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Adorée Makusztak (amakusztak@llu.edu)

We have some sad news to share today. David Keddle passed away on Friday, June 13th, after a long and difficult battle with leukemia.

David’s career in libraries spanned more than 50 years—a remarkable legacy of dedication to the field of knowledge and information. Even during his illness, he remained focused on his goal of returning to the library and completing 20 years of service with Kaiser Permanente.

Many of you will also remember David’s fondness for his cat, Hilary, who was a constant companion and source of comfort to him.

David Keddle was an advisor for NNLM Region 5, and also had a long relationship with the organization previously named NNLM Pacific Southwest Region (PSR). NNLM Region 5 interviewed David for their Member Liaison Spotlight blog in 2024.

“What you leave behind is not what is engraved in stone monuments, but what is woven into the lives of others.”

— Pericles

Name: Andrea Harrow

Title: Clinical Librarian

Institution: Norris Medical Library + Keck Medical Center of the University of Southern California

Brief description of what you do at your institution:

I am an embedded, liaison librarian for the practicing clinicians on our health sciences campus; in other words, I collaborate with and support the clinicians employed to help patients

Why is MLGSCA important to you?

As a long time member, I appreciate the community of librarians who share their knowledge and ideas. I was a solo librarian for many years, and depended on MLGSCA for new ideas, support and professional development.

Why did you become a librarian?

I was looking for new opportunities and saw a flyer in an unemployment office in South London (England) advertising a master's degree in information management. And, I was always an avid reader, enjoying inhabiting or pondering the worlds authors create.

What was your first library job or professional position?

TFPL (a library temping agency - and still going) got me my first library job doing records management, labeling boxes for Surrey county council. My first professional position was acquisitions assistant for the British Film Institute.

What is your advice to someone new to medical librarianship?

Get out there and meet people. Learning the lingo takes time, make connections with the humans. Find out what people need and find ways to collaborate together.

What has been the most interesting project you have worked on?

Hmmm.. I think I enjoy the continuum of a project from identifying an initial need to developing instructional materials to help address the need, and assessing how the project impacts the participants. I guess it is the research process itself I enjoy.

What do you consider to be the most pressing issues or trends in librarianship?

Critical reasoning and thinking

What is something you have on your bucket list?

I'd like to boat in Mexico City, attend prayers in Lalibela Ethiopia, drink a glass-bottomed pint in Shanghai, eat in Szechwan China, climb a pyramid in Egypt, hug a matriarch in every one of the world's matriarchal societies

What do you do in your spare time for fun, or to relax?

I walk, hike, dance, read, find a friend or family

What is the best thing you have read/watched/listened to recently?

Just finished Machines Like me, by Ian McEwan. I like all his books. Pathogenesis: A history of the world in eight plagues by Jonathan Kennedy. Big Thief at the Hollywood Bowl.

Describe yourself in five words

thoughtful, spontaneous, silent, loud, contradictory

Is there anything about you that others would be surprised to know?

When I was an undergrad, our girl gang had a skateboard designed for us called the Las Caprichas deck by some of our pals at Powell Peralta. A tattoo on my arm also commemorates this time.

What are you most proud of?

surviving with joy

Name: Rachel Martinez

Title: Health Sciences Librarian 

Institution: University of Arizona College of Medicine, Phoenix, AZ

Brief description of what you do at your institution

I work with a team of folks to support the academic and research initiatives at the University of Arizona's College of Medicine Phoenix

Why is MLGSCA important to you?

As someone who is new to health sciences librarianship, MLGSCA is a source of key resources that I use to be successful in my career. These resources come in the form of knowledgeable professionals, and opportunities for growth. I'm so grateful to this group!

Why did you become a librarian?

When I was an undergrad, I was determined to go to medical school - never mind that I was an average student in my hard science lecture classes. But I really excelled in the laboratory sections and thought to myself "Everything will fall into place once I'm in a REAL lab." Well, it kind of did. The summer between my junior and senior years, I got the opportunity to be a lab assistant for a toxicology lab. After one of the grad students showed me how to extract a rat brain from its skull, I almost passed out. As I was recovering from my episode outside on a bench underneath a huge mesquite tree, I was internally freaking out. All my academic and career efforts felt for naught and I did not know what to do. Later in the week, I met someone in the outreach division of the college I was in and told her what had happened. She casually said, "You should talk to one of the librarians." And that's how it all got started! After meeting with one of the pharmacy librarians, I felt like this was the path I needed to take!

What was your first library job or professional position?

I was a library page at University of Arizona's Special Collections

What is your advice to someone new to medical librarianship?

You mean what's my advice to myself? LOL. I suppose it's "Don't get overwhelmed". There's always new stuff to learn, and it's impossible to know it all right off the bat!

What has been the most interesting project you have worked on?

When I was an undergrad, I worked on a preliminary "scoping" review (it's not published) on the effects MDMA has on the neuroplasticity of the rat brain. I think that project is really what set my career into motion - it made me realize how important sharing findings is in the scientific community. Collaboration is what moves us forward as a society.

What do you consider to be the most pressing issues or trends in librarianship?

Oh gosh, there's so many. But I think that the most pressing issues are the use of AI and LLMs in research in general. Not just their impact on the publishing landscape, but how they impact critical thinking, how they influence behavior, and how they negatively impact the environment.

What is something you have on your bucket list?

I really want to visit the Black Forest in Germany. When I was very small, my mom invested in an Encyclopedia Britannica set and I remember a picture of the Black Forest under the "Germany" entry, and it just intrigued me so much.

What do you do in your spare time for fun, or to relax?

I hang out with my little cowboy corgi/chihuahua, Mylo. I also like to hang out with my friends at a climbing gym (I'm not any good at climbing), and I also do weightlifting.

What is the best thing you have read/watched/listened to recently?

I recently re-read "Obama - From Promise to Power", and it was a page-turner for various reasons.

Describe yourself in five words

Jovial, hard-working, supportive, versatile, funny

Is there anything about you that others would be surprised to know?

I love me some Real Housewives of [insert city], especially the earlier seasons!

What are you most proud of?

I'm proud of overcoming several different adversities over the years. I have gone from surviving to thriving, and that is no small feat! Heck yeah. Go me!

In celebration of Medical Librarians Month, MLGSCA held October socials in Newport Beach, Phoenix, and for the first time in a while, Tucson!

The Phoenix social, held on October 8^th, featured a tour of the Creighton University Phoenix campus, followed by happy hour at the nearby bar, the Green Woodpecker.

Pictured (left to right): Kevin Pardon, David Bickford, Laura Barkema, CJ Garcia, Karina Keltcher, Mari Murillo, and Rachel Martinez

The Tucson social, held on October 16^th, was held at Trident Pizza Pub, featuring 7 of our Tucson-based colleagues!

Pictured (left to right): Angela Murrell, Sarah Tillery and Ken Tillery, Jean McClelland, Annabelle Nuñez.

Pictured (left to right): Jean McClelland, Annabelle Nuñez, and Elizabeth Kline. Not pictured, by taking the photos was Niamh Wallace.

The Newport Beach social, also held on October 16^th, began with a guided tour of the Newport Beach Public Library, followed by happy hour at Muldoon’s Irish Pub.

Photo collections of the history of Newport Beach are featured throughout the library.

A small book collection on the history of Newport Beach is a nice supplement to the photos.

As you can see, our California-based colleagues had a great time touring this beautiful library, located just across the street from the ocean!

Fun fact: Does the “Newport Beach Public Library” sign in this photo look like it’s bent? That’s on purpose! The designers created it to look like an open book! :- O

Pictured (left to right): Andrea Harrow, Danielle Linden, Ivan Portillo, Becca Gates, and Jennifer Silverman

We hope to see you at one of our future events!

Have you ever thought, “How hard could it be to run a book club?” Spoiler: it’s not hard—but it is unpredictable at times and surprisingly fulfilling.

Check out Emily Zimmermann's Confessions of a First-Time Book Club Host: 5 Things I learned from My First 2.5 Book Clubs.  

Running a book club is equal parts organization, empathy, and improvisation. I’ve made mistakes, learned from them, and discovered how deeply a shared story can connect a campus. If you’re thinking about starting your own—just do it! Bring the snacks, embrace the awkward silences, and remember perfection isn’t the goal: connection is.

We would love to hear about your experiences with book clubs! Please comment below this post!

Also, we want to hear about how you are fostering Community and Belonging at your library. Please feel free to share your story with the MLGSCA Community and Belonging Task Force via this link: https://forms.gle/aFKEpwt5btTuX4L77

I would like to share our 2025-2026 MLGSCA mid-year report to MLA with you all.

Executive summary

• 2025 MLGSCA Annual Meeting and Virtual Spring Symposium was held June 5, 2025.
• NCN/MLGSCA Joint Meeting planned for January 16-18, 2026 at the Palace Station Casino in Las Vegas, NV.
• Research Grant award revision and promotion led to three applications in September 2025, the first applications in a very long time.
• Governmental relations and bylaws committee created resources for members to share their opinions with their elected representatives at the federal, and California and Arizona state levels.
• The DEI-A Task Force changed its name to Community and Belonging and joined its mission to the Professional Issues Committee which oversees recruitment and retention initiatives.
• Finance committee will present financial sustainability findings and recommendations.

How have your initiatives or activities fostered community or belonging?

• 2025-26 Strategic Plan encourages greater communication with members through the Blog and GoogleGroup listserv.
• We will be hosting three social events on October 16 in Newport Beach, CA; Phoenix, and Tucson, AZ.
• Early planning has started for the December holiday social events.
• CE committee initiated a book club in September to read and discuss “Stolen Focus,” by Johann Hari.

Reminders:

Plan to attend the MLGSCA/NCNMLG 2026 Joint Meeting on January 16–18, 2026, at the Palace Station Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada, All In: Betting on the Future of Medical Libraries. The call for submissions closes in a couple weeks. Do you have an idea for an abstract but need some encouragement to get it done? Reach out to me though the MLGSCA Directory for some friendly guidance.

Are you looking to advance your education, grow professionally, or pursue research in health sciences librarianship? MLA offers a wide range of grants and scholarships designed to support your goals—whether you're a student, early-career librarian, or seasoned professional. You have until November 15th to submit an application.

And, it’s time to nominate deserving colleagues for MLA Awards. You have until November 15th to submit a nomination. Get started by visiting the MLA Awards and Honors page on MLANET. 

https://www.mlanet.org/professional-development/awards-honors/

MLGSCA committee meetings offer forums for learning and discussion. Please join when you can! A synopsis of the Events Calendar and upcoming deadlines are below.

Monday, Oct 20 @ 10:00 AM PT/AZ (3rd Monday of the month)	CE/Program Committee
Thursday, Oct 24 @ 11:00 AM PT/AZ	Research Chats
Tuesday, Nov 4 @ 10:00 AM PT/11:00 AM AZ (1st Tuesday of the month)	Professional Issues Committee
Thursday, Nov 6 @10:00 AM PT/11:00 AM AZ (1st Thursday of the month)	Advisory Council
Tuesday, Nov 11 @ 10:00 AM PT/11:00 AM AZ (Bi-monthly, 2nd Tuesday)	Web/Blog/Connections Committee
Wednesday, Nov 12 @ 2:00 PM PT/AZ (2nd Wednesday of the month)	Membership committee

Thank you,

Andrea

Name, title, and institution

Hal Bright, University Library Director, A.T. Still University, Mesa, AZ 

 

Brief description of what you do at your institution

I am the director of a library with a team of 12 staff across three campuses in Missouri, Arizona and California. ATSU is the founding school of osteopathy (DO) and we have 7 schools offering masters and doctoral level health sciences degrees. I am the liaison to our Arizona dental school and our California PA program. ATSU is looking a BS degrees in two of our locations as well as growth in other health disciplines.

Why is MLGSCA important to you?

MLGSCA is my local community of practice that educated me on how to be a health sciences librarian. I came from a 15 year public library background and was well out of my element when starting at ATSU. MLGSCA member's were mentors and excellent sources of knowledge as I developed my own skill set.

Why did you become a librarian?

I put myself through school working in the Phoenix Library system and felt very comfortable and fulfilled in this work.

What was your first library job or professional position?

I was a bilingual librarian for the New Haven Free Public Librarian in New Haven, CT.

What has been the most interesting project you have worked on?

As an ERL, I designed an app (which ultimately failed due to technology constraints) for student to access our library resources during clinical rotations. It was a challenging and fun project.

What is something you have on your bucket list?

Go to Hawaii with my family or go to Rome with my wife.

What is the best thing you have read/watched/listened to recently?

The Residence on Netflix

Describe yourself in five words

I am very curious, squirrel!

Happy Autumn All! Here in Southern California, our seasons are a little different but I love the reminder of the earth’s rotation and tilt. It feels good to me to ponder the physics of the universe and how science shapes us. And, the autumn equinox is also my wedding anniversary! There are many reasons to love this time of year. I am sure many have been busy welcoming new students and residents, and rolling with the ever-present changes occurring in hospital, academic and other health science organizations and libraries. I am ever grateful to our members who volunteer their time to join and facilitate committee work, conferences, chats, and professional development opportunities. We do our best to include everyone. If you would like to get more involved, please reach out to me or any other MLGSCA member. The more, the merrier!

I am super-excited to see that the MLGSCA/NCNMLG 2026 Joint Meeting is ramping up, with registration and call for abstracts now open! All In: Betting on the Future of Medical Libraries is January 16–18, 2026, at the Palace Station Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada, and promises three days of learning, collaboration, and inspiration.

The meeting starts on Friday, January 16, 2026, with continuing education courses, “Cultural Humility in Libraries” with Shannon D. Jones and Beverly Murphy, and “The Joy of Project Management!” with Janet Crum and Elisa Cortez. Other programming will begin on Saturday, January 17 and run through Sunday, January 18 -- paper presentations, posters, lightning talks, immersion sessions and an all-meeting roundtable will offer a forum for sharing ideas and sparking meaningful dialogue about the evolving role of medical libraries.

Registration includes breakfast and lunch on Saturday and Sunday, plus a Friday snack break during CE sessions. Early bird registration is open through December 5, 2025.

Mark your calendar, prepare your proposal, and get ready to go All In for the future of medical libraries!

Additionally, the ongoing committee meetings offer forums for learning and discussion. Please join when you can! A synopsis of the Events Calendar and upcoming deadlines are below.

SEPTEMBER

Friday, Sep 26 @ 11:00 AM PT/AZ (4th Friday of the month)	Research Chat: Writing a Grant Proposal and Developing a Budget
Friday, Sep 26 @ 12:00 PM PT/AZ (4th Friday of the month)	September Book Club: Stolen Focus
Tuesday, Sep 30 @ Midnight	MLGSCA Research grant proposal deadline

OCTOBER

Thursday, Oct 2 (1st Thursday of the month)	Advisory Council
Wednesday, Oct 8 @ 2:00 PM PT/AZ (2nd Wednesday of the month)	Membership committee
Friday, Oct 17 @ 9:00 AM PT/AZ (2nd Friday of the month)	Coffee Chats
Monday, Oct 20 @ 10:00 AM PT/AZ (3rd Monday of the month)	CE/Program Committee
Thursday, Oct 24 @ 11:00 AM PT/AZ	Research Chats