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Office of the Dean

Message from the Dean

Hello, I’m Dr. John Buschman, Dean of University Libraries and Associate Provost for Research and Innovation.  I extend a special welcome to the first-year class of 2027 and to our new graduate students. We hope you will visit the Walsh Library in South Orange and the IHS Library in Nutley throughout your academic career. Our librarian team in Nutley provides innovative support and resources for Seton Hall’s College of Nursing and SHMS students, as well as serving the Hackensack Meridian School of Medicine, including a modern Information Commons for collaboration.

University Libraries’ most valuable resource is its team of Librarians and staff. Liaison Librarians on both campuses for every subject are available to answer questions remotely or by appointment. Whether you are writing your first research paper or ready to submit your thesis, our Librarians are here to assist you. The knowledgeable staff at the Walsh Circulation desk is always ready to help you with locating and reserving materials (both in our collections and through our Interlibrary Loan program).

We are always striving to make Walsh Library a comfortable, enriching space on campus for all students. On that note, we are getting updated furniture for all group study rooms in Walsh Library, as well as new Surface Hub interactive whiteboard technology this academic year. We hope students enjoy these enhancements to the study rooms.

Both libraries support our vibrant and varied SHU community to promote Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility with over 25 Research Guides. The resources provide resource guidance for social justice, race, ethnicity, and gender. We hope student organizations help us to disseminate this information and that faculty post relevant guides in their syllabi this year. Students are invited to co-author these resources in conjunction with our librarians and staff. We encourage student organizations to reach out to our liaison librarians (South Orange) and for resources to support their initiatives and opportunities to utilize our space.

The Wellness Room in Walsh Library, created in conjunction with CAPS, is a private space designed to help improve the mental health and well-being of SHU students. This room offers a calming space for students to unplug, recenter, and practice mindfulness when feeling stressed or to conduct a therapy appointment in a quiet, private setting. Also, we continually strive to improve resource and space usability to ensure they are ADA compliant.

Also in South Orange, the 24-Hour Study Room (located next to Dunkin’ on the 2nd floor) is a haven for commuters and residential students who need a well-lit location in which to study, day or night. During Library hours, the Silent Study Room is an option for those who need a quiet space.

The Archives and Special Collections, including Walsh Gallery, is located on the first floor of Walsh Library. The SHU Community is welcome to utilize physical and digital collections to enhance the classroom experiences or research projects. Please watch for our new Time Machines initiative this Fall to give undergraduates paid research opportunities in the Archives.

Our growing Data Services team sponsors the DataLab, which is also an experiential learning program for student. Our Data Services team is growing, and the team is available for data consultations and tracking software needs for students and faculty.

 

Hazard Zet Forward,

Dr. John Buschman

Dean of University Libraries

Associate Provost, Research and Innovation

Libraries Administration:

 Lisa DeLuca is the Assistant Dean for Public Services and an Associate Professor. Prior to this role, Lisa served as the Social Sciences Librarian at Seton Hall creating innovative research support strategies   She also co-managed the SHU Institutional Repository to promote scholarly communication initiatives within the University.  She co-created and co-manages the Data Services Department based on increased demand for data support on campus with library faculty.  She earned her MPA from Seton Hall University, her MLIS from Rutgers University, and a Bachelor of Science from Cornell University. Lisa’s research interests include government information, open data and civic technology.  Prior to SHU, Lisa was a product manager for equity trading systems.

 Christopher Duffy is the Associate Dean of the Interprofessional Health Sciences Library at the IHS campus in Nutley, NJ. Prior to joining SHU, he was the Director of Library Services and Continuing Education at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital in Somerville, NJ. He holds his MLIS degree from Rutgers University. Chris has served in numerous roles on the board of the Health Sciences Library Association of New Jersey, and was elected Chair (2018-2019) of the New York-New Jersey Chapter of the Medical Library Association. He has published in the Journal of Hospital Librarianship, Creative Nursing, and Journal of Nursing Education and Practice. In 2017 he was awarded “Librarian of the Year” by the Health Sciences Library Association of New Jersey.

 Sharon Ince is the Interim Assistant Dean of Information Technology and Collection Services/Associate Professor. Sharon served as the Digital Services Librarian for fifteen years supporting new digital initiatives and co-managing the SHU Institutional Repository. She is a co-creator and co-head of the Research Data Services Department. She earned an M.A. in Educational Communication and Technology from NYU and an M.L.I.S. and B.A. in History from Rutgers University. Sharon is finishing her PhD in the Learning Sciences from the Open University of The Netherlands. Her research focuses on Scholarly Workflows and how tools and technology shape the research process. Sharon has articles published in journals such as Journal of Documentation, Information and Learning Sciences, and Journal of Academic Librarianship. 

 Sarah Ponichtera is the Assistant Dean of Special Collections and the Gallery.  She holds a PhD in Germanic Languages from Columbia University, and an MA in Comparative Literature from University of Texas at Austin, as well as being an archivist certified by the SAA.  In her previous role she served as Project Manager for the YIVO Vilna Collections Project, a co-operative endeavor between the YIVO Institute in New York and the National Library of Lithuania to digitally reunite YIVO’s pre-war archive.  She has published several Yiddish translations, as well as articles about Yiddish literature, translation, and teaching archival skills.

Tiffany Burns-O’Neill has been the Assistant to the Dean of University Libraries since 2016. An administrative professional since 1994, her most recent position prior to Seton Hall was with Pacific Gas and Electric Company in San Francisco.  Tiffany worked as a freelance writer and was a contributor to the Chicken Soup for the Soul series of books. She is a catechist with the Archdiocese of Newark and is currently enrolled in the Immaculate Conception School of Theology where she is pursuing a degree in Catholic Theology and a minor in Archaeology. She is a member of the International Society of Administrative Professionals and Theta Alpha Kappa, the national honor society for religious studies and theology.