A portion of the facade of the EMP Museum, designed by Frank Gehry.
Winter Board Meeting Update and Seattle Teaser
On February 15th the Board of Directors met for its winter virtual meeting, leveraging the Association’s MegaMeeting service. Much of the meeting was spent with our President-Elect Jane Blumenthal leading us through a discussion of her priorities for her term – look for news about that in the April issue of the MLA News. Jane has some terrific ideas for leading us forward!
The sitting Board also reviewed and approved the grants, scholarships, and awards recommendations made by the Association’s many juries. This is a real highlight of the season, having the opportunity and honor to recognize our peers for their outstanding accomplishments. Congratulations to all winners and nominees!! We’re all proud of you!
The winter meeting signals the end of perhaps the quietest time of the year for the Association. With the release of the preliminary program and the opening of registration, our members and friends are gearing up for the upcoming Annual Meeting in Seattle (May 18 through 23). With thanks to our National Planning Committee, led by our General Manager Theresa Knott (Virginia Commonwealth University) and Head Coach Michelle Kraft (Cleveland Clinic, and member of the Board of Directors), look for a roster of star presenters, papers and posters. Seattle will be the backdrop for a game-changing conference! Register now!
A couple of members have asked me about our Tuesday night MLA Reception. This year we’ll gather to celebrate our community and the accomplishments of the annual meeting at the EMP (Experience Music Project) Museum [ http://www.empmuseum.org/index.asp ] adjacent to the world-famous Space Needle. While we’re in town, the EMP will feature a new exhibit on the classic hard rock band AC/DC (“dirty deeds done dirt cheap!”), an ongoing exhibit on the iconic Pacific Northwest grunge band Nirvana, and a display of artifacts and props used in the popular, game-changing film, Avatar. Geeks and freaks and regular folks alike will enjoy the many, highly-interactive displays and activities throughout the unusual Frank Gehry-designed building. Look for news about the annual meeting in forthcoming releases of Focus, the News and this blog.
Until May, join me in welcoming Spring Training and the season when hope springs eternal!
Safeco Field, in Seattle, home of the Mariners.
The glorious Marina Towers along the Chicago River, photographed at night.
The “Peace Wall” mural in Bisbee, AZ!
MLA Advocates for Health Info Professionals at the National Level, Too!
While each of us has a responsibility to be an advocate for our profession, there is also a need for coordinating our message of value to our nation’s leaders, including those who manage the purse strings – our Congress.
MLA provides coordinating services for its advocacy efforts by leveraging its highly experienced HQ staff and by working intentionally with sister associations, most often the Association of Academic Health Sciences Libraries (AAHSL). This strategy saves the Association significantly and outcomes-wise is showing good value for money, due in large part to the strong relationships that MLA staff and leaders have with key stakeholder groups. With AAHSL, MLA several years ago formed a Joint Legislative Task Force that provides leadership and oversight over outreach and messaging to Capitol Hill. The Task Force meets at least once each year, in the spring to address legislative priorities for the two associations, to meet with governmental relations staff from our sister library associations and other organizations including NLM and the AAMC, and to meet with Congressional staff to address issues related to our public policy priorities. Folks may recall that every time the MLA Annual Meeting is held in D.C., Capitol Hill visits are coordinated under the leadership of the MLA Governmental Relations Committee giving our members the opportunity to meet with Congressional staffers to convey our message of value. Legislative Task Force members also participate in making Hill visits at this time.
Together, the Governmental Relations Committee and Joint Legislative Task Force, a seasoned team of Association leaders, have been heading up our national level advocacy efforts, and they are doing a terrific job. In 2011, the AAHSL Board decided to help fund MLA in support of this successful collaboration. The GRC and members of the TF have worked hard this past year on two of MLA’s key advocacy objectives: improved funding for NIH and the national research agenda, and enhanced support for the National Library of Medicine. Both MLA and AAHSL have been especially busy of late:
· On January 30, MLA and AAHSL submitted a joint letter in opposition to the proposed Research Works Act, co-sponsored by Rep. Darrell Issa (R-CA) and Elijah Cummings (D-MD), stating that “This act would restrict access to information generated through public funds, overturn the successful NIH public access policy, and prohibit other federal agencies from establishing similar policies.”
· AAHSL and MLA are now considering a collective, positive response to the Federal Research Public Access Act (FRPAA), which was re-introduced in the House of Representatives on February 9. This legislation is sponsored by Reps. Mike Doyle (D-PA), Kevin Yoder (R-KS) and Wm. Lacy Clay (D-MO). Senate sponsors are Sens. John Cornyn (R-TX), Ron Wyden (D-OR), Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-TX), and possibly Sen. Durbin (D-IL). FRPAA is essentially the mirror opposite to the Research Works Act and would ensure public access to Federally-funded research.
National-level advocacy relies on all of us to pay attention to what is happening in our Congress with legislation that impacts the important and valuable work that we do. The Joint Legislative Task Force, along with MLA’s Governmental Relations Committee and the GRC’s of our regional Chapters, all play critical roles of filtering out the legislative “noise” and focusing our collective attention on advocacy issues of true national (and international ) importance.
When you see alerts issued from the GRC, the Joint Task Force, or by MLA HQ, or by your Chapter’s GRC, please pay attention and consider your role as part of our collective advocacy strategy. Let your representatives in the House and Senate know what you think!
Blog Question re: Advocacy
A reader of the blog sent me the following question: “I am wondering where the patrons of these libraries will now go for information?”
That’s a great question, and one of the fundamental concerns raised by these closures for our health sciences librarians’ community of practice. Some hospitals and healthcare systems are making arrangements for licensing point-of-care databases and other resources and making them accessible via their local secured networks. Some are looking to establish contracts for service with local academic health sciences libraries, where the academic library provides access to resources, personnel support, or some combination therein. Since so many hospitals are part of systems and networks, some are consolidating information services in a central or “main” library service center, with the libraries at local sites being closed; customers throughout the network are expected to be served by that main library. Typically in these networked environments, virtual services are available and provided, as described in the latest MLA News. The position of MLA is that, however it is achieved, it is essential that a qualified health information professional be readily available to assist in addressing the information needs of the care delivery organization. Employing a health sciences librarian on-site is a cost effective, tried-and-true strategy for bringing forth the right information that is needed, when and where it’s needed.
