Reference Services Section (RSS)
In the RSS Spotlight 
- Check out all of the RSS Happenings at ALA Annual in Chicago!
- Larayne Dallas is the 2013 winner of the RSS Service Achievement Award!
- The latest issue of RSS Review will tell you the the latest news from the frontline reference section!
- Check out the Reference Research Review Bibliography!
- Check out the RSS Honor Roll, which acknowledges individuals who have served on three or more RSS committees!
- Want to know what RSS members are publishing? See at http://connect.ala.org/node/184065.
- Keep in touch by joining the rss-l email discussion list [send email to: listproc@ala.org / body of message: subscribe RSS-I] or like the section on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/rss.rusa.
Join RSS!
Member of RUSA? You can be a member of RSS for free! Simply make sure to mark RSS when you join RUSA online.
Membership in RUSA and RSS gives you:
- Networking and career connections with over 1600 RSS members representing frontline reference providers at public, academic, and special libraries nationwide.
- Discounts on registration for conferences, programs, and online courses.
- Ample opportunities to get involved on any level, including leadership in the profession through service as a member or chair of a committee.
- RSS Review – a quarterly online newsletter.
- Access to RSS member forums on ALA Connect.
- RSS is dedicated to providing value to its members, including virtual participation. This allows the flexibility to be active in a national professional organization without the financial commitment to travel to multiple conferences. RSS committees regularly meet online and only meet once face-to-face each year at the ALA Annual Conference.
Get involved !
Beyond being a member of the section, join a RSS committee. Members of RSS committees participate in a range of virtual and in-person activities. These include:
- Organizing programs
- Hosting discussion forums
- Writing and maintaining RUSA Guidelines that help libraries nationally
- Developing tutorials, compiling indexes, and writing articles
If you are interested in joining a committee, complete the RUSA Volunteer Form and select RSS at the bottom. You may also contact the RSS vice-chair directly. Attending the ALA Annual Conference? Be sure to attend the RSS All-Committee Meeting held on the Saturday morning of the conference. You can also check out the RSS Handbook to learn more about RSS, RUSA’s frontline reference section! Our committees:
- Catalog Use
- Communication & Teaching at the Point of Need Committee
- Discussion Forums Coordinating Committee
- Education and Professional Development for Reference
- Evaluation of Reference and User Services
- Executive
- Health and Medical Reference Committee
- Job and Career Reference Committee
- Library Services to an Aging Population
- Library Services to the Spanish Speaking
- Management of Reference
- Marketing and Public Relations for Reference Services
- Nominating
- Recognition Committee
- Research and Statistics
- Virtual Reference Services (joint committee with MARS)
- Young Adult Reference Services Committee
What is RSS?
The largest section of RUSA, RSS represents the interests of frontline librarians, information specialists, and library support staff engaged in all aspects of reference and information service across all types of libraries. In this context, the section’s responsibilities are to…
- develop professional development and educational opportunities,
- share experience and information among colleagues,
- collaborate and share information among RSS, the sections of RUSA, and the American Library Association,
- determine, create, implement, publicize, and assess resources and services, and
- represent the needs and interests of library users
Your participation makes a difference and brings about positive change across the reference profession!
