CHICAGO — Public librarians, academic librarians and library support staff are encouraged to sign up for the next offerings of Business Reference 101 and The Reference Interview, two popular online classes offered by Reference and User Services Association (RUSA), the home for reference within the American Library Association.
The next offerings include:
Business Reference 101, May 9 – June 3, 2011
Appropriate for librarians and library staff of all types who wish to acquire business reference expertise, Business Reference 101 will demystify such topics as SIC, NAICS codes, ROI and 10ks. Students will also have access to such proprietary business reference databases as Standard & Poor’s Net Advantage and Thomson/Gale’s Business &Company Resource Center. This consistently sold-out course will be taught by Celia Ross, past chair of RUSA’s Brass section and an experienced facilitator and practitioner in the business reference field.
The Reference Interview, May 2 – June 10, 2011
This comprehensive course covers such reference interview topics as cultivating an approachable reference environment, successful questioning and listening techniques and appropriate follow-up methods. Staff of all levels at all types of libraries will find this content, presented in a multi-media format, helpful in their day-to-day engagement with library patrons. Instructor David Tyckoson, associate dean at the Henry Madden Library, Cal State—Fresno and immediate past-president of RUSA, has an extensive resume in the field and was awarded the 2005 Isadore Gilbert Mudge Award for distinguished contribution to reference librarianship.
All courses will be administered using Moodle, an online course management tool. Online learning offers flexibility for busy professional schedules and facilitates interaction between instructors and students with weekly assignments, discussion boards and chat sessions.
Online registration is now open for all of these opportunities, with significant cost savings for RUSA members. VisitRUSA’s professional development information page for detailed course information, or go straight to the online registration page for these courses. Information about group registration discounts for those libraries or library systems with two or more employees participating is available from Liz Markel, RUSA marketing specialist, atlmarkel@ala.org
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. For more information, visit www.ala.org/rusa. Not a RUSA member, but interested in discounted registration rates on conference, RUSA preconferences and other RUSA events? Join, renew or add RUSA to your ALA membership atwww.ala.org/membership.
