RUSA (Reference and User Services Association) Division

The RUSA/MARS Hot Topics in Emerging Technology committee wants to know how you’re using tech to transform reference.

• How are you handling reference for MOOCs?  For Makerspaces?
• What apps, tools, or technologies are making a difference?  
• How are you measuring the impact of your emerging-tech innovations?
• Have you tried anything completely awesome or off-beat (like Google Glass)? How did it go? What should we know for our own experiments?

If you have a HOT innovation that you’d like to share during our Midwinter 2014 discussion group, summarize your story and tell us about it: http://goo.gl/oOSzi6.  Proposals for 20 minute presentations will be accepted until November 25, 2013.

Questions? Comments? Curiosities? Contact Beth Boatright at overhaue@ipfw.edu

The online meeting submission form for Midwinter 2014 is now open! Check out this post for instructions and deadlines.

If you are a designated scheduler for a RUSA group or committee, you should have received an e-mail from ymclean@ala.org with the subject line “ALA 2014 Midwinter Meeting Submission Site now open.” If you did not receive this message, please check your spam/junk folders.

The submission form can be accessed here: https://ala2014midwinter.wingateweb.com/portal/cfp/cfpLogin.ww

If you did not receive a message with an assigned login and access information, there is a link on the submission form page (link above) where you can create a profile--click on “Need to create a login?” at the top of the page. If you run into any problems, please contact RUSA Membership Assistant Leighann Wood at lwood@ala.org.

Here are some important details and deadlines:

Designated meeting time blocks are: 8:30-10am, 8:30-11:30am, 8:30am-5:30pm, 10:30-11:30am, 1-2:30pm, 3-4pm and 4-5:30pm. Your meetings must conform to these times.

There is a block of no-conflict time on Friday, 4:00-7:00p.m. Meetings cannot be scheduled during this time.

Deadlines:

• Sept. 30 – All new meeting requests must be submitted via the online form.

• Oct. 4 – Preliminary schedule of meetings sent out and posted in Connect for your review.

• Oct. 6 – Last day for any changes to meeting times and dates; A/V orders are also due on this date. Staff review and approve meetings on Oct. 7 and 8 prior to the form closing on the 8th, so any changes must be entered by Oct. 6--no exceptions.

Between Oct. 8 and Nov. 1, staff will be working with Conference Services to confirm your meeting details and assist with room assignments. Final room assignments will be announced in early December.

IMPORTANT DOCUMENTS:

These are all attached to this post. Please download, print out and review before scheduling your meeting! 99% of the questions you may have about the process will be answered in these documents. 

• Step-by-step scheduling instructions

• A PDF of the Midwinter 2013 schedule for your reference

• An abbreviated version of How to Make Your Events Findable in the Conference Planner that covers hashtags, tags, subject areas, audiences and how to find your iMIS committee code

• Guide to Meetings, which explains room layouts and A/V options

The following meetings are scheduled by RUSA staff:

• FINRA Smart Investing Reception: Thursday, 6:30-8pm

• FINRA Smart Investing Training: Friday, 8am-4pm

• RUSA Membership Social: Saturday, 6-8pm (tentative; may start at 5:30)

• RUSA Board 1: Saturday, 1:30-3:30pm

• RUSA Board 2: Monday, 1:30-3:30pm (tentative)

• RUSA Budget & Finance: Sunday, 11:30am-1pm

• RUSA Midwinter Book & Media Awards: Sunday, 5-6:30pm

• RUSA Executive Committee: Friday, 3-4pm

Questions? Feel free to contact me at lmarkel@ala.org, or contact Leighann Wood at lwood@ala.org.