News & Events

At the NJLA Conference on Friday, May 31, Outreach Librarian Joyce DeStasio participated in a panel of four librarians from across New Jersey as part of the Diversity & Outreach section of the NJLA-CUS/ACRL-NJ. The panelists each shared their library's approach to exploring DEI through the creation of resource guides on their respective library websites. They discussed their experiences in collection development, faculty collaboration, content research, and guide promotion. Joyce highlighted Bjork Library’s Outreach initiative, which aligns with the university's diversity and inclusion goals. This project includes curating resources, both physical and digital, that support this programming through book displays, links to national and local resources, and cultural celebrations, all promoted within the library, and on its website and social media.

To explore one of these guides, visit our subject guides page and click on monthly features.

At the NJLA Conference on Thursday, May 30, Student Success Librarian Cheyenne Riehl presented a poster she co-authored with student worker Luke O'Connor and Access & Engagement Coordinator Jessica Martorano. The poster titled From A to Z: A User's Guide to Understanding Library Spaces provided librarians with an applicable toolkit on how to define and communicate their own library spaces to their patrons. This presentation aimed to demystify the reading room-like imagery surrounding academic libraries, reframing them as dynamic, inclusive gathering spaces that extend beyond quiet study areas. Through this presentation, attendees gained a comprehensive understanding of the modern academic library, equipped with knowledge and strategies to reshape their students' perceptions about academic libraries and nurture future student success. Click here to read the poster.

Please join us as we congratulate Taylor Devonshire, our new Library Systems Support Specialist!

You may have seen Taylor at the Circulation Desk, where they have worked as a Library Assistant for the past two years. Before coming to Stockton, they received a BA in English from Rowan University whilst working in the public library sphere.

In the new role as Library Systems Support Specialist, Taylor will be responsible for performing work and maintenance on holdings, the library's electronic portfolio, and request maintenance of the library systems, ALMA, OCLC, and ILLiad. 

Taylor can be contacted at Taylor.Devonshire@stockton.edu.

On April 18, Bjork Library held a renovation party “Turning the Page” to celebrate the library’s next chapter. The event commenced with speeches by Interim Provost, Marissa Levy, Associate Provost of the Library & Learning Commons, Pat Thatcher, and the library’s Access & Engagement Coordinator, Jessica Martorano. They were joined by a large crowd of Stockton Community members, including faculty/staff, alumni, students, family members, and past and present library staff and librarians. The celebration included a guestbook, a balloon arch photo opp, a time capsule for preserving memories for generations to come. Guests enjoyed refreshments, most notably a Bjork Library book pull-apart cupcake cake, and perused the Then, Now, Next exhibit as they commemorated the library's upcoming journey. You can see photos from the event here. 

Congratulations to our Outreach Librarian, Joyce DeStasio, and User Experience Librarian, Eric Jeitner,  on the publication of their article "Revise, RedUX, Re-cycle: Iterative Website Usability Studies in an Assessment Cycle" in the journal Performance Measurement and Metrics. The article is a case study on the iterative library website usability study that Joyce and Eric did during the Fall semesters of 2021 and 2022. They found that users performed better when the website provided multiple access points to the same information, displayed a prominent chat feature, limited the amount of text on a given page, and avoided library jargon. Not only was the second round of testing important for confirming that first-round recommendations were effective, but also it proved useful in catching a problem with the site that was unintentionally created during the time between tests.

If you are interested in learning more, please email Joyce or Eric for access to the article or to ask any questions you may have.

Natalie Wadley was recently promoted from Library Systems Coordinator to Assistant Director of Systems and Technical Services. In this new position, she continues her day-to-day systems management work of maintaining library hardware and providing software administration and support. She also now supervises four full-time staff, including our Interlibrary Loan (ILL) department, Acquisitions staff, and our Copy Cataloger. Natalie has also helped organize and plan the renovation as part of the university’s renovation committee. She extensively inventoried our assets to ensure sufficient accommodations for relocated faculty and staff during renovation. She coordinated the interim library spaces by managing the temporary relocation of books, furniture, and tech—and did all of this while simultaneously planning for the post-renovation library space. Natalie’s wealth of knowledge and expertise in the areas of systems and technical services experience are invaluable to our library. Natalie can be contacted at Natalie.Wadley@stockton.edu.

Bjork Library’s Learning Commons is now home to the traveling exhibition, “From Darkness to Light: Mosaics Inspired by Tragedy.” The 36 mosaics on display, some originals and some high-quality reproductions, were created by mosaic artists as a response to the Tree of Life synagogue shooting which took place in Pittsburgh on October 27, 2018. 

“From Darkness to Light” is presented in partnership with the Holocaust Resource Center, the Art Gallery, and M.A. in Holocaust & Genocide Studies Program. 

Irvin Moreno-Rodriguez, Interim Director of the Holocaust Resource Center, shared a statement: 

"In a divided world, these mosaics offer a powerful message of unity. We hope that, while observing this exhibit, you will appreciate the value of the individual pieces. But we hope also-perhaps even more-that you will recognize the beauty of the individual pieces seen as a whole. For it is through the whole that we are reminded: Our strength to overcome lies not in sameness, but in the harmonious embrace of our differences. We hope you'll continue to reflect on this message after your visit and that your continued reflection will help you engage in deeper, more caring conversations with your peers at Stockton University."

The exhibit was installed over winter intersession and will remain on display through the spring 2024 semester. We hope to announce details for an opening reception soon. Stay tuned for updates.

On Friday, January 26, Bjork Library hosted a group of K-12 educators for a workshop on using Special Collections in the classroom. Part of the "Why the Humanities Matter" series, it was sponsored by the Southern Regional Institute (SRI) and Educational Technology Training Center (ETTC) at Stockton. 

Special Collections Librarian Heather Perez and Professor of Literature Thomas Kinsella led the group in exploring some of our local history special collections. The teachers had the opportunity to do hands-on research and planning with the collections, as they came up with ideas to use in their classrooms.

Ideas included: 

• Having students create a map or tourist brochure to distribute in their schools identifying special historical places in their local community;
• Using 1940s newspapers to compare journalism and advertising to today's styles;
• Analyzing letters from the 1830s to learn about life at that time, local events, and the economy;
• Teaching environmental awareness by having students listen to a recorded oral history describing how dirty the beach was in the 1970s and then having students participate in an annual beach cleanup; and
• Using photographs of local places to teach about segregation. 

The educators in the workshop enjoyed being students for the day and especially enjoyed getting to work with and explore our special collections. Our Special Collections are available to anyone in the community, and we invite everyone to visit.

Please join the library in congratulating Jaimelyn Lombardo, our new Electronic Resources Coordinator!

If Jaime looks familiar, that's because she was a student here and has worked in the library in various roles for the past 17 years! In 2006, she came to Richard E Bjork Library while working on her Bachelor's Degree in Literature (2011 Alumni, Go Ospreys!). She worked in the Circulation Department until 2014 when she transitioned to Technical Services and was most recently our Electronic Resources & Periodicals Specialist.

In her new role as Electronic Resources Coordinator, Jaime will be responsible for providing leadership and strategic management, managing the lifecycle of online journals, e-books, databases, and streaming media. She will also ensure the library's discovery service accurately reflects e -resource holdings from local purchases and subscriptions, consortial arrangements, and other sources. In addition, she will maintain and improve e-resources access; diagnose and troubleshoot access and linking problems; and serve as the library's point of contact for access issues. 

Jaime can be contacted at Jaimelyn.Lombardo@stockton.edu.

On Friday, January 5, Outreach Librarian, Joyce DeStasio, presented on a panel of five librarians from all over New Jersey, as part of the Marketing & Outreach section of the NJLA-CUS/ACRL-NJ. Panelists shared marketing and outreach initiatives that build community and support student success while shaping the future of academic libraries as dynamic hubs for learning and innovation. Panelists discussed their experiences planning exhibits that build community and encourage interactivity as well as programming that supports inclusivity and diversity. Joyce spoke about Bjork Library’s interactive exhibit Your Library: Then, Now, Next, discussing the work that went into conceptualizing, producing, and marketing the exhibit–and what was learned in the process. Visit the exhibit on the first floor of the library today.