March/April 2000
INSIDE THIS ISSUE:
Executive Board Meeting Highlights | MAC 2000 | News from the States | MLA Program Preview | MAC Nuggets | Hospital Libraries | Call for Papers & Posters – MAC/MLA 2000 Annual Meeting | Employment Opportunities | MAC Messages Deadline | MAC/MLA AHIP Counselors | MAC Officers, Committee Chairs, Editor, and State Reporters
By Steven J. Squires, MAC Chair
The Mac Executive Board and Committee meetings that were cancelled in January due to the record snowfall in North Carolina were finally held on March 24. The weather was much nicer.
Most committees met and there was a full agenda. Highlights follow:
- Elections: Terrance Burton notified us of the year’s elections and the need to generate nominations. Offices up for election this year are Chair-Elect, Secretary, Treasurer and MLA Nominating Committee Representative. . He will also send a request to the listserv calling for potential nominees.
- Financial matters: The balance from checking, savings and CD accounts as of December 31, 1999 was $29,425.33. Financials from the MAC 1999 Annual Meeting at Wilmington showed $36,255.50 income with expenses of $46,116.65 for a loss of $9,861.19. See the article on “Wilmington Finances” in the May/June issue for a fuller discussion.
- MAC received an overdue tax notice from the IRS for the period ending June 30, 1995. The notice indicates Form 990 was not filed for the year. Form 990 is required for tax exempt organizations. The assessed balance is $1,962.50 with $442.55 in statutory additions bringing the total due to $2,405.05. Treasury records for the period have no indication that Form 990 was filed. Pat Hammond will contact the IRS to determine our legal obligations and course of action.
- MLA Chapter Council matters: Paula Raimondo reported she was appointed to the Elections Committee of the Chapter Council. Ginny DuPont is serving as Chapter Council webmaster and is on the MLANET Editorial Board. The MLANET Editorial Board worked with MLA staff to make chapter presence more visible on MLANET. MLANET now has a chapter link on the homepage. A grid is under development to allow easy navigation to chapter information, newsletters, officers, homepage, etc.
- 2000 Annual Meeting: Mary Alice Sherrard, LAC co-chair for MAC 2000, distributed budget options for the MAC 2000 Annual Meeting in Roanoke. Projected expenses for an estimated 175 attendees, excluding Continuing Education projections, are $40,784.46. Estimating $6500 for CE expenses, the total estimated expense for Roanoke is $47,000. Projections for income, including CE, is estimated at $37,000 – $39,000. The registration fee was discussed with three proposals on the table. A figure of $160/$100 was discussed, moved, and carried. Vendors will be offered items to sponsor to help reduce costs, but sponsorship has not been confirmed. Steven Squires asked the Executive Board to discuss subsidizing the MAC 2000 Annual Meeting budget in the event expenses exceed income. Paula Raimondo suggested the Board consider it an investment rather than a loss. The Board voted to authorize an additional $8000 as a subsidy for the MAC 2000 Annual Meeting budget. With the subsidy, the MAC 2000 Annual Meeting budget was approved.
- Strategic Planning: Steven Squires reported on Strategic Planning Committee initiatives. A broad needs-assessment to find out more about health information professionals within the region, not just MAC members, is a goal of the committee. The Committee does not want to wait on the assessment to move forward, so intends to work on the MAC Strategic Plan and conduct a needs assessment to be included in later revisions of the plan. The Committee proposes putting questions on the listserv before the annual meeting and having focus groups at the annual meeting to get response from members about the Strategic Plan. With the input, the Committee will propose a new strategic plan with the intent that the plan be revised annually. Once completed, the needs-assessment results would be included in the revision. The task force plans to consider what members need from MAC and what an organization like MAC is capable of doing for its membership.
The question of whether to have the task force examine all issues related to the annual meetings as a part of the Strategic Plan followed. It was noted that while the Strategic Plan may include that MAC sponsor an annual meeting, the nuts and bolts of how annual meetings are planned and carried out should probably remain in committees or task forces. Ginny DuPont will attend the meeting’s roundtable at MLA this year to assist MAC with the issues involving annual meetings.
- Goals and Objectives: Steven Squires noted many MAC Goals and Objectives are actually chapter operating procedures. The Board recommended pulling out standard operating procedures from Goals and Objectives. The procedures will be referred to committees to include in policies and procedures where appropriate. The Board suggested the following be included in Goals and Objectives.
- Investigate and offer CE opportunities other than the Annual Meeting
- Prepare and present a financial report
- Investigate alternative model for the annual meeting (structure, financing, time, locations, meeting planner)
- Strategic planning
- Membership
Steven Squires will formalize the suggestions into the 2000-2001 Goals and Objectives document for the annual meeting.
- Other Business:
- Benchmarking Liaison: Paula Raimondo reported MLA formed a Benchmarking Task Force and MAC needs to appoint a liaison to the task force immediately since the deadline is past. Steven Squires has information on the responsibilities of the liaison and will put a message on the listserv asking for names of interested members.
- The Publications Committee asked the Board to consider putting the MAC Directory on the website. The Board approved placing the Directory on the website as long as the information is secure. Publications also requested input from the Board on establishing a chapter business section on the MAC website. Steven Squires will work with the chair to establish content for the business section.
- The question of selling the MAC mailing list was also raised from committee. The Board recommended against selling the list unless guidelines for the sale are addressed in MAC Policies and Procedures.
- The Board approved paying the full registration fee to MLA 2000 in Vancouver for Jackie Ramseur, winner of the National Hospital Librarian award. It was also recommended that the Chair send a letter to Jackie’s hospital administrator to show support for Jackie and the importance of the award.
- Committee appointments will be made before the annual meeting. The term of office is for two years beginning with the annual meeting in October.
- The Board discussed vendors and vendor support. Discussion surrounded other chapter and professional organization’s use of a broader selection of vendors including non-health care vendors. The Financial Task Force will consider vendors when looking at potential revenue for annual meetings.
- The Board voted to meet in the summer to act on issues that need attention before the annual meeting.
Pat Hammond requested all budget projection forms be submitted to Steven Squires by April 1, 2000.
As follow-up from the October 5, 1999 Board Meeting, Ginny DuPont sent inquiries to other chapters to determine if chapters were having difficulty finding nominees for offices, if chapters were using meeting planners, and if the chair-elect and the annual meeting program chair are the same person. In response, Southern and Southern California Chapters have a single slate. Some chapters separate the chair-elect and program chair duties, making the office easier to nominate. Southern and Southern California Chapters have used meeting planners. Southern California does not pay the meeting planner as the meeting planner receives a commission from the hotel. Mid-Continental names a separate Executive Board member as meeting planner and gives a $5000 stipend. Discussion followed indicating the Chair-Elect position is the difficult position to nominate in MAC, particularly for hospital librarians since it is a 3-year commitment and carries the program chair responsibility. The Board decided to continue to monitor, rather than make changes to the election process at this time.
Discussion of rising cost of annual meetings ensued. Combining meetings with other regions every few years was suggested. Other suggestions included changing the meeting time to summer so universities could be used for meeting sites, and substituting a Farewell Reception for the Welcome Reception and Banquet. The use of a professional meeting planner was also discussed. Other chapters have used meeting planners with positive outcomes. The Financial Task Force will look at ways to help manage the cost of annual meetings and submit a report with suggestions for ways to reduce cost and/or increase revenue.
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Reaching for the Stars!
October 18 – 21, 2000
Roanoke, Virginia
The Star City!
“Ideals are like stars; you will not succeed in touching them with your hands. But like the seafaring man on the desert of waters, you choose them as your guides, and following them you will reach your destiny.” — Carl Schurz (1829-1906) German-American political leader, journalist, and orator. As we stand on the threshold of a new century, the first MAC Annual Meeting of the new millennium will be held on October 18-21, 2000 in Roanoke Virginia, “The Star City.” The Program Committee has chosen “MAC 2000: Reaching for the Stars” as the theme for this year’s annual meeting. The program will put within your reach a variety of “stars” to enlighten you; from a Keynote Address by a nationally recognized leader in the field of Evidenced Based Medicine practice, to your Chapter colleagues as they present their stellar work in the form of contributed papers and posters. The stars will be out for the Welcome Reception at the Science Museum of Western Virginia in Roanoke’s Center in the Square, which will feature a Planetarium show. Our Keynote Speaker is Dr. David C. Slawson, Associate Professor of Family Medicine and Health Evaluation Sciences at the University of Virginia, and a national leader in the development of Evidence Based Medicine practice. Along with contributed papers and posters, there will be panel of librarians and publishers to discuss electronic publishing, and what the future looks like for the “digital library.” Further details about the stellar program will be published as the planning progresses throughout the spring and summer. So this year, don’t just wish upon a star, hitch your wagon to one and join your MAC colleagues in October in The Star City for a great experience! |
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West Virginia | North Carolina
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Tracking and Capturing Grey Literature: Not a Black and White Matter
By Cristina Campbell, University of California, Public Health Library
Mark your calendars for Program Session I on Sunday, May 7th, 4:00- 5:30 p.m. and come to Tracking the grey literature: capturing the elusive dragon. The program will address various aspects of discovery and organization of unpublished or low-circulation research materials referred to as grey literature. This is a wonderful opportunity to find out how your colleagues are dealing with the burgeoning body of grey literature, both on-line and off. Here is a program preview: [Complete abstracts available at: http://www.phha.mlanet.org/prog2000.html#glabstracts%5D.
How do conventional and fugitive search methods compare across different electronic databases? Diane Helmer, Mary Doug Wright, & Arminee Kazanjina BC Office of Health Technology Assessment.
Better read than dead: breathing new life into state morbidity data via the Internet. Kathryn Kerdolff Lousiana State University Health Sciences Center Library.
The grey literature report: acquiring, organizing, and making accessible fugitive literature in health policy and public health. Marie Tomlinson-Ascher The New York Academy of Medicine.
Set your sites on MSDS providers Hongjie Wang Lyman Maynard Stowe Library, University of Connecticut Health Center.
The program is sponsored by the Public Health/Health Administration, Collection Development, Research, and Technical Services sections of MLA and the Canadian Health Libraries Association.
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Governmental News Report
By Carolyn Willard, Chair, Governmental Relations Committee
With the primaries looming this spring it is relatively quiet on the Hill. Of interest to librarians are the comments submitted to the Copyright Office on Technological Measures Rulemaking by ALA, MLA, SLA and ARL They jointly requested that the Copyright Office allow an exemption from the technological measures such as passwords or encrypted electronic files in order to access copyrighted works. They fear that this will lead to a pay-per-use access to copyrighted works. The Copyright Office will hold hearings in May before finalizing its recommendations. ALA wants to thank the 251 libraries that responded to their survey (we did, did you?)
A public meeting was held by the National Commission on Libraries and Information Science (NCLIS) on the proposal to close the National Technical Information Service (NTIS). They are acting as intermediary for the stakeholders – GPO, ALA, Commerce Department etc – and will be reporting to Congress on March 15. ALA would like NTIS to be transferred to the Government Printing Office (GPO). Some advocates want it to stay in Commerce. They all agreed that NTIS must not lose more staff and resources, leading to diminished services, and since Congress is not moving on this, this becomes more worrisome.
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By Patricia Hammond, Director of Library Services
Cape Fear Valley Health System
For a new hospital librarian setting priorities can be confusing, especially when the position has been vacant for a few months. When examining the backlog, it is important to remember that in the hospital environment the library is a very small, non-revenue generating entity. While pursuing the information needed to operate administratively, let co-workers know that you are on a learning curve and need their help for the library to function smoothly. Be humble and express your willingness to learn to do it their way.
What should be tackled first?
- Finances – Figure how much money the library has and how to spend it. While working on this objective, information about the budget process will surface. Look at recent invoices and compile a list of vendors including subscription agents, online vendors and interlibrary loan partners.
- Read all the organizational policy and procedure manuals available – i. e. Administrative, Personnel, Emergency Preparedness and Infection Control. Besides learning about policies you need to enforce, insight into the corporate culture will be gleaned. The greatest gift you can find is an up-to-date library policy and procedure manual.
- Decipher the institution’s organizational chart.
- How do you report “up the chain”?
- Does the Library have any “staff” relationships that are not delineated on the chart? (Example-Our Education Department pays for and records HSTN programming. The videorecordings of the satellite presentations are housed in the library.)
- Which services, that may be offered at other libraries, are NOT your responsibility?
- Audiovisual equipment check out – Education Department
- Production of slides and color copying – Marketing Department
- Computer lab and word processing – Information Systems
- History and archives of the organization – Public Relations Department
- Which departments and healthcare professions are likely to be regular library users?
- Examine the mechanism for providing document delivery.
- Locate the DOCLINE routing table. (For a copy, call Evelyn Peyton, NN/LM SEA, at 800-338-7657.)
- Read the DOCLINE manual, which is available on the web http://www.nlm.nih.gov/psd/cas/docline/.
- Figure out how to access OCLC for interlibrary loan. This is needed for non-health sciences periodicals, books and videos. If your library is not an OCLC member, consider becoming a selective member.
- Assess and define priorities for provision of library service. Is there an existing library policy which defines the level of service to various user groups?
- Medical staff and hospital employees – Primary user group, no charge for services and all fees paid from Library budget.
- Health science faculty from area colleges – Secondary user group, courtesy borrowing privileges, free copying and referral to college library for interlibrary loan and literature searches.
- Health science students from area colleges – Secondary user group, no borrowing privileges, pay for photocopying and faculty member may borrow materials on students’ behalf.
- General public, including attorneys – No check out privileges, pay for copying, and refer to another library for interlibrary loan service.
- Exceptions for “politically important individuals” – This group may include members of thehospital Board of Trustees, the Director of the Community Mental Health Center, a member of the area Chamber of Commerce. If you are not sure, ask the CEO’s office for help making decisions about this group.
- Compile a list of established agreements –
- Company use/license agreements
- Memoranda of understanding with library consortia
- Alliances with other libraries/groups, such as MACLend
Because the hospital library is a small entity and some do not view it as essential to the business of the hospital, it is important to do a careful assessment of resources and allies. It is wise to carefully consider how your predecessor administered the library. In most cases, your predecessor provided a valuable service to the organization or they wouldn’t have recruited another librarian.
Linda Gorman is a new librarian at the medical library of Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center in Baltimore. She was formerly the librarian at Union Memorial Hospital in Baltimore.
MACLend librarians need to review their DOCUSER record in DOCLINE and make note of your new LIBID. The new LIBID consists of six alphabetical characters. Go to http://www.nlm.nih.gov/docline. Login in using your current DOCLINE userid and password. Write down that new LIBID!
In March, the new Web-based DOCLINE will be available. Stayed tuned for changes!
When you get your MLA 2000 membership card, be sure to note the MLANET password. The 1998 triennial MLA salary survey is now accessible to members via the web at http://www.mlanet.org. You will need your password to access the survey.
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MAC/MLA 2000 Annual Meeting: Reaching for the Stars
October 18 – 21, 2000
Hotel Roanoke
Roanoke, Virginia
Who are the stars of MAC? What have you accomplished that has brought you stardom at your institution? What starring roles have you played? How have you reached for the stars in your job? The MAC Program Committee encourages you to share your experiences at this year’s MAC meeting through the contributed papers and poster sessions. The Program Committee for the 2000 MAC/MLA Annual Meeting, “Reaching for the Stars,” invites you to submit a proposal for either a contributed paper or poster to be presented as part of the meeting program. Papers and posters can be on any topic. We encourage the submission of abstracts showing how libraries are reaching beyond their traditional roles by developing new services or utilizing technology. If you know of librarians who are working on interesting projects, encourage them to submit abstracts or submit their names to the Committee Chairs, so the Program Committee can contact them. Joint presentations are welcome. Submissions should include an abstract (250 words maximum) describing the contributed paper. Abstracts may be submitted by mail, e-mail, or fax to Rick Peterson. E-MAIL IS PREFERRED. The submission should list all authors and their institutional affiliations. Those whose abstracts are accepted will be notified by July 1, 2000. Presenters should be prepared to speak for approximately 15 minutes in an afternoon contributed papers session on Thursday, October 19, 2000. When planning the presentation speakers should be aware that although live Internet connections are possible, in the interest of time a self-contained presentation might be best. Contact the Chair for further information. Please submit abstracts by June 1, 2000, to: Contributed Papers Chair Submissions should include an abstract (250 words maximum) describing the poster. The abstract may be submitted by mail, e-mail, or fax to Jane Pellegrino. E-MAIL IS PREFERRED. The submission should list all presenters and their institutional affiliations. Those whose abstracts are accepted will be notified by July 1, 2000. Presentations should be designed for standard full size poster board. Live Internet connections are available in the exhibit space. The MAC 2000 poster session will open with the exhibits on Thursday morning, October 19, 2000. Posters will be on display for both days of the meeting. Please submit abstracts by June 1, 2000, to: Poster Session Chair |
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Alpha Center
Washington, DC
Alpha Center seeks a service-oriented Librarian to assist its staff and clients with library and information services. Alpha Center (www.ac.org) is a private, nonprofit organization serving the health policy and health services research communities.
Responsibilities:
The Librarian will (1) assist staff members and clients with research using print, bibliographic, Internet, and other resources; (2) maintain the library’s serial collection; (3) acquire and catalog new library materials and assist the Director of Information Services with library collection development; (4) oordinate and develop new services to alert staff to current information; (4) oversee and expand document delivery services; and (5) assist Director in eveloping a circulation system and other new services in a growing organization.
Desired Qualifications:
Required:
Graduate degree in Library/Information Science, completed or expected, or equivalent experience. Experience with Internet and database searching. Strong organizational skills and attention to detail. Commitment to user service. Ability to perform a variety of tasks and handle several projects concurrently
Experience with library catalog and office software.
Preferred:
Some experience with serials maintenance, cataloging, and/or library acquisitions. Familiarity with health, medical, or public policy-related fields
Salary and Benefits:
Commensurate with qualifications and experience, plus competitive benefits.
Applications:
Position available immediately. Send resume to Julie Kerr, Alpha Center, 1350 Connecticut Ave., N.W.., Suite 1100, Washington, DC 20036, fax 202-296-1825, email kerr@ac.org.
Alpha Center is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Alpha Center will provide all applicants for employment with an equal opportunity regardless of sex, race, color, religion, national origin, age, marital status, personal appearance, sexual orientation, family responsibilities, disability, matriculation, political affiliation, source of income, or place of business or residence. Alpha Center ensures non-discriminatory practices in all matters relating to recruiting, hiring, training, compensation, benefits, promotions, demotions, transfers, layoffs, recall from layoffs, and all treatment on the job.
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Note this important date! Newsworthy items for the MAC Messages May/June issue may be submitted to the editor (macmessages@angelfire.com) until May 15, 2000. Remember to include “MAC” in your subject line.
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| Janie Trumbull, Coordinator Medical Center Library Duke University Medical Center Durham, NC (919) 660-1120 trumb001@mc.duke.edu | ||
Martha Bedard Health Sciences Library University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Chapel Hill, NC (919) 966-0942 martha_bedard@unc.edu | Claire Meissner Health Sciences Library Lynchburg General Hospital Lynchburg, VA (804) 947-3147 cameissner@lynchburg.net | |
Beverly Murphy Medical Center Library Duke University Medical Center Durham, NC (919) 660-1127 murph005@mc.duke.edu | Anne Powers Medical Center Library Duke University Medical Center Durham, NC (919) 660-1126 power003@mc.duke.edu | Paula Raimondo Health Sciences & Human Services Library University of Maryland at Baltimore 601 West Lombard Street Baltimore, MD 21201 (410) 706-8862 praim001@umaryland.edu |
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| Officers | |
| Chair | Steven Squires steve_squires@unc.edu |
| Chair-Elect | Jonathan Lord jml4s@virginia.edu |
| Secretary | Mary Wallace Berry mwb1@phsc.com |
| Treasurer | Patricia Hammond pahammond@capefearvalley.com |
| Chapter Council Representative | Ginny DuPont ginny.dupont@mail.va.gov |
| Alternate | Paula Raimondo ciar@class.org |
| Immediate Past Chair | Terrance Burton burton@wvu.edu |
| Committee Chairs | |
| Local Arrangements | Mary Alice Sherrard mhmhclib@neocomm.net Claire Meissner claire.meissner@centralhealth.com |
| Publications | Martha Bedard martha_bedard@unc.edu |
| Governmental Relations | Carolyn Willard cwillard@cnmc.org |
| Professional Development | Margaret Norden mnorden@puffin.marymount.edu |
| Membership | Jane E. Borland jborland@medicorpihn.com |
| Honors & Awards | Janice E. Kelly jkelly@umaryland.edu |
| Nominee to MLA Nominating Committee | Patricia Thibodeau thibo001@mc.duke.edu |