Ka-Neng Au
Microcomputer Coordinator
John Cotton Dana Library
Annual Report
FY2002/2003

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 new sites that have selected the Business Research Guide this year include Div200.com and the Wall Street Executive Library. Also, the Guide was favorably reviewed by BestBizWeb Eletter in December 2002.

I taught the five-week business information literacy course that I had developed during my sabbatical in the Spring of 2003. "Business Plan Research, 22:135:581," was required of all first-year MBA students this past academic year, and I taught the course with the help of three other business librarians in Newark and New Brunswick.

Many computers throughout the building were upgraded as a result of numerous Newark Campus, RUCS-Newark, and RUL ELF grants. Other new computer equipment include laptops, printers, and wireless networking technology, the latter being installed on the second floor to support Internet access.

PRESENTATIONS

I was invited to do two presentations:
Au, Ka-Neng. "The Marketing Plan," Business Plan Workshop, NJ Small Business Development Center, Newark, NJ, 2 April 2003. [http://newarkwww.rutgers.edu/workshops/bpw.htm]

Ren, Wen-Hua, and Ka-Neng Au. "Expanding the Role of Academic Librarians in an Electronic Age," China Society for Library Science Annual Conference, Xian, China, July 27, 2002.

WEBPAGES

I am the primary contributor to a twenty-part (one created this year) business research guide on the Rutgers Libraries website:
Au, Ka-Neng, Theo Haynes, Wen-Hua Ren, Roberta Tipton, Ryan Womack, and Yoshiko Ishii. "Rutgers University Libraries Business Research Guide," created November 1994; last revised June 2003, --3,071 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. Dana Librarians either created or 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 to 160 (see Table A) with the installation of new ELF machines for the Electronic Classroom as well as workstations for digital audio and digital video authoring and design in Media and Digital Services. We also gained three new laptops; two have wireless network cards, allowing them to be used in information literacy classes at the Rutgers Business School. Sixteen machines earmarked for the second electronic classroom will be installed as soon as the old FDC room on the Lower Level is wired for wireless network access during the Summer of 2003. Eight staff computers were upgraded as part of the RUL PC Replacement Plan this year, and we can expect a similar number next year. Four went to ILL/RRS, two to Reference, and one each to Serials and Circulation.

The publicly-accessible library workstations on the Lower Level, 1st Floor, and 4th Floor will now print to a networked printer located in the copy room on the 1st Floor. The charge is 12 cents a page and a copicard is required for print jobs to be released from the print station. Instructions have been posted next to these 20 public PCs (which were upgraded through an RUL ELF grant) on all floors.

As part of an ELF grant, RUCS-Newark installed two wireless network hubs in the South Wing of the 2nd Floor to support Internet access for laptop users. Authentication is by Rutgers email accounts and passwords. The network signal is actually strong enough to be picked up in parts South Wing of the 1st Floor!

Through a Newark Campus ELF grant, the Dana Room has been equipped with a networked PC, a VCR, and various controls on a podium/lectern with wheels, enabling the room to serve as a Smart Classroom. A new ceiling-mounted LCD projector has also been installed. This unit is smaller but brighter than the previous LCD projector in that room.

Ryan Womack, Roberta Tipton, and Wen-Hua Ren helped me teach a five-week business information literacy course that I had developed during my sabbatical in the Spring of 2003. "Business Plan Research, 22:135:581," was required of all first-year MBA students this past academic year, and was integrated into another five-week course, "Writing a Business Plan, 22:135:582," taught by Bernadette Tiernan of the New Jersey Small Business Development Center. In return, the Rutgers Business School provided compensation for Dana Library to hire a temporary reference librarian. One result of teaching the RBS course was my being invited to present a half-day workshop on developing a marketing plan for business plans to clients of the New Jersey Small Business Development Center.

I was elected Chair of the Web Advisory Committee, and served as the Newark representative to the Technical Services Council 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 many new hires this year, including Sherry Bafour, Nedad Dukic, Marvin Flores, Keiann Gravesande, Katoya Jackson, Shelly Jones, Jorge Medina, Patrick Moliere, Shewetal Pandit, Shirley Salvi, Munir Samad, Katie Sisco, and Zachary Znidarsic. They joined Chris Berberabe, Pascale Dardignac, Henry Gantt, Sherwin Gorrick, Larry Jones, Sanjay Kulchandra, Andrew Onyewueni, and Lisa Stewart from last year. Kenneth Johnson continued as Dana Library Site Manager to oversee the staffing and operation of the two CIF labs, and his assistant was Larry Jones.

GOALS & OBJECTIVES FOR FY2003/04

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

To revise the Webpages of the RBS Business CyberLibrary

To assist in the planning of the CIIT
KNA: 8 July 03