Multimedia Resources Department Annual Report 2003-2004
Multimedia Resources Department
Harry A. Sprague Library
MontclairStateUniversity
ANNUAL REPORT 2003-2004
August 5, 2004
Summary
The Multimedia Resources Department has improved its access to materials by equipping each viewing room with a DVD player as well as a VHS player. Further, each room now has a 16 ½-inch television screen for viewing films, replacing the last of the 11-inch screens. The listening rooms are now equipped with locks, and one of the rooms has new audio equipment.
Further access to materials is provided through ImageScan software, which allows patrons to e-mail or ftp images from microfilm and microfiche. This service is accessible on two stations in the reader/printer area. The Department has also begun making transparencies, for those who use that medium in presentations.
Usage has increased steadily in Room 029, which houses computers allowing students to develop multimedia presentations for the classroom. Information Technology has begun lending laptops from the Multimedia area.
The Department’s personnel changed as one hourly employee left because of an internship with her college. A replacement was hired, who left after three weeks. A search is underway for another hourly employee. One of our full-time employees was on medical leave for ten weeks in the fall of 2003.
Film Festival
In conjunction with the Global Education Department, Sprague Library held a film festival in the spring, featuring five films with the theme “The Many Faces of Islam.” Speakers opened each film and discussed them afterwards. The first speaker had worked with the director whose film he introduced, which resulted in new insights on that film.
Student Usage
The viewing rooms are heavily used. Students watch videos both to better understand course work andbecause they are assigned by professors. We have enough rooms to handle student need, except for the end of the semester, when the whole library is utilized to the maximum. Teachers are putting many more videos on reserve. Therefore, we have shifted materials in the video area to make one wall of shelvingavailable for video reserves. Interestingly, although music students are able to check out compact disks, they often prefer to listen to the music in one of Multimedia Department’s listening rooms. This summer we upgraded the audio equipment in one of the listening rooms and plan to upgrade the other rooms on a staggered schedule.
Access to CD-ROMs
The Department has supplied a computer which allows students to work with data CD-ROMs. Because of heavy use of the viewing rooms, the computer was moved to a vacant listening room. One professor has her students work with a CD-ROM every semester. Other students also use the computer for CD-ROM applications.
Security
Deadbolts have been installed on the four listening room doors. These doors are soundproof and unusually thick, which made securing locks for them more difficult. Now that the doors can be locked, we have begun to purchase high-quality audio equipment. One room has already been upgraded.
The Fire Marshal gave a presentation at the Library. He returned to discuss some Multimedia concerns, which resulted in a more secure area. Det. Sgt. Kieran Barrett from the University Police came to Multimedia to discuss security concerns and made recommendations, which included installing a panic button and setting up video surveillance of the public service area.
Equipment and Software
ImageScan software is operational on two reader/printers. One of the machines allows e-mailing microformat images, the other sends images by ftp. In the near future we hope to have e-mail enabled on that machine also.
Every viewing room now has a DVD player in addition to the TV monitor and VHS player. Our collection policy calls for purchasing DVDs when possible, and the viewing rooms needed to reflect this. Also, as student viewing has increased, we returned one room to a viewing room which had been used for computer applications. A vacant listening room now houses two computers where students can use data cd-roms.
Information for Students
The Department has installed a bulletin board in the public area. We post announcements like tutoring services, schedules for dining areas and shuttles, and similar information which would be of interest to students. The Department has also installed a pamphlet holder, which has instructions for searching databases, library hours, and similar information.
Film Studies
The Film Studies section of the English Department has assumed the ordering and returning of rental films it uses. The Department continues to help other departments in film ordering and returns.
Personnel
One full-time employee was on medical disability from July 28 to Oct. 13, 2003. One hourly employee was unable to work during the spring semester but has returned to work for the summer. An hourly employee was hired in June but received a full-time job offer shortly after beginning work here, which she accepted. The Department used to have four hourly employees. Given the amount of illness and injury which assails employees in this area, I recommend that we return to four hourly employees as soon as it becomes financially feasible.
Interdepartmental Cooperation
Marilyn Jack-Brown continues to assist the Reference Department in its Interlibrary Loan office. Howard Farrands helped the Periodicals Department on Sunday mornings until a student worker became available; he is willing to continue to help if needed. Anita Daniel assists the Reference Department by working on the Reference Desk two hours a week and is the Geochrome coordinator.
Janether Bryant from the Reference Department has come to Multimedia to begin to learn some of the Departmental procedures, to help in the Department mornings.
Challenges
Challenges for the coming year will include learning to work with Sirsi in its new version. This software package has made the Department more aware of the need to teach each other what we have learned. As we discover ways to make the system operate in a more useful way, we also see how teaching each other makes the whole Department work better.
Future Goals
There is equipment which the Multimedia Department should have. A dual-deck VCR would enable us to copy tapes, which we are occasionally asked to do. Cable or satellite television hookup would permit us to show worthy programming and to stay abreast of news. This kind of media access would also be valuable in the Library’s lobby area.
Carpeting in the microform is very worn and ragged; Linoleum flooring would look better and be easier to clean. With greatly diminished use of microfilm and microfiche, compact shelving would be a way to consolidate and open the space to another use, like a small auditorium for films.
When a new door is purchased for the shipping area to the paved area outside the Library, a door with a peephole would be good to have. Multimedia Department employees are expected to open the back door when the doorbell is rung and maintenance people are no longer on duty. If there were a peephole, employees would be able to inspect who they were opening the door to, before the door is opened, which would be a good safety measure.
We already sell video- and audiotapes to students. We would like to make burnable compact disks and floppy disks available as well.
PERSONNEL
Anita Daniel, Head, Multimedia Resources; hired May 1996
Memberships
American Library Association
Documents Association of New Jersey
Middle Eastern Librarians Association
Committees, Library
Collection Management Resources Team
Library/Faculty Liaison
Archaeology
Economics and Finance
School of Conservation
Library Home Page Committee
Library Personnel Action Committee
Montclarion Digitization Task Force
Committees, University
Global Education “Spanish Speaking World” Committee
University Planning Committee
Conferences and Workshops
VALE Users’ Conference, 1/7/04
Census Data Workshop at Wm.PatersonUniversity, 2/13/04
Civil Service Workshop, 4/20/04
Rutgers Remote Sensing Workshop, 5/14/04
Palinet Workshop on “Digitizing Your Special Collections”5/19/04
Classes and Demonstrations
Creating a Template, 7/24/03
MS Publisher, 8/12/03
Word Creating Tables, 8/18/03
ProQuest Database Demonstration, 10/17/03
Excel Charting and Graphing,10/22/03
Beginning Access, 11/13/03
Excel Tips and Tricks, 11/19/03
Intermediate Access, 11/20/03
Format and Organize Lengthy Documents, 1/21/04
FileMaker Pro, 1/23/04
Preparing Professional Looking Documents, 2/18/04
Excel Workshop, 3/17/04
Other
Participated in a Rutgers initiative to develop online training for Library Assistants. Met with interviewer, supervised worker Marilyn Jack-Brown who did the online course.
Conducted a five-night film festival in conjunction with the Global Education Department, on “The Many Faces of the Muslim World” (2/25, 3/10, 3/24, 4/7, 4/21)
Updated webliography “Weather” for the Browse Topics page mounted by OklahomaStateUniversity for the Government Printing Office
(12/03 and 6/04)
Participated in a mock interview class as an interviewer for Business students, at the request of Kristin Cuccio, an undergraduate Business student
Accompanied Fulbright scholar to the School of Conservation (April 19, 2004)
And to the Metropolitan Museum of Art to meet Prof. Senta German (4/14/04)
Helped prepare bibliographies for Sokol Lectures given by Laurie Garrett (10/7/03) and Rita Colwell (3/31/04)
Hunter Jones, Principal Library Assistant; hired March 1989
Conference
6/7-8/04NJALA Conference, Seton Hall, South Orange, N.J.
Workshops
8/13/03Supervisor’s Workshop for Student Assistants
10/22/03Charting in Microsoft Excel
1/9/04Net Libraries
1/12/04All Together Different Diversity Training
1/23/04FileMaker Pro Training
5/20/04All Staff Library Retreat
Marilyn Jack-Brown, Senior Library Assistant; hired January 1997
Participation
9/03-2/04Participated in RutgersUniversity’s online library assistant’s training program
Conferences
4/19-20/04Spoke at the Connecticut Library Association’s Annual Conference in Mystic, CT
5/19/04Attended literary award ceremony at Drumthwacket, Princeton, N.J.
5//24-25/04Attended Virginia Library Association Paraprofessional Forum, Richmond, VA
6/7-8/04Attended New Jersey Association of Library Assistants annual conference
6/23-29/04Attended American Library Association annual conference in Orlando, Fla.
Workshops
1/9/04NetLibrary Workshop at Sprague Library
1/12/04Multicultural Diversity Workshop at the StudentCenter
5/20/04Sprague Library Retreat
Karen Rock-Agard
Conference
6/7-8/04New Jersey Association of Library Assistants
Workshops
1/12/04All Together Different diversity training
1/230/4FileMaker Pro training
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