MLA-Phil

This report covers the period between April 2003 and March 2004.
There are 100 Chapter members.

GOAL 1: RECRUITMENT, MEMBERSHIP AND LEADERSHIP IN THE PROFESSION

Recognition. The Chapter will be honoring member achievements by presenting the following awards at the Annual Business Meeting on April 29, 2003: Certificate of Appreciation, Chapter Achievement Award, Grant Program for Post-Masters Students, the Randy Brenner Consumer Health Award, and the Beatrice Davis Education Award. The names of award winners will be available on the Web (http://www.mlaphil.org/awards.html).

Recruitment. For 2003, there was 12% increase in Chapter membership to 181. However, there was a significant drop in membership for 2004 to 100 members. The 2003 membership spike could be attributed to offering chapter members reduced rates for attending the QuintEssential Conference. The Membership Committee attended an annual professional association membership meeting at Drexel University on January 29, 2004. The committee members explained about our association and used the forum to recruit new members. A similar offer has been made to Clarion University of Pennsylvania, which is now offering MSLS courses in two locations within the chapter boundaries. No response was received, but the Chapter Chair will follow up with this offer.

Mentoring. There are currently three Chapter members are registered as mentors in the MLA Mentoring Database. Brad Long was recently contacted by someone outside the chapter to provide PDA mentoring.

National Participation. Jo-Ann Babish is serving on the National Program Committee for the upcoming conference in Washington, DC. Anne Seymour received a nomination for the MLA Nominating Committee, however she was not elected. Christine Chastain-Warheit will be receiving MLA’s Lois Ann Colaianni Award for Excellence and Achievement in Hospital Librarianship at the National Meeting.

GOAL 2: LIFE LONG LEARNING

Continuing Education. A variety of continuing education courses were offered at the QuintEssential Conference. The list of courses is available on the conference website (http://www.quintmeeting.org/ce.html). The MLA Health Literacy teleconference was held on November 7, 2003. The MLA Expert Searching teleconference was held on March 10, 2004, while two Advanced PubMed training sessions were offered on March 21 and 22, 2004. These courses were taught by an instructor from our RML. A Chapter program from November 2002, Communicating with Physicians: For Librarians, will be offered as a Continuing Education course at the 2004 MLA national meeting in Washington, DC.

Programming. A variety of programs were offered at the QuintEssential Conference. The list of programs is available on the conference website (http://www.quintmeeting.org/program.html). A roundtable program was held on February 26, 2004. Three topics were discussed: “PDAs and Other Handheld Devices - Who’s Using Them and How”, “Communicating With Generation Y - Reaching Our Younger Users Effectively”, and “Serials Solutions, SFX, Virtual Reference - The Use and Impact of New Electronic Tools”. Charles W. Fetrow, PharmD will speak at the Annual Dinner Meeting on April 29. His talk is titled “Dietary Supplements: Realties vs. Myths”.

GOAL 3: ADVOCACY

Promotion. A drawing was held for a free membership to MLA by the Membership Chair on November 24, 2003. It was drawn from the names of all Chapter members in good standing. The winner was Sheila Logan-Wyner.

Communication. The Chapter’s newsletter, the Chronicle, keeps members informed, as does the Chapter listserv and website.

Cooperation. On October 26-28, 2003, the Chapter co-sponsored a Quintessential Conference in Philadelphia, PA. Three other MLA Chapters (Middle-Atlantic, New York/New Jersey, and Pittsburgh Regional) and one SLA Chapter (Philadelphia) also co-sponsored the event. The Chapter had many members serving on various committees that worked hard in the planning this conference.

GOAL 4: CREATING AND COMMUNICATING OUR KNOWLEDGE

Web Development. The Chapter website added features such as board member photographs. We are attempting to streamline the membership update process, so that when there is a change in information in our member database it will also update our online directory. Additionally, the Chapter Webmaster updated a majority of the QuintEssential Conference website as the conference developed (http://www.quitmeeting.org).

Publishing. The Chronicle is published three times a year and Communication Committee actively solicits articles from Chapter members. Also, Brad Long has been contacted by the MLA Book Panel to inquire about developing his Communicating with Physicians for Librarians Continuing Education course into a Quick Guide. A submitted book proposal is pending.

GOAL 5: BUILDING A NETWORK OF PARTNERS

Other Chapters. The Chapter co-sponsored the QuintEssential Conference with three other MLA Chapters (Middle-Atlantic, New York/New Jersey, and Pittsburgh Regional) and one SLA Chapter (Philadelphia).

Other Organizations. The Chapter Chair participated in a panel discussion at an American Medical Writers Association, Delaware Valley Chapter Freelance Workshop on January 17, 2004.

Support of Other Institutions. The Chapter Chair was consulted by the Library Director of the Dover (DE) Public Library about contracting for a Consumer Health Librarian position. The position has been provided through the Delaware Academy of Medicine and funded through state tobacco money.

MOTION

This report is informational and requires no action by the Board of Directors.

Chapter Officers:
Chair: Bradley A. Long
Chair-Elect: Lenore Hardy
Treasurer: Stephanie Ferretti
Secretary: Melanie Cedrone
Council Representative: Susan Couch
Council Alternate: Marion C. Chayes

Submitted by Bradley A. Long