MLA 2024 President’s Award Recipients

Each year, the President’s Award is given to MLA members or groups who have engaged in service to the mission and vision of the organization and improved the lives and /or careers of health sciences librarians. These members have been selected by the association’s officers and Board of Directors for their work over the past year.

Each Presidential Award recipient receives an MLA Presidential Award pin from MLA. This will allow the winner to wear the pin each year as they attend Chapter and National Annual meetings. It will be a continuous reminder of the value their service has played to the organization. It is a hope that this will also inspire others to commit to exceptional service when called to serve the organization.

Mary Langman

Mary Langman has dedicated over 35 years of her career to the Medical Library Association and retired this past January. Her contributions were recently noted in the article “Legacy, Knowledge, Advocacy, and Grace: Mary M. Langman Retires as Director of Information Issues and Policy” written by Susan Lessick. In 2023, Langman was the MLA staff liaison to the Censorship and Library Practices Workgroup, the MLA Social Justice Statement Workgroup, the MLA Societal Issues Workgroup, and led the discussions for succession planning for the AAHSL/MLA Joint Legislative Task Force, in addition to all of the work she has done for many years a liaison to the MLA History Committee, MLA Bylaws, Research Training Institute, and many other groups. Langman has also been a pivotal figure in the Centennial Coordinating Committee and MLA 125th Anniversary task forces as MLA celebrates its sesquicentennial anniversary. As stated in Lessick’s article, Langman has been a guiding light to many members at all levels.

Censorship and Library Practices Workgroup

While a core value of librarianship is to provide accessible and trustworthy health information, we are seeing a rise in institutional policies and regional and national laws that place limits on what information can be shared with library users. It can be difficult to navigate these situations, and librarians are often seeking out resources to guide their policies and decisions regarding collections and services that their communities need. The Censorship and Library Practices Workgroup volunteered their time and expertise to developing a tool kit that is now freely available to any librarian to assist with these circumstances. Members are listed below.

• Sydni Abrahamsen
• Margaret Ansell
• Betsy Humphreys
• Heather Stevens
• Mary Langman, Staff Liaison

Be Well MLA

Shannon Jones began the Be Well MLA Planning Group during her MLA Presidency to address the feelings of burnout, anxiety, and stress that many librarians had been feeling since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic and other national and local tragedies. In its first two years, the Be Well MLA Planning group organized 15 online sessions addressing wellness topics like gardening, healthy eating, self-compassion, radical empathy, resilience, transitions, and gratitude. These sessions are open to both MLA members and non-members and provide not only information, but an opportunity for librarians to connect and share strategies for improving their wellness over many areas of their lives. Members are listed below.

• Shannon Jones
• Kelsa Bartley
• Karen Grigg
• Lorin Jackson
• Irene Lubker
• Dashe Maye
• Tamara Nelson
• Ariel Pomputius
• Kate Saylor
• Maria Lopez, Staff Liaison

MLA Reads

The MLA Reads program has been in existence for over 5 years, and this year the program is hosting two book discussions with one supporting the 2024 MLA Annual Meeting. These book discussions cover a wide variety of diversity, equity, and inclusion topics. Small group discussions provide MLA members and non-members with safe spaces to tackle difficult conversations that ultimately lead to personal growth, compassion, and connection. In addition to hosting small group book discussions online throughout the year, the group hosts in-person discussions during the MLA Annual Meeting providing additional opportunities for connection. Another added value of these book clubs is that they provide members with MLA CE Credits that can go towards MLA AHIP. Members are listed below.

• Kelsa Bartley
• Melissa DeSantis
• Ryan Harris
• Don Jason
• Shannon Jones
• Tamara Nelson
• Ginny Pannabecker
• Dede Rio