Plans are underway for a BRASS 25th Anniversary Party to be held at the 2013 ALA Annual Conference in Chicago. Keep your calendars open for this fabulous event. Stay tuned for details to come over the next year.
Louise Feldmann, Chair
BRASS Gale Cengage Learning Student Travel Award Committee
The 2013 BRASS Gale Cengage Learning Student Travel Award is now accepting applications.
Established in 1992 and sponsored by Gale Cengage Learning, this $1,000 monetary prize is awarded to a student enrolled in an ALA accredited master’s degree program to fund travel to and attendance at the 2013 ALA Annual Conference in Chicago and a one-year membership in RUSA’s BRASS. Applicants should have a demonstrated interest in a career as a business reference librarian, and the potential to be a leader in the profession as demonstrated by activities that may include (but are not limited to) coursework, internships, jobs, special projects, and publications.
The deadline for nominations is January 31, 2013. Information about the award, including a PDF of the nomination form, can be found on the RUSA website. As explained in the nomination form, the application should include letters of reference, and a library school transcript.
Todd M. Hines, 2012-2013 Chair
BRASS Morningstar Public Librarian Support Award Committee
The committee for the Morningstar Public Librarianship Award is now seeking nominations. The award is $1,000 in travel funds for ALA’s Annual Conference to a public librarian who has performed outstanding business reference service and who requires financial assistance to attend the conference. The winner must be a member of ALA, RUSA, and BRASS.
Melissa Jeter, 2011-2013 Chair
CODES
Barry Trott, Editor
RUSA CODES at Midwinter
RUSA CODES will be active at Midwinter with several discussion groups and the increasingly popular Book and Media Awards. Join your fellow CODES members and bring along a potential member!
Midwinter Book and Media Awards Reception
Sunday, January 27, 5:00-6:30 PM; Renaissance Seattle Hotel, Municipal Room.
Be sure to attend the Midwinter Book and Media Awards Reception, where RUSA celebrates the best fiction, non-fiction and reference titles of the year! RUSA’s expert readers’ advisory committees will unveil their choices for the Collection Development and Evaluation Section’s
(CODES) literary awards. All Midwinter attendees and exhibitors are invited to attend.
Reference Publishing Discussion Forum: Are Users Finding Our Online Reference Resources?
Sunday, January 27, 1:00-2:30 PM; W Seattle Hotel, Great Room 1B.
Interested in online reference sources? Check out the CODES discussion forum on Reference Publishing Discussion Forum: Are Users Finding Our Online Reference Resources? Libraries spend a great deal of money on quality online online reference resources, in the hopes that they will be useful to our communities. But are they being used? How do users discover reference resources in the online environment: teaching, research guides, stand-alone vendor resources? How do we enable users to cross multiple interfaces to reach reference sources?
Join our discussions with librarians and vendors on these issues.
CODES Collection Management in Public Libraries Discussion Group
Sunday, January 27, 4:30-5:30 PM; Washington State Convention Center, Room 212.
Public librarians will want to stop by the CODES Collection Management in Public Libraries Discussion Group to share ideas and thoughts on new eBook platforms and other topics of interest in current collection management. Please email any topics you would like to see on the agenda to: Nanci Milone Hill at nhill@mvlc.org.
Hot Topics Discussion Group
Saturday, January 26, 10:30-11:30 AM; Sheraton Seattle Hotel, Virginia.
The Hot Topics Discussion Group will be talking about the role of Subject Specialists and Selection. Collection development is one of the most rapidly changing areas of librarianship. As patron-driven acquisitions and collaborative purchasing increase, do subject specialists still play an important role in selection? Is their participation essential? Join us for a lively discussion on how collection development responsibilities are changing and what these changes mean for librarians.
Message from the Chair
History
Laura Hibler, Editor
The History Section is looking forward to having many of you participate in our activities in Seattle. If you are flying in early or have a desire to increase your skills, attend our FREE Genealogy Preconference, on Friday, January 25. Watch for more information concerning speakers, location, and registration. In addition to fun committee meetings, we will gather for the Genealogy and Local History and History Librarians Discussion Groups.
History Section Awards
The History Section is pleased to announce our new award, the RUSA History Section/Gale Cengage History Research Innovation Award. This award provides up to $2,500 dollars to be used at the winner’s discretion towards a project related to history and history librarianship. Applications are due December 15th.
We are also seeking nominations for the Genealogy Publishing Company Award. This cash award is presented annually to a librarian or library in recognition of their professional achievement in historical or genealogical reference, service or research. Nominations are due December 15th.
Sara E. Morris
History Section Chair, 2012-2013
Message from the Chair
MARS: Update from the Emerging Technologies in Reference Section
Cathy Larson, Editor
Join the discussion at http://lists.ala.org/wws/info/mars-l
Greetings!
We are fast approaching the ALA Midwinter Meeting in Seattle from January 25-29, 2013. For winter of 2013, MARS will again use a modified system of meeting. Most committees, other than the Executive Committee, will not meet in person during Midwinter. Committees are meeting virtually prior to Midwinter, and submitting a report of committee activities to the Executive Committee by email. The Executive Committee will meet in person during Midwinter and will refer to committee reports to conduct business. The Planning Committee, and members of those groups hosting discussion forums will be present as well. Last year was the first time we tried this approach, and with the challenges many of our members face in finding funding for two conferences per year, we are continuing this approach this year.
Please let us know how you feel about this change. I will note from my perspective that we don’t seem to be able to get as many committee volunteers with the new format. Committee appointments, which typically begin July 1 of each year, are generally made between the Midwinter and Annual meetings and without interested volunteers attending our Midwinter committee meetings, it has been more of a challenge to identify those interested in working with our committees. I welcome your thoughts on ways we can increase our ability to identify willing and interested volunteers.
For those who are able to attend in person, the scheduler is up! Please visithttp://alamw13.ala.org/scheduler to see all the activities along with their times, locations and descriptions.
The RUSA Membership Social will be held on Saturday, January 26 from 6:00-8:00 PM at the Grand Hyatt Seattle. This event allows RUSA members and prospective members to meet and mingle while learning more about RUSA. I encourage you to attend if you are able to do so. The social is a highlight for RUSA during the Midwinter Meeting and it is a great place to encourage others to join us in MARS and to volunteer to serve on committees.
The Professional Development Committee of MARS in collaboration with the RSS Education and Professional Development for Reference Committee will host a free preconference workshop at the University of Washington’s Odegaard Library Friday, January 25, 2013, 1:00-5:00 PM. “New Tech for Reference: From the Reference Interview to Roving Reference, Challenges, Benefits and Best Practice” will have presentations on using social media for reference interactions, Springshare’s LibAnswers, and models for roving reference services. For more information about the workshop and transportation to the University of Washington, see the full description athttp://connect.ala.org/node/190900 or contact Stephanie Alexander (alexanders@smccd.edu)
MARS will also be hosting some very interesting discussion forums during Midwinter. Please show your support if you are attending the Conference.
We have a new committee this year: the User Experience Design Committee. This group will host a discussion on Sunday, January 27 from 4:30-5:30 PM, in the Washington State Convention Center Room 203, titled “Putting U in UX Design.” See the committee update for more details on this discussion.
The Virtual Reference Discussion Group will host a discussion forum on Saturday, January 26 from 4:30-5:30 PM in the Washington State Convention Center, Room 619, focusing on how transitioning from Meebo presented challenges and opportunities to retool virtual reference services.
The Hot Topics Discussion Group will host a discussion forum on Saturday, January 26, from 1:00-2:30 PM in the Washington State Convention Center, Room 213.
Please note that ALA has a new meeting policy this year. As a result, you will note that two of our discussion forums are shorter – only 60 minutes instead of the usual 90. This new meeting policy is ALA’s response to feedback from members who requested shorter meeting times. See http://connect.ala.org/node/178761 for more details on the change discussion.
Highlighting some of the work going on between conferences:
The Nominating Committee has been hard at work over the fall and they have prepared a slate for the upcoming elections. Watch your emails in March for the new ballot. And be sure to make your vote count!
The Planning Committee is working on two important projects. The group is undertaking a review and update of the MARS Manual. This is a classic work, full of valuable information, and we’re excited that the committee has agreed to begin making it an even better resource for us all. We are also preparing for Section Review, led by the Planning Committee in conjunction with the members at large. This is a regular event, whereby each of the Sections in RUSA review their activities, structures and plans for the future. The review helps us to formally document where we’ve been, evaluate what changes may be needed, how we relate to other sections and divisions within ALA, to create a roadmap for continual improvement in the section, and to provide information back to our parent division—RUSA.
The Local Systems and Services Committee is working on a virtual program we hope will be delivered early in the year—watch your email and our website for more details.
Lastly, don’t forget to nominate someone for the MARS Achievement Recognition Award this year! See the Call for Nominations for information on award criteria and deadlines for nominations.
Debbie Bezanson
bezanson@gwu.edu
Chair, Emerging Technologies in Reference Section (MARS) 2012-2013
Call for Nominations for the MARS Achievement Recognition Certificate
Do you know someone who always does more than expected for MARS? Someone who is willing to take on the challenge to complete a project or produce a successful program? What about someone who is an indispensable member of your committee or someone who has served as your mentor? If so, please consider nominating them for the MARS Achievement Recognition Certificate, also known as the My Favorite Martian Award.
The MARS Achievement Recognition Certificate is given annually to recognize excellence in service to MARS. This award, presented at the annual MARS Chair’s Program, is given to an individual who is a current member of MARS, and has been an active member for the past two years.
The recipient must have made either (1) sustained contributions toward attaining the goals of MARS, or (2) a single, significant contribution that has resulted in a positive impact upon the work of the section.
To nominate someone, please send the candidate’s name, contact information, and brief statement of why you think they should receive the award to Stephanie Graves (sgraves@lib.siu.edu) by Friday, January 18, 2013.
Stephanie J. Graves
sgraves@lib.siu.edu
Member-At-Large
MARS User Experience (UX) Design Committee
The brand new UX Design Committee will host a program at Midwinter, “Putting U in UX Design.” Heidi Steiner from Norwich University (along with a co-presenter TBA) will present on ideas for improving current practices and she’ll lead a discussion with the audience to hear what their experiences have been so far, what direction their interests in future programs might take, etc. We hope to see you there!
Missy Clapp
shoop@ufl.edu
Chair, User Experience Design Committee, 2012-2013
Message from the Chair
RSS
Amy Rustic, editor
Helllooooo RSSer’s!
Welcome to the Pre-Midwinter RSS Review! Below are some of the highlights of the great things happening in our section.
If you are heading to Seattle for the ALA Midwinter meeting mark your calendar for the following RSS events:
- FREE Workshop! New Tech for Reference: from the reference interview to roving reference, challenges, benefits and best practices
When: Friday, January 25th, 1:00-5:00 PM.
Where: The University of Washington, Odegaard Library
More: Seehttp://connect.ala.org/node/190900 to register today!
- Pancake Breakfast!
When: Saturday, January 26th, 8:00 AM
Where: Location TBA
More: Stay Tuned to RSS-L & Facebook for location information!
- Helping Patrons find Employment or New Career Information Discussion with Job and Career Reference Committee
When: Saturday, January 26th, 10:30-11:30 AM
More: Stay Tuned to RSS-L and Facebook for location information!
- Just Ask: Defining and Advocating for the Reference Librarian Discussion with Elizabeth Stephan & Diana D. Shonrock
When: Sunday, January 27th, 8:30-10:00 AM
More: Stay Tuned to RSS-L and Facebook for location information!
- Mother Goose and Promoting Library Services to Spanish Speaking Discussion with Lucia Castillo
When: Sunday, January 27th, 10:30-11:30 AM
More: Stay Tuned to RSS-L and Facebook for location information!
- Why Common Core Standards Matter: Discussion with Young Adult Reference Services Committee
When: Sunday, January 27th, 3:00-4:00 PM
More: Stay Tuned to RSS-L and Facebook for location information!
- Unhappy Campers: Coping with Job Dissatisfaction and Burnout on the Front Lines Discussion with Virginia Cairns
When: Monday, January 28th, 1:00-2:30 PM
More: Stay Tuned to RSS-L and Facebook for location information!
Some other exciting happenings within RSS include a great slate of candidates for RSS Chair-Elect and Member-at-Large. Fortunately, ALA elections don’t happen until March when all of the current campaigning and attack ads will be a distant memory. But the decision will be a tough one…
- Vice-Chair/Chair-Elect
- Peter Collins
- Qiana Johnson
- Member-at-Large
- Don Boozer
- Betsy Park
We are ready to launch the new “Why is RSS Important?” Share your thoughts athttp://tinyurl.com/rssgreat and see your name in the next RSS Review!
In addition, we are looking for the 1st RSS Member of the Quarter. When you think of RSS, does someone immediately come to mind? Someone that always volunteers to get the job done?? Someone who is always thinking about how to add value to the RSS membership? Someone who is continually thinking on how to improve the section and its offerings? If you answered yes to any of these questions, then let us know whom. Go tohttp://goo.gl/UKFKd to nominate the 1st RSS Member of the Quarter!
Self-nominations are welcome.
Finally, be sure to check out the RSS Members Publications List (http://connect.ala.org/node/184065). Highlights include:
- Hoppenfeld, J. (2012). “Keeping students engaged with web-based polling in the library instruction session.” Library Hi Tech, 30(2), 235-252. doi: 10.1108/07378831211239933
- Malizia, M., R. Hamilton, D. Littrell, K. Vargas, & C. Olney. (2012). “Connecting Public Libraries with Community Emergency Responders.” Public Libraries 51(3), 32-36.
- Jeter, Melissa C. (2012) “Weathering the Storm: Expanding an Oral History Collection in Uncertain Economic Times.” Library Worklife: HR E-News for Today’s Leaders.
Be sure to share your publications with us (http://tinyurl.com/RSSmemberpubs) and you might see your name in print in the next RSS Review!
That’s it for now!
Sarah J. Hammill
Committee Reports
Communication & Teaching at the Point of Need Committee
The RUSA Communication and Teaching at Point of Need Committee has finalized their survey results and will be reporting to the membership shortly. We will be meeting virtually for midwinter at a date TBA shortly on the ALA Connect website.
Christine Sharbrough, Chair 2012-2013
Discussion Forums Coordinating Committee
Just Ask: Defining and Advocating for the Reference Librarian (Sunday, January 27, 8:30-10:00 AM) Want to influence the way RUSA advocates for reference services? Join members of the RUSA Just Ask Committee to discuss the evolving role of reference librarians and reference services in all types of libraries. The discussion will help create a RUSA member-influenced vision of both, which in turn will assist the organization in advocating more effectively for the support and development of quality reference services.
Unhappy Campers: Coping with Job Dissatisfaction and Burnout on the Front Lines (Monday, January 28, 2013, 1:00-2:30 PM) Shrinking budgets, staff cuts, competing demands, impatient patrons; it all has an impact on staff morale and the quality of service provided by librarians everywhere. Gather with colleagues to discuss the issues faced, as well as potential strategies for managing unhappiness and distress in the workplace from the perspectives of library administration, peers, and the individual librarian.
Crystal Lentz, Chair 2012-2013
Education and Professional Development for Reference
The Education and Professional Development for Reference Committee is working hard with MARS to put together a fantastic and free ALA Midwinter Workshop on New Technology for Reference. For more information and to register please see the details below.
As our primary focus this fall has been with the workshop, the group has engaged in discussions with other committees regarding an education offering around marketing reference resources.
RUSA MARS and RSS invite you to “New Tech for Reference: from the reference interview to roving reference, challenges, benefits and best practice” at the University of Washington’s Odegaard Library. The workshop is free, open to all and includes refreshments. ALA membership or Midwinter registration is not required.
Reference technology is constantly changing; what was once radical has become established, complete with best practices. Newer technologies appear rapidly, challenging us to understand, learn and adapt ever more quickly.
This workshop explores three new reference technologies, their benefits, challenges and best practices: using social media for reference; applying iPads in roving reference; and integrating a knowledge base system (such as LibAnswers) into reference services.
SCHEDULE:
1:00 – 1:15: Check-in
1:15 – 1:25: Welcome and introductions
1:25 – 2:45: Social media in reference – challenges, benefits and best practices (Michelle Chronister, U.S. General Services Administration)
2:45 – 3:10: Break (refreshments courtesy of OCLC QuestionPoint)
3:10 – 3:55: Using iPads for roving reference (Ava Iuliana, Cindy Dottin and Lauren Christos – Florida International University)
3:55 – 4:40: Knowledge base systems for reference (Erica Nicol and Linda Crook, Washington State University)
4:40 – 5:00: Wrap-up, closing and evaluations
Everyone is welcome, but pre-registration is required athttp://bit.ly/MARSRSS . In the event that registration reaches capacity, RUSA members will have preference.
Additional information about the workshop is available (including session descriptions) here: http://connect.ala.org/node/190900
Kristen Mastel & Joseph Yue, Co-Chairs 2012-2013
Evaluation of Reference and User Services Committee
Please note thatMeasuring and Assessing Reference Services and Resources: A Guide is available in public ALA Connect space. This guide was spearheaded by the Evaluation of Reference and User Services Committee when chaired by Lisa Horowitz in 2002-2003. In 2010-2011, committee members Tiffany Walsh, Robin Kinder, Jan Tidwell, and Richard Caldwell updated the guide and moved it into Connect. We hope RSS members make use of this valuable resource!
Ellen Keith, Chair 2011-2013
Health and Medical Reference Committee (HMRC)
The HMRC met virtually using Blackboard Collaborate on September 10, 2012. The committee decided to handle all of its professional communication on ALA Connect. The committee will be creating an ALA Connect Community for health and medical reference discussions. Various panelists were brought up and discussed as possibilities for the program at ALA 2013. Various members of the committee decided to spearhead the webinar series, and another group agreed to work on the new Medical Guidelines. Virtual meetings to discuss these two areas are being planned for this fall. A meeting of the HMRC is planned for ALA Midwinter.
Karen Vargas, Chair 2012-2014
Job and Career Reference Committee
The RSS Job and Career Reference Committee will have a discussion group at Midwinter, “Helping Patrons Find Employment or New Career Information.” The discussion group is tentatively scheduled for Saturday, January 26 from 10:30-11:30 AM.
We also are welcoming new committee member from BRASS, Janet Franks.
Kate Oberg, Chair 2012-2013
Library Service to an Aging Population
We are planning to meet virtually in January.
Abigail Elder, Chair 2012-2013
Library Services to the Spanish Speaking
Mother Goose and Promoting Library Services to the Spanish Speaking Community
Lucia Castillo, BA in Librarianship from Leeds Polytechnic, England, and MLS from the University of British Columbia, Canada, has worked with academic and special libraries in Peru for over 25 years. Since 2007, she has been working at the Vancouver Public Library. Her Mother Goose Program in Spanish for the Latino community is the only program available in Vancouver for Spanish speaking children. The Services to Spanish Speaking committee is proud to be able to have Lucia Castillo at ALA Midwinter on Sunday from 10:30-11:30 AM to give sample “story hour.” Attendees will learn the difficulties of meeting needs of the Spanish-speaking community through a question and answer period and discussions. There is evidence music stimulates the development of cognitive ability and emotional intelligence from an early age. Why not start teaching parents today to use rhymes and songs with their children? As Hans Christian Andersen said, “Where words fail, music speaks.” While Mother Goose programs attract children, the Mother Goose program is meant for parents. They are going to rescue a tradition applicable to other cultures, such as the Latino community. New immigrants need to integrate, but without losing their heritage and culture. For the Latino families, the Mother Goose program is a totally new thing. Through the program the Latino families keep their heritage, language, culture, tradition, socialize in a group activity, and make lifelong friendship. Services to the Spanish Speaking described the details of a survey published in the REFORMA Newsletter. ASCLA recognizes, along with the Services to the Spanish speaking, the 43% growth of the U.S. Hispanic population. Bringing Latinos into the library still remains an uphill battle. RUSA RSS is sponsoring this exciting discussion during ALA Midwinter – see you in Seattle. For more information, please contact Stephen Marvin (smarvin@wcupa.edu) or Lucia Castillo (lcastill17@yahoo.ca).
Stephen Marvin, Chair 2012-2013
Management of Reference Committee
The Committee has begun writing “Professional Competencies for the Management of Reference Services.” We are looking at current job ads to see what skills and talents are being sought these days. We are also looking for similar types of documents from other organizations and plan to do a literature review. Nancy Huling, a current committee member, was also on the Committee when the original Competencies were written, so her wisdom will be beneficial to the process. We are not meeting in person at Midwinter, but we will hold a virtual meeting on January 30, 2013 to continue our efforts.
Sally Dockter, Chair 2012-2013
Marketing and Public Relations for Reference
The RSS Marketing and PR Committee will meet on Saturday, January 26 from 10:30-11:30 AM. The location has not been determined. This is a regular meeting to discuss our goals, upcoming program planning, and work on collaboration with other RSS committees.
Cathay Crosby, Chair 2011-2013
Organization and Planning Committee
The Organization & Planning Committee will soon begin work on updating the RSS Handbook, reviewing the RSS Bylaws, and assisting the RSS Executive Committee with holding the RSS Annual Open House. The Committee will be meeting virtually for Midwinter. The time and date will be announced via RSS-L.
Liane Taylor, Chair 2012-2013
Recognition Committee
RSS Service Achievement Award Nominate someone today!
The Reference and Services Section of RUSA is pleased to solicit nominations for the annual RSS Service Achievement Award. This award, which will be presented at the annual RSS Open House and the RUSA annual awards ceremony, honors an RSS member’s contributions to the section. The recipient will be chosen based on either sustained contributions towards attaining the goals of RSS or a single significant contribution that has resulted in a positive impact upon the work of the section.
Please send your nomination detailing specifically how the nominee has met either of these criteria to Virginia Cole (vac11@cornell.edu), the award committee chair, by December 1.
Virginia Cole, Chair 2012-2013
Research and Statistics Committee
The Committee will not be meeting in person at Midwinter, and will schedule a virtual meeting soon.
Call for Presentations
The Research and Statistics Committee of the Reference Services Section of RUSA invites the submission of research projects for presentation at the 19th Reference Research Forum at the 2013 ALA Annual Conference in Chicago.
The Reference Research Forum continues to be one of the most popular and valuable programs during the ALA Annual Conference, where attendees can learn about notable research projects conducted in the broad area of reference services such as user behavior, electronic services, reference effectiveness and assessment, and organizational structure and personnel. All researchers, including reference practitioners from all types of libraries, library school faculty and students, and other interested individuals, are encouraged to submit a proposal.
For examples of projects presented at past Forums, please see the Committee’s website: http://connect.ala.org/node/187004
The Committee employs a blind review process to select three projects for 20-minute presentations, followed by open discussion. Selected submissions must be presented in person at the Forum in Chicago.
Criteria for selection:
- Quality and creativity of the research design and methodologies;
- Significance of the study for improving the quality of reference service;
- Potential for research to fill a gap in reference knowledge or to build on previous studies;
- Research projects may be in-progress or completed;
- Previously published research or research accepted for publication will not be accepted.
Proposals are due by Monday, December 31, 2012. Notification of acceptance will be made by Monday, February 11, 2013. The submission must not exceed two pages. Please include:
1 A cover sheet including your name(s), title(s), institutional affiliation(s), mailing address(es), fax number(s) and email address(es).
2 The second page should NOT show your name, any personal information, or the name of your institution. Instead, it must include:
a. Title of the project;
b. Explicit statement of the research problem;
c. Description of the research design and methodologies used, and preliminary findings if any;
d. Brief discussion of the unique contribution, potential impact, and significance of the research.
Please send submissions by email to: Lynda Duke Chair, RUSA RSS Research and Statistics Committee.
Lynda Duke, Chair 2012-2013
lduke@iwu.edu
Virtual Reference Services (MARS/RSS)
The RSS/MARS Virtual Reference Services Committee has been going through some transitions this year so far. We’ve had some personnel changes with several members resigning or expressing interest in resigning to take on new duties and different responsibilities. We wish them all the best! One of those was coordinating our “RUSA MARS/RSS VR Committee Survey Ad Hoc Group” so we are looking for someone who would like to take on that project. (You need not be a current member of the committee.) The committee has also been in transition on communication channels and is in the process of switching from our current listserv to one sponsored by ALA. The listserv serves as a “behind-the-scenes” tool for discussions by and announcements to committee members that may not be quite ready for posting to ALA Connect.
The committee will be having a virtual meeting in early 2013, and we are looking forward to moving ahead on projects in the New Year.
Don Boozer, Chair 2012-2013
Virtual Reference Tutorial Subcommittee
Jason Coleman has stepped down from the subcommittee and we wish to thank him for all his contributions. We have since added two new members to our group and we would like to welcome Christine Tobias and Neal Pomea. We are thrilled to have them join the team.
The subcommittee continues to meet monthly and works in subgroups between meetings. We will not be meeting at Midwinter, but our virtual monthly meeting will be on January 22nd at 1:00-2:00 PM CST. Our new members have been going through Drupal training while the rest of us move forward with our modules. The Resources section has been reorganized by topic and we will continue adding to this section as we work on additional modules. The Training module is still in progress and will be complete by Midwinter. We have recently discussed the Interview Skills and Core Competencies modules and subgroups have begun to take ideas from those meetings and implement them into Drupal content.
This will bring us to having four sections complete (or almost complete) by Midwinter. With additional members, we hope to continue at a fast pace into the spring to get most of the Virtual Reference Companion (VRC) complete by the Annual Conference.
Jared Hoppenfeld, Chair 2012-2013
Jennifer Lau-Bond, Chair 2011-201
RSS Review is the newsletter of the Reference Services Section of Reference and User Services Association (RUSA) of the American Library Association. Please send suggestions for future issues to Amy Rustic (aer123@psu.edu), editor.
Message from the Chair
STARS
Kerry Keegan, Editor
STARS has a lot on the ball. From our interlibrary loan practitioners’ workshop, “Everything You Always Wanted to Know about ILL” (http://www.ala.org/rusa/sections/stars/events), to creating resource sharing web publications, to member outreach, STARS focuses on relevance for our members and our profession.
We also have two new initiatives underway. First, our STARS web editors are planning a revamp of our STARS website. By Midwinter, we will have a new homepage to better connect you to the things we do. Second, STARS wants to give members better opportunities to provide feedback on our conference programming and training. To that end, STARS is also revamping how we evaluate our programs and how to communicate member ideas to the rest of the section.
If you would like to become involved in our dynamic section or have questions out what STARS can do for you and your library, please drop me an email (datkins@utk.edu) or give me a call (865-974-6866). There is always room for more STARS.
Sincerely,
David P. Atkins
STARS Chair
Committee Updates
STARS Membership Committee
The STARS Membership Committee is excited to announce a collaborative effort with our new webmasters to make available our latest two initiatives: “Five Things Every New Resource Sharing Librarian Should Know” and our debut “STAR Gazing” Interview. These are available at http://www.ala.org/rusa/sections/stars.
STARS Membership is also working with the Education and Training Committee to update a portion of the SHARE-L website and organize our agenda for ALA Midwinter.
Micquel Little, Chair
STARS Legislation and Licensing Committee
The STARS Legislation and Licensing Committee has been meeting monthly and committee members are trying to keep up-to-date on relevant issues in the news, including the Center for Copyright Information’s Copyright Alert System. Committee members are posting on the ALA Connect site as they discover topics.
Shannon O’Grady, Chair
STARS International ILL Committee
The STARS International ILL Committee is currently collaborating with the Education and Training Committee on its one year pilot project to update ShareILL.org, improving the information for National Bibliographies, National Libraries and Archives, and International Gateways and Union Catalogs. The committee was also recently recognized for its work on the 2011 International ILL survey, the results of which have been reported and well-received at several library conferences. We are actively seeking to recruit new non-US members for the International ILL Committee, and urge anyone who might know of any prospective candidates to contact us.
Tom Bruno, Chair
STARS Cooperative Collection Development Committee
The RUSA CODES/STARS Cooperative Collection Development committee is currently recruiting speakers for our program scheduled for Saturday 1:00-2:30 PM during 2013 ALA Annual.
Title: Enhancing services through integration of Interlibrary Loan and Acquisitions
Description:
This panel will explore the opportunities and challenges that arise from merging interlibrary loan and acquisitions departments, as well as the administrative aspects of such a partnership. Through examining the reasons why ILL/Acquisitions mergers may be beneficial, and hearing from peers engaged in the process, attendees will gain an understanding of how to weigh the merits of such an arrangement and determine if it is appropriate for their institution, as well as hear insights on how to move forward. This session is appropriate for all library types.
Sydney Thompson, Co-chair
STARS Rethinking Resource Sharing Policies Committee
An initial revision of the STAR Checklist is being reviewed by some members of the Rethinking Resource Sharing Steering Committee to ensure checklist items are applicable to a variety of library types (public, academic, special) and their locations. The goal is to finalize revisions at ALA Midwinter and release a new version, soon after.
While this is happening, the Rethinking Resource Sharing Initiative website is being transitioned to a new platform, WordPress, which will continue to link to the STAR checklist and the list of libraries who have participated.
Evan Simpson, Chair
STARS Education and Training Committee
With help from other STARS committees, the Education and Training (E&T) Committee has been updating pages on the ShareILL Wiki. The ShareILL Wiki lists electronic and print resources related to interlibrary loan, document delivery and resource sharing. Resources cover finding aids and tools, how to manage operations and ways to stay current. ShareILL will be updated in time for ALA Midwinter 2013.
The Education and Training Committee is also organizing a free workshop for ALA Midwinter 2013 called “Everything you always wanted to know about ILL.” The workshop covers topics of interest to all resource sharing practitioners. Further details are available at http://stars.hosts.atlas-sys.com/
Jennifer Jacobs and Karen Okamoto, Co-Chairs
STARS Vendor Relations Committee
The RUSA STARS Vendor Relations Committee is prepared to give an update on the status of revisions to the ISO ILL protocol at the upcoming meeting of the ILL Discussion Group at ALA Midwinter in Seattle. We are awaiting word on whether this topic is approved for the meeting agenda. The committee has also been asked to assist in updates to the ShareILL pages by the STARS Education and Training Committee. We will be amending pages that discuss document suppliers and systems, software, and standards. We expect to have work completed before the ALA Midwinter Conference.
Becky Ringwelski, Chair
STARS Research and Statistics Committee
The Research and Statistics Committee co-chairs, Charla and Susan, are currently training and practicing with Blackboard’s Collaborate function (BC) in order to prepare for the Research and Statistics virtual Midwinter committee meeting, to be held via BC at the end of November. The agenda will include i) discussions of an upcoming ALA Annual program on assessment and the pre- and post- assessment activities being developed to accompany it and ii) the committee’s work on the Publications page of the ShareILL wiki.
Susan Buzzell, Co-chair
STARS Hot Topics Discussion Group
The STARS Hot Topics Discussion Group is currently preparing for our program at ALA Midwinter. We are currently compiling topics and actively recruiting a Vice-Chair/Chair-Elect for the 2013-14 program year. Please email Troy Christenson if you would like to volunteer (tchrist9@fau.edu). We are also working with STARS Chair David Atkins and the STARS Program Assessment Committee to create program evaluation forms for STARS events.
Troy Christenson, Chair
STARS Nominating Committee
The STARS Nominating committee has been busy recruiting members to run for the STARS Executive Committee. This year, we are seeking candidates to run for Vice-Chair/Chair-Elect and a Member at Large position. Several candidates have been found, but we are still in the process of finalizing the ballot. We should announce the final ballot soon.
Sherri Michaels, Chair
Boucher Award Committee
Recognize a distinguished interlibrary loan librarian!
STARS is seeking nominations for the annual Virginia Boucher/OCLC Distinguished ILL Librarian Award. This award recognizes a librarian for outstanding professional achievement, leadership, and contributions to interlibrary loan and document delivery. The award consists of $2,000 plus a citation. Nominations must be received by December 15, 2012. Self-nominations are welcome! For complete information about the criteria for this award, please visit:http://www.ala.org/rusa/awards/boucher.
The nomination form is available as a PDF. A complete application will include the nomination form; a resume detailing the nominee’s career and outstanding contributions to the field; and a formal letter of nomination.
Questions and nominations can be directed to Megan Gaffney, 2012-2013 Boucher Award Committee Chair, at gaffneym@udel.edu.
Megan Gaffney, Chair
STARS Code and Guidelines Committee
The STARS Code and Guidelines Committee is in the process of updating their section of the ShareILL wiki.
Ryan Litsey, Chair
STARS Organization Committee
The Organization Committee is revising a portion of the ShareILL wiki before the Midwinter meetings. We are also reviewing and updating the STARS handbook.
Marlayna Christensen, Chair
Interlibrary Loan Discussion Group
The ILL discussion Group is currently accepting program proposals for Midwinter. Please contact Ryan Litsey, at ryan.litsey@ttu.edu for more information. We are also in the process of developing a method of evaluating programming for future Discussion Group submissions.
Ryan Litsey, Chair
Letter from the President
Happy Fall! I am writing this in the heat of summer and I hope that by the time you are reading this message, it will be cooler and wetter in most places. The Annual Conference in Anaheim was a resounding success and RUSA had a number of wonderful programs as well as productive meetings. Topics covered in our programs included: making decisions about e-books, international interlibrary loan, return on investment (ROI) for virtual reference, the 1940 Census, library services to Baby Boomers and older adults, discovery systems, integrating social media and online marketing, business data sources, and many more The MARS Chair’s Program was selected this year to serve also as the President’s Program. Entitled Library in Your Hand: Mobile Technologies for Exchanging Information with Patrons, it provided an overview of the advantages of communication with library users through mobile devices, presented by Joan Lippincott, and descriptions of exemplary programs at North Carolina State University (Kristin Antelman) and Topeka Public Library (David Lee King) A video of the program is available from the RUSA web site at http://www.ala.org/rusa/rusa-presidents-program-video. It is posted in two parts.
RUSA 101, our introduction to new members, was a rousing success. The room had to be changed because so many people indicated in the Scheduler that they planned to attend and the new room was filled to capacity. The excitement was strong! Congratulations to Liane Taylor and her committee for their wonderful session.
This year, we experimented with the venerable Literary Tastes program. This program has traditionally featured authors and free books. Instead of a paid breakfast, this year it was a RUSA program. I really wished that I could have the authors who spoke talk to incoming freshmen at my university. They spoke with passion about their work and their research, making their books and the work of writing them come alive. We were pleased to feature: Erin Morgenstern, author of The Night Circus; Candice Millard, author of Destiny of the Republic: A Tale of Madness, Medicine, and the Murder of a President; Mark Adams, author of Turn Right at Machu Picchu: Rediscovering the Lost City One Step at a Time; and Russell Banks, author of Lost Memory of Skin (and a shortlisted title on the Carnegie Award fiction list).
One might call 2011-2012 the Year of Awards. With Booklist and the support of the Carnegie Corporation, RUSA co-sponsored the first-ever awards for the best work of fiction and of non-fiction for adults published in the United States in the previous year. This year’s inaugural winners were: Anne Enright who was awarded the Andrew Carnegie Medal for Excellence in Fiction for her novel The Forgotten Waltz, published by W. W. Norton & Company. Robert K. Massie was awarded the Andrew Carnegie Medal for Excellence in Nonfiction for Catherine the Great: Portrait of a Woman, published by Random House. We salute them both.
The other nominated works were great books as well. Check out the full list under About the Awards.
RUSA gives out many awards each year at the Annual Conference—to RUSA members, to libraries and librarians for excellence in service, to authors and publishers. The full list can be found on the RUSABlog. Please join me in congratulating all of the winners.
This year RUSA sections created two new awards, the BRASS Business Expert Press Award for Academic Librarians and Gale Cengage History Research and Innovation Awards.
We said thank you and “well done” to our outgoing Reference and User Services Quarterly (RUSQ) editor, Diane Zabel, as she ended her term and welcomed the new editor, Barry Trott.
Under the leadership of Gary White, 2011-2012 RUSA President and the Executive Committee, the RUSA Board developed a new three-year (2012-2015) Strategic Plan. The plan focuses on membership and membership benefits, professional development, marketing and outreach, and increasing the effectiveness of RUSA as an organization.
A subcommittee (Alicia Ahlvers, Emily Hamstra, and Emily Kornak) reviewed the results of last year’s RUSA membership survey and made recommendations to the Board. They were a good complement to the RUSA Structures Task Force Report from the committee chaired by Kate Kosturski presented to the RUSA Board at Midwinter. We will use this information as we move forward on the RUSA strategic plan.
Welcome New Leaders
This summer our newly elected officers and Board members are beginning their work of planning for activities that will occur over the next year. Congratulations to Kathleen Kern, Vice-President/President-Elect, new Directors-at-Large Cynthia Levine and Celia Ross, and new Division Councilor Jennifer Boettcher. Continuing on the Executive Committee are Carolyn Larson, RUSA Secretary, and Gary White, RUSA Past-President. On the RUSA Board Wayne Bivens-Tatum, Judy L. Solberg, Doris Anne Sweet, and Patrick Wall, are Directors-at-Large. The 2012-2013 RUSA Board of Directors also includes section chairs: Ann Fiegen (BRASS), Mary M. D. Parker (CODES), Sara E. Morris (History), Deborah K. Bezanson (MARS), Sarah Hammill (RSS) and David Atkins (STARS). I look forward to working with them as we plan for your programs and services in RUSA this year.
Congratulations, too, to the new section Vice-Chairs/Chairs Elect—Andy Spackman (BRASS), Asia Gross (CODES), Michelle Baildon (History), Sam Stormont (MARS), Ann K. G. Brown (RSS), and Nora Dethloff (STARS).
Plans for the Coming Year
Our first steps in the coming year will be to look at the new Strategic Plan and develop action plans to move forward on important parts of the plan. Using some of our reserve funds, we have put our money where our priorities lie, bringing Collaborate web-conferencing software into play for webinars, committee meetings, and many other things we haven’t yet dreamed. We also will sponsor a separate President’s Program. Mary Mintz and Joe Thompson are hard at work with their excellent committee to bring you a program that will dazzle!
This year I plan to begin a comprehensive look at our continuing education, publications (including the web site), communications with members, and programming to see if we can identify priorities, fill gaps, and meet your needs.
Huge Thank You!
This would not be a proper initial message without saying thank you to many wonderful people!
- Thank you to Gary White, who led RUSA over the last year so that it accomplished many goals and began initiatives leading to changes that will make RUSA more responsive to members. I also send a personal thank you to Gary for his kind and patient guidance.
- Thanks to outgoing RUSQ editor Diane Zabel. She charted a course that has led to a newly revitalized and online journal.
- Thank you to outgoing members of the Executive Committee who have worked so hard, Barry Trott, Past President, and Kathleen Kern, RUSA Councilor.
- Thank you to the outgoing members of the RUSA Board of Directors: Chris LeBeau (BRASS), Dianna McKellar (MARS), Alesia McManus (Director at Large), Amber Prentiss (Director at Large), Janice Schultz (History), Liane Taylor (RSS), Barry Trott (Past President), and Heather Weltin (STARS).
- Kudos and thanks to RUSA Executive Director, Susan Hornung, and her staff, Andrea Hill, Liz Markel, and Leighann Wood, who kept us together and always give tremendous effort to RUSA.
- Thank you to every committee chair and every committee member in each of our sections and on our standing RUSA committees for their hard work! The summary above can only just hit the highlights. All of these folks gave their best all through the year. Bravo!
- And to all of you who are so loyal to RUSA, we are grateful for your participation and your confidence in RUSA.
Asking for YOUR Ideas
Other plans are in the works and will take shape over the coming year. You will hear more about them in later issues of the RUSA Update. I strongly encourage all RUSA members to share ideas with me or any other member of the RUSA Board. I can be reached at popp@indiana.edu and I look forward to hearing from you.
Mary Pagliero Popp
RUSA President 2012-2013
RUSA Announcements
RUSA’s fall online courses include interlibrary loan, business reference and spatial literacy
RUSA is offering a multitude of online courses this fall including a new course, Interlibrary Loan 101, and CEUs offered for our Health Information 101 course.
Register Online Now for courses covering the following topics: interlibrary loan, business reference, spatial literacy and online mapping, health information, reference interview skills and genealogy reference. Online learning is an affordable and convenient way to gain skills relevant to your current job or to
Group discounts are available! Rates for two or more registrants from the same library, library network or library system start at $110 per person. Learn more about all of our courses and webinars at the RUSA online learning page.
NEW COURSE! Interlibrary Loan 101
September 17–October 14, 2012; live sessions on Monday and Wednesday, 1:00-2:00 PM (CST)
Register Now
Topics covered: ILL process, policies and procedures from both the borrowing and lending perspectives, copyright law and licensing impacts on ILL, and ILL resources and systems. Participants will learn standard practices, gain an overview of emerging trends, and practice writing policies for interlibrary borrowing and lending. Live presentations will be held Monday and Wednesday, 1:00-2:00 PM (CST), with additional asynchronous coursework.
Who should attend: New ILL managers and practitioners in all types of libraries, especially academic and public libraries.
Learn more…
Introduction to Spatial Literacy and Online Mapping September 17 – October 7, 2012
Register Now This course consistently sells out, so register early!
In light of the widespread use of Geographic Information System (GIS) technology such as Google Earth or Google Map Mashups o communicate information in a map format, it is time to train librarians to not only assist library clients with their inquiries, but to use the technology themselves in their reference work and liaison responsibilities. This three week course will introduce you to a variety of mapping tools and Geographic Information System (GIS) technologies that are of interest to both public and academic library users.
Who should attend: librarians and library staff from all types of libraries.
Learn more…
Spatial Literacy II: Incorporation of Maps and GIS December. 3 – 23, 2012
Register Now
This course incorporates the geospatial literacy and mapping skills covered in part one of this two part course and teaches how to apply it in library services: reference work, library projects, library administration, collection delivery, instruction, outreach and promotion. Topics covered will include map literacy, staff development and training; using maps and GIS in library projects; and a basic introduction to GIS software.
Who should attend: Librarians in any information resource position
Learn more…
Health Information 101September 17 – October 28, 2012
Register Now CEUs offered! Those who complete the required coursework will receive one continuing education unit. Registration rates for this course are $20 higher than other courses so that we can offer these CEUs for you.
Topics covered include medical terminology, evidence-based biomedical literature searching, health literacy and health outcomes, how to evaluate health and medical websites, consumer health resources, and the business of healthcare.
Who should attend: public librarians; primary, secondary and academic librarians.
Learn more…
Reference Interview September 17 – October 27, 2012
Register Now
A comprehensive course focusing on the methods of evaluating reference service, behavioral aspects of reference service, and the different types of questions that can be used to help patrons identify what they need. Other topics include approachability, questioning and listening techniques and the reference interview environment. Chat sessions will model interviewing techniques using sample dialogues.
Who should attend: support staff, library technicians, newly hired reference librarians, and those librarians who want to brush up on their interview skills; topics are of interest to all types of libraries.
Learn more…
Business Reference 101 October 22 – November 16, 2012
Register Now This course consistently sells out, so register early!
The course will provide a framework for understanding the business reference process as well as an overview of business reference sources specific to the following areas: company research, small business and industry research, international business, consumer research, business statistics, investing and the stock market. Participants will also have access to proprietary business reference databases such as Standard & Poor’s NetAdvantage, Morningstar, IBISWord and ReferenceUSA, among others.
Who should attend: Academic, special or public librarians and other researchers and library staff who have a basic understanding of some business resources but who do not work with them often enough to build expertise.
Learn more…
Genealogy 101 October 29 – December 1, 2012
Register Now
The course will outline basic sources and strategies, centered on a single case study, for American genealogy reference service. Topics covered include the U.S. Census, vital records, immigration research, military research, archival material, print reference tools, online sources and a variety of other basic genealogy sources. Students will also receive instruction in reference desk strategies and tools for further professional development.
Who should attend: reference staff with little or no experience in genealogy, and those seeking skills and confidence for assisting family history researchers.
Learn more…
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Stay in Touch! Ways to connect with RUSA
Are you connected? Here are the ways you can stay in touch with RUSA to assure you receive the most up-to-date information on division events, publications and breaking news like book award winners.
- Bookmark the RUSA Blog
- Like us on Facebook
- Follow us on Twitter: @ala_rusa
- Subscribe to RUSA-L or one of our section listservs by visiting http://lists.ala.org
- Turn on your e-mail notifications for your Connect groups by going to the group page, scrolling down to the bottom and clicking on “Enable e-mail notifications from this group” at the bottom left
- Make sure your membership record is up-to-date with current e-mail and mailing addresses! Make updates by e-mailing membership@ala.org, calling (800) 545-2433, option 5, or by logging in at www.ala.org
Update from Emerging Leader
My Emerging Leaders group has been working on Chasing Reference, a blog for the members of RUSA to share ideas. We presented a poster about the blog at the Emerging Leaders poster session at 2012 Annual. Thanks to all of you who stopped by the poster. You all gave us wonderful feedback, suggestions, and encouragement. We’ll continue to post on the blog every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday until Midwinter. After Midwinter, another group of Emerging Leaders will take over the upkeep of Chasing Reference.
We’re looking for guest writers to contribute posts for Chasing Reference. Chasing Reference covers a wide range of topics from mentorship to retraction in reference to readers advisory in academic libraries to celebrities who do research to collecting award winning books. If you have a program at your library that you want to highlight, or if there’s something related to reference or user services that’s been on your mind, Chasing Reference is a great place to share your thoughts and ideas. If you are interested in contributing, contact us at ChasingReference@gmail.com. We look forward to hearing from you!
I want to thank you all for your support during my time as the 2012 RUSA Emerging Leader. I’ve had a really wonderful experience with the Emerging Leaders program, and I’m very grateful to have become more involved in RUSA. ALA can be very overwhelming to a newcomer. I’m glad to have found my place in RUSA.
Emily Hamstra
2011-2012 Emerging leader
Message from the Chair
BRASS Notes
Carol Schuetz, Editor
Message from the Chair
Nothing like a walk under palm trees to make a working conference seem like a vacation! That was ALA Anaheim. The weather was magnificent, and we didn’t lose too many folks to Disneyland, at least not when we needed them.
The BRASS preconference, “Mastering Business Acumen (MBA in a Day),” was very well attended this year by an audience that toughed out management, accounting, finance, and marketing concepts in seven hours. Conference attendees chose from a diverse offering of programs: “Using Social Media to Promote Business Librarians and Resources,” “How Free Web Resources Can Complement Fee-Based Online Resources,” “How Private is Private: Is It Really Possible to Find Information on Private Companies?” and SmartInvesting’s “Program Models That Work.” The conference experience was topped off with the complimentary Monday morning breakfast from S&P Capital IQ, followed by the BRASS Program, “Adventures in Dataland: Business Data Sources.” ReferenceUSA (Infogroup) hosted a beautiful members’ reception at the Naples Ristorante e Pizzeria, and BRASS members ended the adventure with a dinner at La Casa Garcia Restaurant.
The PowerPoint presentations from these programs and forums can currently be found in ALA Connect and will soon be linked from the BRASS website. Our many thanks for the video recordings made possible by the volunteer efforts of Van Houlson and Christy Goodnight. These are in BRASS section of Connect, and will be made public after a three month embargo as a benefit of membership.
This year’s highlights included a new award (the Business Expert Press Award), revised “Guidelines for Business Information Responses,” a joint initiative with the Special Library Association (SLA) to create core competencies for business students, additional tools from Springshare, BRASS participation in a new RSS committee for Job and Career Reference, migration to a new website, new BRASS Facebook membership and program pages, new issues of “Academic BRASS,” a new “Best of the Best” business website, a new list of “Outstanding Business Reference Sources,” and the start of planning for the 25th anniversary of BRASS next year in Chicago! You will hear more about these and other developments on BRASS-L throughout the year.
It has been my privilege to serve BRASS. This is a fantastic group of professionals. Together we have accomplished some great things. So with stardust on my heels, I leave fairyland and return to man the decks in my home library. My sincere thanks to all the BRASS committees who made this conference a great success and a good time. Many thanks to our supportive sponsors. I turn over the gavel to my most able friend and colleague, Ann Fiegen, from whom you will be hearing much.
Chris LeBeau
BRASS Chair, 2011-2012
BRASS Business Reference in Academic Libraries Committee
The BRASS Forum sponsored by the committee at the 2012 ALA Annual Conference in Anaheim on “Using Social Media to Promote Business Librarians and Resources” was well received by the 56 librarians that attended. John Gottfried of Western Kentucky University started off the session with a presentation on why experimenting with social media matters. April Kessler of the University of Texas and Chad Boeninger of Ohio University each presented inspiring examples of their use of social media in their work. The presentations are available to all conference goers in the ALA Conference Scheduler in the comments for the BRASS Forum (ALA Connect login required). They are also available to all BRASS members on the BRASS connect site in the BRASS 2012 Conference Handouts files folder.
In the coming year, the committee will be working in collaboration with the SLA Task Force for Core Competencies to establish core information literacy competencies for business students. In addition, one of our committee members will be participating in the newly formed RSS Job and Career Reference Committee to represent the academic library perspective. The incoming chair, Charles Allen of Texas State University–San Marcos, will be directing the committee in these and other new initiatives as the year progresses.
For questions and feedback to the committee, please refer to the contact information on the committee’s web page.
Lydia LaFaro, Chair, 2009-2012
BRASS Business Reference in Public Libraries Committee
Our committee is planning for the Forum at the 2013 ALA Annual. We are currently finalizing a topic. We are also working on updated Public Libraries Briefcase to be published in the 4th quarter.
Elizabeth Malafi, Chair, 2010-2011
BRASS Business Reference Sources Committee (BRSC)
The BRSC met on June 22. There were ten committee members present. The committee had an agenda to obtain a volunteer as nominations coordinator, discuss the twelve works nominated as potentially outstanding or notable, finalize who would write the reviews to send to Susan Hurst for the RUSQ article, get a publishers forum update, and briefly discuss future directions.
Ed Hahn, one of the new members, agreed to take minutes, and to be the nominations coordinator.
Of the twelve titles nominated, six were identified as outstanding and notable. Members volunteered for the six reviews due on July 19th to Susan Hurst to edit for the RUSQ deadline of August 1st. Becky Smith will help edit as Susan will be on vacation before the RUSQ deadline.
Future directions discussed were having a mix of print works, including updated or revised editions if significant, and best databases, and overlooked works which had not been reviewed before, even though the works may be in their second or third edition. Smith also mentioned that it was possible with the workload that it may be necessary to have two subcommittees. While this currently exists, there was a lot of “double dipping” of the committee members (those who did reviews and the program planning) and those who did very little. It may clarify to have specific subcommittees in order to even the playing field of the work load.
On June 23rd, the Publishers’ forum was held. The theme was “How Private is Private” and covered private company information. The publishers on the panel were Bureau Van Djik, PrivCo, and Reference USA. Despite a building emergency during the presentation, the attendance was good, about 70-75 people.
The BRSC is on track, and Smith would like to thank the committee members for all of their hard work. It was announced that Susan Hurst would be chair for 2012-13.
Becky Smith, Chair, 2012
BRASS Conference Program Planning Committee
The BRASS Program for the 2012 ALA Annual Conference was “Adventures in Dataland: Business Data Sources” featuring Bobray Bordelon (Princeton University), Angela Lee (Esri), Joe Nation (RAND Statistics), and Jerry Wong (U.S. Census Bureau). The theme of our program was Business Data Sources, with a focus on free and low-cost resources. The committee extends our appreciation to Capital IQ Standard & Poor’s for their generous sponsorship of the breakfast.
Our program attracted a total of 120 attendees. Bobray Bordelon demonstrated resources from a variety of nonprofit and government sources, including the Consumer Expenditure Survey (CES) and American Time Use Survey (ATUS). Angela Lee discussed free and upcoming GIS resources from Esri. Joe Nation from the RAND Corporation presented several state statistical resources focusing on a wide range of social scientific data. Jerry Wong introduced the new changes to the American FactFinder and helpful ways to navigate the database. BRASS members Christy Goodnight and Van Houlson handled the audio and video recording of the full program. The video has been posted to the BRASS Section of ALA Connect for viewing by BRASS members.
Marketing for the program was well received and many people “friended” the BRASS Anaheim Program Committee Facebook page started by Jason Dewland. Members of the committee are writing an article to supplement the program that will be available in the winter 2012 issue of Reference and User Services Quarterly (RUSQ).
Program committee members: Paul Brothers, Laura Carscaddon, Jason Dewland, Allison Leaming, Chris LeBeau (BRASS Chair), Tony Lin (Committee Chair), Julia Martin, Peter McKay, Michael Oppenheim, and Mark Siciliano.
Anthony Lin, Chair, 2011-2012
BRASS Discussion Group Committee
The focus of this year’s BRASS Discussion Group was How Free Web Resources Can Complement Fee-Based Online Resources. The meeting took place on June 24, 2012, at the Anaheim Convention Center. The meeting was well attended and began with the BRASS business meeting, including announcements of the publisher’s forum, the BRASS program, and the BRASS dinner. The meeting then continued on to a discussion of various free online resources that BRASS members have found to be of use. Thanks to everyone who attended and contributed to a successful discussion.
Edward Hahn, Chair, 2010-2012
BRASS Education Committee
The new chair of the BRASS Education Committee is Natasha Arguello, Business Research Librarian at University of Texas at San Antonio.
The preconference Mastering Business Acumen (MBA) in a Day was a success! Forty-one librarians attended the one-day workshop during ALA Anaheim. The presenters did an excellent job at teaching basic business concepts to librarians. Attendees reported that their increased understanding of these concepts will allow them to assist patrons more effectively with business reference questions.
The Education committee completed transferring their popular guides: Best of the Best Business Websites and BRASS Selected Core Resources for Business Reference to the Libguides format. Please check them out at brass.libguides.com.
Committee members are currently writing reviews for this year’s winners of the Best of the Best Business Websites. Chosen from a running list of over 250 websites in various disciplines, the committee is recognizing the following three websites for the important and critical information they provide on business statistical data. Committee members’ reviews are scheduled to appear in the winter 2012 issue of RUSQ.
The winners are:
- globalEDGE -Created by the International Business Center at Michigan State University, this web portal offers a wealth of information, insights, and learning resources on global business activities.
- Statistical Abstract of the United States – A comprehensive collection of statistics in tabular format and includes basic statistics for a wide range of economic indicators. Each table lists the source of the statistics for further reference.
- FRED – Economic Data from the St. Louis Federal Reserve Bank – Provides historical U.S. economic and financial data, including daily U.S. interest rates, monetary and business indicators, exchange rates, balance of payments, and regional economic data.
Leticia Camacho, 2010–2012, Chair
BRASS Education Committee Connect page
BRASS Best Business Sites
BRASS Vendor Relations Committee
The BRASS Vendor Relations Committee was proud this year to have secured the BRASS Business Expert Press Award for Academic Librarians. In our role as the ad hoc award committee, we were pleased to select Joel Glogowski from Georgia State University from among a large and impressive pool of nominees as the inaugural recipient. We have been continuing to assist the BRASS 25th Anniversary Planning Committee by reaching out to new vendors and working with longtime partners to help secure funding for the celebration event planned for 2013 in Chicago. Other ideas for connecting to and collaborating with BRASS vendors in order to provide additional value to BRASS members are in the works.
Celia Ross, Chair, 2011-2012
BRASS Publications and Communications Committee
The Publications and Communications Committee met at Anaheim to review projects from the previous year and look at possible goals for the coming year. The Committee spent much of the first half of 2012 converting BRASS Web pages to the new Drupal format, then reviewing those pages to update information and identify problems. While we have made a good start, much work remains to be done. As new chair of the committee, I will contact our new and existing members to discuss distribution of responsibility for updating and revising BRASS Web pages. The committee is also open to other new projects.
John Gottfried, Chair, 2012-2013
BRASS 25th Anniversary Planning Ad Hoc Committee
Plans are underway for a BRASS 25th Anniversary Party to be held at the 2013 ALA Annual Conference in Chicago. Keep your calendars open for this fabulous event. Stay tuned for details to come over the next year.
Louise Feldmann, Chair
BRASS Emerald Research Award Committee
The Emerald Research Grants ($5000 each) were awarded to the following persons
- Louise Feldman, Colorado State University
Her research will study collaboration between public and academic business librarians in serving local entrepreneurs - Heidi Senior, University of Portland and Kerry Wu, Portland State University
They will study business librarians’ involvement in the evaluation and approval of new academic programs in business.
Greg Fleming, Chair, 2011-2012
Gale Cengage Learning Award for Excellence in Business Librarianship
Rita W. Moss was recognized at the RUSA Awards ceremony during the ALA Annual conference in Anaheim as the 2012 recipient of the Gale Cengage Learning Award for Excellence in Business Librarianship. This award ($3000 and a citation) is for her outstanding contributions to the field of business librarianship. Quoting from the citation: “Rita W. Moss leads by example – as an author, educator, officer, mentor, and expert.”
We thank Gale Cengage Learning for the generous support of this award.
The committee members: Bobray J. Bordelon, Karen J. Chapman, Irwin D. Faye, and Patricia E. Kenly
Patricia Kenly, Chair, 2011-2012
BRASS Gale Cengage Learning Student Travel Award Committee
Ilana Barnes is the recipient of the 2012 BRASS Gale Cengage Learning student travel award. We thought it would be good for everyone to read in Ilana’s own words what this award meant to her:
“I am extremely grateful to Gale Cengage Learning and BRASS for providing me with the opportunity to go to the ALA Annual Conference in Anaheim, California. The conference was an enlightening and exciting experience. It benefited me greatly professionally.
“Attending the ALA annual conference gave me many opportunities to network with my new colleagues and reconnect with old ones. While at the conference, I met many librarians who gave loads of useful advice for a librarian just starting out. Sometimes just sitting next to someone on a bench can be a great moment for serendipitous interaction. At one point I took a brief break between sessions on a bench and had a 30 minute conversation with a San Francisco public libraries manager who gave me several new ideas for social media and makerspaces projects. I also ran into librarians from my undergraduate and library education as well as recent alumnae from my library school.
“I also had the chance to network with other business librarians just like me. It was especially good to talk to other new business librarians who were going through similar adjustments to their new jobs. Some of the new business librarians I met even connected after the conference and are planning to have monthly “meetings” to build upon the relationships we started at ALA.
“For a recent graduate like me, transitioning from student to practitioner can be very intimidating and awkward. I am often not always sure where to make connections and with whom. The whole BRASS group treated me like a local celebrity throughout the conference and really went out of their way to include me and introduce me to other members. By the end of the conference, I felt very much like part of the group. I haven’t volunteered for any committees, but I did learn much more about the committee structure that I could ever have gleaned from reading ALA Connect pages. With what I learned at the conference, I feel like the whole process is much more approachable and there are many different ways that I could contribute.
“My favorite part of the conference was the BRASS discussion group. This was also my favorite part of last year’s conference as well. The discussion was very informative about free data resources, but I really love seeing the passion that Business Librarians have for their patrons, their sources and their work.
“My advice to other students is to apply for this award. Not only did it offer me the economic ability to attend the ALA Annual Conference, but the networking and social resources made my time in Anaheim the happiest place on Earth for a new business librarian.”
Carol L. Anderson, Chair, 2011-2012
BRASS Morningstar Public Librarian Support Award Committee
The Morningstar Public Librarian Support Award committee was glad to have Anne MacDonald, Business Librarian at Poudre River Public Library presented with the award at Annual. The committee is looking forward to accepting candidates for the upcoming year.
Melissa Jeter, Chair, 2011-2012
BRASS Outstanding Service to Minority Business Communities
The Award Committee, Vendor Relations, and Executive Committee have given thoughtful consideration to the status of this unfunded award for an extended period of time. The Award Committee recommended and the Executive Committee voted to disband the award. A broader award, perhaps related to some aspect of diversity, may be considered in the future.
Lee Pike, Chair, 2011-2012
BRASS 2013 Program: Investment Success! Building & Managing Your Retirement Portfolio
Monday, July 1, 2013; 8:30-10:00 AM
Good personal investment education is important for librarians and library staff. We are an occupational group that is rarely able to access top financial advice. In this program, investment professionals will demystify the process and help us understand essential principles and how to apply them to make better decisions to meet our retirement goals. The presentation will include a discussion of the common mistakes investors make, why we make them, and how to avoid them.
Speakers:
- Charles Rotblut, CFA, Vice President, AAII
Rotblut is a vice president of the American Association of Individual Investors. He is the editor of the AAII Journal. He authors the weekly AAII Investor Update e-newsletter and his commentary is published on both Seeking Alpha and Forbes.com. - Christine Benz, Director of Personal Finance, Morningstar, Inc.
Benz is director of personal finance for Morningstar and author of “30-Minute Money Solutions: A Step-by-Step Guide to Managing Your Finances,” published by John Wiley and Sons in January 2009. She is also editor of Morningstar Personal Finance, a monthly personal finance newsletter and writes a column on Morningstar.com.
Peter McKay, Chair, 2012-2013
CODES Board
CODES
Barry Trott, Editor
The CODES Board voted to sunset the CODES Materials Reviewing Committee. The committee existed only to review and update the document “Elements for Basic Reviews.” After the discussing the usefulness of this resource, the board felt that there was little evidence that these guidelines were being used in the profession. As most review sources define their own review, the board felt that this detailed document was increasingly irrelevant, and that neither the committee nor the guidelines were necessary to meet the strategic directions of the section. The recommendation was sent to the RUSA Board.
CODES Collection Development Education/Collection Development Planning/Collection Development Planning and Assessment Committees
Following the CODES section review at Midwinter 2012, it was decided to review some committee structures and to merge the Collection Development Education Committee and the Collection Development Planning and Assessment Committee. The new committee will include members from both existing committees.
CODES Communications Committee
The CODES Communications Committee drafted a new charge:
a. To promote the visibility of CODES Communications and its activities and programs by:
i. Developing and recommending plans and strategies for keeping members informed of the section’s activities and opportunities to the Section’s Executive Committee
ii. Contacting and providing information about CODES to new members
iii. Organizing, maintaining and regularly updating the CODES website and Facebook presence
iv. Promoting internal communication among members, including ALA Connect
v. Soliciting and coordinating the submission of articles and information related to the section for CODES publications
CODES Education Committee
The CODES Education Committee posted a bibliography drafted by the committee on Collection Development Education Resources.
History Section News
Please consider nominating a library or library system for the 2013 Gale Cengage Learning Award for Excellence in Reference and Adult Services. The award consists of $3,000 and a citation. At ALA Annual 2012, the committee honored the Richland County South Carolina Public Library Job Center. A list of previous recipients along with award criteria and the nomination form can be found on the RUSA site. The closing date for nominations is December 15, 2012.
Message From the Chair
Messages from MARS, the Newsletter of the RUSA MARS: Emerging Technologies in Reference Section
Cathy Larson, Editor
Greetings Fellow MARS Members!
It’s hard to believe another Annual Conference has come and gone. It was good to see many of you at the conference, and I know those who weren’t able to attend were there in spirit. We’re looking forward to another great year for MARS, the Emerging Technologies in Reference Section of RUSA!
Many thanks go out to Dianna McKellar, our chair for 2011-2012, to Anne Houston our Past Chair, and to Carolyn Larson, Shannon Jones, and Erin Rushton, not to mention all those who served as members and chairs of our committees this year, and to all our invited presenters. We couldn’t have done it without you.
Your new Executive Committee for 2012-2013 will be:
- Debbie Bezanson – Chair (bezanson@gwu.edu)
- Sam Stormont – Vice Chair
- Kelley Ann Lawton – Secretary
- Stephanie Graves, Arlie Sims, and Courtney Greene, Members-at-Large
If you are interested in joining MARS or learning more about the Emerging Technologies in Reference Section, please contact one of us. We welcome all members, those who can meet in person as well as virtual members.
This year we have a new committee—the User Experience Design Committee. They’re just getting started but their mission will be: “To identify and study issues relating to user experience (UX) design as it relates to emerging technologies in library public services, and to evaluate and promote integration of UX methods and philosophies in all types of libraries through technological and service standards, guidelines, and “best practices.” The chair for that committee will be Missy Clapp. If you are interested in joining this committee, please contact me.
Our Section goals for the coming year are to:
1. Continue to increase opportunities for virtual participation in the work of the Emerging Technologies in Reference Section. MARS membership is strong, but many of our members cannot regularly attend conference. Virtual meeting technologies, supported by RUSA, enable us to get more work done outside of the MidWinter and Annual face-to-face Conference meetings. In the coming year, the Executive Committee will work with each committee to identify ways to support more virtual projects and to recruit virtual members to contribute to the committee projects and goals.
2. Continue to increase professional development opportunities for members of the Emerging Technologies in Reference Section.
Professional Development is critical in the Emerging Technologies in Reference arena. The Professional Development Committee has already begun this task, creating webinars and free preconference workshops. In the coming year, work closely with RUSA to expand ongoing virtual offerings.
3. Maximize the effectiveness of RUSA by working closely with our parent organization and the other sections within RUSA to coordinate our virtual activities.
Through representation on RUSA level committees, coordinate ideas and create new synergies to help RUSA and the Emerging Technologies in Reference Section most effectively reach current members, providing them with opportunities for meaningful service and professional development, and most effectively recruit and retain new members.
4. Revise and update the MARS Handbook to optimize format and information for web presentation.
5. All MARS Committees will contribute to the 2013/2014 MARS Section Review.
The Section Review will be due to RUSA in February 2014. The committee reviews will be completed by Annual 2013.
Many of the committees and discussion groups have included summaries of their conference activities in this issue of Messages. To find out more about these presentations, don’t forget to check out our website: http://www.ala.org/rusa/sections/mars, or look for our postings on ALA Connect.
Debbie Bezanson
MARS: Emerging Technologies in Reference Chair, 2012-2013
bezanson@gwu.edu
Carolyn Larson Chosen My Favorite Martian for 2012
The MARS Achievement Recognition Certificate Committee selected Carolyn Larson, Head of the Business Reference Section, in the Science, Technology & Business Division at the Library of Congress as “My Favorite Martian” for 2012.
The Committee would also like to invite MARS members to send nominations for the 2013 Award to the Committee’s incoming chair, Stephanie Graves, at sgraves@lib.siu.edu by December 1, 2012. The MARS Achievement Recognition Certificate is given annually to recognize excellence in service to MARS. This award is given to an individual who is a current member of MARS, and has been an active member for the past two years. The recipient must have made either (1) sustained contributions toward attaining the goals of MARS, or (2) a single, significant contribution that has resulted in a positive impact upon the work of the section.
Shannon Jones, Outgoing Chair MARS Achievement Recognition Certificate Committee, 2011-2012
sdjones@vcu.edu
Outreach Committee: Happy Hour by the Pool and a Very Tweet Conference
This year, attendees of the Annual MARS Happy Hour enjoyed perfect weather (it was southern California, right?), hors d’oeuvres, drinks, and a relaxing poolside ambience at the Annabella Hotel near the Anaheim Convention Center. EBSCO generously sponsored the event, making possible the delicious hors d’oeuvres enjoyed by all. Over eighty people chatted about the work of MARS while catching up with old friends and getting acquainted with new ones. A moment was taken out of the informal event to acknowledge Carolyn Larson, this year’s My Favorite Martian honoree, as well as to thank the MARS leadership who led the Section through another great year. Alas, no one chose to bring a swimsuit and actually jump in, but it was a very nice party by the pool nonetheless.
For the first time, Outreach Committee members tweeted before and during the conference, commenting on everything from how to pack smart for a conference to the next relevant program on the agenda. Follow MARS on Twitter: @rusa_mars
Arlie Sims, Chair of MARS Outreach Committee, 2011-2012
asims@colum.edu
MARS Professional Development (PD) Committee
Learn to conduct virtual meetings and present webinars using Blackboard Collaborate! This online platform is new to RUSA and available to all MARS members. The MARS Professional Development Committee will be offering a series of training sessions on Blackboard Collaborate to teach the basics of navigating, and using some of the features such as the whiteboard and sharing screens. Each session will be 90 minutes at 1:00 PM Central Time (2:00 PM Eastern Time and 11:00 AM Pacific Time). Training dates are: August 17, August 31, September 14, September 28, October 12, October 26, November 16, November 30, and December 7th. MARS PD Co-chairs Van Houlson and Nancy Cunningham will be leading the training sessions. Please feel free to contact Van or Nancy with any questions.
Nancy Cunningham, Co-Chair Professional Development Committee, 2011-2013
nancy@usf.edu
Van Houlson, Co-Chair Professional Development Committee, 2012-2013
houls001@umn.edu
Products & Services Committee
The Products & Services Committee reviewed five products associated with recording library interactions. The software reviewed included: Reference Analytics, Desk Tracker, Gimlet, Google Analytics, and creating an Access database. These reviews are posted on the MARS blog.
Ngoc-Yen Tran, Chair, Products & Services Committee, 2011-2012
yentran@uoregon.edu
RSS/MARS Virtual Reference Services Committee
The RSS/MARS Virtual Reference Services Committee held its official meeting at ALA Annual in Anaheim on Saturday, June 23, as part of the RSS All-Committee meeting. Twelve people were in attendance. One of the primary goals of the meeting was final planning for the committee’s sponsored program held at Annual on Saturday, June 23, from 1:30-3:30 PM: “Are Virtual Reference Services Worth the Effort? What ROI Analysis and User Evaluations Tell Us.” The program was successful with approximately 150 people attending.
The committee is partnering with the RSS Marketing Committee on a webinar with Bill Pardue on marketing virtual reference services prior to Annual 2013. A discussion forum on this topic is planned for Annual 2013 itself with some sort of “bridge” activity between the webinar and Annual also being considered.
With the Virtual Reference Tutorial Subcommittee now having access to the RUSA Drupal installation, they are moving ahead with posting content. They have renamed the “Tutorial” the “Virtual Reference Companion” and aim to make it applicable to both managers/supervisors of VR service and frontline VR librarians. We are very excited about their progress and what they have planned.
We are also looking at a change in our official mission statement to fold in the charge of the now-disbanded Cooperative Reference Services Committee to: “To identify and study issues relating to virtual reference services, and to evaluate and promote technological and service standards, guidelines, and ‘best practices’ for local and cooperative virtual reference services in all types of libraries.” We will be working with MARS and RSS to accomplish this.
Jason Coleman (Kansas State University Libraries and incoming Secretary of RSS) is moving ahead with the Survey Ad Hoc Group. He has recruited 2 people to help in designing and distributing the survey to determine the current state of virtual reference services.
The committee will be considering a Wikipedia edit-a-thon at either Midwinter and/or Annual.
The committee plans to conduct their official midwinter meeting virtually with a time to be determined.
Ellen Hampton Filgo, Chair, RSS/MARS Virtual Reference Services Committee, 2011-2012
Ellen_Filgo@baylor.edu
Local Systems and Services committee
The MARS Local Systems and Services Committee program “Discovery Systems: The Promise and the Reality” was extremely successful. We had over 100 people in attendance. The speakers shared their experiences with discovery services such as Serial Solutions Summons, Ex-Libris’ Primo and EBSCO’s Discovery Service.
Chanitra Bishop, Chair, Local Systems and Services committee, 2012-2013
chbishop@indiana.edu
Best Free Reference Websites committee
The MARS Best Free Reference Websites for 2012 have been notified and the complete list is now available on the MARS website. Voted for by member librarians from around the United States, the twenty-six web sites were selected from seventy-seven sites nominated this year. These sites have been recognized by MARS this year as an outstanding site for reference information. The complete list of MARS Best of Free Reference Web Sites of 2012 is now available on the MARS site. We would like to congratulate these sites and thank them for providing quality information.
We would also like to thank the committee for the terrific collection of web sites that were nominated and for their participation in selecting the best sites for 2012.
Donna Scanlon (dscanlon@loc.gov) & Erica Danowitz, MARS Best Free Reference Websites
Co-Chairs, 2011-2013
To subscribe to MARS-L, see http://lists.ala.org/wws/info/mars-l
Message from the Chair
RSS
Amy Rustic, Editor
Hola, Everyone!
I am honored and humbled to chair the section that focuses on frontline reference issues! As the chair of the Reference Services Section, I look forward to working with each and every one of you to continue the great work the former leaders of this section have started.
Speaking of former leaders, I have big shoes to follow (and Liane, it doesn’t matter if they are only a size 5!). Many, many thanks go to Liane Taylor, outgoing chair of RSS. I can go on and on about Liane’s work but it is really evident in all aspects of RSS and many facets of RUSA; if something has become more efficient or effective, you can bet Liane was behind it!
In interests of space, I will focus on just two things that Liane has done to ensure that our section is streamlined, efficient, and effective. Liane is responsible for the detailed Chair Orientation Manual. She added a calendar that has been instrumental in helping the section to document and record the sections history. It includes setting goals for each committee, which ensures that the section continues to be viable and applicable to individuals involved in frontline reference. Furthermore, she saw the need for an RSS Archivist. You will see Cindy Levine, the RSS Archivist, listed as a co-chair of your committee; she is not a co-chair but is quietly working behind the scenes to make sure that the section stays organized. She has created categories within ALA Connect for each committee to record minutes, goals, current activities, and rosters.
I would be remiss without mentioning the leadership of Joe Thompson. Let me mention one of his many contributions (and there are many!) to the section. Through his leadership as chair of Organization and Planning he was the mastermind in making a fundamental, and I would argue fun, change to the RSS Annual Open House. At the Open House in Anaheim we debuted a trivia contest. It was through Joe’s thoughtful deliberation that the trivia contest was a success and included awesome prizes! We will miss Joe but rest assured he is still involved in RSS as a member of the new Young Adult Reference Services (YARS) Committee, a committee he was instrumental in creating.
So, you might be wondering what you can expect from me. First, I would like to welcome Ann Brown as the RSS Chair Elect. I look forward to working with Ann who is sharp, considerate, collegial, and fun; I believe we will make a great team!
Regarding RSS this year, I would like to focus on our members and what they have done for the section. We already have the RSS Service Achievement Award which honors a member for either a sustained contribution towards attaining the goals of RSS or a single significant contribution that has resulted in a positive impact upon the work of the section. Furthermore, you can become a prestigious member of the RSS Honor Roll. If you have served RSS in three or more different capacities, let the RSS Recognition Committee know! See http://www.ala.org/rusa/sections/rss/honoroll for the current members of this esteemed list!
More recently, we have published the RSS Members Publication List. Please let us know what you have published by filling out the form here. This is a way to showcase the activities of RSS Members and it also serves as a resource for you!
Finally, modeling after ACRL’s Member of the Week, I would like to implement RSS Member of the Quarter. This will coincide with the RSS Review and will feature a short interview with an RSS Member. Stay tuned via RSS-L for more information.
To conclude, I look forward to the year ahead and getting to know each of you. Please don’t hesitate to contact me (hammills@fiu.edu) with questions or ideas on how to improve the section. If I don’t know the answers, I have a great team (which includes all of you) to ask!
Keep in Touch,
Sarah J. Hammill
RSS Chair
Catalog Use Committee
The Catalog Use Committee hosted a Roundtable Discussion at ALA Annual in Anaheim. The group had planned out five distinct discussion topics for the meeting, with a moderator for each topic.
- Finding e-Resources: an idea sparked by this article in the September issue of the Journal of Academic Librarianship, “Usability Testing for E-Resource Discovery: How Students Find and Choose E-Resources Using Websites.” (p. 386 Fry, Amy).
- Catalog Accessibility: Access issues confronted by marginalized user groups such as the elderly, the disabled and children.
- Open Source Systems: Are they the future or a distraction?
- New Technology and the Mobile Landscape: How to make sense of new technology, platforms and devices.
- New Cataloging Standards and Resource Discovery: How will the new Sears subject headings and the RDA (Resource Description and Access) standards impact librarians and library users?
The Roundtable was scheduled for 4:00 PM on Saturday evening, and this may have impacted attendance. In the end, we had a dozen attendees and decided to meet together as one group. The smaller size of the group really helped draw in all of the participants. We had a very lively discussion, touching on each of the topic areas. We were able to devote more time to areas of particular interest to the group. The evaluations from the session were quite positive, with three-quarters rating the “overall experience” as “Very Good” and one quarter rating it as “Excellent.”
A focus for the Catalog Use Committee this coming year will be to look at the impact of Ebooks on the Library Catalog and best practices for displaying information about accessing and downloading on various devices, number of users, check out periods, along with other themes.
Peter Collins, Chair, 2011-2012
Colleen Seale, Chair, 2012-2013
Communication & Teaching at the Point of Need Committee
The Communication & Teaching at the Point of Need Committee is just getting started so there is not much to report at this point. Our charge is “to offer programming, forums for discussions, and professional development opportunities focused on effective communication and teaching strategies, skills and technologies used during virtual or face-to-face reference interactions as well as other patron points-of-need. Areas of interest include, but are not limited to, the reference interview, ‘teachable moments’ during the reference interaction, and point-of-need videos or tutorials.”
As chair, I am looking forward to a fantastic year of leading the charge for this committee. Great reference skills are a true asset in any job but crucial for librarians.
Christine Sharbrough, Chair, 2012-2013
Discussion Forums Coordinating Committee
The Discussion Forums Coordinating Committee sponsored two really exciting Forums at Annual. “Rethinking Your Reference Collection,” moderated by Christy Caldwell, had twenty-three attendees and a very lively discussion about the use and fate of print reference collections. Participants were both academic and public librarians and discussion covered topics from decision-making to dealing with staff resistance.
Our second Forum, “E-Access and Patron Bleed,” moderated by Nicolette Sosulski, covered a common feature of virtual reference services—assisting patrons from anywhere in the world with topics your local collection may not support. Eight public and academic librarians found a lot of common ground in this forum, discussing how their services deal with the expectations of patrons far outside a geographical or topical area.
The Discussion Forums Coordinating Committee did not meet at ALA Annual 2012. The committee’s meeting for the annual conference was conducted via email in May when the winning forum proposals for the conference were chosen.
Crystal Lentz, Chair, 2012-2013
Education and Professional Development for Reference
Work is progressing on coordinating a joint in-person workshop at ALA Midwinter 2013 with the Education and Professional Development for Reference Committee (EPDRC) and MARS Professional Development Committee. The workshop, “New Tech for Reference: From the Reference Interview to Roving Reference, Challenges, Benefits and Best Practices,” will be held Friday, January 25, 2013 from 1:00-5:00 PM at the University of Washington Odegaard Library, room 220. Topics include: Twitter, Facebook, and social media for reference, iPad/roving reference and using a Knowledge base, like LibAnswers, in reference.
Over the next year the EDPRC will be reviewing syllabi from ALA-accredited LIS programs to review what content is covered in reference courses. This will aid in future directions for the committee.
Kristen Mastel & Joseph Yue, Co-Chairs, 2012-2013
Evaluation of Reference and User Services Committee
The committee hosted a lively discussion forum at 2012 Annual, “The How, What, and Why of Reference Evaluation and Assessment,” moderated by committee members Ellen Keith and Jason Kruse on Saturday, June 23. We had seating for fifty and at one point, all fifty seats were filled! In our discussion of who was doing assessment and what tools were being used, interesting paths were shared. Assessment in some libraries is formalized to the point of having an assessment librarian or director. Besides tools like READ and LibQual, some libraries are using the Secret Shopper approach; some have created a rubric to assess undergraduate papers where the undergraduate has visited a librarian. Decisions being made with assessment data inform staffing, services, and best use of time. It was a fascinating discussion and we thank all who attended!
Ellen Keith, Chair, 2011-2013