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Literary Tastes – A book lover's breakfast

We are expanding this year’s CODES Literary Tastes breakfast program to offer authors that will appeal to a variety of book readers.

We are featuring authors from the well-known Notable Books Council List for America’s Readers (fiction, non-fiction, poetry), Sophie Brody Medal list (of distinguished contribution to Jewish literature for adults) and, new this year, The Reading List Council ( list of best adult genre fiction in eight categories).

Attendees are invited to enjoy a tasty breakfast, and listen to wonderful stories. The authors speaking are:

The authors will be available for book signings at the end of the program.

The ticket price is $36 per person. To register, click here.

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Free Outreach Toolkit for “The Truth About Cancer” film available to libraries

The American Library Association (ALA) is pleased to announce that it is working with WGBH Boston on the upcoming national outreach campaign for the film, The Truth About Cancer, which will air on PBS April 16th at 9 p.m. (check local listings). The 90-minute documentary film, followed by a 30-minute expert panel, hosted by news journalist and cancer survivor Linda Ellerbee will be the launching pad for events and projects across the country focused on creating community conversations around cancer survivorship.

ALA and WGBH encourage libraries to reach out to their local PBS stations to collaborate with them on events surrounding this film. In addition, WGBH encourages libraries to reach out to its national outreach partners on this project including the National Coalition for Cancer Survivorship (NCCS), Susan G. Komen for the Cure, the John Wayne Cancer Foundation, Lance Armstrong Foundation, YMCA of the USA and the Coalition of Cancer Cooperative Groups. These collaborations will provide an excellent opportunity for libraries to develop new—or strengthen existing—community partnerships, while offering a valuable service to their communities.

To assist in these outreach efforts, WGBH will offer extensive online resources, including downloadable handouts, which will be available on www.pbs.org/takeonestep starting in March 2008. In addition, a limited number of free Outreach Toolkits including two event posters and a DVD Screener that will include 30 minutes of the film and the full expert panel to libraries that request them. WGBH asks that libraries not hold public screenings using the DVD screener until one week prior to the premiere broadcast.

To order the Outreach Toolkit, please go to http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/takeonestep/request.html

Materials are limited and are available on a first-come, first-serve basis.

This collaborative project with WGBH is administered by the Reference and User Services Association (RUSA), a division of ALA. Contact Barbara Macikas, RUSA, bmacikas at ala.org or 1-800-545-2433, ext. 4395.

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RUSA Approves New Definition of Reference

At the January 14, 2008, meeting of the RUSA Board, a new definition of reference was approved. It was based on solicited input received on the RUSA Blog as of 12/8/07. Thank you to all those who gave input, as well as all those who worked hard to come up with a definition that could be supported by so many.

Lisa R. Horowitz
Chair, Reference Services Section (2007-2008)

Definition of Reference
Approved by RUSA Board, 1-14-08

Submitted
by subgroup of RSS Executive Committee



Reference Transactions are information consultations in which
library staff recommend, interpret, evaluate, and/or use information resources
to help others to meet particular information needs. Reference transactions do
not include formal instruction or exchanges that provide assistance with
locations, schedules, equipment, supplies, or policy statements.

Reference Work includes reference transactions and other
activities that involve the creation, management, and assessment of information
or research resources, tools, and services.

(The following bullets clarify what is meant
by terms within the Reference Work definition.)

·        
Creation and management of information
resources includes the
development and maintenance of research collections, research guides, catalogs,
databases, web sites, search engines, etc., that patrons can use independently,
in-house or remotely, to satisfy their information needs.

·        
Assessment activities include the measurement and evaluation of reference work,
resources, and services.

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Using Evaluation Data to Change & Improve Virtual Reference: Call for Virtual Poster Session Proposals

Using Evaluation Data to Change
& Improve Virtual Reference:

Call for Virtual Poster Session
Proposals

MARS Management of Electronic Resources and Services (MERS) Committee

How does your library (or consortium) use the results of evaluation to
change and improve your Virtual Reference service? Have you used data,
statistics, opinions, or other feedback to persuade administrators, librarians
and staff, or your patron body? To plan budgets, hours, or training? To test
anecdotal assumptions? To offer a new service? Are changes driven by evaluation
significantly different from those driven by technological advancement or new
VR products?

Share your successes and challenges via a Virtual Poster Session sponsored
by Management
of Electronic Resources and Services  (MERS), a Machine-Assisted
Reference Section (MARS) Committee.

We seek virtual posters which describe how libraries use evaluation to
change and improve their Virtual Reference services.

Virtual Reference can include reference assistance provided via chat, IM,
e-mail, videoconferencing, or other means. Evaluation methods can include
statistical analysis, patron surveys, transcript analysis, use of standards and
guidelines, interface usability testing, or any other method or combination of
methods that the library uses to evaluate its service. 

Virtual posters can be submitted as Web pages, PowerPoint presentations, or
other formats which can be mounted on the Web.

Accepted posters will be mounted on the American
Library Association (ALA)
web site before the ALA 2008
Annual Conference  and will be
announced at the conference.  Presenters will be asked to participate in
on-line discussions of their posters through the Reference and User Services
Association (RUSA) blog.

To apply, please use the form at http://www.ala.org/ala/rusa/rusaourassoc/rusasections/mars/marssection/marscomm/mersvps2007.htm.
Proposals will be accepted through 5 p.m. Eastern, Thursday, January 3, 2008.
Authors of selected proposals will be contacted by e-mail by January 18, 2008. 

Completed virtual posters must be submitted to the committee by April 1,
2008.  The committee will review the
posters and work with the creators on any suggested edits needed for clarity
and to comply with ALA
and other guidelines.   

Questions?  Please contact the MERS Chair, Kathryn Courtland Millis at millisk@depauw.edu, or (765) 658-4427.

MERS is a committee of the Machine-Assisted
Reference Section (MARS) in the Reference and User
Services Association (RUSA) of the American
Library Association (ALA).