May/June 2000
INSIDE THIS ISSUE: Wilmington Finances | Follow the Stars of Previous Years to Roanoke, Virginia for MAC 2000! | Nominees Needed by July 7th | Two Libraries Which Need Your Support | MAC Nuggets | Credentialling Committee Excerpts MLA Annual Report 1999-2000 | News from the States | Hospital Libraries | New Members! | Attention MAC Retirees | MAC Bibliography | MAC/MLA Award Nomination 2000 | MAC/MLA Awards 2000 | MAC Messages Deadline | MAC/MLA AHIP Counselors | MAC Officers, Committee Chairs, Editor, and State Reporters
By Steven J. Squires, MAC Chair
It is now known to many of you that the MAC meeting in Wilmington lost money. The 1999 meeting cost $46,116, but took in only $36,255, for a loss of $9,861. There are many ways to think about that loss, but in my view, the best way to look at it is that the $10,000 profits from the 1997-98 meetings were spent on the 1999 meeting. I have argued many times that any profits from one meeting should be spent as soon as possible on subsequent meetings so that the people who generated those profits are the ones most likely to derive some benefit from them. It should also be recognized that the current state of the MAC treasury, even after this loss, compares well to earlier years.
The Board approved the 1999 LAC budget of nearly $40,000 for the Wilmington meeting and did so knowing that the expenses being talked about then did not include expected honoraria for program and CE that would amount to $4,000 – $6,000. The Board also approved a subsidy for the meeting of $6,000. When the Board approves a subsidy, I think it means that the Board is willing for the expenses of the meeting to exceed income by the amount of the subsidy. Given that, one could say that the real deficit for the 1999 meeting is $4,000. It should also be noted that the LAC expenses actually came in under the proposed, and approved, budget. No matter how the situation is viewed, Donna Flake and all the members of her LAC committee are to be highly commended for all the arrangements they made for the Wilmington meeting and the welcome they extended to all of us. It was a great meeting, as the member evaluations of it uniformly confirm.
The income of the 1999 meeting is comparable to the average incomes of the 1995-1998 meetings. This is so even given that registration for 1999 was less than hoped for. There were only 156 full registrations; ten other registrations were partial ones. CE participants (68) were also somewhat lower than usual, though, as usual, CE fees more than made up for CE expenses. The expectation going into this meeting, from the time the site was approved up to the summer before the meeting, was that registration would not be a problem. Hurricane Floyd may have had something to do with the lower registration, though there was ample news ahead of time that transportation, hotel, water supplies, and beach facilities were satisfactory. Perhaps the distance from much of the rest of the chapter was also a factor.
Most of the expenses for any meeting come from all the food and arrangements for the welcome reception, banquet, lunches, and breaks, as well as other hotel fees and AV fees. These were higher in 1999, due in part to the locales for the reception and banquet. Printing was higher than normal and more was spent that year for honoraria. Here are other interesting observations:
- Four of the last six meetings made money; two lost money.
- The last meeting lost nearly $10,000.
- The last two meetings taken together lost $6,000.
- The last three meetings taken together broke even.
- The last four meetings taken together lost $2,000.
- The last five meetings taken together made $1,200.
- The last six meetings taken together made $7,200.
- The MAC Treasury in July of 1999 was at the highest level than at the same time in any of the last 6 years.
The current MAC treasury is higher than the mid-year balance in all but two of the last six years. I offer these remarks in an attempt to answer anyone who may be concerned about the large loss at the 1999 meeting. Even though I put a positive spin on that loss, such a large loss raises some concerns. Obviously, not all meetings can come out in the red. There are already some concerns about the expenses that the next two meetings (in Roanoke this fall and in Maryland in 2001) might incur. It may be that hotel and food prices are becoming too high for the kind of meeting we are accustomed to having. Our current Financial Planning Task Force and Strategic Planning Task Force will consider possible alternatives for holding and financing our meetings. All MAC members are invited to help these task forces think about these issues. There will be formal opportunities for you to provide that help, but your input is welcome at any time.
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By Mary Alice Sherrard, Local Arrangements Committee Chair
| Roanoke, Virginia has long been a crossroads of activity. Before the English settlers moved into the area, Roanoke was on the Great Trail that the Indians used to travel north and south. The area had many natural springs. It’s natural salt lick attracted animals and humans alike. Indeed, Roanoke was first called “Big Lick” for the importance of this natural landmark. As the Scotch-Irish moved west, many came down through the valley and headed either west to Tennessee and Kentucky or south to the Carolinas. Roanoke continues to serve as a major crossroads and is easily reached from all areas of MAC-land via I-81 and I-77/I-64.
Come for MAC 2000 and also plan to spend a Fall vacation or weekend getaway. There are so many star-studded things to see and do in southwest Virginia. A star attraction, the Blue Ridge Parkway, bounds Roanoke on the east and south. The fall colors should be at their peak in October and a real treat is a stay at the Peaks of Otter Lodge, east of Roanoke, with the Twin Peaks – Flat Top and Sharp Top – overlooking Bedford County. To the north along I-81 is historic Lexington, Virginia, the home of two of the Commonwealth’s star universities, Virginia Military Institute and Washington & Lee University. Here you can visit the home of Stonewall Jackson and the Tomb of Robert E. Lee, two of Virginia’s star historical figures. Closer to Roanoke, but still in Rockbridge County is Natural Bridge, once surveyed by George Washington, one of Virginia’s brightest stars who carved his name in the rock. Nearby are the Natural Bridge Zoo and the Natural Bridge Caverns. Closer to Roanoke is the historic village of Fincastle, Virginia. It is a picturesque town with narrow streets and four snow-white spires – three churches and the old courthouse. See the unique old jail, which once housed the town’s library. To the southeast is Smith Mountain Lake, a growing resort and retirement community with opportunities for boating and golfing. Take a starlit dinner cruise on a paddle-wheel steamboat. Nearby in Franklin County is the Booker T. Washington National Park. This is the homestead where Booker T. Washington grew up. Today, it is maintained as a living history museum, a working farm of the early 18th Century. Travel west on US 40 across US 220 to Ferrum, Virginia to find Ferrum College and the Blue Ridge Institute. The Institute features a museum and a living history farm worked in the old ways of 18th Century. Nearer to Roanoke, just off I-81 south is Salem, Virginia with three blocks of antique shops along Main Street. To the east, just off the Blue Ridge Parkway is Virginia’s Explore Park, another living history museum. Many of the buildings in this park are authentic old buildings that have been moved here to one place. The exhibits show life at three periods and include: 1671 – an Indian Village; 1740 – a settler’s cabin and a Longhunter’s camp; 1850 – a batteauman’s cabin with batteau rides on the Roanoke River, blacksmith shop, school, grist mill, farmstead, and more. One of the hottest eating places in Roanoke is the Brugh Tavern at Explore Park. Follow the stars from previous years to the crossroads of Roanoke! |
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Take this opportunity to recognize a fellow MAC member for his/her outstanding work as a health sciences librarian. MAC offers three awards: the Marguerite Abel Service Recognition Award, the MAC Librarian of the Year Award and the One-Person Library Recognition Award. The award recipients receive a paid MAC registration for the next annual meeting, recognition at the Honors and Awards Luncheon, and a plaque.
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By Donna Flake, Sister Library Initiative – Latvian Coordinator
Robert M. Fales Health Sciences Library
Would you like to improve health care and health information in the Caribbean or in Latvia?
Would you be willing to send duplicate journal issues to help? Would you or your library be willing to supply 15 photocopies from your collection to help 2 libraries, which desperately need your help? Do you want to help in other ways, such as fund raising, personal networking, etc? Is your library interested in working with a library in Latvia or in the Caribbean? You and your library could make a huge difference in health care in these countries. The new Sister Library Initiative needs your help.
The International Cooperation Section has broadened the work of the Sister Library Committee.
The New Sister Library Initiative is a combination of the efforts of several committees within the International Section.
Our Sister Library Initiative has selected two libraries from outside the US to help and support.
The libraries are:
1) The Medical Research Library of Latvia. It is located in Latvia’s capital – Riga. This library serves as the National Medical Library of Latvia. The Director of the library is Raisa Kazankina, and the Deputy Director is Velta Poznaka. The Medical Research Library of Latvia coordinates 9 branch libraries throughout Latvia. This year they could not afford to subscribe to journals. (A six-year project.)
2) The Medical Library of Holberton Hospital in St. Johns Antigua in the Caribbean. Ms. Glendine Smith is the Librarian. This library serves medical students, nursing students, doctors, nurses, paramedics affiliated with the hospital, as well as patients and the general public. This library has outdated library collections and physical facilities, which are in great need of upgrading. (A six-year project.)
Please consider helping these libraries, (or one of these libraries) in a limited way which does not put a burden on you, is well coordinated, and brings publicity to your library efforts. There are many ways to help such as providing photocopies from your collection, fundraising, providing us with the names of your friends who have allegiances to these countries, or brainstorming with us, etc.
Please volunteer today! We will match your interests and what you can offer to the needs of the libraries. We need your enthusiasm and help!
Please contact: Sister Library Initiative Members:
Vicki Croft (Chair)
509/335-5544
Email: croft@wsu.edu
Donna Flake
(Latvian Coordinator)
910/343-2180
Email: dbf1@med.unc.edu
Lenny Rhine
352/846-3850
Email: lenny@library.health.ufl.edu
Janet S. Fisher
423/439-6211
Email: fisherj@access.estu.edu
Barbara Ruelle
404/727-5822
Email: libbar@emory.edu
Livija Carlson
612/624-9782
Email: l-carl@uc.umn.edu
Avril Reid
(Antigua Coordinator)
868/622-2792
Email: reidavri@carec.paho.org
Diane Ebro
405/624-2840
Email: gobucks@okstate.edu
Leslie Mackler
336/832-7486
Email: leslie.mackler@mosescone.com
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Governmental News Report
By Carolyn Willard, Chair, Governmental Relations Committee
In the last MAC Nuggets, I reported on where the NTIS closure or transfer stood. The National Commission on Libraries and Information Sciences is acting as the intermediary for all stakeholders, and their preliminary assessment is available on their web site http://www.nclis.gov/info/ntis/ntis.html. It is now up to the Senate to decide whether NTIS stays at Commerce, or is transferred to the Library of Congress or the GPO.
The Government Printing Office has developed the new web site for the Supreme Court found at http://www.supremecourtus.gov/. Anyone can now get information, for free, on 1999 opinions, as well as, a host of other information.
It is spring in D.C. and mark-up time for Appropriations in the House. As of May 4th the Legislative Branch subcommittee, responsible for funding the Library of Congress, the GPO, and the Federal Depository Library program etc., has intimated that there will be severe cuts in funding because of the tight budget constraints mandated by this year’s budget resolution. This could seriously affect the Federal Depository Library Program. I hope that those of you whose libraries that are part of the FDLP saw my forwarded message from ALA and contacted members of the House Appropriations Committee.
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Submitted by Janie Trumbull Duke University Medical Center Library
Demographics of 1275 Academy Members (as of 3/14/00)
63 Provisional members
300 Members
337 Senior Members
575 Distinguished Members
New Academy Forms, Instructions on MLANET
Following many months of development by CC members and MLA HQ staff, new Academy forms and instructions were introduced on MLANET in September 1999. Jolene Miller, CC web developer, Eileen Stanley, forms analyst, and Anne Greenspan, HQ liaison to MLA systems staff earned the gratitude of all CC members for their special contributions. In MLA News and MLA Focus articles introducing the new Academy web pages, CC announced that only web-generated application forms would be accepted after December 31, 1999. Member response to the web site has been uniformly favorable.
Renewals Process Streamlined
Facing the prospect of a three-fold increase in AHIP renewals during the year 2000, CC initiated a pilot project from June to December to determine whether “renew at same level” portfolios could quickly be processed by MLA HQ’s CC Coordinator. A sample of every fifth “renew at same level” portfolio processed by HQ was sent to CC member Sharon Cann for quality control. The pilot procedure was deemed successful in handling this category of renewal expeditiously. The average time to process AHIP portfolios continues to drop.
Portfolio Volume (May 1999 – March 2000)
6 new Provisional members
36 Provisional member renewals
237 Renewals at same Academy level
8 new Members other than Provisionals
89 Renewals at a higher Academy level
By Marty Adamson, AHIP,
Chair, Credentialling Committee:
Used with Permission.
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On January 1, 2000, Nancy K. Roderer began her appointment as the new Director of the Welch Medical Library and Interim Director of the Division of Biomedical Information Sciences, Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions. Ms. Roderer comes to the Welch Medical Library from the National Library of Medicine where she served as director of the Library’s postgraduate Associate Fellowship Program for medical librarians. Prior to her appointment at NLM, she served as director of the Cushing/Whitney Medical Library at Yale University.
On February 18, 2000, Ms. Roderer announced a reorganization of the Welch Library effective February 21. Ms. Roderer stated in her announcement: “After talking with all the staff and with a number of library users, I wanted to reorganize the library departments to emphasize the services that we offer, innovation throughout the library, and departments working together to provide both traditional and new services.”
On March 29, Ms. Roderer announced that the Welch Library has budgeted for the following new initiatives to be rolled out in the remainder of FY 2000 and 2001:
- An increased emphasis on electronic collections with the addition of an funds for electronic books and journals
- An increased emphasis on information services, education, and outreach with the addition of three new librarians for these purposes
- Major reworking of the Library’s Website, Welch Web (https://welch.jhmi.edu/)
- Short term facility modifications plus the conduct of an architectural study of library facility needs 10-15 years out
- Movement of stored materials from the existing Annex storage facility to Moravia Park to enhance access and improve their life expectancy
Recruitment is currently underway for five Librarian positions at Welch Library. See https://welch.jhmi.edu/featured/careerswelch for details.
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By Patricia Hammond, Director of Library Services Cape Fear Valley Health System
2000 JCAHO SURVEYS – BIG CHANGES
During the past four or five years, hospital librarians have had three opportunities to be involved in group interviews during survey visits from the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO). During 2000, the survey procedures will change significantly. The Department Directors’ and the Patient/Family Education interviews have been eliminated from the survey schedule. The Information Management interview has been combined with the Open Chart Review and this session will focus on open patient records. In 2000, hospital librarians will have fewer opportunities to meet with surveyors. Besides participation in the combined Open Chart Review/Information Management interview, surveyors could stop by the library on the building tour.
During a mock survey visit in March 2000, the following topics were discussed during the Information Management interview:
- Has an information management needs assessment been done?
- How does Information Systems decide who gets what equipment?
- Is there a monitoring process for access to electronic patient records?
- What is the delinquency rate for completion of medical records?
- What is your policy about verbal orders?
- Has the library done a needs assessment?
- Are library materials authoritative and up-to-date?
- Who can use the library?
The surveyor advised that statistical training (standard IM 4) is necessary for clinical staff and managers. Staff needs to understand how to interpret statistics and control charts. “Pathmaker” is an inexpensive statistical software package that is recommended for hospital use.
This year, surveyors will spend more time interacting with staff in patient care areas. If there is a concern about access to knowledge-based information (i.e. – library services), it is more likely that a surveyor will ask patient care staff than the librarian.
Please note – I have unsuccessfully tried to verify when these changes will go into effect. Pitt County Memorial Hospital in Greenville, NC was surveyed in April 2000 and these changes were not in place during that survey visit.
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By Jane E. Borland, Chair, Membership Committee
The Membership Committee of MAC/MLA, along with the entire membership, is pleased to welcome the following new members to our organization. We hope these new members will enjoy their association with the group and that they will take advantage of all that the chapter has to offer.
New Members
Dee Disardina
Commission on Mental Health Services
Washington, DC
Velora A. Jernigan-Pedrick
Jacob Zylman Health Sciences Library
Inova Fairfax Hospital
Falls Church, VA
Susan Hardee
Wake AHEC Medical Library
Raleigh, NC
Betsy Adams
Duke University Medical Center Library
Durham, NC
Jane Murray
Health Sciences & Human Services Library
University of Maryland, Baltimore
Baltimore, MD
Veronica Gornik
Dahlgren Memorial Library
Georgetown University
Washington, DC
Linda Gorman
Harrison Medical Library
Johns Hopkins Bayview
Baltimore, MD
Diane Fuller
Health Sciences & Human Services Library
University of Maryland, Baltimore
Baltimore, MD
Joellynn Wilner
Health Sciences Library, WMC
Valley Health System
Winchester, VA
Janice Chesanko
Health Sciences Library, WMC
Valley Health System
Winchester, VA
Mary Sheridan
American College of Cardiology
Bethesda, MD
Julie Stetson
Silver Spring, MD
Mary Czlonka
American College of Cardiology
Bethesda, MD
Bradley Long
Hupp Medical Library
Ohio Valley Medical Center
Wheeling, WV
Stella Seal
Welch Medical Library
Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD
We have also received notification that Maggie Demchuck of the Moorman Memorial Library, Eastern Virginia Medical School, Norfolk, Virginia, will be retiring during the year. We wish her only the best as she pursues her retirement interests.
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By Mona Thiss, Honors and Awards Committee Tompkins-McCaw Library
Retiring from your job does not mean retiring from the profession! We wish to recognize all MAC retirees during the annual Honors and Awards luncheon in October and present you with a complementary membership to the Mid-Atlantic Chapter. Your membership in MAC not only provides an avenue for you to maintain ties with your colleagues and professional organization, but also allows your professional organization to draw upon your experience and knowledge. We look forward to hearing about your retirement plans.
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By Betsy Adams, Honors and Awards Committee
The Honors and Awards Committee, along with Daniel Horne, MAC Bibliographer, encourages your participation in the MAC Bibliography. The purpose of the MAC Bibliography is to encourage research and professional development, and to honor chapter members by publicizing chapter activities and the accomplishments of its members at a national level.
The scope of the bibliography includes published (print or electronic) articles, book reviews, columns in journals, books, book chapters, research papers, workshops, speeches, poster sessions, presentations, development/production of electronic materials, and awarded grants of MAC/MLA members. The content should focus on the various aspects/facets of health information and should reflect the individual accomplishments of MAC/MLA members that extend beyond their usual job responsibilities.
Please submit one form for each citation. This project is ongoing and there is no deadline for submissions. A copy of the Bibliography will be offered at the yearly MAC meetings, and will be distributed electronically through the MAC website.
To submit an entry/entries for the Bibliography, go to the MAC website and click on MAC Bibliography. The Bibliography forms are also available in paper. To request a copy of the form, please contact Dan Horne (910-815-5964, Daniel.Horne@nhrmc.org) or Betsy Adams (919-660-1131, adams015@mc.duke.edu).
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MAC/MLA offers the following awards to its members: One-Person Library Recognition Award, MAC Librarian of the Year Award, and the Marguerite Abel Service Recognition Award.
One-Person Library Recognition Award
This award is given to a MAC member who leads a library with up to 0.5 paid staff. A plaque and paid MAC registration will be awarded to the recipient.
Criteria used to determine the recipient of the award include, but are not limited to:
- leadership in the profession at a local or higher level
- publications
- teaching/training/mentoring
- development of special projects at a local or higher level
MAC Librarian of the Year Award
This award is presented to a MAC member for outstanding contributions to health sciences librarianship. A plaque and paid MAC registration will be awarded to the recipient.
Criteria used to determine the recipient of the award include, but are not limited to:
- leadership in the profession
- scholarship/publications/research
- teaching/training/mentoring
- professional activity
- service to the health profession
- development of special projects
Marguerite Abel Service Recognition Award
This award is given to a MAC member for exemplary service to the Chapter during the past year. A plaque and paid MAC registration will be awarded to the recipient.
Criteria used to determine the recipient of the award include, but are not limited to:
- serving as an officer or committee chair/member
- working on special MAC projects
- developing/teaching courses for MAC members
- presenting papers or posters at MAC meetings
- writing/editing for MAC publications
- acting as a mentor or consultant for MAC members
- representing MAC to other groups
Submit nominations to the Honors and Awards Committee using the MAC/MLA Nomination 2000 form included in this issue or via the Website at http://www.cbil.vcu.edu/mac/awards.html, and describe why the nominee should be considered for the award. Nomination information will be treated as confidential.
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Newsworthy items for the MAC Messages July/August issue may be submitted to the editor (macmessages@angelfire.com) until July 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 | Jane Blumenthal Dahlgren Memorial Library Georgetown University 3900 Reservoir Road, NW Washington, DC 20007 (202) 687-1187 blumentj@georgetown.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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| State Reporters | ||
| District of Columbia | Velora Jernigan-Pedrick | vjerniga@sysplan.com |
| Maryland | Barbara Koehler | bmk@welch.jhu.edu |
| North Carolina | Hattie Vines | vines001@mc.duke.edu |
| Virginia | Renee Mansheim | rem@tess.evms.edu |
| West Virginia | Nancy Wasson | nwasson@wvu.edu |
| MAC Messages | ||
| Published bimonthly by the Mid-Atlantic Chapter / Medical Library Association | ||
| Editor | Janice Mason | macmessages@angelfire.com |