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

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/

NCNMLG Mentorship Program
The NCNMLG Mentorship Program is an informal program designed to connect mentors and mentees around areas of common interest. Please see the mentor booklet for a list of mentors, and contact Stephen Kiyoi at Stephen.kiyoi@ucsf.edu to learn more about the program, connect with a mentor, or volunteer to serve as a mentor in the chapter.

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.

As a librarian new to health sciences in 2005, I was eager to apply for membership in the Academy of Health Information Professionals (AHIP). Provisional members (less than 5 years experience) are encouraged to participate in continuing education and professional activities as a means toward full membership. But there is a fee to apply, so I was hesitant to submit my application. Even after 5 years experience, completing several CE courses, and being active in NCNMLG and MLA, the application languished on my desk. It would be another 5 years before I picked it up again. Fortunately, I had stayed active in NCNMLG and MLA, so by 2016, I had plenty of points towards AHIP membership. That’s when I discovered that NCNMLG had a professional grant – and it would fund the $200 application fee! After a summer spent working on my application, I was finally awarded Distinguished membership in AHIP in October 2016.

Just remember…NCNMLG’s professional development grants are available to ANY member, whether a newbie to the profession (or a “seasoned” member like me). And it’s never too late to apply for AHIP! Thank you NCNMLG for funding my application.