RUSA Committees and Discussion Group
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Below are descriptions of the division-level committees of the Reference and User Services Association.
Access to Information Committee
To coordinate RUSA’s efforts at promoting access to information in user and reference services. To report to the Board at each Annual Conference on the current state of affairs and as needed throughout the year, recommending action in support of access to information.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.
Board of Directors
The Board is the deliberative body of the division. It sets the policies of the division and the program for the division in relationship to the goals and objectives identified by its membership and by ALA.
Budget and Finance
To review and monitor the RUSA budget and to guide the draft budget through the Board approval process each year. With the Executive Director the committee oversees and monitors the RUSA budget and ensures the financial stability of RUSA.
Conference Program Coordinating
To coordinate the approval and implementation of programs presented or sponsored by RUSA units and committees at ALA conferences.
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.
Isadore Gilbert Mudge Award
Responsible for administering a $5,000 annual award to an individual who has made a distinguished contribution to reference librarianship.
Machine-Readable Bibliographic Information Committee (MARBI)
Responsible for administering a $3,000 annual award presented to a library or library system for developing an imaginative and unique library resource to meet patron’s reference, readers’ advisory, and adult services needs.
See Machine-Readable Form of Bibliographic Information Committee (MARBI) on the ALCTS Web site for more information.
Margaret E. Monroe Library Adult Services Award
Responsible for administering an annual citation honoring a librarian who has made a distinguished contribution to library adult services.
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.
Nominating Committee
To recruit a slate of candidates for each elective position that has or will become vacant.
Organization and Planning
To serve the Board of Directors in an advisory capacity regarding goals, objectives and priorities for the Division and its sections; to suggest broad strategies for achieving them, and to evaluate the progress of the Division and Sections towards these goals and objectives. The committee has two primary ways to fulfill their charge: 1. To advise, review, and monitor the RUSA Strategic Plan. To present a yearly report (at each Annual conference) to the Board of Directors on the Division’s progress on Strategic Plan action items. To suggest new action items for the plan, as well as suggest new directions, objectives, and strategies, and 2. to oversee Section and RUSA Committee reviews as laid out in the RUSA Policy and Procedures. To ensure that the findings of these reviews are shared throughout the whole division so all committees and sections can gain from the process. To ensure that the plans of committees and sections are then incorporated into their five-year plans and the progress of these plans are evaluated during the next review. See: Guide to Policies and Procedures, Chapter 1: Committees
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 and Communications
To provide direction and guidance on the effective use of tools for communicating within RUSA, and to support the creation and dissemination of RUSA projects designed to improve professional practice. Specifically, the committee will: 1) review RUSA communication tools in print and electronic formats (excluding RUSQ, the RUSQ Online companion and any future versions of RUSQ in print or online and RUSA Update) and make recommendations aimed at ensuring that RUSA’s communication tools effectively fulfill their goals; 2) support and review online publication projects originating from RUSA units and make recommendations aimed at ensuring that these projects can be located and used effectively by their intended audiences; 3) provide guidance to and solicit content from RUSA units regarding available communication and publication avenues in keeping with ALA and RUSA policies.
RUSA Gale Cengage Learning Award for Excellence in Reference and Adult Services
Responsible for administering a $3,000 annual award presented to a library or library system for developing an imaginative and unique library resource to meet patron’s reference, readers’ advisory, and adult services needs.
RUSA John Sessions Memorial Award
To administer an annual award recognizing a library or library system that has made a significant effort to work with the labor community and by so doing has brought recognition to the community through the library of the history and contribution of the labor movement to the development of this country.
RUSA Reference Service Press Award
To administer a $2,500 annual award to be given to the author of the best article published in Reference and User Services Quarterly in the preceding two volumes.
RUSQ ( Reference and User Services Quarterly) Editorial Advisory
The Editorial Board members serve as advisors to the editor on the content of journal issues, may review manuscripts submitted for publication consideration, and provide advice on the design and development of the online companion to the print edition.
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.
