RSS Executive Board Minutes – Midwinter, January 22, 2007 - Page 1 of 2

RUSA/RSS Executive Board Meeting - ALA Midwinter 2007 - Seattle, WA

Minutes: Monday, January 22, 2007, 8am-10am

Sheraton Seattle– Everett Room

Present:

Executive Committee: Susan Beck [Chair], Lisa Horowitz [Vice-Chair], Virginia Cole [Webmaster], John Hepner [Member-at-large], Barb Mann [Member-at-large], Susan Ware [Secretary]

Bylaws Revision – Organization and Planning Committee

Amendments to Proposed Revisions:

-Re-number with #1 starting at first item under “Specific Duties” of Organization and Planning Committee.

-Edit re-numbered duty #3 to read: To assist the Vice Chair in coordinating the RSS Orientation for New Chairs at the Annual conference…

-RSS Executive Committee “Specific Duties”

  • Edit #1 to read: “To meet twice at both Midwinter and Annual American Library Association Meetings to conduct RSS business. The voting members meet for an additional planning session at each conference.”
  • Edit #2 to read: “To review and approve the section organization and activities including Section Reviews.
  • Edit #4 to read: “To approve goals and objectives, structural changes, and any other organizational or planning matters referred to the committee.
  • Edit #6 to include: “The RUSA Membership Liaison will serve as an ex-officio member of the Organization and Planning Committee.”

Motion to approve Bylaws revisions as amended passed unanimously.

RSS Awards

Question: Should we begin to take responsibility for the following RUSA Awards:

-Margaret E. Monroe Library Adult Services Award

-Isadore Gilbert Mudge R.R. Bowker Award

-Reference Service Press Award

-Thomson Gale Award for Excellence in Reference and Adult Library Services

-Bessie Boehm Moore/Thorndike Press Award

Also consider creating a “best service in RSS” award similar to MARS My Favorite Martian Award.Further discussion was tabled for the next Annual 2007 meeting.

Preconference

-RSS Board will discuss MARS Board the possibility of a joint MARS/RSS preconference on emerging technology in reference.

-‘Reinventing Reference” has been offered for several years running. Will it continue?

-Webinars are an alternative to preconference offerings in RSS.

Other Issues Discussed:

-Details of how appointments are made to committees should be added to the Committee Chairs Orientation Guide.

-RUSA Online Community: Susan Beck will add space for RSS Board Communication.

-Web Site Evaluation Task Force Report: In “For Webmaster” section, revise item #15: RSS website should not reproduce the guidelines posted at the RUSA Standards & Guidelines web site; RSS website should link to guidelines posted at the S&Gweb site so that RSS content is always current.

-RSS Webmaster needs to have appointment extended to 2009

-Each committee should have a RSS Webmaster liaison responsible for monitoring the committee website (title: Web Contact)

-RSS Webmaster needs an assistant/support group. A web advisory group would help to provide feedback to webmaster. The Web Advisory Committee should consist of the Webmaster [chair], RSS Review Editor, Organization & Planning Committee member, Member at Large, two general members. Two year terms. To ensure continuity between webmasters and to get new people involved, the new webmaster should be appointed from the Web Advisory Committee.

-Assignment to Webmaster: Determine how chairs can begin to use and access committee listservs.

-RSS Section Review: Should we be preparing for this? Is this a duty of the Organization and Planning Committee? Do we need more people on the Organization and Planning Committee to handle the review? John noted that previously, the Organization and Planning Committee and the Executive Committee worked together to conduct section reviews. A coordinator is needed for section review projects.

New Directions – Strategic Planning (not covered)

Adjourned at 10am to meet with MARS Executive Board at 11:30am