October - December 1997 Volume 18 Number 4
A talk given at the meeting of the Pacific Northwest Medical Library Association Portland, Oregon, 16th October, 1997 by keynote speaker:
Values and value.
We live in an age of uncertainty. Despite economic prosperity and the end
of the Cold War, most of us, though happy enough with our present circumstances,
fear the changes we see and, even more, the changes yet to come. This uncertainty
pervades our working lives. Controversy swirls around the future of librarianship
and libraries and it is hard to deal with the various futures that are foreseen
by pundits, especially as most of them seem to question the very existence
of our profession. The discontinuity between academic theorists, "information
scientists," many library educators, and all the self-appointed leaders
of our profession on the one hand and working librarians and library users
on the other becomes ever more obvious. While the second group laments declining
materials budgets; run-down, overcrowded libraries; and the terrible pressures
of always doing more with less, the first group publishes incomprehensible
papers about digital libraries, issues fantastical reports (like the execrable
"Benton report"), holds conferences that float on an abundant
supply of hot air, and generally basks in the delights of shooting the rest
of us in the foot. The gap between the elitists and the workers in and
users of libraries has never been greater. Those of us who believe in real
libraries serving real people need, now more than ever, to reaffirm our
values and value.
In my opinion, the following are the values that should underpin our work in libraries:
Every single last one of these values is explicitly or implicitly under attack from those who tout "the virtual library," "the library without walls," and all the other vapidities of the digerati. I am well aware that there are a number of specialized areas of librarianship--including medical librarianship--in which technology looms very large. It is possible that such libraries will have a preponderance of electronic services and resources--perhaps an overwhelming preponderance. I do not believe that, because the balance between electronic and "traditional" services may vary from one kind of library to another, the fundamental values of our profession do not apply in some kinds of library. My remarks are mostly concerned with the generality of libraries of all kinds and the future of our profession as a whole, but I do recognize that your working lives may be quite different in many ways from the working lives of general academic or public librarians.
One encouraging development is the number of recent publications that have begun to question the digital fantasies of the elites. (I am not referring here to the faux nostalgics like Nicholson Baker or Clifford Stoll--the Richard Simmons of the anti-technology movement--but to serious people who have looked at the technological visions and measured them against reality and history.) Listen to A. Michael Noll (former Presidential Science Advisor and Bell Labs and AT&T employee):(1)
...the superhighway is a lot of hype and fantasy, promising services that most people do not want, nor are willing to pay for; that the superhighway would be costly to build; that much of the technology exists only on paper and is not real. As you can imagine, my critics accuse me of being a Luddite; of having no vision or faith. To them, I say faith belongs in church. I tell them that their Utopian vision is old hat and will for some become a financial nightmare.
Visions based on faith do belong in church, but visions and values based on reason, experience, and history are necessary to sustain and encourage daily working life. We should take our values and use them to shape a vision of the future library that can challenge the bleak technologists' vision of the end of real libraries.
The library as place
One would have thought that the last thing the world needed was another
force tending to isolation and alienation, but that is exactly what is implied
in the chatter about "virtual libraries," "libraries without
walls," etc. Insofar as the practicalities of a "virtual library"
are known, they must include the abolition of the library as a place; human
beings interacting with the records of humankind in isolation and communicating
with other human beings electronically; and an economic model that is predicated
on access to recorded knowledge and information being conditioned by, and
dependent on, a fee-for-use basis. If such a future were to come about--which
it will not for a variety of practical reasons--can you imagine a more potent
recipe for social alienation?
The "virtual library" is also called the "library without walls" (a favorite term of those who do not give a hang about libraries but know how much library buildings cost to build and maintain). First, libraries have always reached out beyond their walls and will continue to do so--such service being greatly enhanced, but not changed in nature, by electronic communication. It suits people who push the digital solution to everything to characterize libraries and librarians as place-bound, but saying does not make it so. Library service is rooted in places called libraries but has never been bound by those places. Just look at, for example, mobile libraries, services to the housebound and the incarcerated, telephone and e.mail reference services, and inter-library resource sharing.
One simple reason why we need and will continue to need places called libraries is that we will have to house, arrange and make accessible collections of physical library materials for the indefinite future. To believe otherwise is to believe that, for the first time since the invention of writing, new technologies will not enhance but supplant forms of communication based on previous technologies. Let me quote Gregory Rawlins (2) on technological innovation:
We [humans] are good at some things and bad at others. Doing long calculations and weaving intricate silk patterns are two things we are bad at. So we invent devices that can do easily what we find hard.
The points he goes on to make are, first, that we needed to invent machines to do these tasks and, second, that the consequences of the invention of calculating and weaving machines were many in number and were felt far beyond their original purposes. It is the same in the field of communication. New forms of communication arise and flourish when there is a need. A need makes itself known and innovation is the result. We still carve words on stone for certain purposes but stones have not proven to be the most portable medium; we still write words by hand on paper and vellum but handwriting has not proven to be the speediest method of creating many copies of the same text; we still go to concert halls to listen to music but rely on sound recordings to listen to music at home at a time that is convenient to us. We do all these things and we revel in the speed of electronic communication for short texts while using books for the sustained reading that literature and recorded knowledge demand.
It is not generally acknowledged that those who push the "all-digital future" are, in fact, preaching a narrowing of choice. In their conception of the future, electronic technology is a Procrustean bed into which all human communication has to be fitted, irrespective of its suitability for being so transformed or the desires and needs of the users of that form of communication. It might come as a surprise to the laptop toters who infest airplanes these days that one can do an awful lot with a yellow pad and a pencil. (Perhaps it would be no great surprise since many of them seem to resort to electronic Solitaire early into the flight!) The essential point that I seek to make is that the history of human communication has been one of flowering and enrichment, one that welcomes electronic technology for its enhancement of communication and will welcome future methods of communicating yet undreamed of. The alternative path which the technology-obsessed wish us to take is both narrowing and constraining, one that restricts choice and seeks to supplant existing forms without regard to either practicality or economics.
We also need the library as a place because we are human beings. Religious people may, and do, pray in private but most feel the need to assemble in churches, temples, synagogues, mosques, and other places dedicated to the idea of religion. Why do they do that? Certainly it is to get the assistance and mediation of people--priests, imams, rabbis, bonzes--more learned in their religion than they. Equally surely, it is because of the human need to gather with other humans and, in so doing, to sanctify that place of assembly so that even, say, a revival tent becomes a sacred place. Personally, I do not think it is too far-fetched to suggest that there is a parallel with libraries. They are places that embody learning, culture, and other important secular values and manifestations of the common good and that there is a human need to visit such places. People go to them for the assistance to be obtained from other people--librarians in this case--who are more knowledgeable than they about recorded knowledge and information. Also, just as individuals go to religious buildings to pray alone sometimes, individuals go to libraries sometimes to pursue their interests without assistance from librarians. Analogies are treacherous things, more often misleading than illuminating, but I think it is worth at least a passing thought that TV evangelism and religious sites on the Net have not led to calls to replace religious buildings with "virtual houses of worship." Come to that, shopping by catalogue, on TV, and on the Net have not led to calls for "virtual shopping malls." There is a human need for human contact and appropriate buildings in which to foregather, and the proponents of "virtual libraries" ignore that need at their peril.
What is the alternative to the bleak vision of the virtual library advocates? I believe the answer lies in exactly the opposite direction--in expanding the roles of the library as place, not in abolishing that public place. Robert McNulty (3) says
A library can be 'the great good place in the city'--a literacy, Internet, and film center, a place for lectures, concerts, and exhibitions ... A library can also host coffee houses and restaurants, serve as an information center for visiting tourists, be a safe place for kids and a meeting spot for civic groups.
(Pierce points out that Andrew Carnegie built a boxing gymnasium into one of his Pittsburgh libraries and a swimming pool into another, so the idea of the expansive library as place is hardly new.) A friend who runs a small public library in Iowa gave me the following list of activities in, and functions of, her library (4):
window displays, changing 2-dimensional art work, adult literacy tutoring, tutoring of school-age children, word processing and printing, photocopying, meeting rooms used for just about any non-profit group, staff fax for patrons (for a fee) ... our outdoor sculpture that children climb on ... live music occasionally, bulletin boards and brochure holders for library and non-library information ... place to be out of the elements ... a place to escape from unpleasant surroundings (a safe place) ...
Academic libraries, too, can play that central role in their university and college communities and should look beyond their traditional roles and services to enhance those roles and services. In many cases, and certainly in the case of the CSU, a "virtual library" would be a cruel imposition on many of our students. Those who get all swivel-eyed about the prospects for the Net and the all-digital future seem to forget that many, many people live and work in circumstances that do not offer them a quiet place to study and think. For many such students, the library is the only place that they have that is free from the distractions of everyday life. To the affluent and the comfortable, quiet space is as available as air and the concept of a home workstation connected to the world's "information" must seem affordable and attractive. To the poor and the struggling, such a set-up would be unattainable and replacing real libraries and real library service with electronics is yet another fantasy, another cruel hoax. It seems to me that we need more walls, not fewer; more library buildings with more to offer, and not phantom libraries catering to alienated and isolated individuals bereft of human warmth and a human context.
Unchanging values
I would like to talk now about each of the values I mentioned earlier and
to relate them to real libraries in a time of technological change. My desire
is not to beat back that change or to advocate electronic sabotage, but
to assess the impact of technology in terms of inclusion and incorporation
in real libraries and real library service.
Stewardship. Librarians have a unique role in preserving and transmitting the records of humankind on behalf of future generations. I do not use the word "unique" lightly. Many of our values and missions are shared with other groups and interests, but we alone are dedicated to the preservation of recorded knowledge and information. Publishers, booksellers, teachers, researchers, museum keepers are among the people who benefit directly from the fact that the records of the past are available to them, but only librarians are engaged in the wholesale preservation of those records. If a substantial amount of the world's recorded knowledge and information were to be available in, and only in, digital form, we would be facing a crisis in the preservation of the human record that will dwarf anything that we have seen hitherto. It is imperative that librarians work together to produce a grand plan for future stewardship that contains practical and cost-effective means of ensuring that future generations know what we know.
Service. Librarianship is a profession defined by service. We serve both individuals and humanity as a whole in what we do. Every aspect of librarianship, every action that we take as librarians can and should be measured in terms of service. Webster's Third contains 20 main definitions of the word "service"--most with a number of sub-definitions. It is important to get away from the negative aspects and definitions of the word (it is unfortunate, in this respect, that "service" has cognates with associations such as "servile" and "servant"). The two Webster's definitions that express my interpretation of service best are "Professional or other useful ministrations" and "Effort inspired by philanthropic motives or dedicated to human welfare or betterment." Those few words sum up the goal of our profession. Our service can be as large as a successful integration of library instruction with the undergraduate curriculum or as small as a single brief act of helpfulness to a catalogue user--but it can and should pervade our professional lives so that it becomes the yardstick by which we measure all our plans and projects and the means by which we assess success or failure of all our programs.
Intellectual freedom. Librarians believe in intellectual freedom because it is as natural to us, and as necessary to us, as the air that we breathe. Censorship is anathema to us because it inhibits our role in life--to make the recorded knowledge and information of humankind freely available to everyone, regardless of faith or the lack of it, ethnicity, gender, age, or any other of the categories that divide us one from the other. I strongly believe we should be absolutists when it comes to intellectual freedom and carry out our tasks without reference to our own opinions or the opinions of those who want to restrict free access to knowledge. I should acknowledge here that we academic librarians are comparatively better off than our fellow librarians in other areas. After all, we work in institutions that are overwhelmingly dedicated to the idea of academic freedom; we tend to work for people who share that ethic; and we are usually not professionally isolated. Compare that context to the lonely battles that are fought by librarians in small, rural public libraries and by solitary school librarians battling obscurantist school boards. If you look at the lists of challenged and banned books that are issued each year, you will see that those are the people in the front lines. All the more reason to support ALA's Office of Intellectual Freedom and the Freedom to Read Foundation in the great work they do on our behalf to protect this most important professional value.
Rationalism. There seems to be a great tide of fundamentalism, superstition, and plain craziness in the world today. From faith healers to militants of all stripes, the world is full of people who are convinced that they know the One True Way and are aggressively intolerant of those who do not share or, worse, laugh at, their irrationalism. It seems to me that libraries are, above all, children of the Enlightenment and of rationalism. We stand, above all, for the notion that human beings are improved by the acquisition of knowledge and information and that no bar should be placed in their way. We stand for the individual human being pursuing whatever avenues of enquiry she or he wishes. We also stand for rationalism as the basis for all of our policies and procedures in libraries. Bibliographic control, collection development, reference work, library instruction, etc., are all based on rational approaches and the scientific method. Librarianship is a supremely rational profession and should resist the forces of irrationalism both external and internal.
Commitment to literacy and learning. Literacy is not a simple question of being able to read or being unable to read. Nor is it a question that is of marginal importance to academic librarians. (I am not speaking here of the reading abilities or willingness to read of the average high school graduate--though that is a separate matter of concern.) Literacy is a process by which, once able to read, an individual becomes more and more literate throughout life; more and more able to interact with complex texts and, thereby, to acquire knowledge and understanding. It is a key element in the enterprise--learning--to which academic libraries are dedicated. Instead of seeing the world as divided between the illiterate, a-literate, and literate, we should see literacy as an open-ended range of possibilities in which librarians, educators,, and students work together to learn and become more learned using sustained reading of texts as a central part of the life of the mind. In this respect, the distinctions between kinds of librarian become unimportant--a children's librarian or school librarian is as important to the early stages of literacy and learning as a public librarian or academic librarian is to the later stages. We are all involved in the same process--providing the materials, instruction, and assistance that enable individuals and societies to grow and to thrive intellectually.
Unfettered access to recorded knowledge and information. I have already spoken about the importance of intellectual freedom to libraries. Linked to that is the question of access to library materials and library services. It is important to make everything accessible to everybody without fear or favor, but it is equally important to ensure that such access is practically possible and not biased in favor of the better-off or the more powerful. Such unfettered access is brought into question by some aspects of technology. We are seeing a burgeoning scandal in the dissemination of government documents. It is documented that the information and recorded knowledge generated by the government is not as available to all citizens as it is to some business interests and the excellent system of depository libraries is under challenge from some elements of the present Congress in their zeal to proceed to electronic dissemination of government documents. (We should never tire of pointing out that we, as taxpayers, have already paid for this information and knowledge and are entitled to free, timely access to it.) More generally, the idea of charging for access to library materials and library services is much more popular today than it was before and the whole "virtual library" idea is, essentially, an elitist construct that writes off sections of society as doomed to be "information poor." I am not saying that libraries that use technology intensively as an enhancement to their services are inevitably going to betray the value of unfettered access, but I am saying that there are some inherent contradictions in society and in our use of technology that should make us very sensitive to maintaining libraries that are freely available to all--irrespective of social standing and economic circumstances. The ideal library of the future will be one in which access to all materials and services (including electronic materials and services) will be freely available, without barriers imposed by lack of money or lack of technological sophistication. This value is especially important to those academic libraries like the CSU libraries that serve a population containing a majority of economically disadvantaged students.
Democracy. Theodore Parker (5) called democracy "The American idea." It is an idea that depends on knowledge and education. It is a sad irony that as American democracy has reached its theoretical ideal--the enfranchisement of all adults, irrespective of gender and race--it is in danger because of an increasingly ill- informed, easily manipulated, and apathetic electorate. The rights for which, at different times, the revolutionaries, women, and ethnic minorities fought are being vitiated by a culture of sound-bites, political ignorance, and unreasoning dislike of government. Libraries are part of the solution to this modern ill. As an integral part of the educational process and as a repository of the records of humankind, the library stands for the means to achieve a better democracy. The best antidote to being conned by TV is a well-reasoned book, article, or other text. All our other values and ideas are democratic values and ideas--intellectual freedom, the common good, service to all, the transmission of the human record to future generations, free access to knowledge and information, non-discrimination, etc. A librarian who is not a (small d) democrat is an almost unthinkable idea. Libraries have grown and flourished in the soil of democracy and our fate is inextricably intertwined with the fate of democracy.
Not only is democracy the environment we need to succeed, but we should also commit ourselves to democracy within the library. I am as heartily sick as the next person of the annual management fad to which universities seem to be fleetingly addicted. What is striking about all the alphabet soup of management fads (MBO, TQM, etc.), apart from their barbarous management-speak and their essential similarity each to the other, is the fact that they all embody values and ideas that have been commonplace in many libraries for decades. It is always galling when it dawns on one that the jargon of this year's management fad may be different but, essentially, it is preaching the same old cooperation, tolerance, participation, mutual respect, encouragement of innovation and diversity, etc. They always add up to what a former colleague of mine called "applied feminism," and are manifestations of the democratic nature of well run libraries.
Envoi
Change is all about us, in libraries and in the wider world. We are dealing
with new ways of doing things, with the incorporation or invasion of technology
into all aspects of libraries and their services, and with the psychological
dislocation that such pervasive change brings to all of us. But change is
just concerned with processes; it is a serial event not the heart of what
we are. All the more reason then, if we are to survive and thrive in such
a time, to distinguish between the process of change on the one hand and
the meaning and values of what we do on the other. We will have new libraries
and many of our programs and services will be new and different from what
we have known, but our mission remains the same and the values that inform
that mission remain the same. It is, it seems to me, a time, above all,
for clear-headed appraisal and for the ability to distinguish between new
methods and enduring principles. Thank you.
IDAHO
There is a new librarian in Caldwell, Idaho--Sandy Jenkins. [per
Linda Milgrom]
OREGON
Marylou Belknap-Jones has resigned her position at the Oriental College
of Medicine in Portland, OR. [per Dana Graves]
Dolores Judkins - As of January, I am now working full time at OHSU. I will be working 75% with the Women's Health Center (currently a virtual center) setting up a resource center and a web page. The other 25% of my time will continue to be in the Reference Dept. I am looking forward to working on this new project at OHSU, as it gives me some new avenues to explore in the library world. I will continue working at Eastmoreland a few evening hours a week either until someone else is hired or through February, whichever comes first.
WASHINGTON STATE
Marilyn Jardine, Librarian at Providence Yakima Medical Center
for many years, died on September 25 of 1997 of cancer. Marilyn was a member
of PNC/MLA, the Medical Library Association and of WMLA. She was President
of WMLA in 1991. The April 1988 WMLA newsletter reported that she moved
to St. Elizabeth Medical Center in Yakima from Portland. [submitted by Maryanne
Blake]
Pia Fish - Hello all--I realized recently (upon having several
unexpected library-related communications) that many of you might not know
of my changed situation. For those of you who know me, this is possibly
of interest; the rest of you can hit that old delete key right away.
Two weeks ago I completed a Masters of Public Health degree (MPH) at the
University of Washington, something I had been working toward for more than
3 years. My interest in this area stemmed from my work at Fred Hutchinson,
where I was the librarian for the Public Health Sciences division of the
Center for several years. In that capacity, I worked with epidemiologists,
biostatisticians and other population scientists, and found the science
of health at the population level a fascinating one, which I eventually
decided to pursue myself. I was very fortunate that my director, Eve Ruff,
and other Center library staff supported this interest and helped make it
work out.
The program at the University requires that graduates complete research
and write a thesis. Because I had worked with many scientists at the Center,
I was able to able to find a most interesting topic and was blessed to be
able to work with some highly renowned individuals. My project was a meta-analysis
of 12 studies to examine how body size affects breast cancer risk among
postmenopausal women using hormone replacement therapy, compared to non-users;
hopefully, it will be accepted for publication sometime next year.
Two of the scientists whose data I used and who I worked with invited me
early in the summer to come work on a new grant of theirs, and I accepted
this position, which is also at the Hutch. So as of Labor Day, which is
when I began the new job, I have not been a librarian, but a (very junior)
epidemiologist.
One of the great pleasures I have as a scientist is to get to go to the
library as a user! Having now been on both sides of "doing" research,
I can make really effective use of the services the library provides and
really appreciate how much easier my new endeavors are with the support
of a good library. So, even though I've left libraries as a librarian, I
will never leave off using libraries, and for that I thank you all for your
efforts.
Finally, I would like to say thank you to you all for being engaged and
resourceful colleagues over the years. I felt very welcomed when I first
became part of the Seattle-area community of medical librarians, learned
a lot from all of you, and enjoyed the personal connections. I wish you
all much continued resourcefulness and success. [message on Health Library
NW List, 10 Dec 1997]
Jenny Bowers is the new librarian at the Seattle Midwifery School. [per Linda Milgrom]
The Nominating and Elections Committee: Leilani St. Anna (chair), Cliff
Cornish, Linda Milgrom, and Terry Wiggins, found candidates for the ballot.
Thanks to everyone who agreed to run. The new members of the1998 Board are:
| Chair-Elect | Carolyn Olson |
| Recording Secretary | Madelyn Hall |
| Membership Secretary | Barbara Crain |
| Chapter Council Representative | Bob Pringle |
| Chapter Council Alternate | Edean Berglund |
| MLA Nominating Committee | Terry Ann Jankowski |
1. This is the 37th annual meeting of PNC/MLA.
2. Much archival activity this year
-history: working on a history of PNC/MLA as part of MLA's centennial celebrations
-poster: accessing archives for materials for PNC/MLA poster for MLA annual meeting in Philadelphia, 1998
-NorthWest Notes: sent lists of PNC/MLA officers and chairs of committees to Kathy Murray for publication. 1990's and 1980's already published. Will publish 1950-1980 in upcoming issue
-pictures: published plea for pictures to include in archives
3. The inactive records of PNC/MLA are kept at the UW Libraries Manuscripts
and University Archives Division.
4. Any records (especially Program Chair's records from this meeting)
should be sent to Janet Schnall as Archivist of PNC/MLA.
5. Members are welcome to ask me for information that is in the Archives.
This is especially helpful when applying to MLA's Academy of Health Information
Professionals and need verification of holding an office in PNC/MLA.
188 PNC/MLA continuing education survey forms were sent out in December
1997 to the PNC/MLA mailing list; 118 completed forms were returned. Your
Regional Medical Library has been mailing and tallying this survey for PNC/MLA
since 1983.
1. Type of library
34 academic health sciences library
10 academic library
35 large hospital (200+ beds) library
23 medium hospital (75 to 199 beds) library
3 small hospital (1 to 74 beds) library
13 other
This breakdown is similar to previous years.
2. Course Topics. Respondents were asked to put checks next to the five
course topics they would find most useful.
Respondents were also asked to suggest other topics.
76 PubMed
63 Internet search engines--advanced searching techniques (for example,
advanced Alta Vista searching)
57 Web browser plug-ins/helper applications (Adobe Acrobat, Real Audio)
46 Copyright and electronic journal licensing
44 Sources of statistical information in the health sciences
44 Document delivery options, including contracting with vendors and
electronic publications
44 Searching for clinical, evidence-based medicine information
37 Providing health information to consumers and patients
31 Communicating/partnering with systems administrators
31 Advanced Web site management and establishing an Internet node (perl
and
shell scripting, VRML, etc.)
22 Public health resources
22 Setting up a home page, including HTML and home page design
20 Windows NT networking
3. How long have you been in the profession of health librarianship? Respondents were asked to check one.
11 less than 2 years
12 3-5 years
25 6-10 years
24 10-15 years
41 over 15 years
This was a new question for the survey; the response is fascinating.
4. Fees. Respondewerents asked to check the maximum fee they would pay for
a course of high interest.
1 $25
26 $50
75 $100
13 $200
This is quite a bit higher than last year.
5. Credit. Respondents were asked to check whether MLA credit for a CE course
is an important factor for them.
51 yes
67 no
The Internal Revenue Service has approved MLA's request for group tax
exemption. This means that our Chapter is now classified as a 501(c)(3)
organization, and is exempt from most Federal income taxes. This is the
most favorable designation available.
Members may wonder what the advantages and/or disadvantages are that come
with this new designation. While there are both, the Chapter Board feels
that the benefits outweigh the disadvantages.
The benefits are:
1) Anyone donating funds to the Chapter receives a Federal tax deduction
for those contributions. Contributions
may be made in the form of cash, property, unreimbursed travel expenses,
including transportation, meals and lodging, while performing required services
for the Chapter.
2) The Chapter may be eligible for exemption from state sales taxes on purchases
(eligibility varies by state).
3) The Chapter is eligible for lower postal rates.
4) The Chapter is eligible to receive grants and other funding from Federal
and private foundations.
5) The Chapter can qualify for lower prices on purchases made through companies
that offer discounts to tax-
exempt organizations.
The disadvantages, while few and debatable, are:
1) The Chapter must file annually with the IRS. PNC, however, will take
advantage of MLA's group filing process.
2) The Chapter must be operated for charitable, educational, literary or
scientific purposes.
3) The Chapter cannot distribute gains to directors, officers or members.
4) Should the Chapter ever be dissolved while enjoying tax exempt status,
any remaining assets must be
distributed to another tax exempt organization.
5) The Chapter is limited in its political activities designed to influence
legislation, and it cannot participate in
political campaigns for or against candidates for public office.
PNC/MLA members may direct questions to Pam Spickelmier, PNC Treasurer,
by e-mail at: spickelp@slrmc.org Or to Ray Naegele at MLA headquarters:
naegele@mlahq.org
At noon on Friday, October 17, 1997, during the annual meeting of PNC/MLA
in Portland, the members were given a rare treat (besides the lunch). As
a kickoff to our chapters historical celebrations, five of the six life
members of PNC were on a panel moderated by Janet Schnall, Archivist. They
regaled the audience with vignettes and stories of past times. Janet began
with a short description of the first meeting of the group in 1953 in Seattle,
attended by 23 librarians. Isabel McDonald, Gerry Oppenheimer, Bill Fraser,
Jane Belt and Melvina Stell each enlightened us as to what really went on
at past meetings, special events that stood out during their careers, and
various issues confronting health sciences librarians during the past years.
On the lighter side, we learned that the banquet dinner in Spokane in 1963
cost $4.00, including tax and gratuities, and rooms ranged from $7-$11.
The session was taped for the Archives. A copy of the tape will be available
for loan shortly through NN/LM PNRs lending library. Check "Materials Available
for Lending".
Picture caption: PNC Life Members at Centennial Luncheon, Benson Hotel,
Portland, October 17, 1997 Gerry
Oppenheimer, Isabel McDonald, Bill Fraser, Melvina Stell, Jane Belt (Life
Member missing from photo: Jeri van den Top).
The Molecular Biology and Genomics Special Interest Group and the Medical
Informatics Section invite you to attend a symposium on "The Impact
of Genomics on 21st Century Medicine" at the MLA conference in Philadelphia
on Saturday, May 23, 1998, 8 am- 5 pm (8 MLA contact hours).
The symposium synopsis for the MLA '98 preliminary program is below (as
it was originally submitted - it might be edited for the actual preliminary
program). Although it does not yet contain the official title of each talk,
it describes the nature of each talk and the affiliation of each speaker.
Our colleagues in SLA, AMIA, and other organizations are welcome to attend
as well, so if you know of others who might be interested, please pass this
info on.
Hope to see you there!
Renata McCarthy
Symposium Chair
Stu Yarfitz
Suzy Holt
Symposium Co-Chairs
Planning team: Pamela Corley, Ellen Dewkett, Betsy Larson, Roberta Oppenheim,
David Owen, and consultant Valerie Florance (special consultant, and patient
like a saint -- Kathleen Gaydos!)
Saturday, May 23, 1998
8:00 AM - 5:00 PM
8 MLA contact hours
$275.00 MLA members ($325.00 non-members) includes lunch
The current explosion of genetic information is profoundly affecting all
medical disciplines, including medical
librarianship.
Genome projects are rapidly generating an array of new information resources
including sequence, structure, and mapping databases. In clinical settings,
there is an increasing need for access to resources designed to facilitate
the diagnosis and management of patients with genetic disorders, and for
access to consumer information resources and genetic support groups.
As a bridge from MLA's 100th annual meeting into the next century of medicine
and medical information, this full day symposium is designed to improve
the basic understanding of genomic information resources and to promote
the appropriate access to and application of these resources at local institutions.
Sponsored by the Molecular Biology and Genomics Special Interest Group and
the Medical Informatics Section, the symposium will feature presentations
by six leaders in the fields of genome research, bioinformatics, clinical
medicine, and bioethics:
| Mary-Claire King, Ph.D. | Professor, Department of Medicine, Division of Medical Genetics, and Department of Genetics (joint), University of Washington |
| Ken Katz, Ph.D. | Staff Scientist and Cancer Genome Anatomy Project Coordinator at the National Center for Biotechnology Information, NLM, NIH |
| Roberta Pagon, M.D. | Medical Director of the Helix Project and Editor-in-Chief of "Genline"
Department of Pediatrics, University of Washington |
| Glenn McGee, Ph.D. | Senior Faculty in the Center for Bioethics, University of Pennsylvania and author of "The Perfect Baby: A Pragmatic Approach to Genetics" |
| Ann C.M. Smith, M.A., CGC, DSC | Unit Head, Translational Research and Laboratory Support Unit Medical Genetics Branch, National Human Genome Research Institute, NIH |
| John Opitz, M.D. | Editor-in-Chief of the "American Journal of Medical Genetics"
Primary Children's Medical Center, Salt Lake City, Utah |
8:00-8:15 Welcome and introduction
8:15-9:10 Dr. Mary-Claire King (pending)
Professor, Medicine, Division of Medical Genetics, University of Washington
Topic: research on breast cancer gene
9:10-10:00 Dr. Ken Katz
Senior Staff Fellow, National Cancer Institute, NIH
Topic: nature of information being generated by the molecular biology research,
how that information is
being used in making biological discoveries, and the role of librarians
in facilitating access to the data
10:00-10:30 Coffee break
10:30-11:20 Dr. Roberta A. Pagon
Medical Director, Department of Pediatrics, University of Washington
Topic: types, organization, and use of genetic information relevant to clinical
settings
11:20-1:00 Lunch - discussion moderated by Dr. Glenn McGee
Senior Faculty in the Center for Bioethics at the University of Pennsylvania
and author of The Perfect Baby:
A Pragmatic Approach to Genetics
1:10-2:00 Ms. Ann C.M. Smith, MA, CGC, DSC
Unit Head, Translational Research and Laboratory Support Unit Medical Genetics
Branch, National Human
Genome Research Institute, NIH
Topic: concerns of families dealing with highly technical information to
make critical health care decisions
2:00-2:50 Dr. John Opitz
Editor-in-Chief of the American Journal of Medical Genetics
Topic: impact that the new genomic information is having on society as a
whole.
2:50-3:20 Coffee break
3:20-4:40 Panel Discussion led by Dr. Stuart Yarfitz (80 minutes)
Topic: nature of molecular biology and genetic information services provided
by librarians
4:40-5:00 Evaluation and wrap-up
Posted by: Pamela M. Corley, pcorley@hsc.usc.edu, Planning Team
The MLA '98 Preliminary Program listed the incorrect description for Licensing
Electronic Resources. The correct information appears below and on MLANET.
For more information about educational opportunities at MLA '98 or to register,
visit our Web site.
400 - Licensing Electronic Resources
$225 ($275)
With each new electronic resource comes a unique licensing agreement. Knowledge
of copyright is no longer adequate. This course is a primer on the nature
of the contract process, negotiations, the intent and content of the digital
license, its relationship to copyright law, and service delivery implications.
Laurie L. Thompson, AHIP, Director, Health Sciences Center, Health Sciences
Library, The State University of New York (SUNY), Syracuse, NY; and Harry
Youtt, J.D., Writer, Attorney, Instructor, University of California, Los
Angeles
I have an earache:
2000 B.C. - - Here, eat this root.
1000 A.D. - - That root is heathen. Here, say this prayer.
1850 A.D. - - That prayer is superstition. Here, drink this potion.
1940 A.D. - - That potion is snake oil. Here, swallow this pill.
1985 A.D. - - That pill is ineffective. Here, take this antibiotic.
2000 A.D. - - That antibiotic is artificial. Here, eat this root.
[Wed, 25 Feb 1998 From: Liz.Runciman@flinders.edu.au
To: Medical Libraries Discussion List <MEDLIB-L@LISTSERV.ACSU.BUFFALO.EDU]
The Medical Library Center of New York (MLCNY) publishes an online database, UCMP ONline, containing medical and health related journal holdings information that is updated every day. This database contains the holdings of over 730 libraries from major research collections to rural hospital libraries in the Northeast (Regions 1 and 8). The system includes almost 80,000 titles, 350.000 serial holdings records and over 50,800 SERLINE UIs. Many of the libraries report holdings at an issue specific level. In addition, this system is connected to DOCLINE via QuickDOC so that after finding libraries that have the exact issue you need, you can place an ILL order.
UCMP ONline has a number of other benefits such as:
The publisher and creator of the system, The Medical Library Center of
New York (MLCNY), is also a repository library with more than 375,000 medical
and health related older journals that are available for document delivery
on the day that they are requested via DOCLINE.
Any library can become a participant in this database and update their serial
holdings online or order copies of articles from MLCNY for the older literature.
To learn more UCMP ONline or the document delivery service, send us your
name, mailing address, fax and phone numbers and information about this
new online resource will be on its way to you.
Lois Weinstein, MLS, AHIP
Executive Director
The Medical Library Center of New York
Phone: (212) 427-1630 Fax: (212) 860-3496
email: mlcny@metgate.metro.org
Discussion is occuring at the federal level regarding the postal rate for
libraries. A recent bulletin from the ALA
Washington office provided background on the issue. According to ALA, in
testimony filed on December 30, 1997, the Postal Rate Commission's Office
of the Comsumer Advocate asked the Commission to reject the massive increases
proposed by the U.S. Postal Service for the Library Rate in the current
postal rate case. This is an issue that should be of interest to all types
of libraries. For more background
and information.
There are several articles discussing free Medline systems which I have
been collecting. Here are the citations:
The most recent one I came across is:
Wilson, Joan W. "Focus on PubMed" Online Nov/Dec 1997 p. 60-61
It turns out this is available on their website.
On the website there is also an article called:
"Do digital libraries need librarians? an experiential dialog"
as well as a review of HotBot (full text available)
Loven, Bridget and Barbara Lynn Eades "Free Web Medline Services Review"
MLA News (I don't have the month, but it is sometime in 1997) pages are
7-11
This reviews PubMed, Internet Grateful Med, HealthGate, Avicenna, BioMedNet,
Medscape and PhyNet
If anyone has other reviews to add to this list, I will summarize. I will
send out copies of the articles, if people request them, but preferably
please check the Web first for access to the Online article.
Mary Conchelos, Librarian 705-743-4251 x368
St. Joseph's Health Centre fax 705-740-8361
384 Rogers St.
Peterborough, ON K9H 7B6
mconchel@sjhhc.org
I've just found this reference,
seem to be really a good and complete evaluation of free medline.
Marc-Andre Jobin
Pfizer Canada Medical Library
The Program Committee for the 1998 PNC/MLA Annual Meeting invites you all to the lovely city of Boise for this years conference. The theme "Partnering for Better Health" addresses the many partnerships we librarians form in the course of our work.
Scheduled events will highlight our partnerships with consumers and patients, vendors, and even ourselves. Albert Bandura, Ph.D., the David Starr Jordan Professor of Social Science in Psychology at Stanford University and past president of the American Psychological Association is our keynote speaker. Dr. Bandura will speak on Self Efficacy in Health Promotion. Other events include a talk by Pam Weinberg, Director, Healthwise Communities Project, a panel of speakers made up of consumer health librarians from major Pacific Northwest health sciences libraries, a vendor contracts session and a PubMed session.
Continuing Education courses will be held on Tuesday,
October 27 followed by our traditional Welcome Reception.
Our meeting will be held in the beautiful, new Grove Hotel in the heart
of downtown Boise. We are planning to include some fun activities too. Please
do join your colleagues this October in Boise.
The PNC Board has tentatively set the 1999 meeting for Tacoma during the week of October 17th.
PHILADELPHIA: COUNCIL SHARING ROUNDTABLES
submitted by Karen Zundel
This year's Chapter Council Sharing Roundtables will be held from noon
until 2 pm on Sunday, May 24, 1998 in
Philadelphia. If you are not familiar with this annual event, the Roundtables
Event is a time for Chapter members to meet informally and share experiences
and expertise on a variety of topics. Chapter officers, committee members
and newsletter editors are especially encouraged to attend but all MLA members
are invited. Persons interested in attending must register in advance on
the MLA Annual Conference Registration Form. Please see the Preliminary
Program for details. See the October 1997 MLA News for highlights from the
1997 Roundtables.
For more information please contact Karen Zundel, McKeesport Hospital, McKeesport, PA,; 412-664-2363 (phone); 412-664-2581 (fax); mckmedlib@hslc.org (e-mail).
To join the Pacific Northwest Chapter, send dues to:
Pam Spickelmier Dues: $15.00
U.S. or $18.00 Canadian
PNC/MLA Treasurer
3766 S. Rush Creek Place
Boise, ID 83712
MAKE CHECK PAYABLE TO: PNC/MLA
Your Name:____________________________________
Address: _____________________________________
_____________________________________________
_____________________________________________
(You may use home or
work address)
Email: _____________________________
Circle one: Renewal New Member
The Election Judges counted ballots on Monday January 12, 1998 at MLA Headquarters.
Following is the outcome of the election:
President-elect:
Frieda Weise (ELECTED)
Kathy Hoffman
Board:
Suzanne Grefsheim (ELECTED)
Roger Guard
Scott Plutchak
Roz Dudden (ELECTED)
Nominating Committee:
Janet Fisher (ELECTED)
Jacqueline Picciano (ELECTED)
Nancy Hewison
Christine Bell (ELECTED)
Logan Ludwig (ELECTED)
Debra Ketchell
Diane Cunnungham
Gretchen Stephens
Rick Forsman (ELECTED)
Ann McKibbon
Sherrilynne Fuller (ELECTED)
Connie Schardt (ELECTED)
Billie Broaddus
Karen Zundel
Kathryn Nesbit
Betsy Humphreys (ELECTED)
Mary Horres (ELECTED)
Ralph Arcari
M. J. Tooey will also begin serving a three year term on the Board of Directors
as Chapter Council Liaison following the 1998 Annual Meeting. On behalf
of the Board of Directors, I want to thank all candidates for running for
election.
Carla J. Funk
Medical Library Association
funk@mlahq.org
Committee Chairs
Chair Marcia Horner
Chair-Elect Maryanne
Blake
Past-Chair Leilani
St. Anna
Recording Secretary Janice
Bacino
Membership Secretary Natalie
Norcross
Treasurer Pamela Spickelmier
Chapter Council Representative Nancy
Press
Chapter Council Alternate Bonnie
Chadbourne
Committee Chairs
Archives Janet
Schnall
Automation Technology open
Bylaws Jan Schueller
Education Carolyn Olson
Governmental Relations Kathy
Martin
Nominating Elections Leilani
St. Anna
Program - Portland '97 Caroline
Mann
Publications / Newsletter Kathy
Murray
Liaison to MLA/AHIP Kim
Granath
Scott Garrison Selected as New MLANET Editor
February 1998
The Medical Library Association (MLA) is pleased to announce the appointment
of Scott Garrison, Systems Librarian, Medical Center Library, Duke University
Medical Center, Durham, NC, as the new MLANET editor.
A search committee chosen by MLA President Rachael K. Anderson, selected
Mr. Garrison for his active involvement in MLA and his considerable technological
skills and Internet capabilities. He has contributed to the MLA annual meeting
Web pages for the past three years and served as National Program Committee
Web Site Task Force Co-Chair for MLA '96 and MLA '97. He has also taught
Web-related courses at the Mid-Atlantic Chapter meetings and has presented
several Web-related posters at MLA meetings.
As MLANET Editor, Mr. Garrison will work with the staff and MLA chapters
and sections to develop the editorial content of the Web site in accordance
with MLA's mission and policies. He will also be responsible for facilitating
member involvement in the association's Web site.
"I see the potential for MLANET to serve as a central point of access
to information from many separate sources, like meeting programs and events,
the Bulletin, the News, and more. I also plan to promote MLANET not just
as a service to the membership, but also as a vital resource to which members
should contribute," he said.
Mr. Garrison's duties as editor will also include evaluating, editing and
organizing copy submitted for MLANET; ensuring that MLANET editorial polices
are consistent with the priorities and direction of MLA's communication
program; and coordinating the work of associate editors while providing
them with guidance and support.
During his three-year appointment as MLANET editor, Mr. Garrison hopes to
make even more progressive changes to the newly re-designed Web site. "As
MLANET editor, I look forward to providing more Internet-based services
such as allowing members to update their own directory entries online, vote
in MLA elections online, and possibly create MLA annual meeting plans using
online scheduling and messaging tools," he stated.
In addition to his other duties, Mr. Garrison serves as Web Manager for
the Duke University Medical Center and co-Web manager for the university's
Medical Center Library Web site.
MLA Web Site Redesigned with User in Mind
February 1998
The Medical Library Association (MLA) is starting the new year off by launching
the highly anticipated re-design of MLANET,the
association's online presence.
While the information already available on the Web site remains, the navigation
system and overall structure has
completely changed. Major topic areas important to medical librarians such
as continuing education, jobs, and MLA
publicationsare clearly identified and highlighted.
New features of the site include:
¨ a search engine feature on every page allowing users to type in a
word or phrase and locate every Web page on MLANET that contains that word(s).
The number of times the word appears is also provided;
¨ a comprehensive pop-up index that follows users wherever they travel
while visiting MLANET. The index provides immediate links to all the primary
pages in the site including the Centennial Celebration page and the new
press room;
¨ interfacing and graphics that produce less glare on a monitor making
it easier on the eyes for people who routinely read a lot of data online.
Working with MLANET Editor Scott Garrison, the MLA staff will continue to
improve the Web site. Currently in the works is a "Contact Us"
button that will allow users to provide feedback to headquarters regarding
any topic, from voicing opinions about the Web site to asking questions
about their membership and more.
Also coming soon is an MLA store that will allow members and others to securely
purchase items such as DocKits and library standards online.
With its exciting new features and design, MLANET continues to be the best
online professional resource for medical librarians.
New Leaders to Serve on MLA National Board of Directors
January 1998
Members of the Medical Library Association (MLA) have elected Frieda O.
Weise, AHIP, as president-elect for the 1998/99 centennial year. Rosalind
Farnam Dudden and Suzanne Grefsheim were both elected to serve three-year
terms on the MLA Board of Directors. During MLA '97 in Seattle, WA, last
spring, MLA's Chapter Council elected Mary Joan (M.J.) Tooey as their new
Chapter Council Chair.
Ms. Weise, Director, Health Sciences Library, University of Maryland, Baltimore,
will begin her one-year presidency in May 1999. She has served as an active
participant on several MLA committees, presiding as the chair of the 1998
National Program Committee and of the Public Services Section. Ms. Weise
has also served two previous terms on the MLA board (including a term as
treasurer) and as the MLA representative to the Friends of the National
Library of Medicine.
As president, Ms. Weise believes that the success of MLA and of the profession
can only be obtained through a collective effort. "I believe the president
must listen to members' concerns, take guidance from the board, and enable
headquarters staff to help us reach our goals. Henry Ford is credited with
saying that coming together is a beginning; keeping together is progress;
working together is success. I agree," she stated.
Suzanne Grefsheim, Director, National Institutes of Health Library, Bethesda,
MD, strongly believes survival, and more importantly, advancement in the
changing health care environment is the one universal issue facing medical
librarians. Ms. Grefsheim has served as chair of numerous MLA committees
and sections including the Continuing Education Committee, the Medical School
Libraries Section, the Technical Services Section, and the MLA Strategic
Planning Task Force.
Creativity and a personal gift for making connections and generating ideas
is what Rosalind Farnam Dudden looks forward to bringing to MLA in the association's
next century. A recipient of several MLA awards and honors including the
1995 Frank Bradway Rogers Information Advancement Award, she has served
as chair of the Hospital Libraries Section and as liaison to the MLANET
Task Force. Ms. Dudden is the Health Sciences Librarian at the National
Jewish Medical and Research Center, Gerald Tucker Memorial Medical Library,
Denver, CO.
Mary Joan (M. J.) Tooey, AHIP, Associate Director for External Services
and Development, Health Sciences Library, University of Maryland at Baltimore,
is one of MLA's most active members. Last year's recipient of the Estelle
Brodman Award for Academic Medical Librarian of the Year, Ms. Tooey served
on the 1993 National Program Committee and has served as chair of MLA's
Mid-Atlantic Chapter.
MLA to Launch Centennial Celebration at MLA '98
January 1998
The Medical Library Association (MLA) prepares for its largest annual meeting
everMLA '98the kickoff for its year-long Centennial Celebration. The meeting
will be held May 2329, 1998, in Philadelphia, PA, America's birthplace and
the site of the association's first annual meeting in May 1898.
The meeting's theme, "Visions of the Future, Reflections on the Past,"
captures the essence of the meeting. Medical librarians from all over the
world will have the opportunity to take a step back in time while looking
ahead to the future of the health sciences information profession. Several
events are planned including the sealing of the Centennial Time Capsule,
and a Centennial Kick Off Party opened by the popular string band and Philadelphia
tradition, the Mummers.
"The Centennial meeting will be an opportunity to call attention to
librarians who provide access to the quality information that both patients
and physicians use to make better health care decisions," stated MLA
President, Rachael K. Anderson.
As in previous years, the Hall of Exhibits will be a major attraction. A
wide range of exhibits will give medical librarians a chance to learn about
state-of-the-art health information management products and services offered
by more than 100 vendors.
Also in the Hall of Exhibits this year, the National Program Committee has
scheduled two poster sessions designed to celebrate the future and the rich
history of MLA and the health sciences information profession. Each session
features both print and Web-based presentations. The "Visions"
session will be presented by nearly sixty medical librarians and will include
demonstrations of their solutions to current library and professional issues.
Historical themes will be the focus of the "Reflections" poster
session as approximately forty colleagues tell the stories of MLA regional
chapters and specialty sections.
MLA continues to be committed to the professional development of its members
by helping to prepare them for growth and changes in the industry brought
on by technological advances. Several new courses at the meeting focus on
the ever-changing environments of health and information science. Just four
of the new courses include Licensing Electronic Resources; PubMed and IGM:
Searching NLM Databases via the Web; Librarian Marketing Know How: Gaining
Respect and Increasing Value; and Developing Web-based Instruction.
"MLA '98 will offer a diverse array of learning opportunities along
with a healthy dose of fun. It will be a time for renewal and remembrance,
as well as a time for sharing and celebrating the achievements of our profession,"
promised Frieda O. Weise, chair of MLA, 1998 National Program Committee.
To keep abreast of MLA '98 and MLA Centennial Celebration news and events,
visit the MLA Web site MLANET. To receive
a copy of the MLA '98 Preliminary Program, contact MLA headquarters at 312/419-9094
or info@mlahq.org.
FRIEDA O. WEISE to Serve as MLA President for Year 1999/2000
January 1998
Members of the Medical Library Association (MLA) have chosen Frieda O. Weise,
AHIP, to lead the association into the next millennium. Ms. Weise, director,
Health Sciences Library, University of MarylandBaltimore, will serve as
president during the 1999/2000 year. Her term will commence when she joins
the MLA's Board of Directors as President-elect in May 1998.
A widely published author, Ms. Weise has been one of MLA's most involved
members. She has been active in several MLA sections including the Medical
School Libraries Section, the Research Section, and the Public Services
Section for which she served as chair. She is currently chair of the 1998
National Program Committee and has previously served as MLA Board treasurer.
One of Ms. Weise's top priorities as president will be to focus on ways
to advance the skills of MLA members and prepare them for working in the
information age, reflecting her role as a former member of the MLA Continuing
Education Committee. "I will support investing in MLA's professional
development programs so that members can face the challenges ahead with
confidence," she said.
A well-known leader within the health sciences information profession, Ms.
Weise has received several national honors including distinguished membership
in the Academy of Health Science Professionals (AHIP) and the National Library
of Medicine (NLM) Director's Honor Award.
Ms. Weise believes that medical librarians must look ahead and reposition
themselves to insure a major role in the networked information environment.
"I support the efforts of the MLA Task Force on the Role of the Information
Professional in the Twenty-first Century. As president, I will seek to enhance
the image of and promote the value of the health information professional,"
she stated.
MLA Thanks Chapters for New Members
February 1998
With the association's centennial fast approaching, MLA seeks the participation
of as many health sciences librarians as possible to lead us through the
challenges and opportunities of the next century. The Chapter Membership
Incentive Program encourages chapter members to recruit non-MLA members
to participate in the national organization and provides sample materials
for members to use in recruitment efforts.
In January 1998, five MLA Chapters received thank you donations for new
MLA members who joined under MLA's Chapter Membership Incentive Program.
Chapters encouraged eight new members to join under the program between
August 1 and December 31, 1997.
The following are the chapters and donations each received:
Hawaii Pacific, 2 introductory regular members, $50.00
Midwest, 2 introductory regular members, $50.00
New York / New Jersey, 1 student member, $5.00
South Central, 1 student member, $5.00
Upstate New York & Ontario, 2 introductory regular members, $50.00
If you would like to join your fellow chapter members and participate in
the Chapter Membership Incentive Program, please contact your Chapter chair,
an MLA Membership Committee Chapter Representative, or MLA headquarters
(Kate Corcoran, 312/419-9094 x12; corcoran@mlahq.org) to request recruitment
packets.
Not only do chapter members benefit from becoming MLA members, but through
this program, each chapter also benefits. Chapters will continue to receive
a $5 donation for each new student member and $25 for any other new member
recruited. Chapter support for membership recruitment is greatly appreciated!