From the Editor

Diane Zabel

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This past year was a stressful one for several individuals associated with RUSQ as they took on additional responsibilities at work (myself included), dealt with budget cutbacks in their libraries, and in some cases took salary reductions themselves as a result of pay cuts and furloughs. (more…)

Roye Werner, Guest Columnist

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Academic Business Library Directors (ABLD), an association consisting of the directors of libraries at the preeminent business schools in the United States and Canada, comes together each year to discuss issues of interest. Prior to the meeting, members are asked to respond to a questionnaire on what has happened in their libraries in the previous year. (more…)

Diane Zabel

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Connie Van Fleet is well known to RUSQ readers. She edited the journal (in conjunction with Danny P. Wallace) for twelve years. Upon completing her final term as editor, she assumed leadership for the Association for Library and Information Science Education (ALISE). (more…)

Diane Zabel
Lorraine J. Pellack, Guest Columnist

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In her inspirational article in the Winter 2008 issue of RUSQ (“A Personal Choice: Reference Service Excellence”) Marie Radford reminds us that reference service excellence begins with the initial patron interaction, whether it is face-to-face or virtual. (more…)

Diane Zabel

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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…)

Ellysa Stern Cahoy and Loanne Snavely, Guest Columnists

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A few months ago I was riveted by an in-house presentation disseminating results from a 2008 survey of computing by Penn State University faculty, students, and staff. I couldn’t help but think that RUSQ readers would also find the Penn State data interesting, especially comparisons with national survey data. (more…)

Diane Zabel
Marie L. Radford, Guest Columnist

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In an effort to bring RUSA’s ALA Annual Conference programming to RUSQ readers who cannot attend the conference, I invited Marie Radford to write this guest editorial based on her address that was presented as part of the 2008 RUSA President’s Program, “Quality Service in an Impersonal World,” at ALA Annual Conference in Anaheim. However, this article is much more than a reworking of that excellent presentation. (more…)

Diane Zabel

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Two events this past August prompted me to think more about reference services than I have for some time. The first was being interviewed by the editor-in-chief of Arugus, a journal published by the Corporation of Professional Librarians of Quebec. I was asked to respond to several questions about the future of reference services for a forthcoming thematic issue on this topic. The second event was a two-day Penn State University Libraries reference retreat (more…)

Lisa O’Connor, Guest Columnist

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What could be more appropriate for the fall issue than an editorial on library education? I was delighted when Lisa O’Connor accepted my invitation to contribute a guest editorial on this topic. Lisa O’Connor earned her MLIS from the University of South Carolina in 1995. She served as a reference and business librarian at Youngstown State University and as business librarian and instructional services coordinator at Kent State University. (more…)

Diane Zabel

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One of the traditions established by the previous RUSQ editors was to use the editorial in the summer issue to thank all the people who contributed to the production of the journal during the past year. I am continuing that fine tradition, given that I have a multitude of individuals to thank as I complete my first year as editor. To start off, I am certain that I would never have gotten my first issue to press without guidance from Connie Van Fleet and Danny Wallace, my predecessors. (more…)

Diane Zabel

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Because I am halfway through my first year as editor, I thought RUSQ readers were due a progress report. I hope some of you noticed a redesign, beginning with the fall 2006 issue. I felt that RUSQ was due for a facelift as the journal had not been redesigned for some time. The purpose of this redesign was to incorporate suggestions made by participants in the 2005 Readex Readership Survey and the 2006 RUSQ focus groups.

Here is a summary of some of the major changes. (more…)

Diane Zabel

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I have read numerous manuscripts in the past few years in my role as an editorial board member for two journals and a monographic series. I recently spoke on the topic of journal publishing for an in-house workshop on tenure and promotion. Since my appointment as editor of Reference & User Services Quarterly (RUSQ), I have responded to several queries about publishing in RUSQ. I am using this column to pass along my perspectives on writing for peer-reviewed journals in general, and RUSQ in particular. (more…)