The Association of Academic Health Sciences Libraries: twenty-five years of excellence

In May 1978, the following announcement appeared in the MLA News:

In January 1978 a new library organization, the Association of Academic Health Sciences Library Directors, was incorporated. Its purpose is “to provide a medium for communication among directors of such libraries in order to foster their common concerns of planning, program and policy development, to extend their contacts nationally and to provide a forum for joint action.” [1]

As the Association of Academic Health Sciences Libraries (AAHSL) marks its twenty-fifth anniversary, it is an appropriate time to review the history and accomplishments of the association. The articles in this symposium trace the themes and issues that have guided AAHSL since its founding in 1977/78.

Susan Jacobson's article, “Present at the Creation: The Founding and Formative Years of the Association of Academic Health Sciences Libraries,” sets the stage by outlining the forces and events that led to the founding of AAHSL and shaped its early years. In her article, “A Greater Voice for Academic Health Sciences Libraries: The Association of Academic Health Sciences Libraries Vision,” Alison Bunting focuses on the fulfillment of the “greater voice” vision by describing action and leadership by AAHSL and its members on issues that directly influenced the role of academic health sciences libraries. Carol Jenkins and Shelley Bader, Ed.D., review AAHSL's strategic collaborations with other organizations, notably the Medical Library Association (MLA) and the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) and its Council of Academic Societies (CAS). Joan Zenan focuses specifically on AAHSL's legislative activities and on the association's contributions to the Joint MLA/AAHSL Legislative Task Force. Roger Guard and Wayne Peay review technology in the development of AAHSL, showing how AAHSL has been a leader, not only in promoting technological innovation but also by showing the way and implementing technology in its own operations. Finally, a pair of articles by James Shedlock and Gary Byrd, Ph.D., focus on the AAHSL Annual Statistics. The first article presents a thematic history of the Annual Statistics; the second analyzes the Annual Statistics to demonstrate trends in academic medical libraries during the past twenty-five years.*

The history of a professional organization is more than the study of a specific corporate body. It is the history of the profession in which it has developed and of the individuals who have provided leadership for the organization. AAHSL's history forms a part of the history of medical librarianship as well as a part of the history of medical education. AAHSL is justifiably proud of the accomplishments of its first twenty-five years. This symposium will serve as a record of these achievements. They create the foundation on which future leaders of academic health sciences libraries will build.

A note on naming: AAHSL was incorporated in 1978 under the name Association of Academic Health Sciences Library Directors (AAHSLD). The name was selected by the Organizing Committee at the suggestion of CAS, as it made it clear that the basis for membership was institutional, rather than individual, and that institutions were to be represented by their directors (or acting directors). Shortly thereafter, a suggestion was made that the name be changed to Association of Health Sciences Libraries to eliminate any idea that this was an association of individuals; the bylaws would still ensure that only directors would be represented. However, that early suggestion was not implemented, as it was feared that this would affect the name recognition that AAHSLD had begun to build and, in turn, imperil the association's bid for CAS membership.

In 1996, in response to IRS requirements for nonprofit associations that are engaged in lobbying efforts, AAHSLD agreed to start a new 501(C)(6) organization while maintaining its separate 501(C)(3) unit for charitable, educational, and research projects, such as the Matheson Lectureship fund [2]. The new organization was named the Association of Academic Health Sciences Libraries.

The convention adopted throughout this symposium is to refer to the association as the Association of Academic Health Sciences Libraries (AAHSL), except in those situations where the original name is required.