News Room

Press Releases

April 2009

Holly Ship Buchanan, AHIP, to be Inducted as MLA Fellow
MLA to Induct Gary D. Byrd, AHIP, as MLA Fellow
Logan T. Ludwig, AHIP, to Become MLA Fellow
MLA Past President Jean P. Shipman, AHIP, to Become MLA Fellow
MLA to Inducted MLA Past President M.J. Tooey, AHIP, as Fellow of the Association
Wayne J. Peay, FMLA, Awarded MLA's 2009 Marcia C. Noyes Award
NMLM Contest Winners Announced

Holly Ship Buchanan, AHIP, to be Inducted as MLA Fellow

The Medical Library Association (MLA) is proud to announce that MLA Past President Holly Ship Buchanan, AHIP, will be inducted as an MLA Fellow in May at the Awards Ceremony and Luncheon at MLA '09 in Honolulu, HI. MLA Fellows are selected among current members of the association who have made extraordinary contributions to the advancement of MLA's purposes and to the health sciences information profession.

One of MLA's "100 Most Notable Leaders," Buchanan, deputy chief information officer and health sciences center chief information officer, Health Sciences Library and Information Center, University of New Mexico (UNM)-Albuquerque, contributed to the association on a national level when she served two terms on the MLA Board of Directors, from 1981-1984 when she served as section council chair, and from 1987-1988, when she led the association as president. She has also chaired the MLA Hospital Libraries Section as well as the MLA National Program Committee (NPC).

During her term as MLA president, Buchanan served as chair of the MLA Strategic Planning Committee. Her dedication was exemplified in her work in developing this important document. Fred W. Roper, AHIP, dean emeritus, School of Library and Information Science, University of South Carolina-Columbia, stated, "Although she has made many contributions to the association, perhaps her greatest and most enduring contribution was her leadership as president during the period that MLA's strategic plan was being implemented. It was only after a period of prolonged effort that it was put into place in the 1980s and much of the blood, sweat, and tears that went into the implementation came from Holly in her dual roles of MLA president and chair of the Strategic Planning Committee."

In 2003, she was appointed to the National Library of Medicine (NLM) Board of Regents and from 2006-2007 served as board chair. She was also instrumental in the development of NLM's Long Range Plan for 2006-2016 while serving on the NLM Board of Regents Strategic Planning Committee from 2004-2007.

Buchanan has also worked tirelessly to promote quality improvement and benchmarking in libraries. She has developed and taught several MLA Continuing Education courses on the topic, served on the MLA Benchmarking Task Force (1999-2001), and was a benchmarking representative for the Midcontinental Chapter from 2004-2005. She is well known for her focus on information technology and medical informatics and their application in practical settings. At the UNM, she is active in library outreach projects and a strong supporter of the MLA South Central Chapter. A widely published author, Buchanan has contributed to three book chapters and more than eighteen peer-reviewed articles.

MLA, a nonprofit, educational organization, comprises health sciences information professionals with more than 4,000 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 Lisa C. Fried, mlapd2@mlahq.org, 312.419.9094 x28.

MLA to Induct Gary D. Byrd, AHIP, as MLA Fellow

Gary D. Byrd, AHIP, director , Health Sciences Library and adjunct associate professor, Medical /Health Graduate Training Program, School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, University of Buffalo, NY, is among the distinguished members being inducted as Medical Library Association (MLA) Fellows in May at the MLA '09 Awards Ceremony and Luncheon in Honolulu, HI.

Byrd is highly regarded throughout the profession as a Continuing Education instructor who has taught dozens of classes including two he developed, "Writing for Publication" and "Introduction to Financial Management." He has been a teacher and mentor to many health sciences information professionals at various stages of their careers.

Byrd's exceptional service to the association includes serving on the MLA Board of Directors (1984-1987) when he was Finance Committee chair. He was also twice elected to the association's Nominating Committee, in 1995 and 2003. Byrd also lent his expertise to the association by serving as chair of the Joint MLA/AAHSL Legislative Task Force (1995-2000) as well as member of the Lindberg Research Fellowship and Eliot prize juries. In addition, he chaired the Medical Informatics and Research Sections and has served on the MLA Section Council.

A former member of the Journal of the Medical Library Association (JMLA) and Bulletin of the Medical Library Association (BMLA) Editorial Boards, Byrd is also a widely published author with 16 refereed journal articles. Several of his articles have been cited close to 100 times in both library and nonlibrary-related journals.

In support of Byrd's Fellow nomination, MLA member and 2009 Fellow Logan Ludwig, AHIP, FMLA, states, "While distinguished in his own career accomplishments, Gary has always been a genuine and engaging colleague as well. His record of work which is lasting and widely recognized, serves to underscore his role as an outstanding ambassador of the Medical Library Association."

For more information, please contact Lisa C. Fried, mlapd2@mlahq.org, 312.419.9094 x28.

Logan T. Ludwig, AHIP, to Become MLA Fellow

The Medical Library Association is pleased to announce that it will bestow the honor of MLA Fellow status on one of its most active members, Logan T. Ludwig, AHIP, associate dean, Library and Telehealth Services, Loyola University Stritch School of Medicine, Maywood, IL. Ludwig will receive the honor at the MLA '09 Awards Ceremony and Luncheon in Honolulu, HI, in May.

The honor of MLA Fellow will be added to the long list of professional recognitions Ludwig has received. A Distinguished Member of the Academy of Health Information Professionals (AHIP), Ludwig's dedication and commitment on behalf of the association and profession was recognized in 2008 with the first Virginia L. and William K. Beatty MLA Volunteer Service Award, presented at the MLA '08 Awards Ceremony and Luncheon.

Widely respected among his peers in the health sciences information profession, Ludwig has held numerous leadership roles in MLA. He chaired the 1999 National Program Committee's Local Assistance Committee as well as the MLA Doctoral Fellowship Jury. He had a major impact while serving as chair of the MLA Governmental Relations Committee from 2001-2004. During his term as chair, Ludwig testified for MLA before the U S Congress regarding appropriations for the National Library of Medicine (NLM) and authored several MLA position papers, which garnered the association increased visibility on important health information topics. Other committees he has devoted his time to include the MLA Awards Committee, Nominating Committee, Books Panel, Publications Committee, and the Grants and Scholarships and Credentialing Committees. In addition, he has served on the Joint MLA/AAHSL Legislative Task Force and MLANET Task Force and as president of the MLA Midwest Chapter in 1995.

Ludwig is well known for his work on space planning and design of libraries and is recognized as an expert on the subject. He has published numerous refereed articles about the subject as well as a book chapter and book foreword on space planning. He also helped to plan a 2003 National Delphi Study and a symposium at NLM on "Library as Place." In addition, he developed two MLA Continuing Education courses on the topic and teaches them regularly at MLA annual meetings.

For more information, please contact Lisa C. Fried, mlapd2@mlahq.org, 312.419.9094 x28.

MLA Past President Jean P. Shipman, AHIP, to Become MLA Fellow

The Medical Library Association (MLA) is pleased to announce that MLA Past President Jean Pugh Shipman, AHIP, director, Spencer S. Eccles Health Sciences Library, University of Utah-Salt Lake City, will be inducted as an MLA Fellow at the MLA '09 Awards Ceremony and Luncheon in Honolulu, HI, in May.
A Distinguished Member of the Academy of Health Information Professionals (AHIP), Shipman has long served the association as one of its most revered and valued leaders and has had an impact on many key MLA initiatives, including health information literacy. She has made major contributions in this area, most recently as coprincipal investigator for the MLA Health Information Literacy Research Project, under a contract with the National Library of Medicine (NLM). The project researched hospital-based administrators' and health care providers' awareness and understanding of health literacy and its value in support of patient care. The project's research resulted in the development of a health information literacy curriculum that will not only increase health care providers' knowledge of health literacy issues, but also to increase patient and provider use of NLM resources and tools.

Prior to serving as MLA president (2006/07), Shipman was elected to the 1999-2002 Board of Directors, during which time she served as board secretary. She has also served as chair of numerous MLA committees and task forces, including MLA's Informationist Conference Task Force, MLA's 2001 National Program Committee, MLA's Ida and George Eliot Prize Jury (1992/93) and most recently, the 2007/08 MLA Nominating Committee. She has also been an active member of MLA's Mid-Atlantic Chapter having served as 1993 chair-elect and in 1991/92 as secretary.

A sought-after presenter, Shipman has taught many continuing education courses and has given more than fifty presentations locally as well as internationally, covering topics such as consumer health and the informationist role in document delivery. She has also authored fifteen peer-reviewed publications and over thirty refereed scientific posters.

About Shipman's contributions to the profession, MLA member, Sherrilynne Fuller, FMLA, co-director, Center for Public Health Information, University of Washington-Seattle, stated, "As a member of the MLA Board of Directors and as president, Jean brought new life to the image of medical librarians and enhanced the visibility of the profession. She is a tireless advocate for the importance of health sciences librarians to improving the health of the public and has served as an enthusiastic mentor, role model, and advisor throughout her career."

For more information, please contact Lisa C. Fried, mlapd2@mlahq.org, 312.419.9094 x28.

MLA to Induct MLA Past President M.J. Tooey, AHIP, as Fellow of the Association

The Medical Library Association (MLA) chooses its Fellows based on their commitment to furthering the association's goals and for their contributions to the health sciences information profession. MLA is proud to honor one of its most dedicated and accomplished members, MLA Past President Mary Joan (M. J.) Tooey, AHIP, with MLA Fellow status. She will officially become an MLA Fellow at the MLA '09 Awards Ceremony and Luncheon in May in Honolulu, HI.

About Tooey, MLA member Sheldon Kotzin, FMLA, stated, " I have known and respected M.J. for nearly twenty years. During that time, I have seen her excel at every challenge that she has chosen to pursue. Ever approachable, it appears that she has never declined an opportunity to get involved, take a leadership role, and make a difference."

Many have benefited from Tooey's accomplishments and commitment to the health sciences information profession. Director, Health Sciences and Human Services Library, University of Maryland-Baltimore, Tooey served as MLA president in 2005-2006 and on the MLA Board of Directors from 1998-2001 during which time she served as Chapter Council chair. During her presidency, Tooey established and chaired the Task Force on Vital Pathways for Hospital Librarians, which focused on the current state, future roles, and challenges of hospital libraries and librarians.

A proven leader in the association and profession, Tooey also chaired the 2007 MLA Nominating Committee, the MLA/Pew Credible Information Task Force, which resulted in the highly-referenced MLA's User's Guide to Finding and Evaluating Health Information on the Web, and the MLA 2004 National Program Committee, as well as MLA's Public Services Section and Mid-Atlantic Chapter (MAC). She also lent her talent and expertise to MLA's Scholarly Publishing Task Force and the Librarians Without Borders® Task Force. In addition, Tooey serves on the editorial board of Medical Reference Services Quarterly.

Because of her many contributions as a health sciences librarianship professional, Tooey has earned numerous honors throughout her career including Distinguished-level membership in the Academy of Health Information Professionals (AHIP), the 1997 MLA Estelle Brodman Award for the Academic Medical Librarian of the Year and the Mid-AtlanticChapter/MLA 1996 Librarian of the Year Awards.

She is known as a mentor and advocate for many health information science librarians and students, as well as many allied health professionals. Tooey helped to develop two popular MLA continuing education courses, "The Past and Future of the Medical Librarian" and "So, You Want to be a Library Director". She has also built a strong scholarly record and has presented several posters and presentations at local and international meetings.

For more information, please contact Lisa C. Fried, mlapd2@mlahq.org, 312.419.9094 x28.

Wayne J. Peay, FMLA, Awarded MLA's 2009 Marcia C. Noyes Award

The Medical Library Association (MLA) is pleased to announce that its highest professional distinction, the Marcia C. Noyes Award, will be presented this year to Wayne J. Peay, FMLA, retired, director, Spencer S. Eccles Health Sciences Library, University of Utah-Salt Lake City. The award was established in 1947 and recognizes a career that has resulted in lasting, outstanding contributions to health sciences librarianship.

Peay is known throughout the health sciences information profession as an innovator and change agent, particularly in the use of technology. During his career, he helped develop landmark information management systems and introduced video conferencing and the use of SKYPE as a communication tool long before it became widely used. In his home state of Utah, he worked with the state legislature to fund technology and library services and lead planning for the governor's office for the general technology infrastructure of the entire state.

While at the University of Utah, Peay created a university-wide digital repository and implemented network systems connecting libraries throughout Utah as well as throughout the region with the Four Corners Directors Consortium, a group of library directors from Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, and Utah who regularly met to discuss challenges and issues common to the four states. Peay also created the Utah Academic Library Consortium and has worked extensively over the years with the Utah Education Network. From 2001-2004, he served as a member of the Utah State Library Board, an appointment made by former Governor Michael O. Leavitt.

An active member of several library associations, he served on the MLA Board of Directors (1992-1994) and has served on numerous MLA committees including the 1984 National Program Committee (NPC) and the 1992 and 1997 MLA Nominating Committees. A widely respected and sought-after presenter, Peay has taught at numerous MLA annual meetings and created the MLA course, "So You Want to be a Director," which he co-taught for many years. In 1998, Peay was given the honor of delivering the Janet Doe Lecture at MLA's centennial meeting in Philadelphia, PA, and in 2000, he was inducted as an MLA Fellow.

He has also, throughout his career, been one of the Midcontinental Chapter's most dedicated and involved members. In 2007, he was recognized with the chapter's Midcontinental Chapter of the Medical Library Association Outstanding Achievement Award. In the same year, Peay was elected as a Fellow of the American College of Medical Informatics (AMIA). In 1990, Peay served as president of the Association of Academic Health Sciences Library Directors (AAHSL) and was one of the creators of AAHSL's Future Leadership Program, which has created motivated and capable future health sciences library directors.
Peay has also served as principal investigator for numerous research grants including the National Library of Medicine's 2004 National Symposium on Community-Based Health Information Outreach, which resulted in a 2005 Journal of the Medical Library Association (JMLA) supplement.

To many of his colleagues, Peay represents the very best in the health sciences librarianship profession. In support of his nomination for the award, colleague and 2008 Noyes winner Rick B. Forsman, AHIP, FMLA, stated, "Wayne has an amazing record that more than fulfills the qualifications and criteria for the Marcia C. Noyes Award. He serves as a role model for information professionals of all types and at all stages in their career. His contributions truly demonstrate the leadership skill, widespread recognition, lasting impact on the field, and generous professional participation one expects of our most distinguished and accomplished colleagues."

For more information, please contact Lisa C. Fried, mlapd2@mlahq.org, 312.419.9094 x28.

NMLM Contest Winners Announced

This past October, the Medical Library Association (MLA) held its annual National Medical Librarians Month (NMLM) observance, which celebrates the contributions and importance of health sciences information professionals and provides them with the opportunity to market their libraries. Several libraries used the 2008 NMLM theme, "Dig Deep: Ask Your Medical Librarian," while some used previous NMLM themes for their celebrations. Those who celebrated submitted entries about their event for MLA's Creative Promotions Award, held in honor of NMLM. Contest entries are judged for creativity and innovation in library promotion by MLA's public relations consultant, Public Communications Inc. Winners receive $200, $150, and $100 for first, second, and third place, respectively. The 2008 NMLM contest winners are as follows:

Debra Miller, Chambersburg Hospital Education Resource Center, Chambersburg, PA, garnered first place in the contest. A solo librarian, Miller showed the impact one librarian can make in promoting a library. In addition to carrying out a full calendar of events, including library training for nurses and an open house, Miller started a book club and hosted a month-long drawing for a Lowe's gift card. To help promote her NMLM celebration, Miller posted flyers, advertised on the hospital's intranet, and made an announcement on the public address system. She also requested and received donated key chains, pens, and notepads from vendors. Miller posted announcements in three local papers and contacted senior citizen groups to publicize the four, 90-minute classes she taught about searching for health information online.

Rosa Edwards and the Bell-Pittman Library Resource Center at Wilson Medical Center in Wilson, NC earned second place honors for their Indiana Jones-themed campaign. The library staff created brochures, bookmarks, flyers, newsletters, and even modeled their quality service report using an archaeological twist on the "Dig Deep" theme. A variety of events were held at the library including lectures, computer training sessions, a special cinema night, and an open house complete with archaeological decor such as shovels, bones, creepy crawlers, lanterns, and buried treasure.

A 3-D animated short film titled, "The Counter-Entropy Squad," produced by Loretta Merlo and the Weill Cornell Medical College Library, New York, NY, received third place. The movie featured a medical librarian "superhero" who can answer tough medical questions in flash as she goes on rounds. Merlo held a movie premier in the library and used social media such as Facebook to promote and distribute free tickets to the event. Refreshments and pens commemorating the event were given out to all attendees. The video was then placed on YouTube at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YclhbQ4F9Uw.

This year's honorable mention winner also used social media sites to promote their library and NMLM celebration. Jennifer Lloyd, AHIP, and the Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center (LSUHSC)-New Orleans, used the "Dig Deep" theme for weekly staff development e-newsletters distributed throughout the month of October. Each newsletter featured a different topic and provided information about the library and social media sites like Facebook or Del.icio.us. Staff updated posters, flyers, window decorations and other signage around campus to reflect each week's topic. The library was also promoted digitally through the use of the campuses' flat-screen television announcement system. At the end of the month, the library hosted a Halloween-themed open house for the medical and dental school students and staff.

MLA congratulates this year's NMLM contest winners and all libraries that observed the month by promoting the health sciences information profession.

For more information, please contact Tomi Gunn, gunn@mlahq.org, 312.419.9094 x11.