President's Message

By Kellie Kaneshiro

Greetings!  Spring is a busy time for meetings.  I hope that everyone who attended MLA 2003, the Medical Library Association Annual Meeting in San Diego, came back professionally refreshed with new ideas and knowledge to share with colleagues and bring back to the workplace.  If you weren’t able to attend the meeting in San Diego, mark your calendars for the 2003 Midwest Chapter Annual Meeting to be held September 19 - 23 in Indianapolis. 

The Midwest Chapter board met in Chicago on March 7 to discuss, plan and coordinate activities for 2003 with an eye towards the future.  Starting with this newsletter issue, MIDLINE has gone electronic!   This format will allow you to get information in a more cost-effective and timely fashion, allow for longer articles, pictures, and links.  The members who do not have email addresses (currently less than 1% of the total membership) will still receive a copy via the U.S. Postal Service.  Newsletter editor Cathy Perley has worked hard to put together and publish this inaugural issue, and we hope you like it!  If you are concerned about archival copies, the chapter has an archives committee, chaired by Lora Gault.  The Midwest Chapter archives are physically located at the Library of the Health Sciences, University of Illinois at Chicago.

The Ad Hoc Electronic Communications Committee (under the new bylaws this will named the Technology Committee) chaired by Barberie Hill has been busily updating the chapter website (http://midwestmla.org/). Updates include new information and application forms from the Awards Committee (chaired by Gerald Djusik) on the Award for Achievement in Health Information Management (http://midwestmla.org/awards/aahim.html).  The Awards Committee along with the Education Committee (chaired by Carol Jeuell) are both exploring ways to foster the research efforts of Midwest Chapter members.  On a separate note, the Medical Library Association requested  a $1,000 donation from each chapter for the Lindberg Research Fellowship endowment (http://www.mlanet.org/pdf/grants/lindberg_2002.pdf).  The $25,000 fellowship will go to a qualified individual whose research contributes to the knowledge base of health sciences librarianship or informatics or improves the practice of the profession.  The board voted to contribute to the endowment.  The first Lindberg Research Fellowship will be awarded at the 2003 MLA Annual Meeting in San Diego. [Editor’s note: Catherine Arnott Smith, Ph.D. was awarded the fellowship.]

The annual meetings chair, Phyllis Nathan, is undertaking a major update of the program guide, which serves as a manual to our annual meeting planners.  Incorporated into the new program guide will be general guidelines and policies on compensating speakers.   For those of you who are long-range planners, the 2004 Annual Meeting of the Midwest Chapter will be held in Springfield, IL, on October 8 - 12. 

The Midwest Chapter’s bylaws revision was conditionally adopted by a two-thirds vote of members at the fall business meeting in Minneapolis and now needs to be ratified by a full vote of the membership.  Look for this to come up for a final vote this summer, along with the chapter election ballot.  To ensure your voting eligibility, membership dues must be received by June 1, 2003.   The Nominations Committee is looking for a few good chapter members to run for office.  If you are interested in running for an office, please contact Nominations Committee chair, Sue London at slondon@iupui.edu.  A great way to get started is to run for a representative-at-large position.  More information about offices may be found at the Chapter’s website under the bylaws section (http://midwestmla.org/business/bylaws.html), or by looking at the Board Responsibility and Procedure Matrix, fondly known as “The Matrix” (http://midwestmla.org/board/matrix.pdf), or by asking a Midwest Chapter board member (http://midwestmla.org/board/).

A few notes about MLA

Submitted by Barb Knight, Midwest Chapter, MLA Representative

I thought I would take a few minutes to remind everyone about the MLA website at http://mlanet.org/. If you have questions about programs or events related to MLA, this is the place to go.  It also is a good place to begin to look for reliable health care information.  Check out the “MLA Top Ten Useful Websites.”  Don’t forget that MLAnet is also where you can find the data generated in the 2001 MLA Salary Survey and keep up to date with the profession’s publications.  JMLA: Journal of the Medical Library Association is also available from the MLA website.

I am writing these notes immediately following the MLA annual meeting that was held in San Diego.  I would encourage you to begin to plan now to attend the 2004 Annual Meeting to be held May 21 through 26 in Washington, DC.

Inaugural address

To view Patricia L. Thibodeau’s Inaugural Address and the MLA priorities for 2003-2004, watch for the new president’s page at http://mlanet.org/about/leaders/

Strategic plan

The final version of the MLA strategic plan is now available on MLAnet at http://mlanet.org/about/planning/draft_plan0403.html

Continuing education for independent reading

The Continuing Education Committee has had a pilot project in the last year to study giving continuing education credit for independent reading.  They have decided to give one credit per article read, summarized as requested, and then submitted.  Each member will be able to get three credits per year in this manner.  Watch for the specifics, including cost, to be announced soon by MLA.

MLA Advocacy Toolbox: A Practical Guide to Communicating Your Value:

Toolboxes were distributed at the annual meeting.  The initial set of topics addressed by the toolbox are a good starting point, addressing major issues such as budget cuts, internal publicity and initiating new services.  The toolbox is designed to be a living document.  

MLA task forces

MLA has several task forces working on a variety of issues.  Visit the MLA website to see what is happening and how you might provide input on each of them. Current task forces include the following:

• Task Force on Expert Searching
• Task Force on Online Education for MLA's Center of Excellence
• Task Force to Develop MLA's Center of Research and Education (CORE)
• Health Information Literacy Task Force
• Task Force to Recruit the Twenty-First Century Workforce

Mentoring

If you would like to be a mentor or would like to have a mentor for a career option you are considering see the MLA mentoring page at http://mlanet.org/mentor/index.html

The MLA Board met January 30 - February 1, 2003.  A few highlights of that meeting follow:

• The board continues to work on the MLA strategic plan.  The plan is available for review at http://mlanet.org.
• The Value of Medical Librarianship Advocacy Tool Kit will be available at the annual meeting.  Plans are underway to make the tool kit a more usable piece.
• The new focus will be the value of the medical librarian and how to communicate your value as a medical librarian both internally and externally and will incorporate information from the Value of Information study, the Hay Study, and other recent documents. 
• Informationist is an area with continuing activities.  Watch for MLA programming in 2004.

Read all about it! 2003 Midwest Chapter/MLA Annual Meeting coming soon

Submitted by Lauren Rider, 2003 Midwest Chapter Annual Meeting Promotions Chair

Information@thecrossroads: Indianapolis 2003!  As the date draws closer, the Indiana Health Science Librarians Association grows more excited about welcoming you to this fun-filled conference!  As a dedicated Midwest Chapter member, you must also be growing more curious by the minute about what we have planned for you…  Well, wait no more!

From September 19 - 23, your senses will be astounded with the sights of fabulous downtown Indianapolis, the sounds of great speakers, and the tastes of great food!  Full conference registration includes all sessions, exhibits, lunches and breakfasts, and one ticket to “Evening at the Eiteljorg,” a spectacular event at the unique Eiteljorg Museum of American Indians and Western Art.  An information packed program will begin with keynote speaker Julie McGowan, Ph.D., Associate Dean of Information Retrieval and Educational Technology and director of the Ruth Lilly Medical Library at the Indiana University School of Medicine.  In addition to conference programming and a host of social activities, a variety of continuing education courses will be offered on Saturday and Tuesday.  Topics and instructors are as follows:

• “Proving Your Worth: Professional, Business, and Political Tools” (Instructor: Michelynn McKnight, Health Sciences Library, Norman Regional Hospital; Norman, OK); 4 CE hrs
• “Consumer Health Information: A Workshop for Librarians Providing Health Information to the Public” (Instructors: Tammy Mays and Charniel McDaniels, Greater Midwest Region, NN/LM); 4 CE hrs
• “PDA Medical Applications and Content for Librarians” (Instructors: Jo Dorsch and Peg Burnette, Library of the Health Sciences, University of Illinois at Chicago; Peoria, IL); 4 CE hrs
• “Creating Your Own Web Page” (Instructor: Krystal McReynolds, Indiana University School of Library and Information Science; Indianapolis, IN); 8 CE hrs
• “Technology Trends” (Instructor: Glen Horton, Greater Cincinnati Library Consortium); 4 CE hrs
• “Introduction to Copyright Law in the Digital Environment” (Instructor: Maryjane Frisby, Barnes & Thornberg Law Firm; Indianapolis, IN); 4 CE hrs

Please join us September 19-23, 2003 in downtown Indianapolis.  Preliminary programs will be mailed to Chapter members in June.  For the latest updates, CE abstracts, travel planning and complete registration information, visit our website: http://midwestmla.org/2003conference/ 

New member profiles

Mary K. Taylor, MIDLINE Contributor; Morris Library, Southern Illinois University Carbondale, Carbondale, IL

Kate Anderson is an information services librarian intern at the Pharmacy Library of the University of Wisconsin-Madison Health Sciences Libraries. Her responsibilities include reference, instruction, print and electronic reserves, and collection maintenance. She is originally from Wheat Ridge, CO, and has a bachelor's degree in English from Colorado College. Anderson taught literature and composition courses and was an advisor for students in the International Relations major at the University of Wisconsin-Madison before starting library school at that institution. She spent a year in London after receiving her M.L.S.

Julia Esparza is Manager of Library Services for the Grace O'Hahn Health Science Library at Deaconess Hospital, in her hometown of Evansville, IN. In addition to conducting searches for physicians and handling budgeting, licensing, and copyright issues, her job responsibilities (and professional interests) also include health literacy, consumer health, and continuing professional education for hospital staff and physicians.  Esparza has a B.A. in history from the University of Evansville and an M.L.S. from Indiana University at Bloomington. She enjoys reading fantasy novels, especially those written by Laurell K. Hamilton, Anne McCaffrey, David Eddings, and Jacqueline Carey. Esparza has collected dragons since she was twelve and has loved computers and learning new things about computers ever since high school, where she started programming in COBOL. She adds, "I have a wonderful husband, Michael Hackett, and a cranky twelve year-old cat named Chang. She has my husband wrapped around her paw."

Carrie Papa is a librarian at the Library and Community Resource Center of All Saints Healthcare in Racine, WI, which also is her hometown. She is responsible for subscription management, interlibrary loan, and literature searches for hospital staff and consumers. She has worked in academic and public libraries but prefers the hospital setting. She has been at her current position for six years. Papa has a bachelor's degree in geography and geology from the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point. In May 2003 she will celebrate both the completion of her M.L.S. from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and the opening of a new library at her facility. The new library will include a consumer health library in addition to the clinical library. Papa also enjoys working with horses and is a volunteer at a local equine therapeutic riding clinic.

John Wilkinson is a hospital sales executive for Thomson Micomedex, Inc. He is responsible for sales and service of Micromedex reference and integrated medical content, and his professional interests include the increase of access to relevant health materials and working with librarians to increase staff awareness of their subscribed products. Wilkinson is originally from Indianapolis and has a B.S. in marketing and management from Indiana University and an M.B.A. from the University of Indianapolis. He enjoys kids' sports, digital photography, and golf.

Janet Petty provides reference services to medical, administrative and hospital staff as well as consumer health information for patients, family members and the public in her role as Associate Librarian for Patient and Family Education/Reference Services at Craig Memorial Library, Miami Valley Hospital, in Dayton, OH. This Englewood, Ohio, native has a B.A. in history from Wright State University and am M.L.I.S. from Kent State University. Petty’s professional interests include consumer health information and health literacy. She enjoys reading and music.

Announcements

MIDLINE moving online

From the editor

In a move to take advantage of the power, flexibility, and cost-effectiveness of Internet publishing, the Midwest Chapter executive board has approved the shift to an exclusively online newsletter.  Beginning with the May 2003 issue, MIDLINE will be available from http://midwestmla.org/midline/. It will not be printed and mailed. This will not only conserve financial resources but also speed the delivery of chapter news from creation to desktop. Each new issue will be announced on the Midwest Chapter listserv, including issue highlights and a live link to the publication.

To subscribe to the Midwest Chapter listserv, send the message subscribe midwest your-firstname your-lastname to listserv@uic.edu. Subscription requests will be confirmed with a welcome message and instructions. If you do not have email access, please contact MIDLINE Editor Cathy Perley at 524 Pelletier Drive, Sioux City, IA 51104 to arrange for alternate delivery.

Deadline extended for 2003 Midwest Chapter Annual Meeting papers and posters

Submitted by Lauren Rider, 2003 Midwest Chapter Annual Meeting Promotions Chair

The deadline for submitting posters and papers to the 2003 Midwest Chapter annual conference, Information@thecrossroads, has been extended to May 30. Submit a poster or paper and share your ideas with the library community.  If you have a achieved success with a new program, study, resource or service, check our website for submission criteria (http://midwestmla.org/2003conference/).

Award for Achievement in Health Information Management

Submitted by Gerald Dujsik, Awards Chair, 2003-2004

Has your state organization or other local library organization accomplished something new?  Consider applying for the Midwest Chapter's Award for Achievement in Health Information Management.  It is a $500.00 award for special projects beyond the normal operational programming of the association which prove advocacy, leadership, service, technology, or innovations that contribute to the advancement of the health sciences librarian.

The application should contain an overview of the project, emphasize the quality of the contribution in terms of the impact on the membership, show how the project has expanded new responses to challenges, and provide evidence of the benefits to the profession.

Three copies of the completed application should be sent to the chapter's immediate past president, Jim Lander. Applications must be supported by the association as evidenced by an endorsement from the association's president/chair. All applications must be received no later than June 1. For more information see the website at http://www.midwestmla.org/awards.

New mentor database debuts

From by Lisa C. Fried, Coordinator, Credentialing, Professional Recognition and Careers, Medical Library Association; submitted by Kellie Kaneshiro, Midwest Chapter president

Newly created mentor Web pages are part of the career section of MLANET. Sign up online to serve as a mentor to your peers, as a provisional mentor, or as a mentor to students interested in learning about the profession. You can also search the database to find a mentor. Find links to mentor tip sheets and guidelines, and access Web resources to help you in your mentoring role. The success of the mentor database depends on the number of members who sign up. Go to http://mlanet.org/mentor/ to explore the possibilities.

Chapter members present papers and posters at MLA 2003

A number of Midwest Chapter members contributed papers and presented posters at Catch the Wave, the 2003 MLA Annual Meeting. For abstracts of papers and poster presentations, see http://www.mlanet.org/am/am2003/pdf/abstracts_web.pdf

Chapter members who presented contributed papers during section programs:

Sandra L. De Groote, Library of the Health Sciences, University of Illinois-Chicago

James Shedlock, AHIP, Galter Health Sciences Library, Northwester University, Chicago, IL

Judith L. Wulff, Kornhauser Health Sciences Library, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY

Chapter members who presented posters:

Anthony Aguirre, Taubman Medical Library, University of Michigan—Ann Arbor, MI

Theresa Arndt, University of Michigan—Ann Arbor, MI

Andrea L. Ball, Health Sciences Libraries, University of Wisconsin-Madison, WI

Allan R. Barclay, Health Sciences Libraries, University of Wisconsin-Madison, WI

Mary C. Congleton, AHIP, Health Sciences Library, Southern Kentucky Area Health Education Center/University of Kentucky Medical Center Library-Berea, KY

Sandra L. De Groote, Library of the Health Sciences, University of Illinois-Chicago

Josephine L. Dorsch, AHIP, Library of the Health Sciences-Peoria, University of Illiinois—Chicago, Peoria, IL

Jeanette Harlow, AHIP, Resource Center, American Hospital Association, Chicago, IL

Jonathan Hartmann, Raymon H. Mulford Library, Medical College of Ohio-Toledo, OH

Christopher Hooper-Lane, Health Sciences Libraries, University of Wisconsin-Madison, WI

Steven Hunt, Galter Health Sciences Library, Northwester University, Chicago, IL

Donna P. Johnson, AHIP (retired), Allina Hospitals & Clinics, Minneapolis, MN

Stephanie Kerns, Galter Health Sciences Library, Northwester University, Chicago, IL

Heidi C. Marleau, Health Sciences Libraries, University of Wisconsin-Madison, WI

Betsy Moore, Allina Hospitals & Clinics, Minneapolis, MN

Linda O’Dwyer, Galter Health Sciences Library, Northwester University, Chicago, IL

Patricia E. Pinkowski, AHIP, Green-Field Library, Alzheimer’s Association, Chicago, IL

Deborah A. Ruck, MCW Libraries, Medical College of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, WI

Erika L. Sevetson, Middleton Health Sciences Library, University, University of Wisconsin-Madison, WI

James Shedlock, AHIP, Galter Health Sciences Library, Northwester University, Chicago, IL

Eileen Stanley, AHIP, Library Services, Allina Hospitals & Clinics, Minneapolis, MN

Linda Walton, Galter Health Sciences Library, Northwester University, Chicago, IL

Sunny L. Worel, R.N. Barr Library, Minnesota Department of Health-Minneapolis, MN

MIDLINE is published in electronic format four times a year by the Midwest Chapter/Medical Library Association. The newsletter and archives are available at http://midwestmla.org/midline/. Statements and positions expressed in this newsletter do not necessarily represent the official positions of the Chapter, the Chapter Board, or the Editor. Contributions from all Chapter members are welcomed and encouraged. Copy deadlines for coming issues are as follows: