Posted on

SAVE THE DATE! Midwinter Meeting attendees invited to celebrate RUSA’s book and media awards

All ALA Midwinter Meeting attendees are invited to celebrate the winners of our many adult reading awards — including the Notable Books, from which selections are chosen for the Andrew Carnegie Medals for Excellence in Fiction and Non-Fiction; the Reading List, announcing the best in genre fiction; and the Listen List, announcing the best in audiobook narration — at RUSA’s Book and Media Awards ceremony and reception.

In addition to the Reading List and Notable Books selections — lists that are used by librarians and readers’ advisors nationwide — winners will also be announced for the Dartmouth Medal, Sophie Brody Medal, the Zora Neale Hurston award and other professional resource lists, including Outstanding Business Reference Sources, Best Reference Sources, Best Free Websites, Best Business Websites and Best Historic Materials.

The reception will be held from 5 – 6:30 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 26, in the Liberty Ballroom A at the Sheraton Philadelphia, 201 N. 17th St., and will offer food and a cash bar. Meeting attendees will find this event listed in the meeting program as the RUSA Book & Media Awards Ceremony and Reception. This event is made possible by the generous support of Novelist.

The literary winners announced at this event will shape the author line-up for the Literary Tastes author panel at ALA’s 2014 Annual Conference in Las Vegas. Attendees at this event will have the opportunity to listen to our favorite authors speak about their works and writing process. Authors will be available for book signings immediately following the event.

More information about the awards winners and the Literary Tastes event are available on the RUSA website and RUSA blog following the January event.

We hope to see you there!

novelist_logo

Posted on

Carnegie finalist named MacArthur genius fellow

Karen Russell
Karen Russell

Fiction writer, Karen Russell was named as one of 24 MacArthur “genius” fellows yesterday. The John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation awards this annual grant to “encourage people of outstanding talent to pursue their own creative, intellectual, and professional inclinations.”

Russell was a finalist for the 2012 Andrew Carnegie Medal for Excellence in Fiction for her first novel, Swamplandia!. You can view her humble, enchanting acceptance speech here:

Karen Russell video

The Andrew Carnegie Medals for Excellence in Fiction and the Andrew Carnegie Medal for Excellence in Nonfiction were established in 2012 to recognize the best fiction and nonfiction books for adult readers published in the U.S. the previous year. The shortlisted authors and eventual winners reflect the expert judgment and insight of the seven-member selection committee of library professionals who work closely with adult readers. These are the ALA’s first single-book awards for adult trade fiction and nonfiction.

A shortlist of finalists is drawn from the previous year’s Booklist Editors’ Choice and the Reference and User Services Association‘s (RUSA) Collection Development and Evaluation Section‘s (CODES) Notable Books lists.

The Reference and User Services Association, a division of the American Library Association, represents librarians and library staff in the fields of reference, specialized reference, collection development, readers’ advisory and resource sharing. 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.

Posted on

Join us for an online discussion: Navigating the RA High-Wire Act: Practicing RA When You Don’t Read Widely

We’ve scheduled another CODES Conversations event! Come participate or listen in on this vigorous online discussion.

Navigating the RA High-Wire Act: Practicing RA When You Don’t Read Widely
Happening online, April 24-25, 2013
Hosted by the Collection Development and Evaluation Section (CODES) of RUSA

With untold numbers of books out there, sometimes it seems almost impossible for readers’ advisors to keep up with all the genres and publishing trends. This raises all sorts of interesting questions for consideration: How can a “poorly-read” librarian do readers’ advisory? How do you cope with unknown titles? How much do you read, and how widely?

Join readers’ advisors across the country for a two-day CODES Conversation on the best ways to find read-alikes and do readers’ advisory–even when you feel that you have not read enough–and help address the biggest myth in RA: that librarians have to read everything they suggest.

CODES Conversations are focused electronic conversations on current issues facing collection development and readers’ advisory librarians—or anyone interested in those areas.  The conversations are open to all who wish to participate (or lurk)!

This free, moderated discussion is open to all—just subscribe to the discussion at http://lists.ala.org/sympa/subscribe/codes-convos, then follow and contribute to the conversation over the two days of the discussion.

Posted on

Neal Wyatt wins RUSA’s Isadore Gilbert Mudge Award for exceptional contributions to reference librarianship

CHICAGO—Neal Wyatt, doctoral candidate in the media, art and text program at Virginia Commonwealth University, is the distinguished recipient of the 2013 Isadore Gilbert Mudge Award — the highest honor for significant contributions to the field of reference librarianship presented by the Reference & User Services Association (RUSA).

The award, which is generously sponsored by Gale Cengage Learning, is bestowed annually upon an individual for his or her excellence in reference services. Wyatt was selected for her multiple influences and contributions to the field through her writing, teaching, service to and leadership in RUSA. As a direct result of her work, readers’ advisory services have been re-established as an important component of current reference work.

Wyatt launched the Readers’ Advisory Research and Trends Forum in 2009 — a recurring conference program that brings together theorists and practitioners from disparate fields to explore the expansion of RA boundaries. Her writing includes the “Library Journal” series “Reinventing RA,” her influential book “The Readers’ Advisory Guide to Nonfiction,” (ALA, 2007) and her monthly “Library Journal” column “Crossroads.” As a teacher and presenter, she demonstrates and passionately shares creative uses of technology for librarians across the RA spectrum. Her efforts have rekindled the passionate fire of RA service, elevating it to a prominent role in the public library setting, as well as other library environments. Wyatt has served as chair of the Collection Development and Evaluation Section (CODES) and President of RUSA where, as a tireless and effective leader, she left a significant legacy of creativity and inclusivity.

The Mudge Award, a citation and $5,000 cash prize, will be presented at the RUSA Awards Reception, scheduled for 5 – 6:30 p.m. on Sunday, June 30 as a part of RUSA’s events at the ALA Annual Conference in Chicago. The exact location of this event will be announced in late spring. For more information, visit the RUSA website or the Annual Conference website.

The Reference and User Services Association, a division of the American Library Association, represents librarians and library staff in the fields of reference, specialized reference, collection development, readers’ advisory and resource sharing. 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.