Highlighting the fact that medical librarians are the best resource when searching for health information, the theme for this year’s Medical Librarians Month (sponsored by the Medical Library Association) is “Medical Librarians: Your Ultimate Search Engine.”

Librarians have long demonstrated their benefit to their institutions, educating about their services, performing vital roles, and advocating for themselves and their libraries. This increases awareness of the value of libraries to hospital administrators and health care professionals. (more…)

Updated Aug. 31, 2011 Please Note:

*** “WE HAVE EXTENDED THE PROPOSAL DUE DATE TO SEPTEMBER 6, 2011 - NO LATER THAN 3:00PM EST. IN ADDITION, ELECTRONIC PROPOSALS WILL BE ACCEPTED BY SEPTEMBER 6, 2011 NO LATER THAN 3:00PM EST. ALL ELECTRONIC PROPOSALS MUST BE SENT TO buseyk@mail.nlm.nih.gov.

The National Library of Medicine (NLM) announces a new funding opportunity for small pilot projects to improve access to disaster medicine and public health information for health care professionals, first responders and others that play a role in health-related disaster preparedness, response, and recovery.  NLM is soliciting proposals from partnerships that include at least one library and at least one non-library organization that has disaster-related responsibilities, such as a hospital, volunteer organization, public health department, public safety department, fire/rescue, or other local, regional or state agency.  NLM encourages submission of innovative proposals that enhance mutually beneficial collaboration among libraries and disaster-related agencies. (more…)

The NN/LM PNR is pleased to announce another opportunity to apply for funding.  Network member organizations with a health science library in the National Network of Libraries of Medicine, Pacific Northwest Region are eligible to receive up to $10,000 to pilot innovative projects demonstrating emerging roles of medical librarians.  The goals of the Medical Library Pilot Project Awards are:

• To support medical librarians through pilot projects that explore or demonstrate innovative roles within their institutions;
• To promote library involvement in institution-wide health information initiatives;
• To stimulate collaboration within the organization to address local health information problems.

Applicants are asked to indicate their intent to apply via email by August 29, 2011 by emailing nnlm@uw.edu.  Full proposals should be submitted using the Medical Library Pilot Project Application.  Full proposals are due September 23, 2011.

For additional information, see the full funding announcement or contact:

nnlm@uw.edu
1-800-378-5675 (in AK, ID, MT, OR and WA)

In late June, we announced our newest funding opportunities, including an Express Outreach RFP. Today’s update: The RFP and application form for Express Outreach awards have an important revision!

Here’s information about what’s different in the revised Express Outreach RFP, and our request to please use the revised application form when submitting your proposal.

What’s new in the revised Express Outreach RFP?
Express Outreach projects funded in 2011 must now be completed by September 30, 2012 (not February, 2013).

How is this different from the RFP announced in June?
Projects you propose for this round will now have 12 months (not 18 months) of funded support.

Is the funding level still $15,000 for this award?
Yes, we can still fund four successful Express Outreach proposals for up to $15,000 each.

What do I need to do?
The Express Outreach RFP has been revised with the new timeline requirement. Please plan your projects accordingly, and use the revised application form to cost out your budget for a performance period from: Oct 1, 2011 to Sept. 30, 2012.

Has the deadline changed?
No, the deadline for applications is the same as before: August 26, 2011.

Thanks so much for your patience, and do let us know if you have any questions.
We hope to see great ideas proposed for outreach in your communities!

Cathy Burroughs, NNLM PNR
Associate Director

photo by erix! on flickr

Here at NN/LM PNR, our mission is to improve access to quality information for health professionals and health consumers in the Pacific Northwest. We need your help! If you work in Alaska, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, or Washington and have a great idea for health information outreach or improving library services, we would love to provide the funds to set your project in motion. We’ve announced five new funding opportunities over the past few weeks, bringing our total number of available awards types to nine. To help you (and us!) keep it all straight, we are summarizing the possibilities for you here in one handy blog post. Here are our currently available awards listed in order of application deadline. Our funding page will be continuously updated with the latest information about available awards and descriptions of projects we’ve funded. (more…)

NN/LM PNR is now offering Professional Development Awards.  The purpose of the Professional Development Award is to enable individuals at NN/LM PNR Network member institutions to expand professional knowledge and experience to provide improved health information access to health care professionals and consumers. For this offering, we are focusing on Resource Sharing, Information Science and Public Health Practice.  Awards of up to $1000 each are available to NN/LM member organizations in Alaska, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, and Washington.

Awards will be available until funds are expended.  Proposals should be submitted using the Professional Development Award Application.

For additional information, see the full funding announcement, or contact:

Patricia Devine, NN/LM PNR Network Outreach Coordinator, devine@uw.edu, 1-800-338-7657.