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He means business: Q&A with RUSA BRASS representative

Over the next several weeks we will be highlighting members of RUSA’s Board of Directors. Take a minute and get to know our fantastic leaders!

Meet Andy, RUSA BRASS Representative. He means business. Have questions for Andy? Feel free to contact him at the email address listed at the end of this post.

Andy Spackman
Business and Economics Librarian
Brigham Young University

Andy Spackman
Andy Spackman

What are you currently reading or listening to?
Reading David Brin’s Existence and listening to Goldfrapp.

What is the most interesting “reference” question you’ve ever been asked? (reference in quotes to allow for some flexibility in answering the question)
“Do you know who I am?” – asked by the football team’s starting quarterback during a reference interview when he realized I was going to teach him how to use the research databases for himself.

Tell us about your current role at your library, and maybe a little bit about your career path, too.
I’m the liaison to the Marriott School of Management and the Department of Economics, handling instruction, reference, and collection development. I also chair the library’s web team. I started my career in ILL, then managed Circulation, then midway through my MBA program decided I wanted to stay in libraries after all, so I got my MLS too.

Describe a particularly rewarding experience in your library career.
Every time I hear the business faculty endorse me to their students I feel warm and fuzzy.

Give one fun fact about yourself—can be personal or professional.
I recently crossed a depressing threshold that snuck up on me: my students are younger than the car I drive.

Any hobbies?
Reading. Writing. Dragging my wife and five kids into the wilderness and forcing them to hike up mountains.

Why did you join RUSA (and/or sections)? How has RUSA helped you in your career? What are some of the RUSA activities you’ve participated in?
BRASS has been a focal point in my career, both because of what I’ve gained for my own professional development (starting all the way back in one of Celia’s BizRef101 courses) and because of the opportunities I’ve had to contribute. I’ve been a program chair, a presenter for the MBA in a Day preconference, and now the BRASS Chair. But my favorite thing has always been sitting in the discussion groups and soaking in the fact that I’m not alone.

If you’re open to having RUSA members connecting with you directly, provide an e-mail address and/or phone number where they can reach you.
andy_spackman@byu.edu

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Now accepting nominations for 2014 RUSA achievement awards, research and travel grants

‘Tis the season!

The nomination period is now open for the many achievement awards and conference travel and research grants offered by the Reference and User Services Association (RUSA), a division of the American Library Association (ALA).

RUSA, which represents librarians and information service professionals in reference, collection development, adult readers’ advisory, genealogy, resource sharing and user services, is accepting nominations for the following 2014 awards. The deadline for all nominations is December 15, 2013, with the exception of the BRASS Gale Cengage Learning Student Travel Award, which has a deadline of January 31, 2013. Award criteria, nomination forms and instructions for submissions are available at each of the award’s web pages below.

Professional Achievement Awards for Individuals and Groups

Travel Grants to ALA Annual Conference

Research Grants

More information about these awards, including nominating and submission instructions, can be found at the RUSA Awards Web page. 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 or to Leighann Wood, RUSA awards program coordinator at lwood@ala.org.

RUSA is the foremost organization of reference and information professionals who make the connections between people and the information sources, services, and collection materials they need. Learn more about the association at www.ala.org/rusa.

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Boettcher receives 2013 RUSA BRASS Emerald Research Grant for business reference research

Jennifer Boettcher, business librarian at Georgetown University, is this year’s recipient of  the Reference and User Services Association’s (RUSA) BRASS Emerald Research Grant Award.

Administered by the Business Reference and Services Section (BRASS) of the Reference and User Services Association (RUSA), the grant gives $5,000 to support research in the field of business librarianship. The award is generously funded by Emerald Group Publishing, Ltd. Previous award winners’ research projects include a study of business librarians’ involvement in the evaluation and approval of new academic programs (i.e. courses, tracks, graduate degrees or certificates) in business, and an exploration of collaborations among academic libraries, public libraries and community organizations in jointly serving the business information needs of their local entrepreneurs.

With this financial research support, Boettcher will create a Web-based finding aid that will help both business librarians and patrons who do not regularly track business information sources use core business titles that have been discounted, sold or recreated into new formats, which Boettcher calls the “Zombie List”. The database will track these sources and provide a list of where to find similar information that these seminal works provided. Funds will support the work of a programmer who will construct and adjust the database accordingly. As the Zombie List grows, Boettcher will recruit volunteers to test and manage the website as it develops. If interested please contact Jennifer Boettcher (boettcher -at-georgetown.edu).

As a former chair of the BRASS section of RUSA, co-author of the book, “Industry Research Using the Economic Census” (Greenwood Press), a past winner of RUSA BRASS ’s Gale Cengage Learning Award for Excellence in Business Librarianship and former professor of Catholic University of America’s “Information Sources & Services: Business Information” class, Boettcher is well-versed in the field of business reference and is prepared for a project of this scale. In selecting Boettcher’s proposal for this year’s award, the committee highlighted the thorough and detailed methodology, scope, timetable and projected outcomes for the project.

The award will be presented at the RUSA Achievement Awards Ceremony and Reception, scheduled for 5-6:30pm on Sunday, June 30, Hyatt Regency McCormick Place, Prairie Room, as a part of RUSA’s events at the ALA Annual Conference in Chicago. Add the reception to your schedule (ALA Connect login required). For more information, visit RUSA’s website or the Annual Conference website.

With decades of experience, Emerald Group Publishing, Ltd. chooses to facilitate the global production and dissemination of research focusing on issues with social importance.  In total, Emerald manages a portfolio of more than 280 journals, more than 2,000 books and book series volumes, as well as an extensive range of online products and services that provide meaningful impact in business, society, the environment, public policy and education.

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Call for submissions: business librarianship research proposals for 2013 Emerald Research Grant

Submissions will be accepted until April 12 for the 2013 Emerald Research Grant Award  offered by RUSA‘s Business Reference and Services Section (BRASS).

Due to technical difficulties, the award committee asks anyone who has already submitted a proposal to re-submit their materials to Kim Bloedel at kimberly-bloedel@uiowa.edu. New proposals should also be sent to this same address.

The Emerald Research Grant Award, sponsored by Emerald Group Publishing Limited offers one award of $5,000 and a citation to an individual or team seeking support to conduct research in business librarianship. The awards will be presented at the RUSA Awards Ceremony at the ALA Annual Conference in Chicago. Recipients will be required to attend the RUSA Awards Ceremony.

Candidates must submit a detailed proposal outlining their proposed research project; methodology, scope and timetable; how this project fits into the existing literature; and projected outcomes, including a statement outlining how this research will benefit the library profession. Proposals will be reviewed for thoroughness; potential to positively impact the library profession; and potential to provide a useful addition to the existing library literature. Proposals will be accepted from both individual researchers and those working collaboratively. At least one member of a collaborative team must be a member of ALA.