MLA 2024 Organizational Awards

The MLA Chapter Project of the Year Award recognizes excellence, innovation, and contribution to the profession of health sciences librarianship. The Medical Library Group of Southern California and Arizona (MLGSCA) is the 2024 recipient. The MLGSCA Coffee Chat is a monthly Zoom conversation open to all chapter members, providing a relaxed environment to discuss professional development, job stress, well-being, and other issues. Created by the 2022-2023 President-Elect and President of MLGSCA, it aims to reconnect members post-COVID-19. The program promotes leadership and service by encouraging participation and fostering bonds that can lead to collaborations and leadership roles. It offers mutual support, problem-solving, and a sense of community, helping members from diverse backgrounds connect and engage. An assessment survey showed that participants found the chats useful for networking and personal development. The program is easy to replicate with virtual meeting tools and a small group of moderators.

The Research Advancement in Health Sciences Librarianship Award recognizes organizations that have significantly advanced health information research and evidence-based practice in health sciences libraries. National Institutes of Health (NIH) is the 2024 recipient. The NIH’s diverse achievements include contributions to COVID-19 information tracking, training videos, and co-authoring 25 peer-reviewed papers in 2022. The NIH supports librarian scholarship and involvement in research, fellowship programs, and training, with policies like “no meeting” Fridays to protect research time. Their commitment to professional development is evident through annual funding for research tools and opportunities for librarians to present at symposiums and conferences. This comprehensive support system has enabled NIH librarians to provide high-quality services and collaborate effectively with researchers.