Newsletter Editors
Ryan Harris, University of Maryland, Baltimore MD
Emily J. Glenn, Seattle Biomedical Research Institute, Seattle WA
If you're like us, you've started your planting, filled your allergy meds prescription and pulled out the lighter version of your raingear. Spring is here!
We hope all of you who will be traveling to MLA this year will find the information in this newsletter useful and inspiring! You can find out who is staying where, what kind of great events the SIG is sponsoring and maybe even have time to visit one or two of the Hot Spots we have highlighted. Don't forget to factor in the Hawaiian time zone (which is three hours behind Pacific time). And, for help balancing time for surfing lessons and sessions, try the conference Online Program Planner. Have a great conference! For everyone else: stream some Hawaiian radio and enjoy a pineapple SPAMwich.
We want to thank all of those who have taken the time to provide content for this edition of the newsletter.
Your editors,
Ryan and Emily
PS: Isn't it great to have SIG colleagues and friends? Keep in touch by joining the SIG group on Facebook.
Well, it’s true. Another year has passed, and neither of the co-conveners is able to attend the annual meeting. (JC: Rats! I was so hoping that it would work out! KG: Not for the lack of trying.) But we’re sure that those who can attend will have a great time. (JC: As long as I don’t have to hear about the sunsets, walks along the beach, or the like. Hmmm, green isn’t my color, is it? KG: I expect you all to toast us, many toasts, at each bar you frequent.) A lot of work has been done this year, and we want to make sure to acknowledge everyone who has made it rock (in no particular order)!
Thanks to Ryan Harris and Emily Glenn for pulling together these interesting newsletters. We truly appreciate their hard work and are ecstatic that they are continuing as newsletter co-editors for another year.
Dale Prince, who serves a dual role as our treasurer and webmaster, deserves all the kudos he can get. Without him, who knows where we would be!
Our program planners, Anne Seymour and Sheila Snow-Croft, have done a fantastic job in getting our name attached to some very interesting programs, such as: • Fusing Culture and Community to Improve Health Literacy (May 17, 11 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.) • Fusing Cultures and Diversity Awareness in Library Collections (May 17, 11 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.) • Emerging Issues in Global Health (May 19, 1 – 3 p.m.) • Health Disparities in Underserved Populations (May 20, 9:30 – 11 a.m.).
As always, we express our profound gratitude to Richard Klein for taking the time each year to track down interesting and unique locations for us and negotiate the best rate possible for us. We do appreciate all the time and effort, Richard! Truly!
The SIG business meeting will be held Monday, May 18, from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. in the Hilton Hawaiian Village’s Iolani Suite 3-4. (Of course, we don’t expect the meeting to last for the whole 2 hours, but we’ve got it if we need it.)
We do have a new co-convener lined up to work for 2009-2011, and he’s agreed to run the meeting in our absence. So our final “shout out” must to go to Steven Douglas. Thanks, Steven! [Eds. note: see Steven's answers to 11 Questions in the last newsletter.] (Everyone else, please be kind to him!) If you have issues to discuss at the meeting, please contact either of your co-conveners prior to May 12th so that we can include them on the agenda. In fact, feel free to post your suggestions to the Facebook Event Wall for the meeting . Yes, the SIG is on Facebook now. If you’re on Facebook and feel so inclined, please join our group. We would love to see you there!
Normally, we would post advance information about our social/dinner event in this message, but with the lack of local SIGers nothing official has been planned as yet. Several attendees are going to scope out possibilities when they arrive (since they're arriving early-ish), and more information about the social will be distributed at the meeting. We might even post something to the Facebook group page or set up a new event, if that would be useful. Well, I think that’s all. (JC: It’s enough, right?) We hope you have a wonderful time in Honolulu, and we look forward to next year in DC!
Jon Crossno (Convener, 2007-2009) Kelly Gonzalez (Co-Convener, 2008-2010)
While most of those attending MLA this year probably already have a full itinerary, here are some additional places you may want to visit.
Beaches
AAla Moana Beach Park (Just a quick walk from both the Hilton and the Aqua Palms and Spa)
Queen’s Surf Beach – Gay-friendly and part of the long stretch of Waikiki
Sights
Bars/Clubs
Angel’s Waikiki: 2256 Kuhio Ave.
Fusion Waikiki: 2260 Kuhio Ave.
Hula’s Bar and Lei Stand: 134 Kapahulu Ave., Waikiki Grand Hotel
In Between: 2155 Lau'ula St.
Our section meeting will be held at Iolani Suite 3-4, Hilton Hawaiian Village on Monday, May 18, 2009 from 5:30pm to 7:30pm. RSVP via our Facebook event site. The Hilton Hawaiian Village is about 1/2 mile from the Hawaii Convention Center (map & directions are here).
Here's where some of us will be staying:
| Who | Arriving | Departing | Hotel | |
| Max | Anderson | 5/13/2009 | 5/20/2009 | Hilton |
| Rick | Barry | 5/16/2009 | 5/22/2009 | Aqua Palms and Spa |
| Steven | Douglas | 5/13/2009 | 5/20/2009 | Hilton |
| Ryan | Harris | 5/14/2009 | 5/20/2009 | Aqua Palms and Spa |
| Jeff | Huber | 5/14/2009 | 5/21/2009 | |
| Brenda | Linares | 5/15/2009 | 5/21/2009 | Aqua Palms and Spa |
| Robb | Mackes | 5/15/2009 | 5/20/2009 | Aqua Palms and Spa |
| J. Dale | Prince | 5/13/2009 | 5/20/2009 | Hilton |
| Anne | Seymour | 5/13/2009 | 5/21/2009 | Aqua Palms and Spa |
| Chris | Shaffer | 5/15/2009 | 5/20/2009 | Aqua Palms and Spa |
| Sheila | Snow-Croft | 5/13/2009 | 5/20/2009 | Aqua Palms and Spa |
| Emily | Vardell | 5/15/2009 | 5/21/2009 | Aqua Palms and Spa |
Fusing Culture and Community to Improve Health Literacy Session
Time: 5/17/2009 11:00AM - 12:30:PM (Location: TBA)
Sponsors: Cancer Librarians Section; Complementary and Alternative Medicine SIG; Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgendered Health Science Librarians SIG; Mental Health SIG; Nursing and Allied Health Resources Section.
Health care professionals and institutions are being challenged with the goal of improving health communication by providing information in the appropriate cultural or community context, as well as in the context of special diseases (i.e., people with cancer, mental illness, HIV/AIDS, etc.). As a result, health communication is being developed for specific cultural, community, and illness groups. This session will focus on the role librarians and information professionals play in contributing to this developing area of literacy. Topics may include, but are not limited to, educational support for patients with cancer and support for survivors and survivorship issues; support for nurses and allied health professionals providing patient education on the front line; demystification of acronyms used to talk about people with mental disorders (BD, PTSD, OCD, ADHD, etc.) and defusing of the stereotypes that come with them; ways health professionals can communicate with the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgendered community; and service for the health care needs of those with limited English literacy and different cultural and religious healing practices.
Presentations: Diane G. Schwartz, AHIP -- Connecting an Underserved Community with Health Information and Services: Fusing Culture, Community, and Education for Somali Bantu Refugee Children in Buffalo, NY
Jill T. Boruff -- Health Literacy Support for Patients and Professionals: Facilitating Access to Multilingual Patient Education Materials
Sabrina Kurtz-Rossi -- Unexpected Outcomes of the Health Information Literacy Research Project
Katherine L. Schilling -- Health Consumers’ Cancer Information-seeking Needs and Behaviors: An Analysis of Usage Patterns in the Cancer TRAIN Web Information Portal
Fusing Cultures and Diversity Awareness in Library Collections
Time: 5/17/2009 11:00 - 12:30PM (Location TBA)
Sponsors: Federal Libraries Section; Collection Development Section; African American Medical Librarians Alliance SIG; Complementary and Alternative Medicine SIG; Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgendered Health Sciences Librarians SIG
This session will focus on library efforts to support cultural diversity awareness by developing collections and library resources for staff development and patient education. Research reports and case studies on the effectiveness of cultural diversity collection development efforts are encouraged.
Presentations: Helen Wong Smith -- We Are the World: Serving Diverse Cultures in Your Library
Locke Morrisey -- Collecting to Support Cultural and Diversity Awareness in the Health Sciences Library
As of mid-April, there is still availability in our SIG block at the Aqua Palms, Honolulu in case there are last minute decisions to come to MLA. On April 18, the remaining rooms not booked in our SIG block reverted back to the hotel's general inventory. However, I was advised they will try to honor our "Special Interest" daily rate of $99, subject to availability.
I am working on possibilities for Washington, D.C. accommodations for our SIG. In 2004, we stayed at the The Normandy Hotel (formerly the Jury's Normandy Inn), which can accommodate us for 2010, and is within walking distance of the Hilton Washington, where MLA is meeting. Tentatively, the daily rate would be $179.00, no meals, plus tax one or two persons in a queen bedded room. Higher rates for two bedded rooms. However, nothing is guaranteed until it is under contract. I will try for to check availability/rates at alternative hotels. The Jury's Normandy seemed to be well received by SIG members staying there previously. However, whatever the SIG's decision, it should be made relatively soon, as getting accommodations can be challenging in Washington in May.
I will have information sent to a representative for the business meeting. If needed, the group can be polled as we did last year. But any early decision would be appreciated due to the challenge of getting suitable accommodations in Washington in May. Also, I would appreciate some feedback about size of room block. I generally request 20 rooms; and that has seemed workable. While it is now more challenging to assess occupancy needs, I would appreciate even a rough sampling of how many would need SIG accommodations, please. If anyone has questions, etc., in the interim, please feel free to contact me. I hope everyone attending MLA in Honolulu has a great time, along with opportunity for socials and partaking of the pleasures and wonders of the 50th State.
Contact: Richard Klein (email: rsklein_98 *at* yahoo or tel: 773-327-4618)
Kelly Gonzalez - In December 2008 Kelly was promoted to Deputy Director of the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center Library. She was also accepted to the 2009 Frye Leadership Institute at Emory University in Atlanta, GA This is a two weeks of immersion in higher education leadership issues, particularly those related to libraries, information technology and teaching and learning. Kelly will also be attending the Fall Session of the National Library of Medicine 2009 fellowship program in BioMedical Informatics II at the Marine Biological Laboratory in Woods Hole, MA.
Emily Glenn - In January 2009 Emily was awarded the 2008 SLA Research grant (for research to be conducted during 2009-2010). Emily and her co-investigator, Betsy Rolland, will interview and observe information professionals who support biomedical research collaborations for a project titled “Experimenting Outside the Information Center: Non-Traditional Roles for Information Professionals in Biomedical Research.” (A call for participation will be coming soon!)
Thanks to Sally Harvey, the Director of Libraries at Banner Health in the Phoenix, AZ area, for answering this installment of 11 Questions.
1. What kind of birthday cake do you like?
I don't know, I no longer acknowledge birthdays.
2. If we come to visit you, what local attraction would you show off first?
I had a hard enough time with this one when MLA was in Phoenix. If you don't hike or golf, there really isn't a lot to do around here except to enjoy the weather in the winter, which was of course not when MLA happened. So, let's go with hiking. I do know of some very nice hikes in the area.
3. What has been your favorite story from the news this year?
Probably the victory speech from Barack Obama in Grant Park in Chicago. It was such a tear-jerker, but also such an inspiring, historic time. My partner walked into the living room and saw me crying and was all, "what's wrong?" I said, "he won". She couldn't believe it was over so fast. Neither could I - I was fully expecting to be up most of the night again biting my nails.
4. What is the most trivial fact you have rattling around your head?
The human is the only animal who actually drinks the milk of another species.
5. What do fresh-from-grad-school librarians need to know these days?
Get out now! Oh, I don't really mean that. It hasn't been a bad profession to be in. My co-worker and I do lament the death of real medical subject heading searching. I would say, take some time to really learn that. It isn't all that hard to do, and you will be miles ahead of most new medical librarians in doing literature searches, as many seem to find the skill unnecessary.
6. Which Web 2.0 technology is relevant to your professional life now?
Wikis. I'm trying to develop one for the Medical Education staff. We'll see how it goes over.
7. In the quest for medical or health information, what keeps you up at night?
These days, mostly keeping staff and resources from being cut.
8. How did you come to medical or health sciences librarianship?
It just happened to be the first job I had after library school. I haven't regretted it, only wish it wasn't such a small profession.
9. What is your fondest SIG/MLA memory?
There are many, but I loved the San Antonio meeting where we actually became "official". Believe it or not, we were actually biting our nails a bit because the membership was voting on whether or not to "allow" us to form. It's hard to believe now!
10. MLA 2009 will be in Hawaii. Have you ever had a close encounter with a Hawaiian volcano?
No, I was in Hawaii a couple of years ago, but stayed on Maui the whole time and don't remember any volcanos there. I did see some lava though.
11. SPAM: yay or nay?
Oh absolutely! I am a proud "fan of SPAM" on Facebook. Although as a semi-vegetarian, I would never consider eating the stuff.
This page was last updated on April 21, 2009. Credits