RUSA Committees and Discussion Group
The ALA is sensitive to the issue of privacy for its members in regard to the Internet. For that reason, RUSA has centralized the administration of listings to provide consistency in terms of fulfilling the privacy policy of ALA as well as working with the "live" membership database and thus providing automated, up-to-date contact information. Of course, during times of transition (usually late spring) information will be in flux due to change-overs—please keep this in mind.Please use the button below to access the page containing the form used to obtain rosters, member directories, and other configurations of contact information to help in your information needs or volunteer efforts for the association.
Go to Rosters Form site. This information is password protected for ALA members only. You will need to log in with your ALA membership ID number (or e-mail address) and password to access roster information. If you don't know, or haven't received, your password, use the following page to retrieve it.
Below are descriptions of the division-level committees of the Reference and User Services Association.
Executive Committee
To establish the agenda for board meetings and otherwise facilitate the work of the board; to consider budget proposals and make recommendations to the board; to be responsible for orientation of new RUSA officers, board members, and committee chairs; to review all RUSA program proposals and make recommendations to the board; and to take action on matters that require decisions between meetings of the board.Access to Information Committee
To investigate and make recommendations regarding any aspect of access to information or intellectual freedom relation to the interests of RUSA and to the responsibilities of public service librarians. See final bibliography.AFL-CIO (American Federation of Labor/Congress of Industrial Organizations)–ALA Library Service to Labor Groups
To initiate, develop, and foster, through the organizational structures of the ALA and the AFL-CIO, ways and means of effecting closer cooperation between the librarian and labor organizations and the large constituency represented by the labor organizations.To serve as a catalyst for libraries and other institutions to enable them more effectively to fulfill both the expressed and unexpressed needs of the labor community; to encourage wider and more intensive patronage of library facilities by members of the labor community and their families; to keep librarians and labor educators aware of the needs and developments in the labor-library area so that programs, consistent with the goals of the ALA and not inconsistent with the goals of the AFL-CIO, may be developed which are responsive to the current needs of both libraries and/or labor groups.
Through its publications and other available media, the Joint Committee disseminates to librarians, labor educators, and other interested parties, book lists, film lists, and suggested programs to meet the needs of the constituency the committee serves; to provide leadership and assistance to librarians and labor organizations concerning the mutual endeavors, interests and services available.
Awards Coordinating
To coordinate the activities of the award committees of the division and its sections by assisting in orientation of new committee chars, serving as a clearinghouse for information pertinent to policies and procedures of award committees, and to assist the Board of Directors and/or section executive committees to develop new awards.Conference Program Coordinating
To coordinate the approval and implementation of programs presented or sponsored by RUSA units and committees at ALA conferences.Membership
To serve as the public relations arm of RUSA, with the aim of promoting increased membership and retaining existing members in the division; to represent RUSA and its Board on the ALA Membership Promotion Task Force. The chairperson of the RUSA Membership Committee shall assume this responsibility; to be responsible for staffing of the RUSA booth at Annual Conference.Organization
To serve the Board of Directors in an advisory capacity be reviewing division organization and activities with the purpose of assisting the division in avoiding duplication of effort and making sure that the activities of RUSA are compatible with the goals of the division and the goals of ALA as a whole. To undertake special projects which do not fall within the scope of existing committees.Planning and Finance
To recommend to the Board goals, objectives, and priorities for the division as well as broad strategies for achieving them, to evaluate the movement of the division and its units towards these goals and objectives, and to advise the vice-president/president-elect and the RUSA Board of Directors on budgetary matters.Professional Development
To provide leadership and coordinate the development of RUSA programming, apart from Annual Conferences and Midwinter Meetings, including: generating and recommending topics and authors for courses; evaluating proposals for courses and/or learning opportunities from outside sources.Publications
To recommend to the RUSA Board policy and steps to implement policy concerning Reference and User Services Quarterly, and any other publishing activity originating within the division; to recommend to RUSA units appropriate publishing avenues in keeping with ALA and RUSA polices; to review all proposed publications; and to advise RUSA units during the publishing process.Reference and User Services Quarterly Editorial Advisory Board
The Editorial Board members serve as advisors to the editors on the contents of the journal issues, and review manuscripts submitted for consideration for publication.Standards and Guidelines
Responsible for advising the RUSA Board of Directors on standards and guidelines for the delivery of reference information services and of general library services and materials to adults.Machine-Readable Bibliographic Information Committee (MARBI)
An interdivisional committee, MARBI encourages the creation of needed standards for the presentation in machine-readable form of bibliographic information; reviews and evaluates proposed standards; recommends approval of standards in conformity with ALA policy; establishes a mechanism for continuing review of standards (including the monitoring of further development); provides commentary on the content of various implementations of standards to concerned agencies; and maintains liaison with concerned units within ALA, and relevant outside agencies.See Machine-Readable Form of Bibliographic Information Committee (MARBI) on the ALCTS Web site for more information.
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