Ka-Neng Au
Systems/Business Librarian
John Cotton Dana Library
Annual Report
FY2004/2005

Highlights | Presentations | Research Guide | Webpages | Duties | Computing | Goals | Statistics

HIGHLIGHT

Dana Librarians contributed over four dozen new and revised library guides to support the instructional program as well as several subject research guides for the library system.

PRESENTATIONS

I was invited to do several workshops and presentations:
Au, Ka-Neng. "The Marketing Plan," Business Plan Workshop, NJ Small Business Development Center, Newark, NJ, July 9, October 29, 2004, February 18, March 26, April 29, June 24, 2005. [http://newarkwww.rutgers.edu/workshops/bpw.htm]

Au, Ka-Neng. "Dana Media Services and Digital Lab," Video Services Available to the Rutgers Community, Rutgers University Office of Instructional and Research Technologies Technology Meeting, New Brunswick, NJ, June 14, 2005.

Au, Ka-Neng. "Building Social Capital: How One Academic Library Supports Entrepreneurs," International Conference on Libraries, Penang, Malaysia, March 15, 2005. [http://newark.rutgers.edu/~au/icol.htm]

BUSINESS RESEARCH GUIDE

I am the editor and primary contributor to a twenty-one-part 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 2005, --3,124 links. [http://www.libraries.rutgers.edu/rul/rr_gateway/research_guides/busi/business.shtml]


The following are part of this Research Guide:

OTHER WEBPAGES

At RUL and at Dana, I assist my colleagues in the development of Webpages for instructional classes and reference assistance. This year, I updated the Rutgers University Library Resources and Services module on RutgersOnline, which is mirrored on the eCollege portion of the Dana Library Website. [http://newarkwww.rutgers.edu/ecollege/]

Dana Librarians created a new Research Guide ("Housing and Development Resources") and updated several others on the RUL Website:

Dana librarians were very prolific this year and 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 active machines in Newark declined to 174 (see Table A), mostly because several public access computers on the 4th floor were temporarily decommissioned. Most of these machines are to be relocated to different parts of the library in the next fiscal year. Five staff computers were upgraded as part of the RUL PC Replacement Plan this year; two went to Circulation, and one each to Technical Services, Reference, and Administration. Four other computers were upgraded in IJS.

At RUL, I continued as Chair of the Web Advisory Committee, and served as the Newark representative to the Technical Services Council as well as the PC Working Group. This year, I was appointed to the Strategic Planning Steering Committee, the Media Task Force, and the search committee for a Social Sciences Librarian at Dana.

COMPUTING

The Coordinated Instructional Facilities program, run by Newark Computing Services, maintains two open access computer labs in the Dana Library. Some two dozen computer workstations are available to students for academic computing activities as well as for access to the electronic resources on the Libraries website. Applications software on the computers include two office suites, a range of course-related instructional packages, and various image-editing programs; students can also do e-mail and transfer files to and from their e-mail accounts.

Dana Library continued to benefit from the presence of the student lab consultants in both the Reference Area and Media Services. During the school year, these students provided almost 100 hours a week of coverage. Lab consultants were also on duty during the Summer months, for about 50 hours a week. 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.

Newark Computing Services continues to maintain two wireless networks in the building, one on the first floor and the other on the second floor. Authentication is by Rutgers email accounts and passwords. The monthly average number of logins was 956 (24% increase from last year) and the monthly average number of users was 306 (67% increase). In other words, on an average day, there are ten users on the wireless network, each logging in (and out) three to four times through the day as they visit the library between classes.

GOALS & OBJECTIVES FOR FY2005/06

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

To revise the Webpages of the RBS Business CyberLibrary

To submit an article on business resources for publication
KNA: 29 August 05