Susan A. Ware, Reference and Instruction Librarian at Penn State University, has been chosen as the recipient of the first RSS Service Achievement Award which will be presented to her at the annual ALA conference this June in New Orleans.
Ware was nominated for a single, significant contribution that has resulted in a positive impact upon the work of the section and toward attaining the goals of RSS. After several years of work with the Evaluation of Reference and User Services Committee on the RUSA assigned project of developing guidelines for assessment of reference services and writing a new definition of reference, Ware volunteered to take charge of the project. She regularly attended committee and board meetings, contributing information and thoughts based upon the research she had done for the project. Ware followed this seven year project through new RSS chairs, new committee chairs and members, as well as through the change from MOUSS to RSS. Her dedication to the project resulted in the Measuring and Assessing Reference Services and Resources: A Guide and led to the final unveiling of the “New Definition of Reference” at a RUSA Board meeting in January 2008. For her tremendous and outstanding work with this project, the award committee unanimously agreed that Susan is the perfect choice for the first RSS Service Achievement Award.
Lori Thornton, Chair
lori.thornton@sos.wa.gov