Newsletter Vol. 8 No. 1 July 2002

Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgendered Health Science Librarians

Special Interest Group (SIG) of the Medical Library Association

Contents:
 

I.	Welcome from the Co-Chairs
II.	Introduction from the Newsletter Co-Editors
III.	11 Questions

	Gail Persily – Co-Chair
	Bill Fleming – Co-Chair
	Chris Shaffer – Program Co-Chair
	Bryan Vogh – Program Co-Chair
	Jon Crossno – Newsletter Co-Editor
	David Midyette – Newsletter Co-Editor

IV.	As If MLA Wasn't Enough . . .
V.	Big “D” Pics
VI.	Meeting Minutes from the Big “D”
VII.	“Social Disease”
VIII.	Program Review for MLA 2003 – San Diego
IX.	Housing for MLA 2003 – San Diego

I.    Welcome from the Co-Chairs (Bill Fleming and Gail Persily)

GAIL: (On becoming co-chair): When I agreed to serve as co-chair of the LGBT SIG, little voices in my head were saying, "Just say no! They won't hate you for it." "Don't take on any more responsibilities. You can't get your work done as it is."  But there were louder voices saying, "It will be fun. You'll make new friends and it will definitely make MLA meetings more interesting."  "The SIG always puts together good programs. There are lots of good people with good ideas and the enthusiasm to make them happen. It won't be like running a committee where no one does their share."  So I said yes and have no doubt that when all is said and done, I won't regret it. And thankfully, I have Bill Fleming to show me the ropes. Thanks for giving me the chance to try to measure up to the high standards of leadership, energy and good humor set by past co-chairs. I'll give it my best shot.

For those of you who did not get to come to Dallas, you missed a lot: wonderful socials, a great program (I'm biased), a productive business meeting.  There is a lot to report, and for those of you who WERE in Dallas, a lot has happened since then!  This newsletter is for everyone!   Highlights include:

• Program 2003 abstract has been submitted.  We're on the books!
• Our website has moved!
• Some ideas for socials are being thrown about!
• Lodging update for San Diego!
• I'm sure you're all dying to know how Miss Gay USofA turned out!

The best of luck to our new newsletter editors, David Midyette and Jon Crossno.   Gail and I gladly turn over this issue of the newsletter to them.

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II.  Introduction from the Newsletter Co-Editors

First, I want to thank all of the little people who have made this happen: the director, my publicist, my family and friends, and the fans … oh, wait!  Wrong fantasy!  This is the SIG GIG!  D’oh!!

Actually, it is a great honor to serve as co-editor of this esteemed publication.  [Jon: Hear, hear!!]  We are important enough to have two of the greatest minds in medical librarianship editing what is destined to become “The Newsletter” of the MLA.  [Jon: “Greatest?”  Well, if you say so, then it must be true!  But geez, my neck hurts all of a sudden!  It must be the swelled head.]

To help this newsletter on its way, we the co-editors are enlisting — well, actually twisting the arms of — several colleagues to lend their wit, wisdom, memories, and graphics.  (Yes, there will be graphic evidence!  We want to KNOW what really happened to that bottle of sherry!)  And we have perused past issues of the newsletter and found many features that merit restoration (or resuscitation, as the case may be).

But most importantly, in an effort to make this newsletter even more effective as a communication device, your co-editors have decided to stage this little dog-and-pony show four … count ‘em, four! … times a year: a pre-meeting issue in March providing information about the upcoming MLA meeting, a post-meeting issue in June giving a summary of the MLA meeting with minutes from the SIG business meeting, and two other issues in September and December offering commentary, entertainment, and continuity!

We hope to continue the drag theme since it figures so prominently in past issues and in many members’ current lives, but we would like to start a section on cooperation where members would share potential research ideas (individual or collaborative), grant potentials, jobs, educational opportunities, etc.  Also, we’ll continue to include biographies of (in)famous SIG members because they help bring the group together on a more personal level while also further cementing friendships that were formed at meetings.  (Plus, it’s a great way to solicit FABULOUS birthday presents, right?)

Seriously, though, we all have a lot of work ahead of us, especially carrying on the hard work and dedication of those who have come before us.  Often, we walk a fine line at work, in society, and within our own professional organization, but everything we do is focused on our ultimate goal of equality.  Hopefully, through the careful but steady guidance of its co-editors, this newsletter will continue to serve as a vital communication tool for the MLALGBT SIG and allow members to work effectively toward that ultimate goal — even for those without an MLS!

See you between the pages!

David and Jon

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III.     11 Questions

When is your birthday?  June 17, the year of Sputnik
Where are you located geographically?  San Francisco
Where did you get your MLS?  UC Berkeley
What was the worst part of library school?

The thousands of undergraduate students.

I’m still trying to get in touch with those feelings.

When I was called up to light the “friendship candle” at Joel Brodsky’s bar mitzvah while strains of “Sunrise Sunset” played in the background.

I probably missed it. I’ll have to ask her.

Through the back door.  I was looking for a systems job because I was finding reference services in a news library to be intellectually unsatisfying. I got a job at UCSF helping to set up and support the computer infrastructure in the library’s new building and it led to opportunities I never had imagined for myself.

Not wanting to sound stupid, I scanned the transcript from the web-based discussion on the Informationist concept that took place on May 9 http://www.mlanet.org/research/informationist/transcript.html . I was intrigued by some comments about the informationist as a kind of “human intelligent agent.”

Mitch Walters’ rainbow colored sign held high aloft his car offering rides to this year’s social in Dallas. My hero.

If you go to a Dairy Queen in Indiana the ice cream will have a higher butterfat content than that of Dairy Queens in the state of Illinois.

Bill Fleming: Co-Chair

When is your birthday?      June 5, 1965...easy to remember...6-5-65
Where are you located geographically?    Chicago, IL  Have never lived anywhere but in Illinois.
Where did you get your MLS?   Don't have one.  Do you still love and respect me?
What was the worst part of library school?    N/A
How do you really feel about cataloging?

Cataloging ranks right behind ILL as my favorite library department. I worked in cataloging for almost 5 years.  I completely respect the level of discipline that goes into it.  It really can be tedious and frustrating.  People sitting around changing rules about the way something is coded can cause you to completely rethink your classification policy.  UGH!   Those of you who know me know that attention to detail is not necessarily one of my strong suits.  Therefore I had to flee cataloging.  But it really is the backbone of the Library, and if I were more focused would like to go back to it.

Ahhh....the Danville Dodgers story.  For those of you who know the story....bear with me.  When I was 12, I had been taking organ lessons for about a year and a half.  My grandfather played the organ, as well as my older sister, who at the time was 19.  Anyway, she had a gig playing the organ at the home games of the Danville Dodgers, who were at that time a AAA farm club of the Milwaukee Brewers.  Well, my sister comes home one day and tells me that she has to play the organ at a wedding on some Saturday and that she promised that I would play at the Dodgers game.  I freaked.  I said I wouldn't do it, but my father said that I should since I was already promised.  I knew ONE SONG by heart.  Sweet Georgia Brown.   The rest I had to play with sheet music.  I get there and find out its Pepsi night, meaning that the stadium is filled to capacity.  3500 people.  I sit at the organ and start to play.  Some kids are running around the organ, and one helps hold my sheet music.  It's time for the national anthem.  Everyone stands, the players hit the field, and all are looking directly at the flag which is over my head.  I start to play.  Suddenly, some kid runs by and PRESSES THE RHUMBA BEAT ON THE ORGAN.   I didn't know what to do.  I didn't want to stop....so I adapted the national anthem to the rhumba beat!  I looked up and saw all of the players doubled over in laughter on the field.  Everyone in the stands is looking at me and laughing.  I just stopped and ran from the organ and out of the stadium and to a pay phone where I called my mother (this is where she comes in) to have her come pick me up.  I never played the organ again.  My mother refers to this as "that time you embarrassed the entire family" story.  There is also the story when I was....ummm..."under the influence" in high school and was running up my driveway at 2 in the morning and ran into the garage door, shattering all of the windows.  I didn't realize that I didn't have shoes on until my mother woke me up the next morning and asked me to explain the bloody footprints that led from the garage door to my bed.  Not only did I not even attempt to clean up the mess, but no one woke up and it wasn't discovered until later that morning when my father was leaving to go play golf.   My mother refers to that as "that time you were on drugs".

Spending an ENTIRE YEAR studying for the written drivers test that she thought she had to take to get her drivers license renewed, only to find out when she got to the DMV that she didn't have to take the written test but only the vision and driving test.  She was furious!

My B.S. is in Mathematics/Computer Science.  All of the jobs I had when I was an undergrad were at the U of I library.  Those were the best times I've ever had, and the best people I've ever worked with.  When I graduated, and my GPA prohibited me from getting a decent "real" job, I got a job at Loyola Medical Center as an evening supervisor.  I went with what I knew.  I quickly moved on to Rush, where eventually my degree came in handy when we got our first computer network.  I quickly became a hot commodity in the Library.  I'm now too settled to think of anything else to do.

I plead the 5th on this one.  Because I don't have an MLS I think it would be unfair to air my opinions.

Kansas City.  I was heartbroken that I had to leave the day before everyone else. When I got to the airport, the plane was full and the airline offered me $500 and first class on a flight the next day to get off the plane.  I rushed back to the hotel and met up with Brian Smith and Jack Adcox at Mari's restaurant, where Brian tied a napkin to his head and sang "Matchmaker, Matchmaker".  Then we left to make our way down the street to some leather bar people were telling us about.  For those of you new people, this is in itself hilarious because none of the three of us should ever go NEAR a leather bar...but nonetheless we thought it would be "a hoot".  It was pouring rain and none of us had umbrellas.  So we started running.  Then for some reason the three of us broke into a bad Charlie’s Angels episode...jumping out from behind dumpsters and screaming, "Freeze!"   Stuff like that.   I remember Brian HAD to be Farrah.   I think I was Kate Jackson.   Anyway, we're running up and down the alley carrying on in the pouring rain.  We get inside the bar, and the entire front bar bursts into applause.  We look up and there are TV screens with surveillance cameras everywhere showing the entire alley.  Our Charlie’s Angels episode was seen by the front bar!  We got towels to dry off and a round of drinks on the house.  The rest of the night was spent watching Brian trying to act butch and Jack getting cruised by everyone.

Right now, for some reason, I have the Spongebob Squarepants theme going around in my head.  I like to sing it for whoever will listen.

Chris Shaffer: Program Co-Chair

When is your birthday? December 24
Where are you located geographically? Chicago, Illinois  The Windy City
Where did you get your MLS?  The University of North Texas, in Denton
What was the worst part of library school?

The Blue Books for the Comprehensive Exams.  Information professionals shouldn't have to handwrite.  We have computers, right?

As long as somebody else does it, I love cataloging.

I'm not that easy.  Nice try.

She's on the net.  I'm not sharing.

It was all an accident, really.  I just wanted to live in a big city...

Well, it's not in the Oxford English Dictionary.

It was after the social in Vancouver...but wait, I don't really want to go there...

The last time the United States was in the World Cup quarterfinals was 1930.

Bryan Vogh: Program Co-Chair

When is your birthday? To often to keep track of ….
Where are you located geographically?

Baltimore, MD and depending on the day in Alabama, DC, Florida, Georgia, Maryland, Mississippi, North Carolina, Puerto Rico, South Carolina, Tennessee, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Virginia or West Virginia.

University of Madison, WI  Please don’t tell them where I am now.  They just call and call and say, “Can you contribute to the school?”  I say,  “I already did and am still paying today.”

Group Projects

Class was ok, but we did weird stuff like catalogue our kitchen, theater props and puppets.

Um …  She would say, “you remember that one time you did this embarrassing thing.”  Thankfully I have forgotten those things and my family also has selective amnesia on this question too!

See above.

Found out that I had strange food sensitivities when I became sick in graduate school.  Decided to learn about medicine and find some answers for myself.

like a contortionist except paid much less.

In 1999 at MLA in Chicago, IL.  I really enjoyed the SIG dinner at the Mashed Potato Club.  The food was very good, and the company was also great.

It takes one cup of water a day to remove the wastes that the body produces.  I heard this wonderful fact during a program about survival at sea.

Jon Crossno: Newsletter Co-Editor

When is your birthday?  September 16, 1968
Where are you located geographically?  Dallas/Fort Worth  (Have never lived outside of Texas)
Where did you get your MLS?  University of North Texas, Denton, TX
What was the worst part of library school?

Having Eric Clapton for a professor.  Well, it wasn’t actually Eric Clapton, just someone that looked like him.  Well, he didn’t really look like him; we just pretended like he did.  But what’s really important is he was a REALLY bad professor.  He was actually the head of UNT’s Academic Computing department and was given the job of teaching this class 2 days before the semester started, but it was immediately obvious to all of us that he had clearly never taught anything in his life.  Bear in mind, 98% of the students in this class were schoolteachers transitioning to school librarians so they could pick a bad teacher out of a crowd from a mile away.  Oh!  And this was my first very class in the program.  It’s a wonder I stuck with it!  (What dedication!!)

Cataloging is one of the essentials of librarianship.  Without catalogers, we would be lost in the darkness, forever trying to sort through madness and find things in chaos.  Of course, I don ’t have the stamina to be a cataloger myself, but I certainly respect the job and the people who dedicate their lives to it.  And of course, the Internet provides a whole new arena for catalogers to sink their teeth into.

Hmmm … this is a tough one!  It’s not that there aren’t choices; it’s that all the ones I can think of that my mom has told in the past all took place when I was an infant, and that doesn’t really meet the question’s implied criteria.  OH!  Here’s one!  I’m about 14 years old, and church has just let out.  It’s very common for all the churchgoers to hang around outside after the service … to gossip, chat, whatever.  So we’re hanging around and talking, and some of us kids walk off to play in the vacant lot next to the church building.  Well, this little 10-year-old kid — the younger brother of one of my school classmates — runs up behind me as I’m walking to the lot and sticks his foot out in front of me, and before you know it, I’m falling flat on my face.  I mean, literally.  The first part of my body to make contact with the ground is … my nose.  Dead on the tip!  Everyone runs up to me to see how I am, and within minutes my nose is turning red and starting to swell up.  And for the next 2 weeks, I looked like some odd cross between Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer (which is what I was called repeatedly for the first week) and Karl Malden!!

Well, this one’s easier!!  Last year, my mother and her (then 17-year-old) granddaughter went to Europe.  They spent a couple of days in Barcelona, and one day, as they were sitting at a table in an outdoor café, 2 very charming Spanish gentleman walked up and began talking to them about the city and their travel plans.  One of the men obviously began flirting with my mother (e.g., touching her shoulder, stroking her hand, etc.), and, as my niece tells the story, her grandmother turned beet red from the attention and began stammering and stuttering.  (My mother is a very quiet person, but she’s rarely speechless.)  The gentleman kept offering to give personal tours of Barcelona … to all the places tourists never get to.  And all the while, the flirting continued.  My niece said it was extremely entertaining seeing her grandmother in this situation, and I can honestly say I wish I’d been there to see it, too.

Blind, dumb luck … just like I came to librarianship in general.  I had focused on public libraries in the library program at UNT and was taking my last class.  The class was a humanities reference course, but the professor was also in charge of the medical librarianship track in the library school.  She was handing back some graded assignments one day when she asked me if I’d ever thought about working in a medical library because she thought it would be a good fit for me.  My father was a doctor, and I had spent all of my life avoiding medicine as a career path, but the more I thought about it, the more I realized that medical libraries did sound very interesting.  Regarding librarianship in general, my hometown library was always a part of my life because my parents were instrumental in getting it established and running and I often volunteered there after school.  I went off to college with only one goal: graduating in four years with a degree.  I did accomplish that goal but had no idea what to do then.  So I went back home to figure things out.  While I was there, I was actually hired to work at the library.  A few short months later, a librarian from a neighboring town came to visit and after finding out that I like working in the library, she suggested I go get my Master’s degree.  So Fate stepped in twice to lend me a helping hand and find my place in life.  And the rest, as they say, is history!

A ferreter, diviner, and disseminator of knowledge gathered through investigation, study, or instruction.  Which is all just a flowery way to say “librarian.”

Well, this being my first meeting and chance to interact with everyone, I don’t have that many memories to pull from, but I’d have to say that my fondest memory was sitting in Tom and Jerry’s hotel room with Robb and Bill F. and waiting for Jerry to return from the Farewell Reception.  Earlier that evening, Bill had bought a bottle each of Boone’s Farm Kountry Kwencher (an apple wine “product”) and Arbor Mist Blackberry Merlot (another wine “product”) for Jerry, and we sat around and talked about a variety of topics while we fantasized about how Jerry would react.  Our fantasies turned out to be more hilarious than the reality, but still a fun time was had by all.  And after the presentation was made, the 5 of us watched a video from a recent Miss Continental Pageant that Bill brought along.  And I have to say right now that the phrase “It’s horrible! … I LOVE IT!” has become a standard in my apartment now thanks to that night.  (Oh, and one other thing.  That was also the night that I’d left my car parked in the Adam’s Mark parking garage and had to take the light rail back from the AmeriSuites … on the next-to-last train run.  Many, many, many thanks to Robb for walking me to the light-rail station that night!  That was QUITE an experience!!)

JC Chasez’s favorite food is Chinese, and he’s deeply afraid of needles.  (Yes, the secret’s out.  I’m an *NSYNC fan!  … And it’s not just that almost all of them are cute and cuddly; I like their music, too!!)

David Midyette: Newsletter Co-Editor

When is your birthday?  February 21, 1966
Where are you located geographically?  Kansas City, MO – Where people experience long, forced marches . . .
Where did you get your MLS?  University of North Carolina - Greensboro
What was the worst part of library school?

Only one part eh?  Hmm, there are several the come to mind, but perhaps the one that truly stands apart as onerous was the Foundations of Library Science class that we all had to endure.  The only redeeming part of the class was having two buddies who kept me in stitches in the back of the class.  The rest was absolutely hella boring!

Cataloging, at first, appears to be an art form reserved for the elite few that thrive on inane rules and regulations.  Conceptually, I have a firm grasp on cataloging, but like Calculus, I just can’t do it!  Actually, the longer I work in the field, the more I am coming to the conclusion that there is a cataloging conspiracy.  Those of us who don’t feel that we are catalogers are, in actuality, perfectly competent, and only held back through discouraging statements by catalogers and cataloging instructors that distract us from that self-actualization.  Thus, by keeping up the ruse that cataloging is an art form practiced only by “True” catalogers, the huddling librarian masses are kept at bay, and the demand for “True” catalogers, along with their salaries, remains high!  Just a thought . . .

My mother would laugh at the fact that someone might actually believe there were non-embarrassing moments!  Actually there are too many to even begin telling one, but if you’re really that interested, just give her a call!  I’m sure she’d be more that willing to tell you about the Halloween Candy incident, or any of my other episodes of sleep walking!

My mother is a saint, and as such, really doesn’t have many embarrassing moments that I am aware of!

Well, after library school, I can honestly say that being a librarian was the list job on my list.  It was a traumatic year, which was thankfully over quickly.  I really wanted that Ph.D. in anthropology, and was all too eager to get to Indiana!  Indiana lasted about three years, three years that I am still trying desperately to scrub from my memory.  Long story short, I met my partner our last year in Indiana, we moved home to North Carolina with my mom and I started looking for a job as – GULP! – a librarian.  I guess three years removed the pain of library school to a point where I could consider the possibility.  I was looking for a library job, any library job, and during the search I found a temporary position with the Wake Forest University School of Medicine medical library.  A friend of my mom’s worked at the circulation desk, and she said they were always looking for someone to fill in over the holidays.  I got the job, which became permanent in January of last year, and then my current position fell into my lap last year.  I can say that I honestly enjoy what I do!  I can still take the anthropology slant on medicine, teach at the local community college, and work as a solo librarian in a small hospital library.  I just wish that I had found all of this about ten years ago!!!!!!

An underpaid doctor who likes books or an overpaid librarian with enough knowledge and training to become a doctor!  Either way, it’s still more money than I’m making now!

This was my first MLA and first introduction to the SIG, but I have to say that my fondest memory was the look on Tom Flemming’s face when one of Robb’s friends from Yankeeland asked him, during a discussion of current events, if he lived in a paper bag or was from Canada.

Goddess, there are so many, hmmm, let’s see, em, how about the fact that human metacarpals look virtually identical to those of bears.

IV.    AS IF MLA WASN'T ENOUGH . . .

Reported by Yahoo Dupree

By Thursday, May 23, 2002, most traces of MLA had vanished from the Adam’s Mark Hotel in Dallas, Texas.  Message boards were disassembled, water pitchers were washed and put away, and the sack sitters went back home to their families.  But while many librarians were flying home after a week of early meetings, posters, and ogling Ovid boys, the hotel staff was busily preparing for yet another challenge: the finals of the Miss Gay USofA Pageant would be held on Friday, May 24 in the ballroom that had two days earlier housed some of the MLA exhibits.

Throughout that week, more than 50 of the country’s finest female impersonators competed in preliminary competition at the Village Station, but only 12 would advance to the finals at the Adam’s Mark.  I attended the last night of the preliminaries on Thursday.

Well … for a while.

When I arrived (about an hour early), I discovered about 50 chairs had been reserved for "VIPs," and everyone would either have to fight for one of the 20 stools scattered around the bar or stand.   So I stood … and stood … and stood.

On top of that, I had previously read an interview with the proprietor of the pageant, who prided himself on promptness.  "If we say we're starting at 9,” he said, “then we start at 9."  Well, the show did start at 9 p.m.  But the competition didn't start until at least 10 or 10:30.

For more than an hour, an array of former Miss USofAs performed for the crowd, and the emcees bantered.  After that, I saw approximately 12 contestants in evening gown.  And that lasted 15 minutes.  Then, instead of going into the talent for another group of contestants, the crowd was treated to another hour or so of "special entertainment."  After two and a half hours of show, I saw approximately 15 minutes of competition.  So I left.

(A note to the Village Station and the USofA Pageant: If you expect most of your crowd to stand, you might want to "cut to the chase.")

However, my frustration soon faded when I reached the finals at the Adam’s Mark the following evening.  I had purchased the tickets well in advance so I had very good seats, but my date for the evening cancelled so I was alone.  However, the people at my table — a couple of Dallas locals — were very nice, which made things much better.  (It's always nice to be able to turn to someone and say, "Take a look at those shoes!")

Everything was set up in the ballroom that held the back half of the exhibits.  A cash bar and various tables selling videos and programs were just outside.  It was very odd to see the same Adams Mark employees who offered me fruit-on-a-stick at the opening reception of MLA clearing away my Miller Lite bottles at the Miss USofA Pageant.  They all had a look of confusion on their faces.  It was charming.

After a DJ glitch with the opening number (I guess working a CD player can be difficult for some people), the competition began with a bang.  All of the contestants were introduced, and soon the final 12 were announced.  Having seen a number of national pageants, I was shocked that many popular names were not in the top 12.  Of the 12, only four were familiar, which made things very interesting for me.  I liked the idea of watching a bunch of entertainers I had never seen before.

The talent competition was pretty remarkable.  There were gigantic sets that moved and blinked.  Each performer needed at least 10 minutes of setup and takedown time.  I found out later that part of their scores is based on "total presentation."  (In other words, fill that stage!)

At one point I turned to my new Dallas friends and remarked, "Geez, why don't you just have all the contestants turn in receipts, and whichever one spends the most wins."  They agreed.   From elaborate dance numbers to dramatic monologues to live singing, the talent was varied and entertaining.

The evening gown competition was somewhat disappointing … with one exception.  She came out in an elaborate, velvety hoop dress, and after the crowd showed its approval, she tore that dress away to reveal an incredible form fitting silver gown.  Then, the crowd went crazy.  I turned to my friends yet again.  "There's your winner," I said.

I was right.  Congratulations to Alexis Gabrielle Sherrington from Florida, who was crowned the new Miss Gay UsofA.  Layla La Rue, a local favorite who got a thunderous standing ovation every time her name was mentioned or when she stepped on stage, was named 1st runner up, and Nicole Luv Dupree of Atlanta (no relation) was named 2nd runner up.  I'm sure the rest received parting gifts of some sort.

When I learned the pageant was happening right after MLA, I immediately bought tickets and waited anxiously.  I wasn't disappointed.  It was different than other national pageants I have been to, but ultimately I was happy.  The person that deserved to win actually won.  And that's what matters.

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V.     Big “D” Pics

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VI.    Lesbian Gay Bisexual & Transgendered Health Science Librarians

Call to Order
The business meeting was called to order at 4:44 CDT.  Part of the delay was purposeful, as many of the members of the SIG are also members of the Relevant Issues section, whose meeting was concomitant to our own.

Introductions
Persons attending the meeting introduced themselves.

Approve Minutes from 2001 Meeting (Orlando, FL)
Meeting minutes from the previous year’s meeting (Orlando, 2002) were approved without corrections.

SIG Board Vacancies
The current co-chairs (Mitch Walters, UT-Southwestern, Dallas TX; Bill Fleming, Rush University, Chicago IL) spoke about the SIG Board Vacancies that were looming at the time of the meeting.  Bill Karnoscak had been lobbying a couple of SIG members to consider being co-chair for the coming term.  Two candidates agreed to serve (see notes below).

Finalize terms of positions (1 year vs. 2 years; stagger co-chairs, etc.)
It was agreed upon that the 2-year term of chair would be staggered so that there would not be an entire changeover of the leadership simultaneously.  Between Mitch Walters and Bill Fleming then, it needed to be decided who would step down, and who would remain on the board for a 2d year.  This was decided in the most time-honored democratic tradition: the coin-toss.  Bill Fleming “lost” the toss, and therefore “won” the privilege to remain on the Board as co-Chair.

Elect/Appoint one co-chair
Gail Persily agreed to serve as co-chair (initially she had only agreed to a one-year term; later, in separate correspondence to Bill Fleming, she agreed to serve a two-year term).

Elect/Appoint newsletter editor
Jon Crossno (UT-Southwestern, Dallas TX) and David Midyette (Truman Medical Center – Lakewood, Kansas City, MO) have agreed to be Newsletter Co-Editors.  In other newsletter-related items, it was agreed upon by consensus that the newsletter would be issued twice yearly: once in the fall (October 2002) and once in the spring (April 2003).

Program News and Program Chair appointments
Dallas 2002
Bill Fleming reported that everything was in place for the 2002 SIG-based program (co-sponsored with the Relevant Issues section).

San Diego 2003
Bryan Vogh and Chris Shaffer agreed to chair the Program committee for next year’s meeting.  The topic is loosely revolving around underserved populations, specifically gay youth.

Washington DC 2004
An idea was floated that a potential program topic could be centered on the Healthy People 2010 report (this series of reports are the first government-sponsored, research based documents that actually address health care concerns of lesbian and gay people).  Bryan Vogh expressed interest in assisting with the program, however, he is co-chair for 2003, so a chair for the 2004 meeting is still needed.

Accommodations
Dallas 2002
No complaints were lodged regarding the accommodations at the AmeriSuites.  The rooms were largely roomy, and service was good.  The breakfast buffet was very well stocked.

San Diego 2003
The Days Inn, adjacent to the Town & Country (MLA 2003 Annual meeting site), will be pursued as the SIG’s less costly alternative to the high-priced resort fees otherwise incurred.  Richard Klein will follow up (already in the works) with a contract from the Days Inn in San Diego.

Other Items
SIG Website Hosting:
Chris Shaffer indicated the need for the SIG’s web site to be hosted somewhere other than his personal space at the University of Illinois at Chicago.  A subcommittee was formed (comprised of Chris Shaffer, Bryan Vogh, Bill Fleming, Sally Harvey) to explore other sites and costs for a long-term solution.
Gratitudes:
Bill Fleming bestowed clever gifts upon a few SIG members who supported him in his role as co-chair and program chair during the preceding year.

Adjournment
The Business Meeting was adjourned at 6:10p.

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VII. ”Social Disease”

A suggestion was also made by a couple of SIG members that we host a cocktail party/"mixer" at the host hotel that would be open to the entire MLA membership in addition to our normal social.  It wouldn’t be anything horribly fancy, just something that would get “our name out there.”  Perhaps if we can find a corporate sponsor to help cover some of the costs of the munchies, we can pull this off.   If you have any questions or suggestions, send them to either Bill (Bill_Fleming@rush.edu) or Gail (gail.persily@library.ucsf.edu).  Bill would like to put together a committee to work on this so if you've had experience with these types of things, your help would be appreciated.  Our SIG is great, and we need to let other people know about us and enjoy our unique ability to combine our passions for work with our need for fun.

Party on, Wayne!  Party on, Garth!

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VIII.   Program Review for MLA 2003 – San Diego

Primary Sponsoring Section: Public Health/Health Administration

Co-sponsoring Sections: Dental, International Cooperation, CAPHIS, Relevant Issues
SIGs: Outreach, LGBT, African American

Program Type: Invited Paper/Contributed Paper combination

Theme: Caught in the Whirlpool: Information Needs of and Outreach Services for At-Risk and Underserved Consumer Populations

Many special consumer groups are at risk for various health problems due to social, economic and behavioral factors. In many cases these populations who have the greatest need for quality health information are the most difficult to reach. How do we design services to reach these populations?  What do we know about what information they need? Speakers will discuss topics such as health information for gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender youth, immigrants and non-English speaking users, migrant workers, low socioeconomic status, low-literacy, rural, or inner city populations.

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IX.    Housing for MLA 2003 – San Diego

Nightly rate is $85.00 plus 10.5% tax, single or double occupancy, no meals included.  Cancellation policy is by 4 p.m., hotel time, the day before.  Accommodations would be a room with 2 queen-size beds.  Smoking and king size beds are available upon request.   The hotel is within convenient walking distance of the Town and Country Hotel, which is the MLA convention venue.

This Days Inn has 280 recently renovated rooms, and has received Days Inn's highest rating of 5 Sunbursts and Chairman's Award.  There is an Outdoor heated pool, Jacuzzi, restaurant on premises, complimentary shuttle service from airport, and designated attractions within certain times.

In-room amenities include mini-refrigerators, irons and full-size ironing boards, pay-per-view movies and Nintendo.  This Days Inn is also sufficiently close to, but not within walking distance, to Hillcrest, San Diego's LBGT center.

[Ed. Note: Richard asked us to pass along the following bit of information as well!]

Please also advise that I will no longer be at Scholl College after July 26, and include my email of rsklein_98@yahoo.com and home tel: 773-327-4618.  (Please
note there is an underscore, not a dash between rsklein and 98.  My email of rklein@scholl.edu will no longer be effective after July 26.

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This page was last updated on September 15, 2004. Credits