MLGSCA Blog & Newsletter

Congratulations to our Research Stars

Adorée Hatton Makusztak — Thu, 11 Jun 2026 19:18:45 GMT

Congratulations to Laura Barkema, Harold S. Bright IV, & Dot Winslow, A.T. Still University. Their poster won 1^st Place in the MLA 2026 Annual Meeting Research Awards: “Beyond the Desk: Using Targeted Email Campaigns to Boost Student Engagement and Success in Clinical Rotations.”

And WOW! to our members who are participants in the 2026 MLA Research Training Institute: Adorée Makusztak and Vana Chalian.

Congratulations (again) you all!!!

Andrea Harrow - MLGSCA President

NCNMLG Proposal to Merge with MLGSCA

Adorée Hatton Makusztak — Thu, 04 Jun 2026 21:02:56 GMT

California, Arizona, and Nevada share much in common: rural vs urban divides, health issues, and geographical features like deserts. It also fair to say that many chapter members have seen their work responsibilities increased, which can make it challenging to volunteer time when carrying a heavy workload.

Merging NCNMLG and MLGSCA as a single MLA chapter would build upon a shared history, similar missions, and geographical borders. A unified chapter would reduce duplication, improve member experience, increase the impact of professional support and development, and position the region for long‑term resilience.

Shared History

Collaboration between NCNMLG and MLGSCA goes back more than 75 years, with the first joint meeting in 1950. As individual chapters, MLGSCA began meeting formally in 1948, later expanding to include Arizona in 1975. Northern California librarians organized as early as 1947, and officially joined together in 1948 under the name of MSS Northern California. The name was changed in 1978 when the Nevada Medical Library merged with MSS Northern California, becoming the Northern California and Nevada Medical Library Group.

Current Status of NCNMLG

NCNMLG is in a solid financial position with a membership that has held steady at around 101–112 members since 2020, with 108 members in 2026. In comparison, MLSSCA has an average of around 140 members, with about 25 active leaders and probably 20 other individuals participating as regular committee members (per Andrea Harrow).

The majority of non-emeritus NCNMLG members are in academia, but the chapter's geographic region includes only 10 medical schools in comparison to the 16 medical schools in MLGSCA's geographic region.

Only 42 NCNMLG members as of February 17, 2026 are currently active, yet the chapter maintains 22 elected and non-elected committee positions. A small, core group of members has consistently participated, but it has led to burnout and made it increasingly difficult to fill volunteer roles, sustain committees, and provide value for members.

Benefits to Merging NCNMLG and MLGSCA

A merger would allow both groups to:

Spread responsibilities across a larger, more stable base
Combine leadership pools and reduce repeated vacancies
Support stronger, more consistent programming and awards

Next Steps

1. Develop a petition to merge existing chapters that should include at a minimum:

The proposed name of the merged chapter

The reasoning for the merger

Voting results from each chapter

Discussion of how funds and officer positions will be transitioned.

2. Obtain a majority vote of the current membership of each chapter supporting the merger.

3. Send the petition to the Chapter Council Chair. Create an ad hoc committee of the Chapter Council Members (from non-impacted chapters) to review the petition and make recommendations for approval or disapproval to the Board of Directors.

MLGSCA Social Report: Freedom Plane National Tour

Dot Winslow — Wed, 06 May 2026 18:53:58 GMT

On Thursday, April 30^th, three MLGSCA members and two MLIS students braved LA rush hour traffic and visited the Freedom Plane National Tour exhibit at USC’s Fisher Museum of Art.

“Freedom Plane” is a National Archives traveling exhibition bringing nine original Founding-era documents to eight U.S. cities in commemoration of America’s 250th anniversary. The Fisher Museum of Art at the University of Southern California (USC) is the only location in California to host this exhibit.

Some of the unique archives on display included an engraving of the Declaration of Independence from 1823, a copy of the Articles of Association from 1774 (a precursor to the Declaration of Independence), and the Treaty of Paris (the treaty that ended the Revolutionary War). With such interesting documents on display, we had to go in for a closer look.

After all that learning it was time to unwind. We headed over to the USC Village for some happy hour fun at Rock & Reilly’s. Although we were a small group, it was a great Thursday evening. By the end of the day we were so inspired by the revolutionary spirit, we just had to say FIGHT ON!

-Jennifer Silverman

MLGSCA Membership Committee Member

I Am MLGSCA: David Bickford

Dot Winslow — Fri, 01 May 2026 21:18:56 GMT

This month's feature is David Bickford, MLGSCA's incoming President:

Title: Director

Institution: Arizona Health Sciences Library Phoenix, University of Arizona, Phoenix AZ

Brief description of what you do at your institution:

I lead a team providing library resources and services to health sciences students at two institutions sharing a campus, the University of Arizona and Northern Arizona University.

Why is MLGSCA important to you?

MLGSCA provides a middle level of optimal size. It's large enough to have the critical mass to be a viable organization with ample opportunity for involvement but small enough that a newcomer can quickly become involved and make a meaningful contribution.

Why did you become a librarian?

I worked in a library during college and found the environment, as well as the emerging technologies that were changing it, interesting.

What was your first library job or professional position?

Page/clerk in public library of the small town where I grew up.

What is your advice to someone new to medical librarianship?

Try to learn medical terminology as quickly as possible but don't be intimidated by it. It's okay to ask questions of colleagues and even clients.

What is something you have on your bucket list?

Travel to Australia to see the total solar eclipse in July 2028

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

hiking, bicycling, reading, cooking, movies, going to see live music and theater

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

"The Stranger," the new film adaptation of Albert Camus' classic novel

MLGSCA ANNUAL REPORT: 2025-2026

Adorée Hatton Makusztak — Fri, 10 Apr 2026 15:43:53 GMT

The following report was submitted to MLA.

Who we are:

A chapter of the Medical Library Association serving all of Arizona and southern California (all Southern and 5 Central counties)
~ 115 health science librarians and information professionals

What we do:

Facilitate collaboration among health sciences librarians and their communities
Encourage library resource discovery and service innovation
Promote professional development opportunities for members
Foster a sense of community, belonging, and inclusion in our members

Executive summary

2026 MLGSCA/NCNMLG Joint Meeting in Las Vegas offered members the opportunity to connect in-person, collaborate, teach and learn from each other
2025 General membership meeting & Virtual Summer Symposium also gave members the opportunity to present and learn from each other
Membership committee scheduled in-person meet-ups, parties and tours which also attracted student members; Professional issues committee facilitated our Buddy and Mentor programs
Research and coffee chats connected members to discuss timely topics
Finance committee assessed chapter financial health, compared to four other surveyed chapters, developed recommendations
2024-2025 fiscal end-of-year Q1 Location of Assets reports show an increase of 12K

Fostering Community Building or Belonging - Share fairness, representation, and belonging related initiatives or activities in the last 12 months.

Our Membership committee scheduled in-person meet-ups, parties and tours which also attracted student members
Our Community & Belonging Task Force (renamed from DEI-A TF, established 2023) was incorporated into the Professional Issues Committee
Most regular meetings were virtual to allow equitable access
Our CE committee scheduled, “Leveraging AI Tools to Summarize Research Articles,” and “Cultural Humility in Libraries” for free to all members
Our Professional Issues Committee facilitated our buddy and mentorship programs
MLGSCA blog posts introduced our members and highlighted their work to the wider community

Strategic Plan – List the latest goals, strategies, and status of specific objectives. If possible, include dates, metrics, and schedules.

Review Chapter finances and fiscal management for any needed improvements
The Finance Committee met several times to review income and expenditures , and make recommendations
Determined that the chapter is in a strong financial position with increased revenue from money market and underspending budget
Evaluating opportunities for increasing support of members’ professional development
Increase membership participation and encourage more members to volunteer for committees and run for elected offices.
In-person meet-ups encouraged community building
Continued to schedule, open-to-all, monthly committee meetings.
Buddy and mentorship programs, veteran chapter members were paired with newer members to orient and encourage participation in the chapter
Promote professional development opportunities for members.
2026 Joint Meeting with NCNMLG in Las Vegas, NV, see below
2025 General membership meeting/Virtual Summer Symposium was held Jun 5
Continued the Buddy and Mentorship programs into 2026
Scheduled or sponsored two, free, virtual CE opportunities for ~75 registrants

MLA Strategic Plan (Leadership at All Levels, Artificial Intelligence Imperative)

2025 President-elect (appointed due to vacated position) library staff member Dot Winslow exceeded expectations with engaging coffee chats, is now a Membership committee Co-chair, and was accepted to begin an MLS program starting Autumn 2026.
Fall CE November 11, 2025 “Leveraging AI Tools to Summarize Research Articles,” free to members, 49 attendees. MLA CE: 1.0

Facts and Data - List key events held, items published, resources created, or other data.

2026 MLGSCA/NCNMLG Joint Meeting (Jan 16-18) Las Vegas, NV
70+ attendees, 14 vendors, nominal profit shared by two chapters
2025 Annual Meeting of the General Membership / Virtual Symposium (2025, Jun 5):
General membership meeting was held in the morning, Virtual Summer Symposium followed in the afternoon

AHIP Credentialing Liaison:

47 MLGSCA members have AHIP certification, 8 are Provisional
First-time AHIP application fee awarded to one member

Archives Committee:

Ongoing, multi-year MLGSCA archives project to digitize chapter meeting documents
A finding aid was created for materials held at UCLA, space is needed for an additional five linear feet of print archives currently stored at St. Joseph Hospital, Orange, CA

Awards Committee:

Chair role passed from David Bickford to Antonia Osuna-Garcia.
No applications for awards received in 2025-2026.

Professional Issues Committee’s Buddy / Mentorship Program:

Meetings were held between March and June via Zoom.
Six new member buddies were paired in 2025, four in 2024
Ten mentor/mentees matched in 2026 (12 in 2023, four in 2024, five in 2025)
Coffee Chats (convened by our President-elect):
Monthly coffee chats, average attendance of 11 persons per event
Informal, unrecorded conversations among members

CEs and Webinars:

Book club October 3, 2025, “Stolen Focus” by Johann Hari
Fall CE November 11, 2025 “Leveraging AI Tools to Summarize Research Articles,” 49 attendees. MLA CE: 1.0
April 23, 2026 Xan Goodman presenting, “Cultural Humility in Libraries.” MLA CE: 1.5

Finance Committee:

Conducted a financial review to better determine organization’s financial health and developed recommendations to ensure financial stability
Surveyed other chapters to learn about their perceived financial health
Presented findings of survey and financial review at the MLGSCA/NCNMLG Joint Meeting

Membership Committee Activities:

Monthly, I am MLGSCA blog posts featured five members, other blog posts were also contributed by members
Seven social events were scheduled: Phoenix-3, Tucson-1, SoCal-2, Las Vegas-1 at Joint Conference
Identified health sciences libraries within the chapter area for future outreach and promotion
Collaborated with Professional Issues committee to promote mentorship and encourage membership, especially student members

Research Chats:

9/26/2025: “Grant applications”, 8 attendees
2/27/2026: “RTI Experience”, 11 attendees
Three research grant applications were awarded in 2025

Leadership Roster

President: Andrea Harrow
President Elect: David Bickford
Immediate Past-President: Angela Murrell
Secretary: Victoria Caine
Treasurer: Carrie Cullen
Chapter Council Representative: Elisa Cortez
Chapter Council Representative Alternate: Andrea Lynch
Nominating Committee: Rebecca Birr, Victoria Flores, Karina Kletscher, Ivan Portillo

Committee Chairs:

Archives: Danielle Linden
Awards: Antonia Osuna-Garcia
Continuing Education/Program: Angela Murrell & Deb Farber
Finance: Kevin Pardon
Governmental Relations/Bylaws: Amy Chatfield
Internal Auditor: Jennifer Silverman
Membership: CJ Garcia and Dot Winslow
MLA Credentialing Liaison (AHIP): Beth Autin
MLGSCA Mailbox: Rikke Owaga
MLGSCA/NCNMLG 2026 Joint Meeting: Angela Murrell
Professional Issues: Judy Kraemer, Victoria Flores, Adele Dobry, Emily (Zimmerman) Raus
Research Committee Chair: Amy Nadell
Web/Blog: Adorée Makusztak

People Update

Chapter Election results for 2025-2026 Term:

President-Elect: Victoria Caine
Secretary: Melissa Wagner
Nominating Committee: Danielle Linden, CJ Garcia
Nominee to MLA Nominating Committee: Hal Bright

Continuing Officers:

President: David Bickford
Past President: Andrea Harrow
Treasurer: Carrie Cullen
Nominating Committee: Rebecca Birr, Victoria Flores
Nominee to MLA Nominating Committee: Hal Bright
MLA Chapter Council Representative: Elisa Cortez
MLA Chapter Council Alternative: Andrea Lynch

Respectfully Submitted,

Andrea Harrow, MLGSCA President, 2025-2026

Congratulations to MLA Award Winners

Adorée Hatton Makusztak — Fri, 10 Apr 2026 15:25:01 GMT

We want to extend our congratulations to the following MLGSCA members!

Rikka Ogawa - Proven Leaders MLA Fellowship
Andrea Harrow - Continuing Education Grant
Hannah Schilperoort - Annual Conference Travel Grant

I Am MLGSCA: Danielle Linden

Dot Winslow — Wed, 01 Apr 2026 23:09:49 GMT

Name: Danielle Linden

Title: Medical Librarian

Institution: Providence St. Joseph Hospital Orange, CA

Brief description of what you do at your institution:

I work with a team of library professionals at Providence, providing service to health care professionals across 7 US states. My day to day work includes literature review, technical services, instruction, some article delivery.

Why is MLGSCA important to you?

Very shortly after becoming a professional librarian I joined MLGSCA. I became active in the group, built relationships w/ peers and took advantage of continuing education opportunities. I credit where I am professionally to the connections I made through MLGSCA.

Why did you become a librarian?

While an undergraduate I worked at a bookstore, after graduation I thought 'what next?' A couple friends were in library school at the time and I thought I could do that too. Also when I was 6 I said I wanted to be a singer or a librarian, I'm not much of a singer.

What was your first library job or professional position?

My first professional job was for a document delivery vendor. I worked there for one year then was hired as a medical librarian at a county hospital in the South Bay.

What is your advice to someone new to medical librarianship?

Join MLA and your local MLA chapter, get active in the community and network with your peers. Take as many free continuing education opportunities as you can. Keep an open mind about where your career might take you.

What is something you have on your bucket list?

I'd love to do some traveling to Portugal and Mexico City but I'm a homebody!

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

I go dancing at the goth club as often as possible, my New Year's resolution the past 2 years was to dance more. I also see live bands every couple of months (more if lucky). I also love to shop at thrift stores, garden, and I enjoy the occasional margarita.

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

I saw Nine Inch Nails in concert this March, absolutely great sound and visuals. A beautiful performance.

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

I've run 8 marathons (slowly).

MLGSCA 2026 Candidates

Angela Murrell — Mon, 09 Mar 2026 18:31:18 GMT

Meet the slate of candidates for the MLGSCA 2026 Election!

The election will run March 9-23 via electronic ballot. Ballots will be sent out from Qualtrics to the primary email listed in WIldapricot on Monday, March 9, 2026. Ballots will be open until Monday, March 23 at 5 pm PT/MT.

You can log into Wildapricot and update your primary email prior to March 9, 9 am; or contact the Nominating Committee chair (angelamurrell@arizona.edu) if you do not receive your ballot by the end of the day March 9th.

President-Elect (3-year term)

Victoria Caine

I have been working in the role of health sciences librarian since January 2024 at the University of Arizona-Phoenix Biomedical Campus library. I am passionate about evidence synthesis, evidence-based medicine, data management, and bioinformatics. In my free time, I enjoy playing roller derby and spending time with my 2 pugs.

If elected president, I would help to continue the important work that MLGSCA is currently doing to support librarians in health sciences roles. The information landscape is rapidly changing with artificial intelligence (AI), as well as federal changes that affect evidence synthesis and research. MLGSCA is an accessible way to collaborate and streamline changing information to provide resources for all members, independent of where they are in their career.

MLGSCA Chapter Involvement:
- 2025-2026 Advisory Council Secretary
- 2024-2025 Membership Committee: Assisted the Membership Committee with composing the "I am MLGSCA" blog posts, planning socials, and creating recruitment materials.
- 2024-2025: Participation in the MLGSCA Buddy Program
Medical Library Association (MLA) Involvement:
- 2025-2026 Research Training Institute (RTI)
- 2024-2025 MLA Mentorship Program (Mentee)
- 2025 Systematic Review Services Specialization Level 1
- 2025 Data Services Specialization Level 1
Education:
- 2021 Master of Arts in Library and Information Science from the University of Arizona.
- 2015 Master of Arts in International Leadership and Community Development from Crown College

Secretary (1-year term):

Melissa Wagner

After earning my MLS from the University of Pittsburgh, I worked as an elementary school librarian and classroom teacher in Pittsburgh, PA for 11 years. While my children were young, I took a break from full-time employment and volunteered as a Girl Scout leader and for school and athletic organizations. I was also a part-time student teaching supervisor for Penn State.

In 2021, I returned to librarianship as a Library Associate at Mayo Clinic in the Patient Library, where I discovered my passion for Consumer Health services. As I grew into this role, I was promoted to Librarian in 2024.

Through MLGSCA’s mentoring program, I was encouraged by Andrea Harrow to join the Membership Committee in 2024. In 2025, I became a member of MLA, joined CAPHIS, and co-presented Lightning Talks at the national conference.

I continue to learn about medical librarianship from colleagues, MLA and NNLM courses. Taking on the role of Secretary for MLGSCA would allow me to serve an organization I am proud to be part of.

MLGSCA Nominating Committee (2 openings, 2-year term):

Danielle Linden

Danielle Linden, MLIS, AHIP is a medical librarian with Providence Health System. She works with a team of library professionals serving physicians and healthcare providers as well as students in the School of Health Professions at University of Providence. Danielle received her MLIS from San Jose State University, has been a hospital librarian and MLA member since 2005 and an AHIP member since 2006. She is active in her local MLA chapter, MLGSCA, and has held various roles including President, Chapter Council Chair, Secretary, Annual Joint Conference Tri-Chair, and is currently the Archives Committee Chair. Danielle has served on several MLA awards and annual conference juries as member and chair and was the Hospital Library Caucus secretary in 2024-25. She currently serves as MLA Awards Committee member. She is a member of the Hospital Library, Clinical Librarians & EBP, Leadership & Management, Nursing & Allied Health Resources & Services, Pediatric Librarians and Pharmacy & Drug Information caucuses.

CJ Garcia

CJ Garcia is a Health Sciences Librarian at Creighton University in Phoenix, AZ. He got his MLIS at the University of Arizona, alongside a Certificate in Instruction and Teaching for Librarians. He also holds a Level II SRSS and Level II DSS through the MLA. He has served as the co-chair of the MLGSCA membership committee for the past two years, and has been an active member since being an MLIS student. Outside of MLGSCA, he serves on various committees across RDAP, NASIG, and NISO.

Bringing Home What We Learned: AI Immersion Sessions at the 2026 Joint Meeting

Adorée Hatton Makusztak — Fri, 27 Feb 2026 16:48:23 GMT

By Carrie Fry, Nursing and Health Science Librarian, University of San Diego

As a new member of MLGSCA, joining just last year, I was delighted to attend the MLGSCA/NCNMLG Joint Meeting. I appreciated the opportunity to meet other members in person and was energized by being in community with you all. I had the pleasure of leading one of three immersion sessions, and I walked away with a renewed sense of pride in the creativity (and healthy AI skepticism) of our members.

Centering Human Values and Experience When Using AI

In my session, we moved beyond the “black box” nature of LLMs by focusing on priming the tools (using the personalization settings) to be more responsive to our values and professional context. Then by being more strategic in how we prompt and question AI tools we can move beyond generic outputs to responses that actually reflect our specific needs as health science librarians.

The Balancing Act: Upskilling vs. Deskilling

One of the highlights for me was hearing from Katie Hoskins and Katie Houk. As someone who keeps a wary eye on AI’s hallucination tendencies and its impact on information literacy, I was struck by their nuanced take on the student experience. We know that even though AI is prone to inaccuracies, students turn to it regularly. The Katies challenged us to look at upskilling and deskilling. For instance, if students use AI to find articles, are they losing the ability to identify keywords and perform searches for themselves? But what if we, as librarians, use AI to help compensate for that by creating an assignment where the student uses AI to build a PubMed search out of a PICO clinical question and evaluate that search string? In this way, use of the AI tool is integrated, but the assignment still maximizes critical thinking and research skills as work done by the student.

Playing Detective

Finally, Morgan Choate and Katie Jefferson turned us all into investigators. They led us on a hunt for the elusive hacker, “The Librarian” using a mix of real and GenAI- generated images and reports. I must admit, even as a skeptic, I was floored by how sophisticated AI imagery has become. Recognizing the real from the fake was no easy task. This only reinforces why our roles in information literacy are more vital than ever – and must include an understanding of GenAI.

If you want to learn more about any of these sessions, I recommend reaching out to the leaders of the immersion sessions. Also, I encourage each of you to consider leading a session in the future! We are all learning, and the immersion sessions are a place where we can play, fail, and learn together in a supportive space.

Phoenix Pinball Stardust Social

Dot Winslow — Mon, 23 Feb 2026 23:43:28 GMT

On February 19th, AZ MLGSCA members had fun discovering Stardust Pinbar’s covert entry door found within “Ziggy’s Magic Pizza Shop in Phoenix. The pizza received rave reviews and the pinball machine selection included themes from “Foo Fighters” to “Star Wars”. The group highly recommends this hidden gem!

Special thanks to Melissa Wagner for documenting this social.

What Happens in Vegas - Joint Meeting Socials!

Dot Winslow — Thu, 19 Feb 2026 21:04:23 GMT

Thanks to all who joined us for a night out at the Rockhouse Las Vegas on January 17^th. After a full day at the Joint Conference, more than 25 members show up to unwind and connect. And while seating was a little short and the volume a little loud, it was great to get to know our fellow attendees a little better!

Meanwhile at the Palace Station Brass Fork, 7 of us enjoyed a quiet dinner together, discussing our latest reads, family antics, and plans for our trips home. We also got to stand in line for a while to pay our bills, which helped us digest dinner.

The membership committee is busy planning spring socials in our respective cities, so keep an eye out on the MLGSCA google group email for updates. We look forward to seeing you there!

Notes from the President – Andrea Harrow

Adorée Hatton Makusztak — Fri, 23 Jan 2026 17:58:02 GMT

The recent NCN/MLGSCA Joint Meeting, All In: Betting on the Future of Medical Libraries held in the Palace Station Hotel and Casino, Las Vegas, NV was a success! I think we all came away with new and stronger relationships with our colleagues in the medical library and publishing worlds. We truly appreciate all the support that came from our vendors, we couldn’t have had an in-person meeting without you! Your support makes it possible. Nothing beats an in-person meeting for making our work and aspirations more real. It’s true that the virtual platform can be more inclusive and accessible, but a real-world hug and laugh are golden. It’s a commitment I hope we all agree to continue. I am proud to know you all, and tickled to meet new faces who I hope will become new friends and colleagues. You all help us to carry the torch of our chapter and mission to collaborate with our communities, encourage resource discovery and service innovation, promote professional development and foster a sense of community, belonging, and inclusion.

Janet Crum and Elisa Cortez did a stellar job in making The Joy of Project Management, our scheduled CE, well, manageable as they simplified the process into stages. Asking us to work together in small groups on a hands-on exercise really brought the steps to life.

Heather Holmes, our current MLA President, gave the opening plenary reporting about the hiring of our new MLA Executive Director, Katrina Holland, to replace Kevin Baliozian who is retiring (in about a week!) and who she credited for turning our association around, along with Kate Corcoran, also retiring! Heather gave Katrina a glowing recommendation and is excited to start working with her. Heather is also working on fixing our MLA caucus communication system, the return of the listservs! John Bramble and Caroline Martin from NNLM Regions 4 and 5, respectively, updated us with information about the past, very challenging, year of navigating unknowns and barriers to funding. We appreciated having the time to ask our questions and emphasize our support for this agency, doing the work that we pay them to do.

Our closing plenary speaker Emma Bloomfield, from the communication studies department at UNLV (and a former, fellow Trojan, Fight On!), gave us a new approach to consider in using story to tell science. Dr Bloomfield advocated for making science relatable, centering persons to tell our science stories. We can tell ours (and others) personal stories about what we see and know in regards to “difficult” topics such as vaccine hesitancy and climate change.

I learned so much from our lightning talks, posters, papers and immersion sessions, and was blown away by all the great work presented. If I could have been in two places at once, I would have attended everything! I applaud our conference co-chairs, Angela Murrell and Rachel Keiko Stark, and all of the committee chairs for making a wonderful opportunity for learning and networking, a reality. Thanks y’all!

Building the MLGSCA Slate of Officers

Angela Murrell — Tue, 06 Jan 2026 18:56:31 GMT

How does the Nominating Committee build the election slate? A peek behind the scenes!

Ever wonder how MLGSCA’s leadership slate comes together each year? We’re sharing the inside scoop! Read on to learn about the care and thought that goes into building a slate that represents our community.

What’s this committee anyway?

Each year’s Nominating Committee consists of one chair, two continuing members from the previous year, and two new members. This helps keep things fresh while maintaining continuity. Together, they help shape the future of Chapter leadership by preparing the annual slate of nominees for open officer positions and managing the election process.

When does this process start?

Building the election slate kicks off in the fall. The committee begins spreading the word through the listserv, the MLGSCA blog, and Advisory Council meetings to gather nominations and gauge interest from members who want to get more involved.

What happens next?

Developing the election slate is no small task! It involves:

Plenty of discussion among committee members
Reaching out to potential nominees who have either been nominated by peers or the Nominating Committee through their chapter engagement
Collecting self-nominations from interested members
Ensuring a balance – when possible, balancing representation from hospital and academic libraries and different areas of Arizona and California

The Yes! Moment

Once someone agrees to run, they complete a “Willingness to Run for Office” form. This confirms they’re ready to take on the role and provides information about the candidate for election announcements and the final ballot.

Final Steps

Before ballots go out, the Advisory Council approves the slate. This ensures careful consideration of community representation as well as balance of roles and terms candidates have served for equitable member opportunities. Then, it’s time for voting!

Thinking about running? Keep an eye out for calls or nominations – you might be just the person we’re looking for!

I Am MLGSCA: Stephen Clancy

Dot Winslow — Mon, 05 Jan 2026 17:53:36 GMT

Name: Stephen Clancy

Title: Research Librarian for Health Sciences and Nursing Science (retired)

Institution: Science Library, University of California, Irvine

Brief description of what you do at your institution

Research Librarian for Health Sciences and Nursing Science. I worked with both the Nursing and Medical Schools, helped them with research projects, taught occasional classes on literature searching skills. I was also the collection development librarian for the Nursing collection for my last decade or so. I participated in the electronic reference service "Ask a Librarian" via both email and virtual sessions with patrons from all over the country.

Why is MLGSCA important to you?

I loved belonging to MLGSCA as a way to connect with other colleagues, to learn from them, and to attend (though not as often as I would have liked) the local and joint meetings!

Why did you become a librarian?

As an undergrad, one of my Anthropology T.A.s told me about the profession of "Information Sciences." At the time I had no idea this involved librarianship. I applied to grad school at UC Berkeley for Anthropology and to UCLA for "Library and Information Sciences." Berkeley rejected and and UCLA accepted me! So glad they both did. It couldn't have worked out better!

What was your first library job or professional position?

My very first job in a library was as a grad student at UCLA in the UCLA Medical Center Anesthesiology Departmental library. I was responsible for keeping the collection in order, typing up catalog cards, etc. My first professional job after I graduated was as the Assistant Director (there were only two of us!) at the Kaiser Permanente hospital library in Bellflower, California.

What is your advice to someone new to medical librarianship?

Learn as much as you can about everything, attend every class offered by database providers, MLG, MLA, etc. Respect the non-professional staff you may work with, and get to know as many as you can. Be kind and helpful to patrons, but don't take any guff!

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

One of my most interesting projects was way back in the middle 80's when I developed and ran the dial-up Remote Bulletin Board System (RBBS) "Wellspring" in the UCI Biomedical Library which focused on medical information, and free software collections. I eventually had users from all over including the U.S. and other countries. This taught me tons about computer systems, software, communicating virtually, and so much more. What I learned from this led to creating a similar BBS for MLGSCA and eventually to designing a website for our Reference Department, and finally my own personal one.

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

Lack of support from the current federal government, censorship of books in (mostly public) by conservative political groups and related legislation .

What is something you have on your bucket list?

Visit Ireland (my heritage) and New Zealand, re-learn to ride my unicycle again!

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

Watch old classic movies & TV shows, collect and listen to classic rock and more current indie musicians and singers, raising my cacti and carnivorous plants, weekly Zoom sessions with our grandson to watch TV shows (currently Highlander) or movies, and catalog my DVD/Blu-Ray/VHS collection (once a librarian, always a librarian).

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

TV Shows: "China Beach" and "Star Trek: Lower Decks." Movies: "Tank Girl." Book: "I Am Not Spock" by Leonard Nimoy.

Describe yourself in five words

Weird, funny, sci-fi nerd, father/grandfather, kind

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

For years I rode a unicycle to work at UCI.

What are you most proud of?

My family.

Nominations being accepted for MLGSCA Officer Positions

Angela Murrell — Fri, 12 Dec 2025 16:07:31 GMT

Join the Chapter Leadership Team! Open Officer Positions Now Available

Are you ready to take your professional involvement to the next level and help shape the future of MLGSCA? We’re excited to announce open officer positions on the Advisory Council (AC), and we encourage passionate and dedicated members like you to apply!

Below, you’ll find a brief overview of each position’s responsibilities. If you’re interested in any of these positions, reach out to the Nominating Chair to learn more or submit your nomination today!

Send nominations or self-nominations to the Nominating Committee chair, Angela at angelamurrell@arizona.edu by Feb 13, 2026.

Becoming a Chapter officer is a unique opportunity to:

Learn more about MLGSCA while directly giving back to strategic operations
Develop your leadership skills.
Build lasting connections with other librarians in our region

Open Positions:

President-Elect (3-year term)

Prepare to lead while playing a vital role in MLGSCA’s strategic affairs. This individual assists the President in planning and organizing programs, including monthly Coffee Chats, and supports Chapter initiatives outlined in the Bylaws. Additionally, they act as President in their absence and take on special projects as assigned by the AC.

Secretary (1-year term)

Help keep MLGSCA organized and informed! This position is a great entry position for new librarians and/or new MLGSCA members. The Secretary notifies members of Business and Advisory Council (AC) meetings, records and distributes meeting minutes, and publishes an annual list of committee chairs and members. They may take on special projects as assigned by the AC.

Treasurer (2-year term)

The Treasurer is responsible for managing and safeguarding the chapter’s finances. Their duties include receiving and accounting for all funds, preparing quarterly financial reports, and serving as an ex-officio member of the Finance Committee. They also coordinate finances for the 2026 Joint Meeting, ensuring smooth financial planning for the event.

MLGSCA Nominating Committee (2-year term) 2 positions

Membership annually elects two representatives to join the Nominating Committee. They help shape the future of Chapter leadership by preparing the annual slate of nominees for open officer positions, managing the election process, and recommending a Voting Member for the MLA Nominating Committee.

Send nominations or self-nominations to the Nominating Committee chair, Angela at angelamurrell@arizona.edu by Feb 13, 2026.

Testing Blog via email

Adorée Hatton Makusztak — Fri, 05 Dec 2025 17:13:14 GMT

Good morning,

Can you please let me know if you receive this blog post via email? We've had some issues with the blog subscription widget, so I'm doing some troubleshooting.

Thanks!

Adorée Makusztak (amakusztak@llu.edu)

In Memoriam: David Keddle

Adorée Hatton Makusztak — Wed, 03 Dec 2025 17:44:06 GMT

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

I Am MLGSCA: Andrea Harrow

Dot Winslow — Mon, 01 Dec 2025 20:53:16 GMT

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

I Am MLGSCA: Rachel Martinez

Dot Winslow — Mon, 03 Nov 2025 19:21:43 GMT

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!

MLGSCA October Socials

CJ Garcia — Fri, 31 Oct 2025 19:50:04 GMT

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!

Post from the Community and Belonging Task Force

Adorée Hatton Makusztak — Tue, 28 Oct 2025 18:00:27 GMT

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

Notes from the President - Andrea Harrow

Adorée Hatton Makusztak — Wed, 22 Oct 2025 17:35:04 GMT

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 (3^rd 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 (1^st 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, 2^nd Tuesday)	Web/Blog/Connections Committee
Wednesday, Nov 12 @ 2:00 PM PT/AZ (2^nd Wednesday of the month)	Membership committee

Thank you,

Andrea

I Am MLGSCA: Hal Bright

Dot Winslow — Mon, 13 Oct 2025 20:32:50 GMT

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!

Notes from the President - Andrea Harrow

Adorée Hatton Makusztak — Tue, 23 Sep 2025 17:00:00 GMT

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

(4^th Friday of the month)

Research Chat: Writing a Grant Proposal and Developing a Budget

Friday, Sep 26 @ 12:00 PM PT/AZ

(4^th Friday of the month)

September Book Club: Stolen Focus

Tuesday, Sep 30 @ Midnight

MLGSCA Research grant proposal deadline

OCTOBER

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

I Am MLGSCA: Carrie Fry

Dot Winslow — Wed, 17 Sep 2025 19:20:45 GMT

Name: Carrie Fry

Position: Nursing and Health Science Librarian

Institution: University of San Diego

Brief description of what you do at your institution

I am an embedded librarian for the Hahn School of Nursing. My office is in the nursing building, rather than the library, and I support around five graduate programs in nursing and health science. I work with students and faculty individually and in the classroom setting, and support in-person, online, and hybrid programs.

Why is MLGSCA important to you?

In January, I moved to California (from Seattle) into a tenure track position after 27 years as an academic librarian supporting all sciences (including nursing) and where research was encouraged, but optional. I knew that I would need support in finding my footing related to research and supporting more graduate-level health science programs. Seeking out the local medical library group was at the top of my to-do list when starting my new position. The Coffee Chats in particular have been a way to get to know people!

Why did you become a librarian?

I wanted to be a librarian as long as I can remember. When I was a kid going to the local public library, I thought the children's librarian there knew everything and had read every book. She should take me around the collection pulling books she thought I would like off the shelf and telling me about them. When I graduated from high-school, I briefly considered other options which lead me to major in biology, but by my junior year in college, I knew I wanted a library degree and when straight to library school from undergrad. My jobs have been quite different from that of a public library children's librarian. But I like to think I bring that same enthusiasm to getting people connected up with the information they need.

What was your first library job or professional position?

It took some networking to get that first job! There was a mini-recession the year I graduated and no one was hiring, or there would be over 100 applicants for the positions I applied to. I got started by volunteering at the University of Washington Health Sciences Library, which turned into a temporary librarian job there, then thanks to networking at the Pacific Northwest Chapter of MLA, I got a part-time position at Auburn Regional Medical Center, which parlayed into a full-time position at Sacred Heart Medical Center in Spokane, WA.

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

I was part of the development of the Research, Reading, & Writing Studio at Seattle Pacific University. It was a partnership between the library and the writing program to make a space in the library where students could work on their writing craft. If you think about an art studio, people are there working on art and an expert comes alongside them and offers specific support - What if you add some shading like this? - this immediate and in-the-moment support lets the novice experiment, practice, and get back to their work. By contrast, in a writing tutoring appointment, the writer has to think of all of their questions beforehand, get help, then remember the suggestions when they get back to writing later. In the studio model, they are writing in a communal space, getting help at the point of need, and immediately get back to writing. In developing the space at SPU, we observed another writing studio in action, gave training to librarians in the use this method, and were able to implement this training along side student writing tutors. Being part of this project really changed my thinking regarding how research and reading, as part of writing support, is provided in libraries. Prior to this I had artificial boundaries, I will help you with finding information and in citing it correctly, but you are on your own when implementing this evidence in your paper. Now I am willing to offer support at any part of the paper, while still highlighting my skills around the research aspects.

What is something you have on your bucket list?

I just punched off a bucket list item recently. My favorite stuffed animal growing up was a koala and I always wanted to see one. I had been thinking to go to Australia some day, but discovered some live at the San Diego Zoo and I went to see them in June. Then I went to the San Diego Safari Park and saw a platypus as well! But I am sure there are other things to see in Australia!

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

I love fiber arts. I think I have tried about everything, crochet, spinning, weaving, felting. But I most enjoy knitting and quilting. I will knit about anywhere, I always have a small project in my bag and will pull it out when waiting or in meetings. I can listen better when my hands are busy.

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

I love audio drama podcasts. I'm in a bit of a lull right now, so you have any suggestions, let me know. Here are a few of my favorites: Absolutely No Adventures, Alba Salix: Royal Physician, The Amelia Project, Elaine's Cooking for the Soul, Greater Boston, and Unwell, Victoriosity, and We Fix Space Junk.

Building Belonging: Advancing Representation and Belonging in MLGSCA

Adorée Hatton Makusztak — Thu, 26 Jun 2025 20:10:25 GMT

Today, it is crucial to highlight the important efforts to foster belonging in health sciences libraries, particularly within the Medical Library Group of Southern California and Arizona. These libraries are making great strides in fostering inclusive, accessible spaces, and we hope this page sparks positive discussions that further advance community-building initiatives in our community.

Introducing a project by Dot Winslow!

Dot Winslow (They/She)
Library Assistant
A.T. Still University

Dot is on the MLGSCA Membership committee and has been standing in as Interim President-Elect to run the monthly coffee chats. Dot’s library supports up to 5,000 patrons at the library on ATSU’s California campus location. There is a sparse physical collection of books and models in addition to an extensive digital collection. Primary patrons are Central Coast Physician Assistant students and faculty members. Their informational needs include general reference, literature, and scoping review guidance, and database assistance. On the ATSU California campus, Dot won the NNLM Collection Equity Award in 2023 (renamed the Collection Development Award) and completed the collection in December 2024.

Poster.png

“The award was designed to support collection development that amplifies diverse voices writing on health/medical topics. In the application, I explained what I planned to do with the award, which targeted populations would be supported through this work, the demographics of the targeted population, and an explanation of need. The initial books were selected by our Central Coast Physician Assistant inaugural cohort 2023. Subsequent titles were suggested by faculty, staff, and CCPA CO2024, 2025, and 2026. Assistant University Library Director Maud Mondava created the AT Still Memorial Library Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, Accessibility (DEIA) Committee in 2023, of which I am a founding member. Please see the included poster from MLA 2024 with all of our accomplishments we achieved up until the conference last year!”

“For our private university, nothing has changed for us at this moment in time, per the direction provided by A.T Still University’s chancellor. These initiatives should be mandatory within this political climate, and retaliation can be avoided by playing the simile game. Since “divers*” and “equity” are now considered offensive terms to a particular population, pivoting within the verbiage is essential. Using terms like varied, belonging, multitude etc, historically underrepresented groups, underserved populations…whatever term is deemed safe by your institution. At this point, you could call it the morale boosting or sunshine committee, and really focus on bringing people together and finding similarities with each other - the only way we can fight this othering is to work harder on these initiatives, to not back down and be brave enough to do the necessary work, to continue to be fiercely joyful, and rest to recharge your resistance, because that is how we will persevere.

My goal was to create a student-suggested, whole-person diversity collection. Easy access to diverse experiences help inform our class of historically underrepresented students like themselves and the groups they will be serving in the clinics. I was successful in meeting that goal through surveying our student population, faculty, and staff multiple times as the population fluctuated.

Because I just completed this collection and am still in the process of cataloging and shelving the material, the impact and feedback is unknown, other than the enthusiasm of suggestions. Professors from Appalachia all recommended “Yesterday's People: Life in Contemporary Appalachia.” Several students recommended “The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind, and Body in the Healing of Trauma,” and both students and faculty members noted “When Breath Becomes Air,” as a book that needed to be included. A Hmong student recommended several texts about their culture and people which I was thrilled to add as well: The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down: A Hmong Child, Her American Doctors, and the Collision of Two Cultures (FSG Classics) and Where Rivers Part: A Story of My Mother's Life in particular.

I plan to one day create a LibGuide dedicated to the medical terminology in a variety of languages that our PAs and PA students will be encountering in the clinic to help connect them to the communities they serve.” - Dot Winslow

We are so thankful to Dot and their amazing work! If you would like to highlight your own project please respond to this form! https://forms.gle/Yjb27hmDe6hPYxez6

With love,

The Community and Belonging Task Force of MLGSCA

I AM MLGSCA: Victoria Caine

Victoria Caine — Thu, 01 May 2025 19:39:38 GMT

Name: Victoria Caine

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

Title: Health Sciences Librarian

Brief description of what you do/your responsibilities at your institution.

I mainly assist students with literature review consultations, faculty with developing instruction/workshops, and any other research questions that might come through the library. In addition to that, we have a small campus so I am involved with collection development, libguides, displays, and other miscellaneous tasks that might occur.

Why is MLGSCA important to you?

MLGSCA has been monumental in my growth as a health sciences librarian. Although I had previously worked as a Library Services Associate (LSA) at the front desk while pursuing my masters, I did not feel equipped to step into the role of health sciences librarian. The learning curve for health sciences is very steep. Through MLGSCA, I have gained so much knowledge and encouragement from the coffee and research chats, meetups, and the buddy program (shout out to my MLGSCA buddy, Judy Kraemer). I am very excited to get more involved in MLGSCA as secretary.

What was your first library job or professional position?

Although I worked at the Phoenix Biomedical Campus Library and the AZ State Research Library while getting my MLIS, my first actual librarian job was as a Youth Services Librarian at a small public library in South Dakota. Not really sure how I ended up there, but a benefit of being at a small library was that I did many jobs in my role that might be divided to separate roles at a larger library. I realized that I did not want to work in a librarian role that was so focused on programming (although the events were fun). I have so much respect for people who work in public libraries, because it is an unpredictable and challenging environment.

What is your advice to someone new to medical librarianship?

Seek out any free professional development and mentorship opportunities. The National Library of Medicine (NLM) has so many great trainings on their YouTube channel. Don't expect to learn it all immediately. Although you can consume a large amount of information, you won't really master what you are learning until you have to use it.

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

I think we can all agree that misinformation is a real problem in our society right now. This also ties in with AI. How can we educate people to distinguish fact from fiction, and change their minds from believing misinformation?

What is something you have on your bucket list?

I really want to learn how to surf!

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

I love to rollerskate and I play roller derby! My derby name is "Stax Attax" (like library stacks). I used to play flat track, and I am currently a rookie hoping to get drafted to a banked track team. Banked track is similar to roller derby from the 70s and the movie "Whip It", but we really don't punch anyone (at least not without a penalty).

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

I just started watching "Parts Unknown" with Anthony Bourdain. I am so sad to be late to his fan club. If you love food and travelling, this show is for you.

I AM MLGSCA: Jennifer Silverman

Victoria Caine — Tue, 01 Apr 2025 15:46:11 GMT

Name: Jennifer Silverman

Institution: Wilson Dental Library. University of Southern California (USC), Los Angeles, CA

Title: Health Sciences Librarian

Brief description of what you do/your responsibilities at your institution.

I am the liaison librarian to the Ostrow School of Dentistry of USC. I am very involved with instruction with the school's Evidence-Based Dentistry (dental version of EBP) course and helping to support the school's Problem-Based Learning curriculum. Along with my colleague, the Head of the Wilson Dental Library, I manage and post to our library's Instagram and present at monthly Dental Faculty Association meetings. I also serve on many committees as part of the larger USC Libraries, including recently being elected as President-Elect to our Library Faculty Council.

Why is MLGSCA important to you?

MLGSCA allows me to meet and connect with other medical librarians in the So Cal region. I never get tired of spending time with other librarians at in-person events, so I really love that MLGSCA provides opportunities for local librarians to come together.

Why did you become a librarian?

I originally wanted to be a teacher. I went to college intending to teach, but things did not work out once I started student teaching. While I was an undergrad at San Diego State University (SDSU), I had a job as a student worker at the library and realized I enjoyed helping people find resources. This experience landed me a Library Assistant job at a school district and my supervisor was the District Librarian. She convinced me to go to library school and now I've been a librarian for 12 years. I have realized that librarianship still provides plenty of opportunities for me to use my teaching skills.

What was your first library job or professional position?

As I mentioned, my very first library job was as a student worker at SDSU's library while I was an undergraduate. I specifically worked in the "Current Periodicals & Microforms Center," so I will always have a soft spot for microfiche. My first professional position was as a Librarian I at San Diego Public Library. At SDPL you can be hired as a Librarian I before you have completed your degree as long as you have completed a certain number of units, so I was a professional librarian before I officially had my degree.

What is your advice to someone new to medical librarianship?

Volunteer! The main reason I was hired at SDPL so quickly is because I was volunteering there while I was still in school. Volunteering is the best way to get experience in any kind of library environment you hope to work in. Medical Librarianship does require you to be familiar with certain databases and terminology so it is helpful to join medical librarianship organizations like MLGSCA or take free online courses like the ones offered by NNLM.

What is something you have on your bucket list?

I'm a big Disney nerd so definitely some Disney experiences like visiting Aulani or Disney Parks in Asia.

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

I recently rewatched all 6 seasons of the TV show Lost. Although it ended in 2010, it still holds up pretty well. It was fun to rewatch and I forgot most of the mysteries, so it was like watching it for the first time!

Describe yourself in five words

Sarcastic, Funny, Outgoing, Sensitive, Helpful

Chapman University Health Sciences Library Tour & Social

Sondhaya Sritongsook McGowan — Tue, 01 Apr 2025 02:44:52 GMT

Written by Becca Gates; photos by Sunny McGowan

L-R: Stephen Clancy (retired, UCI), Becca Gates (UCI), Rachel Maggio (Chapman), Ivan Portillo (Chapman), Beth Autin (Sharp), Sunny McGowan (Scripps), Emily Zimmermann (Ketchum), Dot Winslow (ATSU), Carol Schechter (Providence)

A group of MLGSCA members gathered on Thursday, March 27^th for a tour of the Health Sciences Library at Chapman University Rinker Health Sciences campus guided by Library Director, Ivan Portillo. Ivan was supported during the tour by his colleagues in the library in providing the group with information about the development of the library spaces and initiatives.

The tour began in the entrance to the library area—also called the Health Sciences Study Commons—with Ivan providing context for the space’s history and development.

Tour attendees were particularly interested in the large study rooms and spaces all equipped with Apple TVs available for the students to use. The library also displays QR codes for their digital collections and profiles recent faculty publications and achievements.

We were particularly excited about a kiosk that dispenses short stories for users at the click of a button. The kiosk sits in a large study area of the library alongside nice couches, desks, and study carrels.

After exploring the library space, we ventured over to the campus center where the library has a desk and office area for students to ask questions and get support. The tour also walked around and admired the bright and well decorated campus center. We ended the experience in a larger classroom that the library uses for instruction/workshops.

As the tour wrapped up, many of us came away inspired by the Chapman health sciences library spaces and considering how we might integrate ideas from the space in our own institutions.

To keep the fun going, we made our way over to Brio Italian Grille at the Irvine Spectrum Center for a post-tour social. We enjoyed the afternoon while sitting on the patio at the restaurant with good food, drinks, weather, and conversations!

L-R: Ivan, Sunny, Carol, Becca, Emily, Dot, Rae, Beth, Stephen, and Zem Ngow (UCSD)

Building Belonging: Fostering Community and Fairness in Action

Angela Murrell — Fri, 21 Mar 2025 18:44:26 GMT

Building Belonging: Fostering Community and Fairness in Action

We are highlighting the important community building actions that are underway thanks to diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility (DEI-A) efforts in health sciences libraries, particularly within the Medical Library Group of Southern California and Arizona. These libraries are making great strides in fostering inclusive, accessible spaces, and we hope this page sparks positive discussions that further advance initiatives that foster belonging in our field.

Today our first highlight is from our chapter president!

Andrea Harrow (she/her/hers), Clinical Librarian at Keck Medical Center & Norris Medical Library, University of Southern California

Please feel free to tell us a bit more about you. How are you involved in the MLGSCA? How long have you been working in medical libraries?

I am currently serving as President of MLGSCA, and have been working in medical libraries since 2004.

Tell us about your library. Tell us about the size of your institution. Who are your primary library users? What are their information needs?

I am a clinical librarian working in a medical center affiliated with an academic health sciences library. USC has 19 physical libraries with about 180 librarians and library staff assisting around 50,000 students (undergrad and graduate). We have about 15 librarians and staff working in the Norris Medical Library. My primary users are practicing clinicians who seek assistance with research, education, and scholarly communication.

Describe your DEI-A Efforts that you wish to highlight.

Yes, I thought it was important to share my project and address the current anti-DEI climate we are now facing as we ask ourselves whether we should remove all traces of DEIA terminology and adopt new language toward community building and belonging. Does adopting new terminology accurately describe movements and initiatives, or does it restrict our academic freedoms and freedom of speech? Our library has received instruction to ensure equal access opportunities to all events. Our collections represent diverse voices and world cultures, our students and faculty, and their research interests. I have an interest in health information literacy and understanding the causes of health disparities, including societal influences that create and widen these disparities. One of our librarians created a research guide for LGBTQIA+ health. Last year, I decided to create a new research guide for Health equity, diversity and inclusion. It is not fully completed, but I do not mind sharing.

Link to the research guide: https://libguides.usc.edu/health-edi

What were your goals for this project? How successful were you at achieving your goals?

The aim was to gather essential and useful resources for assessing social determinants of health, and actions taken to increase health equity and lessen disparities. PubMed search strategies and information are also provided.

What impact did you notice? Did you get any feedback from your community?

Over the past 6 months the research guide has 636 views, which averages between three to four views a day. Our family medicine department and clinical affairs requested searches relating to older adults, and I showed them that page on the guide. They really liked the Social Determinants of Health resources, and we are now working on an Elder Justice library reading list. Community building in action!

Do you have any plans for the future? Anything you would have done differently? Any advice for other librarians interested in a similar project?

I encourage our members, including library staff, to create and share a research guide for a health topic you feel passionately about. It's a great way to connect with your users, and each other. Thank you for this opportunity to share!

Do you have a project relating to DEI-A or fostering community and belonging that you would like to share? Please do so using this linked form.

MLGSCA 2025 Election Candidates

Angela Murrell — Fri, 07 Mar 2025 19:42:36 GMT

Meet the slate of candidates for the MLGSCA 2025 Election!

The election will run March 10, 2025 to March 24, 2025 via electronic ballot. Please watch the email you used to join MLGSCA with for your ballot.

President-Elect (3-year term)

David Bickford

David has been a member of both MLGSCA and MLA since 2014. At the regional level, he has served as Awards Committee chair since 2020 and has been a member since 2023 of both the Nominating Committee and the Government Relations and Bylaws Committee. At the national level, he has been a member of the MLA Awards Committee since 2022. David holds a bachelor’s degree in linguistics from Brown University and Master of Science in Library Science degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Treasurer (2-year term)

Carrie Cullen

Hello, I’m Carrie Cullen, MLIS, AHIP (Senior). Since 2020, I have worked at the University of California, Irvine as the Research Librarian for Physical Sciences. I am a member of our evidence synthesis team and support reference and instruction in the health sciences. Previously, I was the Graduate Medical Education Librarian at the University of South Florida (USF). I have proudly served as MLGSCA treasurer since 2023 and if confirmed, I would be honored to continue for another term.

MLGSCA Activities

MLGSCA Treasurer and Finance Committee member, 2023 - present
MLGSCA member, 2019 - present

Medical Library Association Activities

Research Caucus member, 2022 - present
Systematic Review Caucus member, 2022 - present
Medical Library Education Caucus member, 2021 - present
Social Justice & Health Disparities Caucus member, 2021 - present
MLA member, 2015 - present

Education

Master of Arts in Library and Information Science, University of South Florida, 2017
Bachelor of Science in Biological Sciences, Northern Illinois University, 2007

Secretary (1-year term)

Victoria Caine

I have been working in the role of health sciences librarian since January 2024 at the University of Arizona-Phoenix Biomedical Campus library. I am passionate about evidence-based medicine, data management, and bioinformatics. This year, my goal is to receive my Systematic Review Services Specialization Level I through MLA. In my spare time, I love playing roller derby, walking my 2 pugs, and learning guitar.

MLGSCA Chapter Involvement: I have assisted the Membership Committee with composing the "I am MLGSCA" blog posts, planning the holiday social, and ideas for member recruitment.
Medical Library Association (MLA) Involvement: As a newer health sciences librarian, I am getting more involved in MLA. Currently, I am participating in the MLA book club and mentorship program.
Section/Caucus: Member of: Clinical Librarians and Evidence Based Practice, Collection Development, Medical Informatics, New Members, Research, Resource Sharing, and Technology in Education
Education: Master of Arts in Library and Information Science from the University of Arizona. Master of Arts in International Leadership and Community Development from Crown College.

Nominating Committee (2-year term, 2 positions)

Victoria Flores

Rebecca Birr

Note on President

Andrea Harrow was elected in 2024 for a 3-year term, but had to step up into the President position due to a vacancy. She will be continuing her 3-year term in 2025-2026 as President.

Congratulations to Award Winners!

Adorée Hatton Makusztak — Fri, 07 Mar 2025 16:18:51 GMT

The Award Committee is pleased to announce the following awards for spring of 2025.

Angela Murrell of the University of Arizona has received the Louise Darling MLGSCA Achievement Award, which honors significant contributions to health sciences librarianship, as well as to the Medical Library Group of Southern California and Arizona. Angela is currently serving as past president of the chapter and has been involved in chapter leadership for several years of service in positions in both California and Arizona. Angela will receive a $500 stipend and a commemorative plaque in association with this award.

Jennifer Silverman of the University of Southern California has received the MLGSCA Professional Development Award. Jennifer will receive a $500 stipend to assist with attending the annual conference of the Medical Library Association in Pittsburgh.

Sara Flournoy of Chapman University has been selected for the MLGSCA Student Scholarship. Sara will receive a $1500 scholarship towards her graduate education at San Jose State University.

Congratulations to Angela, Jennifer, and Sara for these well-deserved awards. In addition, the Awards Committee wishes to announce a change in the deadline for the Professional Development Award. Previously, there have been two deadlines: February 15 and September 15. These has since been consolidated into a single deadline of February 15. After that deadline has passed, any unused funds may be awarded on a case-by-case basis until the end of the fiscal year on June 30. Please contact Awards Committee chair David Bickford with any questions.

I AM MLGSCA: Melissa Wagner

Victoria Caine — Mon, 03 Mar 2025 17:53:13 GMT

Name: Melissa Wagner

Institution: Mayo Clinic Patient and Health Education Library, Scottsdale, AZ

Title: Librarian

Brief description of what you do at your institution

I serve as a Consumer Health librarian for Mayo Clinic, connecting patients with health

information from reliable sources.

Why is MLGSCA important to you?

I am new to medical librarianship and have so much to learn about all aspects of this realm! Membership in MLGSCA has been a great way to start building a professional

network.

Why did you become a librarian?

I think I spent about 50% of my childhood with my nose in a book (and the other 50% outside playing in the woods), so the library was always my happy place. When I graduated with an education degree from Penn State, I learned that the University of Pittsburgh had a one-year MLS program and I excitedly enrolled. I was so enthusiastic about this plan that my mom decided she would also get her MLS, so we actually went to grad school together!

What was your first library job or professional position?

My first library job was as a page at the Sewickley Public Library in Pittsburgh. My first professional position was as an elementary school librarian in Mt. Lebanon, PA.

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

Sydni Abrahamsen and I have been formally offering Patient Portal assistance in our Patient Library spaces for the past couple of years. While this is not a typical offering, it has increased library traffic and helped countless patients become confident in accessing their personal health information online. It is incredibly rewarding to empower patients in this way.

What is something you have on your bucket list?

Someday I will learn to knit, and someday I will get to Portugal!

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

I love to hike, travel, try new restaurants and spend time with friends and family.

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

I lived in Nuremburg, Germany for a year and a half and did 8 transatlantic flights with two children under the age of 5 during that time!

MLGSCA visits the Mayo Clinic Libraries

Victoria Caine — Fri, 28 Feb 2025 21:37:51 GMT

Written by Melissa Wagner

On Thursday, February 20th we had 14 attendees join us for MLGSCA’s Tour of the Mayo Clinic Phoenix Campus Libraries. The group included members, prospective members, and a student! The tour began at Building 1, which houses the Mayo Clinic hospital and one of two Staff Libraries.

The new Phoenix Campus Staff Library opened in April 2023. Staff have 24/7 badge access to this popular space which also includes several collaboration rooms.

It was a beautiful afternoon to do the 2 mile round trip tour of all three campus libraries!

Our second stop was at the Patient Library and Research Center, found in Building 3. Sydni Abrahamsen explained how this is one of Mayo Clinic’s two Patient Libraries in Arizona that with a Consumer Health focus that offer reliable health information to patients and community members.

This antique ambulance, purchased by Will and Charlie Mayo, is found in the lobby of Building 3, directly across from the Patient Library.

We ended at the Integrated Education and Research Building, which now houses our Learning Resource Center, the library serving the College of Medicine and Science.

Students have access to a Sectra table to study anatomy.

Mayo Clinic Values

The day ended with a fabulous dinner at White Chocolate Grill. This was a great group and we're looking forward to planning our next MLGSCA AZ outing!

I AM MLGSCA: Lauren Carter

Victoria Caine — Thu, 06 Feb 2025 15:21:45 GMT

Name: Lauren Carter

Institution: University of Arizona College of Medicine - Phoenix (Phoenix, AZ)

Title: Library Services Associate

Brief description of what you do at your institution

I provide basic research assistance to students, staff, and faculty from a variety of health science programs at the Phoenix Bioscience Core. However, most of the time I'm working on projects like displays, passive programming activities, and recently, cataloging our new special collection (more on that later!).

Why is MLGSCA important to you?

As a recent MLIS graduate who is actively job hunting, MLGSCA is a great resource to meet other health science library professionals -- and to find out about job openings! :-)

Why did you become a librarian?

My mom, an academic librarian, encouraged me to work in my college library during undergrad, and I loved it. After graduating, I briefly worked in a corporate job (just three months!) before realizing it wasn’t for me. I missed working in the library, so I decided to pursue library work again. I worked in a public library for a while, and eventually landed at the College of Medicine-Phoenix where I decided to pursue my MLIS.

What was your first library job or professional position?

My first library job was as a student worker at Mesa Community College. Later, during my MLIS, I returned as an intern, and after graduating, I was invited back as an Adjunct Faculty Librarian. So I'm hugely thankful to MCC for being the place where I fell in love with library work, and now also being the first place I get to call myself a Librarian. :-)

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

As I mentioned before, I’ve been cataloging a large donation of antique and rare medical books from a local pediatric neurologist, with some texts dating back to the 1600s! It’s been fascinating to work with these historic books and to play a role in the planning and curatorial decisions for the new special collection.

What is something you have on your bucket list?

I would love to visit New Orleans! I love jazz and spooky vibes so it's been on my list for a while.

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

For fun, I love going to concerts, traveling, and exploring art museums. My best friend works in the local arts, so she always takes me to the coolest new exhibitions! :~) To relax, I’m usually at home reading or watching TV with my partner and our cat.

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

Severance! I'm obsessed.

MLGSCA Officer Nominations now being accepted for the 2025-2026 term

Angela Murrell — Thu, 30 Jan 2025 20:08:48 GMT

Join the Chapter Leadership Team! Open Officer Positions Now Available

Send nominations or self-nominations to the Nominating Committee chair, Angela at angelamurrell@arizona.edu by Feb 14, 2025.

Becoming a Chapter officer is a unique opportunity to:

Learn more about MLGSCA while directly giving back to strategic operations
Develop your leadership skills.
Build lasting connections with other librarians in our region

Open Positions:

President-Elect (3-year term)

President *Special Position (2-year term)

Usually, the President-Elect steps up as President, but due to changes this year, we have a 2-year position of President/Immediate Past President position open. The President presides over all meetings, represents the Chapter, appoints an Archivist, and submits an Annual Report to MLA Headquarters. They also fulfill other responsibilities as outlined in the Bylaws. This position includes one year as President, followed by one year as Immediate Past President.

Secretary (1-year term)

Treasurer (2-year term)

MLGSCA Nominating Committee (2-year term) 2 positions

Send nominations or self-nominations to the Nominating Committee chair, Angela at angelamurrell@arizona.edu by Feb 14, 2025.

I AM MLGSCA: Becca Gates

Victoria Caine — Thu, 02 Jan 2025 20:00:55 GMT

Name: Becca Gates

Institution: University of California, Irvine

Title: Research Librarian for Health Sciences

Brief description of what you do/your responsibilities at your institution.

I serve as the liaison to the School of Nursing students, faculty, and staff as well as the UCI Medical Center Nurses. In this role I provide instruction, research support, reference services, collection development, and outreach for the subject area. I also work more generally in public services through undergraduate teaching and reference.

Why is MLGSCA important to you?

As a newer librarian to the health sciences field, MLGSCA has been incredibly helpful in my first year in my position. I have found it to be a great place to get support and find connection in the field!

Why did you become a librarian?

As I am sure is the case for many of us, I have always been a big reader. After I received my degree in English from Cal Poly SLO, I briefly considered trying to get into publishing as an avenue to continue being around books, but quickly found it was not for me. Somewhat aimless after graduation, I was poking around looking for a somewhat English degree - adjacent field of work (that wasn't teaching!) and was shocked to find that you could get a Masters in Library and Information Science--I never looked back after that!

What was your first library job or professional position?

My first professional position was as a Research and Instruction Librarian at Teachers College, Columbia University. I miss living in New York City but had to make it back home to California!

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

I think information literacy—particularly teaching around and strengthening critical information literacy—is an essential issue and opportunity in our work. Access to information dictates much of our ability to create change within power structures across fields. We are uniquely positioned to influence how we as groups and individuals create, share, and evaluate information in an equitable way.

What is something you have on your bucket list?

Mostly travel destinations! I try to do an international trip once a year and went to Japan in 2024—deciding on the 2025 location now, but its looking like I'll be heading to Norway for the first time to visit some cousins.

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

I have been slowly but surely learning to knit and crochet, which is at times relaxing and other times a little frustrating.

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

After having watched and loved the HBO show Station Eleven a couple years ago, I finally picked up the novel it was based on by Emily St. John Mandel and really enjoyed it—some differences from the book to show, but both great.

Coffee Chat overview of Grant & Award opportunities

Andrea Harrow — Fri, 13 Dec 2024 20:55:33 GMT

Hello everyone, and happy holidays!

We spoke about the available funds through the MLGSCA Awards committee, and encouraged applications since many times the funding may go unclaimed.

Library Grants, Scholarships, and Awards

Recommendations for MLGSCA Members

Academic

Association of Academic Health Sciences Librarians (AAHSL)

Significant impact, leadership/directors fellows, leadership diversity, data scholarship

Association of College & Research Libraries Awards & Scholarships

Leadership and impact awards, research grants

Medical Libraries

Medical Library Association Grants, Scholarships, Fellowships

Advanced education, professional development, annual conference support, research related, international focus

Medical Library Association Awards and Honors

New to the profession, mid-career professionals, proven leader, organizational focus, international focus, chapter & caucus, lectureships

National Network of Libraries of Medicine Funding Opportunities

Leadership, outreach, exhibit, professional development, collection equity, etc.

Medical Library Group of Southern California & Arizona (MLGSCA) Awards & Scholarships

Most awards also have a monetary amount, many opportunities!

Other & Meta-searches

American Library Association (ALA) Grants

Search Programs, or Publications, Research & Travel.
Also search by Audience, i.e. academic librarian, medical, healthcare library
See also Awards, Grants and Exchanges for international travel opportunities

Special Library Association Scholarships

Continuing education scholarship for mid-career librarians (grad before 2010)
Also offers non-monetary awards

Southern California Electronic Library Consortium (SCELC) Awards & Scholarships

Student awards, SCELC conference travel, professional development, impact awards

Arizona State Library

Grants for library improvements and community outreach

California State Library Grants and Funding

Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS)

Big National Grants

Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation

Another option for large grants

Grant Forward

Meta-search by Sponsor, Categories, Deadline or keywords

Grants.gov

Meta-search federal funding opportunities, also grant writing tips

Do you have other sources for funding to recommend?

MLGSCA So Cal Holiday Social

Tue, 10 Dec 2024 20:21:49 GMT

On December 5th, the Southern California members of the Medical Library Group of Southern California and Arizona (MLGSCA) gathered for their 2024 holiday social at the California Pizza Kitchen (CPK) in Lakewood Center Mall. The event brought together 14 attendees, including four library school students.

The evening’s festivities were made possible by the MLGSCA Membership Committee. Membership Committee Co-chair, Sunny McGowan, brought a Membership gift certificate and 2 bags of Starbucks coffee to give away. Jennifer Silverman decorated the tables, donated two coffee presses for the raffle, prepared the holiday goodie bags, and served as the evening’s master of ceremonies. Adding a festive touch, Judy Kraemer donated three beautiful poinsettias that enhanced the holiday décor. These poinsettias were later raffled off to lucky attendees, Becca Gates and Kay Lee. Emily Zimmermann was the winner of the free MLGSCA Membership gift certificate while Sunny McGowan and Ivan Portillo each won the coffee press with the holiday Starbucks coffee.

And we would also like to thank our sponsors for the raffle prize donations: EBSCO contributed two Amazon gift cards, and Ovid provided a festive holiday gift basket. Danielle Linden won the holiday gift basket whereas Adorée Makusztak and her husband were the lucky winners of the two Amazon gift cards!

The event was a great way to celebrate the season, connect with peers, and welcome the next generation of library professionals. Thank you to everyone who attended and contributed to making the 2024 MLGSCA holiday social a fun and joyful occasion!

MLGSCA Arizona Holiday Social

Tue, 10 Dec 2024 16:16:04 GMT

On December 5th, Arizona members of MLGSCA held a long-awaited in-person holiday social at the Culinary Dropout in Tempe. We had decorations, candy, giveaways, and of course good food and conversations.

Enjoy these photos from the night.

We went all out decorating the table, and provided swag, icebreakers, and candy!

(left to right) MGLSCA members Victoria Caine, Stephanie Vartabedian, CJ Garcia

(left to right) MLGSCA members Sydni Abrahamsen, Kevin Pardon, and Melissa Wagner

Our raffle winners: Stephania Vartabedian, Victoria Caine, David Bickford, and Kevin Pardon. Prizes included a free MLGSCA membership, Amazon gift cards (courtesy of EBSCO), and a gift basket (courtesy of Ovid).

We hope to see you next year! Keep an eye out for upcoming AZ social events.

Thanks to MLGSCA Membership Committee members Victoria Caine and Melissa Wagner for their help in putting this all together.

I AM MLGSCA: Emily Zimmermann

Victoria Caine — Mon, 02 Dec 2024 15:42:04 GMT

Name: Emily Zimmermann

Institution: Marshall B Ketchum University (Fullerton, CA)

Title: Health Sciences Librarian

Brief description of what you do/your responsibilities at your institution.

I support the research, instructional, and informational goals of MBKU students, faculty, and residents in their pursuit of life-long learning. I am the liaison to the PA program but also work closely with the optometry and pharmacy programs. I have taught evidence-based medicine sessions, information literacy searches, provided advanced searching tutorials and have been an active research partner with faculty. I also manage a team of 18 student workers.

Why is MLGSCA important to you?

I care deeply about my profession, and I am brand new here! I want to be a little sponge and learn as much as I can from the incredible librarians in Southern California, Arizona, and beyond!

I was recently invited to be the Chair of the DEI-A Task Force, and I am honored to have an opportunity to put my priorities of diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility into action. I would like to invite anyone who is interested in working with me towards my goal of filling the DEI-A Taskforce section of the MLGSCA website with highlights from librarians all over our chapter about what they are doing in their libraries. By highlighting the work of others, this allows us to brainstorm for future initiatives in our own libraries and appreciate the excellent work being done around the chapter. Please feel free to email me at ezimmermann@ketchum.edu if you would like to work together or have a conversation about what work you are doing in your library that you would like the chance to highlight!

Why did you become a librarian?

I went to undergrad at the University of Toronto to become an architect. I soon learned that I was absolutely terrible at building models and creating architectural drawings using code. Luckily, there were many other course options available to me within the architecture school: Indigenous studies, urban planning, material culture, forestry, and more. In all of these diverse classes, I unlocked a new sense of intellectual curiosity and found myself exploring as many of the 44 libraries on campus as I could. I knew by my 3rd year that I wanted to be a librarian to help students, dive deeper into the world of academia, and have a job that allowed me to be a lifelong learner.

What was your first library job or professional position?

I applied to just about every position I could and finally landed a position at North Carolina State University Archives as a digitization assistant. I did not enjoy the dusty basement without any human interaction, but I learned a lot!

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

I recently wrote my thesis about ChatGPT and consumer health information. I wanted to know what medical professionals across disciplines thought about ChatGPT's responses to common patient queries. To my surprise, the sentiment was very positive! Generative AI is extremely fascinating. I am committed to learning about how our students use it and how it might affect their futures as healthcare leaders.

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

I love to paint! I love art and lots of color. My paintings are usually big landscapes and floral paintings using acrylic paint. I also paint pet portraits! I love animals.

Describe yourself in five words

happy, colorful, & artsy cat lady!

What are you most proud of?

My immediate family members who have all committed their careers to helping people: my mom who is a lactation consultant and childbirth educator, my dad who was previously a police detective and is now an investigator for the public defender's office, my sister who is in nursing school, and my partner who is a pilot in the Navy. They all keep me going and inspire me daily.

I AM MLGSCA: Dot Winslow

Fri, 01 Nov 2024 18:58:55 GMT

Name: Dot WinslowDot Winslow

Institution: A.T. Still University of Health Sciences College for Healthy Communities

Title: Library Assistant

Brief description of what you do/your responsibilities at your institution.

I am a solo library assistant (or Library Assistant PLUS, as our director likes to say,) and I have a blend of assistant and liaison duties that include inter library loan, circulation desk activities, building the library relationship with the Central Coast Physician Assistant Program, and acting as chair of the Diversity in Education Committee California.

Why is MLGSCA important to you?

MLGSCA is important to me because I am able to connect to other librarians and build community and network within the profession. I love connecting and learning from others.

Why did you become a librarian?

I became a librarian because I have a passion for helping others and enjoy doing so from the library setting.

What was your first library job or professional position?

This is my first library job!

What is your advice to someone new to medical librarianship?

Most of what you do on a daily basis is learned on the job, so I encourage those new to the field to ask for help.

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

As the chair of the DECC, I worked with a local non-profit and with the dean of our college to bring training to the CCPA program on the indigenous mixtec people of Mexico who have immigrated to our part of the central coast of California. I learned so much in that process and from attending that training and I am honored that I get to be a part of helping students of the medical profession learn how to help serve our most underserved communities.

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

The elitism is most concerning to me. Though the MLIS degree has value, there are some of us in the field who have the customer service experience that is so crucial to the profession but is discounted because we lack the specific library science degree.

What is something you have on your bucket list?

I want to go to Turkey to see the Hagia Sophia in person.

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

I love to play with my cat Calliope, read, geocache, go to concerts, and do jigsaw puzzle nights with my friends.

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

All About Love by bell hooks and polysecure by Jessica Fern

Describe yourself in five words.

content, magic, fun, tired, listener

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

I acted in school plays in 8th grade through college, and just started acting in community theater this autumn.

What are you most proud of?

I am most proud of how far I have come in becoming myself and truly investing in myself over the past year.

MLGSCA Visits “Spectral Science: Visions of the World Beyond”—a USC Libraries/Visions & Voices Exhibit

Wed, 30 Oct 2024 16:36:29 GMT

On October 23rd, a group of MLGSCA members traveled to USC’s Doheny Library to celebrate the opening of their new Visions & Voices exhibition, Spectral Science: Visions of the World Beyond. The exhibit explores the surprising intersections of science, illusion, and spiritualism with items from the collections of the USC Libraries and The Academy of Magical Arts.

Enjoy these photos from the opening reception and the Spectral Science exhibit.

Learn more about the exhibit by viewing the Spectral Science Theme Guide.

The evening began with some fun card tricks from student members of the USC Magic Association (with audience participation).

Attendees enjoyed a panel discussion featuring (from L-R) marketing research and insights innovator Ted Skidmore of USC Annenberg, Magic Lanternist Melissa Ferrari, USC Provost Professor of Art History and English Kate Flint, and USC Libraries Carrollian Fellow Franziska Kohlt. They discussed the shared histories of scientific inquiry and spiritualism as a form of technological spectacle.

Next, MLGSCA members Andrea Harrow, Erin Robinson, and Jennifer Silverman were excited to explore the exhibit.

There were books on display written about spirits and the mystic arts. It included work from Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and a book from J. Malcolm Bird on “Margery the Medium,” featuring a photo taken by Houdini.

The exhibit displayed the history of magic and illusion as a form of entertainment by including large posters advertising shows featuring Houdini and Kellar.

There was plenty of content on the history of Magic Lanterns. Books discussing its early days and a sample lantern were featured.

Overall, the exhibit showed how there is a lot of evidence that blurs the lines between the logical and illogical and the natural and supernatural. Nothing exemplified this more than this eerie photo of a very real looking fossil of a pixie that was found a few years ago.

It was a spooky good time!

Olivia Carreon is this year’s recipient of the MLGSCA Staff Excellence Award

Adorée Hatton Makusztak — Mon, 07 Oct 2024 16:20:07 GMT

Olivia Carreon of the Wilson Dental Library at the University of Southern California is this year’s recipient of the MLGSCA Staff Excellence Award. Olivia has been with the library since 2016 and was promoted to Library Supervisor in 2019. She was nominated by her director, Hannah Schilperoort. Olivia was recognized not only for her excellent customer service skills, professional advancement, and staff supervision, but also for the critical role she played during a temporary closure and reopening of the library space. In the photo, Hannah in on the left, and Olivia is on the right.

I AM MLGSCA: CJ Garcia

Tue, 01 Oct 2024 20:45:49 GMT

Name: CJ Garcia

Institution: Creighton University

Title: Health Sciences Librarian

Brief description of what you do/your responsibilities at your institution.

I primarily serve as a liaison to several health sciences programs, both in Phoenix and at our main campus in Omaha. In addition, as one of two librarians at our branch campus I also do access services duties as needed. I also support our data services and systematic review services.

Why is MLGSCA important to you?

I have been a member of MLGSCA since I was an MLIS student/paraprofessional at a health sciences institution. As someone with a pure humanities background, MLGSCA has been incredibly valuable in helping me learn the field of health sciences librarianship and making connections with colleagues.

Why did you become a librarian?

I was some kind of library aide all throughout my K-12 education, and have exclusively worked in libraries/archives since graduating high school. Going for my MLIS was a natural progression for me, especially since I had a less than employable undergraduate degree in Classics.

I ended up pursuing health sciences partly due to the encouragement of the librarians at my first real paraprofessional job, which ended up being at a health sciences library. Due to my husband's disability, I have also seen the best and worst of healthcare up close, and have a lot of personal dedication to improving healthcare in whatever small ways I can.

What was your first library job or professional position?

My first paying library job was as a page in the Pima County Public Library system in Tucson. My first professional position was as a Liaison and Communications Librarian at A.T. Still University in Mesa, where my time was split between liaison duties and managing our website and communications strategy.

What is your advice to someone new to medical librarianship?

Don't be afraid to ask questions and learn! There are tons of great CE options out there for medical librarianship, especially free ones from the NNLM, and all the various professional orgs and listservs are very receptive to questions. Don't feel scared if you don't have a medical background, most of us don't in my experience.

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

I think there is a lack of upward career mobility for many librarians. Leadership and administration positions are often looking for candidates with prior leadership experience, and as a younger librarian I do wonder how the field will have to adjust as experienced leaders retire and we are left with newer librarians will not have had management opportunities.

What is something you have on your bucket list?

I want to visit a Capybara cafe in Japan.

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

Any nerd hobby you can think of. I play tons of video games and board games, and also collect Legos, Yu-Gi-Oh cards, and Beyblades. I also spent too much time playing with my cats.

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

I've been a little bit obsessed with Korean reality TV lately. I can't recommend The Devil's Plan on Netflix enough.

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

I finished about half of a degree in creative writing, and have actually published a few poems in literary journals.

I AM MLGSCA: Stefanie Vartabedian

Tue, 03 Sep 2024 18:59:45 GMT

Name: Stefanie Vartabedian

Institution: Phoenix Children’s Hospital

Title: Medical Library Manager

Brief description of what you do/your responsibilities at your institution.

Assist all medical staff (including fellows and residents) with research needs such as article retrieval, literature searches and training on how to conduct effective searches. I am also actively working on our online library resources such as a new discovery platform and research guides.

Why is MLGSCA important to you?

I’m a very new solo hospital librarian (was a law/federal court librarian for 6.5 years) and having a network of colleagues is very important for professional growth and development as well as navigating in this complex era for hospitals/medical institutions.

Why did you become a librarian?

I knew from a young age that I really liked libraries and always saw working in one as a dream job. Also, since knowledge is power, I sensed becoming a librarian would be a perfect fit for my skills and interests as I love empowering people to gain knowledge and take that knowledge to improve the world we live in.

What was your first library job or professional position?

I volunteered 2 summers while in college to do a substantial backlog of loose leaf filings in a law library. Actual first professional job though was as an HR investigator after graduating from law school.

What is your advice to someone new to medical librarianship?

I am new to medical librarianship but having worked in the library profession, I would generally say give yourself grace and understand it is perfectly ok to not always have “the answer” or be able to reply instantaneously. It can be good to gain perspective or seek out help/collaborate with colleagues if time allows. There’s always something to learn.

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

Money and space and justifying why librarians are still needed in the AI era.

What is something you have on your bucket list?

Write a song

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

Listen to music, doing something active outside (when the weather permits) or restorative yoga lately.

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

The 4 Agreements (read); The Olympics - US Team’s synchronized swimming routine to Smooth Criminal was incredible (watched) ; the new album by Badbadnotgood - Mid Spiral (listened)

Describe yourself in five words.

Curious, creative, compassionate, courageous and committed (all Cs)

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

I am a twin (fraternal) and my twin is 7 inches taller than me!

What are you most proud of?

Nothing specific. Just being a trusted friend and having integrity.

I AM MLGSCA: Myrna Y. Uyengco-Harooch

Thu, 01 Aug 2024 16:14:54 GMT

Name: Myrna Y. Uyengco-Harooch

Institution: Adventist Health White Memorial

Title: Medical Librarian

Brief description of what you do/your responsibilities at your institution.

I am an EBSCO employee contracted to serve as Medical Librarian for Adventist Health White Memorial. I assist members of the health care team to locate, evaluate and use information, manage the flow of information on action items identified by hospital committees as needing literature reviews, provide newest guidelines and information to update protocols, new standards and toolkits and maintain the historical archives and artifacts of the hospital and provide information as needed.

Why is MLGSCA important to you?

Joining professional organizations such as MLGSCA offers development opportunities and connection with other members in our field. It shows my commitment to the advancement of our profession and through such connection provide valuable assistance and information in my work.

Why did you become a librarian?

Part of my growing up was spent in the library. I wanted to be a investigative reporter searching for answers to a question, and the next best thing is being a research librarian. I love being able to give the right answers to the right person at the right time.

What was your first library job or professional position?

High School Librarian

What is your advice to someone new to medical librarianship?

Know your patron which will lead you to give the best response to their request.

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

Everyday and every request in a teaching and training medical center is always interesting and important when in my own small contribution I'm able to help patients and the hospital in general by giving them updated guidelines that will contribute to the policy and clinical protocols they make.

My most interesting project aside from the clinical aspect is I research, collected, scan, identify and organize the various photos, records of the history of the hospital and a member of 3 responsible for the creation of AHWM Historical Panel by Decades now displayed in the hospital.

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

Most of the Librarians are now at their retirement age and not a lot of the the new generation sees the importance of a library/librarian in this age of the internet. They think that they can do without the help of the librarians and libraries.

What is something you have on your bucket list?

Prepare the AHWM for my retirement next year.

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

Read romance/suspense books to relax, that is sooo different from the daily books/journals I read during work . Power nap; camping

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

Any book by Sharon Sala....I read the whole book in 1 sitting ...even staying up the whole night

Describe yourself in five words.

Positive ; Love of family; persistent; kind, honest

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

I am an active member of my Parish Church as a Eucharistic Minister. I am super kind to my family to a fault

What are you most proud of?

I have a wonderful husband and that difference in religion doesn't matter when God is the center of our lives. Sending my eldest niece from Kinder to Pharmacy up to College of Medicine.

I AM MLGSCA: Carol Schechter

Mon, 01 Jul 2024 15:49:59 GMT

Name: Carol Schechter

Institution: Providence St.Jude Medical Center

Title: Medical Librarian

Brief description of what you do/your responsibilities at your institution.

I work as a solo librarian at my hospital campus, but I am part of a team of Providence librarians. My role here is to assist all hospital staff with their requests for articles, literature searches, and certification books, primarily for nursing staff. I sit on the research council at my hospital and I am part of shared governance. I am also a magnet ambassador and one of my roles for magnet is reviewing all the APA citations for magnet documents. I’m part of the education department and work with the educators in providing training for nursing staff.

Why is MLGSCA important to you?

I love that I have a community of medical librarians that I can learn from and collaborate with. It’s a great thing to work for a special library and have a organization that supports special libraries.

Why did you become a librarian?

I became a librarian because I discovered out of high school that I loved being in a public library and assisting people with their requests. I liked that every day could be a different experience with different questions to answer and learn from at the same time.

What was your first library job or professional position?

My first job that I consider a professional role was when I worked at an architecture and engineering firm DMJM in Los Angeles. They had a small architecture library with books and slides of their projects. That’s where I first learned to catalog and process books.

What is your advice to someone new to medical librarianship?

Try to have a mentor that’s already been working in a medical library, reach out to people in your chapter and attend meetings to get to know people. I had a great support through my mentor that worked in another hospital when I started in medical libraries.

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

Being a part of magnet and also being a part of our tips program for nurses who transition into other roles. This has been interesting for me because I didn’t have previous access to doing that type of library teaching.

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

To keep familiar and up-to-date with growing trends, whether it’s new electronic services or AI. But also keeping to traditional roles of librarianship that are helpful with critical thinking and how we do things on a daily basis

What is something you have on your bucket list?

Taking my family to Ireland, I have been myself a few times since I was a kid, but have not taken my kids yet. Traveling to Washington DC to go to the Smithsonian museum.

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

I love to go to museums. My bachelors is in art history. I like to go on walks and spend time at the beach. I am working on my Ancestry. I like spending time at home with my family and my two cats

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

I love the show the Crown and Outlander. Recently took my daughter to see Stevie Nicks in concert and also Gwen Stefani.

Describe yourself in five words.

Caring, empathetic, inquisitive, loyal, positive.

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

I did an internship in college at the Los Angeles, Museum of Art. I have volunteered at a Monet exhibit and Egyptian arts exhibit while living in Phoenix.

What are you most proud of?

My children have turned out to be caring and kind individuals. They appreciate and care for other people and their rights as humans. Something I learned from my dad and tried to pass down to them.

I AM MLGSCA: Naomi Bishop

Mon, 03 Jun 2024 18:19:38 GMT

Name: Naomi Bishop

Institution: University of Arizona College of Medicine-Phoenix

Title: Associate Librarian

Brief description of what you do/your responsibilities at your institution.

I support COM-P students, faculty, and researchers with their information needs. My work includes collection development, curriculum support, research support, and teaching.

Why is MLGSCA important to you?

I love MLGSCA because it gives me a community of medical librarians that I can collaborate, learn, and grow with though my career. It is helpful to learn from other universities and hospitals in the region and have a network of colleagues to share ideas and information.

What was your first library job or professional position?

My first library job was a resident librarian at the University of Notre Dame and I worked in the Kresge Law Library and Hesburgh Library. I also got the opportunity to process some archival collections in the Institute of Latino Studies.

What is your advice to someone new to medical librarianship?

Attend NLM free trainings and join a local library organization. Networking and learning from others will help you grow in your career.

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

The most interesting projects I have worked on were at Roche Tissue Diagnostics. I was part of medical and scientific affairs and helped with FDA submissions.

What is something you have on your bucket list?

Colorado River rafting trip at the Grand Canyon.

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

Mt. bike in the fall, winter, and spring.

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

Wandering Stars by Tommy Orange.

Describe yourself in five words.

Dedicated, Adventurous, Positive, Caring, Loyal

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

I worked at the 2006 FIFA World Cup in Germany.

I AM MLGSCA: Lisa Marks

Wed, 01 May 2024 23:39:58 GMT

Name: Lisa Marks
Institution: Mayo Clinic - AZ
Title: Director of Library Services

Brief description of what you do/your responsibilities at your institution.

I am responsible for the 5 libraries within Mayo Clinic in Arizona. We have 2 staff libraries, 2 patient/consumer health libraries and 1 library for the Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science. If you look at the Mayo Clinic logo, the 3 shields represent Practice, Education and Research, the Libraries offer support to all 3 shields.

Why is MLGSCA important to you?

MLGSCA is important to me because it is my local professional organization being a chapter of the larger organization - MLA. I have made many "frolleagues" over the years through MLGSCA and it's been a wonderful opportunity to work with many of them in many different ways.

Why did you become a librarian?

I worked for Los Angeles Public Library (LAPL) throughout college so earning my MLS seemed like the next logical thing to do once I'd earned my Bachelors degree. I had every intention to go back to work for LAPL as a Librarian however, a hiring freeze was in place when I graduated from San Jose State. I needed a job and just fell into medical librarianship and I've been working in this area ever since.

What is your advice to someone new to medical librarianship?

Get involved in this group of terrific folks! MLGSCA is a great place to get your feet wet in a professional association. Ask for a mentor, both locally and at the national level with MLA. Don't be afraid to ask questions - easier said than done, I know - but medical librarians are a great group of people who want to share their knowledge and expertise.

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

Keeping up with the ever-changing world of technology! Lots of us were concerned about libraries/librarians relevancy when the internet came to be - yes, I've been around that long ;) and now I feel the same about AI as technology is changing again. Having said that, like with the internet, we'll all learn and adjust as we always do and more than likely, down the line, become the place for folks to learn about AI.

What is something you have on your bucket list?

A bit corny I suppose but I'd like to visit all the Presidential Libraries - so far I've been to 6!

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

Read, of course, and in the past few years or so, I took up crocheting again. It had been quite a long time but had a good reason to pick it up again - we have a group here making "chemo hats" for our cancer patients so that was my impetus to pick up a crochet hook again.

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

I really enjoy "Somebody Feed Phil" on Netflix. I tend to binge each new season then seem to wait an eternity for the next one! Now waiting on next season of Bridgerton!

Describe yourself in five words.

Loyal, friendly, kind, stubborn (or so I'm told) and balanced

What are you most proud of?

My daughter <3

I AM MLGSCA: Karina Kletscher

Mon, 01 Apr 2024 19:49:33 GMT

Name: Karina Kletscher
Institution: Creighton University, Phoenix, AZ
Title: Health Sciences Librarian

Brief description of what you do/your responsibilities at your institution.

I had the great pleasure -- and challenge -- of launching the Health Sciences Library here on Creighton University's Health Sciences Campus, a satellite campus of our Nebraska-based university. So I do a mix of access services and liaising to our professional programs both here in Phoenix and some in Omaha, Nebraska.

Why is MLGSCA important to you?

MLGSCA has been an important community for me to network with other medical and health sciences librarians. In this role, I started out as a semi-solo librarian (all my library colleagues were in Nebraska!) so it's been fun to learn from and just hang out with other librarians. I never thought I would be in this area of librarianship, so it's been such a great resource to find learning opportunities.

What was your first library job or professional position?

My first paid library gig was as a Research & Teaching Fellow when I was still in my LIS program. It was a training program that solidified my interest in academic librarianship where I learned the ins and outs of library pedagogy, reference and research support, and in-depth reflexive practice on the kind of librarian I wanted to be. I got to work with so many students on a variety coursework or research projects across so many disciplines - it was a ton of fun!

What is your advice to someone new to medical librarianship?

Don't be afraid of what you don't know and never feel silly for asking for help from colleagues in your workplace or associations like this! If you're someone like me who doesn't have a sciences background, starting out or even starting to work with a new discipline can be overwhelming. Librarians poke fun at our own amount of jargon and acronyms, but I think health sciences have us beat! It has been incredibly helpful to talk to other librarians to hear about their journeys, approaches, and resources as well as pay attention to listservs and LIS publications. Honestly, I also love to read other library's LibGuides and watch their YouTube tutorials -- I'm a learner, too!

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

Vocational awe is always on my mind; I might describe feeling "called" to this work, but I'm always trying to avoid the pitfalls of a helping profession that include scope creep, emotional labor, and burnout. I'm also usually thinking about the invisible labor in our profession, from the processes and labor required to make information and materials discoverable and accessible to health sciences' heavy teaching and/or performing complex searches. As much as I like being compared to a wizard, I have been squeezing in more education to faculty/staff/residents/students during interactions and have actually had some great conversations about it!

What is something you have on your bucket list?

My top two bucket list trips are to 1. backpack throughout New Zealand to visit my favorite fantasy production filming locations, take part in the adventure tourism, and visit their wineries and 2. reverse my immigrant ancestors footsteps to visit the cities and towns they came from along the Baltic Sea, starting in northern Germany and Poland and getting up to Denmark and Sweden.

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

I love to read; I'm usually simultaneously reading fantasy and a non-fiction title in whatever has recently piqued my curiosity. I also love to explore vintage markets and have been very slowly teaching myself furniture restoration. I don't have a workshop or a dedicated garage space, so I really have to timeblock these projects and their inevitable messes.

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

I just finished listening to "Why We Sleep: Unlocking the Power of Sleep and Dreams," by Matthew Walker, PhD. I'm fascinated by the neuroscience of sleep and dreams, and this book was an excellent deep dive into the historical and updated research. Walker's arguments and ideas for improving sleep hygiene are so compelling. I also loved his style of writing, which was approachable and a bit snarky. Highly recommend!

Kaiser Permanente Woodland Hills Library NLM Exhibition Tour and Social

Thu, 28 Mar 2024 00:49:34 GMT

As a hospital librarian, I have an inherent curiosity to see how other hospital libraries are set up to meet the needs of their community. So naturally, I had been looking forward to the NLM Exhibition Tour at the Kaiser Permanente Woodland Hills Library.

I had the pleasure of meeting recently rejoined MLGSCA member and Woodland Hills Library Director, David Keddle. Also, it’s been a long while since I had seen Judy Kraemer in person, so it was great to catch up with her as well. David was such a gracious host; he offered coffee to anyone who visited the library, he gave us a grand tour of the facilities, showed us the KP Libraries website, and answered our many questions. Of course, all of this happened while visitors continued to come through the library to perform a variety of things. For instance, he assisted a staff member who was looking for a book to study for the CEN Exam. It was the sort of request we are also accustomed to getting at my hospital library.

The NLM Traveling Exhibit, “Harry Potter and the World of Medicine” was such an amusing exhibit to have in the Medical Office Building where the library is located. I was surprised to learn it took two years to get the exhibit due to the extensive waitlist! After the library visit, we continued our conversation at the BJ’s Restaurant and Brewery which was a close drive from the hospital. I have to say, for the small price I had to pay for food, drink, and gas (I drive a hybrid thankfully), the time I spent with these other librarians was invaluable, and it was such a wonderful learning experience to see David in action! – Sunny McGowan

What a great opportunity to see a NLM Traveling Exhibit AND see another MLGSCA library AND meet and get to know other MLGSCA members! Thank you to David Keddle for hosting our MLGSCA gathering and to Sunny McGowan for coordinating the event.

I truly loved seeing the exhibit, meeting David, seeing his Kaiser Woodland Hills library, and catching up with Sunny in person! In addition to enjoying time at the library, we had a good time at Happy Hour at BJ's Brewery. I look forward to meeting up with more MLGSCA members at a date/time within the next six weeks to be determined at the Anaheim Public Library which I learned is the next stop on this NLM exhibit's tour! So, if you missed Woodland Hills, stay tuned for another MLGSCA Meet Up invitation for an Anaheim gathering! - Judy Kraemer

Candidates: MLGSCA 2024 Elections

Angela Murrell — Fri, 15 Mar 2024 22:38:48 GMT

Presenting the candidates for the MLGSCA 2024 Election as approved by Advisory Council.

For complete Bios please see https://mlgsca.wildapricot.org/2024-Candidates/

Please watch your email for ballots coming soon, and VOTE by March 29, 2024.

President Elect (3-year term), 1 candidate

Andrea Harrow

Secretary (1-year term), 2 candidates

David Carson
Zemirah Ngow

MLGSCA Nominating Committee (2 seats, 2-year term), 3 candidates

Hal Bright
Karina Kletscher
Ivan Portillo

MLA Chapter Council Representative and Alternative (3-year term), 3 candidates

Elisa Cortez
Judy Kraemer
Andrea Lynch

I AM MLGSCA: Sarah Tillery

Fri, 01 Mar 2024 19:58:41 GMT

Name: Sarah Tillery
Institution: THMEP/TMC Health, Tucson, Arizona
Title: Medical Librarian/CME Administrator

Brief description of what you do/your responsibilities at your institution.

I run our fully online library--I pull articles for healthcare professionals, run literature searches on topics they are researching, and maintain our library website and database. I also handle tracking CME credit and CME applications for our hospital system.

Why is MLGSCA important to you?

I am incredibly new! This is my very first library job out of grad school, and so I am so happy that there is an incredible organization like MLGSCA with many wonderful folks whose wisdom I hope to learn so much from.

Why did you become a librarian?

Miss Coughlan was the librarian at the Bahrain School where I went to first and second grade, and she had an after school library club where we would read, do arts and crafts, and write and perform plays--that club was everything to me, and I still have lots of the books and crafts we did. I had to move a lot as a kid, and one of the consistent things in my life was always the library--everywhere we went, there was a library, and everywhere we went, the library was a safe haven, some place where I could explore everything my heart desired. I pursued art first, but after a bit of growing, I realize that what I really wanted to do with my art and love of writing and stories was doing things like Miss Coughlan did. I want to share my passion, and libraries are the perfect place to do that.

What is your advice to someone new to medical librarianship?

Ask a lot of questions! Connect with people--there are so many cool aspects to medical librarianship I never knew about. I am interested in comic books, and there is a whole world of Graphic Medicine I am just now learning about and exploring. Whatever your passions are, there's a world for it in medical librarianship, I guarantee!

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

Information literacy. I am incredibly passionate about educating and making sure people understand the information that they are getting, and know how to get that information, and how to vet it. I think that connects many of the big issues in librarianship.

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

I have been working on incorporating Graphic Medicine and Medical Humanities into the work I do at my hospital--its still in early stages, but I'm very excited! Currently it just looks like a colorful binder on my desk, but I'm hoping to do very cool things with it.

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

Draw, write, play dungeons and dragons and video games, cook, and overanalyze media.

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

Cyclopedia Exotica--a graphic novel about Cyclops living in the real world. Highly recommend!

What are you most proud of?

Even though they are on hiatus currently, I am most proud of my webcomics that I made with my husband, one of which received a positive review from a comic book website we both enjoy--it's silly and small, but it was a great day!

MLGSCA Members win MLA Awards

Thu, 29 Feb 2024 20:41:48 GMT

The 2024 MLA Awards have been announced and our members shined.

MLGSCA won the MLA Chapter Project of the Year Award for our Coffee Chat program, which includes a $500 award for the chapter to use on programming for the chapter annual meeting.

Individual members were honored with the following Honors and Grants:

Elisa Cortez, Naomi C. Broering Latinx Heritage Grant

Andrea Harrow, Hospital Libraries Professional Development Grant

Angela Murrell, MLA Rising Star

Congratulations to all our members!

See the complete list of 2024 MLA Awards & Honors Recipients

CJ Garcia wins scholarship for NISO

Angela Murrell — Thu, 08 Feb 2024 18:24:08 GMT

CJ Garcia is a member from Phoenix. NISO scholarship details here: https://niso.plus/2024/01/announcing-our-2024-niso-plus-scholarship-winners/

I AM MLGSCA: Ellen Aaronson

Fri, 02 Feb 2024 20:20:46 GMT

Name: Ellen Aaronson, AHIP
Institution: Mayo Clinic Libraries, Rochester, MN
Title: Librarian

Brief description of what you do/your responsibilities at your institution.

Fully remote librarian providing literature search and project support for all campuses across the Mayo Enterprise.

Why is MLGSCA important to you?

MLGSCA has been one of my professional homes from the beginning of my medical library career. I was encouraged to join to meet other medical librarians in my local area and found that getting involved in committee work and the Advisory Board gave me a voice and expanded my professional knowledge. We went through many changes through the years, and I am truly encouraged by the continued activity that keeps our chapter vibrant and relevant.

What was your first library job or professional position?

My first library job was in high school working as a student clerk for the Los Angeles Public Library. I was responsible for shelving from book carts and retrieving magazines from the stacks. While doing my undergrad work, I moved on to become a library clerk complete with a miniature date stamp indicating when items were to be returned! My first position after library school was as a Tech Services Librarian at Beth Israel Hospital in Manhattan.

What is your advice to someone new to medical librarianship?

Follow the same advice I did - jump into the deep end! Get involved in a local MLA chapter or MLA caucus. MLA has valuable tools for new medical librarians including the Hospital Library Caucus (HLC) "New Hospital Librarians Resouces" page which provides an array of great information on everything from AHIP to training opportunities. MLA has a New Members Caucus designed to introduce new librarians to the organization. Getting involved early was professionally and personally beneficial for me. I have learned so much along the way and made many "frolleagues" (colleagues who have become friends)!

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

In the spring of 2021, just prior to the beginning of my tenure as HLC Chair, the CHLA (Canadian Health Libraries Association) published a "Statement on the Importance of Hospital Libraries", a document written partly in response to the growing number of hospital library closures, and one that MLA signed on to. I worked with several members of the HLC Executive Board as well as the MLA President and MLA staff to create a response to that document which was published and endorsed by a number of other organizations. That statement entitled "Partner with your Hospital Librarian" can be found on the MLA website.

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

I love to hike, cycle, read, travel, and spend time with family, especially my 2-year-old grandson, and friends. I also love to play mahjong and canasta.

Describe yourself in five words.

Compassionate, realistic, loyal, fun-loving, team-player.

What are you most proud of?

I am most proud of my family. My husband has been my champion since we married 43 years ago, and my children are hard-working, respectful, and genuinely kind people.

A.T. Still Memorial Library named Library Excellence in Access and Diversity Award recipient

Angela Murrell — Wed, 31 Jan 2024 20:48:29 GMT

A.T. Still Memorial Library named Library Excellence in Access and Diversity Award recipient by INSIGHT Into Diversity magazine

A.T. Still Memorial Library named Library Excellence in
Access and Diversity Award recipient by INSIGHT Into Diversity

A.T. Still University’s (ATSU) A.T. Still Memorial Library has been named a recipient of the 2024 Library Excellence in Access and Diversity (LEAD) Award by INSIGHT Into Diversity magazine, the oldest and largest diversity-focused publication in higher education.

The LEAD Award honors academic libraries’ programs and initiatives that encourage and support diversity, equity, and inclusion. These include, but are not limited to research, technology, accessibility, exhibitions, and community outreach. A.T. Still Memorial Library will be featured, along with 55 other recipients, in the March 2024 issue of Insight Into Diversity magazine.

“ATSU thanks Insight Into Diversity magazine for recognizing A.T. Still Memorial Library’s efforts in the areas of diversity and inclusion,” said ATSU President Craig Phelps, DO, ’84. “Congratulations to Library Director Hal Bright, MLS, AHIP, and our Missouri, Arizona, and California library staff on this achievement.”

Insight Into Diversity magazine selected A.T. Still Memorial Library because of the library’s multitude of projects in support of its diversity statement and action plan, including staff education initiatives on accessibility and cultural competency, diversity collections and exhibitions, and engagement with ATSU’s Office of Diversity & Inclusion, student organizations, University diversity initiatives, and committees.

“Diversity and serving the underserved, both of which are mentioned in our University's mission statement, are some of the strongest core values of ATSU,” Bright said. “I am proud of the work our team has performed in these areas and this award shines a light on the success we have had in the past year.”

A call for nominations for this award was announced in October 2023.

“We know that many academic libraries are not always recognized for their dedication to diversity, inclusion, and access” says Lenore Pearlstein, owner and publisher of Insight Into Diversity magazine. “We are proud to honor these college and university libraries as role models for other institutions of higher education.”

The LEAD Award is the latest Insight Into Diversity honor ATSU achieved. The University has been awarded the Health Professions Higher Education Excellence in Diversity (HEED) Award in each of the last seven years, and ATSU’s innovative Dreamline Pathways program has earned the magazine’s Inspiring Programs in STEM Award.

For more information about the 2024 Library Excellence in Access and Diversity (LEAD) Award, visit insightintodiversity.com.

MLGSCA Needs You!

Angela Murrell — Fri, 12 Jan 2024 22:26:32 GMT

Want to get more involved with MLGSCA? Have ideas for keeping our organization engaging for its members?

The MLGSCA Nominating Committee wants to speak with you!

--Judy Kraemer, Chair with Lisa Marks, Andrea Harrow, Marcia Henry, David Bickford

We are seeking great candidates (YOU) for the following elected positions.

President Elect / President / Immediate Past President (3 year term, MLA membership required)
Secretary (1 year term, MLA membership required)
MLA Chapter Council Representative & Alternate (3 year term, MLA membership required)
MLGSCA Nominating Committee (2 elected, 2 year term, MLA membership NOT required)
MLA Nominating Committee Candidate (selected by the MLGSCA Advisory Council, MLGSCA candidate sent to MLA Chapter Council which will elect the members of the MLA Nominating Committee, MLA membership required)

Review the MLGSCA Bylaws and Advisory Council Manual and/or contact a Nominating Committee member for more information.

Let us know if you want to run or to nominate a colleague preferably by January 19, next Friday.

Getting more involved with MLGSCA is the BEST thing I did for my career! Instant colleagues and friends!

I AM MLGSCA: Karen O'Grady

Fri, 05 Jan 2024 20:51:23 GMT

Name: Karen O'Grady
Institution: University of San Diego, San Diego, CA
Title: Nursing Librarian

Brief description of what you do/your responsibilities at your institution.

I am an embedded librarian at the Hahn School of Nursing, meaning my office is in the nursing building and not in the campus library. USD only has graduate nursing students, so I mostly help students and faculty with their research.

Why is MLGSCA important to you?

MLGSCA is important to me for friendship and networking.

Why did you become a librarian?

I had previously worked in publishing, and I worked with a lot of librarians. The more I learned about the profession, the more I saw it was a perfect fit for me.

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

My future dream project is to connect my nursing students with the hospital librarians at their clinical sites to help bridge the classroom-to-bedside gap. Many nursing students stop reading the nursing literature once they graduate. Oh, how this frustrates me.

What is your advice to someone new to medical librarianship?

Find your niche. Unlike public librarianship, medical librarianship positions vary widely in day-to-day duties. If you don't love what you are doing, look around and make a change. The perfect job awaits you!

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

I think the profession would benefit greatly if library students jumped into participating in professional organizations. Beyond that, I think AI has many people in academia worried.

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

I am listening to John Green books. I finished Looking for Alaska, and now I am listening to Turtles All the Way Down. That guy can really write!

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

I have a Secret government clearance because of my previous position at a submarine base.

What are you most proud of?

I am most proud of completing the Alcatraz swim in San Francisco.

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

I have a Secret government clearance because of my previous position at a submarine base.

A Holly, Jolly Get-together!

Fri, 08 Dec 2023 22:16:47 GMT

On a nice, crisp December evening, the MLGSCA Membership Committee hosted the “Librarian Holiday Get-together” at the CPK restaurant in the Irvine Spectrum. Like last year’s holiday event, the committee sent the invitation out to library school students, and all types of librarians including, public, law, and academic librarians from other disciplines. We were so thrilled to have had a law librarian and a liberal arts college librarian join us so we can share our work experiences and network.

As guests trickled in, we offered each a raffle ticket so they could participate in the event's prize drawing. We invited everyone to mix and mingle and to enjoy some delicious appetizers, salads, and pizzas.

When most have finished up their meals, we started the White Elephant gift exchange – which was the most exciting part of the evening. It was fun to see participants strategize which present to choose, shaking the wrapped boxes and gift bags, getting a feel for the weight of the mystery gift, and of course, the swapping of other people’s gifts!

Afterwards we performed the raffle drawing and the prizes were donated by our wonderful library vendors. Ebsco donated two $50 Amazon gift cards, Ovid/Wolters Kluwer donated a Starbucks holiday gift basket, and McGraw-Hill donated $100 CPK gift card to pitch in for the food. Also, MLGSCA donated a free 2024 membership certificate and a surprise gift (which was a Harry Potter-themed card game).

To finish off the lovely evening, as our guests prepared to depart, some were gracious enough to share with us that they were glad MLGSCA had organized the event. Which signaled to us that our colleagues have longed to socialize in-person. We had librarians come from all over Orange County, Riverside, LA, and San Diego to attend the get-together. One member even said that he is going to renew his membership with MLGSCA even though he’s retired from library service. It was wonderful time had by all and a perfect way to ring in the holiday season!

Happy Holidays from the MLGSCA Membership Committee!

Sunny McGowan (Co-chair)

Karen O’Grady (Co-chair)

Elisa Cortez

Jennifer Silverman

Be Well Community at MLA

Angela Murrell — Fri, 01 Dec 2023 22:31:22 GMT

by Deborah Farber

If you want to develop new self-care practices, there's a resource for you. Created in 2022, the Be Well Community within MLA is a forum for librarians and staff to learn about personal and workplace wellness strategies. The Community hosts an hour-long panel discussion on a different topic each month. The sessions are scheduled from September to April, with a culminating event held at the MLA Annual Meeting.

In September, "Pens, Planners, and Productivity" focused on getting organized for work and school. Fellow MLGSCA Member Elisa Cortez was one of the panelists. Though preferred methods varied, all panelists emphasized picking a planning method that works for you. Planning can become part of self-care by incorporating reflection into the planning process.

The October session was all about "Preparing Plants for Changing Seasons." One of the panelists suggested, “Let nature do the work." The panelist allows seeds to fall to the ground and sprout when the conditions are right. Another panelist provided tips for gardening by season. For the third panelist, gardening is therapy.

The November topic was "Gifts and Gratitude: Sharing the Gift of Creativity." During the one-hour session, panelists provided ideas for incorporating creativity into gratitude practices. One suggested practice was visual journaling, a combination of words and art.

The next session, "Recipe for Resilience," will occur on December 13^th at 1:00 pm CST. There is no cost to register for the session. To attend, join the Be Well Community. As a community member, you'll have access to previous session recordings and resources mentioned during each session.

I AM MLGSCA: Adorée Hatton

Fri, 01 Dec 2023 16:00:00 GMT

Name: Adorée Hatton
Institution: Loma Linda University, Loma Linda, California
Title: Research and Instruction Librarian

Brief description of what you do/your responsibilities at your institution.

I provide reference services for healthcare students and support faculty with information literacy instruction.

Why is MLGSCA important to you?

It's been a wonderful way to get to know semi-local health librarians and further develop my health librarianship skills.

Why did you become a librarian?

I always loved libraries - I had even written a paper in high school about "The Fellowship of the Library!" I had started considering it as a career when I did some in-depth aptitude testing; I asked the person who reviewed my test results if being a librarian would be a good fit, and they said it would be an excellent fit.

What was your first library job or professional position?

My first library job was a student position in the library at the small liberal arts university I attended. Both of the librarians knew I wanted to become a librarian, so they gave me the opportunity to work on projects not usually worked on by students, like overseeing sending periodicals for binding. I loved it!

What is your advice to someone new to medical librarianship?

Don't be scared of all the medical terminology - it will quickly become familiar. And - you're a librarian, you can always look it up! Don't be afraid to tell someone that you don't know the answer, but that you'll try to find it.

What is something you have on your bucket list?

I want to live/work in Austria or Germany at least long enough to become fluent in German.

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

A Discovery of Witches book series.

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

I spend time with my husband, we both love to travel. We also have nine cats to take care of! And when I have any extra time, I spend it in my garden.

I AM MLGSCA: David Bickford

Thu, 02 Nov 2023 01:51:05 GMT

Name: David Bickford
Institution: University of Arizona, Phoenix
Title: Director, Arizona Health Sciences Library

Brief description of what you do/your responsibilities at your institution.

I lead a multi-institutional team providing information access and services to students, faculty, and staff of the University of Arizona and Northern Arizona University at the Phoenix Bioscience Core. Duties include instructional outreach to the academic communities of both institutions, management of library operations, coordination with each institution's main campus library, compliance with accreditation requirements, and collaboration with peer libraries and professional organizations.

Why is MLGSCA important to you?

MLGSCA provides a regional chapter that is just the right size to become involved in committee work and hold offices. It offers me an immediate way to test ideas and make contacts that can then lead to greater involvement at the national level through MLA.

What was your first library job or professional position?

My first library job was as a clerk in the small public library of my hometown in New York. My first professional position was a librarian in the Business and Science department of the old Phoenix Central Library.

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

Prior to my current position, I was in charge of library resources and services at University of Phoenix. That was during the institution's rapid expansion to a nationwide network of campuses and online programs. Because the university was operating in multiple states, we had to comply with multiple sets of accreditation and licensing requirements. That meant a lot of travel. Sometimes I spent as much time flying around the country and going to meetings as I did running my own library.

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

When I began my career, library resources (mostly books back then) were closely related to library space. A library's square footage was mostly determined by how many volumes it had. Now, resources (mostly digital now) and space are almost completely separate domains. Balancing how much time to devote to each one and explaining the differing needs in each area to leadership is likely to be a challenge for all library leaders.

What is something you have on your bucket list?

To visit all 50 states. I've been stalled at 44 for a while now.

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

I recently enjoyed a book called "Half American" by Matthew Delmont. It's a fast-paced and fact-packed account of the African-American experience during World War II. In terms of movies, my favorite recent find has been "The Wolf's Call," a French submarine thriller.

What are you most proud of?

In early adulthood, I responded to a breakup by cashing in my accumulated frequent flier miles, flying to Bangkok, and spending a week at a Thai cooking school. It might have been a little self-indulgent, but flying around the world and trying a new adventure was just right for restoring my confidence.

Library Staff Excellence Award Winners

Angela Murrell — Thu, 19 Oct 2023 18:51:07 GMT

MLGSCA is pleased to issue the 2023 Library Staff Excellence Award to two dedicated employees of health science libraries in the region. This year’s recipients are Cynthia Heltne of the Mayo Clinic and Mike Bates of the University of Arizona. Cynthia has worked for over 18 years at Mayo where she has demonstrated a consistent commitment to customer service, patient education, and lifelong learning. Mikel was selected for her outstanding work in managing grants, supervising staff, and coordinating the Arizona Health Information Network. Both were presented with their awards at staff events at their respective libraries.

New Article by MLGSCA Members

Angela Murrell — Fri, 13 Oct 2023 16:56:06 GMT

Gotschall, T., Spencer, A., Hoogland, M., Cortez, E., & Irish, E. (2023). Journals accepting case reports. Journal of the Medical Library Association, 111(4), 819–822. https://doi.org/10.5195/jmla.2023.1747

I AM MLGSCA: Zemirah Ngow

Angela Murrell — Fri, 06 Oct 2023 18:03:31 GMT

Name: Zemirah G. (Lee) Ngow, MLIS, AHIP
Institution: University of California, San Diego
Title: Collection Strategist for Life & Health Sciences & Liaison Librarian

Brief description of what you do/your responsibilities at your institution.

I’m responsible for collections in the life & health sciences at UCSD Library. I also currently liaise with our new PA Program, Psychiatry, and Bioinformatics, and assist with our systematic review service.

Why is MLGSCA important to you?

I’ve always felt the importance of developing and contributing to a community of like-minded professionals who can share common challenges, triumphs, and to be able to discuss pressing issues that immediately affect the work we do. The first half of my career I focused heavily on instruction, but have reached a stage in my professional life where I find myself really wanting to get deeper into the issues that affect medical/health information–teaching, learning, and scholarship. I feel so lucky to have found my life’s calling as a librarian focused on issues in the life and health sciences and am very thankful to have found this group. I find that the many varied opportunities for networking and continuing education here have been most valuable to my professional growth, and I embrace the cares and concerns we bring forward that are so unique to our profession.

Why did you become a librarian?

My mom was a thesis shy of graduating to become a full-fledged librarian in the Philippines before she decided to marry my dad and move here back in the 70s. She always told me I should become a Librarian, but because mom told me to do it, it automatically was NOT cool, although I always had it in the back of my mind. I used to work for the County of San Diego and would see the postings for County Librarian positions and took a leap of faith one day and decided to just go back to school… libraries have always been a safe space for my three kids and I when I was a stay at home mom. So originally, I went to school to go into Youth Librarianship in Public Libraries before falling in love with the instruction, reference, research, and outreach component of Academic Libraries… et viola–The rest is history!

What is your advice to someone new to medical librarianship?

Whether you’re a solo hospital librarian or lost-in-the-crowd at a larger academic institution or find yourself in someplace between–no one else will really ever understand the unique challenges we face in our little specialty area of librarianship BUT another medical librarian. Find a professional group (like MLGSCA!) to get the help, support, advice, and network you’ll need to arrive and thrive in your new roles. Volunteer for everything you have time for and be open to exploring all the new opportunities that come your way because they will open doors to many other exciting adventures.

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

I have transformative agreements and the hidden gatchas involving open-access agreements on my mind because that seems like all I seem to be working on these days. Today, my answer to this question involves the whole of availability of scholarship and information-seeking behavior in the users who consume this information. Our scholars, researchers, and librarians are facing real challenges in curating, managing, collecting, and disseminating vetted evidence-based knowledge/information. Librarians these days, especially in health for medical/clinical settings, have evolved from bibliographers to having to become jacks and janes of all things with regard to the information we collect, curate, and organize to the teaching of finding and using of potentially complicated resources, to working with our researchers and authors to move our knowledge markers forward.

What is something you have on your bucket list?

To vacation in a resort where I can stay in an overwater bungalow!

Describe yourself in five words.

Grounded, Compassionate, Family-Oriented, Ambivert

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

I play video games–depending on my mood, I’ll farm crops, or level up skill trees in a survival landscape, or mow down disease ridden zombies and renegade factions! I also love to bake and dig around yard sales or thrift stores for those hidden treasures I didn’t know I needed to have!

What are you most proud of?

I’m most proud of my kids. Despite the challenges we’ve all had as a family over the last decade or so, they’ve all grown into beautiful, compassionate, skilled, and intelligent people I’m so blessed to get to have in my life. I can’t wait to see how their lives continue to develop and the wonderful people they’re going to grow up to become.

I AM MLGSCA: Hector Perez-Gilbe

Angela Murrell — Tue, 12 Sep 2023 15:49:44 GMT

Name: Hector R. Perez-Gilbe, MLIS, MPH, AHIP
Institution: University of California, Irvine
Title: Research Librarian for the Health Sciences

Brief description of what you do/your responsibilities at your institution.

I’m responsible for the collections in the areas of medicine, pharmaceutical sciences and pharmacy, public health, and interim for biological sciences and nursing. I’m the library liaison to the School of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Pharmacy, School of Public Health and interim for liaison for the School of Biological Sciences. Also, part of the Systematic Review Services Team.

Why is MLGSCA important to you?

The main reason to be part of this group is the networking part. Staying in touch with colleagues from the region keep me current in new trends in medical librarianship and informed of the state of other institutions in areas of interest like collections and research.

What was your first library job or professional position?

Head of Government Documents at CUNY City College.

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

My first research adventure as an epidemiologist.

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

Changing the stereotype perception of the general population of what a librarian do. Librarians, specially in the health sciences/medical librarianship role, have evolved into a multiskilled partner with vast knowledge of medical literature and formal training on how to find, access, retrieve, and stored that literature for future use. Medical librarians have a very important role in academic and clinical settings. The challenge has become selling your skills and knowledge on a constantly changing landscape of technology and information in the area of medical/health sciences information. Becoming partner in the areas of research, instruction, and clinical practice, has one big hurdle, getting those constituents to know you and your skills sets and how you can help them achieve their goals. The perception of the work you do by those you serve may be completely inaccurate. Other challenging issues are decreasing library collections budgets and limited contact with constituents due to time limitations.

What is something you have on your bucket list?

Visit Australia.

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

I don’t watch much tv or go to the movies, barely have time to read, but I recently watch again one of my favorite movies “Powder”. The movie was a critical piece in understanding human nature from the perspective of my believes.

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

Cooking, baking, collecting art and framing.

What are you most proud of?

All the achievements that have led me to where I am now.

August Coffee Chat -Just Say 'No'

Angela Murrell — Fri, 11 Aug 2023 17:28:41 GMT

Today's coffee chat on "How to say 'No', or what to eliminate when there's too much to do," was a wonderful discussion among 11 colleagues at a variety of different institutions and library types.

We discussed many situations where we felt the need to say "no" to too many requests, interruptions, and sometimes patrons and colleagues.

We discussed ways to deal with excessive requests for systematic review and literature search requests. University of Colorado uses a Professional Literature Search Service (https://library.cuanschutz.edu/services/librarian-services/prof-lit-search) request form and charges a fee for Systematic review services (not to students) of $300 for a full search strategy. Plus, librarians must be co-authors. They also include a notice of a waiting period when they get backed up right on the website.

Managing your time and how many tasks or services you volunteer for can be difficult. Remembering the time commitment and setting aside enough time for each activity is challenging. Several participants discussed using tools to help manage their time. Excel can be used as a simplified project manager. Some librarians use their calendar to track weekly tasks associated with assigned duties. Blocking out time on the calendar and coloring coding different types of tasks allows you to track you time and prevent others from schedule meetings when you need to focus on important work. You can use these tricks later for annual reviews, instead of having to wade through emails. One participant mentioned a LinkedIn Learning course on time management by Dave Crenshaw as a good resource.

We also discussed ways to deal with interruptions, especially the little ones at your desk when you are in an online meeting or working on something that needs your focus. Some of us work in open offices or at desks with direct access to the public and find it hard to have blocks of time that is not interrupted with directional or questions unrelated to libraries. Some suggestions included getting a sign that has "in a meeting", "feel free to knock", "do not disturb", tec. However, some participants have experienced patrons who ignore such signs. It was suggested that we look for a conference room or study room we can reserve for important meetings or blocks of time that we need to work uninterrupted.

Other times when it is important to say "No" is when a request is made for something the library does not provide, like proctoring exams, grading assignments, or paying for parking. It is important to say no and offer alternatives if we can. Sometimes the patron still seems unsatisfied with the answer, but is not always our responsibility to solve their problem.

Other pressures can come from colleagues who may not understand when we say "no." In the end, we are doing our best with the time and resources we have. We are all very different individuals, in different situations. We also have different life circumstances and on top of work demands, must maintain a work-life balance.

Here are some resources about saying "No," understanding our value and dealing with the guilt of doing your best and knowing you are enough.

Saying “No”: A Librarian’s Struggle, Erin Grimes. RIPS Law Librarian Blog. Feb. 1, 2022 https://ripslawlibrarian.wordpress.com/2022/02/01/saying-no-a-librarians-struggle/

Learning to Say "No", Rebecca Cruz. Public Librarians Online. May 17, 2013 https://publiclibrariesonline.org/2013/05/learning-to-say-no/

Blog: The Guilty Librarian: Grappling with Job Related Guilt, Chelsea Price. Programming Librarian. Dec, 18, 2020 https://programminglibrarian.org/blog/guilty-librarian-grappling-job-related-guilt

The Librarians are Not Okay, Anne Helen Petersen. Culture Study. May 1, 2022 https://annehelen.substack.com/p/the-librarians-are-not-okay

How to Professionally Say No at Work (+ Examples), Hannah Sheehan. Fellow.app. July 6, 2023 https://fellow.app/blog/productivity/how-to-say-no-at-work/

I am MLGSCA: Ivan Portillo

Angela Murrell — Fri, 04 Aug 2023 16:10:15 GMT

Name: Ivan Portillo
Institution: Leatherby Libraries, Chapman University, Irvine, CA
Title: Coordinator of Rinker Campus Library Services

Brief description of what you do/your responsibilities at your institution.
I oversee all library services at the Rinker Health Science Campus at Chapman University. We have two library spaces on campus, one at the Campus Center and a second called the Health Sciences Study Commons, a study space that houses our physical library collection. I also directly supervise a health sciences librarian and full-time library assistant. The three of us, including a few student assistants, help meet the information and research needs of faculty, students, and staff of the School of Pharmacy and Crean College of Health and Behavioral Sciences.

Why is MLGSCA important to you?
MLGSCA is important because it has provided me with many connections to local librarians. I have worked in three health science/medical libraries in Southern California, some with fellow librarians and others without. With MLGSCA, even if I were to be a solo librarian again, I know I can reach out to a local librarian for guidance or support.

What was your first library job or professional position?
My first library job was as a student assistant at the Cal Poly Pomona University Library. My very first professional position was as the Head Librarian at Mt. Sierra College, an art school that is no longer active.

What has been the most interesting project you have worked on?
The most interesting project may be the one I’m currently working on: expanding library services at my campus. We’re opening a new building and a new library space, which will change how we serve our users. We’re also getting new AR/VR headsets, which satisfies my tech geek interests.

What do you consider to be the most pressing issues or trends in librarianship?
To adapt to the ever-changing landscape of information and how our users gather their information. With AI becoming more common to gather and create information, as librarians, we must keep up and learn how to teach our users how to best use this new technology. Librarians should also use these new technologies to our advantage for outreach, teaching purposes, or other practical uses.

What is something you have on your bucket list?
Ditto to Rikke’s response. Visit all 7 continents. I’ve been to 4 so far.

What is the best thing you have read/watched/listened to recently?
I recently wrapped up Succession on Max. It was very satisfying to watch and hope that I will never be in a similar situation.

Describe yourself in five words.
I am an outgoing introvert.

What are you most proud of?
I’m proud of my parents for coming to this country in the late ’70s from Mexico and El Salvador. Neither of them finished high school, but their ambition for a better life for themselves and our family has allowed me to be a first-generation college graduate. Now that I work in higher education, I mentor or help students in similar situations so that they can succeed as well.

I am MLGSCA: Lise Bretton

Angela Murrell — Fri, 04 Aug 2023 15:33:34 GMT

Name: Lise Bretton
Institution: Sharp Grossmont Hospital, La Mesa, CA
Title: Hospital Librarian

Brief description of what you do/your responsibilities at your institution.
I’ve become more of an information specialist, less a conventional librarian (but then again, I was never conventional).

Why is MLGSCA important to you?
As a solo librarian, I need as much support as possible from my colleagues. They inspire me and pick me up when I’m feeling discouraged.

What was your first library job or professional position?
I worked as a library assistant at University of San Diego’s Copley Library.

What has been the most interesting project you have worked on?
Overhauling an entire library and transitioning it from Dewey to LC. It was certainly the largest project.

What do you consider to be the most pressing issues or trends in librarianship?
AI, technology in general. I highly recommend the Library 2.0 lectures on ChatGPT4. Especially if you’re working as an academic librarian.

What is something you have on your bucket list?
Mastering AI, maybe getting into machine learning. Right now, I’m taking courses through Stanford that are fascinating!

What is the best thing you have read/watched/listened to recently?
Algorithms of Oppression/Succession/Avi Avital

Describe yourself in five words.
well-traveled, political, sarcastic, kind

What are you most proud of?
My intelligence. “The measure of an education is that you acquire some idea of the extent of your ignorance”–Chris Hitchens.