I used the NCNMLG Professional Development Grant to cover a portion of the expenses that were incurred by attending the 2013 Annual Meeting of the Medical Library Association (MLA).  This meeting was held May 3-May 8, 2013, but I attended from May 4-May 8.  This was my second time attending the MLA conference, but my first time was in 2008, which was about two months after I had just begun my career as a medical librarian, so I am sure you can imagine I was somewhat overwhelmed and the experience was a whirl!  While that first experience was certainly a valuable learning experience, this year’s meeting gave me an opportunity to build upon the years of professional experience that I have acquired since that first meeting.  When considering the meeting in retrospect, two themes particularly stand out: relationship building and professional inspiration.  Continue reading →