Professionals providing quality information for improved health. spacer

Press Releases

What's New: March 2006

To top of page MLA Prepares for Transformations at MLA '06 in Phoenix, AZ

The mountain ranges, natural beauty, and culture of Phoenix, AZ, will be the setting of MLA '06, May 19-24, 2006. The meeting promises to live up to its theme of "Transformations A-Z," providing attendees with numerous networking and educational opportunities as well as the chance to share ideas and explore the issues facing the health librarianship profession.

Practicing surgeon and accomplished writer, teacher, and speaker, Atul Gawande will offer a unique perspective on the joys and uncertainties that lie at the heart of modern medicine when he presents the 2006 John P. McGovern Lecture on Sunday, May 21, 2006. Gawande is currently on staff at Brigham and Women's Hospital (BWH) and the Dana Farber Cancer Institute in Boston. He also holds positions as assistant professor of surgery at Harvard Medical School, where he received his medical degree; as assistant professor in the Department of Health Policy and Management at the Harvard School of Public Health; and as associate director for the BWH Center for Surgery and Public Health.

Gawande's book, Complications: A Surgeon's Notes on an Imperfect Science, was a finalist for the National Book Award in 2002 and is published in more than 100 countries. Gawande writes about medicine and science for The New Yorker magazine and is a regular columnist for The New England Journal of Medicine as well as the Atlantic Monthly. A senior health policy advisor for the Clinton presidential campaign and White House, Gawande also earned his master's degree in public health from Harvard University.

Receiving one of MLA's highest professional distinctions, Julie J. McGowan, AHIP, FMLA, will deliver the 2005/06 Janet Doe Lecture, titled, "Swimming with the Sharks: Perspectives on Professional Risk Taking." Holding a doctorate from the University of South Carolina, McGowan is the associate dean for Information Resources and Educational Technology at the Indiana University (IU) School of Medicine and holds numerous other positions at IU.

McGowan is a highly respected and influential educator in both health sciences librarianship and medical educational environments. A member of MLA for over twenty-seven years, McGowan has served on the MLA Board of Directors, 1999-2002, the 2002/03 Nominating Committee, and the 2003/04 Donald A. B. Lindberg Research Fellowship Jury. McGowan has also chaired several MLA committees and four sections: International Cooperation, Medical Informatics, Medical Library Education (formerly known as Medical School Libraries), and Research. In addition, she has received three MLA awards-the Frank Bradway Rogers Information Advancement Award (1996), the Medical Informatics Section/MLA Career Development Grant (1997), and the Lucretia W. McClure Excellence in Education Award (2001)-and was named an MLA Fellow at MLA '05.

In addition to dynamic speakers, the meeting will also provide numerous continuing education opportunities including a six-hour symposium, "Patient Safety: A Proactive Approach for Information Professionals," offered on Saturday, May 20, and another symposium on Wednesday, May 24, "Serving Diverse Users: Cultural Competencies for Health Sciences Librarians."

A one-stop shop for all things MLA, the MLA Connection Booth, which includes the MLA public relations Swap and Shop and MLA Scholarship Booth, promises again to be a popular spot during the meeting. The MLA Scholarship Booth will offer attendees the opportunity to have fun shopping for souvenirs while helping up-and-coming medical librarians, while the MLA Swap and Shop will offer attendees a chance to see how their colleagues have successfully marketed their libraries in their institutions and communities. The Swap and Shop booth will also feature its first marketing seminar, free for meeting attendees. In addition, the Connection Booth will provide information on MLA programs, access to MLANET, and hold the MLA Section and Chapter Council tables.

As always, the ever-expanding Hall of Exhibits will feature more than 150 vendors showcasing the latest in library products and services as well as posters sessions and a twenty-four-hour Internet center.

Attendees can register online and save with discounted registration rates through April 17, 2006. Also available online is the Itinerary Builder which affords attendees the opportunity to view the numerous educational and networking opportunities at the annual meeting, and then select sessions and events to easily plan their time onsite.

To register or to learn more about what promises to be one of MLA's most memorable meetings, visit the MLANET MLA '06 site.

MLA, a nonprofit, educational organization, comprises health sciences information professionals with more than 4,500 members worldwide. Through its programs and services, MLA provides lifelong educational opportunities, supports a knowledgebase of health information research, and works with a global network of partners to promote the importance of quality information for improved health to the health care community and the public.

For more information, please contact Ray Naegele, naegele@mlahq.org, 312.419.9094 x17.

To top of page MLA Acknowledges Support of MLA '06 Sponsors

The 2006 National Program Committee (NPC) is pleased to report that it has raised over $88,000 for MLA '06. The meeting theme, "Transformations A-Z," foretells the meeting program, venue, and outlook for health information management. The Medical Library Association (MLA) is grateful for the generous support provided by MLA '06 sponsors and is pleased to highlight their contributions, which transform and enrich the meeting experience for the 2,400 attendees.

"GRAND" sponsors ($10,000-$19,999) include EBSCO Information Services, which is supporting the John P. McGovern lecturer Atul Gawande, the Wednesday panel presentation on "Integrating Reference Information into the Electronic Health Record," and the International Visitors Reception. Elsevier is supporting the ever-popular 24-hour Internet Café with wireless access for laptop users. McGraw-Hill will comfort attendees with coupons for complimentary coffee or tea and free Relaxation Station massages. Nature Publishing is sponsoring MLA-FOCUS, the electronic newsletter that reports on the meeting. OVID is providing the badge lanyards and the Sunday afternoon break. Thompson ISI ResearchSoft will enable meeting attendees to carry their meeting programs in a stylish souvenir tote bag.

"SUPERB" sponsors ($1,000-$9,999) include American Academy of Pediatrics, which is supporting MLA's Tuesday evening gala reception, Fun and Friendship: The Final Transformation. CyberTools for Libraries is sponsoring the well-used Attendees List. Doody Enterprises is supporting the Safety Tips booklet, and MARCIVE is sponsoring the indispensable MLA '06 Restaurant Guide. The New England Journal of Medicine is sponsoring the poster sessions in the Hall of Exhibits as well as the MLA '06 CD.

MLA and many of its chapters are supporting thirty free lunches for new MLA members at the Chapter Council Presents Sharing Roundtables. MLA is pleased to recognize the generous support of the following chapters: Medical Library Group of Southern California and Arizona, Midcontinental Chapter, Midwest Chapter, North Atlantic Chapter, Northern California and Nevada Chapter, Philadelphia Regional Chapter, South Central Chapter, and Upstate New York and Ontario Chapter.

MLA, a nonprofit, educational organization, comprises health sciences information professionals with more than 4,500 members worldwide. Through its programs and services, MLA provides lifelong educational opportunities, supports a knowledgebase of health information research, and works with a global network of partners to promote the importance of quality information for improved health to the health care community and the public.

For more information, please contact Ray Naegele, naegele@mlahq.org, 312.419.9094 x17.

                 Thanks to our MLANET sponsors!

Thanks to Rittenhouse for their sponsorship of MLANET.

Your donations help sponsor MLA's grants, scholarships, and awards. Give today!

Order your Medspeak in Plain Language brochures today

                 Thanks to our MLANET sponsors!