Check out the new online courses!
Buzz e-learning – Register now! –
http://eepurl.com/2jPEP
RUSA Awards Nomination Period is Now Open!
The Reference and User Services Association (RUSA) is seeking nominations for its annual series of awards and grants. Nominations and supporting materials for most awards must be submitted by Dec. 14, 2014.
RUSAÂ 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. Sponsored by Gale Cengage Learning; $5,000* 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.
- Gale Cengage Learning 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. Sponsored by Gale Cengage Learning; $3,000* 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 Gale Cengage Learning Award for Excellence in Business Librarianship is presented to an individual who has made a significant contribution to business librarianship. Sponsored by Gale Cengage Learning; $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; the winner receives $1,250* supporting travel to the ALA Annual Conference, a plaque, tickets to the ALTAFF Author Tea and a set of Hurston’s books in print with HarperCollins at the time of the award presentation.
- ABC-CLIO Online History Award recognizes an individual or group that has produced a 1) freely available online historical collection or, 2) an online tool assisting users in finding historical materials, or 3) an online teaching aid stimulating creative historical scholarship. Sponsored by ABC-CLIO; $2,500* and a citation.
- History Section Genealogical Publishing Company Award is presented to a librarian, library or publisher who is a RUSA member, and recognizes professional achievement in historical reference and research librarianship. Sponsored by Genealogical Publishing Company; $1,500* and a citation.
- MARS “My Favorite Martian†Award is a citation presented annually in recognition of excellence in service to the MARS: Emerging Technologies in Reference 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 Gale Cengage Learning Student Travel Award presents funds to a student enrolled in an ALA accredited master’s degree program to fund travel the ALA Annual Conference. Sponsored by Gale Cengage Learning; $1,250* and a citation. This award’s nomination deadline is Feb. 8, 2015.
- BRASS Business Expert Press Award for Academic Business Librarians 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 Business Expert Press; $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.; $1,000* 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—access committee contact information by logging in at www.ala.org, then accessing the RUSA roster webpage—or to the RUSA headquarters staff.
More information about these awards, including nominating instructions, can be found on RUSA’s awards webpage.
New online courses and webinars!
Business Reference 101Â
September 22 – October 17, 2014
Feel more confident when faced with a business reference question and demystify SIC and NAICS codes, ROI and 10k’s!
Read more. Register now!
Reference Interview
September 22 – October 31, 2014
This course focuses 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. Register now!
Introduction to Economic Data on the WebÂ
October 6 – November 2, 2014
Students will be given background information on economic concepts and terms essential to understanding economic reference questions. Read more. Register now!
Introduction to Spatial Literacy and Online MappingÂ
October 6 – 26, 2014
This three week course will introduce students and library staff to a variety of mapping tools and GIS technologies that are of interest to both public and academic library users. Read more. Register now!
Readers’ Advisory 101
October 13 – November 30, 2014 (Chats on Thursdays, Time 3 p.m. CST)
Be more comfortable using readers’ advisory services. RA tools, craft annotations, read in genres, articulate appeal, and experiment with methods to offer RA services. Read more. Register now!
Xtreme Bibliographic Searching for Interlibrary Loan & Reference
Fall (TBD), 2014 (Live Sessions on Thursdays, Time 1 p.m. CST)
This four-week class, will take you from Mansel Pre 56 to Digital Repositories, DOAJ to Trove to HathiTrust. Don’t know those terms, then this course is for you!
Read more. Registration not open yet.
Genealogy 101
Fall TBD, 2014
An introduction to American genealogy reference service, the class will give students confidence and skills in assisting family history researchers.
Read more. Registration not open yet.
Reaching Every Patron
Date: TBD, 2014
CEU credits available! This course will include introductions and discussions about assessing which population your library wants to create inclusive and accessible programming.Read more. Registration not open yet
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. Â Tell us what you value most about your RUSA membership and share with us how you want to be involved. Â 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)