Guide to Policies & Procedures: Introduction

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Working with RUSA

Thank you for being part of RUSA. The 15 chapters of this Guide are intended to give a general introduction to RUSA and to highlight procedures and policies important to working within the division. 

Forms referred to in the Guide can be accessed on their own pages. You may choose to view chapters in the present HTML format within the RUSA Web site’s framework or choose the “Print” button located at the end of the left menu bar to create a printer-friendly version.

RUSA's organizational work is guided by the ALA Handbook of Organization; details on some topics will be found there.

We hope that this information will help you function effectively in RUSA. 

 

Contact information & mailing address

Please contact the RUSA office (rusa@ala.org) with questions. 

Mailing address

Reference and User Services Association, American Library Association, 225 N Michigan Ave, Suite 1300 Chicago, IL 60601

 

Mission

The Reference and User Services Association is a network to educate, empower, and inspire its members to advance the evolution of the profession and better serve users in a continuously changing information society.

 

Priorities and Strategies


Priority A: Financial Stability

Equity, diversity, inclusion, and access are integral to fostering financial stability and effectiveness within an organization.

Strategies:
  • Business intelligence
  • Internal communication
  • Volunteer development
  • Equity, diversity, inclusion, and access


Priority B: Advance the profession

Advance the evolution of the profession by supporting current and emerging practices within user services in libraries and related fields.

Strategies:
  • Standards, guidelines, best practices, and competencies
  • Meaningful engagement of multiple library types and all roles
  • Equity, diversity, inclusion, and access


Priority C: Recruitment

RUSA is composed of people working in all types of libraries and information organizations, from a diverse array of intersections of identities, ethnicities, backgrounds, and experiences.

Strategies:
  • Student outreach
  • Leaders and experts
  • Equity, diversity, inclusion, and access


Priority D: Engagement

RUSA welcomes the creativity of its members and seeks partnerships with others in order to advance the reference and user services profession.

Strategies:
  • Structured and codified personal engagement
  • Partnerships with organizations external to RUSA
  • Mentoring, programming, and communication
  • Equity, diversity, inclusion, and access

 

Activities

The division facilitates the development and conduct of direct service to library users, the development of programs and guidelines for service to meet the needs of these users, and the provision of assistance to libraries in reaching potential users. RUSA publishes Reference & User Services Quarterly (RUSQ), a quarterly journal, and offers RUSA Update News to keep members informed.

RUSA has six sections and six interest groups:

 

  • AIRUS: Artificial Intelligence in Reference & User Services Interest Group - (ALA Connect)
  • Federal and Armed Forces Libraries Interest Group (FAFLIG) - (ALA Connect)
  • Financial Literacy Interest Group - (ALA Connect)
  • First Year Experience Interest Group - (ALA Connect)
  • Physical Delivery Interest Group - (ALA Connect)
  • Shared Collections Interest Group - (ALA Connect)

Section membership is included in RUSA membership; you may join any or all sections for no additional charge. Membership in RUSA Interest Groups is open to any ALA member; RUSA membership is required only for interest group leadership. In addition to section-level committees and discussion groups, RUSA also has division-level committees and appoints representatives to other ALA units and outside organizations.

 

History

The Reference and Adult Services Division (RASD) was formed in 1972 by the merger of two long-established ALA divisions: the Adult Services Division (ASD) and the Reference Services Division (RSD). ASD was formed in 1957 when the Adult Education Section of the Public Library Division expanded to include interests of librarians in all types of libraries that serve adults. RSD was formed in the same year when two units and an ALA committee merged: The Reference Librarians Section of ACRL, the Reference Section of the Public Library Division, and the ALA Bibliography Committee.

In September 1996, RASD became RUSA when the division changed its name to the Reference and User Services Association. In 2020, former members of the Association of Specialized Government and Cooperative Library Agencies (ASGCLA) joined RUSA. The ALA Accessibility Assembly, the RUSA Federal and Armed Forces Libraries Interest Group, and the RUSA Physical Delivery Interest Group were of special interest to former ASGCLA members. More information about RUSA’s history.

(To be reviewed by RUSA Office Staff and the Guide Editor. Last updated April 10, 2025)