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.