MARSTimeline25

Text by Pat Riesenman, edited by Anne Mitchell
Visual timeline designed and compiled by Anne Mitchell
Presented at the MARS 25th Birthday Party, ALA Annual San Francisco, June 15, 2001

Viking I spacecraft lands on Mars
Reference and Adult Services Division (RASD) forms the Machine-Assisted Reference Services (MARS) Discussion Group

First issue of Messages from MARS

First MARS program: "Charging for Computer-Based Reference Services"

MARS receives section status

MARS has more than 1,600 members

MARS ratifies its bylaws

Executive Committee holds first MARS open forum

Messages from MARS is absorbed by RASD Update

First MARS article, "Online Training Sessions: Suggested Guidelines," appears in RQ

MARS programs: "Introduction to Online Searching for the Novice" and "Management of an Online Search System"

MARS plans a series of regional workshops based on its 1982 conference programs

MARS considers changing the section's name

MARS is authorized to serve as a beta test site for DIALOG Information Services

MARS forms its Planning/Orientation Committee

First scheduling coordinator appointed

Further planning of the upcoming regional workshops, "Critical Issues in Implementing Online Search Services: An Institute"

MARS forms its Publications Committee

Articles from two MARS committees and an article on MARS' first 10 years appear in RQ

MARS publishes "Planning for End-User Searching: A Checklist of Questions," the inaugural publication in the RASD Occasional Papers series

MARS celebrates its 10th birthday!

First MARS Handbook distributed

RASD Publications Committee presents "Guidelines for the Occasional Papers Series" using MARS as an example

"Confidentiality of Vendor Records: Report of an Informal Survey" appears in "Messages from MARS"

MARS open forum: "Database Products and Online Search Vendors"

Three of the first five titles in the RASD Occasional Papers series are from MARS

MARS committee realignment is approved

MARS program "Technostress" is adopted by RASD as its President's Program

Award-winning article "Ensuring Quality Reference Desk Service: The Introduction of a Peer Process" by MARS chair Jane Kleiner appears in RQ.

First MARS preconference: "The Electronic Library: Linking People, Information, and Technology"

MARS reorganizes its committee structure, which continues to the present day

MARS holds a competition for a new logo

Two new discussion groups, Hot Topics and Managers in MARS, hold their initial meetings

"Goals, Strategies, Action Plans - 1992" appears in "Messages from MARS"

MARS considers establishing "Distinguished Contributions to Electronic Reference" and the "MARS Achievement Recognition Award" recognizing excellence in service to MARS

MARS program "Challenges in the Electronic Information Age: Technical, Legal and Ethical Issues" receives a 'special allocation' from the ALA president

Remember Gopher? The Hot Topics Discussion Group focuses on "Organizing Gopherspace for Reference Service; or, Digging Tunnels through the Internet"

MARS-L becomes available

"Information Technology Glossary" appears in RASD Update

MARS program: "Electronic Access to America's Diversity"

First MARS Web page

MARS develops its segment of the ALA gopher

MARS experiments with scheduling multiple meetings in a single large room

First delivery of "Messages from MARS" via MARS-L

"Twenty Years of MARS in Print: An Annotated Bibliography" appears in RQ

MARS Web/Gopher Coordinator plans to migrate MARS gopher data to the Web

For the first time since 1979, MARS holds multiple programs

MARS distributes its new brochure, featuring the new logo

MARS completes its section review, finding that MARS is a robust section in terms of both its membership and its output of ideas

Two new task forces, the Birthday Party Task Force and Outreach Task Force, hold their initial meetings

Official version of the MARS handbook appears on the Web

First "Meet Martians" happy hour

MARS forms its first virtual working group, the ad hoc Committee on Best Reference Websites or MARSBEST

MARS holds three programs, including one from the Public Libraries Committee and one from the Education, Training and Support Committee

Publications Committee finalizes its committee home page, which will serve as a template for other committee Web pages

Executive Committee approves an Outreach Committee, formerly the Outreach Task Force

"Martian to Martian Transmissions" is added to the MARS Web page

MARS has its first member participating from abroad

Hot Topics discussion forum "After-Hours Chat Reference Service in Public and Academic Libraries" reaches a new attendance record

MARS celebrates 25 years with a BIRTHDAY PARTY!