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MLA Webcase
Partnering for Public Health:
Information, Librarians, and the Public Health Workforce

Cosponsored by The National Library of Medicine (NLM)
MLA's Educational Webcast
Wednesday, March 9, 2005

Ann B. Duesing

Outreach Librarian for the University of Virginia's Claude Moore Health Sciences Library, John Cook Wyllie Library, University of Virginia's College-Wise

Ann Duesing was appointed the Outreach Librarian for the southwest Virginia region in August 1995. Her office is located at the University of Virginia's College at Wise. Through a cooperative arrangement with the college library, Ann serves as a reference librarian for the Wyllie Library as well as providing health sciences information Outreach Services for the region.

An early focus of the Outreach efforts in southwestern Virginia included computer equipment placement in regional hospitals, clinics and resource centers. This program was developed by VAMIS, Virginia Medical Information Systems, and supported by a grant from the Southeastern/Atlantic Region NN/LM to the Virginia Council of Health Sciences Librarians. Ann served as a trainer and mentor for the program, which provided her with an opportunity to become acquainted with the geography and people of the area.

More recent projects have included working with a local cancer coalition to develop a community cancer resource and support center. The project, "Partnership for Cancer Information: Access to Electronic Health Information for the Public" was supported by funding from the NN/LM SE/A. The Mountain Laurel Center (MLC, was created during the project and is housed at the local area agency on aging Mountain Empire Older Citizens (MEOC). Volunteers were trained through the program to provide cancer information services and support. They serve under the guidance of the MLC Director, who is an employee of MEOC. The MLC Director joined with Ann and the Outreach Program to develop another project "An Expanded Partnership - Outreach, Community Cancer Coalition, Public Libraries: Access to Electronic Health Information for the Public," with funding through another NN/LM SE/A subcontract.

Ann also participates in local and regional health sciences library professional groups such as the Mid-Atlantic Chapter of MLA (MAC/MLA), serving currently as MAC Chair; SWvAHILI, Southwest Virginia Health Information Librarians, and VaCOHSL, Virginia Council of Health Sciences Librarians.

Ann received her undergraduate degree from the University of Missouri, Columbia, and her Masters in Library Science from the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. Before her move to southwest Virginia, Ann was director of the Medical and School of Nursing Libraries at Community Medical Center in Scranton, PA. She also served as a reference librarian for the University of Scranton's Weinberg Memorial Library.

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