Suzanne Kaller receives RUSA award honors for outstanding public library business reference services

CHICAGO — Suzanne Kaller, business librarian at the Arapahoe Library District in Englewood, Colo., is the 2011 recipient of the Reference and User Services Association’s (RUSA) Morningstar Public Librarian Support Award, an annual award administered by RUSA’s Business Reference and Services Section (BRASS).

As the winner of this year’s award, which is sponsored by investment research firm Morningstar, Inc., Kaller received $1,000 in travel funds for ALA’s Annual Conference. The award provides professional development opportunities for a public librarian who has performed outstanding business reference service and is a member of ALA, RUSA and BRASS.

In selecting Kaller as this year’s recipient, the committee cited her instrumental role in the formation of the Business Services Interest Group of the Colorado Association of Libraries and her active involvement in four local Chamber of Commerce organizations as two of her most notable accomplishments. In her business reference librarian role, she has provided services to both small business owners and job seekers and has presented library programs such as “Superior Marketing for Your Business”, “How to Start a Business” and a very popular “Search the Hidden Job Market” program to demonstrate the many resources available at the library to serve those patrons. In addition to this work, she teaches a Marketing class for the South Metro Denver Small Business Development Center.

Kaller has been with Arapahoe Library District for more than eight years and has served as a business librarian since 2007. Prior to becoming a librarian, she spent more than 25 years in corporate finance. She holds both an MLIS and a MBA from the University of Denver.

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 at www.ala.org/rusa.