More on MLA’s Advocacy Efforts

MLA President Jerry Perry wrote another blog post on MLA’s continuing advocacy efforts.  In his post Jerry describes MLA’s joint efforts with the Association of Academic Health Sciences Libraries (AAHSL). 

Often times we become focused on our local or personal situations or evironment so it is nice to read what MLA, AAHSL, GRC, and the Joint Legislative Task Force are doing on a national level.  As Jerry mentions, “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 nations leaders.”

So while we are personal advocates for our own situations, it is always a good idea to keep an eye open for the alerts from the GRC, MLA, etc. to see where our personal voice can be added to the collective when it is need.

How to Save at MLA

The MLA Seattle Blog has a post a I wrote, Thrifty MLA, which gives some ideas on ways you can save while attending MLA.  For some of us MLA is on our own dime while others have a limited amount of institutional money they need to stretch just to attend MLA.  Additionally some people may be able to attend MLA but if they tighten their belt a little they might be able to attend another meeting they want to go to. 

So I came up with a few tips for saving some money.  If you have other good tips that I missed, please share them on the NPC Seattle blog so others can benefit from them.

 

Volunteer and Go To MLA for Free

The Medical Library Association needs volunteers to help make a successful meeting.  If you are NOT a member of MLA but interested in attending the meeting for free, then sign up to volunteer.

In return for every four hours of service, non-MLA members receive a one day pass.  You can earn multiple days for multiple shifts.  This is a great opportunity for public librarians interested in consumer health, academic librarians who do some health science, library students interested in attending a library conference on the cheap, and anyone else interested in medical librarianship topics to get a chance to attend the conference.

Volunteer Opportunities:

  • Hospitality Information Booth – Answer questions about the conference, including schedule changes, transportation, restaurants, and other Seattle stuff.  You will have resources like Restaurant & Library Guides to assist you with any questions.
  • Perpare Annual Meeting Bags – FREE LUNCH provided.  One time event, on Thursday, May 17th (mid-day) where comfy clothes and shoes while you and other volunteers stuff the meeting bags.
  • Placement Center and Member Resource Room – Monitor computers, equipment and other resources available to members.  It is a quite meet and greet environment that if things are slow you might be able to sneak in some reading.

For more information contact Ann Whitney Gleason: [email protected] and we look forward to welcoming you on the team!

Video Submission Deadline for MLA Section Program Extended

Last week I blogged about the Leadership and Management’s Section Program, Smells Like Team Spirit: Partnerships to Move Your Library Forward.

The deadline was February 10th and it has been extended to Feb 20th? (trying to find my email to confirm).

So if you have a great team but haven’t recorded something, get recording NOW!  You don’t have to have a professional studio film, you can use a video from your smartphone or tablet device.  

 To submit a video complete the following form https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/viewform?formkey=dFpXbHJSaUtlTTF6a0Q5QjFVNWVmcEE6MQ and email your video to MLA12.LMS@ gmail.com.  If the form is not completed, then it cannot be loaded to the MAL12LMS channel (due to legal issues.)  Videos must be sent to MLA12.LMS@ gmail.com and the Google Form must be completed.

Video Guidelines

Videos must be no longer than five minutes.  The MLA member submitting may want to introduce the context of the partnership or may have a conversation with someone from the partner organization about the impact of working with a health sciences librarian and his or her organization.  

Videos must be in Apple QuickTime Movie .mov, AVI Format .avi, Windows Media Format .wmv, or MPEG Format .mpg or .mpeg formats.  You can film your partner and comments with your iPhone or other mobile device.  Informal videos are fine but please ensure that there is adequate lighting and you and your partner are clearly heard on the video.  Videos over 5 minutes will NOT be reviewed for inclusion in either the Smells Like Team Spirit: Partnerships to Move Your Library Forward session or the MLA12LMSProgram’s YouTube Channel after MLA.

Participate in MLA’12: Submit Video for MLA Section Program

The deadline for video submission is Feb 10, 2012 which is two days BUT that is not impossible….
Because you can even film it using your iPhone or other mobile device.

Below is the original call for video submissions:

You can still participate in MLA 2012!  
Submit a video for: Smells Like Team Spirit: Partnerships to Move Your Library Forward
Sponsored by the Leadership & Management Section; Cosponsored by: Cancer Section, Corporate Information Services Section, Institutional Animal Care and Use SIG, Veterinary Medical Libraries Section

How does your library achieve collaboration nirvana?   Who does your team work with in and out of your organization?  Do you have librarians embedded in other departments?  Do you work with other departments, libraries, or organizations on grants or projects?  Who are your partners and how do they view your relationship?

For this session, we are seeking three to five minute video clips featuring staff from partner organizations talking about what partnering with a health sciences library means to them. Video clips featuring partner organizations must be submitted in collaboration with a MLA member.  The MLA member submitting the video will need to register attend MLA ’12 onsite or electronically.

Videos submission will be accepted until February 10, 2012.

A peer review panel will judge the videos.  The top seven videos submitted will be shown during the program session.  All submitted videos that meet the length requirement will be available after the conference on the Leadership & Management Section YouTube Channel.  

What will determine the top seven?
       
Video criteria 
Technical requirements (good lighting and sound, length requirements met) 
Content 
Originality

       
To submit a video complete the following form https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/viewform?formkey=dFpXbHJSaUtlTTF6a0Q5QjFVNWVmcEE6MQ and email your video to MLA12.LMS@ gmail.com.  If the form is not completed, then it cannot be loaded to the MAL12LMS channel (due to legal issues.)  Videos must be sent to MLA12.LMS@ gmail.com and the Google Form completed by February 10, 2012.

Video Guidelines

Videos must be no longer than five minutes.  The MLA member submitting may want to introduce the context of the partnership or may have a conversation with someone from the partner organization about the impact of working with a health sciences librarian and his or her organization.  

Videos must be in Apple QuickTime Movie .mov, AVI Format .avi, Windows Media Format .wmv, or MPEG Format .mpg or .mpeg formats.  You can film your partner and comments with your iPhone or other mobile device.  Informal videos are fine but please ensure that there is adequate lighting and you and your partner are clearly heard on the video.  Videos over 5 minutes will NOT be reviewed for inclusion in either the Smells Like Team Spirit: Partnerships to Move Your Library Forward session or the MLA12LMSProgram’s YouTube Channel after MLA.

Become a Blogger for 2012

We need you on the team for 2012!  The Official MLA blog has become a relied upon resource for both meeting attendees and non-attendees to stay current about the meeting.  So apply to be a blogger!  Applications will be accepted today through February 10th via SurveyMonkey.

True to the baseball theme, we have roster spots for various utility bloggers.  Wireless cards are available to 12 people in select categories.  Blog posts typically are 250 – 500 words in length and correspondents post 1-2 times each day (unless otherwise noted) depending on their category requirements. For complete Guidelines for Bloggers go to the blogger page. All correspondents will receive 3 AHIP points for their participation. 

Blog Correspondent Categories

Training Camp
1 post/day about what you’re learning, 1 post must be a description of a CE course you took while at the conference

Hall of Fame Player (10+ years)
2 posts/day from perspective of a long time MLA member. Suggested topics: What has changed? What has stayed the same? What are you excited/disappointed/curious about?

Grounds Crew
1 post/day, posts about things that happen early in the game, er, day; should include the Major’s walk & a Sunrise Seminar review.

Exhibits Scout
1 post/day on things of interest in the exhibit hall

AAA Player
2 posts/day offering the conference perspective of a library science student. Suggested topics: What events did you attend? What questions arose about medical librarianship? What are you excited/disappointed/curious about?

Rookie
2 posts/day offering the conference perspective of a new member or first time conference attendee. Suggested topics: What are you looking forward to? What events did you attend? If you are presenting a poster or paper, what reflections do you have on the process?

Franchise Player
1 post/day on NLM related events and news (NLM update, Friends of NLM reception, related poster or paper sessions.)

Power Hitter
6 posts total on plenary sessions

Welcome/presidential address
McGovern Lecture
MLA Business Meeting
Doe Lecture
Presidential Inaugural & MLA ’12 Invitation
NLM Update

Outfielder
6 posts total on poster sessions.  Suggested topics: What were the most interesting posters from each session? What emerging trends did you observe?

Designated Hitter (3 positions available)
2 posts/day on section activities
Posts on section sponsored programs, papers/projects by section members, business meetings, incoming/outgoing officers, etc.
Membership in Section is preferred.
List of MLA Sections

Pinch Hitter (3 positions available)
2 posts/day on special interest group activities
Posts on SIG sponsored events, papers/projects  related to SIG interests, informal meetings, incoming/outgoing officers, etc.
SIGs are ad hoc groups open to all members of MLA. Active SIG members are preferred, but anyone with an interest in blogging a specific SIG’s activities are invited to apply.
List of MLA Special Interest Groups

Mascot
1 post/day on social events, include Bearded Pigs, receptions and other events. Photography encouraged.

Your idea here
1 post/day from a perspective of your own design.

Please consider contributing to MLA’12 by being a blogger.  Providing great information and coverage of the meeting is a team effort and we need you on the team.

 

Hospital Library Advocacy

Recently there have been a lot of emails (most with the subject line “sad state of hospital library”) hitting MEDLIB-L about the closings of several hospital libraries and what needs to be done to prevent this from happening to more libraries.

It is a complicated issue with many sides and it is only exacerbated by the down turn in the economy and the changes in healthcare. 

As Jerry Perry, MLA President, mentions, everyone has a role in hospital library advocacy. Jerry wrote a very interesting and thoughful blog post on this issue.  His post has great suggestions for how to prevent library or position from being downsized.  The only thing I would like to add is to start NOW!  Don’t wait for trouble or rumors of downsizing for you to start.  Don’t wait for budget cuts.  The time to start was when you started in your position.  But if you didn’t do that, do it now.  Some of these things that Jerry mentions take time and require you to make contacts. 

Yet even with the best activities of the best librarians some libraries have closed. Look for a future blog entry by Jerry on what MLA is doing at the national level to advocate for all health sciences libraries.

MLA Election Results

MLA announced the results for the 2012/2013 election.

Congratulations!

President elect: Dixie Jones

Board of Directors:  Julia Esparza and Chris Shaffer

Nominating Committee: Max Anderson, Ana Cleveland, Keith Cogdill, Jo Dorsch, Sherrilynne Fuller, Heidi Heilemann, Melissa Just, Neville Prendergast, and Lisa Traditi.

MLA 2012 Keep Informed

As 2011 comes to a close, it makes sense to start highlighting 2012 events.  One major event in 2012 is the Annual Meeting in Seattle.  The NPC has been hard at work trying to make it a great meeting.  In the upcomming months there will be more and more updates about the meeting and you if you want to be in loop of what is going on then you will want to check out the Official MLA ’12 Blog and use #mlanet12 as the meeting’s hashtag on Twitter.

So go to http://npc.mlanet.org/mla12/ and bookmark it or add it to your RSS feed reader because there will be some posts in the near future on our speakers, the Opening Reception (aka Opening Day), and the call for bloggers and much more.  Once we have selected our bloggers, things will really take off with posts about the meeting.

Do you have a question about logistics, programming, or anything else about the meeting?  Want to pick some of the NPC people’s brains?  Or do you just want to chat in general about the meeting?  Try posting on Twitter.  Use the hashtag #mlanet12 and type away, we will see it an respond.  Not only are the two NPC co-chairs on Twitter but so are many other NPC and LAC members.  Are you new to Twitter?  That is ok.  We plan on having another online MLA Twitter tutorial available for people.  It is still a little early and it isn’t quite ready to go live, but if you want to join in on the #mlanet12 discussion and just want a little refresher check out A Beginner’s Guide to Twitter

Keep in touch!

 

MLA 2012 Sponsorship Opportunities

The Medical Library Association’s National Program Committee has been calling and contacting  companies to see if they would like to be a sponsor for the 2012 meeting in Seattle.  These meetings are valuable to librarians and many who attend either make crucial decisions or help make decisions regarding resources for their libraries. Our members realize it is important to stay in personal contact with exhibitors, and they value the time they spend in the exhibit area at our meeting. In the words of one attendee: “MLA is the one time I can meet face to face with vendors I currently purchase goods and services from, as well as meet face to face with vendors with whom I am interested in purchasing goods and services from.” MLA members also value and appreciate the support exhibitors bring to the meeting.

In today’s world, organizations face increasing changes to our game and ever growing accountability. MLA hopes you will grow your opportunities by supporting our meeting and maximizing your company’s exposure with our members. Your support enhances our meeting’s quality and depth  You will find numerous opportunities for contributing to the success of our meeting on the accompanying pledge form, http://www.mlanet.org/am/am2012/pdf/mla12_sponsor_form.pdf

If you have been a sponsor of the Medical Library Association’s annual meeting in the past or you are company that wants to reach out to medical librarians and participate in the meeting, you should consider sponsoring the meeting in 2012. 

Now is the time to act if you want your company’s name or logo in the program. 
Next week, the Medical Library Association’s Preliminary Program for the 2012 annual meeting goes to the printers.  For any sponsorship pledge over $12,000 received by Friday, December 9, 2011, it is still possible to add your corporate logo to the cover of the MLA ’12 preliminary program.  The preliminary program goes out to approximately 5,000 potential attendees.  If you have any questions, please feel free to contact the MLA NPC co-chairs before Friday to get in the program.

Other opportunities are available to be a sponsor.
We understand that the timing might not work out and you might not know how much you can sponsor before Friday.  But that doesn’t mean there aren’t other opportunities.  Check out MLA’s sponsorship form for a list of other items you can sponsor such as WiFi for the meeting (would be greatly appreciated by attendees), meals, meetings, and other events.

What do you get in return for your support?

  • Sponsors receive many benefits. MLA will link your company to your chosen items and highlight your generous support among our 4,500 members. Benefits include:
  • A posting on the MLA’12 meeting website at www.mlanet.org/am/am2012/
  • Inclusion in the Prelminary Program and Official Program (MUST act before Friday 12/9/11 to be included in Preliminary Program)
  • Speical “Sponsor” ribbons for exhibit staff and
  • Acknoledgement at the designated event, MLA plenary session, in press releases, in the MLA News, and the Journal of the Medical Library Association.

Additional rewards you can receive are based on your sponsorship level:

  • $22,000+ “Grand Slam” Sponsor
  • $12,000-$21,999 “Home Run” Sponsor
  • $3,000-$11,999 “Double” Sponsor

We look forward to seeing you at MLA ’12 and thank you in advance for your remarkable support and hopefully, helping us hit a grand slam home run at the annual meeting!

Remember if you want to sponsor a specific program or activity it is first come first serve so you you will want to ensure your first choice by faxing the pledge form to MLA headquarters at (312) 419-8950. Don’t forget if you want to get into the Preliminary Program we need your pledge form before Friday!