New RUSA BRASS travel grant for 2012 ALA Annual Conference now accepting applications

CHICAGO — Academic business librarians are encouraged to apply for the BRASS Business Expert Press Award for Academic Business Librarians, a new conference travel grant offered by the Business Reference Services Section (BRASS) of the Reference and User Services Association (RUSA) and generously sponsored by Business Expert Press.

This award, which is in its inaugural year, recognizes a librarian new to the field of academic business librarianship and provides $1,250 for expenses related to attendance to the 2012 ALA Annual Conference in Anaheim, Calif.

Applicants for this award should have five or fewer years of experience in business librarianship or be a new member of RUSA BRASS (fewer than five years). Applicants should have an interest in a career as an academic business librarian as demonstrated by activities that may include (but are not limited to) past coursework focused on business-related topics, internships or jobs in a business reference setting, special projects or publications that show inventive theory or which demonstrate solid applications of the practice of business librarianship or at least the potential for future success in the field. BRASS, RUSA and ALA members will receive preference, but membership is not required to be eligible.

More information about the award is available at the RUSA website. Download the nomination form now (PDF). The deadline for submissions is Monday, April 2, 2012.

The winner will officially be honored at the RUSA Awards Reception, scheduled for 5 - 6:30 p.m. on Sunday, June 24 as a part of RUSA’s events at the ALA Annual Conference in Anaheim, Calif. The exact location of this event will be announced in late spring. For more information, visit RUSA’s website or the Annual Conference website.

The Reference and User Services Association, a division of the American Library Association, represents librarians and library staff in the fields of reference, specialized reference, collection development, readers’ advisory and resource sharing. RUSA is the foremost organization of reference and information professionals who make the connections between people and the information sources, services, and collection materials they need. Learn more about the association at www.ala.org/rusa.