By David Midyette,  Outreach and Communications Coordinator, SE/A Region

Do you want to get the word out about NLM resources?  What about your own resources?  Exhibiting in partnership with the RML can be a great way to spread the word about PubMed, MedlinePlus, and your own services. Each year, the SE/A RML funds exhibit awards to network members for exhibiting at regional, state, and local events. This is a great opportunity to show the value of NLM and yourself as providers of quality health information.

Who can exhibit?

Libraries and library groups are the primary recipients of exhibit awards, but they are by no means the only recipients. Community organizations and faith-based organizations have also received awards to exhibit at shows and conferences all over the Southeastern U.S.. RML staff exhibit at over 20 conferences and shows a year, and by offering exhibit awards to network members, we can extend the number of people we reach and be represented at over 40 events each year. With almost 25% of the U.S. population in our region, it is important to have partners in our mission to share quality health information, and that is where region members play an important role.

What do I need?

We have pop up exhibits, table drapes, pamphlets, pens, and all of the things you need to participate. You can also print off brochures from the SE/A website (http://nnlm.gov/sea/services/promotional.html) or request informational materials (http://nnlm.gov/sea/services/promomatpol.html). Beyond that, you need the desire to share information with others.

Where should I exhibit?

Consumer health shows, community health fairs, health professional conferences, powwows, and library association meetings are all good examples of exhibit locations. The key is to be where people want to know about health information. The Southeastern states have events year round because of the warmer climates, so there are always opportunities to exhibit. Most of our awardees exhibit at single day events which makes things very manageable in terms of time commitment. There are also multiple day events which could be a great networking opportunity for several groups or a group with a larger membership.

How do I get involved?

The first step is to apply for an exhibit award (http://nnlm.gov/sea/funding/exhibit.html). We fund exhibit awards throughout the year so the deadlines are more flexible. We are just beginning a new funding cycle so the time to get involved is now. Start thinking about or looking for upcoming events in your area and take a look at the application on our website. The process is really quite simple and the online form is easy to access and complete. Also, keep in mind that we consider all kinds of exhibiting opportunities of all sizes. Our mission is to get the word out about NLM resources and help connect people to quality health information.

If you would like additional information on exhibiting or have questions, please contact David Midyette (dmidyette@hshsl.umaryland.edu).

We’ve added 12 new books to the SE/A Professional Development Library:

• Hernon, Peter. Assessing service quality: satisfying the expectations of library customers /Peter Hernon and Ellen Altman. 2nd ed. Chicago: American Library Association, 2010.
• Crawford, Walt .Open access: what you need to know now. Chicago: American Library Association, 2011.
• Kern, M. Kathleen. Virtual reference best practices: tailoring services to your library. Chicago: American Library Association, 2009.
• Barber, Peggy and Wallace, Linda. Building a buzz: libraries & word-of-mouth marketing. Chicago: American Library Association, 2010.
• The library PR handbook: high-impact communications /edited by Mark R. Gould. Chicago: American Library Association, 2009.
• Bite-sized marketing : realistic solutions for the overworked librarian /Nancy Dowd, Mary Evangeliste and Jonathan Silberman. Chicago: American Library Association, 2010.
• Landau, Herbert B. Winning library grants: a game plan. Chicago: American Library Association, 2011.
• Kane, Laura Townsend. Working in the virtual stacks :the new library & information science. Chicago: American Library Association, 2011.
• Pre- & post- retirement tips for librarians /edited by Carol Smallwood. Chicago: American Library Association, 2012.
• Doucett, Elisabeth. Creating your library brand: communicating your relevance and value to your patrons. Chicago: American Library Association, 2008.
• Harris, Lesley Ellen. Licensing digital content: a practical guide for librarians. 2nd ed. Chicago: American Library Association, 2009.
• The ALA book of library grant money /edited by Ann Kepler. 8th ed. Chicago: American Library Association, 2012. (2 copies available)

As always, borrowing these books is free. For instruction on borrowing these items and a list of all titles, please visit our Professional Development Library page at: http://nnlm.gov/sea/services/professionaldevelopmentlibrary.html

SE/A Funding Opportunities Now Available

We are pleased to announce the availability of NN/LM SE/A award applications for the 2012-2013 year. The following RFPs and CFAs are now available on our website. Funding for these awards will begin May 1, 2012; however, the SE/A budget for 2012-2013 has yet to be determined, and all funding is dependent upon availability.

• Outreach to Health Professionals and Consumer Health Outreach Project
• Disaster Recovery Award
• Express Hospital Library Promotion Award
• Express Library Technology Improvement Award
• Express Training Award
• Express Library Digitization and Conservation Award
• Express Outreach Pilot Project Award
• Health Literacy Pilot Project Award
• Express Planning and Assessment Award
• Express Outreach Follow-up Award
• State and Regional Exhibiting Award
• Information Technology and Policy Awareness Award
• Express Mobile Technology Project Award

The due date for all applications (except exhibit, training, and disaster recovery awards, which will be awarded until allotted funds are spent) is March 9, 2012, close of business. All proposed projects must be completed by April 30, 2013.

In the meantime, anyone who anticipates applying for an Outreach to Health Professionals Project or Consumer Health Outreach Project should email J. Dale Prince (dprince@hshsl.umaryland.edu) with initial intent and estimated budget within the next two weeks (no later than Wednesday, February 17, 2012).

NN/LM SE/A award descriptions and applications are available at: http://nnlm.gov/sea/funding.

Model Practices applications are underway. You, too, can be a winner!

You and your local health department can be a winner. NACCHO is now accepting model practice applications Oct. 10 through Nov. 11.

NACCHO’s Model Practice Program nationally honors and recognizes outstanding local public health practice and shares the outstanding practices through the Model Practices Database. By submitting a practice, LHDs contribute to the overall improvement of public health through evidence-based practice methods.

Five Reasons to Apply

1.             Recognition for your LHD’s success and leading by example.

2.             Local and national recognition through press release templates and a spotlight in the 2012 fall issue of NACCHO Exchange.

3.             A listing in NACCHO’s online Model Practices Database.

4.             Receive a coveted award and public honors, and showcase a poster of your practice at the Model Practices Reception during the 2012 NACCHO Annual Conference.

5.             Be eligible to receive a stipend to attend the 2012 NACCHO Annual conference in Los Angeles, July 11-13. (The opportunity for a stipend is only available to dues paying members)

LHDs can submit a Model Practices application by logging into the NACCHO website at http://www.naccho.org and selecting NACCHO applications.  For more information about the Model Practices program, please visit www.naccho.org/topics/modelpractices or contact the Model Practices team at practices@naccho.org or 202-507-4250.

We look forward to receiving your application.

NACCHO Model Practices Team

The MLA Research, Development, and Demonstration Project Grant is awarded annually to support projects that will promote excellence in the field of health sciences librarianship and information sciences.

Grants will not be given to support an activity that is operational in nature or has only local usefulness. Grants range up to $1,000 and more than one grant may be awarded in a year.  The deadline for applications is December 1, 2011. For questions, contact Ellie Bushhousen, Jury Chair, at ellieb@ufl.edu.

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. For example, projects may increase awareness of health information resources, demonstrate how libraries and librarians can assist planners and responders with disaster-related information needs, show ways in which disaster workers can educate librarians about disaster management, and/or include collaboration among partners in developing information resources that support planning and response to public health emergencies.

Contract awards will be offered for a minimum of $15,000 to a maximum of $30,000 each for a one-year project.

The deadline for proposals is Wednesday, August 31, 2011 September 6, 2011. Proposals are limited to six pages plus supplemental materials such as resumes, letters of support, and a budget.

For more information and instructions about the “Disaster Health Information Outreach and Collaboration Project 2011” (NLM-011-130-KDB), please visit

http://disasterinfo.nlm.nih.gov/dimrc/2011disasteroutreachrfq.html.

The solicitation notice is on FedBizOpps.gov at

https://www.fbo.gov/index?s=opportunity&mode=form&id=54495f6f78d46c7c5d6873a8f0825e88&tab=core&_cview=0.

The National Library of Medicine (http://www.nlm.nih.gov) is the world’s largest biomedical library and provides extensive online health information resources. Visit the NLM Disaster Information Management Research Center site (http://disasterinfo.nlm.nih.gov ) to learn more about disaster-related health information from WISER (hazardous materials information for emergency responders), REMM-Radiation Emergency Medical Management, CHEMM-Chemical Hazards Emergency Medical Management, and other resources.

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. For example, projects may increase awareness of health information resources, demonstrate how libraries and librarians can assist planners and responders with disaster-related information needs, show ways in which disaster workers can educate librarians about disaster management, and/or include collaboration among partners in developing information resources that support planning and response to public health emergencies.

Contract awards will be offered for a minimum of $15,000 to a maximum of $30,000 each for a one-year project.

The deadline for proposals is Wednesday, August 31, 2011. Proposals are limited to six pages plus supplemental materials such as resumes, letters of support, and a budget.

For more information and instructions about the “Disaster Health Information Outreach and Collaboration Project 2011” (NLM-011-130-KDB), please visit

http://disasterinfo.nlm.nih.gov/dimrc/2011disasteroutreachrfq.html.

The solicitation notice is on FedBizOpps.gov at

https://www.fbo.gov/index?s=opportunity&mode=form&id=54495f6f78d46c7c5d6873a8f0825e88&tab=core&_cview=0.

The National Library of Medicine (http://www.nlm.nih.gov) is the world’s largest biomedical library and provides extensive online health information resources. Visit the NLM Disaster Information Management Research Center site (http://disasterinfo.nlm.nih.gov ) to learn more about disaster-related health information from WISER (hazardous materials information for emergency responders), REMM-Radiation Emergency Medical Management, CHEMM-Chemical Hazards Emergency Medical Management, and other resources.

Though we have been delayed in making an announcement, SE/A funding opportunities are now available. Included in the following list is a number of awards that we have offered before, as well as three new opportunities:

• Outreach to Health Professionals and Consumer Health Outreach Projects
• CTSA Infrastructure Pilot Projects – an award for up to $20,000 to prepare CTSA researchers for community engagement outreach through training, symposia, workshops or other avenues, and to promote the role of libraries/librarians in research and community engagement activities
• Disaster Recovery Award
• Express Hospital Library Promotion Award
• Express Library Technology Improvement Award
• Express Training Award
• Express Library Digitization and Conservation Award
• Express Outreach Project Award
• Health Literacy Pilot Project Award – an award for up to $10,000 to provide health literacy training and reliable health information resources for racial minorities, rural populations, speakers of ESOL (English as a Second Language), caretakers of children, senior citizens, and other underserved populations
• Community Technology Improvement Award – an award for up to $5,000 to provide the target audience with equipment or services that allows them to participate in the network and access electronic health information and to enhance connectivity for access to electronic health information for portals to access to culturally sensitive or resources and materials for specific populations
• Express Planning and Assessment Award
• Express Outreach Follow-Up Award
• State and Regional Exhibiting Award
• Information Technology and Policy Awareness Award
• Express Mobile Technology Project Award

The due date for all applications (except exhibit, training, and disaster recovery awards) is August 31, 2011. All proposed projects must be completed by April 30, 2012. We anticipate an October 1 start date for all projects to allow time for application review, clarification, and approval. Therefore, project scopes and work plans should cover no more than a six-to-seven month period.

We are aware that this abbreviated application and performance period may create some challenges. The restricted timeline is an unavoidable complication arising from new policies governing our contract with NLM. We we are working with NLM to ameliorate the problem for future funding cycles.

In the meantime, anyone who anticipates applying for awards this year, should email J. Dale Prince (dprince@hshsl.umaryland.edu), with intent and estimated budget within the next two weeks (no later than Friday, August 5, 2011) so that adequate funds can be put aside in September if the award is ultimately made.

NN/LM SE/A award descriptions and applications are available at: http://nnlm.gov/sea/funding.

The University of Maryland Health Sciences and Human Services Library is excited to have been awarded the new NN/LM contract for the Southeastern/Atlantic Region. However, the transition from one contract to another has not been completely smooth, especially when it comes to the way we will handle funding.

What this means is that we have been unavoidably slow in getting our funding announcements made. We appreciate your patience in the matter and will be working to get those announcements out as soon as possible. In the meantime, we will have an introduction of our new funding opportunities and discussion of our new funding structures in a BeyondtheSEA web seminar on Wednesday, July 20 at 12:00 PM ET. Please join us then and bring your questions.

Date: July 20, 2011
Title: BeyondtheSEA: Funding Opportunities with SE/A
Time: Noon – 1:00 pm ET

What do you need to join this conference?

• A computer (with Flash installed)
• A telephone

How do I connect?

• Go to this URL: http://webmeeting.nih.gov/beyondthesea/
• Enter as a Guest
• Sign in with your first and last name
• Follow the instructions in the meeting room to have Adobe Connect call your phone (this is the preferred way; however, if you have an extension or for some other reason cannot let Adobe connect call you phone, call 1-800-605-5167 and enter the participant code 816440 when prompted.)

Test your connection: https://webmeeting.nih.gov/common/help/en/support/meeting_test.htm

Get a quick overview: http://www.adobe.com/go/connectpro_overview

List of previously presented web conferences on subjects such as marketing your library and NN/LM updates.

Authored by: Alisha Miles, Librarian, Columbus Regional Healthcare System, Columbus, Georgia

Over the last three years I have exhibited at several events to promote the library and its resources. One of the greatest benefits of exhibiting is the networking behind the scenes.

What do I mean?

On March 26, 2011, I exhibited Pet Disaster Preparedness at the Relay for Dogs event in Columbus, Georgia. It was the second time I had exhibited at this particular event; however, during this event I made it a point to network with other ‘vendors.’ While the Relay for Dogs event was successful at providing pet disaster preparedness information to 450 members of the general public, it pales in comparison to the effects of the collaboration formed during the event.

During the event I was able to form a relationship with the staff from the Columbus Public Health Department. The staff informed me of an upcoming event, the Columbus Baby Expo, and asked if I could provide information on disaster preparedness to distribute at the event. While I could not personally attend the event, I quickly agreed to provide information and a disaster preparedness kit as a door prize.

The Baby Expo was a huge success! The Public Health Department had over 2,800 people visit the booth—quickly exhausting the information resources I provided. It still amazes me how one conversation could lead to reaching over 2,800 people! None of this would have been possible without funds from the National Network of Libraries of Medicine – Southeastern/Atlantic Region’s Community Day Award. Thank you!

For more information about the Community Day Award please contact PJ Grier, Outreach and Access Coordinator.