[Asis-l] SIG USE Wins the 2003SIG-of-the-Year Award

[Dania Bilal]

 SIG USE won the 2003 ASIST SIG-of-the-Year Award. The award recognizes a Special Interest
Group's professional accomplishments that reflect a major impact on the
field of information science. The Award was announced at the ASIST
Presidents Reception during the ASIST Annual Meeting and was given to
Dania Bilal who chaired the SIG in 2002/2003. SIG USE sponsored eight
successful sessions and an annual research symposium in 2002, and provided
five sessions and a research symposium in 2003. The SIG was acknowledged
for its successful activities, collaboration with other SIGs, and active
recruiting of new members. SIG USE membership increased from 181 in 2002
to over 290 in 2003.

The SIG redesigned its website and launched its
online newsletter in 2003. In addition, it produced six publications of
which five are available on its website, including a three-year
bibliography of publications of SIG USE members, Dr. Charles Meadows
keynote speech he delivered at the Second Research Symposium, and reports
of the small group discussions on information seeking research. The JASIST
2002 Introduction and Overview: Methods for Studying Information Seeking
and Use (vol. 53 (14), 1218-1222) included six studies that were based on
presentations made at the SIGs First Annual Research Symposium.

The SIG continued to recruit new members and promote activities at ASIST Welcome
Reception (SIG RUSH) and the Dutch Treat Dinner. The latter was also used
to introduce new members to the SIG, share research and hot topics, and
communicate with colleagues, students, and practitioners. ASIST listservs
(siguse-l, sig-l, asis-l) were used to communicate with members and
non-members, invite speakers, organize panel sessions, give updates about
publications and research, and post information about upcoming events. Dr.
Bilal thanks all the officers of the SIG. This Award is for all of
them. She extends special gratitude to Drs. Barbara Wildemuth and Eileen
Abels who served as mentors. Congratulations to all SIG members and thanks
for their support.


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Dania Bilal, Ph.D
Associate Professor
School of Information Sciences
The University of Tennessee
1345 Circle Park
Communications 451
Knoxville, TN 37996
(865) 974-3689
E-mail:dania at utk.edu
http://web.utk.edu/~dania/dania.htm
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"Live as if you were to die tomorrow. Learn as if you were to live
forever." Mahatma Gandhi

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