Originally published in the NJAL Newsletter for Fall 2025.

SCARLA is the Student College, Academic and Research Libraries Association at Rutgers University. For the Fall 2025 semester, SCARLA has focused on building and strengthening our community by offering support and connection through open dialogue and information sharing. Our three major events this semester have focused on asking questions, offering support, and the current challenges we are facing as librarians.

First, we celebrated ALA’s Banned Books Week during October with our Celebrating Intellectual Freedom open-mic where participants shared the words of authors whose work has left a profound impact on them. We discussed ALA’s State of America’s Library report and the rise in book challenges from organized movements and people in positions of power. These pressure groups have become the majority of those who challenge books. Participants also shared resources for getting involved in resisting these attempts at censorship and their personal library experiences with book challenges. For this event, we partnered with LISSA, the Library and Information Science Student Association at Rutgers University.

For our second event, we were so excited to invite Jay Singley for a CritLib discussion of their investigation into censorship in AI research assistant tools. Jay wrote the ACRLog blog post “We Couldn’t Generate an Answer for Your Question” and discussed the apparent censorship of topics related to marginalized peoples. We had a lively discussion about our responsibility as librarians to keep a critical eye on the tools we use for research and discovery and their effects on the communities we work with. Jay also offered a peek inside their journey from idea to research to publication for the students interested in professional writing.

And third, recent Rutgers MI graduates Chelsea Rizzolo, Lisa Thornton, and Taylor Baugher joined us to answer students’ questions about searching for jobs, career
experiences, and how their time at Rutgers supported their work. Navigating the transition from school to finding a first librarian job can be an intimidating process, and we were happy to bring guests who could offer practical tips and insight to current students.

Some of our smaller happenings were the two general meetings we hosted for students to gather and have a less structured conversation. We are also in the process of doing a major website renovation to make sure that our group is offering the most up-to-date information on our events, organization, and helpful resources for students. We are excited to soon celebrate the end of this busy semester and plan for the spring.

SCARLA is the graduate student organization at Rutgers University dedicated to academic and research librarianship; it is affiliated with the NJAL College and University Section and the New Jersey Chapter of ACRL. For more information, including details about upcoming events, visit https://scarla.rutgers.edu. If you are interested in connecting with SCARLA, you can email rutgers.scarla@gmail.com or join the listserv by sending an email to comminfo_scarla-join@email.rutgers.edu, with the word “subscribe” as the subject line. Check your spam folder if you do not receive an email. If you have an employment or internship opportunity you would like to post to the SC&I Job Board, please email details to Ildi Koczan, Assistant Director of Student Services for Careers at ildi.koczan@rutgers.edu.

by Lauren Gaudite

This past November, SCARLA hosted a career panel featuring Chelsea Rizzolo, Lisa Thornton, and Taylor Baugher, three Rutgers MI alumni who work in academic libraries. As a current Rutgers MI student, I know I am not alone in my constant underlying anxieties about finding my place in the workforce following graduation. However, I find that every opportunity to be a part of any sort of “intergenerational” sharing between those who have been through the program and those who are currently going through it is a deeply enriching way to quell those anxieties. Rather than pushing them to the side, it allows for productive conversations around how to utilize my time in the MI program to strengthen my skills, build connections, and enter into the job search and academic librarian workforce with confidence.

This event was a great opportunity to have these intergenerational moments for sharing. Collectively, our panelists showed the connections between their time in the MI program and their current work and shared unique insights into the world of academic librarianship. The panelists talked about how the things they learned in classes like Search and the Information Landscape (530), Information Technologies (55)0, and Reference Sources and Services (540) play directly into their everyday job functions and gave them the foundation for understanding and performing various responsibilities. Another common theme was the importance of getting involved: following various listservs, utilizing the Rutgers SC&I job board, and getting involved in organizations (like SCARLA!) is a hugely beneficial way to learn about and prepare for different opportunities.

While I know that the importance of school work, involvement, and networking can’t be stated enough, I also know that it’s not necessarily new advice. With that said, what was most interesting about this panel were the specific insights gained into the world of academic librarianship. This information isn’t built into typical MI curriculum or SC&I programming. However, it is incredibly important for students to learn about and understand. Entering into the world of academia doesn’t look the same as other sorts of library jobs. One major difference is the unique academic interview process, called the “job talk”. This is often a full-day or multi-day process, in which you meet with various levels of library leadership and prepare a presentation on a topic relevant to your position. Our panelists demystified this process and gave some useful advice, such as the importance of tailoring your job talk presentation to the visual brand of the institution for which you are applying. Our panelists also discussed the various tracks you can enter as an academic librarian. Academic librarian positions can either be tenure or non-tenure track. It’s important to know which sort of position you are applying for, and, if you are on a tenure track, to be aware of the research and/or service expectations that are a part of your position so that you can stay on track.

Overall, the exchange of insight, questions, and advice from this panel was an incredible way to connect with alumni and build confidence as I forge my way through the MI program. The job search, and the specific complications of the academic world, can certainly be stressful to think about. However, the more I learn about the process and how to approach it, the more my stress has been able to turn into excitement. Thank you so much to our panelists, and a huge shoutout to SCARLA’s secretary Tallulah Pentecost for her leadership in setting up this fantastic event!

by Adrianna Bugliarello-Wondrich

Since 1982, the American Library Association has hosted its annual Banned Books Week in response to rising numbers of book challenges in libraries, schools, and bookstores. The ALA is a founding member of the Banned Books Week Coalition, which aims to “increase awareness about censorship attempts and to encourage the defense of the freedom to read.”

Today, most book censorship attempts originate from organized movements, which initiate 72% of all challenges to books in school and public libraries. Parents account for only 10% of challenges, while individual users account for 5%. The top cited reasons for challenges, provided by complainants, were claims of illegal obscenity for minors; inclusion of LGBTQIA+ characters or themes; and topics of race, racism, equity, or social justice.

The ALA has reported a spike in book challenges since 2021. In 2023, a record 1,247 attempts to challenge books and other library materials were reported, the highest since the ALA began tracking in 1990. ALA’s Office of Intellectual Freedom (OIF) recorded 821 attempts to censor library books in 2024, with 2,452 unique titles challenged.

In honor of Banned Books Week, SCARLA will be teaming up with LISSA to host a free flowing discussion & open mic night celebrating the right to intellectual freedom on Monday, October 6. Click here to register for the event on Zoom, sign up for the open mic, or add your thoughts and videos to SCARLA’s Celebrating Intellectual Freedom padlet.

Visit ALA’s Let Freedom Read Day! webpage to learn more about how you can take action any day of the year to defend against censorship.

by Christina Oster

After saying farewell to (and congratulating!) the graduating executive board at the end of the fall 2024 semester, SCARLA, the Student College, Academic and Research Libraries Association at Rutgers University, leaped into spring 2025 with a single member, namely me. As the newly-incoming President, I, Lauren Gaudite, was excited to welcome fresh faces, start the collaboration process anew, and bring Rutgers MI students both timely and community-inspired events.

SCARLA kicked off the year with a general meeting hoping to recruit new members and fill out the executive board. The event featured a discussion on what exactly academic librarianship is and can be, and the multi-faceted career paths available in the field. A major highlight of the meeting was an overview of Rutgers MI classes that future academic librarians should consider while navigating the program. Post-meeting, several students reached out expressing their interest in joining the board.  SCARLA is excited to announce the addition of Adrianna Bugliarello-Wondrich, vice-president; Ashli Aaron, treasurer; Tallulah Pentecost, secretary; and Christina Oster, member-at-large.

On March 25th, SCARLA held a CritLib discussion on the ethics of AI and real-world research. The focus of the event was Joost Mollen’s December 2024 article “LLMs beyond the lab: the ethics and epistemics of real-world AI research” – chosen for the increased interest in AI in academic librarianship and research, as well as the timeliness of the publication. The lively discussion examined Mollen’s analyzes of the application of the research process while using LLMs in a real-world setting and both its epistemic value and ethical considerations: non-maleficence, beneficence, respect for autonomy, and distributive justice. According to Mollen, there are two pathways forward: ethical compliance & regulation and moral education & cultivation. The robust conversation delved into research studies conducted in academic librarianship, potential AI applications in academic institutions, and the ethical concerns outlined by Mollen. Dr. Marie L. Radford, celebrated researcher and SCARLA’s faculty advisor, offered her expert opinion based on years of experience in the field.

Brimming with event and meeting ideas for the fall, SCARLA’s board is excited to meet for the final time this semester to begin planning, say farewell to beloved faculty advisor, Dr. Marie L. Radford, and welcome Dr. Nancy Kranich into the role.

Dr. Marie Radford, SCARLA’s faculty advisor, will be retiring July 1, 2025, and SCARLA wishes to add one more voice to the chorus singing her praises. Read the full announcement to learn more about her illustrious career as a researcher, professor, author, and mentor. In 2024, Dr. Radford won the Rutgers–New Brunswick Chancellor Award for Excellence in Mentoring, and the members of SCARLA have benefitted greatly from her dedication to sharing her wisdom, counsel, and encouragement over the years. Serving as a touchstone between the ever-changing flow of students through SCARLA’s membership and the MI program itself, it has been an absolute pleasure to have had her guidance. Two recent Rutgers and SCARLA alumni had these words to honor Marie:

“Marie played a pivotal role throughout my MI experience at Rutgers. As my academic advisor, she gave clear guidance and feedback on course selection each semester, helping me prioritize classes that I still reference today as a librarian at UPenn. As faculty advisor for SCARLA, she was always eager to connect me and the rest of the executive board with other academic librarians — from recent graduates to colleagues and key scholars in LIS. Her love for the profession was always evident, and I’m so grateful to have gotten to be one of her many mentees.” – Victoria Sun (MI ’23), Business and Research Support Librarian at the University of Pennsylvania and former president of SCARLA

“Marie Radford is known for her writing, teaching, and scholarship, but her super-power must be her limitless capacity for mentorship. She is unfailingly generous in sharing resources and connections that will benefit her students and colleagues, as I know from personal experience. As advisor to SCARLA, she encouraged agency of student leaders while also supporting them steadfastly. She’ll be much missed at SC&I and beyond for her kind, collegial spirit.” – Maryalice Rocks (MI ‘24), Grant Specialist at Rutgers University and former SCARLA treasurer.

While sad to say farewell to Dr. Radford, SCARLA is excited to welcome Dr. Nancy Kranich into the faculty advisor role.

I have to say fielding questions at the reference desk is probably one of my favorite things about librarianship. The questions at Montclair State University are usually academic and student driven (which I really enjoy), but the process of the reference interview is something that can cross over into many other areas of the profession. In addition, I like the face to face interaction, as much as the virtual interaction with the students and faculty. Overall I would have to say the concept of searching, helping and interacting is really a rewarding one.

Since we live in such fast paced culture, where people usually Google their questions away, I think it is all the more important that we, as reference librarians, know our stuff and know how to find it. So we need to know when and where to look for the answers to the questions posed to us. Although not every periodical and book is digitized, the fact that there are digital and analog choices, assists our efforts in getting people the information they need in an expedited manner. During my tenure at this MSU, as well as a student at Rutgers, I’ve created my own “go to list” of databases, websites and resources, so I could better assist patrons with their questions.

Here’s the thing about work the reference desk:  you never know what kind of question you will get! It’s actually exciting. I get to learn, dig and explore like an archeologist, except my job is a lot less messy. But that is what I enjoy most about the experience; the journey of discovery and in the end helping someone achieve their own academic goals. This is what makes working the reference desk in an academic setting so interesting; one day I could be helping a student find articles on a sociological subject and the next I’m helping them find resources on rare art from the Ming Dynasty. The possibilities are always shifting, which makes the experience all the more fulfilling and challenging.

~ Maria Russo, mar454@scarletmail.rutgers.edu