MLA Research, Development, and Demonstration Project Grant Now Accepting Applications

The Medical Library Association (MLA) is now accepting applications for the MLA Research, Development, and Demonstration Project Grant.

The purpose of this grant is to provide support for research, development, or demonstration projects that will help to promote excellence in the field of health sciences librarianship and information sciences. Grants range from $100 to $1,000. Grants will not be given to support an activity that is operational in nature or has only local usefulness. More than one award may be granted in a year.

Eligibility
• The applicant must hold a graduate degree in library science.
• The applicant must be a practicing health sciences librarian with at least two years of professional experience.
• The applicant must be a citizen of or have permanent residence status in either the United States or Canada.
• The applicant must be a member of the Medical Library Association (MLA).
• In the case of a research group, at least one person in group must be a MLA member and meet the above criteria.
• Consideration will be given in exceptional cases to an outstanding candidate not meeting the criteria above.

Terms
• The completed application form must be received by December 1.
• The applicant must submit the names of two references not related to the applicant/group. The references must be persons who are knowledgeable about the applicant/group’s character, education, and abilities.
• The scope and nature of the proposed project should give evidence of an established methodology and a viable research design.
• The application should show how the proposed project would contribute conceptually and practically to the applicant/group’s competence and the well being of the library community.
• The proposal should contain title, goals, objectives, methodology, significance, and budget of project; vital and special qualifications of the research; knowledge of the state of the art and existing published literature on the proposed research topic; and proposed means of disseminating the results.
• The applicant may upload a current photo to member profile for promotional purposes (optional).

Additional details are available on the grant page: MLA Research, Development, and Demonstration Project Grant

To apply, complete the application form online and upload all documents no later than December 1, 11:59 p.m. (CT).

Save the Date: November 9th – Fall GHSLA Meeting & Systematic Review Workshop

Save the Date! The Fall 2018 GHSLA meeting will be held at Mercer University School of Medicine on Friday, November 9th in Macon, GA. The meeting will feature a 6-hour Systematic Review Workshop and is free to all GHSLA members. Those who aren’t current members can join GHSLA online for $20. Full meeting details and registration will open in October.

Tentative Meeting Schedule:

Mingle and Coffee—————————————- 9:00am – 9:30am
Pieces of the Systematic Review: Part I———– 9:30am – 12:30pm
Lunch Dine Arounds———————————– 12:30pm – 1:45pm
GHSLA Business Meeting—————————— 1:45pm – 2:00pm
Pieces of the Systematic Review: Part II———- 2:00pm – 5:00pm

Pieces of the Systematic Review Workshop Details

Thanks to a Professional Development Award from the National Network of Libraries of Medicine (NNLM)’s Southeastern Atlantic (SEA) Region, we are happy to be able to host instructor Margaret Foster, AHIP. Margaret is the associate professor at Texas A&M University–College Station and serves as the systematic reviews coordinator at the Medical Sciences Library.

Full Course Description

It is estimated that at least 25 health-related systematic reviews are published daily and with the requirement from several standards to have a librarian collaborate on the search process, medical librarians are invited more than ever before to join in these endeavors. This course will detail the processes librarians are most likely to be involved in- determining the feasibility of a research question for the systematic review method and designing, documenting, evaluating, and reporting a search. In addition, participants will discuss authorship issues, software selection, registering protocols as well as potential roles of librarians in other parts of the process- selecting, appraising, and coding articles.

At the conclusion of this workshop, attendees will be able to:

• differentiate between narrative, systematic, scoping, mapping, realist, and other review types
• list key organizations that provide standards, guides, protocols, and/or databases of systematic reviews
• determine if a research question is feasible for the systematic review method
• detail the steps involved in completing a systematic review
• list potential software to consider when collaborating on systematic reviews
• list the potential roles that librarians can collaborate on during each step of the review process
• explain how to design a systematic review search, including the selection of appropriate standards for developing the search
• describe how to document and write the search process
• critically analyze a systematic review search
• describe issues in the authorship of a systematic review and how to advocate for inclusion

Julie K. Gaines Selected as Recipient of the 2018 Michael E. DeBakey Library Services Outreach Award

Congratulations to GHSLA member Julie Gaines who has been selected as the recipient of the Friends of the National Library of Medicine (FNLM)’s 2018 Michael E. DeBakey Library Services Outreach Award. Julie, MLIS, AHIP, is the Associate Professor and Head of the Medical Partnership Library at Augusta University and the University of Georgia. Julie will be recognized at the FNLM Gala on September 25th at the Willard Hotel in Washington, DC.

GHSLA Virtual Summer Meeting & Fall Meeting Save the Date

The Georgia Health Sciences Library Association Summer meeting will be a virtual journal club held on Monday August 27th, from 12:00 to 1:30 pm. We will be discussing the research methods and practical implications of the two articles shared below. Both articles have been selected as part of the MLA Independent Reading Program and participants are eligible to receive 1 MLA CE contact hour for each article.

Connection details for the Zoom conference will be shared in the coming weeks. Members are invited to contact Kim Powell if interested in heading the discussion for either article.

Fall Meeting Save the Date: the GHSLA Fall Meeting will be held Friday, November 9th at Mercer University School of Medicine in Macon, GA

Christine Willis Named MLA News Editor

GHSLA Immediate Past President Christine Willis, AHIP, has been named the new editor of the MLA News, the bimonthly MLA member publication. Willis will serve a three-year term beginning August 1, 2018. She replaces Jodi Philbrick, AHIP, who served as interim editor following the departure of Cheryl Rowan in October 2017.

“I am very excited for this opportunity and am looking forward to leading the MLA News as it continues to foster communication among members and other important stakeholders,” said Willis.

The MLA News is a unique publication and offers updates on news and information for health information professionals. MLA thanks Jodi Philbrick for her support and contributions as interim editor to the MLA News as we extend a warm welcome to Christine Willis and look forward to her hard work and service in making the MLA News a success under her leadership.