Susan A. Ware, Reference and Instruction Librarian at Penn State University, was presented with the first RSS Service Achievement Award during the RUSA Awards Ceremony at the annual ALA conference 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 (Management and Operation of User Services Section) 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 RSS Recognition Committee unanimously agreed that Susan is the perfect choice for the first RSS Service Achievement Award.
Lori Thornton, Chair 2010-2012
lori.thornton@sos.wa.gov