with the Director of the New Student Experience Program to explore ideas on how to introduce the Library to the freshman class in ways that are relevant and enjoyable to the students.

 Develop a new service where faculty can request a one-on-one consultation with a reference librarian on library services and/or preparing library assignments that will teach students valuable research skills.

 Develop a program to take reference services out of the reference area and into other buildings on campus such as University Hall and the new café.

 Continue to train non-reference librarians to serve on the reference desk and to prepare them to teach classes in the Fall, 2007 New Student Experience Program.

 Continue to find ways to save money by cutting back on hours for part-time reference librarians and by canceling subscriptions to online databases and printed materials to conform to the 2006/2007 budget cuts. III Personnel

 Full Time Librarians

Nicole Cooke Librarian II/Evening Reference Librarian Carol Nurse Librarian II/Reference Kevin Prendergast Librarian II/Interlibrary Services Librarian Patricia Sanders Librarian I/Head of Reference and Information Services Thomas Trone Librarian II/Reference William Vincenti Librarian II/Reference

 Support Staff

Janether Bryant Senior Library Assistant Sergio Ferreira Technical Library Assistant (Replaced Louise McInerney who retired on 1/31/06) Louise McInerney Technical Library Assistant (Retired on 1/31/2006)

 Part-Time Reference Librarians

James Bordone Ann Carmer Emily Crowell (Spring Semester only) Nitza Krohn Joan Liu-DeVizio Madeline Ruggiero (resigned – December, 2005) Robert Schriek Kim Seltzer

Nicole Cooke

Professional Activities

Association of College and Research Libraries. Intern to the Racial and Ethnic Diversity Committee

Black Caucus of the American Library Association – New Jersey Chapter – Vice-President, 2005/2006

New Jersey Library Association – Secretary, 2006/2007 New Jersey Library Association. College and University Section Vice-President/President Elect – 2005/2006 President – 2006/2007 Co-Editor – Section Newsletter

New Jersey Train the Trainer Program Program Coordinator – 2005- Logistics Coordinator - 2005

VALE – (Virtual Library Academic Environment) – 2007 Conference Co-Chair

Presentations

Princeton Public Library. Tech Talk Series – “Consumer Health on the Internet” – 3 separate presentations

VALE Annual Users Conference – Poster Session on NJLA/CUS/ACRL – 1/5/2007

NJLA Annual Conference – Poster Session on BCALA-NJ – The Faces of New Jersey Librarianship – 4/26/2006

Publications

Cooke, NA 2006 Conquering Library Anxiety. in K. Manuel (Ed.) Information Literacy Course Handbook for Distance and In-Class Learners. Active Learning Handbook Series No. 1 (pp. 37-40)

Montclair State University Committees

Professional Peer Review Committee Search Committee for Coordinator of the Curriculum Resources Center, 2006

Sprague Library Committees

Exhibits Committee – Chair Library Liaison Committee Library Policies and Procedures. Ad Hoc Committee Reference and Instruction Training Plan Committee – Chair – 2006- Safety and Security Committee Library Liaison

Center for Adult Learning Center for Pedagogy Counseling Curriculum Resources Center Early Childhood Education Institute for the Advancement of Children

Enrolled – Pennsylvania State University – Online M.Ed Program in Adult Education (Anticipated graduation date – 12/2006)

Carol Nurse

Professional Activities

ARL – (Association of Research Libraries) – Institute to Recruit a Diverse Workforce

Black Caucus of the American Library Association – 2007 Conference Planning Committee

VALE – (Virtual Academic Library Environment) – 2007 Conference Planning Committee

Middle States Committee – Faculty Subcommittee Sabbatical Leave Committee University Senate – Library Representative

Database Review Committee Personnel Advisory Committee – Chair, 2006/2007 Reference and Instruction Training Plan Committee

Library Liaison

African American Studies Biology Health & Nutrition Sciences Psychology Other

Enrolled – Montclair State University – MS in Nutrition Science

Kevin Prendergast

Exhibits Committee Furniture Selection Committee Reference and Instruction Training Plan Committee

Library Liaison

Broadcasting French, German and Russian

Patricia Sanders

Digitization Committee Database Review Committee – Chair Home Page Committee Liaison Committee Library Administrative Council Library Administrative Council – Customer Service Committee

Library Liaison

Educational Foundations Justice Studies Legal Studies

Thomas Trone

Career Development Committee

Exhibits Committee Library Liaison

Art and Design Curriculum & Teaching Film Studies

William Vincenti

Customer Services Committee Database Review Committee Home Page Committee Library Signage Committee SIRSI/OPAC Design Committee Room 203 (Electronic Classroom) Committee

Library Liaison

Accounting, Law and Taxation Career Development Center Center for Archaeology Studies Management

American Federation of Teachers, Local 1904 – Library Representative American Federation of Teachers, Local 1904 – Local Secretary and Librarian Negotiation Representative, 2006/2008