Representing the strength of more than 2,500 health sciences information professionals, MLA actively supports providing unrestricted, affordable, and permanent access to quality health information for everyone.
This support manifests in these areas:
- Collective statements on important social and professional library advocacy issues
- Professional self-advocacy tools
- Public policy
MLA advocates for authorship recognition.
Despite making significant intellectual contributions to systematic reviews and evidence synthesis publications, and meeting authorship criteria specified by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) and International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE), librarians are frequently not granted authorship. MLA members requested that the MLA Board of Directors address this issue with ICMJE and develop a statement that individual librarians can use to advocate for authorship. MLA's hope is that this statement raises awareness about, and ultimately increases, librarian co-authorship on evidence synthesis publications.
Clinicians and other healthcare personnel deserve professional information help.
MLA's statement on the importance of hospital libraries was approved by the Board of Directors in January. It urges hospital and health system executives to support clinical and administrative staff, their communities, patients, and their families by funding hospital library services led by a professional librarian. Download the statement or one of the communication templates, learn which other organizations have signed on to demonstrate support, and access the Hospital Libraries Caucus Advocacy LibGuide.
Download MLA Statement: Partner with Your Hospital Librarian
Access self-advocacy tools.
It's no news to you that the work of medical librarians improves health outcomes—so spread the word! Post MLA infographics in your social media feeds or print them out for your coworkers to read. Each year, new tools are created around a new theme for National Medical Librarians Month (NMLM). Download posters and past NMLM resources to download and use.
How do you showcase your value at your institution? Read this list of Tips and Tactics to help you get started.
Cite some of this research to provide evidence that proves the value of health science librarians.
I appreciate the opportunities to meet other health care librarians to discuss our shared and similar concerns, and to work on projects that move the profession forward
Member-centered professional projects.
Find more tools and resources in MLA Domain Hubs, which offer member-created content organized into the seven areas of practice, and where MLA communities collaborate. Current hub projects include the exploration of the term “professionalism” with a DEI lens; development of an open repository of teaching resources; a search hedge project focusing on both database curation and validation methodology; and development of a repository for health research surveys and instruments that are publicly available for reuse.
Public policy
What other actions has MLA taken recently by MLA on behalf of the library community?
- Submitting comments and input in NLM MeSH development to improve the quality and usefulness of Federal race and ethnicity data.
- Observing National Medical Librarians Month with marketing tools that help health medical librarians promote themselves to stakeholders within their institutions.
- Developing fact sheets on specific issues or legislation for distribution to Congressional offices (e.g., Support for the National Library of Medicine)
- Writing statements and testimonies for submission to congressional committees such as the House and Senate Appropriations Subcommittees on Labor, Health, Education and Related Agencies (e.g., Support for the National Library of Medicine)
- Issuing action alerts through MLA email discussion lists, phone calls, and fax as required