RUSA News/Announcements

A recap of the Literary Tastes author panel in Orlando:
While attendance was not as high as past events, the caliber of this year’s author panel went unmatched. Award winning authors spoke candidly on themes of folklore, Polish culture old and new, child behavior, injustice, racism and fear. Literary Tastes is an opportunity to hear from noteworthy authors whose books are among their annual selections and also celebrate the art and craft of writing with fellow book lovers.

Naomi Novik, author of Uprooted, (Del Rey Books), was the 2016 Fantasy category winner of RUSA’s Reading List. Novik said, “Uprooted is, underneath, how people are connected and how people need one another.” She spoke of her Polish roots and how they influenced her story’s mythological aspects.

Jim Shepard spoke of his book, The Book of Aron (Alfred A. Knopf), which was name the 2016 winner of RUSA’s Sophie Brody Medal for excellence in Jewish Literature as well as a finalist for the 2016 Andrew Carnegie Medal for Excellence in Fiction. Shepard said “I’m interested in fictions that dismantle.” We read this chilling story from Aron’s perspective, a child in the Warsaw Ghetto during WWII, who uses his willful, limited capacities to survive and to understand the world around him.

James Hannaham, author of Delicious Foods, (Little, Brown and Company) was named a 2016 RUSA Notable Book for Fiction, which has since won the 2016 PEN/Faulkner Award for Fiction. In a frank discussion about how we perceive and portray context, he says he liked the idea that “the book could move forward with information rather than plot.” Hannaham has many conversations about racism and slavery, but “part of it is that it’s not over.” He left the captivated audience yearning for more.

Lastly, Karin Slaughter, author of Pretty Girls (William Morrow), who was the 2016 Adrenaline category winner of RUSA’s Reading List, spoke of her growing up in the south as the youngest of her sisters. Her stories are influenced by the fear her father instilled in her, “the last time a child left the refrigerator door open, they died,” she said jokingly and “children who read are quieter,”. The room was full of constant laughter as if we had transported to a late night comedy club. Her famous departing words, “I’ll leave you with urine and fear.”

The audience took a wild literary journey through past and present. Authors were there signing books immediately following the presentation where attendees could share their enthusiasm and take the occasional selfie. This annual RUSA event is quickly becoming a conference highlight for readers of all types. We are looking forward to next year!

RUSA’s 2017 Achievement Awards nomination period opens September 1 and runs through December 9, 2016. Nomination and submission instructions can be found on each of the award pages here: http://www.ala.org/rusa/awards/achievement. Librarians and library staff that work in reference and user services, instruction, readers’ advisory, business reference, historical research and genealogy, interlibrary loan are encouraged to apply!

The Andrew Carnegie Medals for Excellence in Fiction and Nonfiction longlist will be announced in in the fall! The winners will be announced at RUSA’s Book and Media Awards ceremony on Sunday, January 22, 2017 at ALA’s Midwinter Meeting in Atlanta.

Welcome to Jennifer Cross! Jennifer Cross has been hired as the new web services specialist for ASCLA and RUSA. Jennifer has her Master’s in Library Science from Texas Woman’s University, and a B.A. in Creative Writing from the University of Illinois. Most recently she has been a Programming and Web Design teacher in Caracas, Venezuela. In past positions, she has been a technology teacher, school librarian and web developer. Please direct any web services, RUSQ, and appointment database questions to her at jcross@ala.org.

RUSA Vendor Relations
From achievement awards, travel awards, receptions and more, our sponsors enhance the ALA Annual experience for RUSA members. Thank you, RUSA sponsors, for your continued support!

ABC-CLIO
Atlas Systems
Credo Reference
DPE AFL-CIO
Ebsco
Emerald Publishing
Gale Cengage
Global Financial Data
HarperCollins
Little, Brown and Company (Hachette Book Group)
Mergent
Mintel
Morningstar
NoveList (Ebsco)
OCLC/WorldCat
Penguin Random House
ProQuest
ProQuest
Reference Service Press
Reference USA
S&P Global Market Intelligence
SimplyMap/Geographic Research
Springshare

Celia Ross
Vendor Relations Liaison

RUSA News/Announcements

“IAmRUSA” Podcast
RUSA’s very first “IAmRUSA” podcast!
This podcast was created by Patty Valdovinos, our 2016 RUSA Spectrum Intern. Patty will be creating more podcasts profiling RUSA members as part of her Spectrum project for RUSA, continuing the “IAmRUSA” conversations created by our previous Spectrum Intern, Kirk MacLeod, last year (see the past conversations here).  We hope these podcasts will help us all learn more about each other as RUSA members. Thanks to Patty for this great initiative and a special acknowledgment to her for conducting the interview. Listen to it here.

2016 Election Results
Congratulations to the winners of the 2016 RUSA elections!
Thank you to those who stood in for election and to all the RUSA members who voted. Your votes help guide the leadership of RUSA and contribute to the success of the organization and its mission. The election results can be found here.

Town Hall Meeting

Make your voice count! The Reference and User Services Association (RUSA) is hosting a virtual Town Hall meeting on Wednesday, June 15, 2016 at 1 p.m. (PST) / 2 p.m. (MDT) / 3 p.m. (CDT) / 4 p.m. (EDT) to give all RUSA members (and prospective members!) a chance to ask questions about the organization and give input on our current and future directions.  We invite you to submit questions and suggestions ahead of time or ask them during the Town Hall.
You can submit your question here up until June 10:  http://goo.gl/forms/7pHP8S4Yy3.

RUSA President Anne Houston and RUSA Vice-President Alesia McManus will be present at the Town Hall to answer questions. To attend the meeting, you can either call 1-866-717-7547 with participant code: 72620830# or click on this link on June 15.

New Vendor Relations Liaison
Celia Ross appointed as new vendor relations liaison

headshot of Celia Ross
Celia Ross


RUSA President, Anne Houston, has appointed Celia Ross, Associate Librarian at the Ross School of Business, University of Michigan as RUSA’s newest position, Vendor Relations Liaison.

The Vendor Relations Liaison’s role is to facilitate communication between RUSA, including its staff, members, committees, sections and Executive Board, and database providers, publishers and other research resource vendors in order to ensure the continued support of RUSA’s awards, events, learning opportunities and strategic plan. The Liaison will also work to highlight the value and impact produced by this collaboration.

“Celia has had a direct impact on the professional development of many librarians, drawing them into business reference services and research. Celia is the ideal candidate for this position in that she has been one of RUSA’s greatest assets in advocating for our profession, creating and maintaining relationships with industry vendors and securing sponsorships for many of RUSA’s awards and events. Her rapport within and without the library community goes unmatched and we are beyond excited to have her as the face of our vendor relations liaison,” said RUSA President, Anne Houston.

In collaboration with RUSA, vendors gain unique access to a targeted audience of RUSA members, including reference and acquisitions librarians, collection development specialists, and other information professionals, resulting in a mutually beneficial partnership.

Annual Conference events:

RUSA’s President’s Program
“Be Our Guest”: Creating Immersive Guest Experiences in Libraries
Saturday, June 25
4:00 PM – 5:30 PM
Orange County Convention Center, Room W110B

Join us for RUSA’s President’s Program, a thoughtful discussion on how to create an effective “guest experience” in your library that teaches and inspires your users. Keynote speaker Dave Cobb, Vice President for Creative Development of Thinkwell Group, is an expert on designing immersive educational experiences for museums and theme parks. He’ll talk about how libraries can tell stories with space and create emotional resonance with their users–drawing on examples from the library world as well as theme parks. Responders are: John Blyberg, Assistant Director for Innovation and UX, Darien Library; and Stephen Bell, Associate University Librarian, Temple University. Add it to your schedule!

photo of Dave Cobb
Dave Cobb

Andrew Carnegie Medals for Excellence in Fiction and Nonfiction Celebration
Saturday, June 25
8:00 PM – 10:00 PM
HILTON Orlando, Room Florida Ballroom 1-4

The Andrew Carnegie Medals for Excellence in Fiction and Nonfiction are co-sponsored by Booklist and RUSA and supported by a grant from Carnegie Corporation of New York. This year’s program, sponsored in part by NoveList, will include featured speaker Billy Collins, former Poet Laureate of the U.S., as well as remarks from fiction medalist Viet Thanh Nguyen (The Sympathizer) and nonfiction medalist Sally Mann (Hold Still). The speakers will mingle with attendees and publishers at a drinks and dessert reception following the award presentation on Saturday, June 25, 8-10p.m. Our Gold sponsors include Grove Atlantic and Little, Brown and Company, Hachette Book Group. Individual tickets and tables are available for purchase.  Add it to your schedule!

Carnegie winners with sponsor logos

Literary Tastes: Celebrating the Best Reading of the Year
Sunday, June 26
8:00 AM – 10:00 AM
Rosen Centre, Room Grand A

Listen to some of the year’s best authors discuss their work and the craft of writing, while enjoying the company of other book lovers. All Annual Conference registrants are invited to participate in this free event. Light refreshments will be served. Book signings to follow. Add it to your schedule!

Featured speakers include:
Naomi Novik, author of Uprooted. Published by Del Rey. Winner of the 2016 Fantasy category of RUSA’s Reading List.
Jim Shepard, author of The Book of Aron. Published by A.A.Knopf. Winner of the 2016 Sophie Brody Medal and finalist for the 2016 Andrew Carnegie Medal for Excellence in Fiction.
James Hannaham, author of Delicious Foods. Published by Little, Brown and Company. 2016 RUSA Notable Book for Fiction.
Karin Slaughter, author of Pretty Girls. Published by William Morrow, a division of HarperCollins. Winner of the 2016 Adrenaline category of RUSA’s Reading List.
Joy Harjo, author of Conflict Resolution for Holy Beings: Poems. Published by W.W. Norton and Company. 2016 RUSA Notable Book for Poetry.

LiteraryTastes_Annual Poster

RUSA 101
Friday, June 24
3:00 PM – 4:00 PM
HILTON Orlando, Room Florida Ballroom 1-2

If you’re a first time conference attendee, new to RUSA or a longtime member looking for an opportunity to connect and ways to get involved, make sure to put RUSA 101 on your calendar! Spend an hour with us on Friday from 3-4p.m. before heading off to the opening of the exhibit floor for a chance to win some fantastic door prizes! Sponsored by Springshare. Add it to your schedule!

Springshare logo

Achievement Awards Ceremony and Reception
Sunday, June 26
5:00 PM – 6:30 PM
Rosen Centre, Room Grand A

Join RUSA colleagues and celebrate this year’s award winners for their outstanding accomplishments in reference and user services! Add it to your schedule!

BRASS Preconference: Business Data for Librarians
Friday, June 24
8:30 AM – 4:00 PM
Orange County Convention Center, Room W303 A/B

As the business world embraces data and analytics, so do business librarians. The focus of this interactive full-day pre conference program will include: conducting a data reference interview; delving into the issues of data validity and data information literacy; and, working with data tools and datasets. We will look in-depth at locating and manipulating financial and marketing data in particular. Designed for academic, public, and special librarians and all interested in this topic. Tickets available here.

RUSA meetings can be found here.

RUSA programs can be found here.

RUSA discussion and interest groups can be found here.

Online Learning
Courses

Please scroll down for pricing

Readers’ Advisory
101
(Live chats on Thursdays at 3 p.m. CST)
July 5 – August 12, 2016

Through practice sessions, participants will learn from instructor and RA expert Joyce Saricks how to use RA tools, craft annotations, read in genres, articulate appeal, and experiment with methods to offer RA services. The topics covered are introductory in nature. Read more here. Register here.

Learner-Centered Reference and Instruction: Science, Psychology, and Inclusive Pedagogy
July 18 – August 28, 2016

This course will introduce library practitioners to empirically sound approaches to learner-centered teaching that can be applied to creating effective reference and instruction services that maximally facilitate student learning. Read more here. Register here.

Introduction to Instructional Design for Librarians
(Live chats on Mondays at 5 p.m.CST)
September 12 – October 23, 2016

Learn to use the Instructional Design Process and apply it effectively to library instruction. Read more here. Register here.

Interlibrary Loan (ILL) 101
(Recorded Live Sessions on M/W, Time 1-2 p.m. CST)
October 3 – 30, 2016

The course will be separated into four separate modules that cover the ILL process from both the borrowing and lending perspectives, copyright law and licensing impacts on ILL, and ILL resources and systems. This course will cover both policies and procedures. Read more here. Register here.

Business Reference 101
October 3 – 30, 2016 or October 31 – December 4, 2016

This four-week, Web-based professional development course is designed for 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. Read more here. Register here.

Genealogy 101
October 31 – December 4

This course is designed for reference staff with little to no experience in genealogy. Using a case study to frame the coursework, participants will learn about tools and techniques they can use to confidently assist patrons with family history research. Read more here. Register here.

Pricing for the listed courses:
$130 for RUSA members
$175 for ALA members
$210 for non-ALA members
$100 for student members and retired members

Webinars
Stay tuned for future webinars with RUSA and get the most out of your membership!

Do you have an idea for a course or webinar that we are not currently offering?
Learn more about submitting proposals for RUSA online learning.

CODES

Barry Trott, Editor

CODES will be active in Orlando at ALA Annual!  On Saturday, June 25 at 10:30 am, check out our program “Harnessing Research and Data to Advance Readers’ Advisory Services” in the AM Orange County Convention Center, Room S330 C-D.  On Sunday morning at 8 am start your day with “Literary Tastes: Celebrating the Best Reading of the Year” in the Rosen Centre, Room Grand A.  This annual event has become a favorite for readers everywhere.  And you certainly won’t want to miss the Achievement Awards Ceremony and Reception at 5 pm on Sunday in the Rosen Centre, Room Grand A.  Congratulate your colleagues from CODES and other RUSA sections as we recognize their outstanding achievements.

You may be interested in a couple of other CODES committee meetings as well.  The CODES All Committee Meeting at Midwinter in Boston was so successful that we are repeating it in Orlando.  Any CODES group that does not have its own specific meeting time and place can meet during the All Committee Meeting on Saturday, June 25, at 10:30 am in the Hyatt Regency Orlando, Room Plaza BR F.  It’s also a great venue to meet colleagues and introduce yourself to other CODES members.  The Reference Publishing Advisory Committee will meet on Saturday, June 25, at 4:30 pm in Orange County Convention Center, Room W307B.   This brainstorming session is open to all and will identify trends in reference publishing to serve as future topics.  Please join us for the conversation!

It’s not too late for appointment to a CODES committee.  A few committees still have available positions.  If you’re interested in serving or have questions about CODES committees, please contact Daniel Mack, CODES Vice Chair/Chair Elect, at dmack@umd.edu.

History

Laura Hibbler, Editor

Here are just a few of the great events coming up for History Librarians at ALA Annual in Orlando!

All Committee Meeting and Open House (RUSA_HS)
Saturday, June 25, 8:30 AM – 10:00 AM
HYATT Regency Orlando, Room Celebration 05

Partnering for the Common Good: Libraries, and Genealogical Societies
Saturday, June 25, 1:00 PM – 2:30 PM
Orange County Convention Center, Room W109A

Genealogy and Local History Discussion Group (RUSA HS)
Saturday, June 25, 4:30 PM – 5:30 PM
Orange County Convention Center, Room W310

History Librarians Discussion Group (RUSA_HS)
Sunday, June 26 1:00 PM – 2:30 PM
Orange County Convention Center, Room W209C

Executive Committee Meeting (RUSA HISTORY)
Monday, June 27, 8:30 AM – 10:00 AM
Rosen Centre, Room Salon 06

Also of note, the Genealogy Pre Conference will take place Friday, June 24, from 9:00 AM – 4:00 PM, at the Orange County Convention Center, Room W304 A-B. The Genealogy Pre Conference has been full since early April–congratulations to the planning committee for organizing such a popular event! The committee is maintaining a waiting list for lunch, in case people who are already registered drop out. A few may be added to a waiting list for sessions only (no lunch).

To be added to the waiting list, please contact Rhonda L. Clark.

Stay tuned for more information about History Section programming at ALA!

From the History Librarians Discussion Group
During the History Librarians Discussion Group at Midwinter 2016, attendees were interested in learning more about the metadata standards used by different digital scholarship sites. Kara Long, Metadata and Catalog Librarian at Baylor University, has kindly composed an incredibly helpful piece for the History Section. She explains metadata and relates metadata to formats librarians will understand. The introduction to Kara’s piece is provided here, with the full text available on the History Section site.

“An Entirely Too Brief History of Library Metadata and a Peak at the Future, Too”
Even if you feel unfamiliar with metadata, you may have heard the definition, “metadata is data about data.” This is technically true but not very illuminating. The title of a book is metadata. The length of a feature film is metadata. The date of a treaty is metadata. Metadata is information about other data, and in the case of libraries the “other data” is usually an information object – like a book, film, or government document. So, you may feel unfamiliar with metadata, but the truth is that we all rely on metadata all the time in our daily lives. If you work in a library (and you probably do), then you use metadata every time you search for a book or article. In fact, metadata probably plays a big role in a lot of what you do.

A conversation about metadata can get very theoretical very quickly. So, in honor of the History Librarians’ discussion group, I will present an entirely too brief history of library metadata as a way to contextualize our current metadata challenges. In libraries, many of these challenges originate in library data models developed in the nineteenth century and early twentieth centuries. Our choice of data models and standards has proliferated since then, and I hope this brief history makes the sea of library metadata a little less overwhelming.
Continue reading

Emerging Technologies Section (ETS)

Chanitra Bishop, Editor

Get Involved with ETS!
Great news – we are still accepting volunteers to fill a variety of ETS committee appointments.  If you are interested in serving, please contact Vice Chair/Chair-Elect Courtney McDonald directly at crgreene@indiana.edu for more information about opportunities.  Follow the link here for a listing of the ETS committees

Have questions about our committees? The All Committee Meeting on Sunday, June 26th from 10:30-11:30am (HYATT Regency Orlando, Room Bayhill 23) is a great place to meet ETS members and have your questions answered!
Attending the full conference in Orlando?
Join us for some or all of our sessions!!

Happening on Sunday at 1:00pm (Orange County Convention Center, Room W109A)

Emerging Technologies Librarians: Changing Roles for Changing Times (RUSA_ETS)
Are you bemused by the range of new literacies deemed critical for future citizens/students?  Has your University or Community recently stressed the importance of digital, visual, design, and statistical, and/or entrepreneurial literacy?   Do you struggle to keep up with new technologies when you haven’t finished learning the last ones yet?

Join us for an afternoon of conversation with three Emerging Technologies librarians who discuss how their roles continue to evolve as once “emerging” technologies become part of the library’s operational fabric, and as new expectations for successful citizens and students lead libraries to continue to expand partnerships and opportunities for their patrons to engage with new waves of emerging technologies.

Beth Boatright (Emerging Technologies Librarian and Business Librarian, Indiana University- Purdue University, Fort Wayne),  Tara Radniecki (Engineering Librarian at University of Nevada, Reno, and author of the IFLA Study on Emerging Technology librarian roles)  and Jane Martin (Library Director, Winterhaven Public Library and their SEEDLab with a focus on  Science, Education, Exploration and Design) will share their experiences as they juggle day-to-day operational aspects of their jobs with trying to stay abreast of the trends, working with their colleagues as they learn new technologies (are we all emerging technologies librarians now?), and engaging with “ever emerging” new technologies to continue to harness their potential to provide the best opportunities for the populations we serve.

A listing of all ETS programs and meetings is available in the ALA Scheduler.

Some other highlights include:

Saturday Sessions:

  • The Library as Publisher: Emerging Service for Storytellers and Scholars
    Do you have patrons that are trying to publish books, build websites, or record podcasts? Are you prepared to provide services that will help them in their publishing endeavors? This session is for you!
    Over the last two years, RUSA’s Emerging Leader teams have investigated trends and tools for libraries involved in patron publishing. You’ll learn about four distinct ways your library can support would-be authors and hear from libraries providing innovative services including print-on-demand self-publishing and audio recording with StoryCorps. You’ll leave equipped with a toolkit for providing the publishing services that are most in demand in your community, university, or school.
  • Promoting Subject Specialists and Enhancing Visibility of Library Reference
    Academic library reference continues to go through transformation, as users increasingly rely on the web for their information needs. Traditional library liaison and subject specialist roles are changing, as librarians attempt to realign services with university-wide goals, including an increased emphasis on undergraduate student success. How does your institution market, brand, and promote its reference services on the web? How are library subject liaisons and specialists presented online? In this session, we will explore what various institutions are doing to increase the visibility of their subject librarians and how they are formalizing and assessing their new and existing efforts. We will feature a panel of 3-4 presenters, as well as an active discussion and interaction with audience members.

Sunday’s sessions include:

  •  Fact or Fiction: What Virtual Reference Training Works and What Holds Promise
    Is your library currently training staff on virtual reference services? Are you looking for ideas on how to approach training or make your training efficient? This program allows the librarian to learn about current training programs, the ideal methods of assessment, and identify best training practices. As a topic that will interest all types of libraries, librarians are encouraged to share their experiences and acquire helpful tips from others. Sponsored by the Virtual Reference Discussion Group, ETS/RSS Virtual Reference Services, & Virtual Reference Companion Subcommittee.

Hope to see you in Orlando!

RUSA News/Announcements

Don’t miss out on Early Bird Registration rates, which end at 12 p.m. (CT) March 16, 2016. You can register for the conference using this link: ALA Annual Conference registration.

RUSA’s Annual Conference Line-up:

President’s Program
“Be Our Guest”:  Creating Immersive Guest Experiences in Libraries

Join RUSA for a thoughtful discussion on how to create an effective “guest experience” in your library that both teaches and inspires your users.  Keynote speaker Dave Cobb, Vice President for Creative Development of the Thinkwell Group, is an expert on designing immersive educational experiences for museums and theme parks. He’ll talk about how libraries can tell stories with space and create emotional resonance with their users–drawing on examples from the library world, as well as local Orlando theme parks.

Preconferences
Business Data for Librarians –
Ticket purchase required
As the business world embraces big data, so must librarians. The focus of this full-day workshop will include: conducting a data reference interview; delving into the issues of data validity and data information literacy; and, working with data tools and datasets. Participants will look in-depth at locating and manipulating financial and marketing data in particular. You’ll hear from experts through interactive sessions on data and microdata in libraries and business reference work, the types of financial data and the primary sources for obtaining it, and how to employ skepticism in assessing marketing and consumer data.  Register here.

A Spoonful of Data-Driven Sugar: Using Big Business Research to Improve Customer Satisfaction in Easy-to-Implement, Single-Serving Packets  Ticket purchase required
USAA, Amazon, Zappos, Trader Joe’s, and Starbucks are among companies ranked highest in customer service and they spend millions of dollars identifying ways to make their users happy. Learn how our panelists have tested and incorporated specific communication techniques into their workflows and patron interfaces, improving customer satisfaction and their own understanding of user needs, wants, and stress behaviors. Attendees will receive access to a digital toolkit of tips and tools. Register here.

Genealogy Preconference Free, but registration is required*
This free workshop will help librarians of all types learn techniques. This can include better understanding of genealogy research methods and sources. It can also include how libraries can leverage their unique holdings to become more relevant to genealogists, who tend to be passionate in their support of libraries that have useful materials. Register here: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/Q7RCDJT.

Annual Conference Programs
(Dates and times have not been confirmed yet. Please stay tuned!)

The Library as Publisher: Emerging Services for Storytellers and Scholars
More information to come. Stay tuned!

Educating for the Future of Reference, sponsored by the RSS Education & Professional Development Committee
What do reference librarians need from library school coursework to best prepare them for the current marketplace? To help answer this question we have assembled a panel that includes reference/public services librarians from both academic and public libraries, a library school professor, and a library school dean, to explore whether existing coursework as currently taught meets these needs, and if not, how those working in the profession can best inform library schools as they make strategic decisions about curriculum.

Partnering for the Common Good: Libraries, and Genealogical Societies
Interest in family history (genealogy) is at an all-time high across the nation. In addition, Technology is making possible partnerships between libraries and societies that would not have been possible a few years ago. Come hear stories of successful collaboration between all types of libraries (Public, Academic, School, and Special), and genealogical societies. Learn how you can leverage these partnerships to the benefit of your library. Participants will learn how to identify opportunities for their own libraries to partner with a local genealogical society.

Not Your Average Consortia
As library partnerships and collaborations are needed more than ever, library consortias are being relied upon more as resources and tools in a library’s future. This presentation will focus on what years of consortial development and participation has taught us. The panelists provide decades of experience in consortial partnerships and will be able to touch upon the “best of” practices in these partnerships. They will also guide a discussion on future developments and opportunities for all consortial cooperation.

Emerging Technologies Librarians: Changing Roles for Changing Times
We’ll take a look at the day in the life of Emerging Technologies Librarians, the trends in job descriptions, tips for successfully juggling competing priorities, and advice and strategies for keeping up. Our panel will delve into the discussion regarding what preparation library schools should be providing for reference practitioners. The panel will bring together LIS reference educators and reference practitioners – which makes this a unique program. At the end of this program, participants will be able to describe several different variations of job descriptions and responsibilities of emerging technologies librarians.

Book and Media Awards Ceremony & Reception

Andrew Carnegie Medals for Excellence in Fiction and Nonfiction
“The Sympathizer,” by Viet Thanh Nguyen, published by Grove Press, an imprint of Grove Atlantic, was selected as the winner of the 2016 Andrew Carnegie Medal for Excellence in Fiction, and “Hold Still: A Memoir with Photographs,” by Sally Mann, published by Little, Brown, and Company, Hachette Book Group, was selected as the winner of the 2016 Andrew Carnegie Medal for Excellence in Nonfiction.

This is the first time the Carnegie Medal winner announcements were made during the Midwinter Meeting & Exhibits, reflecting a new calendar for the awards, with the shortlist announced in October, the winners in January and the popular celebratory event continuing at ALA Annual Conference each year. During the celebratory event, both Nguyen and Mann will receive a medal and $5,000. The four finalists will each receive $1,500. To attend the celebratory reception, purchase tickets for the event here.

TheSympathizer_NguyenHoldStill_Mann

 

CODES Awards

Notable Books List
Reading List
Listen List: Outstanding Audiobook Narration
Sophie Brody Medal
Dartmouth Medal
Outstanding Reference Sources
Zora Neale Hurston Award
Louis Shores Award

BRASS Awards
Outstanding Business Reference Sources
Best of the Best Business Websites

History Awards
Best Historical Materials

ETS Awards
Best Free Reference Websites

Annual Conference

Uprooted book cover Book Of Aron book cover Delicious Foods book cover Pretty Girls book cover Conflict Resolution for Holy Beings book cover

Literary Tastes: Celebrating the best reading of the year
Featured speakers include:
Naomi Novik, author of Uprooted. Published by Del Rey. Winner of the 2016 Fantasy category of RUSA’s Reading List.
Jim Shepard, author of The Book of Aron. Published by A.A.Knopf. Winner of the 2016 Sophie Brody Medal and finalist for the 2016 Andrew Carnegie Medal for Excellence in Fiction.
James Hannaham, author of Delicious Foods. Published by Little, Brown and Company. 2016 Notable Book for fiction.
Karin Slaughter, author of Pretty Girls. Published by William Morrow, a division of HarperCollins. Winner of the 2016 Adrenaline category of RUSA’s Reading List.
Joy Harjo, author of Conflict Resolution for Holy Beings: Poems. Published by W.W. Norton and Company. 2016 RUSA Notable Book for Poetry.

ALA Annual Conference
Sunday, June 27, 2015, 8:00am-10:00am, hotel TBA
Orlando, FL

Naomi Novik headshot
Naomi Novik

Jim Shepard headshot
Jim Shepard

James Hannaham headshot
James Hannaham

Karin Slaughter_headshot_Photo by Alison Rosa
Karin Slaughter

Joy Harjo headshot
Joy Harjo

 

RUSA Achievement Awards ceremony and reception
Sunday, June 27, 5-6:30pm, hotel TBA
Orlando, FL

DIVISION AWARDS:

Isadore Gilbert Mudge Award
This year’s winner is Cheryl LaGuardia, research librarian at the Widener Library of Harvard University.
The Isadore Gilbert Mudge Award was established in 1958. It presents a cash award of $5,000* and a citation to an individual who has made a distinguished contribution to reference librarianship.

Award for Excellence in Reference and Adult Services
The 2016 winner is San Jose Public Library, San Jose, CA, for the Virtual Privacy Lab (sjpl.org/privacy), a free, encrypted online learning tool for all libraries to share with patrons.
Established in 1990, the Award for Excellence in Reference and Adult Library Services is a citation and $1,000* award presented to a library or library system for developing an imaginative and unique resource to meet patrons’ reference needs.

John Sessions Memorial Award
This year’s winner is The Center for Labor Education & Research, University of Hawai‘i – West O‘ahu
Established in 1980, the John Sessions Memorial Award recognizes a library or library system which has made a significant effort to work with the labor community and by doing so has brought recognition to the history and contribution of the labor movement to the development of the United States. Such efforts may include outreach projects to local labor unions; establishment of, or significant expansion of, special labor collections; initiation of programs of special interest to the labor community; or other library activities that serve the labor community. The winner receives a plaque.

NoveList’s Margaret E. Monroe Library Adult Services Award
Dr. Mary K. Chelton, retired professor, Graduate School of Library and Information Studies, Queen’s College, CUNY, was selected as this year’s winner.
Established in 1985, the Margaret E. Monroe Award is $1,250* and a citation presented to a librarian who has made significant contributions to library adult services. The individual may be practicing librarian, a library and information science researcher or educator, or a retired librarian who has brought distinction to the profession’s understanding and practice or services for adults.

Reference Service Press Award
Denise Adkins, associate professor at the University of Missouri School of Information Science and Learning Technologies and C. Sean Burns, assistant professor, University of Kentucky School of Information Science, authored the winning article selected for the 2016 Reference Service Press Award. The article, “Arizona Public Libraries Serving the Spanish-Speaking Context for Changes,” was first published in Fall of 2013, (Vol. 53, No. 1) of Reference and User Services Quarterly
Established in 1985 and sponsored by Reference Service Press, this award constitutes a plaque and $2,500*. It recognizes the most outstanding article published in RUSQ during the preceding two-volume year.

SECTION AWARDS:

Business Reference and Services Section (BRASS)

BRASS Mergent Excellence in Business Librarianship Award
Jared Hoppenfeld, Business Librarian/Assistant Professor, Texas A&M University was selected as this year’s winner.
Established in 1989, the Excellence in Business Librarianship Award presents a citation and $4,000* cash award to an individual who has made a significant contribution to business librarianship.

BRASS Emerald Research Grant Award
Lisa O’Connor, associate professor, School of Library and Information Science, University of Kentucky, for her study, “Why Aren’t Millennials Taking Stock?:  Assessing the Role of Information Literacy in Market Avoidance.”
The Emerald Research Grant Award will be awarded to individuals seeking support to conduct research in business librarianship. The funds may be used at the discretion of the award recipients.

Global Financial Data Academic Business Librarianship Travel Award
This year’s winner is Ruth D. Terry, business and government information librarian, assistant professor at the University of Alaska-Anchorage
This $1,250* award recognizes a librarian new to the field of academic business librarianship in order to support attendance to the ALA Annual Conference.

BRASS Morningstar Public Librarian Support Award
Susan Wolf Neilson, librarian, Wake County Public Libraries (N.C.) was selected as the 2016 winner.
This award, $1,250*, is to support the attendance at Annual Conference of a public librarian who has performed outstanding business reference service and who requires financial assistance to attend the ALA Annual Conference.

BRASS SimplyMap Student Travel Award
The 2016 winner is Katherine Glasoe, student at the School of Library and Information Science, Simmons College.
This award consists of $1,250* and is given to a student enrolled in an ALA accredited master’s degree program to fund travel to and attendance at the ALA Annual Conference and a one-year membership in the Business Reference and Services Section (BRASS) of RUSA.

Collection Development and Evaluation Section (CODES)

Louis Shores Award
Multimedia & Technology Reviews
was selected as the 2016 winner.
Established in 1990, this award recognizes an individual reviewer, group, editor, review medium or organization for excellence in book reviewing and other media for libraries.

Zora Neale Hurston Award
Dr. Florita Bell Griffin, Creative Director of ARC Communications, LLC, a Texas-based Visual Art Communications and Publishing Company is the 2016 winner.
This annual award, founded in 2008, provides $1,250 for funds to travel to the ALA Annual Conference, tickets to the United for Libraries’ Gala Author Tea and two sets of  Zora Neale Hurston books published by Harper Perennial, to an individual ALA member who has demonstrated leadership in promoting African American literature.

Emerging Technologies Section (ETS)

ETS Achievement Recognition Award
Beth Boatright, information services and instruction librarian, Indiana University-Purdue University Fort Wayne, was selected as the 2016 winner.
The ETS Achievement Recognition Award is given annually to recognize excellence in service to MARS. This award, presented at the annual ETS Chair’s Program, is given to an individual who is a current member of ETS, and has been an active member for the past two years.

HISTORY Section (HS)

Gale Cengage History Research and Innovation Award
The 2016 winner is Thomas Padilla, Digital Scholarship Librarian, Michigan State University.
Established in 2012, the Gale Cengage History Research and Innovation Award winner will receive a citation and up to $2,500* which may be used at the winner’s discretion.  This award will be granted to an MLS degreed librarian from an ALA accredited school to facilitate and further research relating to history and history librarianship.

Genealogy / History Achievement Award
Michele C. McNabb, Library Manager, Genealogy Center, Museum of Danish America was selected as this year’s winner.
Established in 1992 and sponsored by ProQuest, this award presents a citation and $1,500* cash to a librarian, library or publisher and recognizes professional achievement in historical reference and research librarianship.

Reference Services Section (RSS)

RSS Service Achievement Award
The 2016 winner is Sarah J. Hammill, Business & Online Learning Librarian, Florida International University.
This annual award, founded in 2010, is given to an RSS member who has made either a sustained contribution towards attaining the goals of the Reference Services Section or a single significant contribution that has resulted in a positive impact upon the work of the section.

Sharing and Transforming Access to Resources Section (STARS)

STARS-Atlas Systems Mentoring Award
The 2016 winner is Kimberly Steiner, interlibrary loan technician at Messiah College (Pa.).
Sponsored by Atlas Systems, Inc., this award offers $1,250* to fund travel expenses associated with attending ALA’s annual conference. The recipient will be a library practitioner who is new to the field of interlibrary loan/document delivery or electronic reserves, and who has daily, hands-on involvement in the areas of borrowing, lending, document delivery, electronic reserves, material delivery, or resource sharing.

Virginia Boucher-OCLC Distinguished ILL Librarian Award
Tina Baich, associate librarian and head of resource sharing and delivery services, bibliographic and metadata services, Indiana University–Purdue University Indianapolis was selected as this year’s winner.
The Virginia Boucher-OCLC Distinguished ILL (Interlibrary Loan) Librarian Award is an annual award consisting of $2,000*, sponsored by OCLC, and a citation. It recognizes a librarian for outstanding professional achievement, leadership, and contributions to interlibrary loan and document delivery through recent publication of significant professional literature, participation in professional associations, and/or innovative approaches to practice in individual libraries.

RUSA COMMITTEES:

RUSA Membership
Jason Coleman, Chair of Conference Program Coordinating Committee joined RUSA 201 on January 20 for a great session. If you’re interested in knowing more about what this committee looks for, we’ve posted the session and presentation here: http://connect.ala.org/node/250217

RUSA 101 is an orientation to RUSA, it’s sections, and the work done across the division.

RUSA 201 provides more in-depth content for RUSA members about what is done at the division level and opportunities to get involved.

Watch the listserv for updates and meeting information!
If you or your committee are interested in being featured, please drop me a line at agbrown@gwu.edu.

Ann Brown
Chair, RUSA Membership Committee

agbrown@gwu.edu

RUSA Publications and Communications
Consider blogging for RUSA Voices, the new blog for RUSA members and those who support the mission and goals of RUSA.

We are looking for folks (RUSA members or interested parties) to blog during ALA’s Annual Conference this coming June in Orlando about interesting sessions, discussion groups, and happenings.

If you’re not attending Annual, but have other things you’d like to share, consider blogging about items or interest or things that really grind your gears throughout the year. Can’t do it then, but still interested?

Going to other library conferences and want to share what you learned? Bring it on! No topic is taboo and since this is a user generated blog, we want to hear what you think. RUSA wants to hear what you think. ALA wants to hear what you think.

Please check out RUSA Voices at http://blog.rusa.ala.org/

Questions?  Interest?  Contact David Midyette (dmidyette@roseman.edu)

Amy Rustic
Chair, RUSA Publications and Communications Committee

RUSA News/Announcements

RUSA INSTITUTES

Reference Interview Institute – Ticket Purchase Required
Friday, January 8, 9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
BCEC 101

This live and in-person all day workshop will provide you with some techniques that will enable you to better assist your users-and help you figure out what it is that they really need when they ask a question. Two expert reference librarians (one public librarian and one academic librarian) will give you tips that will make you more approachable, a better communicator and help make your users more willing to return. Register here.

Ticket Prices:

Category Early Bird –

11:59 a.m. (CST)

November 11, 2015

Advance –

11:59 a.m. (CST)

January 4, 2016

Division Member $199 $199
ALA Member $219 $219
Other Member

(Retired, Student, Trustee,

Non-Salaried, Support, and Staff)

$149 $149
Non-ALAMember $259 $259

 

History Genealogy Institute – FREE, But Registration is Required
Friday, January 8, 8:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
BCEC 151B

This free workshop will help librarians of all types learn techniques. This can include better understanding of genealogy research methods and sources. It can also include how libraries can leverage their unique holdings to become more relevant to genealogists, who tend to be passionate in their support of libraries that have useful materials. Lunch provided and sponsored by ProQuest. Must register here: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/QWZP6WG.

BRAND NEW! Deep Dive Session
We are all user experience librarians: Creating change from the trenches
Saturday, January 9, 1:00 p.m.- 4:15 p.m.

This Deep Dive workshop will focus on user testing and understanding your users’ experience through a mix of discussion, presentations, and interactive experiences. Our five presenters will offer design strategies and tools from throughout the lifecycle of a user experience design project, and they will also join together as a panel to provide a spirited, entertaining look at pitfalls to avoid and lessons learned. Unlike other sessions about user experience design, the proposed workshop will focus on providing attendees with concrete skills and techniques they can apply at their home institutions with relatively little expense or pre-planning. “Deep Dive” half-day education sessions for active, participatory learning in a workshop-style setting, CEUs will be available, with registration for each session capped at 25. More information here.

Location: TBD
Cost: TBD

RUSA Meetings

Executive Committee Meeting
Friday, January 8, 1:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.
BCEC 203

Meeting of the Executive Committee where discussions will consist of current and planned activities of the RUSA Division. This is an open meeting and all registered attendees are welcome. Come meet some of RUSA’s key players; President; Anne Houston, President-Elect/Vice-President; Alesia M. McManus, Past President; Joseph A. Thompson, Secretary; Kathryn J. Oberg, Councilor; Sarah Hammill and RUSA Executive Director; Susan Hornung.

Board of Directors Meeting I and II:

  • Board I – Saturday, January 9, 1:30 p.m. – 3:30 p.m., BCEC 205B
  • Board II – Monday, January 11, 2:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m., BCEC 153C
    RUSA Board of Director meetings are open and any individual registered for the Midwinter Meeting may sit in on the meetings. The meeting’s topics are set aside for visitors and board members to use as an ‘open forum’ where anyone can share information, ask questions, etc. The agenda and documents are completed prior to the conference. Anyone interested in viewing the agenda for the meeting, as well as the documents that accompany the agenda items, may view or download them from ALA Connect. If you or your constituency develops a document for board consideration, please give it to the RUSA staff at least two hours before a board meeting. RUSA Board of Directors’ Meetings are open and all registered attendees are welcome!

Budget and Finance Meeting
Sunday, January 10, 11:30 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.
Westin, Faneuil

Meeting to review, recommend and plan goals, objectives, and priorities for the division as they relate to the RUSA’s budgetary matters.

Network, Socialize & Celebrate

RUSA Speed Mentoring Session
Saturday, January 9, 3:30 p.m. – 5:30 p.m.
Park Plaza, Arlington, Berkeley

Join a group of experienced RUSA leaders to engage in a fun, interactive “speed mentoring” session. Similar in format to “speed dating”, MLS students, new librarians, and mid-career librarians are invited to participate in this session where they will have the opportunity to gain leadership advice from a number of senior librarians and RUSA leaders.

Membership Social
Saturday, January 9, 5:30 p.m. – 7:00 p.m.
Hyatt, Grand Ballroom B

Join members of RUSA for an opportunity to eat, drink, network, win door prizes and learn more about our division and its sections. The social is open to past, current and those interested in becoming members. All attendees are welcome!  

Book & Media Awards Ceremony and Reception
Sunday, January 10, 5:00 p.m. – 6:30 p.m.
Park Plaza, Grand Ballroom A

For the first time, the Andrew Carnegie Medals for Excellence in Fiction and Nonfiction will be announced during this Midwinter Meeting event, reflecting the new calendar for these awards. As always, RUSA will also unveil the winners of the Reading List, Notable Books and Listen List selections, the Dartmouth Medal, the Sophie Brody Medal for Jewish literature, the Zora Neale Hurston Award for achievement in promoting African-American literature and the Louis Shores Award for book reviewing. All Midwinter attendees are invited to this event. Light refreshments provided. The event is sponsored in part by NoveList.

History

Laura Hibbler, Editor

A sub-committee of the History Section’s Instruction and Research Services Committee has created an updated version of the Using Primary Sources on the Web page:
http://www.ala.org/rusa/sections/history/resources/pubs/usingprimarysources

The previous version will be archived at:
http://www.ala.org/rusa/sections/history/resources/pubs/usingprimarysources_2008
until December 18, 2015.

Send comments regarding the content on the new page to rusaprimarysourcespage@gmail.com.

Stay tuned for news about events at Midwinter, including:

  • Genealogy Institute on Friday from 8:00am-4pm
  • Genealogy & Local History Discussion Group from 4:30pm-5:30pm on Saturday
  • History Librarians Discussion Group from 1:00-2:30pm on Sunday
  • Plus a History Section dinner and a field trip!

Emerging Technologies Section (ETS)

Chanitra Bishop, Editor

Upcoming programs & spirited discussion forums from the Emerging Technologies section!
The Emerging Technologies Section (ETS) is happy to be part of the inaugural “Deep Dive” sessions planned for the midwinter conference in Boston. The session “We are all user experience librarians: Creating change from the trenches” is co-sponsored by ETS’ UX Design committee, ETS’ Professional Development committee, and RSS’ Education and Professional Development for Reference Committee. The workshop will be a mix of discussion, individual presentations, panel presentations, and interactive experiences. The workshop will focus on user testing and understanding your users and will be beneficial for participants with no or limited experience in user testing and with limited budgets.

[EVENT CODE: DIVE4 – Saturday, January 9th 1:00 – 4:15pm. For information about how to register for this ticketed event see http://2016.alamidwinter.org/ticketedevents”]

ETS committees are hosting some spirited discussions:

Optimizing the web for reference: Best practices for usability, accessibility, and responsiveness
User-friendliness of library services is an important consideration in the development of a library’s web presence. As the format and delivery of reference continue to change to accommodate user expectations and behavior, the library’s home page has become an extension of the institution’s in-person public services. In addition, an increase in distance education courses and online programs has contributed to the fact that a large number of users experience the library almost exclusively online. This poses questions regarding the usability, accessibility, and responsiveness of web reference services.

In this discussion group, we will feature panelists from institutions which have innovated their approach to web reference (email, chat, FAQs, etc.) and/or conducted usability studies on how their users get answers through their library’s web portal. The audience will benefit by: 1. an overview of current trends regarding reference services on the web, such as user-responsive chat, and new developments in accessibility; 2. a review of the literature regarding best practices for conducting web usability of library service pages; 3. Case studies and tips from panelists. This discussion is hosted by the Management of Electronic Reference Services (MERS) Committee of the Emerging Technologies Section (ETS) of RUSA. [Saturday, January 9th 1:00 – 2:30pm, BCEC (Convention Center) 258B]

Pay No Attention to the Librarian Behind the Curtain: Virtual Reference and Privacy in Libraries
Join the ETS Hot Topics Discussion group for an exploration of virtual reference and the role of privacy. While chat services give patrons another layer of anonymity, libraries are still exploring new ways to ensure their patrons’ privacy. Anonymous Internet browsing through TOR is at the forefront of the Library Freedom Project, but what does that mean for your library? Join us to discuss how digital tools promote and protect patron privacy with guest speaker Alison Macrina from the Library Freedom Project. [Sunday, January 10th 1:00 – 2:30pm, SEAPORT Plaza Ballroom C]

Transitions from traditional OPACs to discovery systems: how has this had impact on use and instruction – This session will provide the opportunity to discuss both advantages and drawbacks to working with a discovery system as opposed to a traditional OPAC and the impact discovery systems have had on instruction and research. [Sunday, January 10th 3:00 – 4:00pm, BCEC (Convention Center) 205B]

RUSA President’s Program

Reflections on the RUSA President’s Program 2015

On Saturday, June 27 from 4-5:30 we were able to welcome danah boyd, Founder and President of Data & Society to present, “It’s Complicated: Navigating the dynamic landscapes of digital literacy, collapsing contexts, and big data.” We had close to 700 people in attendance to hear danah speak. She provided a rapid-fire presentation packed with content, so I do strongly encourage everyone to watch the video recording! It’s available to all ALA members. Simply go to http://www.ala.org/rusa/rusa-presidents-program-2015 and log in with your ALA membership ID. One of the themes that danah focused regarded the consequences of information in all its forms being reflected in contexts that it was never originally intended. The effects can be devastating, especially for a young person who posts comments in a social media environment intended to preserve their own safety and relationships within their peer group, but then these comments are viewed very differently as they shift into college and career environments. Young people have also come up with very innovative ways to manage their own identities and privacy in online environments, such as deactivating and reactivating a Facebook account, with the intention of asserting control over their presence and allowing comments by others to only take place when they themselves are also online. Another theme of danah’s presentation focused on the algorithms that drive advertising in web environments. These algorithms have a definite impact on what we see on the web and greatly influence how we perceive the world. What can librarians do? Be active champions of information literacy and information access. Fight for the rights of the people in your community and be their advocate.

I’ve only touched the tip of the iceberg on what danah covered, so in addition to watching the video I do encourage you to be on the lookout for a column that will appear in the next issue of Reference and User Services Quarterly (RUSQ) authored by Cathay Keough, member of the RUSA Just Ask Task Force. I want to share my personal thanks to the members of the RUSA President’s Program Planning Committee, the RUSA Just Ask Task Force, the RUSA staff, and members of the RUSA Board of Directors for their support. I’m especially grateful to our president’s program committee chair Peter Bromberg, who maintained our great relationship with danah and her agent, created our Facebook event page, and led our awareness campaign so that ALA’s conference attendees could be ensured to know about the program. I also very much appreciate the work by Cathay Keough for writing the forthcoming RUSQ column, Marianne Braverman for her promotional efforts, and Andrea Hill for handling the editing work and getting the video posted.

Thanks again to each of you and everyone who helped make the program a success!

Joe Thompson

RUSA Past President

RUSA News/Announcements

RUSA Achievement Awards Call for Nominations and Submissions
Beginning Sept. 1, 2015 RUSA is seeking nominations for its annual series of awards and grants. Nominations and supporting materials for most awards must be submitted by Dec. 4, 2015.

RUSA encourages members to nominate their colleagues whose work has influenced their thinking and performance and whose contributions merit recognition by the profession.

Achievement awards for individuals and groups:
Isadore Gilbert Mudge Award
, RUSA’s highest honor, recognizes an individual who has made a distinguished contribution to the field of reference librarianship. $5,000* and a citation.

Award for Excellence in Reference and Adult Library Services is given to a library or library system for developing an imaginative and unique resource to meet patrons’ reference needs. $3,000* and a citation.

NoveList’s Margaret E. Monroe Library Adult Services Award recognizes a librarian who has made significant contributions to library adult services. Sponsored by NoveList; $1,250* and a citation.

John Sessions Memorial Award recognizes a library or library system that has made a significant effort to work with the labor community and by doing so has brought recognition to the history and contribution of the labor movement to the development of the United States. Sponsored by the Department for Professional Employees, AFL-CIO, the winner receives a plaque.

Reference Service Press Award recognizes the most outstanding article published in Reference and User Services Quarterly (RUSQ), RUSA’s research journal, during the preceding two-volume year. Sponsored by Reference Service Press; $2,500* prize and a plaque.

BRASS Award for Excellence in Business Librarianship is presented to an individual who has made a significant contribution to business librarianship. $3,000* and a citation.

Louis Shores Award recognizes an individual reviewer, group, editor, review medium or organization for excellence in book reviewing and other media for libraries. The winner receives a citation.

Zora Neale Hurston Award honors an individual ALA member who has demonstrated leadership in promoting African-American literature. Sponsored by HarperCollins Publishers; the winner receives $1,250* supporting travel to the ALA Annual Conference, a beautiful plaque, two tickets to the United for Libraries author events: The Gala Author Tea and The Laugh’s On Us, and two complete sets of Zora Neale Hurston’s books and audiobooks.

History Genealogy Achievement Award Award is presented to a librarian, library or publisher who is a RUSA member, and recognizes professional achievement in historical reference and research librarianship. $1,500* and a citation.

ETS My Favorite Martian Award is a citation presented annually in recognition of excellence in service to the Emerging Technologies Section of RUSA. The winner receives a citation.

RSS Service Achievement Award is presented annually to a member of the Reference Services Section (RSS) of RUSA in recognition of exceptional contributions to the section. The winner receives a citation.

Virginia Boucher/OCLC Distinguished ILL Librarian Award is given to an individual for his or her outstanding professional achievement, leadership, and contributions to interlibrary loan and document delivery. Sponsored by OCLC; $2,000* and a citation.

Travel awards to the ALA Annual Conference:
BRASS Student Travel Award
presents funds to a student enrolled in an ALA accredited master’s degree program to fund travel the ALA Annual Conference. $1,250* and a citation. This award’s nomination deadline is Jan. 15, 2016.

BRASS Global Financial Data Academic Business Librarianship Travel Award is presented to a new librarian in the field of academic business librarianship in order to support attendance to the ALA Annual Conference. Sponsored by Global Financial Data; $1,250* and a citation.

Morningstar Public Librarian Support Award offers funds to a public librarian who has performed outstanding business reference service and who requires financial assistance to attend the ALA Annual Conference. Sponsored by Morningstar, Inc.; $1,250* and a citation.

STARS/Atlas Systems Mentoring Award offers ALA Annual Conference travel assistance funds to a library practitioner who is new to the field of interlibrary loan/document delivery or electronic reserves, and who has involvement in the areas of borrowing, lending, document delivery, electronic reserves, material delivery or resource sharing. Sponsored by Atlas Systems; $1,250* and a citation.

Research grants:
RUSA History Section Gale Cengage History Research and Innovation Award
is granted to an MLS degreed librarian from an ALA accredited school to facilitate and further research relating to history and history librarianship. Sponsored by Gale Cengage Learning; $2,500* and a citation.

BRASS Emerald Research Grant, is presented to an individual or group seeking support to conduct research in business librarianship. Sponsored by Emerald Group Publishing; $2,500* and a citation.

*Monetary award amounts are subject to change without notice and are contingent upon donor funding supplied at the time the award is presented. Questions about these awards should be directed to the committee chairperson. You can access committee contact information by logging in at www.ala.org/rusa then clicking on Committee Rosters under the Committee Tools drop down.

More information about these awards, including nominating instructions, can be found on RUSA’s awards webpages.

Online Learning Opportunities

Upcoming RUSA Courses

  • Introduction to Instructional Design for Librarians
    September 7 – October 18, 2015

    Students will learn to use the Instructional Design Process and apply it effectively to library instruction. This course will utilize the Morrison, Ross, and KEMP Instructional Design Model. Learn more and Register 
  • Readers’ Advisory
    September 7 – October 18, 2015

    Participants will learn from instructor and RA expert Joyce Saricks how to use RA tools, craft annotations, read in genres, articulate appeal and experiment with methods to offer RA services. Learn more and Register
  • Business Reference 101
    September 28 – October 25, 2015 or November 2 – December 6, 2015
    The course will provide students with a framework for understanding the business reference process, as well as an overview of business reference sources specific to each of the course modules. Learn more and Register
  • Interlibrary Loan 101
    October 5 – November 1, 2015
    This online course will provide new interlibrary loan (ILL) practitioners and those that need a refresher with a broad overview of interlibrary loan (ILL) policies, procedures, and practices. Learn more and Register
  • The Reference Interview
    September 13 – October 22, 2015
    This comprehensive course covers such reference interview topics as cultivating an approachable reference environment, successful questioning and listening techniques and appropriate follow-up methods. Learn more and Register

RUSA Strategic Plan

In my previous RUSA Update column I reported on the RUSA Board’s facilitated strategic planning session that took place on the Friday of ALA Midwinter in Chicago, which was led by Paul Meyer of Tecker International Consulting. Since that time the Strategic Plan Coordinating Task Force, chaired by Anne Houston, has met regularly by telephone conference and has exchanged roughly 200 emails to continue the work. One of our main tasks over February and March was to incorporate the priorities that had already been identified by our members in the RUSA Review Task Force Report, http://connect.ala.org/node/229140. By the end of March we were able to share a draft of the Strategic Plan with the Board for review and comment, which can be found at http://connect.ala.org/node/237537. Some of the questions that came up during this time related to how we will identify overlaps and move toward a more streamlined structure, how we should maximize the role of our publications as a key member value, and how to emphasize the importance of conference programming and the face-to-face experience. These questions and ideas were then able to be incorporated into the final draft, available at http://connect.ala.org/node/238939. At its regular online meeting on May 15th the RUSA Board approved the RUSA Strategic Plan: July 2015 – June 2018.

As you review the plan available on ALA Connect you will notice that the action Items are the one piece that are still draft as of this writing in late May. Our next steps are to finalize our action items and agree upon who within the organization is responsible for achieving the success of each. This work will take place during RUSA’s Board meetings at ALA Annual in San Francisco.

The document itself is fairly brief and focused, so I’d like to include it here. Please think about the active role that you can play to help take each of these goals and objectives forward! I’ve offered a few comments for explanation.

Core Purpose: (JT: Why we exist; Similar to a Mission)
RUSA is a member community engaged in advancing the practices of connecting people to resources, information services, and collections.

Core Organizational Values:

  • Building relationships among members from all types of libraries
  • Encouraging openness, innovation, and idea sharing
  • Promoting excellence in library services and resources

Vision: (JT: Also known as the Big Hairy Audacious Goal)
RUSA is an influential and authoritative organization, essential to the work of anyone engaged in the practices of connecting people to resources, information services, and collections.

Vivid Description of a Desired Future: (JT: Gives us direction on how we move toward the Vision)
RUSA is known for signature products made available through a variety of innovative formats.
The association’s services are relevant, accessible, and clearly contribute to the success of its members at all stages of their careers. RUSA members benefit professionally through relevant programming featuring the newest trends, technology and services. Participation in the association’s programming is considered essential to professional growth and to advancing libraries to meet new user needs. The strength of RUSA is reflected in its diversity of collaborative, innovative and engaged members who participate in collegial mentoring and networking. RUSA is renowned as a leading advocate group for library resources, information services and collections, and is recognized throughout ALA and beyond for its expertise.

Operating principles:

  • Maximize time of RUSA staff and volunteers by operating as efficiently as possible
  • Manage our financial resources responsibly
  • Cooperate and collaborate with other divisions and groups in ALA
  • Enable virtual participation whenever possible
  • Emphasize the importance of marketing and communication to ensure that members are aware of all opportunities

Goals and Objectives:

GOAL #1: Create an organization with greater flexibility in structure, enabling members to pursue their areas of interest in a variety of ways with minimal barriers to involvement.

  1. Create a proposal to transition RUSA to a new organizational structure based on interest groups with a goal of reducing the complexity of the organization and better serving the members’ needs.
  2. Create a process that allows members to become more easily involved in RUSA
  3. Offer more flexibility in programming so that opportunities are accessible to all librarians regardless of their ability to travel to conference

GOAL #2: Offer services, programs and products that maximize the value of membership, making RUSA a good return on investment for its members and encouraging member engagement, recruitment and retention.

  1. Develop and expand educational resources and experiences that are of high value to many members, including education on cutting edge and advanced topics
  2. Respond to changes in ALA conference structure to ensure excellence in conference programming and delivery
  3. Maximize impact of RUSA publications and communications
  4. Increase opportunities for members to network with colleagues with similar interests
  5. Maximize the exposure and prestige of RUSA through awards
  6. Increase recruitment activities
  7. Boost retention strategies through member engagement

Please take a moment to look back at our current Strategic Plan for 2012 – 2015, available on our RUSA web site at http://www.ala.org/rusa/sites/ala.org.rusa/files/content/about/rusa-strategic-plan.pdf. You will notice that key language in our previous Vision statement has made its way into our new Core Purpose. Our primary reason for being is our act of making connections. Our previous plan also focused a great deal of attention on how we deliver content and communicate and recognized our need to move activities online. We have made definite progress in this area (and some of these efforts continue), but you will notice that a significant focus of our new plan is on maximizing the value of the content itself. By providing high-value content and engaging experiences for our members we clearly support a good return on investment.

I again want to take this opportunity to thank everyone who played a part in the completion of this project, including all of our RUSA members who participated in the RUSA Review survey last summer, the Board members who have been engaged in providing constructive input and feedback, and especially the members of the Task Force – Anne Houston, Chris LeBeau, Erin Rushton, Jennifer Boettcher, Kathleen Kern, and Liane Taylor – for their hours of dedication to ensure that we defined the right priorities for our association. When you see Anne in San Francisco, please thank her for sacrificing at least two spring weekends to make much needed changes to the document!

Joseph Thompson
RUSA President 2014-2015

RUSA News/Announcements

Join us at 2015 ALA Annual Conference in San Francisco for some exciting events. Below are some highlights to look forward to. The ALA Conference Scheduler is now open to create a personalized schedule where you can view the most up to date information for the best conference experience.

Finalists: Andrew Carnegie Medals for Excellence in Fiction and Nonfiction

The eagerly anticipated announcement and presentation of the Andrew Carnegie Medals for Excellence in Fiction and Nonfiction, ALA’s only single-book awards for adult trade fiction and nonfiction, is followed by a chance to mingle at the dessert and drinks reception. The two books chosen as winners from the shortlist of six will be announced. Both winners attended the 2014 event to receive their medals and offered inspiring, entertaining remarks. Keynote speaker is best-selling author, actor, and NBA MVP all-star, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.

KAJheadshotdcroppedThe awards are Co-Sponsored by Booklist and RUSA. The event is made possible by Ingram Content Group, HarperCollins Publishers, Penguin Random House, Penguin Group, and Simon & Schuster.HarperLogo

 

 

IngramSaturday, June 27. The ceremony will be from 8:00-10:00 PM, Hotel Nikko, Nikko Ballroom
Tickets are available here. RUSA members receive discounted price of $25.Penguin_logo

RUSA Direct
Have you seen the new e-newsletter, direct from the RUSA office? Emailed straight to your inbox every Friday morning and it’s free to all RUSA members. You can view all the issues here and at the RUSA website under the Communications tab.

RUSA’s Annual Signature Programs

  • RUSA 101
    Friday, June 26, 3:00-4:00 PM, Westin St. Francis, Tower Salon A & B

KAddison_TheGoblinEmperorshimABBrown_FlightOfSparrowshimSRojstaczer_MathematiciansShivashimJust_Mercy_StevensonshimAWeaver_MurderAtTheBrightwellshimJoWalton_MyRealChildrenshim

Listen to some of the year’s best authors discuss their work and the craft of writing, while enjoying the company of other book lovers. All Annual Conference registrants are invited to participate in this conference program. Sponsored by Macmillan Publishers, Penguin Group and Random House.

Speakers:

  • Katherine Addison for The Goblin Emperor (Tor Books, 2014), winner of the 2015 Reading List’s Fantasy category.
  • Amy Belding Brown for Flight of the Sparrow (New American Library, 2014), shortlist selection for the 2015 Reading List’s Historical Fiction category.
  • Stuart Rojstaczer for The Mathematician’s Shiva (Penguin, 2014), Honorable Mention for the 2015 Sophie Brody Medal for Jewish Literature.
  • Bryan Stevenson for Just Mercy: A Story of Justice and Redemption (Spiegel & Grau, 2014), shortlist selection for the 2015 Andrew Carnegie Medal for Excellence in Nonfiction.
  • Ashley Weaver for Murder at the Brightwell (Minotaur Books, 2014), winner of the 2015 Reading List’s Mystery category.
  • Jo Walton for My Real Children (Tor Books, 2014), winner of the 2015 Reading List’s Women’s Fiction category.

Not to Be Missed RUSA Preconferences

  • ILL Data Storm – Practical Assessment
    Friday, June 26, 8:30 AM-4:30 PM, Moscone Convention Center, 2000 West
    Register here (free event).

Conference Programs and Forums

For the complete RUSA Discussion Groups & Forums schedule, click here.


Upcoming Online Learning

As always, you can count on RUSA to offer signature courses like Genealogy and Reference Interview, but RUSA has added new upcoming online courses and webinars, that will interest learners at any level.

 

COURSES:
July
July 13 – August 2, 2015 Introduction to Spatial Literacy and Online Mapping
August
August 10 – September 20, 2015 Learner-Centered Reference and Instruction: Science, Psychology, and Inclusive Pedagogy
WEBINARS:
August
Monday, August 3, 2015:10:30-11:45am Boomerang Library Users: Implementing Effective, Enriching and Educational Library programs for target users to Learn and Return
Tuesday, August 4, 2015:10-11am Spice it Up with Pura Belpre! Using Award Winning Titles and Other Resources to Celebrate the Hispanic Influence in Literature for Youth

 

RUSA Election Results!

RUSA
VICE-PRESIDENT/PRESIDENT-ELECT
– Anne Houston
Director of Teaching, Learning & Research, Smith College Libraries, Northampton, MA
SECRETARY
– Kate Oberg
College & Career Librarian, Arlington Public Library, Arlington, VA
DIRECTOR-AT-LARGE
– Ed Garcia
Library Director, Cranston Public Library, Cranston, Rhode Island
– Mary Mintz
Associate Director for Outreach, American University Library, Washington, DC
DIVISION COUNCILOR
– Sarah J. Hammill
Distance Learning Librarian, Florida International University, Miami, FL

BRASS
VICE-CHAIR/CHAIR-ELECT
– Louise Mort Feldmann
Business Librarian, Colorado State University Libraries, Fort Collins, Colorado
MEMBER-AT-LARGE
– Penny Scott
Reference Librarian/Business Liaison, 2003-Present, University of San Francisco, San Francisco, CA

CODES
VICE-CHAIR/CHAIR-ELECT
– Daniel C. Mack
Associate Dean, Collection Strategies and Services, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland
MEMBER-AT-LARGE
– Emily Hamstra
Learning Librarian, Kinesiology Librarian, University of Michigan Library, Ann Arbor, Michigan
– Matthew J. Wayman
Head Librarian, 2008-Present, Ciletti Memorial Library, Penn State Schuylkill, Schuylkill Haven, PA

HISTORY
VICE-CHAIR/CHAIR-ELECT
– Christina Thompson Shutt
Public Services Librarian & College Archivist, Hendrix College, Conway, AR
MEMBER-AT-LARGE
– Melissa Finley Gonzalez
Head of Reference, University of West Florida, Pensacola, FL
SECRETARY
– Jennifer Eileen McElroy
Reference Specialist (2013 – present), Minnesota Historical Society, St. Paul, Minnesota.

ETS (MARS): EMERGING TECHNOLOGIES SECTION
VICE-CHAIR/CHAIR-ELECT
– Courtney Greene McDonald
Head, Discovery & Research Services, Indiana University Libraries, Bloomington, IN
MEMBER-AT-LARGE
– Jason Coleman
Undergraduate and Community Services Librarian, Kansas State University Libraries, Manhattan, Kansas

RSS
VICE-CHAIR/CHAIR-ELECT
– Amy Elizabeth Rustic
Associate Librarian/Reference and Instruction Librarian, Penn State University, New Kensington, PA
MEMBER-AT-LARGE
– Ellen Keith
Director of Research and Access/Chief Librarian, Chicago History Museum, Chicago, IL

STARS
VICE-CHAIR/CHAIR-ELECT
– Heidi Nance
Head, Interlibrary Loan and Document Delivery Services and Collection Management Services Strategic Projects Librarian, University of Washington Libraries, Seattle, WA
MEMBER-AT-LARGE
– Kerry Keegan
Customer Service Agent, Atlas Systems, Virginia Beach, Virginia

CODES

Barry Trott, Editor

CODES Highlights for RUSA Update
CODES chair Deborah Abston reports that the CODES Board will be meeting prior to ALA Annual to review policies and procedures, including updating procedures for awards committees. Committee appointments for CODES Committees are nearly complete.

CODES AT ALA ANNUAL
CODES committees will be presenting two programs at annual:
Reading into the Future: Tips and Tools for Staying on Top of the Book World (Saturday, June 27, 2015 – 10:30 am to 11:30 am, Moscone Convention Center 2016) It’s a big book world, and someone’s gotta read it. Keeping up with the burgeoning world of publishing and popular culture can appear daunting, but it can be done! Be the first to know (instead of the last to hear) about reading trends and hot new titles.Join a panel of experts who will share practical techniques and invaluable resources to help you keep up with the current literary scene. Learn strategies to maximize your reading time, stay ahead of your patrons, and position yourself as a crucial literary resource in your library community.

Whacking the Weeds in the Library: Deaccessioning Print and Digital Materials in the 21st Century and Beyond (Saturday, June 27, 2015 – 1:00 pm to 2:30 pm, Moscone Convention Center 2012) This program will include a public, academic, and community college librarian to discuss strategies for weeding/deaccessioning materials in their libraries and how to do so in ways that make providing user services more effective.

CODES will have representatives at RUSA 101, Friday, June 26, 3:00 pm – 4:00 pm to talk with potential new members about the work of the section.

The CODES Reference Publishing Advisory Committee Discussion Forum will take place at ALA Annual on Saturday, June 27, 2015 – 3:00 pm to 4:00 pm at the Hilton San Francisco Union in the Taylor Room.

CODES is also co-sponsoring a program with the American Association of School Librarians (AASL) on university presses as an often-undiscovered gold mine of resources for school and public libraries. Sunday, June 28, 2015 – 1:00 pm to 2:30 pm.

CODES also is cosponsoring with ALCTS Collection Management Section the Collection Management in Public Libraries Interest Group on Monday, June 29, 2015 – 1:00 pm to 2:30 pm.

History

Laura Hibbler, Editor

The History Section is pleased to announce its incoming officers:
David Murray, The College of New Jersey, Chair
Christina Thompson-Shutt, Hendrix College, Vice-Chair, chair elect
Jenny Presnell, Miami University [Ohio],Past Chair
Jenny McElroy, Minnesota Historical Society, Secretary
Melissa Gonzalez, University of West Florida, Member at Large

Melissa joins two other Members at Large, Nancy Bunker, Whitworth University, and Chella Vaidyanathan, Johns Hopkins University.

History Section Events at ALA Annual
We invite everyone to check out the History Section at ALA Annual in San Francisco. Come and checkout what are committees are doing at the all committee meeting, Saturday June 27th (Moscone Convention Center room 200-220(S)) at 8:30AM. Visit different committees and discover what the section is about. For a list of the committees and activities see: http://www.ala.org/rusa/sections/history/committees.
You can also join us for the executive committee meeting, Monday, June 29th, at 8:30am at the Marriott Marquis San Francisco Club Room.

The RUSA Genealogy Preconference will take place on Friday, June 26.
Register online: http://bit.ly/1KxFOtQ
Free lunch will be provided! More details will be posted soon.

Join us for a panel discussion focused on Asian American records and local history at
ALA Annual:
“Connecting Communities: Documenting and Sharing Asian American Heritage,”
Saturday, June 27, 1:00pm-2:30pm at Moscone Convention Center 2004 (W).

The program is co-sponsored by the Asian Pacific American Librarians Association (APALA). Speakers include Florante Ibanez, Manager of Library Computer Services at William M. Rains Library-Loyola Law School; Michelle Caswell, Assistant Professor of Archival Studies at University of California-Los Angeles; and Shelley Fisher Fishkin, Joseph S. Atha Professor in Humanities at Stanford University. Jenna Makowski, Asian-American Products Editor at Alexander Street Press, will moderate the discussion.
More information: http://alaac15.ala.org/node/28612

The History Section also planned a field trip to the US Immigration station on Angel Island. Participants will learn about Asian immigration to the United States from 1910-1940.

The History Section will be getting together for a dinner at ALA. Keep watch for details about the dinner and other social events on the Section website, the history-l listserv, Facebook, and Twitter.

RUSA News/Announcements

Join us at 2015 ALA Annual Conference in San Francisco for some exciting events. Below are some highlights to look forward to. Come April, you will be able to use the ALA Conference Scheduler to create a personal schedule and you will be alerted to any last minute location changes.

Andrew Carnegie Medals for Excellence in Fiction and Nonfiction

Finalists: Andrew Carnegie Medals for Excellence in Fiction and Nonfiction

The two books selected as recipients of the Medal will be announced during the Awards ceremony on Saturday, June 27. The ceremony will be from 8:00-10:00 PM. Location will be announced in April. Tickets are available here. Cosponsored by Booklist and RUSA.

RUSA Direct
Have you seen the new e-newsletter, direct from the RUSA office? Emailed straight to your inbox every Friday morning and it’s free to all RUSA members. You can view all the issues here and at the RUSA website under the Communications tab.

RUSA’s Annual Signature Programs

Not to Be Missed RUSA Preconferences

Conference Programs and Forums – All Date and Times to be Announced in April

Upcoming Online Learning

As always, you can count on RUSA to offer signature courses like Genealogy and Reference Interview, but RUSA has added new upcoming online courses and webinars, that will interest learners at any level.

Courses:

Reference Interview – April 6 – May 17. This is 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. Read more and register.

Xtreme Bibliographic Searching for Interlibrary Loan & Reference – April 20 – May 17. (Live Sessions on Thursdays, Time 1 p.m. CST) Mansel Pre 56 to Digital Repositories, DOAJ to Trove to HathiTrust. Don’t know those terms…then this course is for you! Read more and register.

NEW COURSE! Learner-Centered Reference and Instruction: Science, Psychology, and Inclusive Pedagogy – April 6 – May 17. This course will introduce library practitioners to empirically sound approaches to learner-centered teaching that can be applied to creating effective reference and instruction services that maximally facilitate student learning. Read more and register.

NEW COURSE! Introduction to Instructional Design for Librarians – April 20 – May 31

Students will learn to use the Instructional Design Process and apply it effectively to library instruction which includes: identifying instructional problems, learner analysis, task analysis, defining instructional objectives, sequencing content, identifying instructional strategies, message design, instructional delivery, and evaluation instruments. Read more and register.

Webinars:

●     Universal Design for Learning, Information literacy, and Libraries – April 1, 1:00 – 2:15 PM. Gain information about Universal Design for Learning… Read more and register.
●     What is Content Marketing + Should You Be Using It at Your Library? – April 3, 2015, 2:00 – 3:15 PM. Understand content marketing. Read more and register.
●     Reference Interviewing: Best Practices in Action April 06, 1:00 – 2:00 PM.How to improve interaction with the online. Read more and register.
●     Spice it Up with Pura Belpre! Using Award Winning Titles and Other Resources to Celebrate the Hispanic Influence in Literature for Youth April 30, 10:00 -11:00 AM. Read more and register.
●     Exploring Partnerships with Faculty and Other User Groups for Digital Humanities Projects May 12, 2:00 – 3:30 PM. Learn to identify partnership opportunities within your institutions. Read more and register.

RUSA News/Announcements

Dear RUSA Members,

With a new year looming, I want take a moment to let all RUSA volunteers know how much we appreciate all the work, time and energy you put into RUSA. RUSA has so many wonderful things to offer members such as service on our book award committees, our beloved Literary Tastes and Book & Media Awards events, guidelines for reference and user services and online educational sessions among others. We couldn’t have done any of this without the invaluable advice and assistance of our member leaders and volunteers. I also want to thank every RUSA member for all their dedication and loyalty in helping to make our division successful; it’s a pleasure and a privilege to serve you! The entire RUSA office staff thanks you all!

The Midwinter conference will be in Chicago this year and I hope those of you who will be there will take time to visit with us at the RUSA Membership Social. It will be held Saturday, January 31, 2015, 5:30 pm 07:00 pm, at the Hilton Chicago – Williford B. Join us to mingle, meet the RUSA board members, committee chairs, and volunteer leaders, and have some fun. We’ll have a raffle with great prizes and refreshments will be available so be sure to come and bring your friends and colleagues – all members and visitors are welcome!

One other event that is always of interest to all RUSA members and book lovers is the Book & Media reception taking place Sunday, February 1, 2015, 5:00 pm – 7:00 pm at the Hilton Chicago – Williford. We are excited to announce that we have a featured guest speaker this year: Margaret Hawkins, author of Lydia’s Party and senior lecturer at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. Ms. Hawkins will be signing copies of her book after the reception. We’ll also unveil the winners of The Reading List, Notable Books list (which help form the long list for the Andrew Carnegie Medals of Excellence for Fiction and Nonfiction), the Listen List selections, and many more (see all of our awards here: http://www.ala.org/rusa/awards). All ALA Midwinter Meeting participants are invited to this celebration in Chicago. If you can’t attend, you will be able to track the announcements on Twitter with the hashtag #literarytastes. Don’t miss this wonderful event. We hope to see you there!

In addition, the RUSA board will meet three times in Chicago; please feel free to join us as our honored guests. The meetings will be held:

RUSA Strategic Planning Discussion
Friday, January 30, 2015
8:00 am – 4:00 pm
McCormick Place West – W192a

Board of Directors Meeting I (RUSA)
Saturday, Jan 31, 2015
01:30 pm – 03:30 pm
Hilton Chicago – Grand Tradition Room

**Don’t miss our Town Hall, where we invite all RUSA members to provide input on RUSA’s strategic path.**

Board of Directors Meeting II (RUSA)
Monday, Feb 2, 2015
02:00 pm – 04:00 pm
McCormick Place West – W195

See you in Chicago and best wishes for a happy new year!

Susan Hornung
Executive Director, ASCLA/RUSA

Book & Media Awards Ceremony and Reception:
Sunday, February 1, 2015 – 5:00pm to 6:30pm;
The highly acclaimed Chicago author, Margaret Hawkins will be our feature speaker and kick off our premier awards event for adult reading and reference.

We’ll unveil the winners of The Reading List, Listen List selections—lists that are used by readers advisory librarians nationwide, Notable Books, which forms the basis for the Carnegie Medals Longlist —as well as the winners of the Dartmouth Medal for reference, the Sophie Brody Medal for Jewish literature, the Zora Neale Hurston Award for achievement in promoting African-American literature and the Louis Shores Award for book reviewing. All ALA Midwinter Meeting participants are invited to this celebration on-site in Chicago. Can’t attend? For the most up-to-date announcements, follow us on Facebook and track us on Twitter with hashtag #literarytastes.

Membership Social:
Saturday, January 31, 2015 – 5:30pm to 7:00pm;
Kick off the 2014 ALA Midwinter Meeting in style with the Reference and User Services Association’s (RUSA) Membership Social—an opportunity to eat, drink, network, win door prizes and learn more about RUSA. The social open to all current RUSA members, friends of RUSA and those meeting attendees interested in learning more about the association and networking with peers. All attendees will have the opportunity to win fantastic door prizes!

RUSA Leadership Development and Speed Mentoring Session:
Saturday, January 31, 2015 – 3:30pm to 5:30pm;
Join a group of experienced RUSA leaders and engage in a fun, interactive “speed mentoring” session. Similar in format to “speed dating”, MLS students, new librarians, and mid-career librarians are invited to participate in this session where they will have the opportunity to gain leadership advice from a number of senior librarians and RUSA leaders.

Genealogy Institute: Meeting the Needs of Your Family History Patrons:
Friday, January 30, 2015 – 8:30am to 4:00pm; Enjoy an interactive day of learning and networking for all librarians serving genealogists. Leaders from the library and genealogical industry will cover a variety of topics, including strategic planning, partnerships, and serving diverse populations. Luncheon provided by our sponsor, Proquest. Registration is free, but required. Limit 150 participants. Please register here:

RUSA Online Learning

Webinars:

Embedded Librarianship Across Disciplines.
December 9: 2:00-3:15 PM

Examine three successful models.
Read more. Register here.

GlobalEDGE: Your Free Resource for Global Business Knowledge.
December 11: 1:00-2:15 PM

Learn about globalEDGE, a free international business website.
Read more. Register here.

Online Courses:

Introduction to Economic Data on the Web.
Feb. 2 – 28, 2015

Economic concepts and terms essential to understanding economic reference questions.
Read more. Register here.

Business Reference 101.
Feb. 9 – Mar. 6, 2015

Demystify SIC and NAICS codes, ROI and 10k’s.
Read more. Register here.

Readers’ Advisory 101.
Feb. 16 – Apr. 5, 2015
(Chats on Thursdays, Time 3 p.m. CST)
Be more comfortable providing readers’ advisory (RA) services.
Read more. Register here.

Introduction to Spatial Literacy and Online Mapping.
Mar. 23 – Apr. 12, 2015

Introduction to mapping tools and GIS technologies for public and academic library users.
Read more. Register here.

Genealogy 101.
Mar. 23 – Apr. 26, 2015

Introduction to American genealogy reference service and assist patrons with family history research.
Read more. Register here.

Xtreme Bibliographic Searching for Interlibrary Loan & Reference.
Apr. 20 – May 17, 2015
(Live Sessions on Thursdays, Time 1 p.m. CST)
Mansel Pre 56 to Digital Repositories, DOAJ to Trove to HathiTrust. Don’t know those terms, then this course is for you!
Read more. Register Now!

MARS: Update from the Emerging Technologies in Reference Section (MARS)

Chanitra Bishop, Editor

 

Message from the Chair of MARS

Greetings!

ALA Midwinter is fast approaching. MARS: Emerging Technologies section will have meetings and a great set of discussion groups. Below is a tentative schedule of events. Locations to be announced later.

I encourage you to attend one or more of our engaging discussion groups. It’s a great way to see the work of our MARS Committees. If you are interested in joining MARS, we’d love to have you! Let us know at ALA MidWinter, fill out the RUSA volunteer form located on the RUSA website, or email Donna Scanlon (djbrearcliffe@gmail.com).

 

Overview of MARS Events at ALA MidWinter 2015

SATURDAY, January 31, 2015

MARS Planning Committee
8:30 – 10:00 am
MARS Executive Committee Meeting I
10:15 – 11:30 am

Virtual Reference Discussion Group: Online Chat Services
4:30 – 5:30 pm

RUSA Membership Social
5:30 – 7:00 pm

SUNDAY, February 1, 2015

MARS Discussion Group: Assessing Integration of Library Services into Course Management Systems
8:30 – 10:00 am

Hot Topics Discussion Group: Augmented Reality
1:00 – 2:30 pm

MONDAY, February 2, 2015

MARS Executive Committee Meeting II
8:30 – 11:30 am

 

Sessions @ Midwinter

Talking Chat: The Good, the Bad, and the “What Were We Thinking?”!
The RUSA MARS: Virtual Reference Discussion Group will be holding a forum on January 31st, 2015 from 4:30-5:30 pm in McCormick Place West w474a. The forum topics will be focused on online chat services and known issues, characteristics of successful and unsuccessful implementations, and more. Panelists will share their experiences with online chat services and participates will have an opportunity to ask questions. If you are considering implementing online chat services in your library or you would like to learn more about what has worked and not worked for other libraries, this is an opportunity to gain insight on how other libraries are implementing their online chat services. Moderators of the forum will be Jessica Cerny (Chair) and Matt Torrence (Member at Large).

Management of Electronic Resources & Services
Join the MARS Management of Electronic Resources & Services Panel Discussion at Midwinter 2015 in Chicago on Sunday, February 1, 8:30-10:00am: Assessing Integration of Library Services into Course Management Systems: Where We Stand Now

Our panel of presenters will engage the audience in a group discussion of best practices for implementing and assessing a robust library presence in the CMS environment. The attendees will benefit from an exploration of the challenges and advantages of integrating library services into university-wide systems and platforms.

Hot Topics in Emerging Tech

You’ve heard of Oculus Rift and you’ve seen Google Glass. What are libraries doing with augmented reality? It’s time to move beyond QR codes!

Join us for a Hot Topics session to learn about new and successful augmented reality projects in libraries – and bring your questions, ideas, and cool tech toys for discussion and Q&A! Hot Topics will meet on Sunday, February 1, from 1-2:30pm at Midwinter. See you there!

RSS Honor Roll

When you hear Honor Roll, do you have flashbacks to high school? Maybe you have happy memories of the honor roll or maybe you think could of, would of, should of…

Regardless of your experience in high school, you may be eligible for the RSS Honor Roll.

The RSS has an Honor Roll that gives recognition to active RSS members who have served the section in three different capacities since its inception.

If you have been a member of three or more committees or discussion groups since RSS was established in 2004 and have not previously been added to the honor roll, please send your name and a list of the three ways you have served RSS to Sarah Hammill at hammills@fiu.edu

Not only will you become a member of this esteemed group, you will also be recognized at ALA Annual in San Francisco!

Join the RSS Honor Roll today!

2015 ALA Annual Scheduling

Even though winter isn’t even quite here, the scheduling site for ALA Annual 2015 is already open! If your RSS committee would like to schedule a meeting or host a discussion forum in San Francisco this summer, you can now begin thinking about titles, descriptions, A/V needs, etc. Deadline for submissions of committee meetings and committee-hosted forums is February 11, 2015. For additional details, required information, and submitting instructions, check out http://connect.ala.org/node/230656.

Don Boozer, RSS Scheduler/Member-at-Large

RUSA News/Announcements

Call for online learning proposals!

Proposals for webinars and online courses are being accepted through September 1! There’s a wide variety of topics. Get the scoop on what we’re looking for, and find links to the submission form here

Online Learning

http://www.ala.org/rusa/development/onlinece

Let’s get in touch, and get social!

Are you connected? Stay in touch with these RUSA communication tools:

Reference and User Services Quarterly: Accessing the journal

Reference and User Services Quarterly (RUSQ), a quarterly benefit of RUSA members, is an all-digital journal available online via Metapress; however, you will need to set up a Metapress account. Complete, detailed instructions for accessing the journal can be found on the RUSA website or visit www.ala.org/rusa, then float over the “Communications” button near the top left portion of the page, and scroll down to “RUSQ”. If you run into challenges with journal access, contact support@metapress.com for assistance.

Once you’ve accessed the journal, make sure to check out the following content for volume 53, issue 4.

The Reference & User Services Association (RUSA), with the support of the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS), presents the following draft guidelines and best practices for feedback. These guidelines and best practices relating to financial literacy education in libraries are the result of a SPARKS! Grant awarded to RUSA by IMLS.

The purpose of these guidelines and best practices is to facilitate the provision of financial literacy education in libraries nationwide. It is intended that these will standardize the content and delivery of financial literacy education programming and services in libraries. This project demonstrates a commitment to ensure that patrons in libraries of all types have access to effective and efficient personal finance reference services and unbiased financial educational programming.

Please send your comments and feedback to the following email:

fle.guidelines.bestpractices@gmail.com

The deadline for comments is Friday, August 22.

Thank you for your careful consideration of these documents.

Advisory Team:

Ted Beck, National Endowment for Financial Education
Lori Burgess, Fond du Lac Public Library (WI)
Judy Chapa, Financial Services Roundtable
Kristin Eschenfelder, University of Wisconsin, Madison
Robert Ganem, FINRA Investor Education Foundation
Chris Lebeau*, RUSA/BRASS Member
Laura Levine, Jumpstart
Elizabeth Malafi*, RUSA/BRASS Member
Kerwin Pilgrim, Brooklyn Public Library
Adi Redzic, iOme Challenge
Dan Rutherford, Consumer Financial Protection Bureau
John Spears, Salt Lake City Public Library (UT)
(* indicates also serving on Working Team)

Working Team:

Kit Keller, Project Director
Chris Lebeau, RUSA/BRASS Member
Elizabeth Malafi, RUSA/BRASS Member
Andy Spackman, BRASS Chair

History

Laura Hibbler, Editor

 

Congratulations to William Forsyth and Yvonne Carignan!
HistoryPic

  • William Forsyth, director of product management for ProQuest, was awarded the Genealogical Publishing Company Award in recognition of professional achievement in historical or genealogical reference, service or research. Please contact Helen Gbala for details about this award.
  • Yvonne Carignan, of George Mason University, was awarded with the RUSA History Section/Gale Cengage Learning History Research and Innovation Award. This award is granted to an MLS degreed librarian from an ALA accredited school to facilitate and further research relating to history and history librarianship. To learn more about the Gale Cengage Learning History Research and Innovation Award, please visit the History Section website: http://www.ala.org/rusa/sections/history/research_award or contact Sara Morris, semorris@ku.edu.

The ALA RUSA History Section hosted a trip to the National Atomic Testing Museum in Las Vegas on Friday, June 27th, during the ALA Annual Conference. Thirty-seven people attended and, thanks to RUSA’s generous support, the attendees received a guided tour and were able to take a chartered bus.

The Historical Materials Committee met during at the Annual Conference to discuss responsibilities for the coming year and procedures for creating the annual Best Historical Materials article. On Sunday, June 29th, the committee co-sponsored a program entitled, “The Nevada Test Site Project: Bringing Primary Resources to Researchers.” Nicholas Wyant, immediate past chair of the committee, served as moderator. The program focused on the creation and curation of the project, which consists of 335 hours of transcripted and digitized material regarding the “nuclear proving ground” in Nevada. Check out the Nevada Test Site Oral History Project: http://digital.library.unlv.edu/ntsohp

The History Librarians Discussion Group held a panel discussion, “The Role/s of Humanities Librarians in Digital Humanities”, on June 28th at the ALA Annual Conference. Panelists Thomas Padilla (Digital Humanities, Linguistics, & Philosophy Librarian, Michigan State University Libraries) and Harriett Green (English & Digital Humanities Librarian, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign) each spoke about their experiences working with digital humanities and then answered questions from attendees. The panelists’ presentation slides have been posted online at the History Section’s website: http://www.ala.org/rusa/sections/history/presentations

And stay tuned for the publication of Padilla’s book, co-authored with Trevor Getz:

Getz, Trevor, and Thomas Padilla. Subjecting History: Building a Relationship Between History and its Alternatives. Athens: Ohio University Press, Forthcoming Fall 2015.

The Genealogy pre-conference at the ALA Annual Conference included a panel, “Getting More Than You Pay For,” about the free resources available on Ancestry, Fold3, Newspapers.com, Archives.com, and Ancestry’s various social media outlets. The panelists Kim Harrison and Amy Johnson Crow (Ancestry.com) have made their presentation slides available on slideshare: http://www.slideshare.net/ancestry/free-resources-on-ancestrycom-fold3-newspaperscom-and-archivescom

RUSA News

Join us at ALA Annual for some exciting events. Below are some highlights to look forward to. Use the ALA Conference Scheduler to create a personal schedule and you will be alerted to any last minute location changes.

Andrew Carnegie Medals for Excellence in Fiction and Nonfiction
Finalists: Andrew Carnegie Medals for Excellence in Fiction and Nonfiction
The two books selected as recipients of the Medal will will be announced during the Awards ceremony on Sunday, June 29. The ceremony will be from 8:00-10:00 PM at Caesars Palace, in rooms Octavius 05-08. Tickets are available here. Cosponsored by Booklist and RUSA.

Reference & User Services Quarterly (RUSQ)
Have you checked out the new issue of Reference & User Services Quarterly (RUSQ) yet? There’s endless value in this issue. You can activate your digital subscription with Metapress, you can do so on the RUSA website under the “Communications” tab, at the top of the page. Questions about RUSQ, contact Andrea Hill, RUSA web manager at ahill@ala.org.
Here’s an overview of the most recent issue.

RUSA’s Annual Signature Programs

  • RUSA 101
    Friday, June 27, 3:00-4:00 PM
    Las Vegas Convention Center, Room S222

Not to Be Missed RUSA Programs
Preconferences

Conference Programs and Forums

Upcoming Webinars
In an effort to provide greater value for RUSA members, the RUSA Board approved a plan to provide a group of high quality webinars, one sponsored by each RUSA section, free to RUSA members. The Professional Development Committee, led by Jeannette E. Pierce, has been carefully reviewing proposals and we will have several new webinars for RUSA members. They will cover such topics as: genealogy and history resources, online reference resources, reference tracking and data collection, industry research and sharing resources worldwide. Stay tuned for more details!

RUSA News/Announcements

2014 Achievement Award winners announced

The 2014 RUSA Achievement Awards have been announced. For full details on the award winners, please see the announcement at ALA News. Winners will be recognized at the RUSA Achievement Awards Ceremony and Reception at ALA Annual on Sunday June 29 from 5:00-6:30 PM Sunday, June 29. Additional event details will be available on the RUSA website in April.

Achievement Award winners

Travel and Research Grant Recipients

RUSA Book and Media Awards
The following awards were announced at the RUSA Book and Media Awards Ceremony at the 2014 Midwinter Meeting in Philadelphia.

Dr. Grace Jackson-Brown from the Duane G. Meyer Library at Missouri State University is the 2014 winner of the Zora Neale Hurston Award, which recognizes an individual that has demonstrated leadership in promoting African-American literature. Selected for her work with the Springfield African American Read-In and Dream Big programs, has exposed diverse audiences to authors, workshops, live readings and celebrations that incorporate African-American authors. Sponsored by Harper Perennial, the award consists of $1,250 to attend the ALA Annual Conference, tickets to the FOLUSA Author tea, and a set of the Zora Neale Hurston books published by Harper Perennial at the time the award is made.

Francine Graf, former Editorial Director of Choice has been named as the 2014 winner of the Louis Shores Award, which honors an individual reviewer, group or editor for their book reviewing excellence for libraries. Graf, retired as of early 2014, was chosen for her outstanding contributions to reviewing for resources for academic audiences. Graf will receive a citation at the ALA Annual Conference.

Mammals of Africa (Bloomsbury), edited by Jonathan Kingdon, David Happold, Mike Hoffmann, Tom Butynski, Meredith Happold and Jan Kalina, was selected as the winner of the Dartmouth Medal, honoring a significant reference publication. This amazing source covers every recognized mammalian species in Africa. This resource will serve as a primary source of information and as a baseline for preserving the biodiversity of this great continent. A medal will be presented at the ALA Annual Conference.

Like Dreamers: The Story of the Israeli Paratroopers Who Reunited Jerusalem and Divided a Nation (HarperCollins) by Yossi Klein Halevi was named the winner of the 2014 Sophie Brody Award. The award encourages, recognizes and commends outstanding achievement in Jewish literature. A medal will be presented at the ALA Annual Conference.

RUSA News

RUSA Nominees for 2014 ALA Elections
ALA elections may not be until Spring of 2014, but RUSA already have a full slate.

President-Elect

  • Liane Luckman Taylor
  • Anne Beaubien

Director-at-Large

  • Danise Hoover
  • Stephanie Atkins
  • William McHugh
  • Janalyn L. Moss

For more information about ALA elections, please see ALA Election Information.

Confessions of a reference librarian: IAmRUSA launches interview series
Ever wonder exactly what kind of work members of RUSA do, or maybe which courses they would recommend for students looking for a career in reference or user services?

Each week IAmRUSA will feature a different interviewee for participants to ask questions about their professional careers, their passions and anything else involving librarianship. Hosted by ALA Connect, anyone interested may join the IAmRUSA community; participants do not need to be RUSA members.

If you are interested in participating as an interviewee, contact Kirk MacLeod or Sarah Hammill for more information.

Accepting Nominations for 2014 RUSA Achievement Awards
http://rusa.ala.org/blog/2013/09/03/2014_achievement_awards_nomination_period/

RUSA and RUSA sections are now accepting nominations for the following grants and awards. Please be aware of deadlines as some of them may have passed by the publication of RUSA Update.

Andrew Carnegie medal finalist named MacArthur Genius
Fiction writer, Karen Russell was named as one of 24 MacArthur “genius” fellows. The John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation awards this annual grant to “encourage people of outstanding talent to pursue their own creative, intellectual, and professional inclinations.”
Russell was a finalist for the 2012 Andrew Carnegie Medal for Excellence in Fiction for her first novel, Swamplandia!.

Call for RUSA Volunteers
March 1, 2014 is the planned closing date to volunteer for our RUSA, BRASS, CODES, History, MARS, RSS, and STARS committees. There’s no reason to put it off, though—volunteer today! Keep in mind that attendance at ALA Midwinter may not be required for some committees and sections. Feel free to contact the committee chair, section chair, or me if you have any questions about attendance. Links to RUSA division-level and section committees can be found here. Access the volunteer form using the same URL provided above. The menu to select section-level committees is located at the bottom of RUSA Committee Volunteer Form (requires sign-in).

Read the latest issue of RUSQ!
Reference and User Services Quarterly, Volume 53, Issue 1 is available and can be found on the RUSQsite.

You’ve got questions, we’ve got answers at President Kathleen Kern’s Office Hours
You’ve got questions, we’ve got answers at President Kathleen Kern’s Office Hours

Already a RUSA member but not sure where you fit in? Want to get involved? Just curious? Have a question about working with your committee and getting things down? We’ve got all the answers and more. President’s Office hours are also a good place to bring your ideas and enthusiasm.

RUSA President Kathleen Kern will hold virtual office hours via Adobe Connect every Tuesday from 2:00-3:00 p.m. CST.

Meet RUSA Board members:
From flight attendant to librarian: Q&A with Louise Feldmann, RUSA Director-at-Large

RUSA Membership Social and Trivia Contest at Midwinter!
Saturday, January 25, 5:30-7:00 PM, Sheraton Philadelphia City Center Hotel-Liberty Ballroom B

Kick off the 2014 ALA Midwinter Meeting in style with the Reference and User Services Association’s (RUSA) Membership Social—an opportunity to eat, drink, network, win door prizes, and learn more about RUSA. The social open to all current RUSA members, friends of RUSA and those meeting attendees interested in learning more about the association and networking with peers. All attendees will have the opportunity to play trivia to win fantastic door prizes!

RUSA Book and Media Awards Ceremony and Reception at Midwinter!
Sunday, January 26, 5:00-6:30 PM, Sheraton Philadelphia City Center Hotel-Liberty Ballroom A

We’ll unveil the winners of the The Reading List, Notable Books and Listen List selections—lists that are used by readers advisory librarians nationwide—as well as the winners of the Dartmouth Medal for reference, the Sophie Brody Medal for Jewish literature, the Zora Neale Hurston Award for achievement in promoting African-American literature and the Louis Shores Award for book reviewing. All ALA Midwinter Meeting participants are invited to this celebration on-site in Philadelphia. Can’t attend? Track the announcements on Twitter with the hashtag #literarytastes.

Midwinter RUSA Board Meeting I, Town Hall Chat
Saturday, January 24, 1:30-3:30 PM
Midwinter RUSA Board Meeting II, Town Hall chat room, Monday, January 27, 2:00-4:00 PM, Pennsylvania Convention Center-118 A

Not able to attend Midwinter? You can still participate in RUSA planning. At the ALA Midwinter Meeting in Philadelphia, join the RUSA Board either in person or online to participate in the annual Town Hall meeting on Saturday, January 25, at the beginning of the RUSA board meeting which begins 1:30-3:30pm. Visit these ALA Connect chat rooms on January 25 to participate online (you may be asked to login or register to comment):

Chat Room 1:http://connect.ala.org/node/214095
Chat Room 2:http://connect.ala.org/node/214096
Chat Room 3:http://connect.ala.org/node/214097

Here are some questions to think about:

  • What keeps you involved in RUSA?
  • What encourages you to attend RUSA meetings?
  • What additional topics would you like to see in RUSA professional development activities?
  • What affinity areas would you like to see in RUSA (such as interest groups on particular topics that cross section levels)?

CODES

Barry Trott, Editor

The CODES Board will have its 2nd virtual Midwinter Meeting meeting in 2014; CODES is testing the efficacy of virtual CODES Board meetings as part of a two-year pilot project. All are welcome to attend.

The fall is the busy time for many of the CODES awards committees. The book award committees are deep into reading titles and narrowing down the hundreds of possibilities to shortlists for consideration at Midwinter. The service award committees are issuing calls for nominations, and reviewing nominations, in preparation for making selections by Midwinter. RUSA members should be sure to keep their calendar open for the RUSA Book and Media Awards event at Midwinter when the work of these committees is announced.

 

History

Laura O’Neill Hibbler, Editor

Midwinter Institute: Genealogy Resources for Librarians Institute
Sponsored by ProQuest Friday

January 24, 8:30 AM-4:30 PM
Philadelphia Free Library conference room, 1901 Vine St., Philadelphia, PA 19103

This all-day institute addresses issues of importance to library staff and administration when serving or partnering with genealogical patrons, volunteer, scholars, or educators. Fourteen panelists and lecturers will present at the midwinter ALA RUSA Midwinter Genealogy Resources for Librarians Preconference Institute, “Future Directions for the National Archives and Records Administration.” Specialists will discuss everything from superb free resources to future directions at NARA to webinar outreach, new online offerings, webinar instruction, government documents, Quaker resources, and making the financial case for genealogical librarianship. Luncheon included.

Register now at the Midwinter Ticketed Events page. You do not need to be registered for the entire conference to participate in the ticketed events.

The History Section Genealogical Publishing Company Award
Established in 1992 and sponsored by Genealogical Publishing Company this award presents a citation and $1,500 cash to a librarian or library in recognition of their professional achievement in historical or genealogical reference, service or research. The recipient shall be selected for exceptional accomplishment in one or more of the following areas: professional association leadership and/or service and training; reference services; publication of recent, important, and highly regarded print or web based reference works; or digital projects that offer important access to genealogical or historical sources. Please visit the Genealogical Publishing Company Award page for more information.

RUSA News

Let’s get in touch, and get social!
Are you connected? Stay in touch with these RUSA communication tools:

Reference and User Services Quarterly: Accessing the journal
Reference and User Services Quarterly (RUSQ), a quarterly benefit of RUSA members, is an all-digital journal available online via Metapress; however, you will need to set up a Metapress account. Complete, detailed instructions for accessing the journal can be found on the RUSA website or visit www.ala.org/rusa, then float over the “Communications” button near the top left portion of the page, and scroll down to “RUSQ”. If you run into challenges with journal access, contact support@metapress.com for assistance.

Once you’ve accessed the journal, make sure to check out the following content for volume 52, issue 4:

  • The library profession, and RUSA, lost an important member this winter with the death of former RUSQ editor Connie Van Fleet. In the editor’s column in this issue, Connie’s colleagues, students, and teachers remember her and her wide ranging interests.
  • Victoria Caplinger’s column on readers’ advisory (RA) from the cataloger’s perspective should provoke some useful discussion on improving RA services in libraries of all sorts.
  • Other columns and articles explore Google Scholar, the role of the reference desk, and readers’ advisory in academic libraries.

Call for online learning proposals!
Proposals for webinars and online courses are being accepted through September 1! There’s a wide variety of topics. Get the scoop on what we’re looking for, and find links to the submission form here.

MacLeod joins RUSA as Spectrum Scholar intern
RUSA welcomes its Spectrum Scholar, Kirk MacLeod from the University of Alberta! In this role, MacLeod will work with RUSA’s member leaders on various professional and association-related projects, including launching a weekly “I Am A” question-and-answer with a different RUSA member each week and revitalizing the RUSA Ambassadors outreach out to LIS programs. Details here.

Summer Reading: Andrew Carnegie Medals
There are just a few days of summer left to squeeze in some good books, and we think you should make the Andrew Carnegie Medals for fiction and nonfiction part of your lists. This year’s winners are Richard Ford’s Canada (fiction), and Timothy Egan’s Short Nights of the Shadow Catcher: The Epic Life and Immortal Photographs of Edward Curtis (nonfiction). Complete winner information is on the RUSA blog.

Student-to-staff: A snapshot of the 2013 ALA Annual Conference experience
Wayne State University MLIS candidate Michelle Scobie, along with fellow library school student Jay Ballenberger of Emporia State University, were a tremendous help in Chicago, providing logistical support at a variety of RUSA events. Read Michelle’s writeup of her experiences on the RUSA blog.

Legislative Issues Task Force
Do you have an interest in legislative issues facing libraries such as funding for libraries, access to research and government information and privacy?

If so, please consider volunteering for a RUSA ad-hoc task force that is charged with 1) identifying legislative issues of concern to RUSA and ways that sections and committees can respond to these concerns, and 2) after identifying issues of concern, making a recommendation to the RUSA Board for further action, including a recommendation for an on-going mechanism for RUSA to stay in touch with legislative issues. The ad-hoc task force will be asked to make a recommendation to the RUSA board by the ALA Annual meeting in 2014.

If you are interested in volunteering for this RUSA ad-hoc task force on legislative issues, please send a statement of interest along with information on your ALA Committee experience to Alesia McManus amcmanus@howardcc.edu.

Announcements

CODES

Barry Trott, Editor

 

Mary Parker, CODES past-chair, will be serving as acting CODES chair through the early fall. Please direct any questions about CODES committees or volunteering to Mary Parker at m-park1@umn.edu.

The CODES Readers’ Advisory committee has been hosting email forums, entitled CODES Conversations, modeled after the Association for Library Collections and Technical Services (ALCTS) email events. The committee plans to offer CODES Conversations three times a year. The first conversation gathered close to 250 participants and over 400 participated in the second. These are free, two-day conversations. Discussions were lively, wide-ranging, and involved librarians from the U.S. and abroad. The events were very well received.

Chairperson Bill McHugh successfully shepherded a proposal from the Reference Publishing Advisory Committee for one of the free RUSA webinar slots through the approval process. The proposed webinar will be based on the CODES discussion forum held at Midwinter 2013 in Seattle, “Are Users Finding Our Online Reference Resources?” The four speakers at that forum have agreed to take part in the webinar.

The RSS Education and Professional Development for Reference Committee has been working with CODES Reference Publishing Advisory Committee on this project; thank you RSS!

Daniel Mack will be the CODES representative on the RUSA Ad Hoc Committee to revise Professional Competencies for Reference and User Services Librarians. Mack is the Interim Director of Collection Management & Special Collections, University Libraries, University of Maryland.

History

Laura O’Neill Hibbler, Editor

 

At ALA Annual, the RUSA History Section program “Library Engagement in National History Day Activities” featured a diverse panel of speakers: Crystal Johnson, Chicago Metro History Education Center; Gail Egbers, Pacific Lutheran University; Jennifer Hootman, Minitex, University of Minnesota; and Kris Maldre, National Archives and Records Administration. Attendees learned of creative and innovative ways for libraries of various types engage with students participating in National History Day competitions. Among the attendees there were a number of individuals interested in implementing programs at their institutions and creating relationships with their local schools. The four panelists offered great ideas for creating programs as well as enhancing existing programs. Our attendance was a small but enthusiastic thirty which we feel is pretty good considering we were competing against vendor breakfasts and Temple Grandin.

The History Section Program, “Digital History: New Methodologies Facilitated by New Technologies” sponsored by the Instruction and Research Services Committee, was held on June 30 at the McCormick Place in Chicago. The program was well attended and very well received. Speakers included Dr. Michael Kramer and Josh Honn both from Northwestern University and also Dr. Anne Flannery and Adam Strohm both from the Newberry Library. The program included discussion of digital tools available and how to use them, strides in using digital source materials and how to incorporate the new digital methodologies in the library and/or classroom.

The Genealogy and Local History Discussion Group’s conversation was kicked off by Tamar Evangelestia-Dougherty of the Black Metropolis Research Consortium, which is hosted by the University of Chicago. Tamar presented on the innovative ways the consortium has worked with the community to preserve important pieces of local history that are too often overlooked by traditional repositories. There were a number of questions at the end of her presentation as well as informal discussions throughout the room after she concluded. Over fifty people attended the discussion group.

The Genealogical Preconference “Behind the Genealogy Reference Desk: Chicago Style Genealogy” had about eighty attendees at the Harold Washington Library Center of the Chicago Public Library on June 28. Matt Rutherford from the Newberry Library spoke on “ChicagoAncestors.org—Discover the Past by Address.” Curt B. Witcher of the Allen County Library System gave a wonderful account of early American history resources in “And the Rockets’ Red Glare: Sources for War of 1812 Research.” Elissa Scalise Powell, from Boston University and the Board for Certification of Genealogists, presented on “Genealogical Education Opportunities.” Chip Nilges from OCLC WorldCat and Michael J. Hall from FamilySearch discussed “OCLC WorldCat and FamilySearch; how the recent partnership can enhance the research experience from the Beginner to the Expert.” Sandy Joseph closed the preconference with “Beginning African American Research on Family Search.” All of the presenters gave a great account of themselves, and provided much needed information to the attending librarians. ProQuest provided an outstanding lunch with a presentation by William Forsyth of ProQuest.

RUSA News

Special Leadership Development Opportunity for RUSA Members
Participate in the “Servant Leadership at Your Library” preconference at a significantly discounted rate! Act quickly to take advantage of this special offering. More information is at the RUSA blog.

Authors Announced for RUSA Literary Tastes Author Event
We have a stellar author lineup this year! Add the event to your conference schedule, and bring your book-loving friends. More Literary Tastes event information here.

This year’s authors:

  • Peter Heller, author of 2013 RUSA Notable Book The Dog Stars (Knopf).
  • Jonathan Tropper, author of 2013 RUSA Notable Book One Last Thing Before I Go (Dutton).
  • Matti Friedman, author of The Aleppo Codex: A True Story of Obsession, Faith, and the Pursuit of an Ancient Bible (Algonquin), which won the 2013 Sophie Brody Medal for achievement in Jewish literature.
  • Lyndsay Faye, author of The Gods of Gotham (Putnam), the top pick for The Reading List’s Mystery category in 2013.

Time to Celebrate!
Mark your conference schedule for the RUSA Awards Reception and Volunteer Appreciation Party, which will be held from 5:00-6:30 P.M. on Sunday, June 30 at the Hyatt Regency McCormick Place, Prairie Room. It’s always a fun event, and a great opportunity to celebrate the most outstanding people and accomplishments in our field.

Who is Joe Thompson?
Learn more about RUSA’s new Vice President/President-Elect with this fun Q&A over at the RUSA blog.

Read It: Reference & User Services Quarterly
Have you checked out the new issue of Reference & User Services Quarterly (RUSQ) yet? Here’s an overview. There’s lots of good stuff in this issue. If you haven’t activated your digital subscription yet via Metapress, look at the RUSA website under the Communications tab at the top of the page. Questions about RUSQ? Contact Andrea Hill, RUSA web manager at ahill@ala.org.

Finalists: Andrew Carnegie Medals for Excellence in Fiction and Nonfiction
Are you on #teamjunot, or #teamerdrich? Review the finalists for this year’s medals, and join in the conversation on Twitter using the hashtag #ala_carnegie. Don’t forget to buy your event tickets!

Division News: Awards, Events and Information You Can Use

RUSA Award Nomination Period Ends December 15

There’s still time to submit your nominations for RUSA’s 2013 awards! We have a multitude of travel grants, research grants and achievement awards available to you. Many offer cash prizes! Especially noteworthy are two new awards this year:the Gale Cengage History Research and Innovation Award encourages submissions from MLS degreed librarians looking to further research relating to history and history librarianship, and the BRASS Business Expert Press Award for Academic Business Librarians, which recognizes a librarian new to the field of academic business librarianship to attend the ALA Annual Conference. Review the entire list.

Holiday Shopping: We’ve got a book for you!

Looking for gifts for your fellow book lovers? Look no further than the award-winning titles selected by your RUSA colleagues! Fiction, nonfiction, poetry, genre fiction, audiobooks…there truly is something for everyone among our many literary awards. We’ve compiled all of the details and links into a single blog post to make your life easier–find it here. Happy gifting!

RUSA’s Midwinter Book and Media Awards Reception: Sunday, January 27 in Seattle

It’s the most wonderful time of the year! Your expert readers advisory and collection development colleagues have been hard at work for the past twelve months, devouring newly-published books and scrutinizing new reference publications to determine who will take home the honors at Midwinter. Come be a part of the excitement and celebrate with us at the Book and Media Awards Reception.Get the event details, and make sure to add the event to your Midwinter schedule so we know you’re coming. If you can’t make it, follow our updates on our Facebook page or on Twitter, @ala_rusa, with the hashtag #literarytastes.

RUSA Membership Social: Time for Friends, New and Old

The Membership Social returns for another year of outstanding Saturday night fun at Midwinter! We encourage you to bring a friend, even if they’re not a RUSA member. The Membership Social will be held from 6:00 to 8:00 PM in the Leonesa Room in the Grand Hyatt Seattle.

Great prizes will be raffled off, too. Get the event details, and add it to your Midwinter schedule. This event is generously sponsored by Thomson Reuters. See you there!

Midwinter Meeting: Schedule Posted, Registration Still Available

Everything you could possibly want to know about the upcoming ALA Midwinter Meeting in Seattle is available at www.alamidwinter.org. Early Bird ends December 2, and Advance ends January 18. Come join us for intriguing conversations and fun events hosted by RUSA and ALA! Browse the Midwinter schedule.

Online Learning: Spring 2013 Courses Now Open for Registration

Whether you’re itching to learn new skills or need to brush up on the basics, RUSA’s online courses have got you covered! Topics include the reference interview, genealogy, ILL, business reference, readers advisory, health information and spatial literacy/online mapping. Individual and group registrations are available. Our health information course even offers CEUs! Review a full schedule.

Webinar Proposals Sought

Are you a subject matter expert or an experienced librarian with information to share? Consider submitting a webinar proposal! Presenters for approved webinars receive compensation and training on Blackboard Collaborate, our webinar presentation tool. Access a full list of topics we’re interested in and a link to the proposal form at the RUSA Blog.

Looking for a job? It’s a daunting task to sift through the excess of information about:

  • Finding a job
  • Preparing a resume and cover letter
  • Interviewing for a job
  • Discovering salary information
  • Negotiating a salary
  • Researching the job outlook for librarians
  • Identifying professional competencies for reference and user services librarians

RUSA can help! Our new Career Resources page on the RUSA website was developed specifically with reference and user services librarians in mind. Whether you’re looking for library positions in schools, academic libraries, public libraries, or special libraries, we’ve got something for everyone.

Visit the Career Resources page today and instantly make your job search easier and more productive!

[This web page is a work-in-progress and is updated frequently. If you have successful job hunting tip that you’d like to share, please contact lwood@ala.org]

Let’s be in touch! Here’s how you can stay connected to RUSA between issues of RUSA Update:

  • Bookmark the RUSA blog
  • Like RUSA on Facebook
  • Follow us on Twitter
  • Subscribe to RUSA-L, our division listserv, or one of our section listservs
  • Keep your membership information current so that you continue to receive communications–make updates by logging in at ala.org or by contacting the membership team at membership@ala.org or (800) 545-2433, option 5.
  • Have an e-mail address on file with ALA. All of our member communications are done electronically, so no e-mail address means you’re missing out on important news and benefits.

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.

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.

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

Carolyn Larson to receive My Favorite Martian Award

Carolyn Larson, Head of the Business Reference Section, in the Science, Technology & Business Division, Library of Congress, is the 2012 recipient of the MARS: Emerging Technologies in Reference Section Recognition Certificate, also known as the “My Favorite Martian” Award. The award is given to an individual to recognize excellence in service to MARS.

An active member of MARS, Carolyn, in addition to serving on several MARS committees, has served as MARS Chair, Vice-Chair, and Past Chair. During her term as MARS Chair, Carolyn expertly led the section through transition that included an unanticipated leadership change, and a significant name and mission change for the section. Carolyn was really a stabilizing force during this period. Dianna McKellar, MARS Chair, writes, “Carolyn, your dedication to the profession and to MARS is recognized and appreciated! We thank you for your excellent service.”

The certificate will be presented at the 2012 RUSA President’s Program/MARS Chair’s Program, “Library in Your Hand: Mobile Technologies for Exchanging Information with Patrons,” on Sunday, June 24, 10:30 AM-12:00 PM, during the 2012 ALA Annual Conference held in Anaheim, California; acknowledgment also to be made at the RUSA Awards Ceremony & Reception, Sunday, June 24, 2012, 5:00-6:30 PM during the 2012 ALA Annual Conference. Larson also will be honored at the RUSA Awards program.

Shannon Jones
sdjones@vcu.edu

MARS Chair’s Program

The MARS Conference Program Planning Committee has produced a program on the use of mobile devices in libraries as communication tools between librarians and library patrons. The program, which will serve as both the RUSA President’s Program and the MARS Chair’s Program, is entitled “Library in Your Hand: Mobile Technologies for Exchanging Information with Patrons.”

Mobile devices are increasingly being used to provide libraries with the opportunity to disperse information at the exact point of need. This program will explore the importance of libraries supporting mobile technologies for the dissemination and acquisition of information. Examples of such projects currently being implemented in libraries will be discussed by our panel of speakers. Joan Lippincott, Associate Executive Director of the Coalition for Networked Information, will speak about why libraries should embrace communicating with patrons through mobile devices. Kristin Antelman, Associate Director for the Digital Library at NCSU Libraries, will speak about mobile initiatives at NCSU including WolfWalk, a photographic guide to the history of NCSU optimized for mobile devices. David Lee King, Digital Branch & Services Manager at the Topeka Public Library, will discuss the social media used to communicate with patrons at the Topeka Public Library.

The session will be held on Sunday, June 24 from 10:30 AM-12:00 PM at the Anaheim Convention Center in room 204B. Hope to see you there!

Matt Torrence, Chair, Chair’s Program Committee
torrence@usf.edu

Happy Hour 2012

Join the RUSA MARS Emerging Technologies in Reference Section for our annual Happy Hour! The MARS social event of the year, the Happy Hour is ideal for anyone interested in meeting "Martians" and learning about the work of MARS in a relaxed, festive environment. Newcomers and old friends alike: all are welcome. Eat, drink, and mingle just steps from the Convention Center.

MARS Happy Hour
Saturday, June 23, 2012
5:00 PM- 7:00 PM

Magnolia Room & Quiet Pool at the Anabella Hotel
1030 W. Katella Ave., Anaheim, CA 92802
(adjacent to the Convention Center)

Complimentary appetizers and cash bar.

The 2012 MARS Happy Hour is generously sponsored by EBSCO Publishing.

Arlie Sims, Chair, Outreach
asims@colum.edu

Interested in getting involved with RSS?

Hi Everyone!

As you know, it is RSS committee appointment time; many of you have volunteered for committees, filled out the forms and are just waiting for the work to start! Thank you! RSS is a fluid and robust organization because of your commitment to keeping it relevant to Frontline Reference needs.

If you emailed me and haven’t heard from me, please let me know. I may have missed the email or it got lost in my email shuffle. Or if you forgot to respond to my call for volunteers, it is not too late! Many of our committees are full but I am still looking for volunteers for a host of RSS activities.

On a different note, RSS wants to showcase the publications of its members. If you are a member of RSS and have had an article or book published, let us know! Go to http://tinyurl.com/RSSmemberpubs and fill in the form with a complete citation preferably in APA format. We would like this to be a resource list for fellow RSS members. Share what you have done with your colleagues.

Finally, the New Chair Orientation will take place online after ALA Annual. Stay tuned to RSS-L for more information.

If you have any questions, please email me at hammills@fiu.edu .

I look forward to meeting many of you in June!
Sarah J. Hammill
RSS Chair Elect

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.

RUSA Committee Reports – Emerging Leader Report: News from Your RUSA Emerging Leader

Kate Kosturski

 

During one of the excessively hot days this week, my ever-entertaining morning weatherman informed me that “five months ago today, the temperature was 23 degrees with a wind chill of 17!” New York City weather swung from one extreme to another in little more than a quarter of the year. Clearly change can be sudden and extreme—and take place in a short time.

Can this be applied on a personal level? Indeed, and most definitely for me. In the six months of the Emerging Leaders program I went from part-time to full-time employment with JSTOR, now serve on several ALA committees, presented two posters (one of which was my Emerging Leaders deliverable), been published in Computers in Libraries (and soon to be in Reference and Technical Services Quarterly), and unsuccessfully ran for ALA Council. There’s been a laundry list of personal life changes, but listing them all would turn this into a twenty-page article.

The goal of all change is to learn from it, and I have learned throughout these six months. For starters, I have learned to work within a team again. Four months of unemployment and six months of working in a small consulting firm as the solo office manager render team work skills a bit rusty. There were times I did forget what it was like to work on a group project! But with patience and gentle, constructive criticism from group members and self-reflection, I was able to get back on track. It was like riding a bike—you may not get on a bike for years, but when you do, everything comes back.

Another lesson learned is the importance of reconnecting with your people. The job search, unemployment, three family crises in the latter half of 2010, and other issues led some of my involvement within ALA and librarianship slide. I made some time for certain events and projects, but lack of time and job search burnout led me to take a small sabbatical from professional development. Those who are unemployed and underemployed will agree that it’s hard to be “Yay Libraries!” when you’re spending day after day in your pajamas watching The Price is Right and living off of cereal because you’re not working. (I speak from 100 percent personal experience.) Being an Emerging Leader, surrounded by like minded peers whose ambition matched (and sometimes exceeded) my own, re-energized my passion for information. It was the kickoff workshop at Midwinter in San Diego that led me to run for ALA Council in the first place!

The third lesson on change is to accept its presence—to quote from one of my favorite movies, French Kiss, “swim in it until your fingers get all pruny.” One of my colleagues in the 2011 cohort gave the simple axiom that “life happens” as her biggest lesson from the program experience. Her group had several cases of personal and professional change affect the progress of their project (including, I think, someone affected by severe weather in the Midwest). Rather than fight it, they learned to work with it. If someone was behind on a deadline due to a family member being in the hospital or a hectic week at work, it was best to just let it go—the work will still be there when everyone returns to it, hopefully rested and in better mind. Their acceptance of crisis mode and understanding that life can intervene in critical and severe ways allowed them to adapt better. It’s nothing more than the old phrase, “if you can’t beat them, join them.”

A final lesson from my project experience—perhaps the most important—has nothing to do with change at all, and is quite counter to it: Stand up for your beliefs. Anyone who attended the Emerging Leaders poster session at the Annual Conference knew that my group (Team G), had a quite different, definitely edgy and potentially controversial giveaway with our poster. I was on board with this idea…until I got a full time job in April. I wasn’t comfortable handing this particular item out to co-workers or senior colleagues that attended. I did not feel it would be appropriate for me to do so, not with such a short tenure at the company. I advocated for having the more family friendly alternative of business cards, and successfully convinced my Emerging Leader colleagues of same. I could have kept my mouth shut and gone with status quo (again, accepting change!) but decided that certain issues and concerns were worth the fight.

If you attended the Emerging Leaders poster session, I wholeheartedly thank you for coming. If you stopped by to talk with Team G about our poster, accept more thanks from me. Whether or not you visited the Emerging Leaders at Annual, allow me to highlight some of my favorite projects:

  • Team B worked with ACRL to prepare ACRL 101, a “guide to enhancing the conference experience for first time attendees.” I loved this project not just because one of the dearest friends I made from the group (Megan Hodge), served on it, but because it will be useful for me when I attend ACRL as a full-fledged attendee in 2013.
  • Team I reviewed a favorite topic of mine, library website usability, showing off the “Seven Deadly Sins of Library Websites.” Usability and design thinking are so important in our profession, and I predict that this will grow in the future.
  • Team J worked with the Information Technology and Telecommunications Division to create a “Virtual Guide to ALA Deadlines”—any and all deadlines within the organization in one interactive timeline.
  • Team K and Team L both worked on projects for the Learning Round Table (LearnRT) relating to training and staff development—Team K built a wiki for staff development day resources, and Team L looked at ways to build a webinar series. I’m a semi-frequent guest on the T is for Training podcast and have sat through more than my fair share of subpar, weak training session at previous jobs. These experiences foster my interest in ways we can harness technology to improve training and staff development.
  • Team N, working with the Library Leadership and Management Association (LLAMA) worked to review LIS student recruitment to the organization within management courses.
  • And of course, there is Team G, my team project, a set of video game collection development best practices prepared for the Games and Gaming Member Interest Group (which became GameRT at ALA Annual).

This is just a small sample of the projects from our cohort, the full list is available on ALA Connect. I encourage you to take time and look at what the next generation of librarians has to say about these key issues. If you or someone in your workplace is interested in the Emerging Leaders program, please get in touch with me; I would love to talk at length with you about the program.

As my reign as RUSA’s Emerging Leader is now over, this will be my last “News from Your Emerging Leader” column. Consider this my final walk across the stage with the tiara on my head; it’s now time to crown my successor. I wish to thank everyone at RUSA—President Barry Trott and the Executive Board, leadership from sections, and members—for the sponsorship, networking and professional opportunities. You’ll still be hearing from me within and outside of the organization—I will be co-chairing the RUSA Structure Task Force, and if you’re active in the New Members Round Table, I’m working on two committees there.

I hope to see you all in Dallas and Anaheim in the coming year, and continue conversations in between conferences. The dialogue is so important to keep librarianship alive. After all, to quote Doctor Who, “”You want weapons? We’re in a library. Books, best weapons in the world. This room’s the greatest arsenal we could have. Arm yourself!” I can’t think of a better calling.

Kate Kosturski is the 2011 RUSA Emerging Leader and an Outreach Specialist with JSTOR’s Outreach and Participation Services Department. Contact her with questions or comments about this article at Catherine.kosturski@gmail.com or librariankate7578@gmail.com. You can also follow her on twitter as librarian_kate, and view her portfolio of pre-and post-graduate school work at www.katekosturski.com.

Linda S. Keiter to receive My Favorite Martian Award

Linda S. Keiter, Online Services Librarian, The University of Utah, is the 2011 recipient of the MARS: Emerging Technologies in Reference Section Recognition Certificate, also known as the My Favorite Martian Award. The award is given to an individual to recognize excellence in service to MARS.

Linda Keiter has been an active member of MARS for many years, serving on numerous MARS committees including Continuing Education, Hot Topics in Electronic Reference Discussion Group, and the Future of MARS Task Force. Linda has also served as a representative for MARS on RUSA committees. Her colleagues in MARS note, “Linda has been a role model for dynamic leadership in MARS.”

Anne Houston, MARS Chair writes, “Linda, your dedication to the profession and to MARS is recognized and appreciated! We thank you for your excellent service.”

The certificate will be presented at the 2011 ALA Annual Conference in New Orleans during the MARS Chair’s Program, It’s All About Them: Developing Information Services with User Experience Design Sunday, June 26, 2011, 10:30 am – 12:00 pm. Keiter also will be honored at the RUSA Awards program.

Strange Bedfellows: IT and Reference Collaborations to Enhance User Experiences.

A joint preconference from the Reference Services Section (RSS) and Emerging Technologies in Reference Section (MARS) of the Reference and User Services Association (RUSA)

Friday, June 24, 2011, 9:00 am – 5:00 pm; Morial Convention Center, Room 354

Visit RUSA’s preconference page for registration information. The group registration form (PDF) can be downloaded here.

This preconference will present strategies for creating successful collaborations between Reference and IT departments. The session will open with a keynote from Char Booth that addresses the innovative technology-driven potential of meeting user needs when reference departments work in collaboration with IT. Following the keynote, a series of topics will be presented by four teams of Reference and IT staff who have worked together on successful collaborative projects. The line-up includes:

  1. Dan Suchy, User Services Technology Analyst & Matthew Critchlow, Web Technical Manager, University of California, San Diego: Mobile apps
  2. Joanne Kossuth, Technology Strategy Team Member at Educational and Institutional Cooperative Purchasing: Technology Strategy Team Member at Educational and Institutional Cooperative Purchasing: Sharing resources between institutions
  3. Tom Maier, Senior Director Special Projects & Catherine Murray-Rust, Dean of Libraries, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta: Strategic Planning, Implementation, and Facilities Development across multiple departments within and beyond libraries
  4. William Denton, Web Librarian & Adam Taves, Reference and Instruction Librarian, York University, Toronto: Divisiveness, communication failure, and boundary wars as tragicomedy. A staged reading.

 
The afternoon will include breakout sessions where attendees can work with the speakers to brainstorm on applying the strategies presented to real-world projects that they are currently involved in or would like to see realized.

This is a solutions-driven session that explores methods for effective collaboration and successfully leveraging the skill sets of multiple departments. This is a session about how to make a technology-driven reference project a success!

We hope to see you in New Orleans!

Carolyn Sheffield and Donna Scanlon, Co-Chairs

Happy Hour

Saturday, June 25,2011; 5:00 – 7:00 pm; Location: Mulate’s Restaurant (Across from the Convention Center), 201 Julia St.

MARS: Emerging Technologies in Reference Section invites you to mingle, chow and imbibe at the Annual MARS Happy Hour Social There will be complimentary snacks and a cash bar.

Interested in the work of MARS? Friend of a MARS member? Enjoyed a MARS program? Member of MARS? Please come and invite others!

The Annual MARS Happy Hour is your opportunity to enjoy good company, meet other MARS members, and learn about the work of the Section.

This MARS Happy Hour is generously sponsored by Serials Solutions.

Arlie Sims, Chair
asims@colum.edu

MARS Webinars

This winter, the Education, Training and Support Committee (ETS) was officially approved by RUSA to deliver a webinar that is similar to our 2010 annual program: Screencasting Tips and Tricks. Our hard work at Midwinter paid off! MARS will be the first to deliver a RUSA sponsored webinar presentation. ETS is trailblazing the path for other committees to consider webinars for delivering professional development to ALA members. The webinar is coming up soon, on May 25 and is tentatively called "An Introduction to Screencasting Tutorials." One of our goals for Annual is to create guidelines and procedures for other committees to follow in order to create their own webinars and possibly fulfill a new role for MARS as your webinar facilitators. We have learned a lot about the steps for getting an idea approved and what RUSA expects for course development. By Annual, we will have even more experience delivering a webinar and using the GoToMeeting software and technical support from RUSA.
 
Van Houlson, Chair
houls001@umn.edu

MARS Chair’s Program – It’s All About Them: Developing Information Services with User Experience Design

Sunday, June 26, 10:30 am – 12:00 pm; Morial Convention Center, room 269

Please plan to join us in New Orleans for an exciting MARS Chair’s program. We’ll be announcing the winner of this year’s My Favorite Martian Award, followed by a thought-provoking panel on user experience design.

Applying User Experience (UX) Design to your library’s public services involves understanding your patrons’ needs and preferences. In this session, expert panelists, including Cody Hansen (University of Minnesota) and Jenny Benevento (Sears Holding Corporation), will define UX design and explain why it’s important, discuss how it can help improve patrons’ overall experience of library resources and services, and describe how it can be implemented in library and information service settings. With practical tips and examples, you’ll be well-equipped to consider UX issues in your own library.

Courtney Greene, Chair
crgreene@indiana.edu

Hot Topics – How are We Measuring up? Using New Technology to Schedule, Standardize, and Assess Reference Services

Saturday, June 25 from 10:30 am – 12:00 pm; Doubletree Hotel, Madewood A

Please join us for the Hot Topics Discussion Forum (MARS): How are We Measuring up? Using New Technology to Schedule, Standardize, and Assess Reference Services. Speakers will demonstrate a variety of inventive, original, and efficient ways to study and accommodate changes in user preferences, locations, and modes of communication when seeking reference and research services. Presentations are in panel format, but are relatively informal and are intended to jumpstart discussion among the attendees.

Matt Torrence, Chair
torrence@usf.edu

To subscribe to MARS-L, see http://lists.ala.org/wws/info/mars-l