From: mlams@mlahq.org (Tomi Gunn)

This October is the first National Medical Librarians Month. Sponsored by MLA, the event will heighten the awareness of related professionals and the general public about the value that medical librarians bring to the health care team.

As part of the effort to highlight the role of health information professionals, MLA has procured the services of a public relations firm, Public Communications, Inc. (PCI), to develop a communications program aimed at the news media, health care professionals, and the general public. The program's goal is to raise the awareness of medical librarians's specialized ability to access andfilter medical information. As a prelude to its official; start in the spring, the public relations campaign will survey librarians on the most frequently asked health care questions. The survey results will be announced in October, when public relations efforts will turn to the association's Centennial Celebration, which begins in May 1998. National Medical Librarians Month focuses on personalized services, a hallmark of success in todays technologically driven marketplace. Use this event to promote your expertise and library services in new and exciting ways:

Be Highly Visible All Month

*Place flyers or business cards in every department and at every function.
*Make up tent cards for the cafeteria that describe new services or list library hours.
*Deliver consumer health pamphlets to patient rooms and waiting areas of the hospital.
*Distribute a list of new Web sites for specific diseases to faculty offices of lounge areas.
*Update your library's Web site with an announcement about National Medical Librarians Month.

Do You Provide an Increasing Number of Consumer Health Services?

*Write an article for your local newspaper.
*Enlist your local public library as a partner in an effort to broaden the audience for your message.
*Offer to host activities of local computer- or health-related special interest groups in your community.
*If you have a library newsletter, focus a special issue on the librarian's important role in thehospital, school, or company, and print up additional copies for wider distribution.

Publicize Your SuccessStories at Every opportunity!

*Have your clients ever provided specific feedback in response to your efforts? Use it! And use this special month to solicit more testimonials and input from your clients for review and planning purposes.
*Hold Friday receptions or Monday brunches in your library and invite VIPs or special groups to stop by for coffee and talk about their information needs.
*Host a "What's New&" session one day a week (for example, every Wednesday during National Medical Librarians Month) to showcase new electronic capabilities and highlight the stellar support of the library staff.
*Host your own "Lunch and Learns"; to bring clients up to speed on information services.

The primary focus of this campaign is the quality of the services you provide as a professional medical librarian. Be proactive and toot your own horn! You and your colleagues are a critical link in the chain of health care delivery. Use National Medical Librarians Month as a catalyst to increase your fellow professionals'; awareness of your important skills and achievements.

[Editor's note: Chapters were contacted to "recruit" team members for NLM's team. Visit their page]

To: All Libraries Purchasing The AHA Guide (TM)

From: Rachael K. Anderson, President, MLA

Below is an explanation from Healthcare InfoSource, Inc. concerning the use of the Guide in your library. I want to thank all of our colleagues who contacted the organization and who suggested changes to the licensing agreement. Please contact me (rachaela@ahsl.arizona.edu)or Carla Funk with comments about the following explanation. Please also distribute the message to any other listservs. Thank you.

To: All Libraries Purchasing The AHA Guide (TM)

From: Healthcare InfoSource, Inc., a subsidiary of the American Hospital Association

RE: License for Customary Use of the AHA GUIDE Book

Those of you who have acquired the 1997/98 edition of The AHA Guide to the Health Care Field may have noticed the copyright sleeve surrounding the book. Please take a moment to read the following explanation in order to allay any concerns you may have regarding this notice.

Please be assured that Healthcare InfoSource, a subsidiary of the American Hospital Association understands that the book can and should be used, in a normal fashion, as a reference source by members of the public that rightfully use your library. Further, Healthcare Infosource understands that the book can and should be subjected to "fair use" copying (e.g., copying a relatively small portion for a non-commercial purpose). Healthcare Infosource certainly agrees to such review and copying of the book, since this is part of the noraml and ordinary use of reference materials at a library.

The license that accompanied the AHA GUIDE was not intended to interfere with such cutomary use of the book at a library. Rather, the license is intended to help stop those who would copy substantial portions of the book and then try to place Healthcare InfoSource at a commercial disadvantage by, for example, re-selling the data or placing the data on the Internet.

Healthcare InfoSource does not wish to interfere with normal and ordinary handling of reference materials by your library. Please call me at the telephone number below (or e-mail me at cpeders1@AHA.org) if you have any questions or would like further assurances.

Sincerely,

Caryn E. Pedersen
Director, Product Management
Healthcare InfoSource, Inc.
312-422-2131