RSS HANDBOOK

Reference Services Section (RSS)
Reference and User Services Association
American Library Association
April 2011(revised)

This handbook is a compilation of procedures and policies for RSS officers and committee chairs. Suggestions for additions or revisions to this handbook should be sent to the Chair of the RSS Organization and Planning Committee.

Contents:

1) Handbook Distribution and Updating Procedure
2) RSS Executive Committee
3) RSS Committees
Responsibilities of RSS Committee Chairs
RSS Committee Chair Calendar
4) RSS Representatives to RUSA Committees
5) Conference Programs and Pre-conferences
6) Publications
7) RSS-L
8) rss_board@ala.org
9) ALA Connect

1) Handbook Distribution and Updating Procedure

The RSS Handbook is maintained on the RSS web site and within the RSS Section ALA Connect site. The RSS Organization and Planning Committee reviews the handbook annually and provides revisions as needed.

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2) RSS Executive Committee

The RSS Executive Committee consists of the Chair, Vice-Chair/Chair-Elect, Secretary (2 year term), Immediate Past Chair, and three Members-at-Large (overlapping 3 year terms to ensure continuity of policy) and is the official voting body of the Section. The section webmaster, archivist, the editor of the Section’s column in the Division’s journal, and the President and Executive Director of the Reference and User Services Association are ex-officio, non-voting members of the Executive Committee. Terms of office start after Annual Conference and run through the following Annual Conference (for one-year terms except as previously designated).

The RSS Board consists of the RSS Executive Committee, RSS committee chairs, and RSS Representatives to RUSA Committees. The voting members of RSS Executive Committee also serve as the only voting members of the RSS Board.

The Executive Committee is required to meet twice a year with one meeting occurring at the Annual Conference, usually on Saturday morning. This meeting is held as part of the more inclusive RSS Board meeting. The second meeting, again as the more inclusive RSS Board, may be held virtually. Other meetings may be called as needed. In addition, the Executive Committee will conduct business during the intervening year via other approved communication formats either as the Executive Committee or as the RSS Board, depending on the particular situation. Items which need Executive Committee approval to move on to other RUSA or ALA committees should be handled at these meetings.

Duties of RSS Chair

• Communicates issues and information to appropriate areas, oversees the work of the Section, compiles and sends out meeting agendas and other documentation, schedules the meetings of the Executive Committee and All-Committee meetings held during the Annual Conference, and presides at all Executive Committee meetings.
• Presides at the Section business meeting held at Annual Conference during the year she/he is Chair.
• Serves on the RUSA Board of Directors and represents Section interests and concerns to the RUSA Board.

Duties of Vice-Chair/Chair-Elect

• Appoints committee members and chairs for the year during which she/he will be Chair. Committee members and chairs are to be appointed by spring (official deadline is April 1) and the Nominating Committee should be appointed during the preceding fall in order to solicit nominations for the annual election ballot. Committee appointments are generally for two years and can be renewed once. Current committee chairs should be contacted for recommendations for re-appointment of members or addition of new members and to determine if any current committee members are interested in chairing the committee.
• Appoints RSS representatives to RUSA Committees (see section 4 below).
• Serves on the RUSA Budget and Finance Committee and reports back to the Executive Committee on these activities.

Duties of Secretary

• Prepares and distributes minutes of all Executive Committee and RSS Board meetings to Executive Committee members and RSS Board members.
• Submits drafts of minutes to the RSS Executive Committee members and to RSS Board members.
• Posts the minutes on the RSS Board ALA Connect site, marking them public.

Duties of the Immediate Past Chair

• Chairs the RSS Organization and Planning Committee and presides at that committee’s meetings.
• Serves as a member of the RSS Executive Committee.
• Serves on the RUSA Budget and Finance Committee.
• Works with the RSS Representative to RUSA Membership in planning for the annual RSS Open House held during the Annual Conference.
• Contacts and works with sponsors for the Annual RSS Open House.

Duties of the Members-at-Large

• Represents the interests of the RSS membership to the Executive Committee and undertakes other duties as assigned.
• Serve as liaisons and mentors to committees.
• One Member-at-Large serves as the chair of the Discussion Forum Coordinating Committee.
• One Member-at-Large serves as the chair of the Recognition Committee.
• One Member-at-Large serves as a member of the Organization and Planning Committee.

Duties of the Webmaster

• Serves as chair or a member of the Web Advisory Committee.
• Updates and maintains the content of the RSS Web site.
• Serves as RSS liaison on the RUSA Publications and Communications Committee.
• Serves as ex-officio, non-voting member of the RSS Executive Committee.
• Serves a 2 year term and may be re-appointed for a second term.
• Serves as a member of the Organization and Planning Committee.

Duties of the RSS Archivist

• Maintains and preserves all archives, records, and related materials concerning the Section and its activities.
• Serves a 2 year term and may be re-appointed for a second term.
• Serves as ex-officio, non-voting member of the RSS Executive Committee.
• Serves as a member of the Organization and Planning Committee.

Duties of the “RSS Review” Editor

• "RSS Review” is the RSS column in the online RUSA Update, published quarterly.
• Sends out a call for submissions, compiles the submissions, provides editorial changes as needed, and submits the RSS Review to the editor of the RUSA Update. 
• When the issue has been published, the RSS editor sends an e-mail to RSS-L alerting the membership of the availability of this information.
• Serves as ex-officio, non-voting member of the RSS Executive Committee.
• Serves as a member of the Organization and Planning Committee

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3) RSS Committees

In addition to the Executive Committee, RSS committees include:
Twelve topical committees

• Catalog Use
• Cooperative Reference Service
• Education and Professional Development for Reference
• Evaluation of Reference and User Services
• Library Services to an Aging Population
• Library Services to the Spanish-Speaking
• Management of Reference
• Marketing and Public Relations for Reference Services
• Research and Statistics
• Services to Adults
• User Education and Information Literacy
• Virtual Reference Committee (co-sponsored with MARS)

Five functional committees

• Discussion Forum Coordinating
• Nominating
• Organization and Planning
• Recognition
• Web Advisory

All committees report to the Executive Committee. For committee charges and membership see the links to "RSS Committees” in the “Our Section” portion of the RSS web site. An RSS Committee volunteer form is available in the “RUSA Volunteers” section in the “Our Association” portion of the RUSA web site and is linked on the RSS homepage in the section on “How to get involved with RSS.” Committees are encouraged to maintain informal or formal contact with other appropriate units of ALA but may not make commitments on projects or programs outside of RSS without Executive Committee approval. The Executive Committee may also establish special and ad hoc committees.

Committees are expected to meet in whatever format they prefer at some point before, during or right after the Midwinter meeting for a meeting that is considered to be the committee’s official Midwinter Meeting.

Each committee is expected to participate in the All-Committee Meeting scheduled on Saturday at the Annual Conference, which includes a period for individual committee meetings as well as a general meeting of all RSS committees.  If a committee has completed its work prior to the conference through virtual meetings and does not intend to participate in the All-Committee Meeting, the committee chair must alert the RSS chair by February 15 so that the committee will not be included in the program schedule.  At minimum, the committee chair is required to attend the All-Committee Meeting in order to inform visitors about the work of the committee and encourage new membership. If needed, additional individual committee meetings may be scheduled by the Chair of a committee at any point during the year.

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Responsibilities of RSS Committee Chairs

• Serve as a member of the RSS Board and is required to attend RSS Board meetings representing his/her committee.
• Monitor committee activities and projects. Chair all meetings. Schedule committee meetings held during the year, which are not part of the All-Committee meeting held during the Annual Conference.  Note that the Section Chair takes care of scheduling all meetings held during the All-Committee at Annual Conference. Individual committee meetings held during the All-Committee meeting time during Annual Conference are scheduled by the RSS Chair.
• Because all meetings, except for Nominating and Recognition Committees, are considered open for any meetings being held outside of either the in-person Midwinter Meeting or Annual Conference meetings committee chairs are required to post an announcement regarding the meeting as well as all details for attending to RUSA-L, RSS-L, and in ALA Connect (marked as public), at least 2 weeks before the scheduled meeting. No announcement is required for meetings held physically at ALA Annual Conference or ALA Midwinter Meeting that are listed in the program schedule.
• Be aware of RUSA and ALA policies. Committee chairs should examine the RUSA Guide to Policies and Procedures available online in the “Our Association” portion of the RUSA web site. As a section of RUSA, RSS must comply with all divisional policies, and chairs should familiarize themselves with the Guide. If you have questions, consult with the RSS Executive Committee and/or RUSA Executive Director. You may also find the ALA Policy Manual helpful.
• During Annual Conference and Midwinter Meeting, the ALA Office offers support services, including photocopying and computers. Photocopying for RSS committee business can be charged to the RUSA account number, which can be obtained at the RUSA table or directly from the RUSA Executive Director. This service usually takes several hours. Each committee is allotted a total of $50 for copying or other expenses each year.
• Submit reimbursement requests to RUSA for expenses up to $50. Financial requests for expenses over $50 for any one committee should be made by May 1 of the preceding year for approval in the RUSA budget. If a committee anticipates expenses over $50, the committee chair should consult with the RSS Chair.
• Obtain Executive Committee approval for any committee programs, pre-conferences, publications, etc. For more information see Section 5 "Conference Programs and Pre-conferences" and Section 6 "Publications" below.
• Submit material four times a year for RSS Review.
• Make recommendations for committee appointments to the RSS Vice-Chair/Chair-Elect. Appointments are usually made in the early spring prior to April 1 and begin immediately following Annual Conference. Inform the Chair and Vice Chair if you believe a committee member should be removed from the committee, based on non-attendance at meetings or non-performance of committee responsibilities. Committee Members may be asked to resign but you need to work through the RSS Chair to do so.
• Document and date the work of the committee.  Meeting minutes and/or summaries of activities for the year are to be posted to the committee’s ALA Connect site, set to make public, within a month of meeting.

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RSS Committee Chair Calendar

June/July

• Chair committee/discussion group meeting(s) associated with Annual Conference either right before, during, or right after the Annual Conference.  New chair takes over at the close of Annual Conference.
• Oversee committee pre-conferences and programs at Annual Conference.
• Attend RSS Board meetings held during and after the Annual Conference.
• Post summary of committee’s activities for the year and/or meeting minutes to RSS Board Connect site within a month of Annual Conference meeting.
• Transfer committee/discussion group materials from outgoing to incoming Chair.
• Send report on Annual Conference activities to RSS Review Editor.
• Post committee goals for the year to committee’s Connect space

August/September/October

• Review the online RUSA Guide to Policies and Procedures and the online RSS Handbook.
• Receive committee roster from RUSA Office.
• Monitor progress of committee activities.
• Work with the RSS Meeting Scheduler to schedule any in-person meetings for your committee that are to be held during the Midwinter Meeting as the All-Committee meetings are not held during this time.
• Update Member-at-Large liaison regarding committee’s progress towards goals.

November/December

• Submit information on upcoming meetings to be held in conjunction with the Midwinter Meeting, committee activities, etc. to RSS Review Editor.
• Notify committee members of meeting times and format for the Midwinter Meeting, distribute agendas, and remind committee members of tasks and deadlines. NOTE: Because all meetings, except for Nominating and Recognition Committees, are open for any meetings being held outside of the in-person Midwinter Meeting committee chairs are required to post an announcement regarding the meeting as well as all details for attending to RUSA-L, RSS-L, and in ALA Connect, marking as publically available, at least 2 weeks before the scheduled meeting.

January/February

• Notify the RSS Vice-Chair/Chair-Elect of (a) the number of committee vacancies to be filled for the following year, (b) committee members whose terms are expiring but who are willing and eligible to be re-appointed, (c) any recommendations for new members of the committee, and (d) whether the Chair is willing and eligible to be re-appointed (if not, note any current committee members willing to be appointed to chair the committee).
• Work with the RSS Meeting Scheduler to schedule any in-person meetings for your committee that are to be held beyond those that are part of the all committee meetings held during the Annual Conference.
• Post a report on the RSS Board group of ALA Connect, marked public, reviewing the committee’s activities that took place associated with Midwinter.
• Submit information on meetings held in conjunction with the Midwinter Meeting, committee activities, etc. to RSS Review Editor.

March/April/May

• Update Member-at-Large liaison regarding committee’s progress towards goals.
• Submit information on Annual Conference meetings, programs, etc. to RSS Review Editor.
• Monitor progress of committee activities.
• Notify committee members of meeting times and places for Annual Conference, distribute agendas, and remind committee members of tasks and deadlines.
• Submit proposals for the following year’s Midwinter Institutes, Annual Conference programs, and/or Annual Conference Pre-confererences in March/April to the RSS Executive Committee for approval.
• Submit to RSS Executive Committee in April any budget requests in excess of $50 that will need approval by RUSA Board (RUSA Board’s deadline is May 1).

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4) RSS Representatives to RUSA Committees

RSS has official representatives to the following RUSA committees. Representatives report to the RSS Executive Committee and participate in discussions but are not Executive Committee members.  Representatives are considered members of the RSS Board.

Access to Information
RUSA committee dealing with any aspect of access to information or intellectual freedom relating to the interests of RUSA and to the responsibilities of public service librarians.

Budget and Finance
The RSS Vice-Chair/Chair-Elect and the Immediate Past Chair are the RSS Representatives.  The Vice Chair has the reporting responsibility at Executive Board Meetings.

Conference Coordinating
The RSS representative to the RUSA Conference Coordinating Committee serves a very valuable role in helping committees prepare program proposals and guiding those proposals through the RUSA committee. Chairs of committees that are planning programs should consult with the representative to make sure all the needed forms and documentation are in place.

Membership
The Representative serves on the RUSA Membership Committee and sends e-mails to new Section members, participates in any outreach activities scheduled by RUSA, and organizes the RSS Open House. The Representative is also a member of the RSS Organization and Planning Committee.

Nominating
RSS has a representative on the RUSA Nominating Committee, which prepares the slate of candidates for RUSA offices.

Organization
In addition to other activities, the RUSA Organization Committee oversees the section reviews -- each RUSA section is reviewed every 5 years. The RSS Representative to the RUSA Organization Committee is also a member of the RSS Organization and Planning Committee.

Professional Development
Provides leadership and coordinates the development of RUSA programming, apart from Annual Conferences, including: generating and recommending topics and authors for Web CE courses; evaluating proposals for Web CE courses, including those from outside sources.

Publications
The representative to the RUSA Publications Committee serves a very important role in guiding publications through the RSS/RUSA/ALA process.

Standards and Guidelines

This RUSA committee approves all guidelines submitted by sections (RUSA, as a type-of-activity division, can only write guidelines, not adopt standards). Like other types of publications, the RSS Executive Committee must approve guidelines. Committees that are considering new guidelines or revising old ones (all guidelines are reviewed at least every 7 years) should contact the RSS Chair and the RSS Representative to the RUSA Standards and Guidelines Committee to make sure the guideline gets approved by the RSS Executive Committee and the RUSA Standards and Guidelines Committee. This process can take a fairly long time. For more information, see the online RUSA Guide to Policies and Procedures, Chapter 4.

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5) Conference Programs and Pre-conferences

The RSS Executive Committee must approve all proposals for pre-conferences or programs at Annual Conferences, including co-sponsorships, “in name only,” etc. Midwinter Institutes, Annual Conference Pre-conferences, and Annual Programs must be approved in April of the preceding year by the RSS Executive Committee. The committee Chair must fill out the RSS Annual Conference Program and Pre-conference Proposal form, available on the RSS Board group on ALA Connect.

RSS is eligible to present two Annual Conference programs, excluding the RSS Research Forum, which is considered an RSS program but does not count against the allotted two programs. After the RSS Executive Committee approves a program, it goes to the RUSA Conference Coordinating Committee for approval. While most proposals are approved, this is not a certainty: the RUSA Conference Coordinating Committee can turn down a proposal or ask for modifications.

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6) Publications

RSS does not have a Publications Committee, so the representative to the RUSA Publications Committee serves a very important role in guiding publications through the RSS/RUSA/ALA process. The RSS Executive Committee must approve all RSS publications. If a committee is considering a publication, the committee Chair should contact the RSS Chair and the Representative to the RUSA Publications Committee as soon as possible to make sure the proper procedures are followed. See the online RUSA Guide to Policies and Procedures, Chapter 6. The publication process can be fairly long and involved, so be prepared to be patient.

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7) RSS-L

The Section’s e-mail listserv provides the latest news and announcements from the RSS Chair and other officers. Information about RSS-L and instructions for its use are in the “Professional Tools” portion of the RSS web site. RUSA maintains a separate discussion list for all RUSA members known as RUSA-L. It is recommended that all RSS Board members join both RSS-L and RUSA-L.

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8) rss_board@ala.org

The RSS Board maintains a closed e-mail discussion list at rss_board@ala.org.  Information is regularly shared with committee chairs and representatives to RUSA committees by the RSS Executive Committee members through this list. 

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9) ALA Connect

All RSS Committees and the RSS Board have groups organized on ALA Connect.  ALA Connect should be used to share and store documents related to each committee, including meeting minutes.  ALA Connect also allows members of each group to post messages and manage polls in cases where a vote is needed.  Access ALA Connect at http://connect.ala.org and log in using your ALA member ID and password.

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Comments, suggestions, etc. are welcome. Please send them to the Chair of the RSS Organization and Planning Committee.

Updated April 2011.