MCMLA Blog

Welcome to the MCMLA blog!
  • 04 Sep 2013 10:53 AM | Anonymous

    If your budget allows, consider making a $10 donation to Tree Utah to offset the carbon footprint of our conference.  Every $10 donated will offset the carbon emissions associated with 1,500 miles of travel and will pay for the purchase and care of a young native tree species to be planted along the Jordan River.  You can make your donation as part of the conference registration process.  You may also make your donation at the conference.

  • 24 Jun 2013 1:56 PM | Deleted user
    (Posting per request from Barbara Folb, University of Pittsburgh.)

    Librarians with an interest in public health, make this the year you attend the American Public Health Association Annual Meeting.  Stipends funded by The Grace and Harold Sewell Memorial Fund for this purpose will be awarded to at least 11 librarians in 2013.  This year’s APHA meeting will take place in Boston, MA from November 2-6, 2013. Its theme is Think Global, Act Local: Best Practices Around the World.

    Applications are now being accepted.  The deadline for application is Friday July 26, 2013, 5pm EST.  For the complete Call for Applicants, application forms, and FAQs, go to http://www.phha.mlanet.org/blog/activities/sewell-stipend/

    For more information on the 2013 APHA meeting see http://www.apha.org/meetings/highlights/ .

    For more information on the Sewell Fund, see http://www.sewellfund.org/  


    What is the Value of Attending APHA as a Sewell Stipend recipient?

    The mission of the Fund is to increase librarians’ identification with medical and health care professionals.  Stipends have been awarded annually since 2001.  Past participants testify to the value of attending APHA:

    ·        Connecting with my fellow library and information professionals and public health colleagues was energizing…The spirit of true collaboration shone through the programs.”  (Feili Tu)

    ·        Many of the things I learned were not specific, as in tangible facts, more of an understanding of what Public Health is. I learned it covers just about everything…for Public Health you need to be knowledgeable about the issues, the potential impact of legislation, and knowledgeable about the ‘agendas’ of the interested parties…” (Kristin Kroger)

    ·         “Overall the conference really helped me to better understand the scope of public health as well as the latest development in the areas of public health that I am most likely to have to deal with as a librarian….It was an incredible learning experience.” (Manju Tanwar)

    ·        The fact that I’m working on a Masters in Public Health was very interesting to her (public health colleague) because she didn’t realize that some librarians also have another graduate degree. I think this helped solidify the idea that librarians could be peers to teaching faculty.” (Amber Burtis)

    ·        As a result of the meeting I gained a deeper understanding of my patrons’ needs”  (Peggy Gross)

    ·        I feel like I now have a cohort of people to whom to turn when I have questions about what I am doing as I move into supporting my institution’s public health program.” (Laure Zeigen)

    The committee is looking forward to reading your applications!

    Barbara Folb

    Barbara Folb, MM, MLS, MPH
    Public Health Librarian / Informationist
    Health Sciences Library System
    University of Pittsburgh
    folb@pitt.edu


  • 25 Apr 2013 10:53 AM | Deleted user

    Today I read the editorial "Assessment and evaluation is not a gut feeling: integrating assessment and evaluation into library operations" in the April JMLA (coming soon to the PMC) by our own Claire Hamasu and Betsy Kelly.  Congratulations to both of them! 

    The message is important: we have to incorporate assessment and evaluation into our work so that we can effectively tell the story of what we do for our parent institutions to the people who determine our budgets and even our continued existence.

    Do you know what is important to your parent institution?  Are you familiar with its strategic plan?  How do you demonstrate to your leadership that your work as a librarian and your library resources and services contribute? 
    Comments?  Ideas?  Suggestions?

  • 18 Mar 2013 10:01 AM | Deleted user

    A couple of weeks ago, I mentioned annual reports as a way to make the library, library services, and the librarians more visible to one's parent institution and its leaders.  A few days ago, my 2012 report was made endorsed by my supervisors and published on our intranet.  Because I was very busy with the drama in my personal life (family illness, etc.) it is not my most polished effort, but it was well received because I tied in library services to the strategic plan for my parent institution.  I am sure that many of you could do even better, but I offer my 2012 library annual report as an example. Annual report 2012.pdf

    Brenda Pfannenstiel, MCMLA Chair 

  • 08 Feb 2013 12:18 PM | Deleted user
    Please join me in welcoming our new Executive Secretary, Karen Wiederaenders, and our new listserv administrator and web site editor, Tracey Hughes.  Also, please thank Peggy Mullaly-Quijas and Amy Ritterskamp, respectively, for their years of service in these positions.  We are very fortunate to have such capable people willing to serve their chapter!
  • 31 Jan 2013 9:20 AM | Deleted user

    Do you write annual reports for your library?  How do you make your institution's leaders aware of what you accomplish each year?  I am going to be brave and share with you my last two annual reports, written with the help of my staff, Keri Swaggart, Benjy Stein, and Andi Wall.  The report for 2012 is in progress now . . . .

    Children's Mercy Hospital Library Services Annual Report 2010

    Children's Mercy Hospital Library Services Annual Report 2011

    Brenda Pfannenstiel

  • 07 Jan 2013 4:25 PM | Deleted user

    Before the holidays the Ad Hoc Committee on Championing for Librarians sent out this motion for your consideration. Now is the time for comments and discussion before voting. Your opinions count.

    Each of the motions has been added to the MCMLA web forum so that you can comment on them separately.

    1. Click on the Reply button.
    2. Add your comments and questions.
    3. Decipher the code and type it in the code box.
    4. Click the Post button and your comment will be posted.
    5. To comment on another motion, just use the Back to Topics link at the top of the page.

    More info to come soon on when the ballots will be sent out and when the voting will end.

Copyright © 2024 Midcontinental Chapter of the Medical Library Association

View our policies: Privacy Policy, Cookie Policy, Refund Policy

Powered by Wild Apricot Membership Software