Brenda Fay and Brooke Billman
"Show the Money"
Submitted by Brooke L. Billman
Education and Outreach Librarian
Hardin Library for the Health Sciences, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA
I am very lucky to have received the Midwest Chapter Annual Meeting Scholarship which enabled me to attend the Joint Chapter meeting this year in Omaha. I can definitely say that I benefited by being able to meet and network with librarians in neighboring states as well as those who work in the same “neck of the woods” as I do. I was fortunate to have met some great people who live and work near me and because of this conference I made some fantastic connections.
Because of this scholarship not only was I able to attend all days of the conference but I was also able to attend two continuing education classes taught by Peg Allen. As a nursing liaison, I am glad that I was able to take advantage of the expertise that was available at this local meeting.
The posters and sessions gave me a chance to exchange ideas with colleagues and get up to date on the research that is happening all around me. Although all I was able to learn many things from all aspects of the conference, I especially enjoyed the speakers. Rivkah Sass and Fred Lee very much resonated with me. Ms. Sass reminded us to open up our minds and think of how to alter ideas in order to target patrons. Thinking “outside of the box” can really help to connect with our users in an extraordinary way. Mr. Lee’s message on providing service to our patrons that is above and beyond is vital for our profession. He really put a spin on public service and going that extra mile to keep the patron in mind when providing services. We don’t just want satisfied patrons; we want “very satisfied” patrons!
After several days of learning, networking, and enjoying the company of my fellow librarians I left refreshed and filled with many ideas of how to reach out to the populations that I work with. Again, I would like to thank the Scholarship Committee for awarding me this scholarship and allowing me the opportunity to take advantage of all that the Joint Meeting had to offer!
Submitted by Betsy Bromley
Student Reference Assistant
Ebling Health Sciences Library, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI
Omaha, Nebraska: Home of good people, good steaks, and good times. Omaha was also, for an all-too-brief time in October of 2007, host to a spirited group of medical librarians from all over the middle part of the United States. As the recipient of one of the Midwest Chapter’s Annual Conference Scholarships, I was able to attend the conference, something that would have been impossible without the chapter’s financial support.
I was thrilled to hear that I had received the scholarship, in part because I had never attended a professional conference. I had no idea what to expect, but I was excited nonetheless. My colleagues at the Ebling Health Sciences Library at the University of Wisconsin-Madison assured me that the conference would be great, and they were right. It was amazing: Over here were dozens of enticing presentations. Over there were the wonderful speakers. Around every corner there was another friendly librarian willing to talk about their experiences in the field. And there was chocolate. Oh, was there chocolate! I’m still saving the cookie the hotel gave me, as one last sweet reminder of my weekend in Omaha.
The annual conference was overwhelming in the very best possible way. I met so many knowledgeable people who were happy to discuss issues in the field of medical librarianship. I left Nebraska with my nifty red conference folder stuffed to bursting with notes from the excellent presentations, ideas for future projects, contact information for helpful librarians, and a whole lot of new pencils from the vendors. In the coming months, as I finish library school and begin my career, I know I will put all of those items to use. Especially those pencils!
But in all seriousness, I wish to thank the Midwest Chapter for making it possible for me to attend the conference. I look forward to seeing more of my midwestern colleagues at future meetings! Once again, thank you very much.
Submitted by Brenda Fay
Lead Librarian
Aurora Libraries, Aurora Sinai Medical Center, Milwaukee, WI
Thank you so much for awarding me the $500 new professional grant to attend the 2007 Joint MCMLA conference. Because of this award I was able to attend the full conference as well as a CE opportunity. I also had a little free time to explore the Old Market as well as Omaha’s world-class Henry Dourly Zoo…if you haven’t been there check out the bat cave and swamp on your next visit!
I was especially interested to hear about health sciences libraries and marketing. To this end I was able to attend several sessions on this topic. It was very helpful to hear of the successes and failures of library promotions in “Adventures in Marketing” with Linda Bunyon and “Case Studies in Marketing and Promoting to Health Sciences Students” with Elizabeth Smigielski.
I also enjoyed the poster session, along with the keynote speech from Omaha Public Library Director Rivkah Sass. I especially took to heart her message of librarians supporting libraries of all kinds (not just our own field or specialty). I’m sure everyone else who attended the NLM/MLA breakfast on Monday morning agrees that it was well worth the early wake-up call to see MLA President, Mark Funk’s miming of parts of his presentation due to laryngitis.
In addition to the “meat” of the conference, the presentations and programs, I enjoyed meeting with other professionals in the field. My professional circle has grown tremendously because of “License to Learn, License to Lead.” I met many health sciences librarians that I hope to collaborate with and learn from in the future.
Thank you again for this wonderful opportunity.