RUSA seeking excellent reference and adult services librarians for 2010 award nominations

Contact: Liz Markel


Marketing Specialist, RUSA/ASCLA


(312) 280-4398


lmarkel@ala.org

NEWS


For Immediate Release


October 27, 2009

CHICAGO—Nominations are now being accepted for the 2010
Gale Cengage Award for Excellence in Reference and Adult Services, a Reference and User Services Association (RUSA) award that recognizes outstanding achievements in these areas.

Established in 1990 and sponsored by
Gale Cengage Learning, the award is given to a library or library system for developing an imaginative and unique resource to meet patrons' reference needs. The resource can be a bibliography, a guide to the literature of a specific subject, a directory, a database, or any other project that has helped the library meet adult or children's reference needs. Tools, guides or databases that have been developed for reader's advisory or adult service questions and needs are also eligible for the award.

Nominations for the 2010 award should be submitted via e-mail or U.S. mail to
Julia Gelfand, award committee chair. Submitted materials should include a letter of nomination stating in detail how the resource has contributed to meeting patrons' reference needs. The letter should include a description of the resource and its format, such as CD, Database, example of media, software, game, kit, etc.; sufficient information to examine and review the product and its target audience; a list of sources used to compile the resource and criteria used in selecting material for inclusion; the breadth of coverage, i.e. time and subject, of the resource; and an explanation of what makes the resource imaginative or unique. Self-nominations are accepted and encouraged. A sample of the resource (or entry, pages, printout, etc.) must accompany the nomination.

All nominations must be received by Dec. 15. The winner will receive a citation and $3,000 cash prize at the RUSA Awards Ceremony on the Monday of the ALA Annual Conference (
http://www.ala.org/annual) , next scheduled for Jun. 24-29, 2010 in Washington, D.C.

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. Not a member, but interested in discounted registration rates on conference, preconferences and other events? Join, renew or add RUSA to your ALA membership at
www.ala.org/membership. Learn more about the association at
www.ala.org/rusa.