The Medical Library Association, Inc. (MLA), held its 102nd Annual Meeting in Dallas, Texas, May 17–23, 2002, at the Adams Mark Hotel. The meeting theme was MLA '02 “Big D.” The daily newsletter, Pegasus Flyer, provided highlights of daily activities, changes in meetings events, and information about attractions in the Dallas area; three issues were published, Sunday, May 19–Tuesday, May 21. Total MLA meeting attendance was 2,119.
Additional meeting content—including PowerPoint presentations by MLA officers, section programming, and posters—can be found on MLANET at http://www.mlanet.org/am/am2002/e_present/.
PREMEETING ACTIVITIES
The MLA Board of Directors held a business and planning meeting throughout the day Friday, May 17. The MLA Credentialing Committee met during the evening of May 17.
On Saturday, May 18, the following national committees met: the Books Panel; the Nominating Committee; 2002, 2003, and 2004 National Program Committees; and the 2002 and 2003 Local Assistance Committees. In addition, the Chapter Council and the Section Council held meetings. The Hospital Libraries Section Executive Board also met for the first of two sessions scheduled during MLA '02.
A Hospitality Center, staffed by the Local Assistance Committee (LAC), was open for a total of sixty hours, starting Thursday, May 16. The center provided meeting attendees with information and maps about local attractions. The Placement Service was open for a total of twenty-one and one-half hours, beginning Sunday, May 19.
Late Saturday afternoon, May 19, an orientation session and tea were held for new MLA leaders. Orientation sessions were also held for section chairs and section council representatives. The section program planners also met. Finally, Saturday evening the Hall of Exhibits opened with a Welcome Reception for all attendees. Exhibits were open through Tuesday afternoon, May 21.
The Learning Center, organized and staffed by members of the MLA Educational Media and Technologies Section, provided hands-on exposure to various software and videotape programs. The Learning Center was located in the Hall of Exhibits.
The Internet Center consisted of a mini-network of computers providing convenient Internet access and demonstrations for meeting participants. Also located in the Hall of Exhibits, the Internet Center was sponsored in part by Elsevier Science.
CONTINUING EDUCATION COURSES
The 2001/2002 Continuing Education Committee offered the following courses on May 17, 18, and 22.
CE 120, Working through Conflict: An Interactive Workshop for Resolving Conflicts with Customers and Coworkers
CE 141, Understanding and Using Medical Terminology
CE 142, Copyright Law in the Digital Age
CE 200, Introduction to Financial Management for Health Sciences Libraries
CE 212, Planning and Managing Consumer Health Libraries
CE 213, Writing and Editing for Peer-Reviewed Library Journals
CE 264, Face-to-Face: Strategies for Effective Consumer Health Communication
CE 265, Library Directors: Knowledge, Skills, and Career Paths
CE 320, A Picture of Health: Finding Health-Related Images on the Internet
CE 331, Introduction to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Electronic Information Resources
CE 332, Virtual Reference in a Medical Library Setting
CE 343, Essentials of Database Searching
CE 354, Finding the Best Resources to Answer Nursing Questions
CE 375, Molecular Biology and Genetics for Librarians
CE 386, Government Resources in Consumer Health
CE 387, Making PubMed Work for You
CE 401, Medical Subject Headings (MeSH) for Searchers
CE 442, New Models with Web Metadata
CE 453, What Is this Thing Called the Unified Medical Language System (UMLS) and Why Do I Care?
CE 474, Health Economics Information: The Quest for Efficiency in Health Care
CE 510, Creation and Maintenance of Medical Library Portals
CE 521, Extensible Hypertext Markup Language (XHTML): Preparing Your Library Web Pages
CE 543, Library Website Architecture and Design
CE 574 and CE 585, Palmtop Computers in the Library
CE 600, Quality Filtering: Critical Appraisal and Synthesis of Biomedical Literature
CE 641, Evidence-Based Health Care: A Course in Practical Applications
CE 742, Measuring the Difference: Strategies for Improving and Evaluating Health Information Outreach Programs
One meeting symposium was also offered:
CE 880, Leadership Reconsidered: Developing a Strategic Agenda for Leadership in Health Sciences Libraries: sponsored in part by MLA's Leadership and Management Section, the Association for Academic Health Sciences Libraries, and Majors Scientific Books and held Wednesday, May 22, from 12:30 p.m.–9:00 p.m.
The twenty-five premeeting courses, three postmeeting courses, and the symposium had a total registration of 667.
MEETING, MAY 19
Early Sunday, May 19, a breakfast was held for new members and first-time attendees. The following MLA sections held business meetings: Chiropractic Libraries, Corporate Information Services, Educational Media and Technologies, Federal Libraries, Hospital Libraries, International Cooperation, Public Services, and Research. The Veterinary Medical Libraries Section Executive Committee also held an early morning meeting.
Meeting welcome.
The opening session was convened by MLA President Carol Jenkins, who welcomed members to the meeting. She thanked the 2002 National Program Committee for planning such a dynamic program that would offer something for every attendee. President Jenkins then introduced Millie Moore, South Central Chapter president.
Millie Moore: As president of the South Central Chapter (SCC) of MLA, I would like to welcome MLA members to our chapter. Please enjoy your stay in Dallas. We are very happy to be hosting this meeting in our region. I would like to thank the SCC members who have helped make this meeting a success. As sergeant-at-arms, I would like to ask everyone to attend the business meetings. Welcome to Dallas and have a wonderful meeting.
President Jenkins then introduced two special guests, Tony McSéan, president of the European Association for Health Information and Libraries (EAHIL), and Ian Snowley, director of Information Services, Royal Society of Medicine, London, England, U.K. She then recognized new MLA members and first-time attendees.
Three members of the 2002 National Program Committee (NPC) were then recognized and invited to give opening remarks. They were Connie Poole, chair, Jo Anne Boorkman, associate chair, and Brian Bunnett, chair of the Local Assistance Committee.
Connie Poole: This National Program Committee's road to Big D—the city and the theme—began three years ago. Theme selection is the first big challenge facing any NPC. This committee did not lack for creativity and considered over forty themes and their variants. Big D emerged as the consensus choice, because it is synonymous with our host city and because we felt that it embodied our field's most pervasive trend: Digital! (With apologies to grammarians for using a freestanding adjective, rather than the more correct noun or verb!)
With the perspective of three years, I am happy to say that Big D for Dallas has remained constant. However, the Digital world has continued to evolve and revolve, rewarding and provoking us—usually simultaneously. The Digital Dimension has become so interwoven in today's information fabric that, for the most part, it is no longer Distinct or Distinguishable in our Daily lives.
As the life cycle of this NPC draws to a close, and we enter our season of reflection, a new and—I think more fundamental—Big D comes to mind: Different (D-i-f-f-e-r-e-n-t).
As a parent, I am often reassured by the familiar wisdom that raising a child at various ages is neither easier nor harder, just Different. The neutrality of this Difference principle, which is reassuring and useful in child rearing, also applies in the work life of information professionals. In the realm of the Different, we do not need to load an experience with the quantitative or qualitative measures of: better or worse, up or down, plus or minus.
Different is, essentially, an observation, not an evaluation. Accepting that something is Different leaves the experience and its conclusion to be drawn by each participant-observer.
Much as a child grows through Different ages and stages, we meet in Big D under demonstrably Different circumstances than existed three years ago. This year there are mentors who have retired and who may not be attending this meeting with us for the first time in many years.
Many of us are bearing Different responsibilities at work, due to promotions, vacancies, and institutional needs. Our personal responsibilities reflect changing stages of life, for us and our loved ones.
Many of us are installing Different automated systems this year. Vendors with whom we work have merged, been acquired, or changed businesses. The donor and exhibitor rosters this year are Different than last.
September 11 changed our lives in many profound ways. The security procedures you went through coming to Dallas certainly Differed from those in Vancouver or Orlando.
A Different economy prevails today (I am glad we did not pick that dot.com theme!) Many of our colleagues could not attend this meeting because of tightened financial circumstances in their home institutions.
Our program this year is Different, too. Our first and third plenary speakers were chosen to broaden the program. Interestingly, both are authors and speakers, who have come to those roles after establishing themselves in Different fields: medicine and government, respectively. Both of them will, in their own way, be addressing forms of change and responses to it.
The NLM update was moved into a new time slot on the program this year. There are more times devoted to informal and special interest group (SIG) meetings, responding to new imperatives and topics that are Different from those of three years past.
One thing that is not Different is the number of people who worked together to bring you this meeting. Jo Anne Boorkman, NPC associate chair, and Brian Bunnett, chair of the Local Assistance Committee, are here to recognize those who have made this annual meeting happen. Welcome, have fun, and may you head home Different because of your attendance here in Big D!
Jo Anne Boorkman: I would like to add my welcome to Connie's and to give a big thanks to her for her leadership in chairing this year's National Program Committee (NPC). When she invited me to join her as associate chair, I had just finished serving on the 1999 NPC. Another three-year commitment to NPC activities gave me pause. However, I am glad to say that I told Connie I would be delighted to join her team. It has really been a pleasure working with you, Connie.
It has also been a distinct pleasure working with the entire NPC 2002 committee, Carol Jenkins, our board liaison, and Ray Naegele from MLA headquarters. We became a dedicated team—with laughter being a key element in most of our deliberations. I love working with a group that has a sense of fun!
Connie has told you about the evolution of our theme and logo, Big D. I would like to take a moment to highlight our team members and their roles in making this a successful meeting. Committee members and liaisons, please stand when I mention your names and contributions.
Linda Azen Martin represented the Continuing Education Committee on the NPC, keeping us abreast of the planning for the over thirty continuing education (CE) courses and the leadership symposium on the program this year.
Stephen Greenberg, Section Council liaison, aided by Brenda Faye Green and Jonquil Feldman, coordinated solicitation of contributed papers and the screening procedure for 122 abstracts. This was a competitive process with forty-eight papers accepted for thirty-three sessions. You will have choices!
Susan Jacobson and Kay Wagner took responsibility for coordinating the many abstracts submitted for posters. We have a bumper crop this year, with two poster sessions scheduled.
While the entire NPC gets the opportunity to assist with fundraising for the national program, Howard Silver led this subgroup with Sandra Wood and Kay Wagner who followed up on our initial contacts. Their strategy was successful, and we exceeded our goal of $80,000! And that was after a slowdown in the national economy, not to mention, the uncertainties following September 11.
Dixie Alford Jones coordinated the publicity subgroup of Jett McCann and Kay Wagner, who provided a steady flow of items highlighting plans for Big D for the MLA News, MLA-FOCUS, and chapter newsletters.
What can I say about our Local Assistance Committee (LAC), chaired by Brian Bunnett, but that they are simply a wonderfully creative, energetic, and terrific group, who have done everything possible to make our stay in Dallas and Texas a memorable and enjoyable experience. You will find them wearing big smiles and flashing red “Lone Star” badges at the Hospitality Booth and around the meeting venues. Brian will bring greetings from the LAC in a moment.
Thanks to President Carol Jenkins who gave her leadership and guidance in assisting Connie, Cynthia Henderson, and me in selecting speakers for our plenary sessions.
Of course, all our planning comes together thanks to Ray Naegele and the staff at MLA headquarters, who are aided by the team from Hall-Erickson, Jeannie McClarty and Paul Graller. Through the efforts of all these team members, our meeting has come together so beautifully. We hope y'all have a great time in Dallas, Big D. And now to make your official local welcome, I would like to introduce Brian Bunnett.
Brian Bunnett: I have never spoken before this many people before so . . . best of luck.
I want to assure you all, at the very outset of my comments, that I am not going to make a bunch of cornball remarks about how big everything is in Texas or about what a wide open, Dodge City–kind of cowboy town Dallas is. Those kinds of clichés only succeed in reducing what is essentially complex and manifold into a facile but inaccurate simplicity. Anyway, if you want to see all that western stuff you have got to go to Fort Worth, where they still run steers down the streets, hold stock shows and rodeos, and practice who knows what other primitive customs. I should not be making cracks about Cowtown—half the Local Assistance Committee is from there—but there has always been kind of a rivalry between Dallas and Fort Worth and the two cities are continually snipping at each other. So . . . the opportunity for me, in front of a large audience, to take a few potshots at our neighbors to the west is just too good to pass up.
Okay, that's enough of that. I am going to get a bit mushy now. I had just moved back to Dallas, been here all of two weeks in fact, when I got hornswoggled into serving as the chair of the Local Assistance Committee. I was young and eager to please back then, so I rashly agreed to do it. And, I have to own up to you all that, from time to time, it has been kind of a bother. There were times, I do not mind telling you, that I was so busy working on committee stuff that I would leave work at the end of the day without even having had enough time to finish the crossword puzzle in the Dallas Morning News. But all the hassles, all the meetings, all the time away from my regular job, all the unfinished crossword puzzles, were more than worth it, because, as a result, I got to really get to know my colleagues on the committee.
At this time I would like to ask the members of the Local Assistance Committee to stand.
You know—and this is the mushy part—I have to tell you all that I love working as a librarian. The work we do is important, and I think we are making a difference. But working with other librarians is the part of the job that I like best. And the folks standing before you now are some of the best that I have ever had the good fortune to work with—even if half of them are from Fort Worth.
Well, come by the Hospitality Booth if you need any local assistance—that is where my colleagues and I are going to be hanging out. And welcome to Big D, you all.
President Jenkins then acknowledged the many sponsors who gave financial and in-kind contributions to support the annual meeting.
Connie Poole then formally introduced MLA President Carol Jenkins, who gave her presidential address, titled: “Investing in Our Future—Health Information Leadership in the Twenty-first Century.”
Presidential address.
Carol Jenkins: Thank you for that introduction, Connie. It is truly my honor and privilege to be speaking to you today as your president. The past year has gone very quickly for me. I have had the pleasure of talking with MLA members at most of the chapter meetings and of representing MLA at both the national and international levels. I have pointed out at chapter meetings in Oregon, Maryland, and Philadelphia how my living in those places helped to shape my career as a health sciences librarian. But here in Dallas is where it all really started for me, believe it or not! So I am especially pleased to welcome you all to Dallas.
This slide shows four generations of my family on my father's side. They were early Texas farmers (that is what made them bow-legged I guess), who first came to Stoney Point, Texas, in 1870. (This is six miles east of Melissa, just north of Dallas). My great-great-grandfather from Tennessee (he is the bearded one) fought in the War Between the States, and, like many others after the war ended, he headed west.
My forefathers did not become millionaires in the oil industry, but they were respected and steadfast members of their community. My great-grandfather was a construction engineer who also served as county commissioner, justice of the peace, member of school board, and Sunday school teacher. One of our often-told stories about our family in those days was that they built a home in Melissa that was leveled by a tornado, so they rebuilt their home on the same spot, and the house was struck by a tornado a second time years later. Several generations of my family nevertheless lived in and supported this small town community for more than seventy years.
I was born in Dallas quite a few years later, while my father was earning the first degree awarded to a medical illustrator at University of Texas Southwestern Medical School (Southwestern) here in Dallas. My first job in a medical library was at Southwestern, in 1969. To the best of my recollection, there was no computer anywhere in that library then. But there was a new grant from NLM to help build up the collection. It was the early days of the Medical Library Assistance Act. And that is what I did at the library—build the collection. So, that is a century of my family's history in and around Dallas.
Why is this important to know? I wanted to share some of my personal reasons for being so excited about coming to Dallas this week. It may help remind us that while Dallas today is a sophisticated fast-paced metropolis you do not have to go back very many years to find people like my forefathers who invested in the future of this twenty-first century city. It adds a personal perspective to the rapid pace of change in our society today and reminds me of the roots of some of our lasting values.
Certainly, nothing could have prepared us adequately for the changes we faced during this past year. Last year when we met in Orlando, I introduced my theme, “Investing in Our Future.” And in my inaugural speech I called on us all to find practical magic, creative ideas that would lead to bold actions to prepare us for health information leadership in the new century. I suggested some areas where action would be especially important: recruiting new professionals into our workforce, stepping up our education efforts to meet our lifelong learning needs wherever we are, and demonstrating technology leadership as a virtual association. I suggested the board might pick up some practical magic tips from Blue Man Group—and here is the evidence that we did just that—although we did not turn bald and blue ourselves!
But last year when I spoke to you there was no economic recession, no attack on the United States, no anthrax scare, no investigation into the death of a clinical research subject at a leading biomedical research institution. These events changed the nation's and the world's health agenda, among other things—bringing new emphases on public health preparedness, rapid communication of health information to the public and to health professionals, and personal safety and security. They brought new restrictions on access to government information and more rigorous scrutiny of human research protocols at universities and clinical research facilities across the United States. When the MLA Board met in September, the time usually devoted to association planning, it was just a week after September 11, and we were consumed by a sense of urgency around these events.
What emerged from our discussions that week were two very important conclusions. One was that MLA is able to provide helpful rapid responses to urgent national health and information concerns, and we should continue to strengthen and use this capability; and the second was that “Investing in Our Future” was never more important than it is now.
How did MLA respond?
When the report of a research subject's death at Johns Hopkins University due to an adverse reaction to hexamethonium hit the news last summer, you recall that the investigation soon found that doing a thorough literature search before conducting the trial would have identified prior reports of the drug's possible toxicity. Johns Hopkins immediately began planning corrective action, and research organizations across the country scrutinized their internal review processes.
MLA quickly issued a statement advocating consultation with expert health sciences librarians for help in conducting complex literature searches to promote patient and research subject safety. This statement was picked up by several publications that were following this story. The MLA Board also moved quickly to follow up by creating the Task Force on Expert Searching. This group, chaired by Board Member Ruth Holst, will recommend ways to sustain and promote use of the expert searching knowledge of our members and will develop best practice search guidelines to meet the needs in various settings. One immediate action we took was to offer a selection of CE courses at this meeting for those who want to brush up on their searching skills.
Following September 11, we also quickly created the Community of Caring section on MLANET for sharing stories, expressions of concern, and useful Web information resources. Many of you have taken your own actions to become more involved in consulting on research proposals and in providing ready access to resources on anthrax, smallpox, antibiotics, and other topics related to public health preparedness. MLA is interested in knowing how we can promote and support these efforts for even greater benefit, and we welcome your suggestions.
These actions demonstrate that MLA truly is the association promoting quality information for improved health. What we learned is that there are going to be adverse circumstances as well as opportunities to showcase our value to society and that we must be nimble and prepared to act however appropriate. It reinforces the need for us to consider how we invest in our future.
While the board took considered quick action at its September meeting, we also took a long-range look at our future. We saw great potential for us to show health information leadership over the next several decades as we continue to work toward that vision of quality information improving health, and we saw some challenges that MLA can help us address.
The board describes our envisioned future for MLA this way: We want to be the association of the most visible, trusted, and respected health information experts with proven, positive influence on the quality of health in the world.
Some of you may consider this statement and think, ”yes, this is where I want to be!” Others may think it is way too far-fetched and unrealistic. This statement takes our vision of “Quality information for improved health” further, by describing the value that we—the health information experts—hope to add. It stakes a claim to be the most visible, trusted, and respected experts. It says that recognition of our value by society is important to us and that we believe we can meet society's health information needs better than others can. It says that we can be innovative and creative in providing services that make us the leaders in meeting health information needs.
This envisioned future also states how we expect to be measured, as having proven impact on improving the quality of health in the world. This means we value our ability to provide the best information that will improve health as demonstrated by a body of research evidence.
This statement describes our envisioned future. It also suggests what we value. These are values that each of us must support in our professional lives, and they are values that the Medical Library Association helps us embody.
This describes our most desirable future. Can we reach it? We hope so. It is not a five-year plan; it will take longer. We may achieve some parts of it more fully than others.
Challenges.
To be the most visible, trusted, and respected health information experts presents us with some major challenges. What are some of those challenges? One is: Will there be enough of us to make a difference? Recruiting and retaining enough of the best, brightest, and diverse individuals into our workforce to meet present and future anticipated needs for health information experts is a challenge we already face.
Second, will we have the knowledge and skills needed to demonstrate our expertise in changing roles? Providing lifelong learning opportunities to sustain our expertise in a changing workforce wherever we are will be a challenge even for an association with historic strength in education like MLA.
Third, how can we promote our value so we are seen as the most visible, trusted, respected (and necessary!) health information experts among a growing array of information providers and in a cost-competitive health care industry? This is a huge challenge. We have begun in recent years a more aggressive public relations campaign that has shown excellent results building access to public media. More is clearly needed, especially aimed at the health care industry and health professional groups. We know we must work in partnership with colleagues in related professions, while at the same time demonstrating through research how we contribute to the ultimate goal of improved health.
One of the biggest challenges to all members of the health care community today is the growing involvement and power of the patient and health-information consumer. Fourth, how should MLA harness the interest of the information-hungry public to help achieve our vision? We have strong consumer health initiatives within MLA now, particularly through our Consumer and Patient Health Information Section. Our public relations efforts are reaching a large consumer audience, and our education programs have reached out to other groups who serve the public. Is this sufficient? Does an association of the most visible and trusted health information experts need to address the information needs of the public even more directly?
Fifth, how can we make better use of our own expertise? The association is a rich source of knowledge about us and our professional expertise. In the changing landscape of scholarly communication and knowledge management, we face the challenge of developing tools and mechanisms that preserve our own knowledgebase and put our knowledge to work for us and for others.
These are some of the major challenges we face, but they are not the only ones. How should MLA begin to address these challenges? We will need to make some very important strategic choices about how we invest in our future. Let's look at some of them.
Investment strategy—recruitment.
Our first investment strategy is recruitment. MLA will aggressively recruit the best and brightest candidates into the profession of health sciences librarianship and explore new health information professional roles that support our envisioned future. The need for help with recruitment has been endorsed by MLA members in every chapter meeting I attended this year. We do not have adequate data describing our workforce needs, unfortunately, and that is one of the things we need to work on. But what we know is disturbing enough. In 1983, over half of MLA members were below the age of forty; but in 1998 (fifteen years later) only 18.2% of MLA members were under forty. And today only 5% of members are in their twenties, beginning their careers. These figures are similar to those for librarians of all types. The Association of Academic Health Sciences Libraries (AAHSL) found that over 50% of its members (academic health sciences library directors) will retire during the current decade.
We do know that the generation that will be seeking jobs during this and the next decade is the largest generation in U.S. history. They are called the Millennials by some (our Wednesday plenary speaker Bill Strauss for one). So it seems appropriate that we work now to develop our strategies to appeal to these newcomers to the workplace, that we make health sciences librarianship as appealing and as rewarding a career choice for them as possible.
Earlier this year, I appointed the Task Force to Recruit the Twenty-First Century Workforce. Led by Elizabeth Irish, this group has enthusiastically tackled these questions, and they have drafted a preliminary plan that they will share at this meeting to get more comments from all of you. Some of their recommendations address ways to promote health sciences librarianship as a career to students at all age levels, beginning in middle school and high school (because this is when many people first consider career possibilities), as well as to older students and second-career seekers.
Some of their ideas include: a special “Job Shadow Day” in the library, career fairs, and more. They want to share their ideas with you and hear from you, as well, and they invite you to attend a chapter sharing roundtable on recruitment at noon today, or attend the Open Forum on Monday, May 20, at 3 p.m., or, if you cannot make those, share your ideas with Elizabeth Irish, the chair, or one of the task force members.
While the task force is developing its plan, MLA has already published two brochures, one aimed at high school students and another at the college and professional audience. You can request these or download them from MLANET, if you want to use them in a recruitment effort of your own. I encourage you to check the other new career and mentoring resources recently added to MLANET. MLA also continues to use funding from NLM to support several diversity efforts, among them a $5,000 Scholarship for Minority Students and an award for the first MLA/NLM Spectrum Scholar (in partnership with ALA).
MLA also is actively supporting the investigation of new roles for health sciences librarians. Well, this slide is not exactly the type of new role I meant! These people are exploring new roles at the Halloween on the Bayou Party at this past year's Triple Chapter Meeting in New Orleans!
Most of you know that MLA and NLM jointly sponsored the Informationist Conference on April 4–5 of this year. About seventy attendees at this invitational conference explored the ideas first advanced by authors Frank Davidoff and Valerie Florance in their article in the Annals of Internal Medicine almost two years ago. The informationist is described as a professionally trained information specialist with strong knowledge of the clinical or research environment along with significant expertise in information management. The informationist would practice in the clinical or research environment alongside other clinicians or researchers and would provide advanced information services that directly support clinical care or research.
Jean Shipman chaired the task force that did an outstanding job planning that conference. Since the conference, MLA is working on posting the speaker presentations on MLANET and preparing videos of the keynote presentations by Frank Davidoff and Valerie Florance, and we held an online chat on MLANET on May 9 with Florance and Davidoff to continue the dialog with many of you who are interested in where we go next to explore this role. The task force will publish a summary report of the conference in the October Journal of the Medical Library Association (JMLA). You can also join a chapter sharing roundtable discussion on the informationist today at lunch and attend an Open Forum discussion on Monday at 3 p.m. to ask questions and share your comments.
The board wants to take further follow-up actions. This is not an easy topic—there is not broad consensus yet about many of the questions raised about informationists. The conference attendees felt that some type of advanced information specialist with proper training could meet a critical need and that there may be multiple models, including clinical librarians, to fill this role. The board wants to find ways to promote different models in various environments and to test their value and sustainability. We agreed this week to extend the term of our Informationist Conference Task Force and ask them to write an action plan by September for how we should move forward in exploring this new role.
Our efforts to recruit new health sciences librarians may get a big boost due to First Lady Laura Bush's Initiative to Address the Nation's Critical Shortage of Librarians. On January 9 of this year, she announced a proposed $10 million initiative for 2003 to recruit a new generation of librarians, to be funded through the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS). This funding is aimed at addressing a national shortage of librarians in all settings. If funded, it can give us valuable visibility, access to funds, and opportunities to partner with other library agencies. MLA will be submitting to this agency by June 1 our top recruitment priorities for possible IMLS funding. These priorities will be based on what is in our draft plan at this point and what we hear from you at this meeting.
So, we seem to be well on our way to developing action strategies for recruiting the next generation of health information professionals. We need to get started, however, if we intend these strategies to have an impact by the end of the decade. A high school freshman in 2002 will be finishing a master's degree by 2010, by which time we anticipate a mass of retirements. But what makes us think these Millennials will want to become health sciences information professionals? Will they be attracted to the profession for the same reasons we were and are? I urge you to attend Bill Strauss' plenary session on Wednesday to hear what he has to say about Millennials.
The recruitment task force is asking the questions, “Why did we become health sciences librarians? And why do we stay in the field?” The task force recognizes the link between recruitment and retention. Studies have shown that two critical factors in librarian job retention are support for learning and development and mentoring. This leads us to consider another critical investment strategy for MLA: lifelong learning.
Investment strategy—lifelong learning.
We propose that MLA will create the Center of Research and Education (CORE) to help ensure we will gain the expertise needed for changing roles throughout our lifetimes. Our vision for this center is to be a Center of Excellence: the best source of high-quality health information education meeting the needs of learners anywhere, anytime, throughout their lifetimes. Such a center could help us recruit and retain our best employees by offering a wide variety of educational content in multiple formats and venues, including more online, interactive content. Some of the other new services the center might offer include: an “education bank” of new and re-purposed professional knowledge that could be used to create personalized learning, mentoring services that meet employers' needs for leadership development and individuals' needs for job placement and career advancement advice, and new specialty certificate programs.
The center could foster an educational consortium of schools, associations, and organizations to share educational content and expertise for an expanded audience. These and other ideas will be developed further this year to arrive at an approach that positions MLA to build our expert knowledge, both individually and collectively, and to share it with the increasingly diverse group of people who seek health information expertise, including consumers.
MLA's Educational Clearinghouse now has over 180 courses listed—this is quite remarkable—and it continues to grow. We have begun developing specialty credentials such as the new Consumer Health Information Specialization program and a technology credential. MLA has offered a number of successful teleconferences, the most recent being the personal digital assistant (PDA) teleconference in February.
Earlier this year we charged a Task Force on Online Education, chaired by Lynn Fortney, with planning how to increase MLA's capacity to provide more online education to an expanding market. This is clearly an investment strategy for MLA. They are working with the CE Committee and the board and plan several initial activities to recruit and train online instructors. Anyone interested in developing Web-based continuing education for MLA is invited to the Open Forum at 3 p.m. on Monday. Both the online education task force and the recruitment task force have called for us to update Platform for Change (MLA's Educational Policy Statement) to reflect the new knowledge and skills needed for twenty-first century health information expertise and to provide continuing education that addresses those changing needs.
Expanding our research knowledgebase is the other cornerstone of the Center of Research and Education. Our goal of demonstrating positive influence on the quality of health in the world is a clarion call for more health information–related research. I am pleased to announce that MLA is taking one more step toward increasing our research base by inaugurating the Donald A. B. Lindberg Research Fellowship named after NLM Director Donald Lindberg. A selection jury has been appointed and applications will be accepted this fall. This award, which MLA hopes to endow, will provide up to $25,000 annually toward pursuing research related to health sciences libraries and librarianship.
Investment strategy—advocacy.
Advocacy is a third investment strategy for MLA. We believe MLA needs to expand its advocacy role to become the leading voice for health information experts in our society. Moreover, MLA should aggressively promote the ability of its members to serve the health information needs of the public. MLA should also advocate for public policies and funding that help promote our vision. These are investment strategies that will result in greater recognition of our value to society.
Opinions vary as to whether librarians' image gained ground or took a nosedive this year. “What are we? chopped liver?” one of our members asked, concerned that our expertise at providing clinical information services is being overshadowed by the glamour of a new sounding profession of informationist. Or are we the equivalent of a souped up Honda? Or a “librarian by day, Bacardi by night?” Or the Las Vegas “gorgeous librarians” featured in today's issue of Pegasus Flyer? Whatever you think these ads say about what a librarian really is, they are not saying he or she is a visible, trusted, respected expert with proven positive benefit to society! If MLA is to be the leading voice for health information experts in society, we have to change this image. Other professional groups are doing mass media ads now. With apologies to the real estate agents, for example: what if we patterned a high visibility media campaign after one of theirs? It might go something like this:
While Dr. Jones is providing the compassionate care needed by a mother and her sick child, someone else on his team is sending to his PDA the best evidence available on treatment protocols.
While Dr. Edwards is designing her clinical trial for a new compound to treat asthma, someone else on her team is working on the exhaustive literature search delving back into articles written before 1966.
While Dr. Hill is teaching a medical student doing a community rotation in her practice how to handle a basic physical exam, someone else is teaching that student how to use the latest medical knowledge tools to find quick answers to questions that arise in the practice setting.
And while your family doctor is counseling you and your father, who has just been diagnosed with Alzheimers Disease, someone else on the team is assembling an information packet including disease information and the addresses of local support groups for you and your family members.
That person is your health sciences librarian. The health information expert who works on the health care team to create better health for you.
You undoubtedly could come up with more and better examples describing our role. Our advocacy efforts need to showcase our expertise. Like real estate agents (and travel agents, and others), we cannot let society assume that the value-added services we provide are no longer necessary because information is so widely accessible on the Web. We are making strides to accomplish this. Our press releases issued this year carried this message. MLA has established an ongoing relationship with the Pew Internet and American Life project that is leading to other opportunities to promote our role as health information experts.
This year MLA was invited to appoint a representative to the Health Web Site Advisory Committee of the American Accreditation HealthCare Commission, a group that provides neutral third party reviews of health Websites. This appointment happened thanks to the initiative shown by members Andrea Kenyon and Susan Murray, chair of MLA's Consumer and Patient Health Information Section, who first contacted that organization. Further, Linda Watson has been invited to represent MLA at the first annual “Information Therapy Innovators Conference” this fall. We were alerted to this new group by several of you; we approached the executive director of the new Center for Information Therapy. We hope to explore a common interest in the idea that “information prescriptions” should become a routine and reimbursable part of everyday health care.
We will make various choices about our roles and responsibilities to provide direct information services to the general public, depending on our circumstances. But there is no denying that the public is a constituency that has a big stake in what we have to offer. In this century, improving the health of the public means sharing our expertise with them, as well as with others advocating for well-informed health care consumers. These are investment strategies we need to continue to focus on.
A third aspect of MLA's advocacy role is its ability to influence and educate members about governmental and public policy in areas that support our professional values and interests. Let me share several examples of MLA's advocacy in this area during the past year. The events of September 11 and afterward immediately changed the public policy landscape for information access. MLA will now be sharing information to help members know how to comply with the new Patriots Act that broadens the surveillance capabilities of law enforcement, while acknowledging our concerns about protecting confidentiality.
This year MLA has also supported legislation allowing copyright exemptions for library materials used in distance education and has advocated that libraries should be exempt from technology that prevents use of copyrighted digital materials in cases of fair use. Our Governmental Relations Committee has prepared two fact sheets stating MLA's positions supporting the library's role in distance education. As president, I joined the Joint MLA/AAHSL Legislative Task Force this spring to visit congressional offices in Washington, DC. We urged support for completing the promised increases to the NIH and NLM budget; and I presented MLA's Distinguished Public Service Award to Senator Harry Reid of Nevada in recognition of his strong support for NLM and NIH funding. Through these longstanding advocacy efforts, MLA has gained a credible reputation among Washington lawmakers, and our voice adds strength to the positions of other library and health associations on issues of common concern. MLA will now be adding support for recruitment and retention in the profession to its legislative and public policy agenda, to help identify funds and policies that are needed. MLA's advocacy efforts are an investment in our future success.
Investment strategy—steward of professional knowledgebase.
There is one final investment strategy I want to mention. MLA is the steward of our professional knowledgebase. This is the knowledge we need to collect, preserve, and share to advance our profession. We accomplish this role in many ways. Our publications range from monographs like the popular new Consumer Health Reference Service Handbook to the new JMLA, renamed this year to reflect the significance of its content, the growing body of health information research we report there. The digital archive of JMLA continues to grow on PubMed Central. We have print and online newsletters edited by members in chapters and sections and for the association as a whole.
We have the annual meeting and our chapter meetings, still one of the very best ways we have to share information formally and informally. (The people in this photo are from the joint meeting of California, Arizona, and Nevada chapters.)
In addition to these sources—and I doubt I mentioned anything that you are not already aware of—MLA has a rich and growing body of data about us and our libraries. We can use this data to help us pursue our careers, promote our value, and improve our libraries. There are data from the Hay Study comparing salaries of librarians and information technology counterparts. There are our members' salary survey data, updated this year and just made available, and the online membership directory. There are now statistical data about our libraries that can be used for benchmarking and improving services, because 385 libraries submitted their data this year. Learn more about using data for benchmarking at a session on Tuesday at 3:00 p.m.
We are continuing to collect and report data that members can use. For example, the recruitment task force will work this year on developing a better demographic profile of employment needs in our workplaces. The expert searching task force just completed a Web survey that produced rich data describing the range of expert database searching activities in our libraries. The just completed “Value of Information Study” commissioned by MLA will be available to help us identify ways to use these and other data to effectively promote our value in our institutions. Hear more about this study at today's business meeting and in another session at 3:00 p.m. on Tuesday.
We have incredible member expertise that can be shared in new and useful ways. Our large CE roster reflects the wide array of expertise of members who share their knowledge as instructors. We will honor nearly two dozen members with awards this year, as we do each year—add to this numerous other awards made by chapters and sections and the ninety-four members who have been named Fellows of this association. Some of us just heard Lucretia McClure remind us to share our experiences with others, in ways that can help them shape their own careers. How can MLA help us tap into this rich knowledgebase of our own members for advice, answers, and expertise?
We have a robust Website with information and connectivity to any aspect of our association. It is important to point out that most of the knowledge sources I mentioned and many of our services are accessible to us now virtually via MLANET. We used technology this past year not just to disseminate information but to enhance communication. Examples include the PDA teleconference and the online chat with the informationist authors that just occurred. We routinely conduct Web surveys now such as the annual information technology (IT) survey. We can be a technology leader and will continue to explore applications that benefit members.
We have such a rich knowledgebase when you put this all together. We need to recognize the value of all this expertise and make better use of it. This idea of MLA as knowledge source will be a continued focus of our planning in the coming year.
I have reviewed some key challenges facing MLA and the investment strategies we are developing to meet them. These strategies can position us for health information leadership in the twenty-first century. We need your help now to take these strategies to the next level, which is action. MLA's strategies should address our current needs for recruiting, training, promoting our value, and sharing our knowledge. They also need to position us for prominence as the twenty-first century progresses. This is critical if we want them to guide us toward that envisioned future of being the most visible, trusted, and respected health information experts who improve the quality of health in the world.
So I challenge you now to consider what I have talked about this morning from both perspectives, present and future. The strategic plan for the new century being developed this year by the Board of Directors will be posted on MLANET, where we seek your suggestions and ideas for making certain MLA meets your needs both now and in our envisioned future.
Last year I asked you to help MLA find practical magic, creative ideas that work to solve problems. You did not let me down. Ideas came from all directions. For instance, at the chapter meetings I attended, people suggested new ways to use PDAs and shared ideas and stories for how to recruit new people into the profession.
I am sure that the Southern Chapter's benchmarking cheerleaders helped us reach the remarkable total of 385 contributors to this year's effort. I was pleased to honor the lasting contributions of two chapters that have been coming up with good ideas for fifty years: the Southern Chapter and the Philadelphia Regional Chapter both celebrated their fifty year anniversaries this year.
The volunteers who have worked on our various task forces to explore the informationist, expert searching, online education, recruitment, benchmarking, and more have been quick thinking and creative. In fact, I think that each of you who took part in some volunteer role for MLA this past year—or who shared your ideas and your research through publications and presentations or responses to surveys—gave us some of your own practical magic. I gratefully acknowledge and appreciate your efforts. Keep them coming! That is what will help us ensure that MLA's programs and services are meeting your needs.
I also acknowledge with sincere thanks the help we get from MLA's headquarters staff. We are a very busy and productive association. We succeed in listening and responding to members' needs; we succeed in effectively promoting our interests in society; and we succeed in anticipating and preparing for the rapid and constant changes in our lives in large part due to their dedicated efforts. I am convinced that they understand our envisioned future, and we need their help to get us there. They are a major investment in our future success.
Finally, I thank all of you for giving me the privilege of serving as your president for the past year. It was a year of changes that reached to our very core, providing us with both challenges and opportunities. I think MLA is stronger, clearer in our vision, and ready to face the future as the association of health information leaders for the twenty-first century. If we follow the advice of Eleanor Roosevelt and “believe in the beauty of our dreams,” we will reach our envisioned future. I invite you to be there. Thank you.
Plenary Session I: The John P. McGovern Lecture: Surviving Everest: Against All Odds.
Introduction: Connie Poole, 2002 National Program Committee and Medical Library, School of Medicine, Southern Illinois University–Springfield.
Speaker: Seaborn Beck Weathers, M.D., Medical City Dallas Hospital, and LabCorp, Dallas.
After the first Plenary Session, Chapter Council sponsored roundtable discussions for attendees to informally share experiences and expertise on a variety of topics while having lunch. Discussions focused on the following topics: archives—traditional and electronic, benchmarking, chairs and incoming chairs, communications—traditional and electronic, consumer health, distance education, electronic books and journals, evidence-based medicine, finance and treasurers, fundraising, governmental relations, informationist concept exploration, license negotiation, marketing and public relations, meet the mentors, meeting planning, one-person and one-librarian libraries, recruiting for the profession, training and user education, virtual reference services, and Web managers.
Business session I.
The first business session was convened by President Carol Jenkins. She introduced Carla J. Funk, executive director of MLA, who introduced the members of the 2001/02 Board of Directors, the parliamentarian, the sergeant-at-arms, and the following appointed officers: Scott Garrison, MLANET editor; T. Scott Plutchak, editor of the Journal of the Medical Library Association; and Beverly Murphy, editor of the MLA News. She then asked chapter chairs, section, and SIG chairs to stand to be recognized and then committee and task force chairs and MLA representatives to allied organizations.
President Jenkins returned to the podium and gave a few remarks about the tragedy of September 11, 2001. Next, she read the names of association members who had died during the past year: Jean Brennan, Judith Caruthers, Elizabeth Casida, Henrietta Claxton, Charles C. Colby III, Winifred (Winnie) Lieber, Charlotte K. Lindner, Fowler C. Martin, and Eleanor G. Steinke. President Jenkins called for a few seconds of silence in honor of their memory.
Ms. Jenkins next recognized the 410 new members who have joined the association since the 2001 annual meeting and asked those present to stand. She then announced the publication of one new monograph during the past association year, the MLA Consumer Health Reference Service Handbook and CD-ROM by Donald Barclay and Deborah Halsted.
Next was announced the production of one new BibKit, BibKit #5: History of the Health Sciences, second revised edition, by Stephen Greenberg and Patricia Gallagher. All past and present MLA authors and editors were asked to stand and be recognized.
After verifying with the sergeant-at-arms that a quorum was present at the meeting, President Jenkins called on MLA Secretary Jean Shipman, to move adoption of the Rules of the Assembly.
Jean Shipman: The Rules of the Assembly include information on addressing the chair, presenting motions, debating, and voting. These rules are printed on page forty-one of the Official Program. At the direction of the Board of Directors, I move that the Rules of the Assembly as printed in the 2002 Official Program be adopted.
President Jenkins, hearing no discussion, called the question, and the motion was passed.
Jean Shipman: A printed copy of the Official Program as proposed by the Board of Directors is in the hands of each registrant for this meeting. The agenda for the 2002 business meetings are found on pages twenty-nine and thirty-four of the Official Program. By direction of the Board of Directors, I move that the agenda for the 2002 business meetings of the Medical Library Association be adopted.
President Jenkins, again hearing no discussion, called the question, and the motion was passed.
Carol Jenkins: In November 2001, ballots for MLA's election of 2002/03 officers, Board of Directors, and Nominating Committee members were mailed to all voting members of the Medical Library Association. A total of 1,411 countable ballots were returned. The Ad Hoc Election Task Force, chaired by Irene Wood, counted the ballots at MLA headquarters on January 10, 2002. The election results were announced in the February 2002 issue of MLA News, and complete election results including vote totals are published in the 2001/02 Annual Report, which is available on MLANET. Following are the election results: Patricia L. Thibodeau, AHIP, was elected president-elect. Michelynn McKnight was elected for a three-year term to the Board of Directors. Gerald (Jerry) Perry was elected for a three-year term to the Board of Directors. Neil Rambo was elected for a three-year term to the Board of Directors. Also in May 2001, Norma Funkhouser was elected by Section Council to serve as a Section Council liaison to the MLA Board. Her three-year term will begin at the close of MLA '02. The following were elected to the Nominating Committee: Patricia A. Gallagher, Suzanne Grefsheim, Patricia A. Hammond, Rosalind K. Lett, Virginia A. Lingle, Frances H. Lynch, Kathryn (Katy) Nesbit, Tovah Reis, and Mary L. Riordan.
President Jenkins called on the MLA Treasurer Mark Funk to present the treasurer's report.
Mark Funk: Last year MLA's previous treasurer, Suzanne Grefsheim, projected a balanced budget with net revenues expected to be over $26,000. The actual numbers from 2001 gave us a net revenue of over $63,000. This positive variance of over $37,000 was due to good advertising sales, especially sponsorships for MLANET. Use MLANET to click on your favorite companies. We also have below-budget expenditures for information issues and policies in continuing education programs. The 2001 endowment funds are in good shape. Total endowments at the end of the year were just under $674,000. Our temporarily restricted net assets used for awards, honors, and scholarships were over $285,000. Our 2001 stabilization fund, known to non-accountants as our reserve fund, ended the year with over $974,000. At our February meeting, the board decided to raise the minimum amount of our reserve fund to equal or exceed 30% of our annual expenses. This is up from the previous minimum of 25%. In times of economic uncertainty, this extra cushion is reassuring. In 2001, we would have preferred, like many others, to have higher investment returns. Overall, investments declined about 5%. Our investments are conservatively managed by a professional money manager. The portfolio consists of roughly half fixed income securities and bonds and half equities (stocks). We are looking to better investment results for 2002.
How does the 2002 budget look? For the second straight year, MLA members are presented with a balanced budget with several major new initiatives being funded. The 2002 budget is projected to yield a surplus of $24,700. MLA earns 75% of its revenues from non-dues sources such as fees, advertising, exhibit sales, and mailing list rentals. These non-dues sources increase and decrease according to prevailing market sources and greatly impact the bottom line. Dues are 25% of MLA's revenues, and half of that is from institutional memberships. For 2002, the board simplified the institutional categories to encourage renewals and add new members. Institutional dues are now based on total library expenditures rather than the number of journal subscriptions. Grants and contracts are excluded from this amount. This change was designed to be a revenue-neutral change, not to increase MLA's revenues. The board felt that with publisher journal packages and increased use of consortium sharing, the number of journal subscriptions was no longer a fair way to calculate dues.
This chart illustrates the 2002 budget expenses by programs and services. The projected budget surplus of $24,700 is less than 1% of projected revenues. Current economic uncertainties challenge the board and staff to keep MLA on track to finish the year with a balanced budget, while maintaining support for ongoing activities and funding new priorities.
We are, however, planning major new priorities for 2002. We will expand the virtual association via MLANET to offer benchmarking data, a Web store, and retrospective issues of the Bulletin of the Medical Library Association and MLA News. We will continue the online Members Directory with online sponsors. In terms of public relations and promotions, we will demonstrate the value of the Academy of Health Information Professionals by using data from the 2001 Hay/MLA salary survey and testimonials from academy members. We will also provide academy information at chapter meetings and market the academy to employers. MLA will promote health sciences librarians as consultants to education and industry by creating an expert database or directory. In education, we will create a Center of Excellence in Health Information Education on MLANET to serve as the main site for all MLA professional development materials and information. For membership, the career pages on MLANET will be enhanced. We will continue the diversity recruitment campaign and identify other potential membership segments. In the research arena, MLA will continue to develop the benchmarking database, and we will create an expert searching, “best practices” database as a response to the tragedy at Johns Hopkins last year.
I am also pleased to announce the addition of two new endowment funds for 2002. A David A. Kronick Traveling Fellowship has been established with a donation from Virginia M. Bowden, Ph.D., director of the Briscoe Library, University of Texas Health Science Center–San Antonio. This fellowship will provide support for travel and research that promote excellence in the field of health sciences librarianship. One David A. Kronick Traveling Fellowship grant of $2,000 will be offered each year. It will cover the expenses involved in traveling to three or more medical libraries in the United States or Canada for the purpose of studying a specific aspect of health information management. The first grant will be awarded this week. The second new endowment is the Donald A. B. Lindberg Research Fellowship Endowment. MLA has established this endowment to fund research aimed at expanding the research knowledgebase, linking the information services provided by librarians to improved health care and advances in biomedical research. The fellowship is named in honor of Donald A. B. Lindberg, M.D., director of the National Library of Medicine, in recognition of his significant national and international achievements at NLM. When funded, the fellowship will provide $25,000 annually through a competitive grant process. This is a significant fellowship. The endowment fundraising goal is $400,000. MLA is contributing $25,000 to the endowment but needs additional contributions to meet that goal. A fundraising brochure has been produced and is now being mailed to possible donors.
In conclusion, I want to thank Carla Funk, Ray Naegele, and the rest of the superb MLA headquarters staff for their advice and assistance throughout the year and for help in preparing this report. Thank you.
Ms. Jenkins then called on Carla J. Funk for her executive director's report.
Carla J. Funk: Hello again. As Carol described this morning, we are reconstructing MLA in a number of ways. Headquarters is in the middle of another reconstruction as Chicago rebuilds Wacker Drive all around us. This is an effort to make the eighty-year-old road structurally sound incorporating new construction techniques learned since the original road was built. The staff at MLA have gotten to view the construction firsthand from both below in that bright colored building at MLA, where MLA headquarters is, and from above. As the reconstruction continues, it is a daily challenge to work through an ever-changing maze of ramps, stairs, and bridges to reach the office. Some paths become dead ends overnight, and you must retrace your steps only to discover that a new and even better way has opened up.
This is an area that describes MLA programs and services for this year. February of this year marked my tenth anniversary as executive director of the Medical Library Association. Today, MLA is in an even stronger financial position than it was ten years ago. In 1991, MLA ended the year with a $78,000 deficit. As Mark just reported, MLA had about $63,000 in net revenue for this year. In 1991, we had about $1.9 million in total operating revenues; today, we have $2.7 million. Our reserve fund equaled 16% of our operating expenses, and our endowments and other restricted funds were at one half million dollars in 1991. Today, our reserve fund equals 34% of our operating expenses, which is closer to the association norm. Our endowments and restricted funds are at almost a million dollars, and this is thanks to a lot of great support from members and donors, so we are very appreciative. In 1991, annual meeting revenues were $90,000. The 2001 annual meeting revenues were five times that. Members and staff have worked hard to achieve this financial stability, and this financial strength has given us the ability to move along in our reconstruction. During these ten years, MLA has started a number of new initiatives as we have traveled down new pathways to reach our goals. Some of these new programs included MLANET and the concept of virtual association, the adoption of the MLA educational policy statement and the delivery of continuing education at a distance through teleconferences and Web-based forces, the development of MLA's research policy and the increasing need for an ability of MLA to sponsor research about the profession and about the value of quality information, the establishment of National Medical Librarians Month, the adoption of the code of ethics for health sciences librarians, and an emphasis on recruiting an increasingly diverse group of people into the profession and into the association, partnerships with our sister library associations, the National Library of Medicine, and others, on educational and legislative initiatives.
Through the mostly good times in the past decade, I have been privileged to work with outstanding volunteers who have provided support, inspiration, and friendship. These years would not have been as successful and gratifying as they have been if it were not also for the efforts of a small, dedicated group of people. The number of MLA staff at headquarters is about the same as it was in 1991, but many of the faces are different. Certainly, the way the association provides its programs and services has changed as well as some of the programs and services themselves. Throughout all of the changes and adjustments staff have remained good-natured, flexible, and dedicated to doing the best possible job for MLA. During 2001/02, we began profiling staff in MLA News, so that you could get to know them better. Today, I would like to recognize them as I briefly report on the past year. I would ask each staff member who is here to join me on stage as I call your name.
In 2003, Ray Naegele will have been with MLA for twenty years. And as director of finance and administration, Ray keeps our financial and office operations running smoothly. Several years ago, I also gave him the role of staff liaison to the national program committees. This has resulted in increasingly successful meetings and the addition of a variety of new Web-based services such as the itinerary builder, the virtual exhibits, sophisticated online registration services, and paper abstracting systems. Ray's staff does not attend the annual meeting but many of you have talked with them over the phone or via email. Elizabeth Ortega pays the bills and helps people with questions on our financial issues and the annual meeting. You may have talked with her recently. Tom Pacetti, a three-year employee, collects unpaid bills and fulfills orders. In 1991, MLA processed 344 orders. Last year, we processed several thousand publication and other product orders. Larry Jones heads our mail room services and orders office supplies, helps with the mailings, finds many things that are lost, and keeps the office machines in working order.
I also want to recognize Paul Graller and Jeannie McClarty, if they are here from Hall-Erickson, who run the exhibits and meeting for us and who contribute enormously to its success, and they are a great pleasure to work with.
Kate Corcoran, who is in her fourteenth year with MLA, is our director of information systems and research. In 1991, she was director of membership development, and how her life has changed! Besides continuing to develop MLANET, she and I worked with the Hay Group this year to develop the 2001 salary survey. A summary of that survey is now available through MLANET. She has already provided tremendous support for the benchmarking initiative resulting in the beginnings of our benchmarking database and the new MLA service. She acted as liaison to Keith Cogdill and the value of information study, which you will hear about shortly. With her assistance, we also distributed several smaller surveys to the membership through MLANET and MLA-FOCUS, giving the board committees and task forces more information about what you need and want. In 1991, we had one staff member who worked three-quarters time in information systems. Today, Kate and two staff members provide these services. Chao Cheng maintains over one hundred email discussion lists for association units and chapters, helps build MLANET, and maintains the servers that run MLANET, our email system, and the association management system. In 2001, all servers were upgraded or replaced, so that we could maintain a high level of service. Kurt Paul installs and maintains our office hardware and software, stops computer viruses in their tracks, and handles mailing list requests. He has upgraded most of our personal computers over the last two years. In contrast to our current headquarters technology, in 1991 MLA had no personal computers, no MLANET, one discussion list, and our association management system was mainly computer based.
Lynanne Feilen, director of publications, started with MLA only two short years ago but has instituted a number of changes during that time. In 2001, she started an online sponsorship with MLANET and MLA-FOCUS and worked with PubMed Central staff to put JMLA online full text. In 2002, MLA News was launched on MLANET, and BMLA became JMLA. Lynanne will be working with NLM staff to add all back issues of the BMLA to PubMed Central. She has worked hard with Kate to launch the new MLA store on MLANET and has developed a new look for our annual meeting materials and other publications. Lynanne's staff is also not at the meeting. Susan Talmage is MLA's copy editor for both JMLA and MLA News, MLANET, and many of our print pieces. She regularly teaches staff MLA style. She moved us from a manual to electronic copyediting process, saving both time and money. Bleu Caldwell is the creative force behind many of our print designs and MLANET pages. She also lays out the MLA News and provides chocolate to the entire staff. Barb Redmond, a thirteen-year staff member who briefly attends the annual meeting—she unfortunately had to leave today—sells advertising, mailing lists, and online sponsorships. We had a banner year in sales and thanks to Barb. It is these types of nondues revenues that enable MLA to support the valuable projects we have undertaken over the past few years.
Beverly Bradley, coordinator of memberships, attended last year. During her brief tenure with MLA, Beverly has converted the MLA Exchange into an entirely electronic service. She has worked to improve our membership database and support and supported the membership committee's new recruitment initiative, including the “MLA Needs You” recruitment buttons and poster. You will hear more about this later in the meeting. Beverly is assisted by Edna Velez, our receptionist, who answers many of your phone calls. Tomi Gunn, our public relations and membership assistant, maintains our member database and produces the Exchange. More about Tomi later.
Kathleen Combs, coordinator of continuing education, is the proud mother of a boy, Nathan, who was born March 4. She is not with us at this meeting, but, over the past year, she coordinated a very successful PDA teleconference with the CE committee. The teleconference was shown at a record number of sites. She also organized twenty-eight CE courses and one symposium for this year's annual meeting. Debra Duffenbach began assisting Kathleen in October 2001 and has played an increasingly important role in CE activities. You probably saw her at the CE sessions answering questions, checking rooms, and making sure that everything went as smoothly as possible at the CE courses. She has also assisted me in reviewing course approvals and consumer health credential applications in Kathleen's absence. Lisa Fried, coordinator of professional recognition, began work with MLA last summer. As of January 2002, she also took over the careers program and has worked with the credentialing committee to continue to develop the career Website. Last year at this time, I told you that we would have career materials available shortly. Thanks to the hard work of the Continuing Education Committee, the Credentialing Committee, the Membership Committee, and staff, the site now features a slide show, career brochures in both English and Spanish, and mentoring tip sheets with more to come. In 1991, we distributed 184 career packets; over this past year, Lisa distributed 700 packets. Lisa also works with our awards and grants and scholarships programs, organizes the scholarship booth at the annual meeting, and coordinates Academy of Health Information Professionals (AHIP) portfolio processing. Also for the first time, we now have an AHIP pin available at the MLA connection booth. This pin is something that the credentialing committee, academy members, and staff have wanted for a long time, and I am glad we can finally bring it to you.
Now, last but not least is the staff of the executive director's office. Here I am with Evelyn Shaevel, assistant to the executive director. She joined MLA just prior to the crucial centennial year. Her many years of association experience with the American Library Association have helped us give our annual report, MLA booth at the annual meeting, and the medical librarians month publicity new fresh looks. Besides providing support to the Board of Directors, she also works with PCI on our increasingly important public relations program. This year MLA had forty-one media placements in publications such as the Wall Street Journal, Better Homes and Gardens, The Lancet, and Business Week that reached over twenty-five million people. We also translated Deciphering Medspeak into Spanish to reach a broader, more diverse audience. Today, we have distributed almost 50,000 copies of this popular brochure. Evelyn also assisted me with the successful Informationist Conference held in April. Mary Langman is in her fourteenth year with the association. In 1991, Mary was the assistant to the executive director but assumed the position of manager of information issues and policies in the early '90s. She is our eyes and ears on legislature matters and works with the legislature partners and legislative representatives to clarify issues and develop position papers with the Governmental Relations Committee (GRC). Her infamous legislative grid, a review of pending legislation and MLA's position on each issue, helps keep the GRC and the joint legislative task force up-to-date and on track with the changing legislative scene. Mary maintains the informative governmental relations Website, a great resource for copyright, licensing, and other issues. Mary also assisted with the Informationist Conference and was instrumental in developing our Community of Caring Website, MLA members' responses to September 11. Tomi Gunn, whom we share with the membership department, works in the public relations area also, writing press releases, developing the Year in Review, indexing the annual meeting program, running the PR Swap 'n Shop. Tomi wears many hats in the association very gracefully. Stop by the MLA booth and talk to her. Here is the MLA staff with our new sign in the office. The last ten years have been exhilarating, educational, and sometimes exhausting. We have gone down many new pathways together in reconstructing MLA. Thank you, staff, for all your wonderful contributions to this process.
President Jenkins then asked that the annual reports of appointed officials, councils, committees, representatives, chapters, and sections, as available in the 2001/02 Annual Report of MLA on MLANET, be received in a block. She called for corrections, amendments, or questions concerning the reports. Hearing none, she announced the annual reports would be accepted as presented.
She then acknowledged all members of the Academy of Health Information Professionals—575 distinguished members, 297 senior members, 190 members, and 46 provisional members—and asked those present to stand.
Ms. Jenkins then introduced Keith Cogdill, outreach librarian, National Network Office, National Library of Medicine, and former faculty member at the University of Maryland. He and his associates worked on the Value of Information Services Study, which was commissioned by the MLA Board. Mr. Cogdill's presentations gave an overview of the key findings of the study. An article in the July 2002 issue of the JMLA is the first paper from this study and will provide a detailed account of the development of the taxonomy of library information services contributions in hospitals and academic health sciences center [1].
With that, the business session was adjourned until Tuesday morning.
Reference.
1. Abels EG, Cogdill KW, Zach L. The contributions of library and information services to hospitals and academic health sciences centers: a preliminary taxonomy. J Med Libr Assoc 2002 Jul;90(3):276–84. See also: Abels EG, Cogdill KW, Zach L. The contributions of library and information services to hospitals and academic health sciences centers: a preliminary taxonomy. J Med Libr Assoc [serial online]. 2002 Jul [cited 1 Oct 2002]. <http://www.pubmedcentral. gov/articlerender.fcgi?tool=pubmed&pubmedid=12113510>.
Poster session .
Watching Our Users: Using Screen-Capturing Software to Streamline Usability Testing: Bonnie O'Connor, Catherine Rhodes, Lynda Howell, Wayne Loftus, Tom Raymond, Jayson Felty, and Daniel Garcia, Briscoe Library, The University of Texas Health Science Center–San Antonio.
Website Management: New Administrative and Technical Resources to Support Content Management: Jody Wozar, Nancy Tannery, Philip Bergen, and Paul Worona, Health Sciences Library System, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
Gathering Customer Input Prior to Home Page Redesign: An Ontological Study: Katherine Alexander, Karen Harker, Mori Lou Higa-Moore, Shelley McKibbon, Helen Mayo, and Laura Wilder, Library, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center–Dallas.
Building the HealthSmart Library: Steven Hunt, James Shedlock, Linda J. Walton, Brian Lauer, Galter Health Sciences Library; Jon Handler, M.D., and Michael Gillam, M.D., Department of Medicine; Northwestern University Medical School, Chicago, Illinois.
Usability Testing of a Health Sciences Library Website: Linda C. O'Dwyer, Stephanie C. Kerns, Linda J. Walton, Kurt I. Munson, and Cheryl Powell, Galter Health Sciences Library, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois.
Strategic Approach to Web Evaluation at the National Library of Medicine: Frederick B. Wood, DBA, and Elliot R. Siegel, Ph.D., National Library of Medicine, Bethesda, Maryland.
To Tell the Truth: A Proposed Validation Method for Health Claims on the Web: Michael A. Veronin, Ph.D., and Roland Patry, Dr.P.H., School of Pharmacy, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center–Amarillo.
Moving to the Electronic Library: Susan Starr, Ph.D., Biomedical Library; Craig Haynes, Medical Center Library; and Anne S. Prussing, Biomedical Library; University of California–San Diego, La Jolla.
Role of Family Practice Inquiries Network (FPIN) Community Librarians in Clinical Inquiries Answers: Susan Meadows, Department of Family and Community Medicine, University of Missouri–Columbia, and Joan Nashelsky, Library, Foote Hospital, Jackson, Michigan.
Teaching Evidence-Based Medicine (EBM) Teachers: A Team Approach: Josephine Dorsch, Library of the Health Sciences-Peoria; Susan Jacobson, Health Sciences; Robert Mrtek, Ph.D., and Leslie Sandlow, M.D., Department of Medical Education; and Carol Scherrer, Library of the Health Sciences; University of Illinois–Chicago.
Taking the Mystery out of Teaching Evidence-Based Medicine: Andrea B. Markinson, DPM, Medical Research Library of Brooklyn; Eleanor Z. Wallace, M.D., Department of Medicine; Violet Evans, Medical Research Library of Brooklyn; and Bharathi Subramanian, Medical Research Library of Brooklyn; State University of New York Downstate–Brooklyn.
Humanism: The Visible Librarian: Amrita J. Burdick, Health Sciences Library, University of Missouri–Kansas City.
Point-of-Care Reference Service in a Pediatric Clinic: Nancy E. Harger, Lamar Soutter Library, University of Massachusetts Medical School–Worcester.
Three Different Methods to Practice Clinical Librarianship: helen-ann brown, Mary Jo Dorsey, and Kristine M. Alpi, Samuel J. Wood Library/C. V. Starr Biomedical Information Center, Weill Cornell Medical College of Cornell University, New York, New York.
The Oklahoma Health Connection: A Partnership Approach to Connecting People with Health Information: Shari Clifton, Robin Insalaco, and Roswitha Allin, Robert M. Bird Health Sciences Library, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center–Oklahoma City.
MEDLINE Selective Dissemination of Information (SDI) Services: How Do They Compare?: Mary Shultz, Library of the Health Sciences–Urbana, University of Illinois–Chicago, and Sandra De Groote, Taylor Library, University of Western Ontario–London, Canada.
Impact of Articles Reporting Research on the Value of Medical Library Services to Clinical Care: Pamela J. Sherwill-Navarro, Health Science Center Library, University of Florida–Gainesville, and Addajane L. Wallace, Medical Library, Halifax Medical Center, Daytona, Florida.
What's the Score? Evaluating Students' MEDLINE Searches: Kathryn W. Nesbit, Edward G. Miner Library, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY; Jan Glover, Cushing/Whitney Medical Library, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut; and Michele Shipley, Edward G. Miner Library; and Robert G. Holloway, M.D., School of Medicine and Dentistry; University of Rochester, Rochester, New York.
Interactive Visualization for Resource Co-Location: Gerry Benoit, Ph.D., and James Andrews, Ph.D., College of Communications and Information Studies, University of Kentucky–Lexington.
Hard Hats and Journal Stacks: Managing a Library Renovation Project: Kathryn Hoffman, Judy Willis, and Wes Browning, Research Medical Library, M. D. Anderson Cancer Center, University of Texas–Houston.
Renovating a Library for the Twenty-First Century: William E. Maina, Library, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center–Dallas.
Building and Renovating Health Sciences Libraries: Lessons Learned: Nancy Utterback, J.D., Kornhauser Health Sciences Library, University of Louisville, Louisville, Kentucky.
Capturing Electronic Resource Use with Common Gateway Interface (cgi) “Click Throughs”: Betsy Kelly, Simon Igielnik, Ph.D., and Pat Gunn, Becker Medical Library, Washington University, St. Louis, Missouri.
Drinking from the Firehose: Managing Institutional Data: David R. Baca and Martha A. Bedard, Medical Sciences Library, Texas A&M University–College Station.
Capturing the Big D$: Dollars and Data: Beverly Murphy, Richard A. Peterson, Sarah Wardell, and Patricia L. Thibodeau, Duke University Medical Center Library, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina.
Marketing a Health Sciences Library's Education Program: Stephanie C. Kerns, Linda C. O'Dwyer, and Kurt I. Munson, Galter Health Sciences Library, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois.
The Exciting Give-Away: Using CD-ROMs as a Promotional Tool: Brett S. Powers and Bette S. Sydelko, Fordham Health Sciences Library, Wright State University, Dayton, Ohio.
The Evolution of a Library Newsletter: Rebecca A. Abromitis, Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinic Library, and Barbara A. Epstein, Falk Library of the Health Sciences, Health Sciences Library System, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
Nurses for Knowledge Campaign: $30,000 in Six Weeks: Catherine M. Boss and Darlene Robertelli, Booker Health Sciences Library, Jersey Shore Medical Center, Meridian Health System, Neptune, New Jersey.
Rx for Hypolibraryism: Jane E. Walczak and Julie C. Gores, Medical College of Wisconsin Libraries, Medical College of Wisconsin–Milwaukee.
Teaching Information Mastery: The Informatics Rotation: Gale G. Hannigan, Ph.D., Medical Sciences Library and College of Medicine, Texas A&M University and Health Science Center–College Station, and Suma Pokala, M.D., College of Medicine, Texas A&M University and Department of Veterans Affairs Central Texas Health Care System–Temple.
Moo…ving through MEDLINE: Corralling User Preferences for Web Training: Karen K. Grandage, Andrea S. Horne, and Kelly K. Near, Claude Moore Health Sciences Library, University of Virginia–Charlottesville.
Teaching the Teaching Residents: Ellen M. Justice and Sharon Easterby-Gannett, Christiana Hospital Library, Christiana Care Health System, Newark, Delaware.
Faculty and Student Perceptions on the Effectiveness of Online Course Modules: Are Modules a Hindrance or Help: Clista Clanton, The Annette and Irwin Eskind Biomedical Library, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee.
Integration of Information Literacy into a Revised Medical Curriculum: Janis F. Brown, Janet L. Nelson, and Terri Ottosen, Norris Medical Library, University of Southern California–Los Angeles.
I Ready, IAIMS, I Fires: A Demand-Side Approach to Integrated Advanced Information Management Systems (IAIMS) Planning: Judith L. Wulff and Elizabeth M. Smigielski, Kornhauser Health Sciences Library, University of Louisville, Louisville, Kentucky.
Should I Still be Called a Librarian: Brenda L. Seago, Computer Based Instruction Lab, Virginia Commonwealth University–Richmond.
Delivery of Web-Based Instruction Using Blackboard: A Collaborative Project: Patricia G. Hinegardner, Virginia L. Stone, Mary A. Williams, and Brad D. Gerhart, Health Sciences and Human Services Library, University of Maryland–Baltimore.
When Video Becomes the Teacher's Tool: Patricia S. Vaughn and Andrea S. Horne, Claude Moore Health Sciences Library, University of Virginia Health System–Charlottesville.
Investing in Our Future: Library Roles in Educating and Training Health Information Professionals: Margaret E. Moore and Carol G. Jenkins, Health Sciences Library, University of North Carolina–Chapel Hill.
Comparing the Self-Described Searching Knowledge of First-Year Medical and Dental Students before and after a MEDLINE Class: Janna C. Lawrence and Linda S. Levy, Briscoe Library, University of Texas Health Science Center–San Antonio.
A Guide to Working Smarter: Introducing the Internet to Florida's Health Professionals: Linda C. Butson and Nancy Schaefer, Health Science Center Libraries, University of Florida–Gainesville; Deborah Hynes, Area Health Education Center Program, University of South Florida–Tampa; and Sharon Schmidt, Central Florida Area Health Education Center–Apopka.
Instruction as Marketing—Marketing as Instruction: Judy Consales and Joan R. Kaplowitz, Louise M. Darling Biomedical Library, University of California–Los Angeles.
Mentoring the Next Generation of Health Sciences Librarians: Putting Students in Touch with Practitioners: Gale G. Hannigan, Ph.D., School of Library and Information Sciences, Texas A&M Medical Sciences Library and College of Medicine–College Station.
Developing and Implementing a Comprehensive Information Management Training Program for an Emergent Doctoral Nursing Program: John J. Orriola, Hinks and Elaine Shimberg Health Sciences Library, University of South Florida–Tampa.
Incorporating Problem-Based Learning and Informatics Principles into a History of Medicine Elective: Elizabeth Connor, Anne Ross Library and Learning Resource Center, Ross University School of Medicine, Portsmouth, Dominica.
Criss-Cross: Matrix Management in a Health Sciences Library: Virginia F. Bender, Sally Brown, Terrance M. Burton, and Jean L. Siebert, Health Sciences Library, West Virginia University–Morgantown.
“GW Medicine at the Millennium”: Fundraising through Art: Shelley A. Bader, Ed.D., Himmelfarb Health Sciences Library, George Washington University Medical Center, Washington, DC.
Enhancing Your Medical Library's Budget with Fee-Based Revenues: Joelene M. Swearingen, Bernard Becker Medical Library, Washington University, St. Louis, Missouri.
Show Me the Money: The Reality of Library Costs: M. J. Tooey, Rich Behles, Brad Gerhart, Beth Jacoby, Alexa Mayo, Jane Murray, James D. Prince, Paula Raimondo, and Frieda O. Weise, Health Sciences and Human Services Library, University of Maryland–Baltimore.
Section programming I.
Seven program sessions were scheduled for the late afternoon on Sunday.
Public Services Section
Contributed Papers Session: Diversity of Duties
Moderator: Linda C. Butson, Health Sciences Center Library, University of Florida–Gainesville
Directing Development (Fund Raising) and the Collection (Library Resources): A Diverse, Cutting-Edge Library Position: Carole Gall, Ruth Lilly Medical Library, Indiana University School of Medicine–Indianapolis.
Bringing Effective Skills and Technology Together (BESTT): Mary S. Edgerly, Lewis J. Ort Library, Frostburg State University, Frostburg, Maryland.
A Grants Consultant: Meeting the Funding Information Needs in an Academic Health Sciences Center: Martha L. Means, Health Sciences Libraries, University of Washington–Seattle.
BI through Your PC: The Health Sciences Library's Role in Building and Implementing an Interdisciplinary Online Informatics Course: Martin J. Brennan, and Norma Walters, Library of the Health Sciences, University of Illinois–Chicago.
New Roles: Professional Staff Sharing Between a Hospital and an Academic Library: Melissa L. Just, Health Sciences Library, Childrens Hospital Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California.
Chiropractic Libraries, Relevant Issues, Consumer and Patient Health Information, and Public Health/Health Administration Sections and Complementary and Alternative Medicine, Mental Health, Osteopathic, African American Medical Librarians Alliance, and Outreach SIGs
Contributed Papers and Invited Speakers Session: Diversity, Demographics, and Disparities in Accessing and Delivering Health Information and Health Care: Part I
Moderator: Marcia M. Thomas, Ruth R. Cleveland Memorial Library, Cleveland Chiropractic College, Kansas City, Missouri
Mental Health Parity and Disparities among Diverse Populations: Fredrick Sandoval, Board of Directors, National Alliance for the Mentally Ill, Santa Fe, New Mexico.
CHAIN: Oklahoma's Comprehensive HIV/AIDS Information Network: Shari Clifton, Robin Insalaco, and Roswitha Allin, Robert M. Bird Health Sciences Library, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center–Oklahoma City.
PITTCat for the Consumer: Designing a Public Access Catalog for a Specific User Population: Deborah Silverman and Malgorzata Fort, Ph.D., Health Sciences Library System, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; and Tamar Smith, Information Services, Pittsburgh Mercy Health System, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
Multifocal Medical Information Outreach: Using a Variety of Approaches to Provide Tailored Medical Information and Services to Targeted User-Groups: Jonathan Hartmann, Raymon H. Mulford Library, Medical College of Ohio–Toledo.
Internet Connectivity and Health Information Access for Underserved Community-Based Organizations: The Houston AIDS Information Link Provides a Successful Model: Stephanie Normann, Information Services, School of Public Health, University of Texas–Houston.
Cancer Librarians and Veterinary Medical Libraries Sections and Molecular Biology and Genomics SIG
Invited Speakers Session: Delivering Genetics Information to Health-Care Consumers
Moderator: Michele R. Tennant, Ph.D., Health Sciences Center Libraries and Genetics Institute, University of Florida–Gainesville
Genetic Information: Transcription, Translation, and Replication: Angela Scheuerle, M.D., Teratology and Ethics Consulting, Dallas, Texas.
DNA Demystified: Online Resources in Genetics and Cancer Genetics for Consumers: Gail Y. Hendler, Frederick L. Ehrman Library, New York University School of Medicine–New York, and Kristine M. Alpi, Samuel J. Wood Medical Library, Weill Medical College, Cornell University, New York.
Collection Development, Technical Services, Hospital Libraries, Consumer and Patient Health Information, Public Services, and Federal Libraries Sections
Invited Speaker Session: Dollars and Sense: Part I
Moderator: Linda Walton, Galter Health Sciences Library, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois
A Method Out of the Madness: OhioLINK's Collaborative Response to the Serials Crisis: Tom Sanville, OhioLINK–Columbus.
Leadership and Management Section and Mental Health SIG
Invited Speaker Session: Dealing with At-Risk Employees
Moderator: Barbara A. Epstein, Health Sciences Library System, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Dealing with At-Risk Employees: Rita Handrich, Ph.D., R Handrich Consulting, Austin, Texas.
Pharmacy and Drug Information Section
Invited Speaker Session: 2002 EMBASE/com Lecture: Contemporary Pharmaceutical Compounding
Moderator: Natalie Kupferberg, Biology Sciences/Pharmacy Library, Ohio State University–Columbus
Contemporary Pharmaceutical Compounding: Loyd V. Allen, Ph.D., International Journal of Pharmaceutical Compounding, Edmond, Oklahoma.
Educational Media and Technologies and Public Health/Health Administration Sections and Internet SIG
Roundtable Discussion Session: Digital Devices to Go
Moderator: Guillaume Van Moorsel, Center for Healthcare Informatics Education and School of Health Technology and Management, State University of New York–Stony Brook
After the afternoon sessions, the International Cooperation Section hosted the International Visitors Reception, sponsored in part by EBSCO Information Services. The Medical Library Education Section hosted the Library School Reunion for present and former students and faculty. One of the last events of the evening was the Friends of the National Library of Medicine Reception at Dallas Public Library's J. Erik Jonnson Central Library. In addition, the Health Sciences OCLC Users Group held a reception and informal meeting, and the University of California–Los Angeles and University of North Carolina–Chapel Hill scheduled a joint reunion.
MEETING, MAY 20
On Monday morning, the Awards Committee, the Governmental Relations Committee, the Membership Committee, and the Publications Committee met. Section continuing education chairs and section treasurers met, as well as the Executive Committee of the Leadership and Management Section. Sunrise seminars were held by BIOSIS, EBSCO Information Services, epixtech, ISI and ISI ResearchSoft, MD Consult, Ovid Technologies, and CINAHL and the National Library of Medicine held its Online User's Meeting.
Plenary Session II: The Janet Doe Lecture.
Introduction: Betsy L. Humphreys, National Library of Medicine, Bethesda, Maryland.
A Job with a View: Perspectives from the Corporate Side of Health Care: Jacqueline Donaldson Doyle, Banner Health System, Phoenix, Arizona.
Section programming II.
Eight program sessions were scheduled for the morning on Monday.
Consumer and Patient Health Information, Collection Development, Hospital Libraries, Public Services, and Federal Libraries Sections
Contributed Papers Session: Dollars and Sense: Part II
Moderator: Jane Grosman, Cancer Center Library, Santa Rosa Memorial Hospital, California
Doubling Dollars, Making Sense: Collaborating with a Community Cancer Health Coalition: Ann Duesing, University of Virginia College–Wise, and Gabriel R. Rios and Gretchen N. Arnold, Claude Moore Health Sciences Library, University of Virginia–Charlottesville.
Electronic Health Information for the Public Project: Western Maryland InfoHealth. Mary S. Edgerly, Lewis J. Ort Library, Frostburg State University, Frostburg, Maryland.
Networking Consumer Health Information in Arkansas: The ARCHIN Experience: Mary L. Ryan and Susan C. Steelman, UAMS Library, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences–Little Rock.
Information for Healthy Living: HealthyNJ—Providing Statewide Consumer Health Using an Integrated Web-Based Approach: Micki McIntyre, Health Sciences Library at Stratford; Judith S. Cohn, George F. Smith Library; Janice K. Skica, Health Sciences Library at Stratford; and Cathy Weglarz, Robert Wood Johnson Library of the Health Sciences; University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey–Newark.
Educational Media and Technologies and History of Health Sciences Sections
Contributed Papers Session: Library Digitization Projects
Moderator: Judy M. Spak, Cushing/Whitney Medical Library, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut
Rediscovering Yellow Fever: The Phillip S. Hench Walter Reed Yellow Fever Collection Digitization Project: Bart Ragon, Claude Moore Health Sciences Library, University of Virginia–Charlottesville.
Design and Implementation of a Web-Based Library Catalog: Providing Access to All: Leslie J. Duncan and Hendrikje Carriger, National Limb Loss Information Center, Amputee Coalition of America, Knoxville, Tennessee.
Challenges in the Digitization of a Yale School of Nursing Historical Collection: Kathleen Bauer and Mona Panaitisor, Cushing/Whitney Medical Library, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut.
The Impact of Digital Collections: Historical and Contemporary Collecting Projects: Peggy Tahir, Celia White, and Valerie Wheat, Paul and Lydia Kalmanovitz Library and Center for Knowledge Management, University of California–San Francisco.
Chiropractic Libraries, Relevant Issues, Consumer and Patient Health Information, and Public Health/Health Administration Sections and Complementary and Alternative Medicine, Mental Health, Osteopathic Libraries, African American Medical Librarians Alliance, and Outreach SIGs
Contributed Papers and Invited Speakers Session: Diversity, Demographics, and Disparities in Accessing and Delivering Health Information and Health Care: Part II
Moderator: Marcia M. Thomas, Ruth R. Cleveland Memorial Library, Cleveland Chiropractic College, Kansas City, Missouri
HolisticKids.org: A Collaborative Project on Integrative Medicine Web-Education for Pediatric Residents: Julia S. Whelan, Treadwell Library, Massachusetts General Hospital–Boston, and Lana Dvorkin, Pharm.D., Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences–Boston.
Web-Based Index to Chiropractic Literature: Margaret Butkovic, C. C. Clemmer Health Sciences Library, Canadian Chiropractic College–Toronto.
Hmong Health Information Promotion Project: Wausau, Wisconsin, and Beyond: Margaret A. Allen, Suzanne Matthew, Ph.D., Diana Robertson, and Mark Scully, Northern Wisconsin Area Health Education Center–Wausau; and Jan Kraus, Joseph Smith Medical Library, Community Health Care/Wausau Hospital, Wausau, Wisconsin.
International Cooperation, Public Health/Health Administration, and Medical Library Education Sections and African American Medical Librarians Alliance SIG
Invited Speakers Session: AIDS in Africa and the Impact of Information
Moderator: Jie Li, Biomedical Library, University of South Alabama–Mobile
Strategic Role of Libraries/Librarians in HIV/AIDS Awareness in South Africa: Kgaladi Kekana, Faculty of Sciences, Health and Agriculture, University of the North Library, Pietersburg, South Africa.
The Role of Information Dissemination in HIV/AIDS: The Case for Kenya: Nancy Kamau, National Library of Medicine, Bethesda, Maryland.
Leadership and Management Section
Invited Speakers Session: Dimensions of Mentoring: A Family Portrait
Moderators: Shelley A. Bader, Ed.D., George Washington University Medical Center, Washington, DC, and Jean P. Shipman, Tompkins-McCaw Library for the Health Sciences, Virginia Commonwealth University–Richmond
Panelists: Shelley A. Bader, Ed.D., George Washington University Medical Center, Washington, DC; Anne M. Linton, Himmelfarb Library, George Washington University Medical Center, Washington, DC; Elaine Russo Martin, National Network of Libraries of Medicine-New England Region and the Lamar Soutter Medical Library, University of Massachusetts Medical Center–Worchester; and Laurie L. Thompson, Health Sciences Library, State University of New York Upstate Medical University–Syracuse.
Medical Informatics and History of the Health Sciences Sections
Invited Speakers Session: Electronic Records Management (ERM)
Moderator: Randy Jones, The Annette and Irwin Eskind Biomedical Library, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee
Electronic Records Management: Overview: Randy Jones, The Annette and Irwin Eskind Biomedical Library, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee.
Managing Electronic Records—A Project Framework: Laurie Fischer, Cohassett Associates, Chicago, Illinois.
Implementing an Electronic Records Program: Lessons Learned from the Indiana University Electronic Records Project: Phil C. Bantin, Library, Indiana University–Bloomington.
Electronic Records Issues for Public Records: Richard Pearce-Moses, Library and Archives, Arizona State University–Phoenix.
Public Services and Consumer and Patient Health Information Sections
Invited Speakers Session: The Value and Values of Libraries
Moderator: Barbara Slater, Biomedical Library, University of California–San Diego
The Value and Values of Libraries: Michael Gorman, Henry Madden Library, California State University–Fresno.
Technical Services and Collection Development Sections
Invited Speakers Session: Digital Archiving of Electronic Journals
Moderator: Judith Wilkerson, Bird Health Sciences Library, University of Oklahoma–Oklahoma City
Panelists: Vicky Reich, HighWire Press, Stanford University Libraries, and Academic Resources, Stanford, California; Edwin Sequeira, National Center for Biotechnology Information, National Library of Medicine, Bethesda, Maryland; and Ian Bannerman, Blackwell Publishing, Oxford, United Kingdom.
Presentation of awards.
The Awards Luncheon and Ceremony was held immediately following the morning sessions. After lunch, President Jenkins welcomed all who had come to honor colleagues in the health information profession, and she thanked Bette Sydelko, chair of the Awards Committee; Jeanne Strausman, chair of the Grants and Scholarship Committee; and the juries of the two committees for their work.
President Jenkins then announced that she had presented the 2002 MLA Distinguished Public Service Award to Democratic Senator Harry Reid of Nevada. Over the past five years, while serving on the Labor, Health and Human Services and Education Appropriations Subcommittee (Labor-HHS), Senator Reid sponsored committee recommendations that encouraged the National Library of Medicine and Health Resources and Services Administration to work closely with the medical library community in the areas of telemedicine and public and professional outreach.
President Jenkins then announced that Francis Collins, M.D., Ph.D., was scheduled to present this year's Joseph Leiter NLM/MLA Lecture on July 15, 2002, at the National Library of Medicine in Bethesda, Maryland. His lecture is titled “Genomics, Medicine, and Society.” She also announced that on May 19, Seaborn Beck Weathers, M.D., co-medical director, LabCorp and Medical City Dallas Hospital, delivered the 2002 John P. McGovern Lecture and received his award. Dr. Weathers' Lecture was titled “Surviving Everest: Against All Odds.”
MLA scholarships were next to be presented. The 2002 MLA Scholarship winner was Shelagh Genuis, a graduate student in the School of Library and Information Sciences at the University of Alberta–Edmonton, Canada. The 2002 MLA Scholarship for Minority Students was presented to Crystal Smith, a graduate student in the College of Information Studies program at the University of Maryland–College Park.
President Jenkins introduced Yuan Lin as the 2002 Cunningham Fellow. Ms. Yuan is associate research librarian at the Central Library of the West China University of Medical Sciences–Chengdu. Ms. Yuan arrived in the United States in late January and traveled throughout the United States learning from her colleagues.
EBSCO Information Services generously donated funds to MLA's scholarship endowment to provide up to $1,000 each for up to four librarians for travel and conference related expenses. This year's EBSCO/MLA Grants were awarded to Verma Walker, Candice Benjes-Small, Sandra DeGroote, and Norma Walters. Ms. Walker is currently employed as resident librarian at the Library of the Health Sciences, University of Illinois–Chicago. Ms. Benjes-Small is currently employed as reference instruction librarian, at McConnell Library, Radford University, Radford, Virginia. Ms. DeGroote is currently employed as assistant health sciences librarian at the Library of the Health Sciences, University of Illinois–Chicago. And Ms. Walters is currently employed as academic resident librarian at the Library of the Health Sciences, University of Illinois–Chicago.
The Medical Informatics Section (MIS) of the Medical Library Association established the Medical Informatics Section/MLA Career Development Grant award in 1997. The section awards up to two individuals $1,500 each to support a career development activity that will contribute to the advancement of the field of medical informatics. This year's MIS/MLA grants were awarded to Mary Linn Bergstrom and Marilyn Teolis. Ms. Bergstrom is head of education and outreach services at the Biomedical Library, University of California–San Diego, and will use her award to attend a course in clinical decision making and a medical informatics symposium. Ms. Teolis is medical librarian coordinator at the Baptist Hospital, Nashville, Tennessee. She plans to use her award to purchase two Palm Pilots for teaching and research at Baptist Hospital library.
The MLA Continuing Education Grant is awarded annually to an MLA member to assist with the development of theoretical, administrative, or technical aspects of medical librarianship. This year's recipient is Linda Collins, medical librarian at the Health Sciences Library, University of North Carolina–Chapel Hill. She plans to use her grant to attend an evidence-based health care workshop.
The David A. Kronick Traveling Fellowship was established in 2001 with an endowment from the Bowden-Massey Foundation. It is awarded annually to an MLA member to cover expenses involved in traveling to three or more medical libraries in the United States or Canada for the purpose of studying a specific aspect of health information management. The first year's recipient Patricia Nelson, assistant director of the Denison Memorial Library at the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center–Denver, plans to visit libraries in Washington, DC, Norfolk, Virginia, and Charlottesville, Virginia, to learn about the experiences of other health sciences librarians in planning new or renovated library buildings.
President Jenkins then introduced five association members whom the Board of Directors has named as Fellows of the Medical Library Association. Fellows are chosen for their outstanding contributions to health sciences librarianship and to the advancement of the purposes of MLA.
Jacqueline Donaldson Doyle is a pioneer in the state of Arizona, as a founding member of the Central Arizona Biomedical Libraries. Her involvement in the Arizona Health Information Network (AZHIN) has helped to make it one of the most successful library cooperative projects in the country. Her current position at Banner Health Systems as manager of clinical innovation and continuing medical education has evolved over the years to include managing libraries and learning centers at three system hospitals, overseeing the audiovisual resources function and coordinating continuing medical education, planning, and implementation for all Banner physicians. She has served the association as a former member of the Board of Directors and past president. Ms. Doyle has also received the 1995 MLA Award for Excellence and Achievement in Hospital Librarianship and the Medical Library Group of Southern California and Arizona Louise Darling Achievement Award. Most notably, earlier today, Ms. Doyle presented the 2002 MLA Janet Doe Lecture here in Dallas.
Ruth Holst, director of library services at the Columbia Hospital in Milwaukee. Ms. Holst was chosen as the 2001 Librarian of the Year by the Wisconsin Health Science Library Association. Ms. Holst has contributed extensively to MLA on many levels and holds the honor of being the first hospital librarian to present the Janet Doe Lecture at the 1990 annual meeting. In addition, she is associate editor of the 1984 Ida and George Eliot Prize–winning text, titled Hospital Library Management. She is also a former chair of the MLA Books Panel and served as editor of the excellent text, The Medical Library Association Guide to Managing Health Care Libraries, published in 2000. Ms. Holst is a Distinguished Member of the Academy of Health Information Professionals and is a current member of MLA's Board of Directors.
Jocelyn A. Rankin, Ph.D., is currently chief of the CDC Information Center, having spent most of her professional career at the Mercer University School of Medicine Medical Library as director. She is on the MLA Board of Directors and has served on the national Nominating Committee. Helping medical students learn to use library resources effectively has always been a prime concern, one that led Dr. Rankin to develop a highly successful approach to library services in the problem-based learning curriculum at Mercer and an MLA problem-based learning CE course, to be co-convener of MLA's Problem-Based Learning SIG, and to compile and edit the MLA Handbook on Problem-Based Learning. Her BMLA article on problem-based learning received the 1994 Ida and George Eliot Prize. While at Mercer, her work in establishing the GaIN network was recognized by MLA with the ISI/Frank Bradway Rogers Information Advancement Award in 1992. She is also active in the Southern Chapter of MLA, having just been elected chair-elect/program chair. With others in the chapter, she helped design and implement the chapterwide research project on journal usage in hospital libraries that received the Majors/MLA Chapter Project of the Year Award in 1998. The subsequent BMLA publication won the Ida and George Eliot Prize for 2000.
Beryl Glitz is the retired associate director, Pacific Southwest Regional Medical Library, and is recognized as a leader on both the regional and national level. She has been very instrumental in the growth of MLA's publishing program. Her contributions include serving as MLA's managing editor of books and on the Publications Committee and Books Panel. She is also author of the book Focus Groups for Libraries and Librarians, copublished by MLA. She is a 1999 recipient of the ISI/Frank Bradway Information Advancement Award and a Distinguished Member of MLA's Academy of Health Information Professionals. In addition, she is one of the founders of the popular Biosites Website, a helpful source for finding high-quality health information on the Internet. In support of her nomination as Fellow, Alison Bunting stated, “Glitz's leadership and service to the profession is nothing short of outstanding.”
Joanne Gard Marshall, Ph.D., dean and professor, School of Information and Library Science, University of North Carolina–Chapel Hill, is known as a leading educator and has been an active MLA member for many years. Dr. Marshall has served as a former member of the MLA Board of Directors and as chair of the Consumer and Patient Health Information Section and the Library Research Section. Dr. Marshall has secured funding for over twenty-five research projects and helped develop the MLA Research Policy Statement, Using Scientific Evidence to Improve Information Practice. She has also contributed to the Special Library Association's (SLA) educational policy statement, Competencies of Special Librarianship for the 21st Century. In support of her nomination as Fellow, Rick B. Forsman, director, University of Colorado Health Sciences–Denver stated, “As a professional who has impacted library practice on many levels and has added immeasurably to MLA, Joanne deserves the award of fellowship.”
The Lois Ann Colaianni Award for Excellence and Achievement in Hospital Librarianship is given to a professional who has made significant contributions to the profession in overall distinction or leadership in hospital library administration or service; has produced a definitive publication related to hospital librarianship, teaching, research, or advocacy; or has developed or applied innovative technology to hospital librarianship. This year's recipient is Margaret Bandy, manager of Exempla Healthcare Libraries in Denver, Colorado. Ms. Bandy has demonstrated innovative leadership as a founder of one of Denver's first stand-alone patient libraries. She is a Distinguished Member of the Academy of Health Information Professionals and has served as chair of the MLA Consumer and Patient Health Information Section and two terms on the MLA Nominating Committee. In addition, she has held leadership roles in local, state, and regional medical library associations.
The Murray Gottlieb Prize was established in 1956 by a gift from the Old Hickory Bookshop to recognize and stimulate health sciences librarians' interest in the history of medicine. This year's Murray Gottlieb Prize was awarded to Michael A. Flannery for his paper entitled, “The Early Botanical Medical Movement as a Reflection of Life, Liberty, and Literacy in Jacksonian America.” Mr. Flannery is associate professor and associate director for Historical Collections, Lister Hill Library of the Health Sciences, University of Alabama–Birmingham.
The Estelle Brodman Award for the Academic Medical Librarian of the Year was established with a gift from Irwin H. Pizer and is given to an association member who has made outstanding contributions to academic medical librarianship as demonstrated by excellence in performance, publications, research, service, or a combination thereof. President Jenkins presented the Estelle Brodman Award to Judy Burnham who is assistant director for administrative and regional services at the C. M. Baugh Medical Library at the University of South Alabama. Ms. Burnham is recognized as a leader at the local, regional, and national levels. She has served as a former chair of the MLA Nursing and Allied Health Resources Section (NAHRS) and the 1999/2000 Nominating Committee. On the regional level, she had held several positions in the Alabama Health Libraries Association. Ms. Burnham exemplifies the kind of leadership qualities envisioned by the Brodman Award.
The Majors/MLA Chapter Project of the Year Award recognizes excellence, innovation, and contribution to the profession of health sciences librarianship by an MLA chapter and is sponsored by Majors Scientific Books. This year's award was presented to the Medical Library Group of Southern California and Arizona of the Medical Library Association for their innovative use of video teleconferencing to extend their chapter meeting beyond one location, thus better serving their members. Pamela Corley, 2000/01 president of the chapter, accepted the award.
The MLA/Lucretia W. McClure Excellence in Education Award was established in 1998 and first presented in 1999, in honor of one of MLA's most respected members. The award recognizes an outstanding educator in the field of health sciences librarianship and informatics, who demonstrates skills in teaching, curriculum development, mentoring, research, or leadership in education at local, regional, or national levels. This award was presented to Ellen Gay Detlefsen, D.L.S. Dr. Detlefsen is associate professor, Department of Library and Information Science in the School of Information Sciences at the University of Pittsburgh. Her career as an educator is extensive with special interest in research and course development. A 1988 recipient of MLA's Ida and George Eliot Prize, Dr. Detlefsen has taught several MLA continuing-education courses and has given extensive lectures throughout the country. She has also written numerous articles for the Journal of the Medical Library Association, MLA News, Library Journal, and Library Trends.
A highlight of each MLA annual meeting is the Janet Doe Lecture on the history or philosophy of medical librarianship. Jacqueline Donaldson Doyle delivered this year's lecture titled, “A Job with a View: Perspectives from the Corporate Side of Health Care.” She is manager of clinical innovation and continuing medical education at Banner Health System in Phoenix.
The highest honor that the Medical Library Association confers on any individual is the Marcia C. Noyes Award. President Jenkins asked Alison Bunting, last year's winner, to introduce the 2002 recipient, Robert Braude, Ph.D.
Ms. Bunting introduced Dr. Braude with the following words:
I would like each of you to close your eyes for a moment and visualize a special colleague. It might be the person next to you, your first boss, or someone who is no longer with us. What are the attributes that make him or her special?
talent, wisdom, thoughtfulness?
a willingness to share, to mentor, to educate?
his or her leadership ability?
a passion for the profession?
a wonderful sense of humor?
I see many smiles as I look across the room. No doubt that is because the person you have been thinking about is someone who has made a positive difference in your life. This is certainly true of my special colleague and friend, Robert Braude, who today will receive the Marcia C. Noyes Award.
I tend to think that everyone in MLA knows Bob Braude. Can I see a show of hands of everyone who does? Well, a few of you do not, so let me provide a bit of background. He has directed three academic health sciences libraries and one regional medical library, served on over twenty MLA committees, authored more than twenty-five articles, was the 1996 MLA Janet Doe lecturer, and is a fellow of MLA, the American College of Medical Informatics, and the New York Academy of Medicine.
More importantly, let me share the attributes that make Bob uniquely deserving of MLA's highest honor. I will do this by quoting liberally from the colleagues who nominated him for this award:
Rachael Anderson: Robert Braude is one of the most ardent advocates of medical librarianship I have ever encountered, and this enthusiasm for the profession infuses his collegial contacts, his contributions to committee deliberations, his management of libraries, and his teaching and mentoring.
Lynn Kasner Morgan: Dr. Braude has devoted his career to advancing the role of medical libraries and medical librarians. He was working and thinking “out of the box” long before this term was popularized, and he was identified as a leader prior to the recent emphasis on leadership development within the profession.
Mark T. Hodges: Braude may be characterized as one of the leading thinkers in and proponents of our branch of librarianship. His enthusiasm and strongly held opinions reflect his passion for advancing the profession. Anyone who knows him well, as I am privileged to do, will attest that deep down he is caring, dedicated, forthright, and honest and has raised MLA's profile worldwide.
Biomed Bob, as I know him, has an incredibly strong sense of ethics, and he does not hesitate to speak up when others remain silent. In many ways, he has served as a conscience for our profession, reminding us of the need to discuss and consider difficult or sensitive issues and take a stand when necessary. His influence in our profession will endure, through his publications, the individuals he has mentored, and those of us he has persuaded to “stop and think” before taking the popular course of action.
Most of all, Bob has always given of himself—to MLA, to his staff and students, and on the dance floor. Please join me in a round of applause for the 2002 Marcia Noyes awardee, Robert M. Braude. The hugs and kisses will be dispensed later.
President Jenkins then presented the Marcia C. Noyes Award to Robert Braude. Dr. Braude accepted the award with his usual mix of honesty, wisdom, and wit. After his remarks, President Jenkins concluded the Awards Luncheon Ceremony.
Legislative update.
Invited Speakers: Dale Dirks, Health and Medicine Counsel of Washington, Washington, DC, and Representative Henry Bonilla (R-Texas, 23rd District).
Speaker: Logan Ludwig, Ph.D., chair, Governmental Relations Committee, and Medical Center Library, Loyola University of Chicago, Maywood, Illinois.
Late in the afternoon the Academy of Health Information Professionals held a question and answer session, and the Fellows of MLA met. The following special interest groups held informal meetings: Clinical Librarians and Evidence-Based Health Care, Pediatric Librarians, Problem-Based Learning, and Voyager Health Sciences.
Poster session .
Dimensions of Opening a Community Health Education Center: Jean P. Shipman, Patricia A. Hammond, Barbara A. Wright, and Greg Pendergast, Tompkins-McCaw Library for the Health Sciences, Virginia Commonwealth University–Richmond.
The Twenty-Four Languages Project: Providing Global Access to Multilingual Consumer Health Information: Elizabeth Workman, Hope Fox Eccles Clinical Library, University of Utah–Salt Lake City.
A Collaborative, Statewide Consumer Health Website, HealthyNJ: Information for Healthy Living: Judith S. Cohn, Universities Libraries; Micki McIntyre and Janice K. Skica, Health Sciences Library at Stratford; and Cathy Weglarz, Robert Wood Johnson Library of the Health Sciences; University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey–Newark.
Technology and Publicity of ARHealthLINK: A Look Behind the Scenes: Susan C. Steelman, Mary L. Ryan, and Amanda Saar, UAMS Library, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences–Little Rock.
Increasing Public Awareness of Quality Health Information on the Internet: Does It Make a Difference?: Mary B. Blackwelder, Karen Hanus, Linda LeMahieu, and Rita Sieracki, Medical College of Wisconsin Libraries, Medical College of Wisconsin–Milwaukee.
MEDLINEplus Goes Local: Building a Local Connection for Consumer Health Information: Peggy F. Hull, Diana McDuffee, and Christie Silbajoris, Health Sciences Library, University of North Carolina–Chapel Hill.
A Usability Study of the Official Website of the Consumer and Patient Health Information Section (CAPHIS) of the Medical Library Association (MLA): A Report: Feili Tu, Ph.D., School of Library and Information Science, San Jose State University, San Jose, California.
Consumer Health Electronic Journal Clubs: A Model for Multiple Simultaneous Journal Clubs: Jana C. Allcock and Cynthia Phyillaier, Health Sciences and Human Services Library, University of Maryland–Baltimore; and Robin L. Meckley, Scientific Library, National Cancer Institute at Frederick, Frederick, Maryland.
Mini-Med School Meets the Library: Leveraging Medical Librarian Expertise to Improve Internet Consumer Health Information Literacy: Guillaume Van Moorsel, Health Sciences Center Library; Peter Williams, J.D., Ph.D., School of Medicine; and Barbara Katz, Health Sciences Center, University Hospital and Medical Center and Health Sciences Center; State University of New York–Stony Brook.
CARE FOR U: A Consumer Web Evaluation Tool: Ruth M. Smith, Edward E. Brickell Medical Sciences Library, Eastern Virginia Medical School–Norfolk.
Meeting User Expectations for Electronic Reserves: Julia Shaw-Kokot, Lee Haney, and Carol Payne, Health Sciences Library, University of North Carolina–Chapel Hill.
Creating Digital Collections: The Original Research of Gregory Pincus, Sc.D.: Mary E. Piorun and Barbara Ingrassia, The Lamar Soutter Library, University of Massachusetts Medical School–Worcester.
Development of a Digital Picture Gallery for the History of Medicine: Barbara Halbrook, Ed Walter, and Simon Igielnik, Ph.D., Bernard Becker Medical Library, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri.
High School Students in the Health Sciences Library: Linda M. Hartman and Ammon S. Ripple, Falk Library of the Health Sciences, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
Branching Out on a T1 Network: From Webster Parish to the State: Dennis A. Pernotto, Ph.D., James P. Craig, Ph.D., Kay M. Gammill, Dixie Jones, and Michael M. Watson, M.D., LSUHSC Health Sciences Library; and Charles L. Milne, Medical Communications; Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center–Shreveport.
Woman to Woman: A Community Health Information Outreach Project: Jeffrey T. Huber, Ph.D., School of Library and Information Studies, Texas Woman's University–Houston.
Facilitating Access to the National Library of Medicine's Computerized Information Resources for Health Care Professionals in Underserved Areas of Western New York: Jennifer A. Byrnes, Hospital Library Services Program, Western New York Library Resources Council–Buffalo; Diane G. Schwartz, Libraries, A. H. Aaron Medical Library, Kaleida Health System, Buffalo, New York; and Tracy A. Kulick, Hospital Library Services Program, Western New York Library Resources Council–Buffalo.
Information Needs of Public Health Nurses in Pima County, Arizona: Patricia A. Auflick and Mary L. Riordan, Arizona Health Sciences Library, University of Arizona–Tucson.
Extending the Hand of Knowledge: Personal Digital Assistant (PDA) Initiative: Karen E. Crowell and Julia Shaw-Kokot, Health Sciences Library, University of North Carolina–Chapel Hill.
Personal Digital Assistants (PDAs): Destination Librarian—What's in It for Us?: Beverly Murphy and Marlyse H. MacDonald, Duke University Medical Center Library, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina.
Palmtop Medicine: Integrating Personal Digital Assistants (PDAs) into a Third-Year Family Practice Clerkship: Brenda L. Seago and Chris L. Stephens, Computer Based Instruction Lab; and Gaynel Olsen, Department of Family Practice; Virginia Commonwealth University–Richmond.
Creating an Infrastructure for Digital Devices: The Library's Role in Defining Needs and Services: Patricia L. Thibodeau, Julie Garrison, Marlyse H. MacDonald, Connie Schardt, and Tiffany L. Anderson, Medical Center Library, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina.
Teaching with a Palm in Your Hand: Using the Palm Operating System Emulator to Integrate Personal Digital Assistant Instruction into the Curriculum: Michelle M. Beattie, Health Sciences Library, University of Missouri–Kansas City.
Personal Digital Assistant (PDA) Fair Displays: What's New in Handhelds: Pamela M. Corley and Judy Kraemer, Norris Medical Library, University of Southern California–Los Angeles.
Developing Library Staff of the Future: Elizabeth Connor, Anne Ross Library and Learning Resource Center, Ross University School of Medicine, Portsmouth, Dominica.
Internet Use at the Medical Library of the Chinese People's Liberation Army: Wenju Zhang, Medical Library of Chinese People's Liberation Army, Beijing, China.
An Introduction to Cuba's Health Information System: Dave Piper, Arizona Health Sciences Library, University of Arizona–Tucson; Gale G. Hannigan, Ph.D., Medical Sciences Library and College of Medicine, Texas A&M University–College Station; and Jonathan D. Eldredge, Ph.D., Health Sciences Library and Informatics Center, University of New Mexico–Albuquerque.
Herbal Medicine Resources: Combining Libraries and Gardens: Margaret U. Trevanion, Medical Library, UPMC Passavant, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
Do You Have the Right Stuff? Selecting a Natural Medicines Resource to Answer the Question: Terry Ann Jankowski, Health Sciences Libraries, University of Washington–Seattle, and Philip J. Gregory, Pharm.D., Natural Medicines, Natural Medicines Comprehensive Database, Pharmacist's Letter/Prescriber's Letter, Stockton, California.
Environmental Justice: Empowering Communities with Information: Gale A. Dutcher, National Library of Medicine, Bethesda, Maryland.
Information-Seeking Behavior of Health Sciences Population Groups: Judith Kraemer, Janet L. Nelson, Janis F. Brown, and Eileen Eandi, Norris Medical Library, University of Southern California–Los Angeles.
Circulation of Core Collection Monographs in an Academic Medical Library: Cynthia M. Schmidt, M.D., PCSOM Library, Pikeville College School of Osteopathic Medicine, Pikeville, Kentucky, and Nancy L. Eckerman, Ruth Lilly Medical Library, Indiana University School of Medicine–Indianapolis.
Identifying Medical Monographs for Inclusion in Veterinary Medicine Collection: Jill Crawley-Low, Veterinary Medicine Library, University of Saskatchewan–Saskatoon, Canada.
Does Weeding a Monographs Collection Increase Subsequent Usage of Unweeded Titles? A Randomized Controlled Trial: Jonathan D. Eldredge, Ph.D., Katherine L. Mondragon, and Carol C. Fierro, Health Sciences Library and Informatics Center, The University of New Mexico–Albuquerque.
New Technologies for Document Delivery: Ammon S. Ripple, Health Sciences Library System, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
Reengineering Document Delivery and Interlibrary Loan Workflow: Richard A. Peterson, Eric Albright, Vanessa Sellars, Rodney Hunter, Artura Goods, Virginia Carden, and Patricia Thibodeau, Duke University Medical Center Library, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina.
Enhancing Interlibrary Loan with Electronic Document Delivery: Barbara Halbrook, Bernard Becker Medical Library, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri.
Liaison Service to the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee: Alice B. Kuller, Health Sciences Library System, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
Does Face-to-Face Interaction of a Library Liaison with Faculty Change Faculty Perceptions of or Use of a Library?: Jonathan D. Eldredge, Ph.D., and Charity T. Karcher, Health Sciences Library and Informatics Center, The University of New Mexico–Albuquerque.
“Howdy Partner”: Reaching Out through a Liaison Program: Inhye Son, Elaine Banner, and Karen Grandage, Claude Moore Health Sciences Library, University of Virginia–Charlottesville.
“Tune Up Your Information Skills”: A Library Liaison Campaign for Customized Presentations to Faculty: Janet G. Schnall, Health Sciences Libraries, University of Washington–Seattle.
Bytes, Camera, Action: Adding Digital Multimedia Resources to Your Library's Services: Andrea S. Horne, and Gabriel R. Rios, Claude Moore Health Sciences Library, University of Virginia Health System–Charlottesville.
Keyword Indexing: Adding Value to the Moffitt Cancer Network (MCN) Web-Based Online Education Project: Sue H. Felber, Medical Library, H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute, Tampa, Florida.
Using Knowledge Management to Facilitate Medical Research: Suzie Allard and James E. Andrews, Ph.D., School of Library and Information Science, College of Communications and Information Studies, University of Kentucky–Lexington.
Marketing a New Library Service: Internal and External Focus: Min-Lin E. Fang, Peggy Tahir, Jacqueline Wilson, and Janet Cowan, The Library and Center for Knowledge Management, University of California–San Francisco.
Determining the Process: Data Collection and Analysis for Barcoding a Journal Collection: Richard Peterson, Virginia Carden, Judy Woodburn, Andrew Eisan, Mary Ann Brown, Derrick Vines, Eugene Lofton, and Eric Albright, Duke University Medical Center Library, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina.
The Development of a Virtual Library Tour: Health Science Center Libraries, University of Florida: Pamela J. Sherwill-Navarro and Dwight Bennett, Health Science Center Libraries, University of Florida–Gainesville.
Building a Virtual Reference Desk to Support Distance Learning: Yini Zhu and Laura Barrett, George F. Smith Library; Micki McIntyre, Health Sciences Library at Stratford; Judith. S. Cohn, University Libraries; Robert Gessner and Zana Etter, Robert Wood Johnson Library of the Health Sciences; and Lisa Price, Health Sciences Library at Stratford; University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey–Newark.
Promotion and Evaluation of a Virtual Live-Reference Service: Jennifer R. Heiland and Kathleen A. McGraw, Health Sciences Library, University of North Carolina–Chapel Hill.
The Big Decision: Is Creating a Virtual Reference Service in an Academic Medical Library Worth It?: Eric D. Albright and Marlyse H. MacDonald, Medical Center Library, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina.
Browser-Extending Tools: Unleash the Power of the Web: Melissa L. Just, Norris Medical Library, University of Southern California–Los Angeles, and Candice Benjes-Small, McConnell Library, Radford University, Radford, Virginia.
Concurrent Open Forums were held on: Developing Web-Based Continuing Education Courses, Getting Published with Neal-Schuman and MLA, Informationist Conference Follow-up Discussion, and Recruiting People into Health Sciences Librarianship.
During the mid-afternoon, the Executive Board of the Collection Development Section met, as did the Executive Committees of the Consumer and Patient Health Information Section and the Nursing and Allied Health Resources Section. The Chiropratic Libraries Consortium (CLIB-CON) held its annual meeting, and the Executive Board of the Southern Chapter met. Informal meetings of the following special interest groups were held: Pediatric Librarians, Problem-Based Learning, and Voyager Health Sciences.
Other afternoon gatherings included: CyberTools for Libraries Users, Nursing and Allied Health Resources Section Executive Committee, OCLC ILLiad—an overview and demonstration of how it works with NLM's DOCLINE ILL service, Ovid Customer Forum, PsycINFO and PscyARTICLES Roundtable, PubMed LinkOut Users, and the QuickDOC Users Group.
Late in the afternoon, the following special interest groups met: African American Medical Librarians Alliance, Clinical Librarians and Evidence-Based Health Care, Department of the Army Medical Command Libraries, Geriatrics and Gerontology, Internet, Mental Health, Molecular Biology and Genomics, Outreach, Primary Care, and Vision Science. The Corporate Information Services Section and the Task Force on Expert Searching also met in the late afternoon.
MEETING, MAY 21
On Tuesday, May 21, the following committees and groups held early-morning meetings: benchmarking chapter educators and Benchmarking Implementation Task Force, Bylaws Committee, chapter continuing education chairs, JMLA Editorial Board, the Hospital Libraries Section Joint Session, and the Joseph Leiter NLM/MLA Lecture Committee.
At the same time, Sunrise Seminars were conducted by: A.D.A.M., American Psychological Association, EBSCO Information Services, Gale, Ovid, BMJ Publishing Group, and WebMD.
National Library of Medicine (NLM) update: 2002 and Beyond.
The following NLM staff presented updates on NLM projects and plans: Donald A. B. Lindberg, M.D., director; Angela B. Ruffin, Ph.D., head, NN/LM Office; and Betsy L. Humphreys, associate director, Library Operations; NLM, Bethesda, Maryland.
Business session II.
President Carol Jenkins called the meeting to order and verified that a quorum was present. She then reminded those present that the agenda for this meeting had been approved at the earlier business meeting. She asked if there was a motion to amend that agenda. Jean Shipman, secretary of the Board of Directors, moved to amend the agenda to allow for new business, and the motion was seconded. President Jenkins called the question, and the motion was passed.
The floor was then open for new business. Alison Bunting, University of California–Los Angeles, asked to make a motion: Move that all job listings on MLANET be made freely available at all times to anyone visiting the MLANET site.
Faith Meakin seconded the motion. President Jenkins called for discussion and the following speakers made comments.
Discussion.
Alison Bunting, University of California–Los Angeles: Yes. I would like to provide background. Currently, MLA policy embargoes all job listings on MLANET to the Members Only section of MLANET for two weeks. This seems counter to one of MLA's stated goals that we heard about two days ago, recruitment to the profession. If information on the types of exciting positions available in health sciences libraries is restricted, the net result is an unnecessary barrier to employment opportunities to our profession. The current policy could also reduce the value of this paid advertising and could result in some loss of advertising revenue to MLA.
Russet Hambrick, Membership Committee for MLA: In our committee meeting, we frequently discussed the benefits that we can put forward to new members as being members of MLA, and having the job postings be restricted to the Members Only Website even for just two weeks is one tangible benefit that we can offer them. We do not know if it is as valued by the members, and I would encourage us to consider surveying the membership before making a change in what we do. Thank you.
Mark Funk, Cornell University, New York City, and treasurer of MLA: MLA ads are updated on the 10th and 25th of each month. The deadlines for these are five days prior; that is, the fifth and twentieth of each month. MLANET ads are posted for one month. They are available for members only for two weeks, then for anybody. Is this an unnecessary barrier to employment opportunities? It is, only if the embargo prevents nonmembers from applying. There were nine ads in the March issue of MLA News. Six of them had no deadlines for applying; one was a federal position with a three-week window; one had a first consideration deadline; and one had a recommended deadline but indicated the position would remain open until filled. Depending on the timing of these ad submissions, nonmembers could have seen these ads up to two weeks before the print MLA News appeared. This does not even consider the multiple lists or postings that are out there on the Internet, often before the MLA postings even appear. This is a simple benefit to MLA members. It gives them a theoretical two-week advantage to polish their resumes and application letters, but it does not present a barrier to nonmembers. It does not reduce the value of paid advertising, and it does not represent a loss of revenue to MLA. I recommended defeating this motion.
Wayne Peay, University of Utah–Salt Lake City: I would like to speak up in favor of the motion. I am Wayne Peay, University of Utah. It is my pleasure to speak in favor of this motion, because we want an open system that brings new talent into this organization. There is no point in having membership benefits if we are not building the membership. New students coming, looking for jobs, would start, one would hope, at the MLA Website, which whether it is updated every two weeks or every ten weeks, that is a technology that should be capable of being updated after the posting is made, so we should have a current state-of-the-art system and not be held back by a system that is not being managed to the capabilities of the technology. Nonetheless, the point is getting new members, and we, as directors, who are trying to attract new talent, we want them to see our postings as soon as they are available. Again, I would speak in favor of this, and I would move its adoption.
Marilyn Schwartz, Naval Medical Center, San Diego: Good morning. I am Marilyn Schwartz from Naval Medical Center, San Diego. I am in the Southern California chapter, and I was one of the rabble-rousers who applied for tax-exempt status under 501(C)(3), and the IRS told us in California we cannot limit such services to members, because we are a nonprofit educational organization, and I think MLA—if you can address that I would be interested.
Carla Funk: What Marilyn says is accurate. A two-week embargo as we have, and I think as Mark has pointed out, does not constitute a barrier, and that is why we are able to do this and keep within the 501(C)(3) designation. In fact, we find statistically—we just looked—we looked for the last three months of MLANET that the public's jobsite had 6,300 hits in the last three months, so you can see that it is an extremely well-used site, very open to anybody who wants to view it, and, in fact, our jobs probably today are more available to the world than they have ever been before.
Julie Kwan, University of California–Los Angeles (UCLA): I am Julie Kwan from UCLA. I would just like to say if you want to have a benefit for members who also find other ways to do that you could do email notifications and that kind of thing. It does not preclude—there's a win-win here.
President Jenkins also added her comments: I am willing to call the question now, but I would like to just make one comment that I think this is obviously an issue that many of us feel strongly about. This does not represent the entire membership of the association, however, and I think, regardless of the outcome of the vote we take today, it might be to our advantage to follow it up with some email discussion over the summer and perhaps use the opportunity to hear from more of our members, because there are some issues here around the extent to which people feel this is a member benefit worth retaining versus an equally strong sense that we want to do everything we can to recruit new members into the profession and not put barriers in their way.
There being no further discussion, the question was called, and the motion was passed with 249 in favor and 33 against. There was no other new business to come before the association.
President Jenkins then extended thanks and presented certificates to retiring board members Nancy Henry, Julie McGowan, Jocelyn Rankin, and Jean Shipman. She next presented a special plaque to Michael Homan as retiring immediate past president of MLA. President Jenkins welcomed and introduced incoming board members Patricia Thibodeau, Norma Funkhouser, Michelynn McKnight, Gerald Perry, and Neil Rambo. President-Elect Linda Watson rose to present Carol Jenkins with an outgoing presidential gift.
President Jenkins then presented to the assembly and passed the presidential gavel to the MLA 2002/03 president, Linda Watson, who gave her inaugural address.
Inaugural Address: Extreme Librarians—Champions for Quality Health Information.
Good morning everyone.
I thank you for electing me your president. It is a great honor and a privilege, although a bit daunting, to try and represent all that is best about you and about our association in the coming year.
The MLA presidency is a continuum. Each president, in developing a theme and priorities, builds on a strong foundation, on the leadership and legacy of the many who preceded him or her. The phrase “standing on the shoulders of giants” comes readily to mind. Each president welcomes the wisdom of members of the Board of Directors in charting MLA's path for the coming year. Each president depends on the professional dedication and skills of a multitalented headquarters staff to provide the infrastructure and services to move us along that path. Each president is alert to opportunities and challenges in our environment that reinforce or threaten our direction. And each president invites the opinions and insights of MLA members to create and participate in a shared destiny. So, I am not up here alone (although it feels like it at the moment!), nor will I lead this association alone. I am in very good company.
You have given me an exciting opportunity this morning to tell you some stories, to share with you a vision of our profession and of our association, and to suggest how we can work together as a team to achieve it. Last year, in her inaugural speech, your president, Carol Jenkins, called on us to take bold action and create “practical magic.” I would like to take that another step beyond. You will need to indulge my passion for sports, which has helped me be both a leader and a follower, and instilled in me the value and the joy of “team.” And you will need to use your imagination and envision taking some risks as we define that “step beyond” and talk about MLA priorities and the theme for 2002/03.
I have titled my talk “Extreme Librarians—Champions for Quality Health Information.” I am sure you can all resonate with “Champions for Quality Health Information”; it builds on our vision statement “Quality Information for Improved Health” and asserts our active role as advocates, sponsors, and fierce proponents for quality health information—we are champions for a worthy cause.
But why “Extreme Librarians?”
It came to me in February when I was caught up in the excitement and drama of the Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City. Did you notice how sports such as snowboarding and freestyle skiing, which had once been relegated to the X-Games on ESPN, made their way into our mainstream consciousness, and how the young athletes became media stars?
Before February, how many of us baby boomers knew what a “dinner roll” was outside the confines of our dining rooms or that a “halfpipe” was not just a short-stemmed smoking instrument? And the skeleton, what was that all about? These sports somehow changed the tone of the Olympics (at least, for me). They are sports of the younger generation, and they raised their appeal to include the rest of us. How? All athletes who make it to the Olympics have gotten there by virtue of innate talent and years of hard work and personal sacrifice. But there was something about the snowboarders, freestyle skiers, and skeleton sliders that went beyond that. There was a joy and exuberance in performing their sport (not just winning).
When Jonny Moseley uncorked his first controversial “dinner roll,” a mind-boggling 720-degree spin, he claimed to be more concerned with the progression of the sport than with defending his Olympic gold medal in moguls (he ended up finishing fourth).
The silver medallist in the women's skeleton, Lea Ann Parsley, is a graduate of the University of Virginia School of Nursing. She was interviewed for an alumni news magazine and said that she enjoys the same adrenaline rush when she competes as she does when helping others, whether as a firefighter or a nurse.
“Extreme” means exceeding the ordinary, usual, or expected. Why didn't I get any hits on the Google search engine or in library literature with that combination of terms, Extreme Librarian? The closest I came was an article [1] in the Fall 2000 issue of Library Administration and Management titled “Extreme Sports” with the last sentence reading, “Let's face it, librarianship is an extreme sport.” The author stated that we may not all practice extreme sports, but we typically deal with extremes every day. She is on the right track. I also found a reference to the Extreme Searchers Guide to Web Search Engines [2]. But why don't more of us think of ourselves in these terms, and why doesn't the public?
One reason might be that we do not have a contract with NBC or interviews with Bob Costas, Katie Couric, and Matt Lauer to popularize the concept. We do not have personal agents. We tend not to practice self-promotion, but rather stealth promotion, if at all. We typically do our work as members of teams, perhaps as unsung heroes. Okay, so it is up to us to tell our stories. My contention is that there are many Extreme Librarians among us, and that we all have the potential to be extreme, particularly if we work together.
I believe that Jacque Doyle is an Extreme Librarian, as is Betsy Humphreys. Likewise Judy Messerle, Sherrilynne Fuller, and Wayne Peay. Do you recognize the names of our most recent Janet Doe lecturers? Think for a moment of the new trails they each blazed (and are still blazing). And wouldn't you consider the following individuals Extreme Librarians: Robert Braude, Alison Bunting, and Rachael Anderson, the most recent recipients of our Marcia Noyes Award, the association's highest honor. Many more of our leaders, past and present, are Extreme Librarians. (Apologies to Bob and Wayne regarding the blond graphic!)
I believe the librarians at my library are Extreme Librarians, in fact, all my staff are extreme contributors. I am in constant awe of what they accomplish every day on the frontlines with their talent, their creativity, and their energy. And if it were not for them, their competence and support back home, along with the unconditional support of my husband Bill and our dog Shadow, I would have had to think twice before accepting the challenge and responsibility of standing before you today.
I would have thought twice also, if I did not believe that many of you are Extreme Librarians, too.
So, what makes us extreme? Clearly, the environment in which we work is a defining factor in our lives. As health information professionals, we find ourselves at the intersection of changes in health care, technology, research, education, scholarly communication, public policy, economics, and demographics. To operate effectively, we must understand that context. There are high and sometimes impossible expectations of all of the members of the health care team who work with us in this environment—think of the nurses and physicians on the hospital floors and what they face every day and night. The threshold for “exceeding expectations” is very high in our environment, as are the risks of failing.
We are living in the information age or, perhaps now, the knowledge age. We know that medicine and the other health disciplines are information-intensive fields. The amount of data and information generated by the Human Genome project is astounding. Consumers are seeking quality health information in unprecedented numbers. We are the health information experts. So, how can there be any question that our training and skills are desperately needed now more than ever? Perhaps we are on the edge of greatness, and we just need to learn how to articulate our greatness and prove our value to the world.
I found the following quote in an airline magazine last year: “If you're not living on the edge, you're taking up too much room” [3]. Extreme Librarians practice their profession “on the edge,” sometimes the leading edge, sometimes even the bleeding edge. We must more often take the risk of practicing on the “bleeding edge,” or we may be “edged out,” by more risk-embracing entrepreneurs.
After I wrote this, I came upon Judy Messerle's 1986 inaugural address entitled “Beyond the Edge: Risk and Promise” [4], in which she contrasted the safety and security of the center with the potential danger of the edge but observed that “despite the fact that edges are precarious and risk-filled, they are often the most exhilarating place to be.” She warned us of the risk of remaining at the trailing edge, the risk of obsolescence, and urged us to make the choice to explore the “not so distant edge that just could be the beginning of something else.” We need to be on the leading edge.
This cartoon says it all: “Wait a second! This isn't the bunny slope!” We need to give up our bunny slopes!
We say it ourselves in our new recruitment brochure with the title “A Career Beyond the Cutting Edge,” and our Leadership and Management Section calls its newsletter The Leading Edge. Can we continue to articulate and visibly demonstrate our “extremeness” in how we conduct our business this coming year? Can we consistently exceed our own expectations on the way to educating our publics of our extreme value and contribution to society? Can we each do this individually, and can we do it collectively, as the Medical Library Association? You have heard of the “Dream Team,” the NBA All-Star team that headlined the 1992 Summer Olympics and won the gold medal in basketball. How about considering MLA “The Extreme Team” starring in our own year-round Olympics?
For my year as your president, I have chosen the theme “Health Information Champions—In Command of Our Knowledge, Contributors to Quality Health” as a way to frame our strategic thinking and direct our actions.
We want MLA to be recognized as the association of the most visible, trusted, and respected health information professionals in the world based on clear evidence that we make a positive difference in the quality of health in that world.
This is a pretty bold, even extreme, statement.
For this to become a reality within the next decade, we need to believe it. Alan Kay once said, “The best way to predict the future is to invent it” [5]. We need to envision success in the same way that many top athletes are able to envision a positive outcome when it is their time to perform; they are able to immerse themselves in a zone. Did you watch the Olympic athletes, the skiers, for example, as they mentally prepared themselves before their run? Closed eyes, heads bobbing, bodies weaving as they visualized every bump and turn before hurtling down the course—visualizing a successful outcome, a personal best.
I truly believe in the power of self-fulfilling prophecy, given the prerequisite preparation and practice. The question for us in our professional lives: can we set goals, envision success, and find and remain in the zone for our everyday work and for ourselves as an association, going beyond the episodic to the sustained? Can we envision the future with enough passion and conviction and confidence that we can make it happen? And having envisioned that future, can we develop and pass on the requisite knowledge, skills, and abilities to increase the chance of success.
What will it take to achieve our vision and goals? To make this happen, we need to call upon our individual expertise, energy and commitment as well as our collective strength in numbers, our collective intelligence, and our collective voice. Let's take each in turn.
A team cannot be successful without the effective individual contributions of the members of that team. Softball is a team sport, but when I step up to the plate to bat, my individual skills take precedence at that moment. These skills are a function of good instruction, much practice, and much experience honed over thirty-five years of playing softball. But I am also committed to a collective goal for the team, in this case, my library's MEDLINERS softball team, one of my passions.
And no, it is not true that I only recruit softball players to work at my library, but I have been known to quiz candidates during their interviews about their sports abilities!
Performing at your personal best is a key cornerstone for effective participation on a winning team. The individual talents and energy of MLA members are key to the success of the association. And the association must provide an environment that helps each member reach his or her full potential.
But first, we need numbers to have maximum impact. So, the first of my priorities is to cultivate an expanded and energized workforce.
The challenge of MLA's demographics is clear—we are a graying profession and must recruit new members as one of our highest priorities. The world needs us, and there soon will not be enough of us, if we do not take some action. The response to the challenge will mean telling the story of the value and joy of our work in such a compelling fashion as to attract new members to our profession and nurture them through our association. We also must find ways to engage and energize our current members. I have been a medical librarian for twenty-seven years, more than half my life. Perhaps we all need to be reminded from time to time of why we chose this profession and to learn how to better articulate it to ourselves and others.
At the university, I am privileged to be a member of the Executive Leadership Network, a group of approximately 100 senior-level managers from all schools and administrative units across campus. Cohorts of twenty of us at a time went through a weeklong, very intense training session together, and now we all meet four to five times a year at leadership development programs planned especially for us and social events where we can network with each other. In February, I attended a poetry reading sponsored by the group. As the poet explained how she became a “full-time poet” after giving up her office job, she spoke eloquently of needing to reconcile “who you are with what you do.” In her life, the two had been totally discordant. In our lives, I believe we are more in sync. I believe that our library calling permits us to more closely reconcile “who we are with what we do” and to live what Past President Michael Homan called our “passion for the profession.” We appreciate the sense of being part of a vast team of talented and dedicated individuals working in health care fields, united with common purpose to save lives, improve health, make new discoveries, and teach the next generation. We want to make a difference. And we do.
So, if we are to cultivate an expanded and energized workforce, what must we do?
This priority builds on the work of the Task Force to Recruit the Twenty-First Century Workforce, initiated last year by Carol Jenkins. You heard earlier in the meeting about the progress made by this task force and by the Membership Committee.
We also have a new opportunity before us—to build on the spirit of Laura Bush's proposal to recruit new librarians, a proposal that has recommended $10 million in the budget of the Institute for Museum and Library Services to accomplish the goal.
We need to learn from tomorrow's plenary session, when William Strauss will help us understand the next generation from which we will draw new members.
We need to give careful consideration to the insights gained from the Informationist Conference sponsored by MLA and NLM in April. The discussions ranged from describing the skills and training needed for these reinvented professionals to how to persuade decision makers to pay for their services.
Finally, we must develop more targeted and defined relationships with the faculties of graduate schools of library and information science and of informatics programs and more fully engage the students with the work of our association. I will ask the Task Force to Recruit the Twenty-First Century Workforce to consider all these points in their work in the coming year.
But the task force members do not work in isolation. Some of their best ideas will need to be realized through you. Let's make it personal! Why don't we each individually go to extreme lengths to make connections with members of our respective communities? Give job fairs on your campuses; take opportunities to speak at local middle and high schools. Create and seize openings to explain what you do, dispel outmoded ideas of librarianship. Be extreme in telling your story in a compelling way every day and at every opportunity. Remember that self-promotion is professional promotion. You need to develop your own personal sound bytes and be your own best agent! And in doing so, you will help change the perception of our profession, when that perception is wrong, or create a perception, where there is none.
In addition to attracting new people to our profession and our association, we need to serve the needs of existing members and engage their energy and creativity in the life of the association. We need to seek 100% participation and deliver a 110% return on investment. We need to ensure that every single MLA member gets value not only from his or her dues, but from his or her commitment of time and attention, both of which are finite.
Members have different needs at various stages of their career to which MLA needs to respond. We need to find ways to use member information to customize products and services. We need to continue building the virtual MLA, an “anytime, anywhere” association that adds value to our members through technology. I will ask headquarters staff and the MLANET Editorial Board to continue their fine work in this area. And we will continue to ask your ideas about value-added services and technologies.
Here is one of my extreme ideas for the year: I will ask the MLA Fellows to engage in a creative process to describe and transmit our culture, traditions, and values in compelling ways to our own members and beyond. I recall overhearing a comment at last year's awards ceremony that many of our newer members do not know who Marcia Noyes, Janet Doe, or Louise Darling were. Imagine for a moment a multimedia production that brings to life the “Extreme Librarians” of our past, that illustrates the milestones in our history that have been recorded in print and as part of our oral history program. Imagine a Web-based production that is used as part of the curriculum in library schools. Imagine a partnership between our venerable Fellows and the Membership Committee and the new “techno-savvy” members of our association to plan and execute this opus, bridging generations in both the creation and the delivery of our message. We learned from Carol Kinsey Goman at last year's annual meeting about changes in cognitive style across generations. We need to make our message more visual, to tell our story through images and sounds as well as printed words. Imagine PBS, Ken Burns, and a broad audience for our message—well, maybe I am getting a bit too extreme. But do you get the picture? This production would also envision the present and future of our profession focusing on Extreme Librarians and what we do, like the one in this picture, for example, from my library, ready for the PDA wars! Very intense and dressed for success, don't you think?
Let's move on to my second priority, which is to foster a learning and evidence-based culture.
MLA should support members' personal mastery by harnessing the lessons of proven practice and forging new directions using the principles of evidence-based practice and by conducting research. We need to acquire, apply, and share what we already know and seek ways to repackage our knowledge for wider audiences. And we need to generate new knowledge.
A key part of this priority is to build on the work of MLA's evolving idea for a National Center for Health Information Education and Research to enhance member access to the knowledge assets of our association and promote the value of the Academy of Health Information Professionals as a framework for continuous learning.
But let's take another step. I envision the creation of a “Knowledge MarketPlace” on MLANET that captures, organizes, and promotes the explicit knowledge of our members. Knowledge Management has many definitions, but my dream is to know what our members know and then figure out how to connect the threads of that knowledge to create new knowledge. This Knowledge Marketplace would include JMLA as the core of our knowledgebase. It would include digitized versions of our “core practice” handbooks and other publications to enhance access to and derivative use of our collective knowledge over time and provide for continuous updating. It would include member-created content such as best-practices or expert searching guidelines or teaching syllabi. All this valuable content would not simply be posted in separate silos whether by section, committee, or topic. But rather, we would impose our librarian and technical skills to develop more powerful searching and data-mining capability across all of MLANET to make the richness of individual unit content more accessible and useful.
One of the responsibilities of a profession is to generate new knowledge. I would like to invigorate and support an MLA and member research agenda that includes making research a more comprehensive and visible presence on MLANET. Perhaps we need a Research Portal accessible from the home page that ties all MLA-generated research together. In one place, we could find the various studies we have commissioned over the past several years on salaries and on our value, the work of the Research Section and its newsletter Hypothesis, and research by other MLA units or individual members. And, we need to leverage our resources by seeking opportunities to partner with other agencies, organizations, and educational institutions to conduct joint research.
Last year, MLA established the Donald A. B. Lindberg Research Fellowship to promote new knowledge and support MLA's research agenda. As part of the association's awards process in the fall, we will solicit nominations and select the first scholar for 2003 for a significant grant award of $25,000. We will also work hard this year to fully endow this fellowship. We thank Dr. Lindberg for lending his name to this important step forward.
My third priority is to reach a shared community of users to improve health. We could call this our outreach goal.
With the leadership and enthusiasm of our Consumer and Patient Health Information Section and other individual members, our public relations firm PCI, and headquarters staff, MLA has developed a track record in consumer health information training and delivery of quality information. Our Deciphering Medspeak brochure is one of our “best-sellers.” We have begun to forge productive relationships with organizations such as the Pew Foundation in its Internet and American Life project. In February, we received an invitation to appoint an MLA representative to the American Accreditation Healthcare Commission's Health Website Accreditation Committee, which we have done.
There are many players who support health information literacy as a way to improve health, including governmental agencies, foundations, professional associations, private sector businesses, health care and public health professionals, patient educators, and health information professionals. We need to determine the most effective next steps for us. This year, I will ask the board to appoint a task force to define MLA's role in health information literacy and articulate it aggressively to both consumers and to the other players. We will seek partnerships that complement and leverage the contributions and skills of MLA and its members, including national, regional, and local health information literacy efforts. A company called Healthwise is aggressively promoting its concept of “Information Therapy,” and I have been invited to attend their first Information Therapy Innovators Conference in September—perhaps there is collaboration potential there. The federal Healthy People 2010 initiative includes a chapter on Health Communication, which speaks to many of the issues that concern us and which we have the skills and infrastructure to address. The National Network of Libraries of Medicine is a natural ally in our vision of improving health through quality information. And there are many others.
MLA needs to maintain and even strengthen our advocacy role in national information policy, legislation, and funding, especially that which impacts biomedical research, health care, and scholarly communication. We are facing increasing challenges to open access to information that could adversely affect health information for consumers and caregivers and scholarly information for researchers and students. Examples include intellectual property and copyright law revisions, possible reductions in access to government information, and Internet filtering laws. MLA needs to take strong and thoughtful positions on these important issues. We need to consider more closely coordinating the work of our public relations firm with the work of our Governmental Relations Committee and the Health and Medicine Counsel of Washington with whom we work on the legislative front—crafting and delivering messages to audiences of both decision makers and the public—communicating the value of health information professionals to multiple audiences.
Regarding our public publicity campaign, I have asked headquarters staff to explore the possibility of adapting ALA's @your library campaign to suit our purposes. We could call it health@your library. Imagine our message on billboards across the country, on the sides of busses, as banner ads on our Websites. Everyone in the country would recognize the library (whether physical or on the Internet), and by extension the librarian (whether face-to-face or behind the scenes), as a trusted place to start the search for quality health information. Is this an extreme dream? You bet it is, but without big hairy audacious goals, we will underachieve, we will not exceed our own or anyone else's expectations.
Cultivate an expanded and energized workforce.
Foster a learning and evidence-based culture.
Reach a shared community of users to improve health.
This is a tall order that will take extreme leadership to accomplish. Remember, I started this talk by saying that the MLA presidency is a continuum. We have been working on some of these concepts for some time now. I also acknowledged that the president does not act alone and is not the only leader.
Here is where the importance of your individual leadership comes in.
Participating in a sport teaches many valuable lessons. One of those lessons is about leadership.
On teams, leadership emerges from different quarters at different times. The coach is the formal leader, but often there is a leader on the field or floor or court, depending on the situation and what is needed at the moment. Sometimes this is deliberately planned as in the tradition of a team captain, often elected by teammates, other times it happens spontaneously. The leadership role may result from an extreme level of skill, or it may result from extreme ability to motivate, or both. It can be very fluid.
Peter Block's book, The Empowered Manager [6], made a significant impression on me in thinking about the role of an individual in an organization and our own personal responsibility to make things happen. The following thoughts are adapted from his writing.
Cultures and organizations get changed in a thousand small ways, not by dramatic gestures by senior leaders . . . change takes place slowly inside each of us and by the choices we think through every day . . . . In a way, the only culture that exists for us is the room in which we are standing at the moment. It is the transformation of the culture of the room we are in that holds the possibility of transforming the culture of the rest of the organization . . .
Within each of us is the . . . ability to create an organization of our own choosing . . . too often no one will take responsibility for what is happening . . . the goal is to have all of us act like this is our organization and to take personal responsibility for how it operates . . . the key is to look at each encounter as an opportunity to create an organization of our own choosing.
Think about the power of those words and that idea. MLA is yours. MLA is you. Whether you are in this room here in Dallas at this moment or in a room at your own institution, the power for change and progress rests with you.
Gloria Steinem once said, “The future depends entirely on what each of us does every day . . . a movement is only people moving” [7].
All of you have committed the time (and in some cases personal funds) to be here this week to share what you know and learn what you do not. Back home amidst the demands of your “day jobs” you commit yourselves to the work of our association in many ways: by your membership, your appreciation for the products and services that MLA offers, by your interactions on email discussion lists. Many of you participate on committees and task forces, in sections and chapters, as instructors and authors, as mentors and colleagues. We are a community. A community with a calling that inspires us to be Extreme Librarians and Champions for Quality Health Information. I am privileged to be a part of this community, and I am very proud to be representing you this year. Together we will be able to achieve the extreme vision we have set for ourselves and have some fun in doing so. Thank you.
References.
1. Todaro J. Extreme sports. Libr Admin Manage 2000 Fall;14(4):225–7.
2. Hock R. Extreme searchers guide to Web search engines: a handbook for the serious searcher. 2d ed. Medford, NJ: CyberAge Books, 2001.
3. Teel L. Epitome. US Airways Attaché Magazine 2001 Sep:18.
4. Medical Library Association. Proceedings, 1986 annual meeting. Bull Med Libr Assoc 1987 Jan;75(1):82.
5. Kay A. “The origin of the quote came from an early meeting in 1971 of PARC, Palo Alto Research Center, folks and the Xerox planners.” Email to: Peter W. Lount. 1998 Sep 17.
6. Adapted from Block P. The empowered manager. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass, 1991:201–2.
7. Gibbs N, McDowell J. How to revive a revolution. Time 1992 Mar 9;139(10):57.
At the completion of her address, Ms. Watson invited Russet Hambrick, chair of the Membership Committee, to the podium. He and Jean Shipman presented a short skit about the new MLA membership recruitment campaign. He encouraged everyone to join in the effort to make “MLA Needs You and You Need MLA” the best membership drive ever. Each member who recruits a new member will receive a $25 gift incentive and be entered in the drawing for the grand prizes to be given away in San Diego at MLA '03.
Ms. Watson then called on Gail Yokote, cochair, 2003 National Program Committee, to propose the following resolution:
Whereas, the staff and professional meeting planners worked most diligently and devoted hours to facilitate our 2002 annual meeting and,
Whereas, as soon as we adjourn, we will adorn our denim and diamonds to dance until dawn.
We have therefore resolved that the membership meeting of the Medical Library Association and its collective members expresses its deepest thanks to the 2002 National Program Committee, the Local Assistance Committee, and MLA headquarters staff, professional meeting planners, and legions of devoted volunteers for their dazzling efforts.
The resolution was adopted by acclamation.
Next, Gail Yokote and Ysabel Bertolucci, cochairs for the 2003 National Program Committee, and others invited members to attend MLA '03 in San Diego, May 2–7. The theme will be “Catch the Wave.” An audiovisual program was included as part of the presentation.
Ms. Watson called on Ruth Holst, 2002/03 secretary of the MLA Board of Directors, who moved for adjournment. The motion passed, and the 102nd Annual Meeting of the Medical Library Association was declared adjourned.
After lunch, the following MLA sections held business meetings: Cancer Librarians, Collection Development, Consumer and Patient Health Information, History of the Health Sciences, Medical Library Education, Nursing and Allied Health Resources, Public Health/Health Administration, and Veterinary Medical Libraries.
Section programming III.
Seven program sessions were scheduled for the late afternoon on Tuesday.
International Cooperation, Collection Development, and Hospital Libraries Sections and African American Medical Librarians Alliance and Internet SIGs
Contributed Papers Session: Electronic versus Print Resources
Moderator: Jie Li, Biomedical Library, University of South Alabama–Mobile
The Effects of Online Access to Information on the Usage of Print-Only Journals: Karen R. Harker, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center Library, The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center–Dallas.
The Impact of the Web on Reference: Linda J. Walton, Kurt I. Munson, Stephanie Kerns, Linda C. O'Dwyer, Cheryl Powell, and James Shedlock, Galter Health Sciences Library, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois.
Accessing the Most Recent Information: Part II: helen-ann brown, Kristine M. Alpi, Daniel Cleary, and Mary Jo Dorsey, Weill Cornell Medical Library, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, New York.
Delivering to the Desktop: Aggregators or Aggravators, Linkers or Pointers?: Stephanie N. Allen and Rick A. Brewer, Medical Center Library, University of Kentucky Medical Center–Lexington.
A New Model of Library Services: Building through Collaboration: Christina A. Woodward, Library and Information Services, London Regional Cancer Centre, London, Ontario, Canada.
Medical Informatics, Medical Library Education, and Health Association Libraries Sections and African American Medical Librarians Alliance SIG
Contributed Papers Session: Knowledge Management
Moderator: Taneya Koonce, The Annette and Irwin Eskind Biomedical Library, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee
Family Practice Inquiries Network: People Building Content for Evidence-Based Practice: Deborah H. Ward, J. Otto Lottes Health Sciences Library, University of Missouri–Columbia.
Information Management for the Administration and Delivery of Curriculum Content: Betsy Kelly and Bob Engeszer, Bernard Becker Medical Library; and Alison J. Whelan, M.D., School of Medicine; Washington University, Saint Louis, Missouri.
Knowledge Management Tools: A Library Strategy to Promote the Sharing and Reuse of Information: Sandra L. Martin, Ed.D., Nunzia B. Giuse, M.D., Annette M. Williams, John Clark, and Qinghua Kou, The Annette and Irwin Eskind Biomedical Library, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee.
CDC's Digital Library Model for Delivering Electronic Public Health Information: Mamie J. Bell, Information Center, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia.
Lessons Learnt from Using “My Library” Technology to Create “Our Library”: Rea Devakos, Heather Cunningham, and Sian Meikle, Gerstein Science Information Centre, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada.
Medical Library Education Section
Contributed Papers Session: Debuting Fresh Perspectives
Moderator: Keith W. Cogdill, Ph.D., National Library of Medicine, Bethesda, Maryland
Communicating the Value of Library and Information Services in Hospitals and Academic Health Sciences Centers: The Development of a User Survey Template: Stephanie L. Harris, College of Information Studies, University of Maryland–College Park; Keith W. Cogdill, Ph.D, National Library of Medicine, Bethesda, Maryland; Eileen G. Abels, Ph.D., and Lisl Zach, College of Information Studies, University of Maryland–College Park.
Shifting Demographics, Culture, and the AIDS/HIV Information Environment: Timothy P. Hogan, Graduate School of Library and Information Science, University of Illinois–Urbana/Champaign.
District of Columbia Area Librarians and Bioterrorism: Emily I. Cooperider, College of Information Studies, University of Maryland–College Park.
Navigating Parenthood in an Age of “Miracle Babies”: Fresh Perspectives on Information Behaviors of Parents in a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit: Michelle L. Helliwell, School of Library and Information Science, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada.
A Study of the Relationship between Low Literacy and Knowledge of and Anticipated Uptake of Genetic Screening: Sharon K. Martin, Psy.D., Library and Information Science, University of Kentucky–Lexington.
Pharmacy and Drug Information, Cancer Librarians, and Veterinary Medical Libraries Sections and Molecular Biology and Genomics SIG
Contributed Papers and Invited Speakers Session: Participating in the Genome Age: Present Research on Pharmacogenetics
Moderator: Jennifer Lyon, The Annette and Irwin Eskind Biomedical Library, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee
Pharmacogenomics: Future and Current Research on the Interaction of the Human Genome Project and Pharmacology: Corinne Aragaki, Ph.D., School of Public Health, University of Texas–Dallas.
Librarian-Faculty Collaborations in Pharmacogenetics: New Vistas in Drug Therapy and Scholarly Communication: David J. Owen, Ph.D., Paul and Lydia Kalmanovitz Library and Center for Knowledge Management, University of California–San Francisco.
Research Collections in Pharmacogenetics and Pharmacogenomics: Claudia Lascar and Philip Barnett, Ph.D., Science-Engineering Library, City College of City University of New York–New York.
New Perspectives and Challenges of Genetics Information Seeking: James E. Andrews, Ph.D., J. David Johnson, Ph.D., and Suzie Allard, College of Communications and Information Studies, University of Kentucky–Lexington.
History of the Health Sciences Section
Invited Speakers Session: Non-Book Historical Collections at the National Library of Medicine
Moderator: Elizabeth Fee, National Library of Medicine, Bethesda, Maryland
Images Unplugged: A Photo Archivist's Most Excellent Adventure: Jan Lazarus, National Library of Medicine, Bethesda, Maryland.
Fun and Frolic with Fascinating Films: Nancy C. Dosch, Ph.D., National Library of Medicine, Bethesda, Maryland.
Is There an Anarchist in the House? Archival Principles and Practices for the Non-Archivist: John Rees, National Library of Medicine, Bethesda, Maryland.
Eureka! Look What I've Got! Gathering and Promoting Special Collections: Paul Theerman, History of Medicine Division, National Library of Medicine, Bethesda, Maryland.
Hospital Libraries Section
Invited Speakers Session: Hospital Library Benchmarking—A Tool for Library Improvement
Moderator: Anna M. Habetler, Health Sciences Library, Children's Hospital and Health Center, San Diego, California
The Benchmarking Network—Learning from Our Experience to Plan for the Future: Debra C. Rand, Health Sciences Library, Long Island Jewish Medical Center, New Hyde Park, New York.
The Benchmarking Network—Overview of the Numbers: Rosalind F. Dudden, Tucker Memorial Library, National Jewish Medical and Research Center, Denver, Colorado.
Kaiser Permanente Libraries and the Benchmarking Network: Lynn Van Houten, Medical Library, Kaiser Permanente Medical Center Vallejo, Vallejo, California.
The Benchmarking Network and Large Hospital Libraries: Janet Cowen, Library, Maine Medical Center–Portland.
The Benchmarking Network and Small Hospital Libraries: Linné Girouard, The Methodist Hospital Library, The Methodist Hospital, Houston, Texas.
Technical Services, Collection Development, and Public Services Sections
Roundtable Discussion Session: Technical Services, Collections, and Public Services Special Topics Roundtable
Moderator: Marianne Burke, Dana Medical Library, University of Vermont–Burlington
E-Journals with Library Budget Shortfalls: Marianne Burke, Library, University of Vermont–Burlington.
Disappearing Content: A Continuing Problem with Electronic Resources: Catherine Reiter, Denison Memorial Library, University of Colorado Health Sciences Center–Denver.
XML Prospects in the Library: Dick R. Miller, Lane Medical Library, Stanford Medical Center, Redwood City, California.
What's New with SERHOLD? New Issues in an Electronic World: Deena Acton, National Library of Medicine, Bethesda, Maryland.
Following the afternoon sessions, the Hospital Libraries Section Connection Reception was held, and the Dental Section conducted its business meeting. The following sections conducted informal meetings: Health Association Libraries, Leadership and Management, Medical Informatics, Nursing and Allied Health Resources, Pharmacy and Drug Information, Public Services, Relevant Issues, and Technical Services. Complementary and Alternative Medicine; Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgendered Health Sciences Librarians; Molecular Biology and Genomics; and Osteopathic Libraries SIGs also held informal meetings. The History Committee of the Southern Chapter also held its meeting.
An end-of-meeting Farewell Reception, “Denim and Diamonds Ball,” was held at Eddie Deen's Ranch.
MEETING, MAY 22
The following MLA units held early morning meetings: Continuing Education Committee, Grants and Scholarships Committee, MLANET Editorial Board, Oral History Committee, and section program planners. Informal meetings were conducted by the Consumer and Patient Health Information and Technical Services Sections and the Department of Veterans Affairs Librarians Special Interest Group. The Consumer and Patient Health Information Section Top 100 Websites Group also met in the morning, and the Association of Academic Health Sciences Libraries held a “Charting the Future” meeting.
Section programming IV.
Nine program sessions were scheduled concurrently Wednesday morning.
Dental Libraries Section
Contributed Papers Session: The Role of the Librarian in Evidence-Based Medicine and Practice
Moderator: Mary Kreinbring, Department of Library Services, American Dental Association, Chicago, Illinois
When Less Is More: A Practical Approach to Searching for Evidence-Based Answers: Karen Grandage, Health Sciences Library, University of Virginia Health System–Charlottesville.
Beyond MEDLINE: Exploring Resources in Evidence-Based Dentistry: Leah Krevit, Dental Branch, University of Texas Health Science Center–Houston.
A Librarian/Clinician Collaboration for Developing an Evidence-Based Medicine Curriculum for Pediatric Interns: Andrea Hodgson, Department of Pediatrics and Child Health, University of Manitoba–Winnipeg, Canada; Ellen Crumley, Department of Pediatrics, University of Alberta–Edmonton, Canada; and Kent Stobart, M.D., FRCPC, Department of Pediatrics and Child Health, University of Manitoba–Winnipeg, Canada.
Evidence-Based Medicine: Reaching Out to Twenty-First Century Decision Makers: Andrea B. Markinson, DPM, Educational Services, and Eleanor Z. Wallace, M.D., Medical Research Library of Brooklyn, State University of New York Downstate–Brooklyn.
History of the Health Sciences and Hospital Libraries Sections
Contributed Papers Session: Don't Put It Here: Dealing with Unwanted Library Content and Responsibilities
Moderator: Diane McKenzie, Health Sciences Library, University of North Carolina–Chapel Hill
Pharmaceutical Sales Reps in the Hospital Library? FDA Regulations Suggest That You Say No: Rya H. Ben-Shir, Takeda Pharmaceuticals North America, Lincolnshire, Illinois.
Dust or Diamonds? Appraising a History of Medicine Collection: Barbara A. Epstein, Deborah L. Silverman, and Malgorzata Fort, Ph.D., Health Sciences Library System, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
Stepping Up to the Plate: Creating a New Service with Archival Collections in a Hospital Setting: Douglas L. Varner, Health Sciences Library, California Pacific Medical Center–San Francisco, and Peggy Tahir, Paul and Lydia Kalmanovitz Library and Center for Knowledge Management, University of California–San Francisco.
Hospital Libraries, Nursing and Allied Health Resources, Veterinary Medical Libraries, Health Association Libraries, Collection Development, and Medical Informatics Sections
Contributed Papers Session: PDAs and Pocket PCs: Uses and Issues
Moderator: Anna M. Habetler, Health Sciences Library, Children's Hospital and Health Center, San Diego, California
Affecting Clinical and Research Decision Making by Leveraging on Pocket PC Emerging Technologies: Taneya Y. Koonce; Annette Williams; Qinghua Kou; Dario Giuse, Dr. Ing., Informatics Center; Frances Lynch; and Nunzia B. Giuse, M.D.; The Annette and Irwin Eskind Biomedical Library, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee.
Building Relationships through Personal Digital Assistants (PDAs) without Crossing Wires: Elizabeth LaRue, Augustus C. Long Health Sciences Library, Columbia University, New York.
Demystifying Personal Digital Assistants (PDAs): Promoting Handheld Technology in Hospital and Academic Settings: Russell Smith and Pamela Corley, Norris Medical Library, University of Southern California–Los Angeles.
International Cooperation and History of the Health Sciences Sections
Contributed Papers Session: Document Delivery in the 21st Century: Different Formats, Innovative Methods
Moderator: Bruce Madge, The British Library, London, United Kingdom
MLA's Sister Library Initiative: Focus on Basic Services: Janet Fisher, James H. Quillen College of Medicine Library, East Tennessee State University–Johnson City.
GRATISNET—from Paper to the Web: Australia's Document Delivery Network for Medical and Health Libraries: Rolf H. Schafer, Walter McGrath Library, St. Vincent's Hospital Sydney, Darlinghurst, New South Wales, Australia, and Sue Grimes, Wentworth Area Health Service Library, Nepaean Hospital, Penrith, New South Wales, Australia.
From Desktop to Desktop: Document Delivery Services at the National Institutes of Health Library: Rosalie H. Stroman and Benjamin Hope, National Institutes of Health Library, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland.
Document Delivery on Island Time: Prospero Visits the Caribbean: Pam White, Lyman Maynard Stowe Library, University of Connecticut Health Center–Farmington.
Delivering Articles to Users Worldwide—PubMed, Loansome Doc, and DOCLINE: Eve-Marie Lacroix and Martha R. Fishel, National Library of Medicine, Bethesda, Maryland.
Corporate Information Services, Hospital Libraries, and Pharmacy and Drug Information Sections
Contributed Papers and Invited Speakers Session: Eyes on the Competition!
Moderator: Jean Demas, Alliance of American Insurers, Downers Grove, Illinois
Competitive Intelligence in the Academic Environment: Sarah McCord, College of Pharmacy Library, Washington State University–Pullman.
How Retail Pharmacists Utilize Competitive Intelligence and Drug Information: Jean L. Siebert, Health Sciences Library, Byrd Health Sciences Center, West Virginia University–Morgantown.
Not Rocket Science: Competitive Intelligence in a Contract Research Center: Janette Halsey Schueller, Library and Information Services, Battelle Seattle Research Center, Seattle, Washington.
Public Health/Health Administration and Nursing and Allied Health Resources Sections
Contributed Papers and Invited Speakers Session: More to Life than MLA: Outreach to Other Professional Associations
Moderator: Matt Wilcox, Yale Epidemiology and Public Health Library, New Haven, Connecticut
Client and Librarian Partnerships during Sixty Years: Winifred Sewell, Cabin John, Maryland.
From Service to Partnership: Lessons Learned at the American Public Health Association (APHA): Laura Larsson, Oregon Health and Science University–Portland, and Health Services Information Center, University of Washington–Seattle.
Experiences Teaching Continuing Education (CE) for Other Professional Organizations: Jan Glover, Cushing/Whitney Medical Library, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, and Kathryn W. Nesbit, Edward G. Miner Library, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, New York.
Delivering Internet Health Resources to an Underserved Health Care Profession: School Nurses: Amy L. Gregg and Jody A. Wozar, Health Sciences Library System, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
Consumer and Patient Health Information, Cancer Librarians, Nursing and Allied Health Resources, Veterinary Medical Libraries, and Federal Libraries Sections and Mental Health SIG
Invited Speakers Session: Dealing with Tough Questions
Moderator: Michele A. Spatz, Planetree Health Resource Center, Mid-Columbia Medical Center, The Dalles, Oregon
Dealing with Tough Questions: Gail M. Rink, Hospice of Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, California.
Relevant Issues Section and Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgendered Health Sciences Librarians SIG
Invited Speaker Session: Health Care for the Transgendered Community
Moderator: William Fleming, Library of Rush University, Rush-Presbyterian-St. Luke's Medical Center, Chicago, Illinois
Health Care for the Transgendered Community: Charles Moser, Ph.D., M.D., Institute for Advanced Study of Human Sexuality, and private practitioner, San Francisco, California.
Research Section
Invited Speakers Session: Reflective Practice: Qualitative Research—Tales from Recovering Positivists.
Moderator: Alexandra Dimitroff, Ph.D., School of Information Studies, University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee
Qualitative Methods and Evaluation: Keith W. Cogdill, Ph.D., National Library of Medicine, Bethesda, Maryland.
Research in the Round: Observations in Context: Michelynn McKnight, Health Sciences Library, Norman Regional Hospital, Norman, Oklahoma.
Tales of a Recovering Positivist: P. Zoë Stavri, Ph.D., Division of Medical Informatics and Outcomes Research, Oregon Health and Science University–Portland.
Plenary session III.
Introduction: Jo Anne Boorkman, Carlson Health Sciences Library, University of California–Davis.
Generations in the Workplace: William Strauss, LifeCourse Associates, Great Falls, Virginia.
The MLA Board of Directors met from noon until 1:30 p.m., as did Section Council, and the Hospital Libraries Section held its second Executive Board meeting. The Continuing Education Committee met from 1:30 p.m. until 5:00 p.m. on Wednesday and all day, Thursday, May 23.
Contributor Information
Pauline O. Fulda, Email: pfulda@lsuhsc.edu.
Rebecca K. Satterthwaite, Email: rsatterthwaite@cdc.gov.