RUSA issues redesigned journal and new journal website
Contact: Cathleen Bourdon
Executive Director, RUSA
312-280-4395
For Immediate Release
October 12, 2006
RUSA issues redesigned journal and new journal website
CHICAGO - The Reference and User Services Association (RUSA), a division of the American Library Association (ALA), announced the redesign of the print edition of its journal,
Reference & User Services Quarterly (RUSQ), and the launch of its companion website,
www.rusq.org.
"The redesigned print edition incorporates suggestions made by participants in the Readex Readership Survey and the
RUSQ focus groups," said
RUSQ editor Diane Zabel, the Louis and Virginia Benzak business librarian (an endowed position) at the Schreyer Business Library, Penn State University. "Guided by the philosophy of the open access movement, the online companion is open to all users, not just RUSA or ALA members," Zabel added.
"Readers overwhelmingly told us that they wanted to continue receiving a print version of the journal and that they wanted an expanded online version," said RUSA President Diana Shonrock, science and technology librarian, Iowa State University. "We commend Diane Zabel, her Editorial Advisory Board and the ALA Production Services staff for the redesigned print edition and the exciting new
RUSQ online companion."
The online companion provides full-text (HTML and PDF) of the articles and is running on blog software so readers can communicate with authors. The Sources database, reviews of reference sources and professional materials, has been redesigned and provides a searchable database of the full-text of the reviews since 1997.
RUSQ
, a scholarly, referred journal, began publication as RQ in 1960. The name change to
RUSQ took effect in 1997.
RUSA is the ALA division responsible for stimulating and supporting excellence in the delivery of general library services and materials to adults, and the provision of reference and information services, collection development, and resource sharing for all ages. Its 5,000 members work in all types of libraries.