SC&I’s Library and Information Science (LIS) Department will be very involved in the upcoming New Jersey Librarian Association (NJLA) Conference being held in Atlantic City, N.J. from April 24-26.

In addition to SC&I’s involvement as a platinum sponsor of the conference, many faculty members and alumni will participate in various ways.

On Monday April 24, Assistant Teaching Professor Joyce Kasman Valenza will lead "Library Trivia Night." On Tuesday, April 25, Valenza will present her paper, “There is No Box,” which discusses transformative leadership.

Later that day, a Rutgers Book Showcase will be held, featuring new books published by Assistant Teaching Professor Marc Aronson, Assistant Teaching Professor Kay Ann Cassell, Professor Marie L. Radford and Assistant Professor Rebecca Reynolds. Discussions about their books will include the areas of inquiry-based learning, reference service models, and young adult literature.

Also on Tuesday, Radford will present "Agree to Disagree Without Being Disagreeable," with colleagues Dr. Peter Dlugos, Bergen County Community College, and Deborah Blackwell, Ocean County Library System. It will be moderated by Theresa Agostinelli, Middlesex County College.

On Wednesday, Cassell will lead a timely conversation on the ways that libraries might “weave together our commitments to social justice and intellectual freedom in our collections, services, and programs.”

Additionally, a number of Rutgers Master of Library and Information Science (MLIS) alumni are to be awarded for their research in the Library field. Alumnae Krista White, ‘08 and Roberta Tipton, ‘77 along with two other Rutgers Library employees, will receive the 2017 NJLA Research Award for their research titled, “Assessing and Serving the Workshop Needs of Graduate Students,” published in the Journal of Academic Librarianship.

Rutgers MLIS graduate Michelle Kowalsky, ‘96 will be awarded the 2017 NJLA Research Award for her book “Creating Inclusive Library Environments: A Planning Guide for Serving Patrons with Disabilities.”

Available at the SC&I booth (#702) at the conference will be information about a new book by Associate Professor Marija Dalbello, titled "A History of Modern Librarianship."  All proceeds from the sale of the book are being donated to a SC&I Library and Information Science Fellowship in memory of Pamela Spence Richards. To order a copy, click here.

According to the NJLA Conference website, “Each and every year, NJLA and NJASL invites librarians, all types of library workers, and supporters and vendors to participate in engaging discussion, thoughtful workshops and presentations, networking and professional development during this three-day conference.

The NJLA works to enhance the effectiveness of academic and research librarians. It provides opportunities for professional development, continuing education, and networking.

To visit SC&I at the conference, stop by booth #702. Associate Professor Ross Todd, Chair of the Library and Information Science (LIS) Department and Associate Teaching Professor and Director of the Master of Information Program Lilia Pavlovsky, will be available during the conference to discuss our program, and meet with prospective applicants.To learn more about the Library and Information Science Department, click here.