Message from RUSA VP/President-Elect, Chris LeBeau

Hello RUSA Members,

I invite you to volunteer for one of RUSA’s committees or a section committee.

There are so many ways to get engaged and serve our community of over 3,000 members. Check out the RUSA committee list  or look for committees under RUSA Sections. Volunteers must be RUSA members. We need people with many different talents and interests.

To volunteer:

  • Login to ALA
  • Visit the Committee Volunteer Form page
  • Change drop down menu option to “RUSA”
  • Fill out the form about yourself and your current ALA responsibilities;
  • Again, be sure the drop down at the bottom is set to “RUSA” or to a section.

You’re in!

You may also email me, Chris LeBeau, lebeauc@umkc.edu, and tell me about your experience and what you would like to do. Likewise, feel free to contact section vice-chairs to express your interest:

BRASS: Louise M. Feldmann, Louise.Feldmann@colostate.edu
CODES: Daniel C. Mack, dmack@umd.edu
ETS: Courtney Greene McDonald, crgreene@indiana.edu
HISTORY: Christina Thompson Shutt, christina.shutt@arkansasheritage.org
STARS: Heidi Nance, hnance@u.washington.edu
RSS: Amy Elizabeth Rustic, aer123@psu.edu

For book lover volunteers
Many members are interested in serving on the Notable Books Council. The number of volunteers far outnumbers the slots for this committee. As an alternative consider our Listen List, the Reading List, the Sophie Brody award, and all the other awards on our RUSA Awards page. All provide excellent experience in book reviewing.

Thank you again to all our current, past and future volunteers – you are truly what makes RUSA such a wonderful place to belong! We couldn’t do it without you.

Thank you in advance,

Chris LeBeau
RUSA VP/President-Elect

Deadline for RUSA webinar and online proposals extended to October 31, 2016

The Reference and User Services Association, (RUSA) seeks proposals for webinars and online courses. The proposals must be submitted by October 31, 2016 for presentation November 2016 to August 2017.

Submit webinar proposals using this online proposal form; there is a separate submission form for online courses.

 Successful online learning proposals will:

  • Show plans for content and presentation strategies that will fill the allotted time: 60-75 minutes for webinars, and 4-6 weeks for courses;
  • Identify clear learning outcomes for participants;
  • Clearly illustrate the qualifications of the presenter(s)/instructor(s) with respect to the proposed topic;
  • Show how the presentation addresses a topic either of interest to RUSA members, or represents an area of RUSA’s expertise that benefits other types of librarians, and is unique from other available online learning offerings.

RUSA serves librarians in all types of libraries in reference, user services, adult readers advisory, collection development, resource sharing, genealogy and archives, business reference and reference technology.

The following topics are of great value and interest, though RUSA welcomes submissions presenting on other topics, as well:

  • advocating for reference
  • book reviewing
  • collection development
  • collection marketing
  • community partnerships
  • copyright in the digital age
  • creating a single service point (vs. multiple service points in a single facility)
  • e-books
  • embedded librarians
  • forming and leading a book discussion group
  • fundraising
  • genealogy
  • government data and related resources
  • hot topics in readers advisory
  • information literacy
  • instructional design,
  • interlibrary loan
  • job searching and related resources
  • library marketing and display ideas.
  • library programs
  • library spaces and assessing future needs
  • marketing
  • outreach
  • partnerships among different types of libraries
  • reference basics
  • reference for specialized audiences
  • research, trends in the field
  • resource development
  • special collections
  • standards and guidelines
  • technology advisory
  • tips and tutorials for relevant tech tools
  • writing annotations

Review RUSA’s current online learning offerings, including webinars and courses, at the RUSA website, and also get more information about the proposal process.

Presenters for accepted proposals will receive compensation for their time and will also receive training for Adobe Connect, RUSA’s online webinar presentation software, and support for Moodle, the online course platform.

Questions about RUSA’s online learning can be sent to Jennifer Cross, RUSA web manager at jcross@ala.org.

[Fall eCourses] Learn and lead: Essential skills for front line library staff!

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Each ecourse registration is $130 for RUSA members; $175 for ALA members; $210 for non-ALA members; $100 for student members and retired members. 

[LAST CHANCE!] “Introduction to Instructional Design for Librarians”  begins October 3. Participants 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. This course is taught by Carla James, PhD candidate Instructional Design & Technology-Old Dominion University. More information can be foundhere.

[LAST CHANCE!] “Research Methods Bootcamp,” begins onOctober 3.  This ecourse is taught by Sharon Radcliff, business librarian at CSU East Bay. Radcliff has over twelve years of experience helping students and faculty with their research questions and has taught several business related courses for Simmons Graduate School of Library and Information Science. Librarians and/or library staff in public, school, academic and/or special libraries that perform or teach empirical research will benefit from this ecourse. More information can be found here.

[LAST CHANCE!] Beginning on October 3, is RUSA’s reoccurring ecourse “Interlibrary Loan 101.” This ecourse is taught by RUSA ILL experts Megan Gaffney, Tina Baich, Cindy Kristof, Collette Mak, and 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 ecourse will cover both policies and procedures recently adopted in the Interlibrary Loan Code for the United States. Those new to the field of ILL working in public or academic libraries will especially benefit from this ecourse. More information can be found here.

[SPACES LEFT!] The new “Write, Speak, Design: Communication Skills for Library Professionals,” ecourse begins on October 10. Taught by RUSA member, Andy Spackman, participants will refine their abilities to create effective professional documents and oral presentations. Assignments and activities are designed to help participants prepare for real-life situations in the library. This ecourse will help all library staff members to develop the essential communication skills they need to be effective in their work and to achieve their career goals. More information can be found here.

A RUSA reoccurring favorite, beginning October 31, “Business Reference 101”, this four week course is taught by business reference expert, Celia Ross, librarian at the Ross School of Business, University of Michigan. This ecourse 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. The ecourse 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. More information can be found here.

Beginning October 31, “Genealogy 101”, a five week ecourse, will be offered by Matt Rutherford is Curator of Genealogy and Local History at the Newberry Library in Chicago. The course will outline basic sources and strategies, centered on a single case study. Topics covered include the U.S. Census, vital records, immigration research, military research and a variety of other basic genealogy sources. Students will also receive instruction in reference desk strategies and tools for further professional development. The course will cover archival material, print reference tools and online sources. More information can be found here.

Also beginning October 31, “Reference Interview 101,” one of RUSA’s most popular continuing education courses. Taught by reference expert and one of RUSA’s past presidents, David Tyckoson, has 30 years of experience in academic libraries. He is currently the Associate Dean at the Henry Madden Library, California State University, Fresno. Reference Interview 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. This ecourse is tailored for support staff, library technicians, newly hired reference librarians, and those librarians who want to brush up on their interview skills. More information can be found here.

FREE Webinar: Unlocking the Interlibrary Loan Code for the United States

Do you process interlibrary loan requests?
Or oversee staff that do? 

If so, this free webinar is for you!

Title:      Unlocking the Interlibrary Loan Code for the United States
Date:     Tuesday, July 19, 2016
Time:     2pm EDT – 3pm EDT
Click here to register

The newly revised Interlibrary Loan Code for the United States and its Explanatory Supplement are now in effect and establish principles that govern the exchange of material between libraries in the United States.

The ALA RUSA STARS Codes, Guidelines, and Technical Standards Committee wishes to encourage awareness and application of the ILL Code and its Explanatory Supplement in the interlibrary loan community by offering a free webinar to all ILL practitioners, regardless of their position, library type/size, or ILL system used.

This free one-hour webinar offered by the revision committee’s members will explore what’s new and what hasn’t changed in the new Code and Supplement and share an overview of the revision process and feedback received.

The presenters and Q&A panelists include:

  • Tina Baich, Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis
  • Nora Dethloff, University of Houston
  • Sue Kaler, Massachusetts Library System
  • Brian Miller, The Ohio State University

Feel free to forward this invitation to coworkers who might be interested or to appropriate state, regional, or consortial resource sharing email lists.

A free recording of the webinar session will be made available afterward.