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Press Releases

June 2009

MLA Recognizes Outstanding Achievements in Health Sciences Information
MLA Awards Carla J. Funk, CAE, HonFCLIP, Honorary MLA Membership
Marianne Comegys Receives First MLA Carla J. Funk Governmental Relations Award

MLA Recognizes Outstanding Achievements in Health Sciences Information

The Medical Library Association (MLA) is pleased to announce that the following individuals were honored at the MLA '09 Awards Ceremony and Luncheon in Honolulu, HI for their exceptional work and contributions to the health sciences information profession:

Daniel E. Banks (Ida and George Eliot Prize)
Trenton Boyd, AHIP (Murray Gottlieb Prize)
Kerri Ann Christopher, AHIP (Ida and George Eliot Prize)
Marianne Comegys (Ida and George Eliot Prize)
David Charles Duggar, AHIP (Ida and George Eliot Prize)
Donna B. Flake, AHIP (T. Mark Hodges International Service Award)
J. Michael Homan, AHIP, FMLA (Janet Doe Lectureship for 2009)
Robert T. Mackes, AHIP (Thomson Reuters/Frank Bradway Rogers Information Advancement Award)
K. Ann McKibbon (Lucretia W. McClure Excellence in Education Award)
Jerry McLarty (Ida and George Eliot Prize)
Pacific Northwest Chapter of MLA (Majors/MLA Chapter Project of the Year Award)
Runhua Shi (Ida and George Eliot Prize)
Donna F. Timm, AHIP (Ida and George Eliot Prize)
Clinton (Marty) Thompson Jr., AHIP (President's Award)
Ben Young, MD (Joseph Leiter NLM/MLA Lectureship)

For their article, "Decreased Hospital Length of Stay Associated with Presentation of Cases at Morning Report with Librarian Support," Daniel E. Banks, Department of Medicine; Runhua Shi, Department of Medicine; Donna F. Timm, AHIP, Medical Library; Kerri Ann Christopher, AHIP, Medical Library; David Charles Duggar, AHIP, Medical Library; Marianne Comegys, Medical Library; and Jerry McLarty, Department of Medicine and Feist-Weiller Cancer Center; Louisiana State University School of Medicine-Shreveport, received the 2009 Ida and George Eliot Prize.The article illustrates how having librarians involved in the clinical setting does contribute to a decreased length of stay at hospitals. The Ida and George Eliot Prize article is presented annually for a work published in the preceding calendar year that has been judged most effective in furthering medical librarianship.

The Murray Gottlieb Prize is awarded annually for the best unpublished essay on the history of medicine and allied sciences written by a health sciences librarian. Trenton Boyd, AHIP, Zalk Veterinary Medical Library, University of Missouri-Columbia, received this year's award for his essay, "The Lost History of American Veterinary Medicine: The Need for Preservation," which highlights a topic that,although extremely important, receives scant attention: the loss of materials dealing with the history of veterinary medicine and schools in the United States. The essay analyzes existing materials, private collections, and provides suggestions for locating materials on the subject.

Donna B. Flake, AHIP, Medical Library, South East Area Health Education Center, Wilmington, NC, is this year's recipient of the T. Mark Hodges International Service Award. Established in 2007, the award, honors outstanding individual achievement in promoting, enabling, and/or delivering improvements in the quality of health information internationally through the development of health information professionals, the improvement of libraries or an increased use of health information services. Flake's interest and activity in international health sciences librarianship is well known and well regarded in the profession. Just a few of her contributions in the area include, membership in MLA's International Cooperation Section (ICS) since it was established in 1989 and service as the MLA representative to the European Association for Health Information and Libraries (EAHIL) from 1995-2001. She is also a champion of the ICS Sister Libraries Initiative, which serves as a model of multi-library support for libraries around the world.

The Janet Doe Lecturer is an individual chosen annually by MLA for his or her unique perspective on the history or philosophy of medical librarianship. It is presented at the association's annual meeting and is subsequently published in the Journal of the Medical Library Association (JMLA). MLA Past President J. Michael Homan, AHIP, FMLA, Mayo Clinic Libraries, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, is exceptionally qualified for this distinguished honor and was the 2009 presenter. His lecture was titled, "Eyes on the Prize: Reflections on the Impact of the Evolving Digital Ecology on the Librarian as Expert Intermediary and Knowledge Coach; 1969-2009."

The Thomson Reuters/Frank Bradway Rogers Information Advancement Award, sponsored by Thomson Reuters, is presented annually in recognition of outstanding contributions for the application of technology to the delivery of health sciences information, to the science of information, or to the facilitation of the delivery of health sciences information. Robert T. Mackes, AHIP, Delaware Academy of Medicine-Newark, received the award for the Delaware Medical Information Resource Alliance (DeIMIRA), a statewide partnership among local hospitals and the Delaware Department of Health and Social Services. DeIMIRIA provides 24/7 access throughout the state to many leading electronic resources.

K. Ann McKibbon, Department of Clinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Michael G. DeGroote School of Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada, was honored with the 2009 Lucretia W. McClure Excellence in Education Award. The award, established in 1998 in honor of one of MLA's most respected members, honors outstanding practicing librarians or library educators in the field of health sciences librarianship and informatics who demonstrate skills in one or more of the following areas: teaching, curriculum development, mentoring, research, or leadership in education at local, regional, or national levels. McKibbon, a newly elected MLA Board member, is a highly respected researcher and instructor. She has taught numerous continuing education courses on a wide range of subjects including medical informatics, evidence-based medicine, and expert searching. She has also authored or coauthored numerous articles in journals and textbooks. Most recently she was part of a team that established an eHealth program that leads to a master's degree at McMaster University

Sponsored by J. A. Majors, the Majors/MLA Chapter Project of the Year recognizes excellence, innovation, and contribution to the profession of health sciences librarianship through special projects beyond the normal operational programming of a chapter. Pacific Northwest Chapter of MLA (PNC) was recognized for their web-based seminar, "Awakening the Searcher Within: An Online Seminar on Expert Searching," which allowed all PNC members to review aspects of searching that they might not have learned or had forgotten.

Clinton (Marty) Thompson Jr., AHIP, Robert M. Bird Health Sciences Library, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center-Oklahoma City, received the 2009 MLA President's Award in recognition of his extensive and lasting contributions toward promoting disaster preparedness in libraries. He has taught many workshops and courses focused on the topic including his course, "Terrorism 101: What Librarians Need to Know and Where to Find it." Thompson obtained funding from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to develop and teach the course after the 1995 bombing of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City, OK. He also participated in the MLA fall 2008 webcast, "Survival Tips and Stories: Expanding the Library's Services in Times of Disaster." The President's Award is given to an MLA member who has made a notable or important contribution during the past association year that has enhanced the profession of health sciences librarianship or furthered the objectives of the association.

Established in 1983, the Joseph Leiter NLM/MLA Lectureship is presented every other year at the MLA annual meeting and in alternate years at the National Library of Medicine (NLM). Lecturers are chosen for their ability to discuss subjects related to biomedical communications. The informative lectureship was presented this year by Ben Young, MD, retired, Native Hawaiian Center of Excellence, John A. Burns School of Medicine, University of Hawaii-Manoa. He has many awards for working to improve the health of Hawaiians, increasing the number of physicians in Hawaii, and has been named a Living Treasure of Hawaii. His presentation at MLA '09 was titled, "The Impact of Diseases on Hawai'i's Medical History."

MLA, a nonprofit, educational organization, is comprised of 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 about the MLA Awards Program, please visit www.mlanet.org/awards/, or contact Lisa C. Fried, mlapd2@mlahq.org, 312.419.9094 x28.

MLA Awards Carla J. Funk, CAE, HonFCLIP, Honorary MLA Membership

The Medical Library Association (MLA) is proud to announce that MLA Executive Director Carla J. Funk, CAE, HonFCLIP, has become an honorary member of the association. MLA honorary members are individuals who are not regular members and are elected by the Board of Directors for their outstanding contributions to the advancement of the purposes of MLA.

Funk has made lasting contributions to the association during her seventeen years as head of the organization. In addition to managing the association, including an eighteen-member staff, she keeps a close eye on issues facing the profession, ensures that the association adapts to changes and trends in the industry, and provides strong and steady support to the priorities and initiatives of MLA presidents, the Board of directors, and association members.

A 2004 survey conducted by the American Library Association's (ALA's) Library Journal rated MLA as the best large library organization. This rating was due in no small way to Funk's management, expertise, and commitment to the success of those in the health sciences information profession.

As part of her exemplary thirty-six years of library and association professional experience, she served as president of the Illinois Library Association (ILA) (1987/88) and is a current member of the Dominican University Graduate School of Library and Information Science Advisory Board. She has also presented at many library conferences and has written articles for numerous publications. In 2005, she was co-recipient of the MLA President's Award, which recognized her contributions in the area of scholarly publishing advocacy initiatives on behalf of MLA and its members. In 2008, Kent A. Smith, FMLA, established the Carla J. Funk Governmental Relations Award, in honor of Funk's leadership in the area of governmental relations.

Funk believes in developing and maintaining partnerships with other library associations, and her work toward this effort has ensured that MLA's voice is heard on national and international levels.

She has maintained strong ties over the years with the National Library of Medicine (NLM). Most recently she served as coprincipal investigator for the MLA Health Information Literacy Research Project, under contract with the NLM, which researched hospital administrators' knowledge and understanding of the importance of health literacy in patient care and developed a curriculum to meet their needs. She also aided MLA's recruitment efforts by serving as principal investigator for two other NLM grants, one awarded in 2000, to expand minority recruitment in health sciences librarianship and another, awarded in July 2001, to participate in the Association of Research Libraries (ARL) diversity leadership program. In addition, from 2005-2006, Funk served simultaneously as a member of the NLM Long Range Planning Panel and the NLM Search Committee for Associate Director for Library Operations.

As an MLA representative, she has been very involved with the International Congress of Medical Librarians (ICML) as well as the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA). From 1997-2002, she served as treasurer of the IFLA 2001 Conference and Exhibition held in Boston, MA and served on the IFLA/MLA Standing Committee from 1993-2007.

Past President Patricia L. Thibodeau, AHIP, FMLA, stated, "Through her work with MLA, Carla Funk has demonstrated as much passion and commitment to the health sciences library profession and the association as any volunteer leader. As executive director of the association, she has continuously championed and supported the needs of its members. She has become a strong national and international advocate of health sciences librarians and libraries in all their settings."

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.

Marianne Comegys Receives First MLA Carla J. Funk Governmental Relations Award

The Medical Library Association (MLA) Carla J. Funk Governmental Relations Award was established in 2008 through a contribution from MLA member Kent A. Smith, FMLA, to recognize a medical librarian who has demonstrated outstanding leadership in the area of governmental relations at the federal, state, or local level and who has furthered the goal of providing quality information for improved health. Marianne Comegys, one of the association's most involved leaders, received the first award in May at the MLA '09 Awards Ceremony and Luncheon in Honolulu, HI.

Comegys, director, Medical Library, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center-Shreveport, epitomizes professionalism and service, lending her expertise as chair of both the MLA Governmental Relations Committee (GRC) (1993-2001 and 2003-2007) and of the Joint MLA/Association of Academic Health Sciences Libraries (AAHSL) Legislative Task Force (1996-2001 and 2004-2005). While serving as chair, Comegys was instrumental in developing many important MLA policy statements and testified numerous times before the United States Labor-Health and Human Services-Education and Related Agencies Appropriations Subcommittee. In addition, while on the GRC committee, she chaired a working group that revised the MLA resource, "The Copyright Law and the Health Sciences Librarian." She also developed and nurtured strong ties with Congressional staff from her home state of Louisiana, helping them to understand how important the National Library of Medicine (NLM) and local and regional libraries are to quality health care, education, and research.

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