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This list has been compiled for use by the general reader and by librarians who work with adults. RUSA’s Notable Books Council has selected the titles for their significant contributions to the expansion of knowledge or for the pleasure they can provide to adult readers. (more…)
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The 2009 list of Outstanding Reference Sources for small and medium-sized libraries has been announced by RUSA. The titles, selected by the RUSA Collection Development and Evaluation Section (CODES) Reference Sources Committee, represent high-quality reference works that are suitable for small and medium-sized libraries. (more…)
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I am using this space to once again thank all the individuals who contributed to the production of RUSQ during the past year. Members of the RUSQ Editorial Advisory Board strive to provide meaningful and constructive feedback to authors. The 2008–09 board was composed of Judith M. Arnold, Gwen Arthur, Corinne Hill, Jessica E. Moyer, Kjerstine Nielsen, Lisa O’Connor, Amber A. Prentiss, Marianne Ryan, Michael Stephens, and Molly Strothmann. (more…)
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This article examines Microsoft Power-Point use at library conferences. Through a survey of two hundred librarians, the first part explores librarians’ perceptions of PowerPoint use at library instruction conferences. (more…)
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The intellectual life of retired faculty members, whose numbers will skyrocket in the coming years, can be enhanced with adequate library support. This paper provides a descriptive study of the professional activities of emeriti faculty at one large public research university, assessing their needs for continued access to library resources and their knowledge of what library privileges they continue to have in retirement. (more…)
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In 2005, the authors tested the consistency and ease of use of a skill- and strategy-based reference question classification system published by Warner in 2001. Results of that test indicated that the Warner system was a significant improvement over the traditional resource-based system. (more…)
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In her 2007 column “Academic Libraries and Extracurricular Reading Promotion” (RUSQ 46:3), Julie Elliott looked at the history of Readers’ Advisory (RA) and extracurricular reading in academic libraries, and made a cogent argument for the reintegration of readers’ services into academic libraries. (more…)
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Most academic libraries have limited budgets for promoting their reference services. Understanding which promotions best reach current and potential patrons is crucial to budgeting funding, as well as time, effectively. This article describes a study that sought to answer three questions (more…)
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It is somewhat traditional for RUSA presidents to focus their final “From the President” column on the future of RUSA and the profession. I think that the future of librarianship is, as ever, strong and exciting. (more…)
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Using wiki technology in a credit library course, the authors created an online exhibit for students’ research titled the Digital Archive. The purpose of the Digital Archive is to showcase students’ final projects from the course and to demonstrate research skills developed during the semester. (more…)
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The Reading List annually recognizes the best books in eight genres: adrenaline (which includes suspense, thriller, and adventure), fantasy, historical fiction, horror, mystery, romance, science fiction, and women’s fiction. This year’s list includes novels that will please die-hard fans as well as introduce new readers to the pleasures of genre fiction. (more…)
M. Kathleen Kern, Editor
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I was a little behind in getting this column finished. This semester I took on another project that has required a lot of time: teaching an introductory reference course online for a graduate school of LIS. Fortunately for me, this is a technology column in a reference journal, so I caught up with writing by making this column about teaching reference online. (more…)
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Reduce, reuse, recycle: It’s the simple mantra of a movement to help save the earth. While most of us have installed eco-efficient light bulbs and neatly bundle our old newspapers for weekly pickup, crafting environmental collections that serve the needs of our patrons is often a haphazard process at best. (more…)