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!

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Published! New issue of Reference and User Services Quarterly, Volume 53, Issue 2

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Dear RUSA Members,

I am delighted to announce the publication of RUSQ, 53:2. This issue offers interesting feature pieces and columns covering a wide range of topics, including developing a virtual collection in an academic library to promote extracurricular reading, the dangers of self-censorship in collection building, consumer health literacy, professional development, adult learners, and librarian perspectives on Wikipedia among others. And, as always, there are excellent reviews of professional and reference sources. Of special note is the report from the RUSA President’s Program along with commentary. I hope that librarians in all different types of libraries will find something useful and provocative here. Please let me know your thoughts.

Read on and stay current with these emerging trends in reference services!

Barry Trott
Editor, RUSQ
btrott@wrl.org

Read the new issue now!

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

In this issue…

Columns

For Your Enrichment, Barry Trott (col. ed.)
       A “Novel” Approach to Recreational Reading: Creating a Virtual Collection on a Shoestring” by Sarah Dahlen and Sean Watkins
From the President of RUSA, Kathleen Kern
      The spirit of giving and receiving: librarianship and the volunteer tradition
Taking Issues, eds Karen Antell and Molly Strothmann (col. eds.)
       Self-Censorship in Selection of LGBT-Themed Materials by Jennifer Downey
Accidental Technologist, ed. Eric Phetteplace (col. ed.)
       Less like a lesson, and more like an adventure”: Learning, libraries, and the zombie apocalypse by Dr. Matt Finch
Readers’ Advisory, ed. Laurel Tarulli (col. ed.)
       Social media and readers’ advisory: New Zealand experiences (part 2) by Rebecca Anwyll and Brenda Chawner
The Alert Collector Kelly Polacek (col. ed.)
      Reference and research resources for medical sociology, medical anthropology, and health psychology by Spencer Acadia
Management Marianne Ryan (col. ed.)
Over the Counter Help: User Perspective as an Active Ingredient in Marketing the Library by Andrea M. Bartelstein

Features

Exemplary Practice for Learning 2.0: Based on a Cumulative Analysis of the Value and Effect of “23 Things” Programs in Libraries by Michael Stephens

The Development and Performance Measurements of Educational Programs to Improve Consumer Health Information (CHI) Literacy by Younghee Noh

Wikipedia: Librarians’ Perspectives on Its Use as a Reference Source by Johnny Snyder

Closing the Gap: Library Help-seeking Preferences of Graduate Adult Learners by Lizah Ismail

From the Committees of RUSA

The Myth and the Reality of the Evolving Patron: A Report and Reactions to the 2013 RUSA President’s Program with Lee Rainie RUSA President’s Program Committee

Investment Success: Building and Managing Your Retirement Portfolio BRASS Program Planning Committee

Outstanding Business Reference Sources 2013 BRASS Business Reference Sources Committee

Best of the Best Business Websites, the 2013 Winners BRASS Education Committee

Reviews

Professional Materials, Karen Antell (ed.)
Book Reviews, Tammy Eschedor Voelker (ed.)

Many 2014 Achievement Awards deadlines extended to Dec. 23

The nomination deadline has been extended to Dec. 23, 2013 for several of RUSA’s annual awards  with the exception of the BRASS Gale Cengage Learning Student Travel Award, which has a deadline of Jan. 31, 2014.

Award criteria, nomination forms and instructions for submissions are available at each of the award’s web pages, which can be accessed by clicking on the award names below. More information about these awards, including nominating 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’s awards program coordinator, at lwood@ala.org.

Awards for Individuals and Groups for Professional Achievement

  • The Isadore Gilbert Mudge Award presents a monetary prize of $5,000 and a citation to an individual who has made a distinguished contribution to reference librarianship.
  • The Gale Cengage Learning Award for Excellence in Reference and Adult Library Services offers $3,000 prize and a citation which is given to a library or library system for developing an imaginative and unique resource to meet patrons’ reference needs.
  • The Gale Cengage Learning Award for Excellence in Business Librarianship presents a citation and $3,000 cash award to an individual who has made a significant contribution to business librarianship.
  • The 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; prize of $1,500 and a citation.
  • The 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 at the RUSA awards ceremony at the ALA Annual Conference.
  • The RSS Service Achievement Award is a citation presented annually to a Reference Services Section (RSS) member in recognition of exceptional contributions to the section.
  • The John Sessions Memorial Award is a $1,000 prize and a citation recognizing a library or library system which 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.
  • Novelist’s Margaret E. Monroe Award is a $1,250 prize sponsored by Novelist and a citation presented to a librarian who has made significant contributions to library adult services.
  • The Zora Neale Hurston Award is a citation given to an ALA member that has demonstrated outstanding leadership in promoting African American literature.

Travel Grants to ALA Annual Conference

Research Grants

  • The BRASS Emerald Research Grant consists of a $2,500 award and a citation presented to an individual or a group seeking support to conduct research in business librarianship. This award is sponsored by Emerald Group Publishing Limited.

For complete details including eligibility, criteria, submission guidelines and committee information, please visit the RUSA Awards page.

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.  Not a member, but interested in discounted registration rates on conference, preconferences and other events? Join, renew or add RUSA to your ALA membership at www.ala.org/membership. Learn more about the association at www.ala.org/rusa.

RUSA seeks webinar proposals for 2014

E-books, library programming, outreach, reference services, collection development and readers’ advisory are just some of the webinar topics sought by the Reference and User Services Association (RUSA) for spring 2014; proposals can be submitted online through January 15, 2014.

RUSA webinars are an opportunity for librarians, library support staff and LIS professionals to conveniently and affordably participate in professional development opportunities covering emerging trends in the profession. Webinars will take place throughout the 2014 calendar year and will cover topics relevant to a broad range of library and information professionals.

Ideal proposals will:

  • Show plans for presentations that are 60-75 minutes in length;
  • Identify clear learning outcomes for the session;
  • 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.

The following potential webinar topics are of great value and interest, though RUSA welcomes submissions presenting on a number of others as well:

  • reference basics;
  • reference for special populations;
  • research, trends and hot topics in readers advisory;
  • information literacy;
  • community partnerships;
  • library programming and outreach;
  • government data and related resources;
  • library spaces and design;
  • copyright in the digital age;
  • collection development;
  • special collections;
  • standards and guidelines;
  • genealogy;
  • business reference;
  • fundraising;
  • marketing;
  • job searching and related resources;
  • book reviewing;
  • interlibrary loan;
  • e-books;
  • technology trends;
  • resource sharing;
  • disaster preparedness and relief; and more!

Proposals may be submitted using the online proposal form. Proposals are accepted and evaluated on an ongoing basis until January 15. 2014. Review RUSA’s current online learning offerings, including webinars and courses.

Presenters for accepted proposals will receive compensation for their time and will also receive training for Adobe Connect, RUSA’s online presentation software. Questions about RUSA’s webinar offerings and proposals can be sent to Andrea Hill, RUSA web manager and online learning liaison at ahill@ala.org.