RUSA Orientation for
Division Committee
Chairs
2015-2016
REFERENCE AND USER SERVICES ASSOCIATION, A DIVISION OF THE
AMERICAN LIBRARY ASSOCIATION, CHICAGO IL. WWW.ALA.ORG/RUSA
Table of Contents
RUSA Orientation for
Division Committee Chairs
Calendar
Committee Meetings
Committee Meeting Minutes Template
Committee Membership: Terms and Expectations
Committee Report Template
Committee Reports
Director-at-Large Committee Liaisons
Meeting Minutes
Responsibilities of Chairs
Virtual Meetings
Who to Go to If Your Questions are Not Answered
Above
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RUSA Orientation for
Division Committee Chairs
2015-2016
Your Responsibilities as a Chair
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Submit committee news and activities twice a year, or
SEND CONTENT
more, to the RUSA Update editor Carol Schuetz,
FOR
Carol_Carson@baylor.edu, by the requested deadlines. If
RUSA UPDATE
possible, try to organize content by type:
REGULARLY!
 Note from Chair
 Announcements
 Committee Report
Read and become familiar with the RUSA strategic plan.
Communicate regularly with your committee members throughout the year and encourage
participation.
Post updates as required to your committee’s Connect workspace regarding committee
activities (goals, summary of current activities, minutes, etc.).
Communicate regularly with your RUSA board liaison. RUSA board liaisons to RUSA standing
committees may be found here: http://www.ala.org/rusa/contact/rosters (scroll down to
RUSA Board Liaisons to RUSA Standing Committees).
Review your committee roster and report any changes needed to the RUSA office. The
rosters turn over in early July to the new committee members, so you may not see yourself
listed until then.
Attend the major RUSA signature events whenever possible to represent and inform visitors
about the work of RUSA and the sections and encourage new membership.
Communicate regularly with your committee throughout the year and encourage
participation.
Establish the committee goals for the forthcoming year
*Signature RUSA Events*
Lead and monitor your committee’s work towards
 Book & Media Awards
accomplishing annual goal(s)
reception at Midwinter
Chair all meetings.

Awards Ceremony at Annual
Be aware of RUSA and ALA policies. Committee chairs
 RUSA Social at Midwinter
should examine the RUSA Guide to Policies and Procedures
 RUSA 101 at Annual
available online in the “Our Association” portion of the
 RUSA President’s Program
RUSA web site. If you have questions, consult with the
at Annual
RUSA Executive Committee and/or RUSA Executive
 Carnegie Medals Ceremony
Director. You may also find the ALA Policy Manual helpful.
at Annual
Be conscientious about maintaining a record of your
 Literary Tastes Author
committee’s activities in Connect for current, future, and
Event at Annual
potential members as well as for the committee’s history!
Prepare items for the board agenda when appropriate.
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Action items are due by noon the day before the board meeting. The action item form is
sent to committee chairs before each board meeting, but is also posted to the Connect
group for Committee Chairs here: http://connect.ala.org/node/211727. You will be added to
this group in early July.
Work with your committee to schedule committee meetings held during the year.
Make recommendations for committee appointments to the RUSA Vice-President/PresidentElect.
Send a committee report twice a year to the RUSA executive director for each board
meeting, and post all reports to the Connect workspace for section and committee reports
here: http://connect.ala.org/node/207988.
Committee Meetings
*PLEASE NOTE: Terms for selected RUSA award committees
are different from other committees, with a start date of
February 1 through January 31.*
Scheduling Conference Meetings: In 2016, the RUSA office
will be scheduling all committee meetings. More information
about this will be sent after the 2015 annual conference.
USE YOUR ALA
CONNECT GROUP AS
YOUR VIRTUAL
WORKSPACE!
You must have at least 2 committee meetings. You are encouraged to schedule additional
meetings with your committee members as needed. Adobe Connect, RUSA’s virtual meeting
software, or RUSA’s free teleconference service may be used for virtual meetings; all committee
chairs should get training before using Adobe Connect software if they intend to hold virtual
meetings. No training is required for teleconferences.
Best Practices
Midwinter Meeting: At least one meeting should be held
before or during the ALA Midwinter Conference. This
meeting can be held virtually or in-person at the
Midwinter Conference. If your meeting will be virtual, post
public meeting announcements on RUSA-L and in Connect.
Annual Meeting: The other meeting should be held
between the ALA Midwinter and Annual Conferences or
during the ALA Annual Conference. This meeting may also
be held virtually or in-person at the Annual Conference. If
your meeting will be virtual, post public meeting
announcements on RUSA-L and in Connect.
Finding a Time: Use Doodle (http://www.doodle.com) to
find a time when at least 1/2 of your committee can meet.
Open Meetings: Due to ALA's open meeting policy, any
meetings held outside the in-person Midwinter Meeting or
 Send out agendas at least a week in
advance for any meeting & include
meeting format as well as information
to access the technology.
 Set Firm Deadlines: When asking for
availability or working on projects,
give firm deadlines. People have an
easier time responding & completing
work if there are firm deadlines.
 Remind, remind, remind: Send
multiple reminders to your committee
members regarding meetings AND
deadlines.
 Start and finish your meetings on
time.
 Welcome different opinions to
support robust decision-making and
to prevent group-think.
 Challenge ideas, not individuals.
 Be polite, and treat all with respect.
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Annual Conference meeting must be announced and posted along with all of the details for
attending to RUSA-L, any other appropriate online discussion list, and in ALA Connect (marked as
public), at least 2 weeks before the scheduled meeting. Only executive sessions may be closed
(see ALA’s open meeting policy 7.4.4:
http://www.ala.org/aboutala/governance/policymanual/updatedpolicymanual/section1/7confe
rences#A.7.4.4).
Virtual Meetings
RUSA makes virtual meeting software (Adobe Connect) and free
conference call numbers available for virtual meetings and
teleconferences respectively. For complete information about
holding virtual meetings, go here: http://tinyurl.com/notypoc.
REQUEST A VIRTUAL
MEETING ROOM HERE:
http://tinyurl.com/n92aonf
Adobe Connect: You may choose to use the virtual meeting software, Adobe Connect, offered
by RUSA. If you would like to hold an Adobe Connect meeting, schedule your meeting by
following the instructions on how to “Reserve an Adobe Connect Room” here:
http://tinyurl.com/n92aonf.
Adobe Connect Training: All chairs must get training on Adobe Connect in order to hold a virtual
meeting. For more information on setting up an Adobe Connect training session, go here:
http://tinyurl.com/m5a5zdy.
Teleconference Calls: You may use the free conference call service
offered by RUSA for your meeting if you prefer. For more
information on holding a teleconference meeting using RUSA’s
teleconference service, go here: http://tinyurl.com/mhz9npo. No
training is necessary to use this service.
REQUEST A
TELECONFERENCE
NUMBER HERE:
http://tinyurl.com/mhz9npo
Meeting Minutes: Why? How?
Why: Committee minutes are for current and future members of
the committee. They help record action items and discussion
points. They are essential for keeping track of progress and
enabling continuity in the committee. Establishing a minutes
template is highly recommended. A template will standardize
minutes content, aid in retrieving information and help reduce
error.
A basic template usually includes:
 Meeting Name
 Date & Time of Meeting
 Committee Members Present/Absent
ALL MEETINGS MUST
HAVE MINUTES whether
the meeting is held in‐person
or virtually:
 Minutes should be posted
in the Committee’s
Connect workspace as a
public document as soon as
possible after the
meeting.
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
Venue
The body of the committee meeting minutes records what has been transpired during the
meeting:
 Issues
 Discussion
 Action By
(Source: Committee Meeting Minutes Template. http://www.sampletemplate.net/committeemeeting-minutes-template.html).
A sample minutes template is located at the end of this
document. Please feel free to use it or revise it for your
meetings. Additional sample templates may be found by
searching online.
RECORD IT!
SHARE IT!
How: Post minutes to the committee’s ALA Connect workspace within two weeks of the
meeting under the category Minutes (you may have to create this category for your workspace).
Set the minutes to “public” access.
Committee Reports: Why? How?
Why: Members of the RUSA Board and Organization &
Planning committee need to continuously report on, and
assess the work of the sections and committees. The
report of current activities enables them to get a quick
snapshot of the committee’s work and ensure that work
is progressing.
MINUTES vs. REPORTS
Minutes contain details of a meeting,
including discussion points, questions,
and action items.
The Report is a 1-2 page summary/
How: Reports should be submitted at least twice a year:
overview of activities and plans
one for each conference. The report should be a one- or
covering the last several months.
two-page summary and succinctly summarize the work
and plans of the committee or section over the past
several months. It also should connect the committee activities and goals to the RUSA strategic
plan whenever possible. The report should be posted as “public” in the committee’s ALA
Connect workspace and also posted to the Connect Section and Committee Reports group here:
connect.ala.org/node/207988. Reports for conferences should be posted within two weeks
before or after the January and June conference
meetings. In addition, please send a copy to the RUSA
POST COMMITTEE REPORTS
executive director when the report is posted so that it
HERE:
may be posted to the Connect Board group.
connect.ala.org/node/207988
A sample report template is located at the end of this
document. Please feel free to use it or revise it for your
reports. Additional sample templates may be found by
and send a copy to the executive
director
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searching online.
Committee Membership: Terms and Expectations
Expectations: We expect that all members will be active, participating members on committees.
Committee work includes participating in email conversations, completing any work assigned or
volunteered, and making a genuine effort to attend meetings. Although conference attendance
is not required, we do expect committee members to
COMMUNICATE REGULARLY
participate in any virtual meetings. Everyone on your
committee is a full member. There is no distinction made
WITH YOUR MEMBERS!
between virtual and in‐person (conference attendee)
 Write to welcome all members
membership.
 Ask all members to introduce
Appointments and Reappointments: Appointments are
made in the spring, with terms beginning July 1. The RUSA
president-elect will contact you in the spring to ask about
reappointments. Selected award committees have terms
beginning February 1 through January 31.
Appointments should be completed by June 1, whenever
possible. Occasionally, it may be difficult to find
volunteers for some committees. In those cases, members
may be appointed after the June 1 deadline.
themselves virtually in the
committee’s Connect group
 Prepare an introduction to the
committee’s work
 Share any committee policies
and procedures or manuals
with the members
 Encourage all new committee
members to attend Annual
conference before their term
Reappointments are not automatic. Active committee
starts
members may be reappointed. Let the RUSA presidentelect know if you believe a committee member should be removed from the committee due to
non-performance of committee responsibilities.
Terms: Committee terms begin officially on July 1 (at the conclusion of the ALA Annual
Conference) and end on June 30, with the exception of selected awards committees who
conduct their work from February 1 to January 31. Members can have consecutive terms on a
committee (for a total of 4 years, with the exception of awards committees).
New Members: You will be informed of new committee members whose terms begin July 1 by
the President-Elect whenever possible. The committee rosters turn over around July 2, unless
otherwise notified. The new rosters will reflect the newly appointed committee members here:
http://www.ala.org/rusa/contact/rosters. You must login using your ALA login to see the full
contact information for each committee member. Encourage newly appointed committee
members to attend your meeting at the Annual Conference, even though their term hasn’t
officially begun. Include them in your committee’s communication and make them feel
welcome!
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Website Committee Rosters: Section and Division Committee rosters refresh on July 2, unless
otherwise notified. You will be asked to review your roster(s) for any discrepancies and report
them to the RUSA web manager, Andrea Hill, ahill@ala.org for correction in July/August.
Visitors: A visitor is often a potential new member of your committee! Tell your visitor about the
committee’s activities and ask them about their interests. If they would like to become a
member of your committee, make sure to record their email address and have them get in touch
with the RUSA president-elect. HOWEVER, let them know there may be a waiting list to be on
selected RUSA committees.
Committee Liaisons from RUSA Board
Selected RUSA standing committees have a liaison from the RUSA Board who is available to
answer any questions throughout the year and will also maintain awareness of your committee’s
goals and activities.
Committee
Committee Chair
RUSA Board Liaison
Access to Information
Janet O'Keefe
jokeefe@fpl.info
Jennifer Boettcher
boettcher@georgetown.edu
Awards Coordinating
Edward Kownslar
edward.kownslar@tamucc.edu
Margaret W. Ellingson
libmgw@emory.edu
Conference Program Coordinating
Don Boozer
librarian.don@gmail.com
Danise Hoover
dhoover@hunter.cuny.edu
Membership
Ann Brown
agbrown@email.gwu.edu
Mary Mintz
mmintz@american.edu
Organization and Planning
Anne Houston
annehouston2@gmail.com
Joseph Thompson
thompson@hcplonline.org
Professional Development
Elizabeth Kline
klinee@email.arizona.edu
Stephanie Atkins Sharpe
satkins@wustl.edu
Publications & Communications
Elizabeth German
egerman@library.tamu.edu
Louise Feldmann
louise.feldmann@colostate.edu
Standards and Guidelines
Bryna Coonin
cooninb@ecu.edu
Ed Garcia
edprism@gmail.com
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2015-2016 Chair Calendar (FY2016)
[Dates in red may slightly change for 2015-2016 year]
2015:
Jul through
Sept:
Attend the RUSA Committee Chair virtual orientation.
Jul through
Sept:
Review your committee roster on the website and report anything that
needs to be corrected to the RUSA Web Manager, Andrea Hill,
ahill@ala.org by September 30.
Jul through
Dec:
Post minutes to the appropriate Connect workspace as soon as possible
after each committee meeting. Make sure you post them as public
documents.
Aug/Sept:
Set up a doodle to plan dates and times for virtual committee meetings
before Midwinter Conference where at least half of the members can
attend.
Aug/Sept:
If planning virtual meetings using Adobe Connect, schedule your training
session here: http://tinyurl.com/m5a5zdy.
Aug through
Dec:
If planning virtual meetings for the coming year using Adobe Connect,
reserve your upcoming virtual meeting rooms by following the
instructions here: http://tinyurl.com/n92aonf.
Aug through
Dec.
If planning simple teleconferences for the coming year, reserve a
teleconference line by following the instructions here:
http://tinyurl.com/mhz9npo.
Aug through
Dec:
Nov 16:
Nov/Dec:
If holding virtual meetings, post meeting announcement on RUSA-L and
public post in Connect
RUSA Update Winter 2015/2016 (Pre-Annual) content DUE by EOB to
editor, Carol Schuetz, Carol_Carson@baylor.edu
Set up doodle to plan dates and times for virtual committee meetings
between Midwinter Conference and Annual Conference where at least
half of the members can attend.
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Nov/Dec:
If planning to meet at Annual Conference, schedule meetings when
instructions are received from ALA Conference Services.
2016:
Jan 1 through
Feb. 15:
Committee reports due to the RUSA Office within two weeks before or
after each board meeting. Reports will be posted publicly to the RUSA
board Connect workspace by the RUSA executive director. Also: post all
reports to the RUSA Connect Committee and Section Reports group here:
http://connect.ala.org/node/207988.
Jan through
June:
Post minutes to the appropriate Connect workspace as soon as possible
after each committee meeting. Make sure you post them as public
documents.
Jan through
June:
If planning virtual meetings for the coming months using Adobe Connect,
reserve a virtual meeting room by following the instructions here:
www.ala.org/rusa/virtualmeetings/adobeconnect#room.
Jan through
June:
If planning simple teleconferences for the coming year, reserve a
teleconference line by following the instructions here:
www.ala.org/rusa/virtualmeetings/adobeconnect#tollfree.
Jan through
July:
If holding virtual meetings, post meeting announcement on RUSA-L and
public post in Connect
May 1
RUSA Update Spring 15 (Pre-Annual) content DUE by EOB to editor,
Carol Schuetz, Carol_Carson@baylor.edu
Jun 1 through
Jul 15:
Committee reports due to the RUSA Office within two weeks before or
after each board meeting. Reports will be posted publicly to the RUSA
board Connect workspace. Also: post all reports to the RUSA Connect
Committee and Section Reports group here:
http://connect.ala.org/node/207988.
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COMMITTEE MEETING MINUTES TEMPLATE
NAME OF COMMITTEE MEETING
Date:
Note Taker:
Attendees:
Actions taken since last meeting
Agenda Topic 1
Discussion
Conclusions
Action Items
Person Responsible
Deadline
Agenda Topic 2
Discussion
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Conclusions
Action Items
Person Responsible
Deadline
Person Responsible
Deadline
Person Responsible
Deadline
Agenda Topic 3
Discussion
Conclusions
Action Items
Agenda Topic 4
Discussion
Conclusions
Action Items
Agenda Topic 5
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Discussion
Conclusions
Action Items
Person Responsible
Deadline
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RUSA [NAME OF COMMITTEE] REPORT
Please submit committee reports twice a year; they are due within 2 weeks before or after each Midwinter
and Annual conference. Committee reports differ from minutes: minutes contain details of a meeting,
including discussion points, questions, and action items; a report is a 1-2 page summary/overview of
activities and plans covering the last several months. Post all reports to:
http://connect.ala.org/node/207988 and label accordingly. In addition, please send a copy to
shornung@ala.org for distribution to RUSA Board
DATE:
COMMITTEE NAME:
NAME OF COMMITTEE CHAIR/CO-CHAIRS:
COMMITTEE MEMBERS:
ACTION ITEMS IN PROGRESS / PENDING:
ACCOMPLISHMENTS / ACTION ITEMS COMPLETED AND WHICH RUSA
STRATEGIC PLAN GOALS/OBJECTIVES THEY SUPPORT:
RECOMMENDATIONS FOR FUTURE:
.
OTHER COMMENTS:
SUBMITTED BY:
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Who to Go to If Your Questions Are Not Answered Above
Being a committee or section chair is a rewarding volunteer job and we thank you for the
generous donation of your time and energy. We will strive to answer all your questions as soon
as possible to assist you in carrying out your responsibilities. If some of your questions are not
covered above, or at the virtual orientation, please feel free to contact any one of the following
people:
RUSA Executive Director, Susan Hornung, shornung@ala.org
RUSA President, Anne Houston, annehouston2@gmail.com
RUSA Past President, Joe Thompson, thompson@hcplonline.org
RUSA Secretary, Kate Oberg, kathryn.oberg@gmail.com
RUSA Councilor, Sarah Hammill, hammills@fiu.edu
This document is also posted in the ALA Connect workspace
(http://connect.ala.org/node/226047) for RUSA committee chairs; all updates will be posted
to this group.
Rev. June 17, 2015, SH
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