Author Archives: M Aiello

Michelle Bass is a new member of AHIP!

[Posted by Michelle Rachal on behalf of Michelle Bass]

Thanks to NCNMLG’s professional development grant, I applied for and was granted provisional AHIP status as of June 2017. I had been on the fence about applying to AHIP as a provisional member but was encouraged to apply by colleagues from current and previous jobs. As luck would have it, Cynthia Henderson, AHIP, Associate Dean Health Sciences Libraries & Director Norris Library at the University of Southern California, is my AHIP mentor. I shared my interest in learning more about medical library budgetary needs as well as management and leadership training opportunities. I look forward to meeting with her in person at the upcoming NCNMLG/MLGSCA Joint chapter meeting in January 2018. Without this grant, I would not have applied for a provisional AHIP membership and would have missed out on this wonderful mentoring opportunity.

Apply for the MIS/MLA Career Development Grant (Deadline Dec. 1)

The MLA Medical Informatics Section (MIS) awards up to $1,500 to support a career development activity that will contribute to the advancement of the field of medical informatics.  If you’ve been wanting to take a course or attend a conference related to medical informatics but haven’t had the funds, then this is an opportunity worth exploring! MIS membership is a preferred qualification, so as a member you already have a step up on the competition!

The deadline to apply is December 1, 2017. For further information or to apply, go to the grant information page at http://www.mlanet.org/p/cm/ld/fid=301

Deadline extended for Proposals for the MLGSCA/NCNMLG Joint Meeting 2018

November 15 is the NEW deadline to submit papers, lightening talks, and special content session proposals for the upcoming meeting,  Crossing the Canyon: Bridging Divides and Navigating Waters, January 21 – 24, 2018 in Scottsdale, AZ.

See the meeting website for instruction on where to submit your abstract proposals. http://mlgsca.mlanet.org/joint2018/

Free Consumer Health Classes for Librarians & Information Professionals

Have you ever thought about pursuing the Consumer Health Information Specialization from the Medical Library Association but didn’t have the money to invest in classes or the time to spend a half-day or a full-day taking courses to reach the goal?

Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center is offering a free program to anyone looking to complete the Consumer Health Information Specialization. Made possible by funding from the National Network of Libraries of Medicine, South Central Region, this program will provide short educational offerings completely ONLINE to help those who may not have time or money to take classes that qualify for the Consumer Health Information Specialization. Through this initiative, participants can obtain all required credits in eight months while taking one or two classes a week, depending on the level of specialization they would like to achieve. For those who do not want to pursue the formal specialization, the program offers an innovative progressive education (discussions) on the general issues of consumer health for librarians, information professionals and any others with an interest.

Here are a few of the discussion topics:

  • What consumer health library services are you ethically and legally able to provide? What you must report, what you cannot report, and what you cannot say.
  • How can your personal beliefs affect your information interactions?
  • How you can work with teachers or healthcare organizations in your community to promote consumer health services?

For more information on this educational initiative, visit http://guides.lsuhsc.edu/geauxconsumerla, where you can learn more about the primary courses that will be offered by NNLM (all online) and see the full list of the discussion/presentation sessions with NATIONAL leaders.

Public librarians, schoolteachers and others across the country interested in this specialization are encouraged to participate in this specially organized educational opportunity! The one- to two-hour online sessions make it perfect for those with limited opportunity to leave their workplace to further their education.

Those in Louisiana who participate in this program may apply to have the specialization fee waived by following the instructions given on the GeauxConsumerLA program website.For more information, contact Julia M. Esparza, Head of User Education and Outreach Services at LSU Health Sciences Library, at 318-675-4179 or jespar@lsuhsc.edu.