Projects
I tend to get involved in diverse projects, juggling multiple assignments for work or for fun.
Current Projects
Digital Alcohol Studies Archives
Developing the online version of the Special Collections and Archives that used to be housed at the Alcohol Library maintained by the Information Services Division at the Center of Alcohol and Substance Use Studies, closed in December 2016. I will dedicate my sabbatical leave to this project in Spring 2023.
Books We Read
An umbrella project based in the Chang Science Library at Rutgers aiming to promote reading and library research through library resources, services, and book suggestions from students to other students. Includes a weekly blog and several other initiatives, such as
Shelf Help for the Accidental Bibliotherapist (the Librarian)
A project that assists librarians with their initiatives related to guided reading for mental health and therapeutic purposes, a.k.a. bibliotherapy. Update: Ward, J. H. & Allred, N. (2023). Bibliotherapy and Libraries: Shelf Help for the Accidental Bibliotherapist, ALA Editions, forthcoming.
Crossroads: A Bibliotherapy Reader
A volume of my new short stories with introductory articles and and discussion help in Hungarian, in press with L’Harmattan. Two were published in journals in 2021: Keresztúton (Crossroads) and Kórház a város szélén (Hospital on the outskirts).
Reopen Libraries: A Collection of New Essays
Forthcoming in 2023 is a collection of the latest essays (2015-2022) in Hungarian, previously published in professional journals. By Kalligram Press.
Translation
A technical translator and editor for hundreds of scholarly articles and a few books, I love assisting literary translators as they connect the readers in English and Hungarian (occasionally, other languages too).
The Mysteries of Elvin Morton Jellinek
A key figure in the emergence of alcohol studies as an academic discipline, Jellinek, or as he preferred to be called, Bunky, played a significant role shaping the Center of Alcohol and Substance Use Studies. My research intends to keep his ideas and legacy alive, while trying to understand the genius behind.
Past Projects
Predatory Publishing
Research and practicum to assist scholars to avoid publishing in less-than-reputable journals. This project is considered semi-retired, but I am still keeping an eye on old and new predators of science, guiding entry level researchers in their decision making process of where to publish, and I’ll continue to alert select addiction researchers of any misuse.
Publishing Addiction Science: The Librarian’s Perspective
As the Director of Information Services at the Center of Alcohol Studies at Rutgers, Field Editor for the Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs for history and infrastructure, and chair of SALIS, I had the privilege to work on this classic, open access handbook, dowloaded over 50,000 times from various platforms. I contributed to three chapters on researching addiction topics with library resources, writing articles, and choosing journals to publish them.
Ink well: A Bibliotherapy Reader
A volume of my short stories with introductory articles and discussion help in Hungarian, published by L’Harmattan in 2019.
Open Libraries: A Collection of Essays
A collection of my works geared toward Hungarian librarians (2007-2015) in Hungarian, all previously published in professional journals, cited and used for LIS college courses. By Kalligram Press.
Scholarly Selfies: Profiles in Academia
Research on managing online reputation and discoverability of individual faculty members as well as their affiliated institutions. Contact me if you are interested in improving yours or profiling others.