Jim Robertson

University Web Services
445 Fenster Hall
New Jersey Institute of Technology
323 Martin Luther King, Jr., Blvd.
Newark, NJ 07102-1982
(973) 596-5695
james.c.robertson@njit.edu

Employment

Director of University Web Services, Jul 2006 to present
New Jersey Institute of Technology, Newark, NJ

  • Responsible for management of NJIT's public web sites
  • Reports directly to NJIT's president
  • Office was newly formed in Jul 2006
  • Office provides content, design, development and site maintenance for the NJIT web site
  • Office provides training and direction for unit web content coordinators, authors, and editors on content writing and Content Management System use
  • Office performs research and analysis through site reviews, usability studies, web traffic analytics, link tracking, online surveys
  • Office develops policies and best-practices for the NJIT website development and content
  • Office supports faculty web course development and instructional design (including NJIT's Learning Management Systems)
  • Launched new website design, information architecture, and Content Management System in academic year 2006-07

Assistant University Librarian, Mar 2001 to Jun 2006
Robert W. Van Houten Library, New Jersey Institute of Technology, Newark, NJ

  • Manage the library's integrated library system (Endeavor's Voyager and EnCompass systems), OpenURL link resolver, web pages and applications
  • Share overall responsibility for the NJIT libraries with the University Librarian
  • Supervise circulation staff and operations
  • Supervise cataloging, acquisitions, and technical processing staff and operations
  • Supervise technology and digital staff and services
  • Supervise Director of the Architecture Library
  • Represent the library in the university-wide TLT (Teaching, Learning, and Technology) Center

Director of the Architecture Library and Director of Library Technology, Aug 1999 to Feb 2001
Robert W. Van Houten Library, New Jersey Institute of Technology, Newark, NJ

While continuing my duties as Director of the Architecture Library (see below), I also:

  • Planned, budgeted, and implemented all library technology
  • Supervised the Systems Librarian
  • Developed and motivated library staff in the creation and use of shared information on the library's LAN
  • Shared overall NJIT library management responsibilities with the other members of the Management Team (University Librarian, Assistant University Librarian, and Director of Projects and Grants)

Director of the Architecture Library, Jul 1996 to Feb 2001
Architecture Library, New Jersey Institute of Technology, Newark, NJ

  • Responsible for the day-to-day running of the Architecture Library, a branch of the main university library. Reported to the University Librarian
  • Provided architecture reference service, educate library users, and develop services and resources for the Architecture Library
  • Maintained an active liaison program with School of Architecture faculty, researchers, and staff
  • Developed the Architecture Library collections—books, journals, maps, indexes and abstracts, and remote and local electronic resources
  • Managed the Architecture Library Coordinator
  • Assisted in planning and designing new Architecture Library (1996-1997), and coordinated successful move into same (Jan 1998).
  • Led Architecture Library through the successful accreditation of the School of Architecture by the National Architectural Accrediting Board (Feb 1997)
  • Created a web-based slide image database and display tool in MS Access, ColdFusion, and JavaScript. Migrated architecture faculty from analog 35 mm slides to digital image presentations
  • Performed as Acting Architecture Librarian for twelve months (Jul 1996 to Jun 1997) before appointment was made permanent and position upgraded to management

Technical Reference Librarian, Sep 1992 to June 1996
Robert W. Van Houten Library, New Jersey Institute of Technology, Newark, NJ

  • Provided comprehensive library service to students, faculty, researchers, and staff in civil engineering, engineering technology, materials science, physics, and transportation
  • Maintained active liaison program with university faculty, researchers, and staff in those five areas
  • Developed print, non-print, and electronic collections in those five areas
  • Performed general reference services in all subject areas
  • Established customized UnCover service—library provides access to the UnCover database and unmediated, fully-subsidized, direct-to-customer ordering of its faxed articles to NJIT students, faculty, and staff. Maintained, monitored, and evaluated our customers’ use behavior of that service
  • Served as one of two library staff on university-wide committee to select the NJIT library director (spring 1995)
  • Chaired library committee to fill newly created Systems Librarian position (spring 1996)
  • Designed and managed the library's web pages
  • Led journal reclassification project (summer 1993). Developed an original algorithm to calculate the physical rearrangement of journals into the new classification scheme. Directed library staff through rearrangement process


Education

Publications

Interviewed in: Pergander, Mary. Positions of transition: why do some librarians switch careers? (part one of two). American Libraries, Aug 2007, p. 78. PDF file available at web.njit.edu/~robertso/2007-08-01-americanlibraries.pdf.

Robertson, Jim. How to conduct precedent research for a studio design project using the BArTLES acronym (Building, Architect, Type, Location, Era, Style). Chapter (pp. 146-151) in Library Instruction for Students in Design Disciplines: Scenarios, Exercises, Techniques. Jeanne Brown (ed.). ARLIS/NA (Occasional Papers series; no. 13). 2002. PDF file available at web.njit.edu/~robertso/lib-instruction-for-design-disciplines.pdf

Schwartz, Charles A. Restructuring serials management to generate new resources and services--with commentaries on restructurings at three institutions. College and research libraries, Mar 1998 (vol. 59, no. 2) pp.115-128. (Three accompanying commentaries written by Joel Rutstein, Colorado State University; Melvin G. DeSart and Rachel Miller, University of Kansas; and James Robertson, New Jersey Institute of Technology. PDF file available at web.njit.edu/~robertso/1998-03-crl.pdf

Robertson, Jim. References for writers [annotated bibliography as an appendix] in Professional writing: tasks for undergraduate students in technological universities by Norbert Elliot and Robert Lynch. 1st edition: Needham Heights, MA; Ginn Press, 1993. 2nd edition: Needham Heights, MA; Simon and Schuster, 1997. PDF file of 2nd edition available at web.njit.edu/~robertso/ref-for-writers.pdf.



Presentations

» Many of my presentations can be found at web.njit.edu/~robertso/presentations.

Luminis CMS Dashboards & Reports (presented with John White, Ithaca College), Sungard Summit, Anaheim, CA, Apr 14, 2008. Presentation available at web.njit.edu/~robertso/presentations.

From the Amazon to the North Pole: Touring Library Services in the Web 2.0 Era, invited keynote speaker, Nylink Annual Meeting, Saratoga Springs, NY, May 2007. Conference website at http://64.129.28.50/events/amtg07agenda.cfm.

Technology Innovation in Academic Libraries: Rocking the Boat or Unfurling the Sails? (a panel discussion with Mary Mallery, Nancy Davenport, and Eric Schnell) ACRL National Conference, Baltimore, Mar 2007. Session website at www.njla.org/njacrl/TechInnovPanel2007.html.

Web 2.0 and the Library: a panel discussion (with Edward Corrado, Linda Dempf, Irene Herold, and Heather Moulaison) Technology and Library Services: Meeting Today's Users' Needs, (Princeton University, NJLA, and ACRL/NJ), Princeton University, Mar 2007. Conference website at library.princeton.edu/conferences/techlibservices/.

Social Software and Libraries: what pieces of the puzzle do we need to know and how do they fit into the big picture? (invited presentation) (with Ed Corrado, College of New Jersey) Tri-State College Library Cooperative, Technology Workshop Series, West Chester, PA, Dec 2006.

Social Software and Libraries: learn why you should care about wikis, blogs, folksonomies, and more (invited presentation) (with Ed Corrado, College of New Jersey) PALINET Annual Conference, Harrisburg, PA, Oct 2006.

Social Software and Libraries: what you should know; why you should care (with Ed Corrado, College of New Jersey) NJLA/NJ-ACRL chapter presentation, College of New Jersey, Jun 2006.

Emulating Amazon: what lessons can we learn; what can we apply. 2006 Endeavor User's Conference, Chicago, IL, Apr 2006.

Live Help in Voyager. 2006 Endeavor User's Conference, Chicago, IL, Apr 2006.

Social Software and Libraries: what you should know; why you should care (with Ed Corrado, College of New Jersey) 2006 Endeavor User's Conference, Chicago, IL, Apr 2006.

Lipstick on a Pig: Seven ways to improve the sex life of your OPAC. 2006 Code4Lib Conference, Corvallis, OR, Feb 2006.

NJIT's Scopus Implementation (invited presentation) (with Haymwantee Singh, NJIT) 2005 Scopus Colloqium, Rome, Italy, Nov 2005.

Innovation by Design: reflections and a manifesto on Endeavor's 10th annivesary 2005 Endeavor User's Conference, Chicago, IL, Apr 2005.

Out of the Box: servicing your users on their terms and on their turf (with Kurt Wagner, William Paterson University) 2005 Endeavor User's Conference, Chicago, IL, Apr 2005.

Copyright, Fair Use, and the TEACH Act. (with Ken Ronkowitz, NJIT) webcast to state of NJ, eminating from Montclair State University, NJ, Feb 2005.

NextGen catalogs (with Kurt Wagner, William Pateron University) NJ Council of Academic Library Directors invited presentation, Caldwell Collge, Sep 2004.

Copyright, Fair Use, and the TEACH Act. Ethics and Legal Issues Symposium, College of St. Elizabeth, Convent Station, NJ, Dec 2003.

Using ColdFusion to Write Web-Based Applications and Reports Against the Voyager Tables. 2003 Endeavor User's Conference, Chicago, IL, Apr 2003.

Advanced Digital Projects. 2002 VALE Users' Conference, Rutgers University, Jan 2002.

Copyright and plagairism. Sponsored by the NJIT TLT (Teaching, Learning, and Technology) Center. Presented multiple times per year from 2000-onwards (tri-annual NJIT Teaching, Learning, and Technology Faculty Institutes; NJIT Distance Learning Committee, etc.). Newark, NJ. Online at www.library.njit.edu/publications/copyright/index.html

The internet for affirmative action officers. Sponsored by the New Jersey Affirmative Action Officers Roundtable. Mar 1995. Newark, NJ.

Setting up a web/gopher server: a workshop (with Al Leurk, NJIT). Sponsored by the New Jersey Intercampus Network, Library and Networking Committee. Mar 1995. New Brunswick, NJ.

» Many of my presentations can be found at web.njit.edu/~robertso/presentations.



Other

Invited outsider reviewer, James Madison University, Libraries and Educational Technologies, Harrisonburg, VA, Jan 2006.
Visited university as part of six-member review team. Co-wrote final post-visit External Review Team Report.

Interviewed, Palinet Technology Podcast, Jan 2006.
Link to interview | Download MP3

2006 Frye Leadership Institute, Atlanta, GA, Jun 2006.
Nominated by NJIT Provost. One of 44 internationally invited to attend (out of 200+ nominees). Two week residential institute on leadership in higher education. Mix of middle management librarians, IT, and educational technologists. Sponsored by CLIR (Council of Library and Information Resources), EDUCAUSE, and Emory University. Frye website at www.fryeinstitute.org.

2005 Technology Innovation Award winner.
Awarded annually by NJLA/NJACRL (NJ Library Association / NJ Association of College and Research Libraries) Technology Committee. Invited presentation at NJLA/NJACRL annual conference, Apr 2005, Long Branch, NJ.

VALE-NJ Website Committee, 2005-2006.
VALE-NJ is the NJ statewide academic library consortium. On committee to redesign website in 2005 and maintain site ongoing. Website both provides news and policies to members and gateways to shared resources (e.g., fulltext databases, union catalog, etc.) VALE-NJ website is at www.valenj.org.

Co-leader of the TLT (Teaching, Learning, and Technology) Center, New Jersey Institute of Technology, 2000-2004.
Coordinate with co-leaders from NJIT's Media Services and Academic Computing departments to offer workshops, information, and resources to faculty to aid them in appropriate use of technology in teaching at NJIT. TLT website at www.njit.edu/tlt.

Webmaster, AASL (Association of Architecture School Librarians), 2000-2006.
Maintain society's website at www.library.njit.edu/archlib/aasl. Respond to queries; maintain member database. Created cross-reference list to Architectural Review's Profiles series. Created This Week in Architecture calendar-based web application.

1996 Snowbird Leadership Institute, Snowbird, UT.
One of 32 nationally invited to attend the annual six-day institute which seeks to cultivate the leadership skills of early-career librarians who have shown leadership potential.

Board of Directors, New York Metropolitan chapter of ASIS (American Society for Information Science), 1993-1997
Served in various capacities, including newsletter editor, webmaster, and on the programming committee.

(resume last updated: June 2008)