RUSA 2010 Annual Conference programs announced

Contact: Liz Markel


Marketing Specialist, RUSA/ASCLA


(312) 280-4398


lmarkel@ala.org

NEWS


For Immediate Release


September 15, 2009

CHICAGO—The Reference and User Services Association (RUSA) has released its list of programs scheduled for the 2010 ALA Annual Conference, June 24-29, 2010 in Washington, D.C.

RUSA, the home to general and specialized reference, readers advisory, resource sharing and collection development within ALA, will offer 14 programs on a variety of timely topics in these fields. Complete descriptions of these programs are available at the RUSA website. Speakers will be announced following the 2010 ALA Midwinter Meeting, and room locations will be available in late spring. Program participation is open to all Annual Conference registrants.

This year’s exciting schedule features:

  • RUSA President's Program: For the Love of Reference (Monday, 1:30-3:30 p.m.) This year’s RUSA President’s Program explores the twin appeals of information discovery and fulfilling users’ needs that drive the devotion to reference and readers’ advisory work. Presenters will include practicing reference librarians, library educators and information diggers who are researchers for people like fiction authors and fact checkers for news organizations.
  • The (Screen) Casting Couch: Tips and Tricks to Effectively Use Screencasting Tools for Library Instruction (Saturday, 10:30 a.m.-noon) Screencasting software can be used for a variety of purposes—from standardizing staff development to creating interactive instructional tools for library patrons. This session will explore best practices and demystifying the options for creating screencasts; popular screencasting software such as Jing, Illuminate, Captivate and Camtasia will be discussed.
  • International Interlibrary Lending and Borrowing: Getting Started and Moving Forward (Saturday, 1:30-3:30 p.m.) A panel of interlibrary loan (ILL) practitioners from institutions experienced in international ILL will discuss how they have overcome problems encountered with international lending and borrowing, using strategies applicable to all types and sizes of institutions. Panelists will discuss citation verification, lending library identification, copyright, customs, payment, shipping and language barriers.
  • Readers' Advisory Research and Trends Forum (Saturday, 4-5:30 p.m.) The Readers' Advisory Research and Trends Forum showcases creative thinking in all areas related to readers’ advisory (RA), including reference, adult services and collection development. Come join your colleagues in this interactive conversation and learn from a range of experts exploring the cutting edge of RA.
  • The A-Z of Electronic Reference Product Development (Saturday, 4-5:30 p.m.) This program will feature speakers from throughout the completed electronic reference product development cycle. Attendees will learn more about product development--from conception to product launch--and how they can get involved directly with publishers to help shape products that best suit user needs.
  • To Protect and Serve: Is Digitization Good for Your Historical Collections? (Sunday, 10:30 a.m.-noon) This program presents an opportunity for those planning digitization projects to learn from the challenges and successes of large, primary-source digitization projects. Librarians and staff from the various types of libraries and archives who helped make these notable sites possible will discuss ways to fund, manage and gather materials in your state or at your institution, as well as how to promote your own historical materials.
  • How Shared is Shared? Remote Storage and Cooperative Collection Building (Sunday, 10:30 a.m.-noon) This program will offer perspectives on building shared collections housed at off-site storage facilities and will discuss models for retention policies and service agreements. Panelists will address how shared print holdings inform collection development decisions for acquiring, managing and withdrawing items from on-site collections and will highlight strategies for future directions.
  • Smart Technologies for Tough Economic Times: Using Innovative Technologies to Enhance Service and Extend Your Library's Reach Without Breaking the Budget (Sunday, 10:30 a.m.-noon) Technology doesn’t need to be expensive: free or low-cost software programs can enhance and extend your library’s services, regardless of its size and budget. If your service goals are colliding with the realities of budget, time, staff and IT support, come hear from librarians working in diverse settings how they have used budget-friendly technological solutions to meet such challenges.
  • Innovative Collection Centered Programs: Beyond the Book Group (Sunday, 10:30a.m.-noon) During this session we’ll discuss content and implementation tips for collection-centered adult library programs, including both traditional events like book discussion groups creative programming opportunities such as adult storytimes, summer reading programs, mock book awards, battle of the book competitions, genre studies and seasonal previews of new books.
  • One Poem Enriching Lives Across the Globe: Samuel Ullman, Gen. Douglas MacArthur, and "Youth" (Sunday, 1:30-3:30 p.m.) Judith Schaefer's 59-minute film "So Long Are You Young: Samuel Ullman's Poems and Passion" tells the remarkable story of the serendipitous international influence of one poem. The inspiring documentary highlights Ullman's life, humanitarian and civil rights work and personal courage as an immigrant Jew in Birmingham, Ala., and shows how his philosophy influenced General Douglas MacArthur, postwar Japanese society and world leaders like Robert Kennedy. Ullman biographer/historian Margaret Armbrester will facilitate audience discussion following a screening of the film.
  • 16th Annual Reference Research Forum (Sunday, 1:30-3:30 p.m.) The Research Forum is one of the most popular programs at ALA Annual, where attendees learn about notable research projects in reference service areas such as user behavior, electronic service and reference effectiveness and assessment.
  • Clean, Green and Not So Mean: Can Business Help Save the World? (Monday, 8 a.m.-noon) Concepts of corporate social responsibility, green business and social entrepreneurship have become a focus of research and are inspiring the next generation of businesspeople. This program, featuring academics, librarians and real-world practitioners, will reveal the trends that are transforming business from the boardroom to the grassroots level.
  • Taking the Library With You: VR Going Mobile (Monday, 10:30 a.m.-noon) Attendees will hear from, and be able to talk to, innovative leaders in our profession, who will describe how their institutions are offering virtual reference services via mobile devices, including the tools they use, and their successes and challenges. Efforts of individual libraries and cooperatives are represented, as are SMS/texting and other mobile applications.
  • Labor Rights are Human Rights (Monday, 10:30a.m.-noon) This program will discuss labor rights, including the role of unions in promoting democracy and economic prosperity, and the attack on workers’ rights as part of an international phenomenon. The importance of unions to the salary and status of women will be a special focus of this program content

In addition to these professional development opportunities, RUSA’s 2010 Annual Conference events will also include the Literary Tastes Breakfast, a beloved RUSA tradition featuring a panel of the best writers of the year. Attendees will enjoy a scrumptious breakfast while listening to writers ruminate on their work and the writing process, read from their current works or speak about their upcoming publications. Past speakers have included Khaled Hosseini, Nathaniel Philbrick, Edward P. Jones and Susan Elizabeth Phillips. This ticketed event will be held Sunday, June 27, 8-10 a.m., and tickets will be available for purchase when general conference registration opens Jan. 4, 2010.

Bundled registration is open Sept. 1-30 for those interested in attending both the 2010 Midwinter Meeting and the 2010 Annual Conference. Registration for the Annual Conference opens Jan. 4. More information will be available at
www.ala.org/annual. The most up-to-date information about RUSA events at both the meeting and the conference will be available at the RUSA website,
www.ala.org/rusa, or at the
RUSA blog.

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 and CODES to your ALA membership at
www.ala.org/membership. Learn more about the association at
www.ala.org/rusa.