TABLE OF CONTENTS:
•
RRT 2006 Conference Program
•
Volunteers Needed to Staff the RRT Exhibit Booth
•
RRT Executive Board Meeting in Houston
•
The Election of RRT Officers Goes Electronic
•
Candidates on the RRT Ballot
•
Candidates Biographical Information
•
Texans All Chosen for Texas Reference Source Award
•
Call for Texas Reference Source Award Nominations
•
Call for Bebout Award Nominations
•
RRT Webpages Have a New Look
RRT 2006 CONFERENCE PROGRAM
The RRT conference program "Is VR Worth It?" will be presented from 10-11:50 a.m., Thursday, April
27. Check the conference onsite mini-program for the location. Linda Evans (Head of Adult Services,
North Richland Hills Public Library) and Kerry McGeath (Director, Southlake Public Library) will square
off on the issue. Virtual reference services have been around a few years. Many thought they would be
the second coming in terms of our ability to reach a broader audience. The discussion will review the
positive and negative impacts (including cost effectiveness) of providing this interesting service that
may or may not be ahead of its time. The program has been chosen by TLA President Gretchen
McCord Hoffmann to be part of her series of Point/Counterpoint programs.
VOLUNTEERS NEEDED TO STAFF THE RRT EXHIBIT BOOTH
RRT and LIRT are sharing exhibit space at the 2006 TLA Annual Conference, and we need some
volunteers to help staff the booth for various hours during the conference. The exhibits will be open
Wednesday April 26, 10:15 5 p.m.; Thursday April 27, 9 4 p.m.; and Friday April 28, 9
a.m.-Noon. We especially need volunteers for Noon-2 p.m. Wednesday and 2-4 p.m. Thursday. Please
contribute an hour or two of your time to help us show everyone what RRT is doing for them. This is
lots of fun and a great way to meet new and interesting people. Plus you get to promote membership in
RRT - the more members we have, the more we can do. To volunteer some time, email Jesse Ephraim
(
[email protected]
) or John Hepner (
).
RRT EXECUTIVE BOARD MEETING IN
HOUSTON
The RRT Executive Board will meet 4-4:50 p.m., Tuesday, 25 April 2006, during the TLA Annual
Conference in Houston. Check the conference onsite mini-program for the location.
THE ELECTION OF RRT OFFICERS GOES ELECTRONIC
For the first time, RRT balloting to elect new officers will be handled electronically through the TLA
electronic voting system this spring. Because of the recent updating of our bylaws to allow electronic
balloting, we were one of the TLA divisions that could take advantage of the implementation of this new
option. In the past, balloting was done in conjunction with the fall issue of the RRT Newsletter. Because
RRT Newsletter
Texas Library Association – Reference Round Table
SPRING 2006 ISSUE
of the implementation schedule for the electronic voting system, we have had to shift our election
process to the spring.
Voting opens at 12:01 a.m. (for all of the insomniacs) Wednesday, February 22, and closes at 11:59
p.m. Wednesday, March 29. Results of the elections will be available Tuesday, April 4.
A broadcast email was sent on January 25th asking members to declare their intent to vote via the Web
or by paper ballot. The deadline for these responses was February 6. Those indicating a preference for
Web balloting will be sent an email on February 22 with their ballot. The database will generate a
unique ballot for each TLA member whose membership was current as of February 1. The ballot will
include the TLA Executive Board election and any participating unit of which each individual is a
member. The elections company has a very refined system for uniquely identifying members to ensure
the integrity of the balloting process.
Those indicating a preference for paper balloting and those who did not respond to the broadcast email
will be mailed paper ballots on February 22nd.
Biographies and statements of concern for unit officers will only be available on the Web.
CANDIDATES ON THE RRT BALLOT
The RRT Nominations Committee (chaired by Sue Willman, Reference/Information Literacy Librarian,
Mary & Jeff Bell Library, Texas A&M University - Corpus Christi) has come up with a full slate of
candidates from which to select our 2006/7 officers. Jennifer Shelly (Frisco Public Library) and Linda
Waggener (Fort Worth Public Library) are vying for the office of Chair-Elect. Mary Jarvis (West Texas
A&M University) is running for Secretary/Treasurer. Four candidates are running for Councilor and
Councilor-Alternate: Anthony Guardado (Round Rock Higher Education Center), Karl Kingan (El Paso
Public Library), Tina Oswald (Stephen F. Austin State University), and Beth Thomsett-Scott (University
of North Texas). Councilors are elected to serve a three-year term. The person receiving the most
votes serves as Councilor and the person receiving the next highest number of votes is designated the
Councilor-Alternate. For background information about each candidate, see the addendum at the end
of this newsletter
.
TEXANS ALL CHOSEN FOR TEXAS REFERENCE SOURCE AWARD
The RRT Texas Reference Source Award Committee has chosen the five-volume
Texans All
collection
to receive the 2006 Outstanding Texas Reference Source award. The five volumes which are part of
the collection include: The African Texans by Alwyn Barr, The European Texans by Allan O. Kownslar,
The Indian Texans by James M. Smallwood, The Asian Texans by Marilyn Dell Brady, and The
Mexican Texans by Phyllis McKenzie. The series was published by the Texas A&M University Press in
College Station and was developed in cooperation with the Institute of Texan Cultures in San Antonio.
The award will be presented at the start of the RRT program at 10 a.m., Thursday, April 27, during the
TLA Annual Conference in Houston. Check the onsite conference mini-program for location.
CALL FOR TEXAS REFERENCE SOURCE AWARD NOMINATIONS
Established by the Reference Round Table in 1996, the Texas Reference Source Award recognizes an
outstanding reference tool in Texas history, culture or commerce. "Reference tool" encompasses
biblio-graphies, indexes, encyclopedias and other scholarly apparatus. The purpose of the award is to
encourage and acknowledge truly superior accomplishments in research and scholarship. The award
may be granted to a distinguished reference tool, regardless of format, published or accepted for
publication within the three years immediately preceding the closing date for nominations. Selection is
based on scholarship, style and contribution as a Texas reference source. The Reference Round
Table's Texas Reference Source Award Committee reviews all entries and recommends a recipient to
the Executive Board of the Reference Round Table. Entries must be submitted on or before May 1 of
each year in order to be eligible.
CALL FOR BEBOUT AWARD NOMINATIONS
The Lois Bebout Reference Service Award is bestowed by the Reference Round Table to recognize
and honor a librarian for outstanding lifetime achievements in reference and public service. Nominees
must be members of the Texas Library Association and the Reference Round Table. A nominee is
expected to have achieved distinction by sustained or singular active and creative promotion of
reference and public services, by strengthening librarian/library roles and positions in communities, by
providing recognized leadership in the professional community, and/or by scholarly contributions.
To nominate a person for this award, send (1) a cover letter stating the award sought, the specific
reason for nomination, and the name and address of both the nominator and nominee, and (2) a
one-page listing of nominee qualifications, library accomplishments, library and other activities, and
recognitions or awards relating to library activities, to the Chair of the Reference Round Table. Two
additional supporting statements may be included. Nominations are to be sent to:
Kerry McGeath
Director
Southlake Public Library
1400 Main St., Ste. 130
Southlake, TX 76092-7640
Nominations must be received prior to April 1, 2006. All nominations are referred to the Lois Bebout
Award Committee for review. If a suitable nominee is presented, the committee submits a
recommendation to the RRT Executive Board for action. If a recipient is selected, the award is
presented at the RRT program/ business meeting during the following TLA Annual Conference.
Prior Lois Bebout Reference Service Award winners are Lois Bebout (1992), Jean Furr Tolbert (1993),
Margaret Irby Nichols (1995), and Claudette S. Hagle (1999).
RRT WEBPAGES HAVE A NEW LOOK
Our Webmaster, Beth Thomsett-Scott, has revised the look of our RRT webpages. The new pages
include a side navigation bar and each RRT committee now has its own webpage. Take a look! Let
Beth know if you have any suggestions for further improvement of our webpages.
http://www.txla.org/groups/RRT
Addendum: RRT CANDIDATES BIOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION
CANDIDATES FOR CHAIR-ELECT:Jennifer Shelly
Public Services Librarian, Frisco Public Library Education
I earned a Master of Public Administration from the University of North Texas and a Master of Library Science from Texas Woman's University. I also hold a Bachelor of Arts from Texas Woman's University.
Professional Experience
I have worked as a graduate assistant at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Library. I assisted with the operations of the reference desk and journals management. I currently work as the Adult Services Manager at the Frisco Public Library where I have been employed for the past five years. My work experience includes
supervising reference, adult collection development, and adult programs. I am also the virtual reference coordinator for our library with several North Texas libraries.
Professional Activities
I served on the Intellectual Freedom Committee for TLA from 2003-2006. I also served on the reference round table nominating committee for the 2006 offices. I was accepted in the mentor program for ALA from 2002-2004. Other Professional Activities
2002-2005 and Chair of the Special Services Committee from 2005-2008. I was secretary of Graduate Library and Information Science Student Association while attending Texas Woman's University. I served as secretary of the Denton County Library Advisory Board from 2001-2003 and proposal coordinator from 2003-2005.
Publications and Presentations
I presented a program called "Texsharing: Just Do It" at the 2005 TLA Annual Conference. I will be presenting a program at the 2006 TLA Annual Conference on "Passionate Partnerships." The program will highlight the partnership between Denton County and seventeen Denton County Public Libraries. I have led workshops for the Head Start program on "Keys to Developing a Lending Library." I have also led a workshop for the North Texas Regional Library System on "Introduction to Management."
Statement of Concerns
Reference work is continually evolving as technology changes and grows. Reference librarians must be on the leading edge of technological advances as patron demand for these services increases. My concern for reference librarians is keeping up with technology and increasing services while coping with decreasing budgets and staff. Through partnerships with other libraries and businesses, librarians can foster ties with the local community to continue to provide high quality services.
Linda Waggener
Acting Assistant Manager, Fort Worth Public Library Education:
M.S. in Library & Information Science, Simmons College, 1991; B.A., University of Wyoming, 1988; A.A., Western Wyoming College, 1985.
Professional Experience:
Acting Assistant Manager, Fort Worth Public Library, East Regional, Nov. 2005-Present; Senior Librarian/Branch Floater, Fort Worth Public Library, East Regional, Aug. 2000-Present; Acting Manager, Fort Worth Public Library, East Berry Branch, 2003; Senior Librarian, Fort Worth Public Library, Southwest Regional, March 1998-Aug. 2000; Senior Librarian, Fort Worth Public Library, Central Reference, Feb.1995- Feb.1998; Children’s Collection Development Specialist, Natrona County (WY) Public Library, Sept. 1993- May 1994; Reference/Earth Sciences Librarian, Natrona County (WY) Public Library, Jan.1991- Feb.1995.
Professional Activities Texas Library Association
Current Member of the Acquisitions & Collection Development Round Table; Automation & Technology Round Table; E-SMART – Electronic Resources & Serials Management Round Table; Reference Round Table; TALL Texans Round Table; Digital Libraries Interest Group.
E-SMART Councilor-Alternate, 2005-2008; District 7 Secretary, 2005-2006; Public Library Division Planning Committee, 2003-2006; Reference Round Table Bylaws Committee, 2003-2004; Public Library Division Bylaws Committee, 2002-2005; New Members Round Table Endowment Committee Chair, 2003-2004 plus 5 other terms; New Members Round Table Mentor Committee Chair, 2002-2003; New Members Round Table Chair, 2001-2002; New Members Round Table Bylaws Committee, 2000-2001; New Members Round Table Orientation Committee Chair, 1997-1998
American Library Association
Current Member of LITA; PLA; RUSA; PLA Technology in Public Libraries Committee, 1998-2000, 2000-2002 Honors
TALL Texans, Class of 2000; Section Reviewer, Texas Reference Sources (5th edition); Statement of Concerns:
Libraries have seen dramatic changes in how we provide reference service to our library patrons, whether they are a child, student, adult or senior. Libraries are now providing online library catalogs, library web pages, electronic databases, e-books, internet access, and virtual reference to name a few, along with their print
resources. Not only is the library staff having to be trained on these new and emerging technologies, but are also having to train the library user on the same technologies.
CANDIDATE FOR SECRETARY/TREASURER: Mary Jarvis
Head, Reference Services, Cornette Library, West Texas A&M University, Canyon, Texas Education:
Master of Arts, History, Midwestern State University, 1984; Master of Library Science, University of North Texas, 1973; Bachelor of Arts, English, University of North Texas, 1970.
Professional Experience:
Head of Reference Services, Cornette Library, West Texas A&M University, Canyon, TX, 2000-present; Medical Information Specialist and Research Consultant, 1998-2000; Director, Medical Library, Methodist Hospital (now
Covenant Health System), Lubbock, TX, 1990-1998; Medical Librarian, Methodist Hospitals of Dallas, Dallas, TX, 1981-1990; Reference Librarian & Assistant Director, Moffett Library, Midwestern State University, Wichita Falls, TX, 1975-1980; Catalog Librarian, McMurry College, Abilene, TX, 1974-7975; school librarian, 1970-1974. Professional Activities:
TLA: Member, 1975-1983, 1999-present; Member, TLA Publications Committee, 2001-2003; 2004-2006; History of TLA Committee, 2003-2005; Member, Reference Round Table, 1999-present; Member, Interlibrary Loan and Resource Sharing Round Table, 2003-present; Member, Library Instruction Round Table, 2003-present; Member, College and University Libraries Division, 1999-present.
Other Professional Activities:
Medical Library Association: Member, 1983-present; Member, MLA Books Panel, 2000-2003; Member, MLA, Nominating Committee, 2000; Member, Majors/MLA Chapter Project of the Year Award Jury, 1997-1998; Member, Award for Excellence and Achievement in Hospital Librarianship Jury, 1995-1996, Chair, 1996-1997; Member, Bulletin of the Medical Library Association Editorial Board, 1995-1998; Member, Oral History Committee, 1991-1994; Member, Exchange Advisory Committee, 1988-1991, Chair, 1991-1992; Hospital Libraries
Section/MLA: Archivist, 2001-present; Section Council Alternate, 1999-2002; Indexer, National Network, v. 24-29, 1999-2005; Immediate Past Chair, 1996-1997; Chair, 1995-1996; Chair-Elect, 1994-1995. South Central
Chapter/Medical Library Association: Hospital Libraries Interest Section, Treasurer, 2001-2004; Member, SCC Finance Committee, 2001-2004; Member, SCC Awards and Scholarships Committee, 1999-2001; Chapter Council Representative, 1995-1996,1996-1999; Chapter Council Alternate, 1993-1995; Member, Credentialing Committee, 1992-1994; Chapter Secretary, 1990-1991; Member, Program Committee, 1989-1990, 1985-1986; Member, Membership Committee, 1986-1987.
Publications:
“Evaluation of Online Catalog Systems for the Hospital Library.” Bulletin of the Medical Library Association, October, 1991; 79(4):402-4; Accreditation and the Hospital Library. MLA DocKit #10; Information Management Plans and Assessment Tools. Compiled with Kay E. Wellik and Connie Schardt. Chicago: Medical Library Association, 1999; “The South Central Chapter: Twenty-Five Years and Growing.” MLA News. June-July, 1999; (317):18-19; “Hospital Libraries Section: The First Fifty Years.” National Network. April, 1999; 23(4):S1-S15; Book reviews for Library Journal, Medical Reference Services Quarterly, Reference Reviews, and Texas Books in Review; Contributor, Texas Reference Sources: A Selective Guide, 5th ed., Texas Library Association, 2004 (Biography, Medical and Health Sciences).
Honors:
Distinguished Member, Academy of Health Information Professionals, January 1, 1995 – December 31, 1999; January 1, 2000 – December 31, 2005. South Central Chapter/MLA Distinguished Service Award, 1998. Statement of Concerns:
As Secretary/Treasurer of RRT, it is my goal to keep accurate records of RRT meetings and to maintain accurate records of RRT funds. I will be available to those who have questions about either. Having served as secretary and treasurer of other organizations, I do bring that kind of organizational knowledge to this position.
CANDIDATES FOR COUNCILOR AND COUNCILOR-ALTERNATE: Anthony Guardado
Reference/Instruction Librarian, Texas State University, Round Rock Higher Education Center Education
Master of Information and Library Studies, Associates Certificate, University of Michigan, 1994; Bachelor of Arts, Quantitative Economics and Decision Sciences, University of California, San Diego, 1990.
Professional Experience
Reference/Instruction Librarian, Texas State University, Round Rock Higher Education Center, 2005-present; Reference/Instruction Librarian, Hope College, 1999-2005; Head, Reference Department, Angelo State University, 1998-1999; Coordinator of Electronic Access, Angelo State University, 1995-1998; Reference Librarian, Angelo State University, 1993-1995.
Professional Activities Texas Library Association
District 1 1998-2000: Chairperson 1999, Chair-Elect 1998-1999; TLA/Texas Council for the Humanities Grant, Ad Hoc Advisory Committee, 1997-1999; Leadership Development Committee 1997-1999, Chairperson 1999, TALL Texans Selection Subcommittee 1997-1998; TALL Texans Round Table 1997-1999: Chair 1999, Chair-Elect 1998-1999.
Michigan Library Association
Information Literacy Roundtable: Past Chair 2004-2005, Chairperson 2003-2004, Chair-Elect 2002-2003;
Secretary/Historian 2000-2001. American Library Association
ACRL, Instruction Section, Conference Program Planning Committee, 2003-2005; Web Site Advisory Task Force, 1998-2000.
Other Professional Activities
Midwest Instructional Technology Center, Campus Liaison 2003-2005; Planning Committee, Instructional Technologists at Liberal Arts Colleges Conference 2005, Midwest Instructional Technology Center, 2004-2005. Publications and Presentations
Presenter, “Reference Interview – Art of Consultation,” Instructional Technologists at Liberal Arts Colleges Conference, Granville, OH (June 16, 2005); Co-Lead Roundtable Discussion, “Cheating 101: Librarians Tackle Plagiarism,” ACRL 12th National Conference, Minneapolis, MN (April 9, 2005); Poster Session, “First Year Seminar and the Library,” Michigan Library Association Annual Conference, Acme, MI (October 27, 2004); Poster session, "First Year Seminar and the Library: The Experience of a Liberal Arts College," American Library
Association Annual Conference, Orlando, FL (June 27, 2004); Discussion panel, "Saddle Up! Foundations and Resources Panel and Discussion (TechLab and Library Services), "Academic Computing Summit at Hope College, Holland, MI (May 17, 2004); Presenter, “Accessibility Issues,” Making IT Work: Collaborating for Universal Access at Liberal Arts Colleges Conference, Crawfordsville, IN (November 15, 2003); Guardado, Anthony S. "The Mellon Technopedagogy Initiative: The Hope College Experience." LOEX News. v.30, n.2, Summer 2003, p.9-11; Presenter, “Accessibility Design,” Midwest Instructional Technology Center Workshop, Appleton, WI (June 28, 2003); Poster session, "The Next Generation Tech Support Center (on a budget): Creating New Library Spaces and Services through Library/IT Collaboration," Association of College and
Research Libraries Annual Conference, Charlotte, NC (April 11, 2003); Presenter, “Accessibility Design,” Midwest Instructional Technology Center, Teaching with Technology in the Humanities, Appleton, WI (June 28, 2003); Presentation, “Library and IT Collaboration to Create the Next Generation Tech Support Center,” Anthony S. Guardado and Mark A. Christel, Michigan Academy of Sciences, Arts, and Letters, Holland, MI (March 21, 2003).Presenter and moderator, "Good Chemistry: Collaboration in Integrating Technology into the Classroom," Michigan Library Association Annual Conference, Grand Rapids, MI (October 31, 2002); Presenter, "Web Page Design," Council on Library/Media Technicians Annual Conference, Chicago, IL (July 6, 2000).
Honors
TALL Texans Leadership Development Institute, 1997; Emerging Leaders Institute (ALA), 1999. Statement of Concerns
Change in tools not in service ethics! The philosophy of reference services has remained the same even with the multitude of resource available in both print and electronic formats. I want to make sure we as librarians explore digital opportunities from electronic resources to virtual environments. At the heart of this exploration we need to stick close to our service values that have proven to be effective for so long. Particularly in the area of reference we need to make sure that people in influential positions, such as boards of trustees, school boards, provosts, and corporate directors, understand what we do and how we serve our users. I would like to be elected because I believe it is important to serve the profession in addition to the institution of which I am employed. It is always important to give something back to our profession.
Karl Kingan
Library Information Specialist, El Paso Public Library (EPPL) Education:
Psychology Major, Indiana University of Pennsylvania, No Degree; Also attended: Penn State University, El Paso Community College, University of Texas at El Paso
Professional Experience:
El Paso Public Library (EPPL): Library Information Specialist, June 1997 to present; United States Navy Weapons: Specialist Electronic Warfare; Raytheon Middle East: Service Company Weapons Specialist; Underwriters Laboratories: Field Representative
Professional Activities:
Texas Library Association (TLA): Spring 2001 to present; TLA New Members Round Table (NMRT): Outreach Coordinator, 2002 to present; TLA NMRT/Quality Books Inc: Professional Development Grant Committee
Member, 2002 to present; TLA Reference Round Table (RRT): Section Editor, Reference Sourcebook, June 2002 to present; TLA Ad Hoc Disaster Relief Committee: Member at request of TLA President Barry Bishop, 2003 (one year term); TLA NMRT Councilor-Alternate: 2005-2006; EPPL Staff Development Committee: 2000 to present; EPPL Fund Raising Committee: 2000 to present; EPPL Staff Association President: 2003-2004
Other Professional Activities:
Reforma El Paso Chapter Member, 2000-2004; Nominated Carol Brey-Casiano to represent Texas as American Library Association President: 2002; Nominated Martha Andrade for NMRT New Librarian of the Year 2004
Publications and Presentations:
Submitted an article to TLA Cast Journal/published in TLA Cast Nov 2004 under NMRT to generate interest in the NMRT Mentor/Mentee Program; Article same issue NMRT New Librarian Award I as person who nominated. Martha Andrade as winner. Jo Monahan as NMRT New Librarian Committee Chair
Honors:
August 2005 received EPP Library Directors FISH AWARD for exhibiting performance in adherence to the FISH PHILOSOPHY.
Statement of Concerns:
Forging the future leadership of TLA is vital in this new millennium. What makes TLA great is that we invite everyone to participate. It is this diversity that gives the opportunity to lead the nation as an organization of dedicated professionals. The best thing that you can do with your TLA membership is to participate actively. I am grateful to everyone who has given me encouragement which gave me the courage to accomplish goals, the people who have shared their vision, and the people who work every day to improve our world. Thank You. Tina Oswald
Head of Reference (now Research and Instructional Services), Ralph W. Steen Library Stephen F. Austin State University, Nacogdoches, Texas
Education:
Bachelor of Arts, English, Winthrop College (now Winthrop University), Rock Hill, South Carolina, May 1984; Masters degree in Library and Information Sciences, University of South Carolina, Columbia, South Carolina, May 1986.
Professional Experience:
Head of Reference (now Research and Instructional Services), Sept. 2001-present at Ralph W. Steen Library, Stephen F. Austin State University, Nacogdoches, Texas; Reference Librarian/Social Sciences, March 1997-August 2001 at Ralph W. Steen Library, Stephen F. Austin State University, Nacogdoches, Texas;
Reference/Government Documents/Circulation Librarian, January 1993- November 1995 at Alabama A&M University, Normal, Alabama; Manuscripts Librarian, 1987-1992 at Washington State University, Pullman, Washington
Presentations:
"Demise of the Reference Desk", presentation with Ann Ellis at CODI Conference, November 7, 2005; "Innovations in Reference Services", presentation on Steen Library Information Desk with Jeff Elliott, TLA
Conference, March 18, 2004; "MARC-AMC Update and APPM Cataloging," presentation with Lawrence R. Stark, joint conference of the Pacific Northwest History Association, the Northwest Archivists, the Pacific Northwest Oral History Association and the Pacific Northwest Region of Phi Alpha Theta, 1989.
Publications:
"First Five Minutes," by Tina A. Oswald and Marthea Turnage. In Research Strategies, v. 17, 2001; "TALL Texans: It's a Kick!", by Tina Oswald. In Texas Library Journal, v. 75, no. 4, Winter 1999; "Can Real Archivists Use MARC?", by Tina A. Oswald and Lawrence R. Stark. In Archival Informatics Newsletter, v. 3, no. 1, Spring 1989.
Professional Affiliations:
American Library Association, 1987-present: New Members Roundtable, COGNOTES Committee, 1990-1996; Association of College and Research Libraries, Rare Books and Manuscripts Section, Exhibition Catalogs Awards Committee, 1991-1993; Library Administration and Management Association, Personnel Administration Section, Supervisory Skills Committee, 1993-1996
Texas Library Association, 1996-present: RRT, Councilor, 2003-present; RRT, Chair, 2001-2002; RRT, Vice-Chair/Chair Elect, 2000-2001; RRT, Secretary/Treasurer, 2000; RRT, Chair, Planning Committee, 1999-2000; Telecommunications Committee, 1999-2002; Membership Committee, 2000-2003
Honors:
TALL Texans Leadership Development Institute, May 31-June 4, 1999 Statement of Concerns:
I have been a librarian for almost 20 years, and I have spent 8 of those years as a Texas Librarian. I have been a member of Texas Library Association since 1996. This is a time of change for our profession. Where are we to go from here? Do we need to recreate our profession to remain viable? There are lots of questions with no clear answers. We need to stay involved and informed. TLA helps us do that. I would like to continue in the capacity as RRT Councilor as we try and come to grips with the concerns and move forward in our profession.
Beth Thomsett-Scott
Education
Master of Library and Information Science, University of Western Ontario 1995; Master of Science, University of Guelph, 1992; Bachelor of Science, University of Guelph, 1990
Professional Experience
Reference Librarian, University of North Texas, Sept 2001-present; Reference Librarian, University of Guelph, 1997-2001; Reference Librarian, University of Western Ontario, 1995-1996
Professional Activities Texas Library Assocation
Scholarship and Research Committee 2003-2005
Reference Round Table: Webmaster, 2003- ; Secretary/Treasurer, 2004-2005; Preconference Planning Co-Chair, 2004-2005; member, Texas Reference Source Award Committee, 2003-
TALL Texans: Webmaster, 2005- ; Bylaws Review Committee, 2004-2005
Automation and Technology Round Table: Nominating Committee Chair, 2005-2006; Stipend Committee Chair, 2004-2005 & 2005-2006
American Library Assocation
Samuel Laserow Award Committee, 2001-2006
Science and Technology Section of ACRL, Conference Planning Committee, 2001-2003; College Science Librarians Discussion Group Co-chair, 2002- , Secretary 2005 -
Other Professional Activities
Active in the American Chemical Society Chemical Information Division and the Natural Resources Information Council.
Publications and Presentations
Thomsett-Scott, B, and P.E. Reese. 2006. Changes in Library Technology and Reference Desk Statistics: Is there a relationship? Public Services Quarterly 2 (2/3) (in press); Thomsett-Scott, B. 2005. Providing a Complete Menu: Using Competitive Usability in a Home Page Usability Study. Technical Services Quarterly 23(2). Abstract and prepublication version; Thomsett-Scott, B. 2004. If You Ask, I Will Tell You. In: The Virtual Reference Experience: Integrating Theory into Practice. R. David Lankes, Joseph Janes, Linda C. Smith, and Christina M. Finneran, Eds, pp.63-86. Neal Schuman : New York; Thomsett-Scott, B. 2004. Yeah, I found it!: Performing web site usability testing to ensure that off-campus students can find the information they need. Journal of Library Administration, 2004, Vol. 41, Issue 3/4, p471-484; Thomsett-Scott, B. 2004. Turning students onto your web site using usability testing. Paper prepared for the Victorian Automation and Library Association's publication Breaking boundaries: integration and interoperability; Regular contributions to E-Steams (online reviews of Science and Technology reference books) and Choice Magazine book reviews.
Presentations
What's My Leadership Color? Natural Resources Information Council (NRIC) Annual Conference 2005; Usability @ Your Library. NRIC Annual Conference 2005; Employing Competitive Usability in a Study on Online Catalogs, poster session, ALA Annual, 2005; Diversity at the Public Service Desk: Using "True Colors" to Communicate With Colleagues, TLA Annual Conference 2005, Austin, part of the Reference Round Table preconference; The Reality of Accessibility. Technology Showcase presentation at the TLA Annual Conference 2005; What Do They Want From Me? A Chemistry Librarian Explores Liaison Needs and Wants. American Chemical Society Spring Conference 2005; Library Technology and Usage Statistics, poster session, presented at UNT's League for Professional Women's "What Women Do with Their Time" luncheon (co-presented with P.E. Reese); Service Recovery: Taking Care of You. Southwest Association of Student Assistance Programs 2004; Ensuring User Friendly Web Pages. 5 hour workshop for the North Texas Regional Library System; Clear the Web Channels: How to ensure that your message is heard using website usability techniques. NRIC Annual Conference 2004; Gold on the Web: A survey of conservation web sites. NRIC Annual Conference, joint with Anne Hedrich; Open Your Web: Communication using ADA compliant website regulations. NRIC Annual Conference 2004; Perils, Pitfalls and Perfection: Incorporating other Library Web Sites into your Usability Study. Poster session at ALA Annual 2004; Yeah! I found it: Performing Web Site Usability Testing to Ensure that Students Get the Most Out of the Distance Learning Experience. Workshop for the 2004 Off-Campus Library Services Conference; Usability II: Hands On Applications. Half day preconference for TLA Annual Conference 2003. Co-presented with Gayla Byerly and Frances May; Usability I: An Introduction. Half day preconference for TLA Annual Conference 2003. Co-presented with Gayla Byerly and Frances May; If you ask, I will tell you: students speak out on virtual
references. Virtual Reference Desk November 2003, co-presented with Gayla Byerly; Tips and tricks for web site usability studies, Internet Librarian 2003; State your case! Using web site usability techniques to communicate your message more effectively, NRIC Annual Conference 2003; Web site usability studies @ your library, poster session at ALA Annual 2003
Statement of Concerns
enthusiasm. I am looking forward to taking a more active role in the work of TLA as RRT Councilor and
advocating for the interests of reference staff and patrons at this level. Supporting and promoting reference staff, as well as librarianship in general, and providing quality service and resources to library users are the foundations of my career.
