Ka-Neng Au
Microcomputer Coordinator
John Cotton Dana Library
Annual Report
FY2001/2002

Highlights | Presentations | Webpages | CIF | Duties | Goals | Statistics

HIGHLIGHTS

The RUL Business Research Guide, in part or in whole, is linked to by hundreds of sites around the world, including several Internet resource directories. Significant sites that are new this year include the INFOMINE Scholarly Internet Resource Collection, the CEO Express Research Center, and the Business 2.0 Web Guide.

I was on sabbatical from January to June 2002 and developed a five-week business information literacy course that will be required of all first-year MBA students in the Fall of 2002. This course, "Business Plan Research, 22:135:581," will be taught by two business librarians in Newark and two in New Brunswick.

PUBLICATIONS AND PRESENTATIONS

I was invited to do several presentations:
Au, Ka-Neng. "Library Services for Distance Learners." RUL Brown Bag Presentation, New Brunswick, NJ, 28 May 2002. http://newark.rutgers.edu/~au/brownbag.htm]

Au, Ka-Neng. "E-Commerce and Webpage Development: Hype ... and Reality," Bahria University, Karachi, Pakistan, 30 March 2002. [http://newark.rutgers.edu/~au/karachi.htm]

Au, Ka-Neng. "Market Research for Your Successful Business Plan." New Jersey Entrepreneurs Forum, Somerset, NJ, 8 November 2001.

Au, Ka-Neng. "Targeted Sales Prospecting: Before You Pound the Street." Sales Training Program, Canon Business Solutions-Northeast, Lyndhurst, NJ, 16 August 2001. http://newark.rutgers.edu/~au/sales.htm]
I also helped plan a half-day seminar, which I moderated and spoke at:
RUL Web Advisory Committee. "The Care and Feeding of Research Guides," New Brunswick, NJ, 31 May 2002.

WEBPAGES

I am the primary contributor to a nineteen-part (two created this year) business research guide on the Rutgers Libraries website:
Au, Ka-Neng, Mary Fraser, Theo Haynes, Yoshiko Ishii, Wen-Hua Ren, Roberta Tipton, and Ryan Womack. "Rutgers University Libraries Business Research Guide," created November 1994; last revised May 2002, --2,484 links. [http://www.libraries.rutgers.edu/rul/rr_gateway/research_guides/busi/business.shtml]


The following are part of this Research Guide:
I also maintain two shorter Webpages that serve as an introduction to resources on the Internet.
Au, Ka-Neng. "Other Electronic Journal Directories," created May 1998; last revised September 2001, --23 links. [http://www.libraries.rutgers.edu/rul/rr_gateway/ejournals/ejour_dir.shtml]

Au, Ka-Neng, and Helen Hoffman. "Patents, Trademarks, and Standards," created September 2000; last revised November 2001, --31 links. [http://www.libraries.rutgers.edu/rul/rr_gateway/research_guides/patents/patents.shtml]
Dana Librarians updated several other Research Guides on the RUL Website: Dana librarians also contributed many new or revised library guides to the Dana Library website:

DUTIES

As the Systems Librarian, I have overall responsibility in evaluating, selecting, and recommending microcomputer software and hardware at Dana. Christopher Singh, our computer technician, continued to provide exceptional service in installing and maintaining our computers systems.

This year, the total number of machines in Newark increased slightly, to 148 (see Table A) with the installation of new public ELF machines. More machines are expected later in 2002 for the Electronic Classroom as well as Media Services.

Network switches and other data electronics devices (to replace the existing hubs), were installed as part of RUNet 2000, the University-wide high-bandwidth network infrastructure project. We will fully implement RUNet 2000 early this fiscal year.

This was my fifth year teaching an undergraduate course at the Rutgers Business School: Computer Network Applications, 29:623:375. In return, the RBS provided compensation for Dana Library to hire a temporary reference librarian. The student evaluations have been very encouraging over the years.

I continue to serve as the Newark representative to the RUL Coordinating Committee, and as a member of the Web Advisory Committee as well as the PC Working Group.

COORDINATED INSTRUCTIONAL FACILITIES

This program, run by Rutgers University Computing Services-Newark, allows the Dana Library to have several student assistants available to serve library users of electronic resources, as well as computer hardware upgrades when necessary. In return, computer workstations are available to students for non-library academic computing activities when they are not used for access to the Libraries website. Applications software available include two office suites, a range of course-related instructional packages, and various image-editing programs; students can also do e-mail and FTP.

Dana Library continued to benefit from the presence of the student assistants in both the Reference Area and Media Services. During the school year, the students provided almost 100 hours a week of coverage. Student assistants were also on duty during the Summer months, for about 50 hours a week. There were several new hires this year, including Pascale Dardignac, Ryan Dionisio, Ivan Dobric, Henry Gantt, Jose Julme, Rajeev Kumar, Sherrad Okeyo, and Ryan Villaroman. They joined Chris Berberabe, Sherwin Gorrick, Anthony John, Larry Jones, Sanjay Kulchandra, Maricar Lakandula, Raksha Patel, Lisa Stewart, and Bisrat Zewde from last year. Having served in an acting capacity for a year, Kenneth Johnson was appointed Dana Library Site Manager to oversee the staffing and operation of the two CIF labs.

GOALS & OBJECTIVES FOR FY2002/03

To continue to maintain, update, and expand the Business Research Guide

To teach the new MBA course "Business Plan Research, 22:135:581"

To revise the webpages of the Business CyberLibrary

To assist in the planning of the CIIT
KNA: 5 July 02