HomeRUSA hosts preconference on social networking and reference ser

Contact: Eileen Hardy
Marketing Specialist
(312) 280-4398
ehardy@ala.org

For Immediate Release,
March 3, 2008

RUSA hosts preconference on social networking and reference services at ALA Annual Conference

CHICAGO-The Machine-Assisted Reference Section (MARS) and Reference Services Section (RSS) of the Reference and User Services Association (RUSA) are co-hosting a preconference on social networking tools and how to successfully merge them with library reference services, “Reinvented Reference 4: Emerging Technologies for Reference Services,” from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Friday, June 27, during the American Library Association (ALA) Annual Conference in Anaheim (Calif.).

Today's reference service extends beyond the traditional reference desk by using the innovative technologies of social networking to provide virtual reference services. The attendees at this preconference will learn how to best use such tools as online reference services, instant messaging, texting and other available technologies. The speakers will also discuss issues related to incorporating these new tools, such as privacy concerns, administrator and staff buy-in, skill set development and marketing.

The preconference speakers are: Keynote speaker Cathy De Rosa, vice president, Americas, global vice president, Marketing, for OCLC; Michelle Jacobs, emerging technologies librarian and Web coordinator, University of California at Los Angeles; David Lankes, director, Information Institute of Syracuse, fellow for the ALA Office for Information Technology Policy; and Caleb Tucker-Raymond, Oregon statewide digital reference service coordinator, Multnomah County Library.

This preconference is being sponsored by OCLC QuestionPoint, Paratext, and RefWorks, a division of ProQuest.

Registration rates are $240 for ALA members, $190 for RUSA members, $105 for ALA student or retired members and $315 for non-ALA members. Tickets for the preconference can be purchased in advance when registering for ALA Annual Conference, or to add it to an existing registration call ALA member and customer service at 1 (800) 545-2433, press option #5 and add event #RU3 to your existing registration. For more preconference information please visit (http://www.ala.org/ala/rusa/rusaevents/rusaannual/preconferencesa/precon.

RUSA is a division of the American Library Association.