MLGSCA Scholarship Winner Responds
Posted on | April 12, 2012 | 1 Comment
Jessica Shultz was chosen as the recipient of this year’s MLGSCA Scholarship. Jessica responded to the notification by saying, “I am so thankful to the Medical Library Group of Southern California and Arizona for choosing me as a scholarship recipient.
At this moment life seems like a whirlwind! I am planning my wedding, currently enrolled in an MLIS program at San Jose State University, work part time at a health-sciences university library, and on the committee for the American Cancer Society’s Relay for Life in my community.
I am interested in using the terminology and experience gained through these opportunities to further a career in medical librarianship. Both my mother and grandmother chose nursing as their career fields. I account having grown up listening to their stories as one of the reasons I am passionate about researching and learning how to stay healthy and to what degree daily choices affect the body. Education and knowledge are pivotal in medicine and librarianship alike, which is why I am passionate about providing health care professionals with up-to-date information that could mean life or death for their patients. Being naturally interested in variety of health management issues gives me the drive and motivation to further my education and excel in my career goal as a medical library information professional. I am truly grateful for the support given to me by MLGSCA. Thank you!”
Thanks to the Awards Committee for managing the scholarship application and selection process this year.
MLGSCA Elections Results
Posted on | April 5, 2012 | No Comments
Contributed by Eileen Wakiji, MLGSCA Nominating Committee
The polls have closed for the 2012 MLGSCA Election!
The MLGSCA Nominating Committee would like to thank all the candidates and voting members for making the 2012 election a success. The results are:
Mary White, President-Elect
April Aguiñaga, Secretary
Alan Carr, MLA Chapter Council Representative
Kathleen Carlson, MLA Chapter Council Representative Alternate
Janet Crum, MLGSCA Nominating Committee
Kay Deeney, MLGSCA Nominating Committee
A formal presentation of the newly elected officers will be made at the April 18th Business Meeting.
Information Treasure Hunt: Supporting Evidence-Based Practice @ Your Institution
Posted on | March 23, 2012 | No Comments
Contributed by Alan Carr, Member Services & Exhibits Coordinator, National Network of Libraries of Medicine, Pacific Southwest Region. Reposted from Latitudes, the newsletter of the NN/LM PSR.
This one-day symposium was held on March 2, 2012, at the newly renovated UCLA Library Conference Center, at the Charles E. Young Research Library. Funded by NN/LM PSR to enhance the role of librarians in supporting evidence-based medicine education and practice for health care practitioners, the symposium was organized by the Medical Library Group of Southern California and Arizona (MLGSCA), in cooperation with the Northern California and Nevada Medical Library Group (NCNMLG) and the Hawaii Pacific Chapter, Medical Library Association (HPCMLA). The symposium planning committee was chaired by Lisa Marks, Library Services Supervisor, Providence St. Joseph Medical Center, Burbank. Roughly sixty enthusiastic attendees came to hear featured speaker Connie Schardt’s presentation highlighting the key types of clinical study designs, along with their strengths and weaknesses. She also thoroughly explained the terminology used to describe the results of clinical trials, as well as the criteria for judging the validity of therapy studies and systematic reviews. Ms. Schardt, who holds the position of Associate Director for Public Services at the Medical Center Library at Duke University, is a nationally recognized expert in the field. Other invited speakers included Cheryl Bartel, former UCLA librarian and current nurse for the Lake Elsinore School District, and Robert Johnson, clinical services librarian at the USC Norris Medical Library.
The session began with an examination of the “evidence pyramid,” a hierarchy of study design methods, such as case reports, case control studies, cohort studies, and randomized controlled trials. Ms. Schardt reviewed the methodological rigor of each study design, and whether the timeline used to measure outcomes looked forward or backwards. This was followed by an interactive discussion highlighting tips for searching PubMed for particular study types using either MeSH or the “publication type” indicator. Ms. Schardt suggested ways to tailor search techniques in our own libraries to obtain the best clinical evidence, by customizing PubMed filters and utilizing clues in citations, such as the “JC” designation, indicating that the reference is from the ACP Journal Club, which summarizes the best new evidence for internal medicine from over 130 clinical journals. The discussion was followed by small group exercises, providing attendees the opportunity to review selected articles and critically appraise the effectiveness of the type of study design used to conduct the research. Ms. Schardt then covered statistical analysis in the context of searching for and evaluating systematic reviews, presenting criteria for appraising articles that attendees then used in small group discussions of selected articles. This technique was very effective in pushing symposium attendees to think critically about the types of research questions asked and whether or not the study methodology was appropriate.
The next part of the symposium featured Ms. Bartel and Mr. Johnson leading a discussion of using qualitative techniques in research design. This session emphasized the subjectivity of human nature and how qualitative theoretical frameworks necessitate constant evaluation of study results. We again used small groups as a way to discuss selected articles, to provide an analysis of the context of the study, the research design, the demographics of the study population and whether or not the study conclusions were valid. At the end of the day, the three presenters provided a joint summary of the practical applications of evidence-based practice. The information-packed day gave attendees many take-home points, including a better understanding of research projects and study designs, techniques for better filtering of search results, and the importance of a comprehensive reference interview so the research question can be effectively and readily analyzed.
To expand the scope and relevance of the event for attendees, the symposium also featured a Virtual Poster presentation, possibly the first time an MLA chapter has conducted such a session. Poster proposals were submitted in advance of the symposium to a selection committee of eleven people, who then selected eight posters, which were looped together in a PowerPoint display, and shown during breaks and over lunch. PDF versions of the posters are available for viewing and commentary with the authors on the MLGSCA Link newsletter.
Thanks are due to everyone involved in the planning and implementation of this program! It was an overwhelming success, and will hopefully lead to additional similar events, which will continue to benefit the NN/LM Pacific Southwest Region.
Two job postings at ASU
Posted on | March 21, 2012 | No Comments
There are two open positions at the Arizona State University for Health Sciences Librarians:
ASU Health Sciences Librarian- Coordinator
ASU Health Sciences Librarian- Assistant Rank
MLGSCA New Member: Monica Garcia
Posted on | March 20, 2012 | No Comments
Welcome to new MLGSCA member Monica Garcia! Monica is a Health and Life Sciences Librarian at the UCLA Louise M. Darling Biomedical Library, and serves as the library liaison to the School of Public Health and School of Nursing. Monica received her MLIS and MA in Latin American Studies from UCLA in 2011. Prior to joining the Biomedical Library, she worked as a reference intern and student supervisor/stacks coordinator at the UCLA Hugh and Hazel Darling Law School Library. A Southern California native, Monica’s interest in librarianship was sparked by a high school job as a page and aid at the Thousand Oaks Public Library. She finds that health sciences librarianship is an excellent way to combine her interests in health services and information sciences. She has joined MLGSCA to meet other health sciences librarians and to take advantage of mentorship opportunities. In addition to providing instructional services, reference services, and building collections at UCLA, Monica is currently working on a project to revamp the UCLA Biomedical Library’s presence in social media. When she’s not working, you can find Monica out exploring Los Angeles neighborhoods or trying new foods. If you have suggestions for new places to explore, or want to hear about unique restaurants in your neighborhood, get in touch with Monica!
Proposed MLGSCA Bylaws revision
Posted on | March 16, 2012 | No Comments
A notice from President Becky Birr:
Download the MLGSCA Bylaws suggested 2012 revision document to find revisions to our bylaws that the Advisory Council is proposing. MLA has asked Chapters to review their bylaws this year and make them more general. They suggest some language be moved to our operations manual. Our last bylaws update was in 2008.
Some notable changes are as follows:
- Amendments to bylaws can take place electronically not just at a physical meeting.
- Language has been removed for certain positions such as the Archivist, RML Rep, Coupon Manager, etc. Those will be added to our operations manual as needed.
- The composition of the Advisory Council is changed to the elected officers. All other positions will be ex-officio non-voting members.
If you have any questions regarding the changes, please let Mary White know. We will move to have these approved at the April 18th business meeting.
Thanks to Mary White for all her hard work in drafting the revisions! We should be in good shape for years to come thanks to her efforts.
Save the date: April 18th, MLGSCA Business Meeting and MLA Webcast
Posted on | March 7, 2012 | No Comments
12:30 p.m. – 12:45 p.m.: Break
12:45 p.m. – 2:15 p.m.: Lunch and Wrap-Around Discussion
2:15 p.m. – 2:30 p.m.: Break
2:30 p.m. – 3:30 p.m.: MLGSCA Business Meeting (in-person location in Phoenix, and via MegaMeeting for those who choose not to travel to Phoenix)
Association of Research Libraries (ARL) Introduces Code of Best Practices in Fair Use for Academic and Research Libraries
Posted on | March 6, 2012 | No Comments
Code of Best Practices
If you weren’t at the unveiling of the ARL Code of Best Practices in Fair Use for Academic and Research Libraries February 3rd at the UCLA Library or didn’t take time to read Stephen Kiyoi’s PSRML Latitudes post about it last month, you can read his summary here , read or download the entire document here or read a great deal more about the development of the document and other related links here.
The election is coming! The election is coming!
Posted on | March 6, 2012 | No Comments
The MLGSCA Nominating Committee would like to announce that the 2012 election will soon occur. For the first time, MLGSCA is trying out BallotBin.com, a free online election and survey service. Members in good standing should receive an email notifying them of the online ballot the week of March 5th and the membership will have two weeks to vote. The candidates’ brief biographies and statements of aims for President-Elect and MLA Chapter Council Representative candidates will be included in the online ballot.
Formal presentation of the incoming officers, Nominating Committee’s two newest members, and MLA Chapter Council Representative and Alternate will be made at the Spring Business meeting.
If you have any questions about the election, please contact Eileen Wakiji, Nominating Committee Chair.
Please vote!
Want to vote for MLGSCA president? Renew your membership!
Posted on | March 5, 2012 | No Comments
Now is a great time to renew your MLGSCA membership!
By joining or renewing now, you’ll be sure to keep up with the latest news, be eligible for discounts on spring and fall CE sessions, be eligible to vote in the current MLGSCA elections, and have the opportunity to interact with others in the medical library world by participating in discussions and committees.
MLGSCA remains a great value at only $35 for year ($17.50 for retirees, and free for students). Check out our convenient online membership registration, or learn more about what MLGSCAhas to offer to members!
Best Bytes: Virtual Posters
Posted on | March 5, 2012 | No Comments
Contributed by Amy Chatfield, MLS, Norris Medical Library, University of Southern California
The Virtual Posters from the MLGSCA 2012 Symposium are now available online. You might be wondering why virtual posters were added to the Symposium, and how the posters were created. Keep reading this Best Bytes to learn more!
Over the past few years, MLGSCA and MLA have put much effort into making professional development material available online. Several recent MLGSCA-sponsored Continuing Education events have used MegaMeeting to permit members to view presentations from medical library luminaries from the comfort of their own desk chairs; MLA has been providing continuing education using course management systems, recorded videos, and other online educational methodologies. One natural extension of this technology is to provide MLGSCA members with a platform for sharing their own professional work. As the 2012 Symposium was planned, it became clear that presenting the entire CE virtually would be difficult, but it presented an opportunity to test Virtual Posters. Read more
Virtual Poster 8: The Library’s changing role in the evidence-based medical curriculum.
Posted on | March 2, 2012 | No Comments
Emily Brennan, MLIS, ebrennan@usc.edu
Information Services Librarian, Norris Medical Library, University of Southern California
In order to keep up with a constantly evolving curricular focus on evidence-based medicine (EBM), the medical school library liaison has learned to adapt to new technology, teaching styles, and subject matter. Until recently, only year two students received librarian-led EBM instruction, while faculty-led EBM was sparsely integrated into the curriculum. Librarian sessions included testing while faculty-led instruction did not. Now, the library provides EBM instruction to students throughout their first three years, and develops and grades assignments to reinforce learning. The librarian produced one of a series of web modules introducing basic EBM concepts to first year students. Students are tested on the content. Year two students attend a one-hour workshop and complete a librarian-developed and graded assignment based on the workshop’s content. Year three students receive a review of EBM resources by way of a librarian lecture in order to reinforce EBM concepts before their clerkships. The librarian further solidifies advanced EBM concepts during the third year Family Medicine clerkship with a hands-on workshop and preceptor-graded assignment, which moves EBM from an abstract concept into clinical practice. Curricular changes have led to increased collaboration between the librarian and medical faculty, and have reminded students of the librarian’s active role in their education. Furthermore, the evolving EBM curriculum has rejuvenated the librarian herself by encouraging her to refocus her attention on increasing her knowledge of advanced EBM concepts and improving her instruction techniques.
Download the full-size PDF of Emily Brennan’s poster, “The Library’s Changing Role in the Evidence-Based Medical Curriculum.”
Poster content is copyrighted by author(s). Contact the poster author(s) if you would like to re-publish or re-use their work.
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