MCMLA Blog

Tuesday morning’s General Session will focus on reimagining and revitalizing our libraries’ physical spaces. In preparation, we are offering a tour of the award-winning Frederick Albert Sutton Building. Home of the Department of Geology & Geophysics at the University of Utah, this innovative facility features state-of-the-art classrooms, laboratories, and offices that foster collaboration and innovative research.  The building’s distinctive architectural design and educational display areas provide a magnificent showcase for discoveries in the fields of geology and geophysics, and highlight the many contributions of University of Utah faculty and alumni to these fields. Don’t miss your chance for a guided tour of this inspirational space.

Consider taking the light rail from the Salt Lake airport to the University Guest House Conference Center. Riders can board at the Welcome Center just outside Terminal One. Fare is $2.50 and trains run every 15 minutes on weekdays and every 20 minutes on weekends. Get on the Airport TRAX (Green line) to downtown Salt Lake City, and transfer to the University (Red line).  Get off at the "Fort Douglas" stop on the University of Utah campus, and proceed up the elevator, across the Legacy Bridge, and to the University Guest House and Conference Center.  Cheap, easy, and good for the environment!

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.

Read it here!

(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

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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?

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 

Read it here!

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!