Have You Read the Summer 2014 RUSQ? Don’t Miss It!

Have you accessed the most recent issue of Reference and User Services Quarterly, (RUSQ)?
RUSQ, the research journal of RUSA, is hosted by Metapress; to access the journal, you need to set up an account with Metapress. Specific instructions for this setup can be accessed here and also found at the RUSA website under “Communications: RUSQ.”

As always, I hope that this issue of RUSQ will have something of interest for everyone. In some column highlights, RUSA Past President Kathleen Kern’s final column looks at change in library settings; “Readers’ Advisory” raises some thoughtful questions about what we mean when we talk about reading; and in the Management column, we get an inside look at the vendor/librarian relationship from someone who has worked on both sides of the divide; and the “Accidental Technologist” examines discovery services. Our feature articles include two pieces on text services, a fascinating look at ambiguity in relation to user questions, and a novel method for teaching information evaluation. There is a fascinating history of RUSA’s business reference section (BRASS), great reading and listening selections from the RUSA Literary Awards, and of course there are the great reviews that you come to expect from the journal.

Please let me know what you would like to see in the journal and if you are interested in writing for RUSQ.

Barry Trott
Editor, RUSQ
btrott@wrl.org

Tell Us What You Think And Fill Out The RUSA Review Survey!

Below, please find a link to The RUSA Review: Summer 2014 Survey of our Members

The 2014-2015 year will be one of great opportunities and potential change for RUSA.  We will be developing a new strategic plan, which offers us the chance to craft a new vision for our association and determine how we will focus our attention over the next 3-5 years.

We ask that you please take a few minutes to answer seven questions.  Tell us what you value most about your RUSA membership and share with us how you want to be involved.  http://tinyurl.com/2014-RUSA-Survey
Your responses to this survey are extremely important and will provide us with key data that will be used as we enter the strategic planning process.

Any information you include will be managed confidentially. We are committed to continuous improvement in all areas of our association and your participation in this survey is very much appreciated.

Please note that the deadline is July 18th.
Thank you for your time and participation!

The members of the RUSA Review Task Force
Denise Forro
Joseph Thompson (RUSA President)
Kathleen Kern (RUSA Past President)
Kate Kosturski
Chris LeBeau (Task Force Co-Chair)
Cindy Levine
Mary Mintz
Liane Taylor
Christina Thompson
Joseph Yue
Diane Zabel (Task Force Co-Chair)

Now available! Reference and User Services Quarterly, Volume 53, Number 4! (Summer 2014)

Welcome to RUSQ 53:4 (Summer 2014). As folks are getting ready for ALA, I hope that everyone going has a good conference. I will be attending Annual, and would be happy to talk to anyone with questions or comments about RUSQ while there. Or, please feel free to email me with your thoughts about the journal (btrott@wrl.org).

As always, I hope that this issue of RUSQ will have something of interest for everyone. In some column highlights, RUSA President Kathleen Kern’s final column looks at change in library settings; “Readers’ Advisory” raises some thoughtful questions about what we mean when we talk about reading; and in the Management column, we get an inside look at the vendor/librarian relationship from someone who has worked on both sides of the divide; and the “Accidental Technologist” examines discovery services . Our feature articles include two pieces on text services, a fascinating look at ambiguity in relation to user questions, and a novel method for teaching information evaluation. There is a fascinating history of RUSA’s business reference section (BRASS), great reading and listening selections from the RUSA Literary Awards, and of course there are the great reviews that you come to expect from the journal.

Please let me know what you would like to see in the journal and if you are interested in writing for RUSQ.

Barry Trott
Editor, RUSQ
btrott@wrl.orgAnchor

Read the new issue now!

Need to activate your subscription to RUSQ? Access information is at the RUSA website.

RUSQ Summer 2014

Reference and User Services Quarterly – RUSQ, Volume 53, No. 3 is now available!

Dear RUSA Members,

Welcome to RUSQ 53:3 (Spring 2014). I hope that spring is finally arriving for everyone. It has been a long, hard winter, and it is good to see the sun and warmer temperatures.

This issue of RUSQ has lots of interesting reading. In some column highlights, RUSA President Kathleen Kern takes on the role of user services in RUSA; “Taking Issues” offers a spirited and thoughtful debate on the value of the library catalog; and we take a look at a potentially useful tool for job seekers and librarians alike. Our three feature articles cover topics that will be of interest to all those working in the reference field. RUSA’s History Section presents the Best Historical Materials 2013 and of course there is the great review that you come to expect from the journal.

As always, please let me know what you would like to see in the journal and if you are interested in writing for RUSQ, please contact me.

Barry Trott
Editor, RUSQ
btrott@wrl.org

cover

 

In this issue…

Columns
From the Editor, Barry Trott (col. ed.)
For Your Enrichment –
The Spies’Guide to Cyberspace: The NSA’s Untangling the Web by Kevin O’Kelly,

From the President of RUSA – M. Kathleen Kern – Enjoy this free article!
User Services: Putting the “U” in RUSA

Taking Issues – Karen Antell and Molly Strothmann (col. eds.)
Should We Retire the Catalog? by Dianne Cmor and Rory Litwin

Accidental Technologist – Eric Phetteplace (col. ed.)
Finding, Evaluating, and Sharing New Technology by Carli Spina

Readers’ Advisory – Laurel Tarulli (col. ed.)
Blurring Gender Lines in Readers’ Advisory for Young Adults by Beth M. Brendler

The Alert Collector – Kelly Polacek (col. ed.)
Looking at the Alert Collector by Kelly Polacak and Neal Wyatt

Information Literacy and Instruction – Barry Trott (col. ed.)
Casting a Wider Net: O*Net, Workforce Development, and Information Literacy by Nora J. Bird and Tim Williams

Features

Evidence not Authority: reconsidering presentation of science for difficult decisions by Jenny S. Bossaller

Redesigning Comprehensive Library Tutorials: Theoretical Considerations for Multimedia Enhancements and Student Learning by B. Jane Scales, Erica Nicol, and Corey Johnson

The Website Design and Usability of US Academic and Public Libraries Findings from a Nationwide Study by Anthony S. Chow, Michelle Bridges, and Patricia Commander

From Committees of RUSA

Best Historical Materials 2013 – RUSA History Section Historical Materials Committee

Reviews

Professional Materials – Karen Antell (ed.)

Reference Book Reviews – Tammy Eschedor Voelker (ed.)