MIDLINE

Welcome new MIDLINE editor Jason Young! This issue features reports from our Midwest MLA/MHSLA 2008 Conference in Troy, Michigan, a look at the newest Go Local projects, and all the chapter and regional news you need to know.

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From Deborah Lauseng, 2009 Midwest Chapter President
Health Sciences Libraries, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI

Mid-October was very busy for a number of people, particularly those preparing for "Vital Signs," the joint Midwest Chapter/MLA and Michigan Health Sciences Libraries Association annual conference. Between October 17 and 21, we gathered in Troy, Michigan, to learn about keeping our libraries vibrant and healthy. We all have benefited from the energies and efforts of this year's Conference Coordinator Ellen O'Donnell and Local Arrangements Chair Sandra Martin and their many planning committee teams (with more than 40 members) and countless volunteers. We also gained essential information from the conference speakers, paper and poster presenters, and CE instructors. Thank you one and all for challenging us to look at our work with a fresh perspective, be innovative and creative, consider strategies for growth, and take away vital insights from colleagues to be applied in our own workplaces.

This year two events really stood out for me, the First Time Attendee Reception followed by the Welcome Reception. The two receptions blended very nicely together as we listened to the music of Motown. Saturday evening provided me a chance to meet new members and catch up with colleagues who I haven't seen since last year. These connections are one of the reasons I value my membership in the Midwest Chapter.

Now on to what is exciting to me as I take on the role as President...connections. Connections between the previous and present board as we transition and build upon the accomplishments of the previous year. Connections between our print archives and our web-based information. Connections made through communication between current members and potential members. Connections made through promoting health sciences librarianship.

Following Mary Markland's leadership, the Executive Board will be writing goals to help us convert ideas and plans into accomplishments. Though specific goals for both the board and standing committees will not be formalized until our spring board meeting, we are looking at: finalizing our policy and procedures manual using a wiki format, reviewing our archive collection and creating an electronic copy, building relationships with member states through active state liaisons, using blogs to communicate activities of our membership, considering how to support continuing education opportunities for members, and promoting the chapter and health sciences librarianship through use of our new portable banner at state meetings and local library schools.

As we set goals and build connections, I encourage you to be involved. We are all the Midwest Chapter.

Editor's note: We asked those responsible for implementing Go Local in North Dakota, Iowa, and Illinois to recount their experiences working on the project. Here are their stories.

Go Local North Dakota
Submitted by Mary Markland, Judy Rieke, and Mike Safratowich
Library of the Health Sciences, University of North Dakota, Grand Forks, ND

North Dakota's Go Local project "Discover Health Services Near You!" (http://medlineplus.gov/golocalnd) went live August 2008, less than a year after the project began. The official launch at the statewide library conference was held the end of September. Press coverage was extensive with television, radio, and newspaper spots.

Another major event that we used to promote the database was the Women's Showcase in Fargo in October. Thousands of people attended, and nearly 800 people stopped by the booth and learned about Go Local North Dakota. Since the launch, usage statistics show increasing traffic and user feedback has been positive.

The project was funded through the NLM GMR starting October 1, 2007. Prior to that, librarians at the University of North Dakota Library of the Health Sciences had explored various options for developing Go Local, but we determined the only way we could start a project was with funding from the NLM via GMR.

We didn't have a prior consumer health database or directory to build upon, so we knew we would need financial assistance. We also knew that we would not be able to add permanent staff to build or maintain the database. It was necessary for us to have current staff absorb many of the responsibilities.

A team from the University of North Dakota consisting of Mary Markland, Clinical Campus Librarian, Judy Rieke, Assistant Director and Collection Management Librarian, and Mike Safratowich, Bibliographic Control Librarian, wrote the proposal and agreed to assume responsibility for the project. After funding was obtained, duties were distributed according to team member expertise.

Project coordinator Judy Rieke oversaw the subcontract and facilitated collaboration with partners, including the state's underserved populations. Resource development and outreach coordinator Mary Markland solicited services from organizations and coordinated promotion through publicity and training. New technologies, such as depositing prospective services onto a Delicious site and 2-1-1 data mining, aided the process.

Site development coordinator Mike Safratowich managed building the database, user accounts, and local customizations. One of his major responsibilities was supervising the indexing of resources by subject and geography using "Go Local" controlled vocabulary. Using grant funds, we hired a data input specialist in a six-month, part-time student position. She did the creation, indexing, and maintenance of entries in the NLM system.

Future challenges for the project include maintaining momentum, defining ongoing responsibilities, assimilating Go Local into workflow, auditing records, analyzing additional services for inclusion, and coordinating promotional activities. We feel that despite the challenges, North Dakota's Go Local project offers a low-cost model that stresses collaboration, teamwork, and technology.

Go Local Iowa
Submitted by Chris Childs
Education and Outreach Librarian, Hardin Library for the Health Sciences, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA

I joined the Hardin Library staff on February 25, 2008, as the liaison to the College of Public Health and Community Outreach. Within the first week, I learned I had acquired another responsibility, promoting Hardin's latest project, Iowa Go Local (http://medlineplus.gov/iowa).

By the time I arrived, Elizabeth Nummela, our part-time graduate student, had been entering records since August 2007, and these records were just beginning to be reviewed. At that time, there were more than a dozen reviewers. The goal was to review every record for the official unveiling at the Iowa State Fair on August 11, 2008. This goal proved to be one of our biggest challenges.

Despite have help, it was very difficult for everyone to find the spare time to check records. I've heard from several other librarians from different states that one of the biggest obstacles they faced was the lack of personnel able to devote their time on the project.

We did what we could, but after the unofficial launch on March 30 I was told that I would only have another colleague assist me with the reviewing process.The situation looked very bleak, so during the summer we both buckled down and devoted as much time as we could to reviewing and meeting the goal. I'm happy to say that we did get every record reviewed by the time we exhibited at the Iowa State Fair, but it was an incredibly exhausting experience.

Prior to the summer, we had created an Iowa Go Local brochure, purchased promotional items, and borrowed a display case from the Center for Disabilities and Development. When Hardin had been approved for the Go Local grant by the NLM, Jane Gay, the director of Iowa COMPASS asked Chris Shaffer, the former Iowa Go Local project coordinator, about establishing a partnership. They agreed to loan us the display case and assist us with the graphics, and in return we included information on Iowa COMPASS as part of our exhibit.

Before we went to the Iowa State Fair, we decided to have a trial run at the local Johnson County Fair at the end of July. It draws one of the largest crowds around.
I would like to mention one thing about the Johnson County Fair (other than the fact that it went very well) — the pinwheels we purchased for this event. Chris Shaffer ordered 2,000. While that may seem like a lot, we ran out on the third day of the fair. We chose pinwheels because we wanted to attract children to our booth. Our theory was that if we drew in the children, then the adults would follow and we could talk to them about Iowa Go Local. We handed the pinwheels to the kids, which had the Iowa Go Local website on the stems, and gave parents our brochures and MedlinePlus pens. I would highly recommend pinwheels!

The Iowa State Fair only gave us six hours of exhibiting time, so we had to be creative in attracting attention. We created a series of activities that the kids could complete while we spoke with their parents. Elizabeth created a word search and Sudoku, and we printed several copies on large sheets of paper that we could attach to a trifold display.

We also had a large map of Iowa that was blank except for the county boundaries. It was the map of Iowa that turned out to be the crowd pleaser. Originally, the idea behind the map was to have people show us where they lived and we would go in Iowa Go Local to locate resources in their community for them. This didn't work out very well because people didn't want to take the time to look our demo. Considering all there is to see and do at the Iowa State Fair, this is understandable.

We improvised and asked everyone passing by our booth to sign their name on their county. We told everyone that our goal was to have all 99 counties filled. As people signed their names, we passed out brochures, magnets, and pens. Because I didn't have a counter, I eventually lost count of how many people we spoke with, but I know it was in the hundreds. At the end of the day, 89 of the 99 counties had signatures.

Summer was over, but we continued to prmote Iowa Go Local. There were press releases, radio interviews, and presentations at several public health meetings. Packets were emailed to every public library and public health agency in the state. If an email address couldn't be found, then a packet with the description and 25 brochures was sent by regular mail.

I've also included a brief demonstration of Iowa Go Local into my presentations on patient safety and to the critical access hospitals in Iowa. I've also exhibited at the annual conferences of the Iowa Library Association and the Iowa Nurses Association. I plan to continue exhibiting at several events in the upcoming months.

Working on Iowa Go Local has been incredibly rewarding, but it has had its challenges. I spoke to Elizabeth recently, and she said one of her biggest problems in the beginning was searching government directories, which had much incomplete or outdated information. Elizabeth also mentioned that the process of entering and reviewing records would have gone more smoothly if she had another graduate student working with her.

Currently, there are 5,098 records in the system, and Elizabeth just entered in another 100. One of the biggest decisions that needed to be made after the summer was how Elizabeth should spend her time working on Iowa Go Local. Should she only enter in new records or make sure that the records already in the system are current?

I decided to have her update the existing records and only create new records upon request. Recently, we were asked to include dental information, so Elizabeth is creating 100 new records every two weeks. She estimates that in the end she will create an additional 1,000 records. Entering in these new records over an expanded period of time allows her to continually check the existing records while gradually adding this new information into the Go Local system.

The response to this project has been incredibly positive. Everyone I have spoken to about it agrees it is a very useful resource, one that would benefit everyone in Iowa. I've heard from several librarians that they have included a link to it on their library's websites and from nurses who plan on including Iowa Go Local in information packets for patients.

It is these responses that make working on a Go Local project worthwhile, and I encourage those states that currently don't have one to seriously look into what is needed to start a Go Local project.

Go Local Illinois
By Mary Klatt
Associate Director, Loyola University Health Sciences Library, Maywood, IL

Health-E Illinois celebrated its first birthday on September 7, 2008. It has been a year of progress, expansion, challenges, and changes for the Illinois Go Local project (http://medlineplus.gov/illinois).

The database grew to close to 10,000 records over the past year. With the addition of new subject headings by the Go Local group at NLM, the database increased in size and depth. Currently, one part-time staff member is scanning through the database, county by county, to assure basic coverage in all subject areas.

An early challenge for the Health-E Illinois team shortly after the kickoff was the daunting task of auditing each of the 10,000 records in the database. The auditing schedule called for a completion date of September 1, 2008. However, the audit was completed by June 2008.

This extremely effective first-year auditing strategy has allowed us to approach the start of our second year with a focus on terminology and choosing appropriate health topics. Several new local service terms have been added to the database, so we have been continually updating records and searching for further health services that incorporate those terms.

Also, we have been reviewing each county for additional health services — especially focusing on terms and topics that we had few records for and on counties that had few health service records in the database.

An additional challenge the team faced was to get people to discover and use Health-E Illinois — marketing. An outreach team was formed and included Loyola's Health Sciences Library staff, SIU Medical Library staff, and Peg Burnette from UIC Peoria. The team aggressively sought outreach opportunities.

As of October 2008, the outreach team has conducted its "Beyond an Apple a Day" class to librarians in fifteen public libraries and four library system settings. Five sessions were held for the general public. Health-E Illinois was featured at eleven meetings or exhibits, including the annual meetings of the Illinois Library Association, Health Sciences Librarians of Illinois, Midwest Chapter/Medical Library Association, and the Medical Library Association. The team also produced flyers, PowerPoint presentations, and handouts. The outreach team continues to seek opportunities to teach and present Health-E Illinois and other consumer health resources.

Another challenge was to update not only the Health-E Illinois partners and its advisory board that meets twice a year, but also the general public on what was going on with the database and with outreach programs. Health-E Illinois launched its news blog (http://healtheillinois.wordpress.com/) in October 2007 to fulfill this need. The blog has evolved into a consumer health awareness blog for Illinois featuring articles on hot consumer health issues and topics. The blog is averaging over 1,000 hits a month. Our most popular article, "The Dreaded Chigger Bite," has been accessed 3,299 times.

Finally, as with all projects, staffing has changed over the past year. Staff members leaving the project were Tom Bartenfelder, Anthony Molaro, Eugene Giudice, Katie Posniak, Samantha Meyer, and Eileen Cooney. The new team members are Jean Gudenas (new database manager), William Halverson, Natalie Danford, Elaine Hicks, and Carol Hartmann.

Submitted by Barbara Platts, Chair, 2008 Publicity Committee
Munson Healthcare, Traverse City, Michigan

Troy, Michigan, was the host site for the Midwest MLA/MHSLA 2008 joint conference. Three years of planning resulted in a dynamic conference for 169 attendees and 25 vendors. Conference highlights included 9 CE programs, 7 Concurrent Sessions, 19 Posters, 15 Contributed Papers, a Technology Forum, NLM/MLA/GMR Updates, Exhibitors, Sunrise Seminars, an Opening Reception, Special Event, Dine-Arounds, Keynote Speaker, Plenary Session, Internet Café, Business Meetings, and Workshops.

Conference content had a broad scope and provided many networking opportunities for the seasoned professional as well as the new graduate. MLA President Mary Ryan hosted a well-attended breakfast for library science students. The hotel facilities were wonderful, and the food was fabulous. Many attendees were very impressed with the educational opportunities, networking sessions, posters, and speakers.

What we heard...

• The conference was excellent! It was well organized and included many special opportunities.


• I had a very rewarding experience.


• The staff at the Marriott was exceptional.


• The CE class selection was great. I truly enjoyed my experience.
  

On behalf of the 2008 Planning Committee, we hope you enjoyed the conference, found the educational offerings stimulating, had an opportunity to network, catch up with friends and colleagues, revel in Motown nostalgia, enjoy fine cuisine, shop at nearby Somerset, and take in fine art at the Detroit Institute of Arts.

Thank you to all of the countless people who helped coordinate the conference. It truly took the tireless effort of so many of our members to make this happen. We hope to see you next year in Columbus, Ohio!

To see more photos from the meeting, visit the Midwest MLA 2008 Flickr photostream.

Submitted by Barbarie Hill, 2009 Conference Publicity Committee Chair
Pratt Library, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH

It's not too early to start thinking about attending the 2009 Midwest Chapter annual conference in Columbus, Ohio. While registration is not open yet, the website has been established with hotel and city information, and we will be adding more details about program, CEs, vendors, and social events as they become available. Check it out at http://midwestmla.org/conference2009/.

Two plenary speakers have been confirmed, and they will definitely inform and entertain us. Clifford Stoll, astronomer, computer expert, and author, spoke at the national MLA meeting a few years ago and enthralled the crowd. You might enjoy seeing a bit of his presentation style in a video clip linked from the conference website. Lorcan Dempsey, Vice President and Chief Strategist for OCLC, will share with us some of his perspectives on how changing patterns of research and learning affect libraries. Check out his influential blog, Orweblog On libraries, services and networks to get a flavor of some of the issues he may comment upon.

Since so many of us have to justify our requests for travel funds, here are some good reasons (adapted from the SLA blog) for attending the regional conference:

• MLA is the premier organization for health science library professionals, and the Midwest Chapter is the regional conference of the year. It's your best chance to learn about best practices, network to find solutions to information service challenges, and get hands-on technology training.


• The regional conference is by far the best value for your money, costing less than national conferences and offering the same MLA-approved CE instructors, panels, keynotes, papers, and posters,


• Conference speakers are top industry experts. Pick the brains of the information professional community's foremost experts. Get answers to your specific questions and exclusive insight into the technologies you use every day.


• Education helps professionals work smarter with today's smaller budgets, fewer resources, and looming deadlines. Attending the 2009 Midwest Chapter/MLA conference is the most cost-effective way to get the professional development you need.


• Investing in employees' education is the best way to reward top employees, keep morale high, drive innovation, and show that the company is committed to the growth of its valuable team members.

Submitted by Deborah Lauseng, Acting Chapter Recording Secretary
Health Sciences Libraries, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI

The Executive Board met on Friday, October 17, 2008 at the Detroit Marriott Troy, Michigan.

• President Mary Markland welcomed all visitors and incoming Executive Board Members. The fall Executive Board meeting is always an opportunity for new members to gain insights into the workings of the Board.
• Treasurer Marlene Porter reported that as of October 16, 2008, the beginning balance was $52,594.21, the ending balance was $79,086.55 for a net increase of $26,492.34. This balance also reflects a deposit of $35,000.00 from the Michigan Health Sciences Libraries Association toward the annual meeting expenses.
• Karen Anderson, chair of the Communications Committee, and her committee will be establishing a members-only section of the chapter website, and considering what information is best provided behind a members-only login.
• Membership Secretary, Rebecca Caton, along with 2009 chapter conference meeting coordinators, Bette Sydelko and Marlene Porter, are investigating the use an electronic payment system (Activa) for handling membership dues and annual meeting registrations.
• Board members are working to update their sections of the policies and procedures manual, being developed in a wiki format.
• Standing committee chairs will be submitting goals at the spring board meeting. President Mary Markland and President-Elect Deborah Lauseng will be providing committee chairs with a form for submitting goals and objectives.
• Annual Meetings Committee Chair, Donna Barbour-Talley, will be establishing a special committee to discuss the pros and cons of different annual meeting coordinating models.
• President-Elect Deborah Lauseng, working with the new Archivist Mary Hitchcock, will be establishing a special committee on archives to determine where information gaps exist in the print archives and how best to digitize the collection.
• Brian Finnegan has been appointed to the new position of Assistant Webmaster. Brian will handle much of the web maintenance work, while Allan Barclay, our Webmaster, continues working with the programming and management.

Submitted by Deborah Lauseng, Acting Recording Secretary
Health Sciences Libraries, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI

The Annual Business Meeting of the Midwest Chapter was held Monday, October 20 at the Detroit Marriott Troy, Michigan.

• The proposed revised chapter bylaws were approved by the chapter membership. The key revisions included: the treasurer submitting a preliminary budget for the following calendar year at the fall Executive Board meeting (a change from submitting the budget for the current calendar year at the spring Executive Board meeting); and replacing the standing Governmental Relations Committee with a single Governmental Relations Liaison. There were also general edits made throughout the document. The approved bylaws are available on the chapter website under the Business tab.
• Membership Secretary Bette Sydelko reported that as of September 30, 2008, there were 399 chapter members. This number includes thirteen student members (membership which is free to current library and information school students). Bette noted that six of the student members were in attendance at this meeting.
• Bette also recognized Beth Carlin for her work on designing the traveling Midwest Chapter banner for use with recruitment into the health sciences librarian profession and for membership in the chapter. The banner is available for use within the states and shipping costs will be covered by the chapter.
• Treasurer Marlene Porter reported that as of October 16, 2008, the beginning balance was $52,594.21, the ending balance was $79,086.55 for a net increase of $26,492.34. This balance also reflects a deposit of $35,000.00 from the Michigan Health Sciences Library Association toward the annual meeting expenses.
• Pam Rees, Representative to the MLA Chapter Council, gave an overview of the work of Chapter Council.
• Donna Barbour-Talley, Annual Meetings Committee Chair, announced the upcoming annual meeting schedule: October 3-6, 2009, in Columbus, Ohio; September 24-28, 2010, in Madison, Wisconsin; 2011 in Indiana; and 2012 in Minnesota.
• Ellen O'Donnell, 2008 Program Chair, thanked everyone for coming to this year's joint Midwest Chapter MLA/Michigan Health Sciences Libraries Association annual conference "Vital Signs." She reported that there were 162 registrants (74 MHSLA members, 90 Midwest members; some people with dual membership). Ellen thanked Sandra Martin, Local Arrangements Chair, and all the committee chairs and members. More than 40 people worked to prepare this year's conference.
• The highlight of the Business Meeting is the annual awards. Sheryl Stevens, Awards and Scholarships Committee Chair, presented the following awards:

The Annual Meeting Scholarships, awarded to current library school students, were presented to Chrysta Meadowbrooke, University of Michigan, and Zach Young, University of Kentucky. They each received $500 toward attendance at the conference.

The Professional Development Award went to Christine Allen, Munson Medical Center in Michigan. This $500 award supports first time attendance at Annual Meeting.

The Jean Williams Sayre Innovation Award was presented to the Gundersen Lutheran Library and Health Information Services Department, LaCrosse, Wisconsin, for their work on the GLine database of hospital researcher's publications. Mary Jo Boland accepted the certificate and $500 award on behalf of the staff.

The 2008 Distinguished Librarian of the Year award was presented to Logan Ludwig, Associate Dean, Loyola University Health Sciences Library. Carole Gilbert, recent Distinguished Librarian, presented Logan with a commemorative plaque and a check for $500.

• Further information about the Midwest Chapter awards and scholarships can be found on the Chapter website under the Awards tab.
• Mary Markland, President, announced the results of the elections and nominations:

President Elect: Elaine Skopelja, 2009

Membership Secretary: Rebecca Caton, 2009-2010

Representative at Large: Ximena Chrisagis, 2009-2010

Archivist: Mary Hitchcock, 2009-2010

Potential Candidate to the MLA Nominating Committee: Charniel McDaniels, 2009

• Clare Leibfarth, ConnectMidwest blog editor, encouraged everyone to become a blogger and contribute to ConnectMidwest. Clare invited people to stop by the booth in the exhibitors' area to learn how easy it is to enter information.
• Bette Sydelko and Marlene Porter, Co-Program Chairs of the 2009 Midwest Chapter Annual Conference, gave a special invitation to the upcoming meeting in Columbus, Ohio, October 3-6 at the Hyatt on Capitol Square. The theme is "Seek, Explore, Discover." Three names were drawn from the conference attendees for certificates to the Ohio 2009 Annual Conference. The winners were: Katherine Chew, University of Minnesota, Bio-Medical Library; Merle Rosenzweig, University of Michigan, Health Sciences Libraries; and Chrysta Meadowbrooke, University of Michigan, School of Information.

Editor's note: Carole Gilbert, the Midwest Chapter's 2006 Distinguished Librarian of the Year, presented this year's award at the 2008 Annual Business Meeting. Here are her remarks announcing Logan Ludwig, Associate Dean, Loyola University Health Sciences Library, as the 2008 Distinguished Librarian of the Year:

This year's Distinguished Librarian of the Year has exhibited not just one or two, but all the characteristics upon which the award is based:

"Leadership, advocacy, scholarship, research, publications, presentations, teaching, training, mentoring, outreach, professional activities and meaningful and measureable service to the Midwest Chapter."

He has served on committees, task forces, chapter offices, including that of president. He has conducted research, written grants, edited and authored publications, and presented workshops at local, state, regional, and national meetings. He has been a teacher and a mentor to graduate students, young (and not so young) librarians. I know this, for I consider myself one of them.

He has not limited his leadership to MLA and the chapter, but has also served a number of other professional associations. He has distinguished himself at his own institution and frequently consulted with others who wanted his expertise to resolve myriad problems or to transition their own libraries to meet tomorrow's demands.

A colleague wrote: "While distinguished in his career accomplishments, (the nominee) has always been a genuine and engaging colleague as well." Another wrote "his record of work on local, state and national organizations serve to underscore his de facto role as an outstanding ambassador of the Midwest chapter."

I am sure that you will all agree with me that there is no one more deserving of the 2008 Distinguished Librarian of the Year Award than my colleague and friend, Logan Ludwig.

The Gundersen Lutheran Library and Health Information Services department was awarded the 2008 Jean Williams Sayre Innovation Award for their work on the GLine Database of Publications and Research. Mary Jo Boland accepted the award during the Midwest Chapter Annual Business Meeting in Troy, Michigan, on October 20, 2008.

The GLine Database is a database of research and publications by Gundersen Lutheran staff and is available on the Gundersen Lutheran Medical Foundation Research page. The database is searchable by author, descriptor, journal, and keyword. Search results can be sorted by title, publication year, publication type, and many other options. The database allows the easy creation and printing of reference lists or bibliographies.

The Jean Williams Sayre Innovation Award was established by the Midwest Chapter of the Medical Library Association to honor individuals, groups, or libraries that have displayed creativity and/or problem solving skills that have resulted in innovative methods, projects, products, organizational enhancements, or publications in the field of health information management. It was named in memory of Jean Williams Sayre, past director of the University of Iowa Hardin Library of the Health Sciences.

Work on the GLine project began in early 2007. The following Gundersen Lutheran personnel were on the GLine committee: Melinda Orebaugh, Mary Jo Boland, Jayne Laylan, Deborah Brostrom, Dawn Steffes, Ana Schaper, Kyle Harper, Angela Kuhn, and Cathie L. Fischer.

For more information about the database, please contact Mary Jo Boland, (608) 775-1186, or (800) 362-9567 x51186. A training manual was created for this project, and is available upon request.

Submitted by Chrysta Meadowbrooke
Student at University of Michigan School of Information, Ann Arbor, MI

I'm very grateful to the Awards and Scholarships Committee and the Midwest Chapter for providing scholarships that help students attend the annual meeting. I feel honored to have received one of the awards this year. The chapter's support enabled me to stay for the whole conference, including a CE class. I had never attended a conference on librarianship before, and it was wonderful to meet so many friendly people with great advice for students like me just beginning their careers in health sciences librarianship.

Packed as the conference was with excellent presentations and discussions, it's hard to choose just a few highlights. However, here are some that stand out in my memory:

• Attending the MLA Breakfast for library science students, where MLA President Mary Ryan spoke informally about the national organization and opportunities for students. I appreciated the chance to talk with her, and it was fun to trade stories about library school with students from other schools.

• Getting fired up at the keynote address by Deena Ebbert — complete with plush fish flying through the air! Her lively descriptions of the four principles of the FISH! Leadership Philosophy (be there, play, make someone's day, and choose your attitude) will help me take a more creative approach to studies and work.

• Learning about ways to increase health literacy and reduce health disparities. The presentations by David Slawson, Patricia Martin, and Diane Moyer left me with pages of handwritten notes and lots of ideas that I will pursue further about these topics that are close to my heart and interests.

• Assisting Merle Rosenzweig in the poster session, where we talked with many people about how librarians can support faculty in complying with the new NIH Public Access policy. I felt so impressed throughout the conference at the broad range of publications and research that health sciences librarians in our region are participating in.

• Feeling inspired by MJ Tooey's call near the end of the plenary session to be proud to be a librarian. I am excited to be joining this profession! This session also gave me a lot to think about for the future and has sparked some good discussions with my classmates, especially in our library leadership seminar.

I'm very glad I was able to talk with so many people, receive thoughtful advice, learn about the many possibilities within health sciences librarianship, and in general have a good time. Thank you again for making it possible for me to attend. I'm looking forward to seeing many of you at future conferences!

Submitted by Zach Young
Library Technician, University of Kentucky Medical Center Library, Lexington, KY

The three things I will always remember from the 2008 Midwest Medical Library Association Conference are: giving my first professional presentation, the amazing trip to the Detroit Institute of Art, and overcoming a strong desire to jump over numerous tables attempting to catch one of those stuffed fish that Deena Ebbert was throwing out.

These things never would have happened had I not won the Annual Meeting Scholarship. I cannot thank the committee enough for giving me the opportunity to attend the conference. From the moment I arrived to the moment I left, I was meeting like-minded librarians. I felt at home.

The keynote speaker, Deena Ebbert, gave a very entertaining and useful talk on teamwork and leadership. She also provided some very nice souvenirs for the vocal members in the crowd. I was not one of them. "Discretion is the better part of valor," as they say, so I used some and stayed seated.

That evening, we all loaded up on a couple buses and journeyed to the Detroit Institute of Arts, where we were provided with a wonderful meal and some intimate tours of a few galleries. After a long day of meeting and greeting, this was the perfect ending. People were in good spirits and the food was amazing. The honey mustard sauce on the ham stole the show. The paintings were excellent, but the person who concocted such a delectable dressing is an artist in his or her own right.

Monday was the culmination of months of hard work for me. I do not remember much of the actual presentation, nor does my colleague Robert Shapiro, who was presenting with me. We both got up and did our parts, and before we knew it the presentation was over. It was a great experience. The audience seemed interested, and we received some good questions.

As soon as we finished presenting, we said our goodbyes and then headed back to our school and work obligations. On the ride home we had fun recounting our experiences at the conference, things we learned, people we met, and, of course, our plans to attend the next Midwest Chapter conference.

Submitted by Chris Allen
Community Health Library, Munson Community Health Center, Traverse City, MI

Quoting Mark Twain, receiving the Professional Development Award to attend "Vital Signs" the Midwest MLA/MHSLA Annual Conference was a "most moving and pulse-stirring honor." I appreciate the opportunity to network with colleagues from other regions and states and to attend the continuing education, concurrent sessions, posters, and papers.

I attended Scott Garrison's screencasting CE on Saturday and had a hands-on experience of creating online tutorials and simple instructional demonstrations using Jing, Adobe Captivate, and Screencast.com. In additional to the techie techniques, there was great discussion and exchange from the attendees.

On Tuesday, a small but engaged group gathered for Susan Barnes' community assessment class. Susan shared the steps required to collect data about a community's population characteristics and possible needs for health information outreach. It was good to learn about the vast collection of statistical resources that have been gathered on the Partners in Information Access for the Public Health Workforce (phpartners.org). This website will be very helpful in the future.

Other highlights of my conference experience included David Slawson's thought-provoking session on evidence-based medicine and talking with the poster presenters on their projects and research. The special events were wonderful opportunities to relax and make new acquaintances.

Kudos to the "Vital Signs" Conference Planning Committee. I know tremendous effort went into planning and executing this event. I enjoyed every part of the weekend, the continuing education, the hotel, the food, the events, and the friends. I am truly honored to have had this opportunity and very proud to be a member of our profession.

We began the 2008 Health Science Librarians of Illinois (HSLI) meeting on November 6 with our first winter chill in a far southeastern suburb of Chicago called University Park. The conference continuing education classes were held at Governors State University (GSU).

Surrounded by acres of farmland, you knew you were away from the city bustle when you pulled into the parking lot at GSU saw huge public sculptures. The Nathan Manilow Sculpture Park at GSU was one of the many highlights of this year's conference. GSU also has a unique arts program displaying old cigarette machines that vend pieces of art.

On Thursday, continuing education classes included such topics as expert searching of PubMed, patient safety, hospital nursing Magnet programs, and leadership without formally supervising people. Our instructors, Holly Ann Burt, Joy Kennedy, and Natalie Reed left their students with many new ideas.

Participants stayed at the Holiday Inn Conference Center in Tinley Park, the same location for the keynote speaker, vendor breakfast, and business meeting on Friday, November 7.

Vendors had lots to share as new products were being introduced. NN/LM, EBSCO, StatRef, and Matthews books had displays. As we enjoyed a big breakfast buffet, Wolters Kluwer/OVID presented information about their new Nursing@OVID product and UpToDate purchase. Paul Blobaum, health science librarian from GSU, donated this year's unusual door prize — a jar of honey gathered from his bees.

Keynote speaker Janet Jensen, from Riverside Medical Center in Kankakee, IL, spoke on "Dealing with Difficult People." Her presentation focused on how to handle yourself when confronted with stressful situations. She talked about the scientific basis of our "flight and fight" reaction and how to use breathing and "heart focus" to get past it so we could use our "cerebral cortex" thinking to solve the problem confronting us.

We enjoyed a wonderful luncheon while Molly Horio, outgoing HSLI chair, updated us on the organization's activities, from newly elected officers to several special honors. Stacey Knight-Davis received the HSLI Star Thrower Award for 2008. The Star Thrower Award is based on the story of the child who makes a difference by throwing stranded starfish back into the ocean one at a time. The award recognizes the efforts and contributions of an individual HSLI member toward the good of the organization. Virginia Gale received the HSLI President's award for her work on our consortia purchases. Laura Sklansky received the Syed Maghrabi scholarship to attend the HSLI 2008 meeting. We congratulated Fran Kovach and Stacey Knight-Davis on completing the website renovation.

Overall, it was a satisfying conference for members thanks to our great conference committee, Gail Lahti and the members of the Chicago and South Consortia.
Next year's meeting will be in Springfield, IL, at the Northfield Inn & Suites from October 28-30.

The Health Science Subdivision of the Iowa Library Association held its fall business meeting October 16 at the Grand River Center in Dubuque, IA. Jim Lander, who retired from Mercy Medical Center in Dubuque this spring, was presented with a letter of recognition signed by Iowa Governor Chet Culver for his years of outstanding service to health professionals in the state. University of Iowa Hardin Library Director Linda Walton is Regional Emergency Preparedness Coordinator for Iowa. She will be working with libraries to create preparedness and emergency response plans. Jacqueline Leskovec, GMR Outreach and Evaluation Coordinator, gave the GMR update. The subdivision's revised bylaws were approved by acclamation.

Here are updates from a few libraries around Iowa:

Des Moines University
The DMU Library has hired a new archivist for the Archive/Rare Book Room.
Lindsey MacAllister will start on November 17. Lindsey was formerly employed as an archivist for the Museum of Science and Technology in Chicago.

Hardin Library, University of Iowa
Chris Shaffer left Hardin to become director of Oregon Health & Science University Library. Lisa Martincik is the new electronic resources librarian at Hardin. The library received new carpeting and chairs this past summer.

State Library of Iowa
The State Library is transferring the HealthInfoIowa to the Plone content management site. Mary Wegner, State Librarian and former medical librarian, was named ILA Librarian of the Year.

Mercy Medical Center – North Iowa (Mason City)
Elizabeth Kiscaden reported that last winter Mercy Medical Library – North Iowa was awarded a Technology Improvement Award from the NNLM/GMR, which was used to purchase a scanner. The library will be losing space for the creation of an ACLS/BLS computer lab, which will be constructed this fiscal year.

Mercy Medical Center – Dubuque
Pamela Kress-Dunn reported that she will be automating her library for the first time, using EOS. She will be weeding extensively over the next year and plans to update the book collection. She also hopes to obtain a scanner for emailing ILLs.

Genesis Medical Center – Davenport
Jason Young reported that he worked with the hospital's webmaster to create a new website based on the Mayo Clinic libraries' site. The new site receives top billing now via a tab on the hospital's intranet page. He was added to orientation for new nurses and physicians and is co-leading the health system's physician satisfaction team.

The Kentucky Medical Library Association (KMLA) met at Baptist Hospital East in Louisville, Kentucky, on November 11. The KMLA membership worked on bylaws, heard from various committees, debuted a new website and elected a new president. Mary Congleton of Southern Kentucky AHEC, Mt. Vernon, will serve as president for 2009 – 10. Congratulations to Mary and a special thank you to outgoing presidents Anne Sabetta, formerly of Jewish Hospital, and Ann Schaap, Norton Healthcare.

Join the Wisconsin Health Sciences Library Association at the Radisson Hotel, La Crosse, WI on May 4 and 5, 2009. The Radisson overlooks the beautiful Mississippi River and is within walking distance of parks and eclectic shops and restaurants in historic downtown. You'll be "Steamin' into the Future" with programs related to technology, open access publishing, health literacy, and more. A new feature for this year will be an opportunity to share your accomplishments and projects in a poster session. More information will be forthcoming. For more about La Crosse, WI see http://www.explorelacrosse.com/.

Submitted by Holly Ann Burt
Outreach and Exhibits Coordinator, NN/LM Greater Midwest Region, Chicago, IL

Bookmark the website of your National Network of Libraries of Medicine Greater Midwest Region (NN/LM GMR) at http://nnlm.gov/gmr/ and visit often. We add resources and links continuously!

Sponsor new GMR classes such as "How to Make a Podcast" and "Will Duct Tape Cure My Warts?" for MLA CE and CHIS credit: http://nnlm.gov/gmr/training/classes.html .

Find the latest handouts on PubMed, consumer health resources, Go Local announcements and even emergency preparedness and the updated "MedlinePlus for Health Professionals": http://nnlm.gov/gmr/training/handouts.html .

Learn ways to promote your library: http://nnlm.gov/gmr/member/advocacy/ .

Look for funding — http://nnlm.gov/gmr/funding/ — and find answers from our Toolkit for GMR Funded Outreach: http://nnlm.gov/gmr/about/outlibs/index.html .

We're here to help and support you. Stop by the website, call us at 1-800-338-7657, email, and even visit when you're in Chicago. We look forward to working with you in the Greater Midwest Region!

MLA offers a variety of scholarships and grants to assist qualified students in graduate library science programs and to enable practicing health sciences librarians to take advantage of opportunities for continuing professional development.

Downloadable applications and information are available on the MLA Website at http://www.mlanet.org/awards/grants/. For more information, contact the jury chair for the grant/scholarship you are interested in.

The deadline for applications is December 1, 2008.

The EBSCO/MLA Annual Meeting Grant sponsored by EBSCO Information Services enables MLA members to attend the annual meeting in Hawaii 2009. Grants of up to $1000 for travel and meeting related expenses are given to up to four librarians. Applicants must have at least two years and no more than five years experience in the profession at the time of the MLA '09 meeting to qualify. Detailed information and an application are located at http://mlanet.org/awards/grants/. Contact Jury Chair Pamela Sherwill-Navarro at sherwillp@ufl.edu for additional information or questions.

Consider applying today for an MLA CE Grant of $100-$500 to develop your knowledge of the theoretical, administrative, and/or technical aspects of librarianship.This grant may be used for travel, lodging, or course tuition. For more details and a copy of the application visit http://www.mlanet.org/awards/grants/index.html. Contact Jury Chair, Mary Beth Allen, mballen@uic.edu with further questions.

Eligibility criteria:

• hold a graduate degree in Library Science


• are a practicing health sciences librarian with at least two years experience


• are a regular member of the Medical Library Association


• are a citizen or permanent resident of the United States or Canada

Consider applying for the David A. Kronick Traveling Fellowship. Find the application and additional information at http://www.mlanet.org/pdf/grants/kronick_app_20050712.pdf and submit by Dec 1, 2008. This $2,000 grant provides support for travel and research that promotes excellence in the field of health sciences librarianship. It will be awarded to cover expenses involved in traveling to three or more medical libraries in the U.S. or Canada, for the purpose of studying a specific aspect of health information management. Contact Natalie Reed, Jury Chair nreedx@midwestern.edu if you have any further questions.

Are you looking for financial support to advance your professional education, attend a meeting or conduct research? The HLS/MLA Professional Development Grant helps librarians in hospitals and other clinical care settings to acquire knowledge and skills through educational or research activities. Further information and an application are located at http://www.mlanet.org/pdf/grants/hls_app_20080611.pdf. For any additional questions, please contact Jury Chair, Karen Roth, at Karen.Roth@bayacare.org or via phone at 727-462-7889. Applications are due December 1, 2008

The Medical Informatics Section/MLA Career Development Grant, sponsored by the Medical Information Section, provides $1500 to support a career development activity that will contribute to advancing the field of medical informatics. Applicants must have an M.L.S. or equivalent degree and have the potential to make significant contributions to medical informatics. Contact Jury Chair Angela Ledger at aledge@lsuhsc.edu for additional information or questions. More information can be found at: http://www.mlanet.org/pdf/grants/medinfo_app_20050712.pdf .

Applications are now being accepted for the 2008 MLA Scholarship, which provides up to $5000.00 to a library school student interested in a career in health science libraries. Applications available online at http://mlanet.org/pdf/grants/schol_app_20050712.pdf. E-mail Shandra Protzko, Jury Chair, at protzkos@njc.org with further questions.

Applications are now being accepted for the 2008-2009 MLA Minority Scholarship. The scholarship of up to $5000 will be granted to a minority student entering an ALA-accredited library school, or with at least one-half of the requirements of the library school program to finish when the award is granted in February 2009. The second runner up for the MLA Minority Scholarship will receive a $1,000 scholarship to attend MLA '09, May 15-20, 2009, in Honolulu, Hawaii. The winners will be notified late February 2009. African-American, Hispanic, Asian, Pacific Islander or Native American students who wish to study health sciences librarianship are eligible. Each applicant must submit an application packet which includes an application, essay and letters of reference. E-mail Fern Cheek, Jury Chair at cheek.27@osu.edu for additional information or questions.

Chapter members Sandra Swanson and Marie-Lise Shams were among a group of Michigan librarians who received the Hospital Librarian Research Award for their poster Health Sciences Librarians in Michigan: Connecting to Emerging 2.0 Technologies presented at MLA '08.

Sandra Martin has been chosen to participate in the NLM/AAHSL Leadership Fellows Program. The program is jointly sponsored by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) and the Association of Academic Health Sciences Libraries (AAHSL) and is focused on preparing emerging leaders for director positions in academic health sciences libraries. Terry Burton and Jim Shedlock are also participating in the program as mentors.

Virginia Gale, of Provena Saint Joseph Medical Center in Joliet, IL, received a 2008 Professional Recognition Award from the Hospital Libraries Section of MLA for her demonstrated leadership through participation, communication, and diligent work in researching and setting up a consortial group for hospital libraries in Illinois. In 2003-04, she served as the president of Health Sciences Librarians of Illinois, at which time she wrote about the consortium theory for their newsletter. She is now the licensing manager for the consortium.

Submitted by Mary K. Taylor
Morris Library, Southern Illinois University, Carbondale, IL

Amber Burtis is the health sciences librarian at Morris Library, Southern Illinois University Carbondale. Her responsibilities include reference, instruction, and being the liaison to the health sciences departments. Amber's professional interests include: "instruction and information literacy, Web 2.0 technologies, consumer health information outreach, ethnic and racial health disparities, and information literacy outreach to public health professionals." She is a 2007 graduate of Kent State University library school and has an undergraduate degree in anthropology from Ohio University. The Toledo, OH, native enjoys traveling and music.

Paul Deane is manager of the medical library at Alexian Brothers Medical Center in Elk Grove, IL. His responsibilities include literature searches, ILL, cataloging, and training. His professional interests include metadata and cataloging. He graduated from library school at the University of South Carolina in 1978. Paul has an undergraduate degree in philosophy with a minor in religion from Furman University. Paul is originally from Arlington Heights, IL, and is a former public librarian. He enjoys collecting books.

Alecia Dietz, library technician, oversees the daily operations of the Health Resource Center of the Alpena Regional Medical Center in her hometown of Alpena, MI. Her professional interests include consumer health. Alecia will receive her MSLIS from Drexel University in 2011. She has an undergraduate degree in education from Western Michigan University. She enjoys running and hiking.

Holly Gabriel is an information specialist at the Rural Assistance Center (RAC) at the University of North Dakota's Center for Rural Health. The RAC (http://www.raconline.org) is a national clearinghouse of information and virtual library on rural health and human services. Holly provides reference services, exhibits, and conducts presentations to publicize the RAC. She has developed topic pages on rural health and human service issues such as grant writing, workforce development, critical access hospitals and telehealth. Her professional interests include health information technology and telehealth. She received her MLS in 2004 from Emporia State University and received her Master of Public Health degree from Northern Illinois University in 2000. Holly's hometown is Portland, OR. She enjoys "racquetball, running, traveling, visiting the national parks across the United States, chasing my cats, home improvement projects, politics, and watching the 'Daily Show with Jon Stewart.'"

Jean Gudenas is Research Services Librarian and webmaster at the Health Sciences Library of Loyola University in Chicago, IL. Her responsibilities include "teaching medical students how to research, standard reference duties, and maintaining and redesigning the health sciences library website." Her professional interests include information mastery. She received her MLIS in 2007 from the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign. She has an undergraduate degree in philosophy and literature from Augustana College. Jean's hometown is Woodridge, IL. Her hobbies include: "1. Reading. I will read most anything, ranging from graphic novels to philosophy to fiction. 2. Watching movies. My husband bartends at a movie theater where you can eat and drink while watching new movies, so we get free admission and a discount on beer. 3. Playing my Wii. I am addicted to the Nintendo Wii, especially the Wii Fit board. I've been doing yoga for several years, and I am more active now than I have ever been. It's addicting. 4. Knitting — a bad habit I picked up in college. 5. Scaring medical students with my stupid human tricks and contortionist tendencies."

Samanthi Hewakapuge is Consumer Health Coordinator for the National Network of Libraries of Medicine – Greater Midwest Region (GMR). In addition to being the state contact librarian for North Dakota, South Dakota, and Minnesota, her responsibilities include coordinating the consumer health program within the GMR, developing instructional materials, teaching librarians how to provide consumer health information services, exhibiting at state library meetings, coordinating the Go Local activities in the region, and giving GMR updates during state library and library consortia meetings. Her professional interests include consumer health, community outreach, health literacy, health communication, information dissemination, and working with diverse communities. Samanthi graduated in 2003 from the University of Arizona's library school. She has an undergraduate degree in history from the University of Peradeniya in Sri Lanka and a master's degree in communication and development studies from Ohio University. Samanthi was an intern for the Native American Access to Technology Program in Arizona, sponsored by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, and also interned at the Native American Women's Health Education Resource Center in Lake Andes, South Dakota. She also has worked as an outreach information specialist for the College of Pharmacy at University of Arizona and as a health sciences librarian for Alden Library at Ohio University. Samanthi's interests include "experimenting with cooking, enjoying my frequent travels, and dance when the opportunity arises." She is originally from Colombo, Sri Lanka, and now lives in Chicago, IL. "I enjoy sharing my culture through dance and food," she says.

Jeffrey Huber directs and is professor at the School of Library and Information Science at the University of Kentucky in his hometown of Lexington, KY. His responsibilities include administration, teaching, scholarship, and service. Jeffrey's professional interests include medical informatics, consumer health, health information literacy, and health information outreach.

Pam Kress-Dunn is Library Coordinator at the Pfohl Health Sciences Library of the Mercy Medical Center in Dubuque. Her responsibilities include "Everything! (I'm the only employee here, although I have the help of a terrific volunteer who used to be a paid employee before she retired)." Pam graduated from the University of Iowa's library school. She has a BA in English from Coe College, a master's in English from Loras College, and a MFA in creative writing/poetry from the University of Nebraska. Pam's hometown is Davenport, IA. Her hobbies include writing poetry and a biweekly newspaper column. "Until I took this job in mid-June, I had been away from the library profession for twelve years," she says. "I have worked in academic, public, and special (archival) libraries. I originally came to Mercy-Dubuque to be the publications coordinator — writing the public and staff newsletters, media releases, and so on. When the longtime librarian here retired after 37 years, I jumped at the chance to take his place. A lot of people here were very surprised to learn I had a library degree! I'm enjoying the job's range of responsibilities and thrilled to be back in the field."

Kate MacDougall is a library intern at the FRIENDS Depression Education Resource Center at the University of Michigan Depression Center and the Health Sciences Library at the University of Michigan. She also provides InfoPoint reference services. Her responsibilities include collection development, circulation, reference services, expert searching, and community outreach. Her professional interests include consumer health and academic health sciences. Kate is a student at the University of Michigan's School of Information and will graduate this December. She has a BA in English from the University of Michigan-Dearborn. Her hometown is Riverview, MI. Kate's interests include "community service, photography, origami, drawing, Ruby (my beautiful miniature schnauzer), cooking, and any outdoors activities like kayaking." She adds, "After attending the annual meeting last month, I am very excited to start my career as a librarian and work out in the field with so many wonderful and talented people."

Anna Robbins is Electronic Services Librarian at St. Mary's/Duluth Clinic (SMDC) Health Sciences Library of the SMDC Health System. She "implements, manages, and promotes the library's electronic resources; provides bibliographic instruction; manages the OPAC and catalogs new resources; provides reference services and literature searches; and provides ILL support as needed." Anna is originally from Luck, WI, but has lived in the Duluth, MN, area for seven years. She enjoys "reading, knitting, gardening, cooking, and enjoying the beautiful scenery of Duluth."

Caralee Witteveen-Lane is Head of Circulation at the library of Thomas M. Cooley Law School. She works at the reference desk in addition to managing the circulation desk and ten staff members. She also participates on committees and is a member of several professional organizations. Her professional interests include health law. Caralee received her MLIS from Wayne State University in 2008. She has a BA in English from Calvin College and a master's degree in writing from DePaul University. Her hometown is Fremont, MI, "home of Gerber Baby Food." Caralee enjoys hiking, writing, and spending time with her family. "As a recent graduate from Wayne's program but long-time library worker, I am thrilled to be a member of this organization for the first time. I specialized in health librarianship at Wayne and hope to stay involved locally with a new research project — a formal information needs assessment of the Grand Rapids consumer health community."

How did I end up here, editing MIDLINE? I blame it on my high school English teacher, Mr. Judson. He told me I was a decent writer and should consider studying English or journalism in college. I studied the latter at Iowa State, and after graduation I worked as a newspaper copy editor for two-and-a-half years in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. I had had enough of the monotony of writing headlines for "Dear Abby" and "Heloise" columns, so I studied library science at the University of Iowa and graduated in 2004. (When I was at Iowa State, I worked in Youth Services at the Ames Public Library and fell in love with libraries.) After a stint at a public library, I moved to Ottumwa, Iowa, and began working in a hospital library there until January 2007. I moved to Davenport, Iowa, took a job as a (nearly solo) medical librarian for Genesis Medical Center, where I am today.

In my spare time, I like hiking, hanging out with my Big Brother/Big Sister match Eric (he's the Little), playing Wii, and collecting music. I also like a good dram of Scotch now and then. I'm honored to be here and thank Clare Leibfarth for helping me with this first issue. See, Mr. Judson, I'm still using my journalism degree. Send me a message here or on Facebook and let me know how we can improve MIDLINE.

MIDLINE is published in electronic format four times a year by the Midwest Chapter/Medical Library Association. The newsletter archives are available at http://midwestmla.org/midline-archive/. Statements and positions expressed in this newsletter do not necessarily represent the official positions of the chapter, the chapter executive board, or the editor. Contributions from all chapter members are welcomed and encouraged.

Copy deadlines for future issues are as follows:

Winter 2009: January 15, 2009
Spring 2009: April 15, 2009
Summer 2009: July 15, 2009
Fall 2009: October 15, 2009

Contributions may be edited for brevity, clarity, or conformance to style. The Medical Library Association Style Manual, available at http://mlanet.org/publications/style, provides guidelines for MIDLINE contributors. All copy should be submitted in electronic format to the editor, Jason Young. Photos should be submitted as .jpeg files.

Mailing address changes should be reported to: Rebecca Caton, Membership Secretary, Midwest Chapter/MLA, Midwestern University Library, Downers Grove, IL (e-mail: rcaton@midwestern.edu).

The Midwest Chapter/Medical Library Association website is located at http://midwestmla.org.

Jason Young, Editor