Curious about the leaders of GHSLA? Look no further! For the next few weeks, we’ll be profiling each of our GHSLA Executive Committee members so you can learn more about the people behind the organization and their roles and responsibilities. Next we’ll hear from Melissa Deuber, GHSLA Secretary, here to tell us a little more about herself.

Name:
Melissa Deuber, MSIS

How long have you been a librarian?
About 3 years!

What is your current position?
Right now, I am a Nursing and Research Impact Informationist at Emory University. I work with the School of Nursing faculty and students to deliver instruction and help with their research questions.

I also help faculty from throughout Emory measure their research impact. I do this through citation counts, journal rankings, and even altmetrics. This is helpful for tenure and promotion, as well as understanding who is reading and benefitting from their research.

What is your role at GHSLA, and what does that entail?
I’m currently the secretary! I mostly take minutes of our meetings. I also sometimes present depending on what’s being discussed. In the fall, I’ll also organize GHSLA’s elections for 2027.

What do you think is the best part of GHSLA?
GHSLA is a great way to dip your toes into professional associations. As someone who rehearses my order at a restaurant so I don’t mess it up, GHSLA is a low-stakes way to learn about professional development. You can also meet people virtually that you might see in-person at MLA, Southern Chapter, etc.

What hobby is taking up all your free time right now?
For my birthday, I finished The Ministry of Time by Kaliane Bradley. I really liked the first 2/3 of the book. I felt like it somehow combined sci-fi/time travel with the slice of life genre, which was a delight to read. However, the last 1/3 turns into another genre entirely and feels discordant to the rest of the book to me. Either way, the first part is still worth a read in my opinion!

Once I get my hands on a Steam Deck (Valve please restock i beg of you), I’m afraid my social life will be over. I’ll be working through my backlog that currently sits at about 117 days worth of playtime

Curious about the leaders of GHSLA? Look no further! For the next few weeks, we’ll be profiling each of our GHSLA Executive Committee members so you can learn more about the people behind the organization and their roles and responsibilities. Next up is John Nemeth, the Past President of GHSLA, here to tell us a little more about himself.

Name:
John Nemeth, MSLS

How long have you been a librarian?
35 years (I developed and taught a class on how to use Gopher protocol!)

What is your current position?
Clinical Informationist at Emory University’s Woodruff Health Sciences Center Library.  I attend morning report at three different Emory hospitals where I work with the Chief to develop a clinical question to be research and posted.  Similarly, I attend Surgery M&M for literature summaries for posting.  I also work very closely with Emory Healthcare nursing, supporting their practice, research initiatives, training, and orientations for the Nurse Residency Program. I am also a member of the WHSCL’s Systematic Review team.

What is your role at GHSLA, and what does that entail?
Immediate Past President (2025). I attend the monthly meetings and participate in program planning and goals for GHSLA. I’m available to help out when I can and have enjoyed my time on the committee.

What do you think is the best part of GHSLA?
I’ve been a member of GHSLA since joining Emory in late 2009.  One thing I appreciate about it is the opportunity to learn what others are doing.  It’s easy for us to get caught up in our circle, and it’s important to step and learn from someone or gain a new perspective.

What hobby is taking up all your free time right now?
I don’t know if I’d exactly call it a hobby, but travel! Now that we’re empty nesting we’ve been on the go more and more.  We’ve been to Alaska, Hawaii, Portugal, Spain, France, Germany, Belgium and Ireland. We have Bolivia, Australia, and Egypt on our list as well!

Curious about the leaders of GHSLA? Look no further! For the next few weeks, we’ll be profiling each of our GHSLA Executive Committee members so you can learn more about the people behind the organization and their roles and responsibilities.

First up we have Erin Reardon, the current President of GHSLA, here to tell us a little more about herself.

Name: 
Erin Reardon, MFA, MLIS, AHIP

How long have you been a librarian?
Eight years!

What is your current position?
I’m a Public Health Informationist at Emory University, where I work with the students, faculty, and staff at the Rollins School of Public Health to provide information and research services. I’m also a member of our library’s systematic review team, which gives me the opportunity to work with evidence synthesis research teams from across the health sciences programs.

What is your role at GHSLA, and what does that entail?
I am President of GHSLA for 2026. In this role, I lead monthly (ish!) meetings with the Executive Committee, where we discuss our goals and plans for the organization for the year. I’m also responsible for organizing meetings for our members, whether that’s an annual meeting and conference or a networking lunch for folks in GHSLA to chat about what’s going on in their libraries.

What do you think is the best part of GHSLA?
Local organizations like GHSLA offer a great opportunity for librarians, especially early-career librarians, to connect with others in their field. There are lots of librarians in positions that can feel isolated from colleagues, such as solo hospital librarians, or being the only health sciences librarian at your academic library. GHSLA is a great way to find colleagues (and frolleagues!), to learn about what others are doing in their libraries, and to exchange ideas and information. If you feel intimidated by larger organizations like MLA or Southern Chapter, GHSLA is a great, low-barrier way to build your network.

What TV show are you binge-watching right now?
I’m making my way through a rewatch of The West Wing, a perennial favorite, but next I’m going to catch up on The Pitt!

Long time GHSLA member Elaine Harbin passed away on Monday, March 2nd.  She had a warm, kind personality.  She will be missed.