Dr. Judit Ward and William Bejarano : The Rutgers Center of Alcohol Studies
Dues and Duties: Critical Edition of Historical Bibliographies

The Center of Alcohol Studies Library is proud to own the very first collection of alcohol literature, which calls for specific duties and responsibilities, such as maintaining and disseminating these resources in the digital age. This presentation aims to call attention to the dues that librarians and archivists must pay in order to make collections accessible with new technology, which may come with unexpected tasks. While putting together a digital archive, CAS Library staff identified a new role—namely, critically editing bibliographies of historically significant addiction researchers, since existing bibliographies were found to be incomplete and contained inaccuracies. Discussed in detail is the case of E.M. Jellinek, one of the founding fathers of alcohol studies, whose existing bibliography started only at age 50. The preceding years could not previously be addressed due to a scarcity of information and language barriers. Seizing a unique opportunity, the authors have managed to create a complete bibliography, which not only highlights Jellinek’s role in alcohol studies, but also sheds a new light on his non-alcohol-related scholarship. His complete bibliography, coupled with the full text, can open up new interpretations about his complex approach to alcohol problems.