Submitted by Pamela C. Rees, AHIP, Midwest Chapter Council Representative
State Library of Iowa, Des Moines, Iowa
MLA's New Association Management System Now Available
The Medical Library Association has a new web-based association management system (AMS) that gives members improved online access to MLA services. You can now log in to your account on MLANET and renew your membership for 2010 and receive instantly a receipt to print out for your records. If you have already renewed, you have been added to the new system and you will receive an email when your payment is processed. If you need help, please contact Membership Services via email (mlams2 at mlahq dot org) or by phone at 312.419.9094 x11 or x13.
For institutions needing a print invoice to submit to their accounting departments, a tip from President Connie Schardt, AHIP: select your institutional invoices and add them to your shopping cart, then select "check out" and print your shopping cart. This solution also works for a merged invoice with multiple section memberships for individuals. You are also welcome to contact Membership Services for a merged invoice copy. Please note that MLA's check remittance address has changed and is now:
Medical Library Association
Department 4627
Carol Stream, IL 60122-4627
With the new AMS service, you can also:
• Change your membership type, if needed
• Update your subscriptions (i.e., change between electronic and print JMLA or MLA News)
• Retrieve your password and change your user name and password
• Update and expand your contact information, including multiple email addresses
• Determine which information you wish to make visible in the membership directory
• Search the updated membership directory
• Opt out of MLA-FOCUS and other email communications
• View information on your MLA membership and payment history
• View your current leadership positions
• Search leadership rosters
• Sign on to your account and the MLANET members-only area through a single sign on
• Shop through the new online store
Get ready for MLA '10!
Online registration is now open for MLA'10 "Reflect and Connect," May 21-26, 2010 in Washington, DC. Meetings, exhibits, and accommodations will be at the Hilton Washington, 1919 Connecticut Avenue NW, Washington, DC. For the first time, all registrants will have online access to audio recordings of most annual meeting sessions Preliminary programs have been mailed out to MLA members. For more information, go to the meeting web site: http://www.mlanet.org/am/am2010/index.html
History of MLA Chapters
Did you know that the Medical Library Association has been in existence since 1898 when the first meeting was held in Philadelphia and that MLA chapters did not come into existence until the late 1940's through the 1970's? For more information, check out Chapter Council's "A Timeline of Important Events". You will also find chapter histories located here including one from the Midwest Chapter which formed in 1950.
NLM Journal Donation Program
If you are planning to weed print journals, please consider offering them to the National Library of Medicine through its Journal Donation Program. The goal of this program is to ensure that NLM's holdings are as complete as possible. This has the potential to help all libraries in the long term from disasters affecting electronic holdings or regional print archives.
2010/11 MLA Election Results
On December 10, 2009, the 2010/11 MLA election results were certified and notarized by Survey and Ballot Systems, MLA's election contractor. There were 1,296 ballots cast (via web voting and paper ballots) from 3,275 eligible members. The election had a participation rate of 39.75%. By comparison, the 2009/2010 election had a participation rate of 42.37%.
The successful candidates listed below will assume office at the conclusion of MLA '10 in Washington, DC.
President-electGerald (Jerry) Perry , AHIP, Director, Health Sciences Library, Anschutz Medical Campus, University of Colorado-Denver
Board of Directors (2010-2013)
- Marianne Comegys, Library Director, Department of Medical Library Science, LSU Health Sciences Center-Shreveport, Shreveport
- Rikke Ogawa, AHIP, Emergent Technologies Coordinator and Health and Life Sciences Librarian, Louise Darling Biomedical Library, University of California-Los Angeles
Nominating Committee
- Margaret Bandy, AHIP
- Janis F. Brown, AHIP
- Gary D. Byrd, AHIP, FMLA
- Rebecca Davis, AHIP
- Jacqueline D. Doyle, AHIP, FMLA
- Lynn M. Fortney
- Thomas W. Hill
- Anne M. Linton, AHIP
- Katherine Stemmer Frumento, AHIP
Mary L. Ryan, AHIP, FMLA, MLA's 2009/10 immediate past president, will chair the Nominating Committee.
MLA Connections Blog
Instead of having an MLA Presidential blog this year, the MLA Board is establishing the new MLA Connections blog. This blog will provide an easy way for all board members and MLA members to communicate with each other about issues of importance to MLA. While it appears that many of MLAs activities happen around the time of the MLA annual meeting, work goes on throughout the year. MLA-FOCUS is one way that the association communicates with the membership about these ongoing activities. However, the board wants to communicate interactively among the board, MLA members, and headquarters staff and to be able to quickly inform all members about important association activities.
The blog may include updates on issues important to the profession, presidential priorities and major initiatives, annual meeting information, questions about MLA, the board and presidential activities, and activities of committees, task forces, chapters, and sections. The blog will also be used to respond to MLA-related postings on members individual blogs, instead of just commenting on the blogs. The board encourages all members to join in an ongoing dialog about activities and issues of importance to the profession and association. If you find the information on MLA Connections interesting or helpful, please share the link with your colleagues. http://connections.mlanet.org/
