MACMLA 2019 Annual Report

A Good Friday to All!

Earlier this month, I submitted the MACMLA Annual Activity report to the MLA Board of Directors. These reports become part of the association’s permanent records and archived at the National Library of Medicine. If you’re interested, you can learn more about Annual Reports by visiting the MLA website.

As Chair of MACMLA, I feel that it it is important for members to see the report.

Mid-Atlantic Chapter (MAC) 2019 Annual Report

Executive Summary

• MAC awarded MLA Chapter Project of the Year at MLA 2018 Annual Conference for the work of the Diversity Task Force.
• Completed MAC website redesign and included the new MAC logo
• Established annual conference co-chairs from 2019 – 2022.
• Assigned committee chairs and received 47 volunteers for 42 committee appointments.
• Switched MACMLA’s billing from PayPal to Wild Apricot for payments

Group Strategic Plan

• Establish Committee Co-Chairs for Annual Meetings through 2022 by March 30, 2019.
• Review MAC MLA Policy and Procedures (P&P) to ensure compliance with MLA P&P by August 30, 2019.
• Put to a membership vote changes in the P&P allowing members outside of the region to run for leadership positions by September 30, 2019.
• The Board and Committee Chairs were tasked with outlining goals to accomplish by October 2019. Some goals include:
  • Establish P&P for the MAC Diversity and Inclusion Committee
  • Increase online presence of the MAC Buddy program including online registrations
  • Ensure that all MAC members receive MAC Messages blog posts in its proper format.

MLA Strategic Plan

Goal: Education

Offered two 4 CE courses at the MACMLA Annual Conference: “Questionable Versus Reliable? Navigating the Biomedical Scholarly Publishing Landscape” by Anna Krampl and Carolann Lee Curry and “Scoping Reviews” by Tom Harrod (4 MLA CE). The Professional Development Committee is investigating the viability of continuing education webinars or classes beyond the annual meeting as well.

MAC 2018 Research Awards and Grants

• Research and Assessment Grant – Mary White
• Annual Meeting Posters
  • 1^st prize – Emily Gorman and Catherine Staley, “Mortal or Moodle? In-Person vs. Online Information Literacy Instruction in the Health Sciences”
  • Viewer’s Choice – Everly Brown and Shanell Stephens, “We Want to Hear From You”
• Annual Meeting Papers
  • 1^rd prize – Jamie Conklin, Sarah Wright, Rebecca McCall, Nandita Mani, Elizabeth Moreton, Jennifer Walker, & Mary White, “Minor Splash or Major Surge? Assessing the Impact of an Institutional License to Covidence“
  • 2^nd prize – “Kathleen Phillip, The Boutique Librarian & the Bedside Nurse: A Love Story”
  • Honorable mention – Elizabeth Moreton, “Artificial Intelligence in Systematic Reviews: Unchartered Waters for Librarians”

Goal: Technology

Completed MACMLA website redesign incorporating the new MAC logo. Switched MACMLA’s billing from PayPal to Wild Apricot.

Goal: Communities

Committee appointments were made in December 2018. A total of 47 members volunteered for the 42 committee vacancies. A full list of the current slate of appointments are available on the MAC MLA Website. A message thanking those rotating off their committee appoinments was shared on the MAC MLA blog.

Goal: Diversity and Inclusion

Formally changed the Diversity Task Force to a Diversity and Inclusion Committee. Invited Dr. Leah Cox, Vice President for Inclusion and Institutional Equity at Towson University to present In Plain Sight: The Impact of Implicit Bias on Performance and Decision Making at the MAC Annual Meeting. The committee will draft a P&P for the committee for inclusion in the MAC P&P.

Facts and Data

• 2018 Annual Meeting, Ocean City, Maryland, October 28-30, 2018 the theme of the conference was “Making Waves.”
• Supported the MLA Research Training Institute with a one time donation to support one fellow.
• Winter Board Meeting held on February 1, 2019 in Baltimore, Maryland. Board members and Chapter Chairs were able to attend virtually.
• MAC MLA Treasurer reports a healthy budget [Dollar amount not available on public pages.]
• 2019 Annual Meeting, October 6-8, in North Carolina. The theme of this meeting is “Rising to the Occasion: Resiliency, Flexibility, Creativity.”

People Update

Election Results

• Chair Elect – Kate Flewelling
• Treasurer – Layla Heimlich
• MLA Chapter Council Representative – Jeff Coghill
• Alternate MLA Chapter Councel Representative – PJ Grier
• MAC Nominee to the MLA Nominating Committee – Roger Russell

Leadership Roster

Chapter Officers

• Tony Nguyen, Chair
• Kate Flewelling, Chair-Elect
• Julie Silverman, Immediate Past Chair
• Jamie Conklin, Secretary
• Layla Heimlich, Treasurer
• Jeff Coghill, MLA Chapter Council Representative
• PJ Grier, MLA Chapter Council Representative Alternate
• Roger Russell, MAC Nominee to the MLA Nominating Committee
• Lynn Eades, Archivist

Committee Chairs

• Everly Brown, Communications Chair
• Brenda Linares, Diversity and Inclusion Committee
• Anna Crawford, Honors and Awards Committee
• Ryan Harris, Membership and Recruitment Committee
• Julie Silverman, Nominating Committee
• Roger Russell, Professional Development Committee
• Traci J. Mays, Research and Assessment Committee
• Mary Beth Schell, 2019 Annual Meeting Committee
• Lynn Eades, 2019 Annual Meeting Committee
• Jana Schellinger, 2019 Annual Meeting Committee

MAC 2018 Annual Meeting Awards and Grants

• Outstanding Health Sciences Library Paraprofessional Award – Thelma Mack
• Marguerite Abel Service Recognition Award – Elizabeth Moreton
• Professional Excellence by a Health Sciences Librarian – Alexandra Gomes
• Professional Excellence by a New Health Sciences Librarian – Rebecca McCall
• Annual Meeting Scholarships – Brittni Ballard, Lauren Wheeler, Jordan Wrigley

Respectfully submitted on April 5, 2019

Tony Nguyen, MAC/MLA Chair, 2019-2020

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