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The Reference and User Services Association (RUSA) is pleased to provide tools to help you in your job. The resources provided among these pages were developed by your peers and their predecessors in the reference and user services profession.
We have established national guidelines on all aspects of reference and user services, from interlibrary loan, to genealogical research, to competencies for reference librarians. See left-hand column for link.
ALA Online Communities provide online workspace and tools for handling the work of committees, discussion groups, and other congregations of members. For more information, use the link at left.
Find out the latest news from RUSA, RUSA sections, and ALA by joining the electronic discussion list that's right for you. See left-hand column for link.
RUSA also annually selects the best reference sources and the best books for adults, and provides a directory of peer consultants who have volunteered to provide free advice to colleagues. See the links for Outstanding Reference Sources and Notable Books at left.
The RUSA president's program for 2002 ALA Annual Conference, entitled "The Future of Reference Services," presented five papers on the topic. Those papers can be found by following the link at left.
RUSA is developing a curriculum for online continuing education. For more information on how to participate either as a content developer or student, see the link at left on Professional Development.
These and other tools are available through the dedicated work of member volunteers.
Links to RUSA Search Sites
ASCLA/OLOS/RUSA Directory of Peer Consultants and Speakers
This directory allows members of ALA, ASCLA and RUSA to serve as advisers or speakers to the ALA commnunity on topics within their fields of expertise. They can provide a brief consultation, via phone, correspondence, or e-mail. ASCLA and OLOS members can offer assistance on questions about: serving people with disabilities, library services to prisoners, literacy programs, outreach services, state library services, multitype library cooperative services, and independent librarianship. RUSA members can offer assistance on questions about: any aspect of reference service, collection development, reader's advisory services, genealogical and historic research, business reference, interlibrary loan, digital reference, and the management of reference and user services. It should be noted that ALA is unable to provide financial support to bring a speaker to your program.
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