History
by
Laura Hibbler, Editor
History Section events for 2018 ALA Annual:
Friday, June 22, 2018 RUSA Genealogy Pre-conference sponsored by ProQuest
8:00 AM – 4:00 PM Morial Convention Center, Rm 218-219
Saturday, June 23, 2018 All Committee Meeting (RUSA HS)
8:30 AM – 10:00 AM Morial Convention Center, Rm 346-347
Saturday, June 23, 2018 Region, Race, and Research: Perspectives from Local
History
10:30 AM – 11:30 AM Morial Convention Center, Rm 393
Sunday, June 24, 2018 Genealogy and Local History & History Librarians
Discussion Groups
8:30 AM – 10:30 AM Morial Convention Center, Rm 206
Monday, June 25, 2018 RUSA HS Exec. Breakfast Meetup at The Ruby Slipper
Cafe
7:30 AM – 8:30 AM 200 Magazine St, New Orleans, LA 70130
The Reference and User Services Association’s History Section (RUSA-HS) is seeking
volunteers for a number of our committees. If you are interested in participating, please
read on and complete the ALA volunteer form!
About the History Section:
The Section represents the subject interests of reference librarians, archivists,
bibliographers, genealogists, historians, and others engaged in historical reference,
research, and instruction. It brings together representatives of history collections in all
formats from all types of libraries, archives, and historical societies. See more about the
history and work of the section on our website.
Committee Work in the History Section:
We aspire to have a mutually beneficial partnership with all our committee members
and pride ourselves on a collegial and friendly environment that is open to a wide
variety of participants. Through committee work you can network, learn more about
how RUSA and ALA function, and help with meaningful work that benefits the
profession.
• Previous committee experience is not required. New ALA/RUSA members are
encouraged to become active in HS!
• Terms begin July 1, 2018 and usually last for 2 years, with the possibility of
renewal.
• You must be member of RUSA and up-to-date on your RUSA and ALA dues to
serve
• Most work is conducted virtually via email, phone meetings, etc. While
attendance at the Annual Meeting is encouraged, it is not generally required.
No History Section committees require attendance at the Midwinter Meeting.
How to Volunteer:
Complete the ALA volunteer form available
at: http://www.ala.org/cfapps/committee/volunteerform/volunteerform.cfm (you will
need to log in before you can complete theform)
(Note: Earlier postings on RUSA and RUSA-HS social media accounts linked to a
google form. Since the ALA form is functioning now, that form has been discontinued.)
Committees Seeking Volunteers at this Time:
Other committees will be seeking volunteers in the future, but we have many openings
right now, including:
• Genealogical Publishing Company Award Committee
Administers an annual award of $1,500 to a librarian, library, or
publisher encourage, recognize, and commend professional achievement in
historical reference and research librarianship.
Great for: People interested in celebrating colleagues’ contributions to the
profession
• Historical Materials Committee
Promotes enhanced availability and visibility of quality historical works,
information, and reference products (bibliographies, indexes, databases, etc.) in
all fields of history; and to evaluate the patterns and effectiveness of coverage in
historical reference products. Each year the committee calls for, receives, and
evaluates nominations to the yearly Best Historical Materials List, selecting those
items of particular quality for inclusion on the List (published in RQ).
Great for: People who interested in a specific, concrete project and those who
like to explore historical materials of various types.
• Local History
Focuses on the issues and concerns related to all aspects of local history
services, collections, and preservation. This includes newspaper projects, oral
histories, photograph/AV collections, traditional archival/manuscript materials,
digital projects, instruction, house/building history, etc. Committee organizes
virtual and in-person discussion sessions, as well as a variety of other programs.
Great for: Local history librarians, archivists, and others working in local history
• Membership & Communications Committee
Focuses on member recruitment, retention, and engagement within RUSAHS.
This includes promoting Section membership, activities, and initiatives;
coordinating membership-promotion activities of all the Section’s committees and
discussion groups; managing the Section’s communication outlets (including the
website, listserv, social media, and contributions to RUSA Update); and advising
on other communication- and member-related issues.
Great for: Social media and technical people, those who like to share with/talk to
others, new members with fresh ideas and long-standing members with
experienced perspectives.
• Academic Librarians Committee
Serves as a forum to address the professional needs and concerns of history and
humanities librarians working in academic institutions. It will focus on issues of
interest such as instruction and information literacy, collection development and
assessment, digital pedagogy and scholarship, and mentoring for new
librarians. This is a new committee and it includes the following subcommittees:
Great for: Any and all working in history librarianship within academia. This is a
new committee, so members will help mold this committee and its future work!
• Instruction and Information Literacy
• Collection Development and Assessment
• Digital pedagogy and scholarship
• RUSA HS-Liaisons (liaisons from the RUSA History Section to
other relevant sections/groups)
Questions?
Please contact Vice-Chair/Incoming Chair Jenny McElroy (jennifer.mcelroy@mnhs.org)
with any questions or include them on your volunteer form.