With the new 2011-2016 NN/LM SE/A contract, my position migrated from Network Access Coordinator to Outreach and Access Coordinator with additional duties to target outreach and education efforts to health science professionals which includes hospital librarians, health science librarians, and others in the health professions workforce. My continuing functions include maintaining and expanding member relations, network services, emergency preparedness & response, teaching, exhibiting, and monitoring/tracking funding awards.

Education and Outreach

As an organization, we are working to promote in-person and online training to health sciences librarians and health professionals. We want to make sure that this population has up-to-date access to training in evidence-based medicine, electronic medical records, health literacy and an awareness of the ever-changing landscape of healthcare reform. Along with encouraging these populations to include NLM resources in their training materials, we will make sure they are referenced in our own materials, and partner with them whenever possible to help meet their educational and outreach needs.

Member Relations and Network Services
Through email, social networks, mail, or phone (1-800-DEV-ROKS), we are responsible for answering questions from prospective and existing members about our services. If the staff member processing the request cannot answer the inquiry, it is transferred to me for more detailed information. I also promote the advantages of free network membership, especially the availability of NLM services and products, at exhibits, conferences, classes, site visits and whenever possible. An example of an organization which would benefit from network membership is community colleges that have adopted allied health sciences and health IT programs. Network services include managing DOCLINE, LinkOut referrals, monitoring scholarly communications, e-licensing activities, library digitization & preservation, collection development, encouraging consortia participation by members and resource sharing issues (repository development, ILL procedures, document delivery, publishing issues).

Emergency Preparedness and Response (EP&R)
It is my responsibility to communicate with state EP&R coordinators when adverse weather events occur that may impact libraries in our states or territories (some states, like FL and TN, have multiple coordinators). I also manage the NLM sponsored NN/LM Buddy Network with the Pacific Northwest Region (PNR): NLM has charged each NN/LM region to adopt a “buddy” in the event an RML office is unable to operate during an emergency where services and communications could be seamlessly transferred for the duration of the emergency. Internally, I maintain the SE/A emergency preparedness process, including call trees and staff contact information, and assure that it complements the University of Maryland Health Sciences and Human Services Library’s process. Additionally, I teach The 10 Steps to Service Continuity class to library associations in the region and continue to support and answer network member questions on developing viable disaster plans. One of the primary suggestions of this class is that all library associations secure a buddy library in the event of a local emergency. As the ex-officio member, I also manage administrative tasks of the EP&R Regional Access Committee.

Funding
In the area of funding, I monitor and support awards targeting resource sharing, digitization, preservation/conservation efforts and emergency preparedness for hospital/health sciences libraries and health professions. Examples of these awards include the Express Planning and Assessment Award, Disaster Recovery Award, Express Library Digitization Award, Consumer Health Outreach Projects, Express Outreach Project Awards and Policy Awareness Award. Funded projects average one year in length and can be adapted to address various programmatic needs while encouraging collaboration.

I welcome your suggestions and assistance in helping me to address the needs of health sciences librarians, healthcare professionals, emergency preparedness/disaster planning, member relations and network services in the 13 states and territories of the Southeastern Atlantic Region.

The National Library of Medicine and the NN/LM, SE/A Region offices will be closed on Monday, January 16, 2012 in observance of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day.

January 18, 2012 – 1 PM ET
90 minutes

A free Webinar via Adobe Connect

- Created by the Chicago Collaborative, a joint partnership of librarians, publishers and editors*

- Sponsored and hosted by the New England, Mid-Atlantic, and Southeastern/Atlantic Regions of the National Network of Libraries of Medicine

This 90-minute webinar provides an opportunity to learn about the publishing cycle of biomedical journals, both in print and online.  The complexities of publishing, in a world of rapidly changing delivery formats and devices will be explored, including the publishing challenges and opportunities posed by each.  Presenters include John Tagler of the Association of American Publishers, Inc. and the session will be moderated by MJ Tooey, Associate Vice President , Academic Affairs and Executive Director of the Health Sciences and Human Services Library and Director of the Southeastern/Atlantic Region at the University of Maryland.

Participants will gain knowledge of the various roles and responsibilities of different players in the scientific publishing chain and of the international aspects of bioscience communication.  All participants will have a chance to engage in discussions with the presenters.  Key topics to be covered include:

•          The Current Biomedical Publishing Landscape
•          The Publishing Process
•          Publication Ethics
•          Production & Delivery
•          Practical Considerations
•          The Road Ahead

Please register at http://nnlm.gov/sea/training/register.html by January 17, 2012  if you plan on attending.

Connection instructions will be provided upon registration.

We here at the SE/A RML want to wish you all the best the holiday season has to offer.  Since everyone is busy with holiday things, vacations, and general merriment, SEA Currents will be on holiday as well.  Keep your eyes peeled for new posts in the new year.  Happy Holidays and Happy New Year from everyone here at SE/A!

Holiday Closings:

NLM, December 26, 2011 and January 2, 2012

NN/LM, SE/A Offices: December 24, 2011 – January 2, 2012

My NCBI will be unavailable due to site maintenance on Monday, December 19 at 8AM EST for approximately 5 hours.

Andrew Youngkin has joined the staff of the NN/LM SE/A as our new Emerging Technologies/Evaluation Coordinator as of December 5, 2011.

Andrew earned an MLS from Emporia State University in 2005 and a B.A. from the University of Utah in 2002. Most recently, Andrew worked as a reference librarian at the EPA Headquarters and Chemical Libraries in Washington, D.C. Prior to the EPA, Andrew served a mid-size community hospital for 3 years as a senior medical librarian, managing day-to-day library operations, teaching information literacy, and providing reference and research to hospital staff, patients, and administrators. Andrew enjoys teaching and writing with professional interests that include new and emerging technologies, assessment and evaluation, and health information literacy. When not working, Andrew pursues a range of outdoor activities, traveling, and keeping up with his kids, ages 5 & 7.

Andrew’s email address is: ayoungki@hshsl.umaryland.edu

The University of Maryland’s Baltimore campus is experiencing a system-wide power outage today, November 23, 2011. Consequently, the office of the National Network of Libraries of Medicine, Southeastern/Atlantic Region will be closed today and throughout the holiday, reopening at our usual time on Monday, November 28.

The National Library of Medicine will be closed on Thursday, November 24, 2011 in observance of Thanksgiving.  The National Network of Libraries of Medicine, SE/A region office will be closed on Thursday, the 24th and Friday, the 25th of November.

Nancy Patterson

In October of 2009, I left my position in Resource Sharing at the Health Sciences & Human Services Library at the University of Maryland to join the Regional Medical Library team just a couple of floors up in the same building. As the new Community Outreach Coordinator, I was to fill Mandy Bayer-Meloy’s shoes. Many of you in the Region had the pleasure of working with my predecessor, Mandy, so can imagine what a daunting idea that was.

In my first week as a new RMLer, I attended the MLA Southern Chapter meeting in Memphis. I want to thank you all now for being so kind to me when I didn’t even know what my job was – Southern hospitality at its finest. Since that time, I’ve learned a great deal – about my job, of course, but even more about the Region and what works best when doing health outreach for our consumers.

I work mainly with community and faith-based groups – nonprofits, volunteer organizations, and health ministries. It’s very rewarding to work with this group of people who give of their limited time and resources so freely in an effort to help their communities. Some of the communities I visit are the poorest of the poor, yet the community leaders and volunteers feel so fortunate in life that they want to give back. It’s a great lesson in the importance of gratitude, no matter what.

NN/LM SE/A has basically 3 outreach avenues:  exhibiting, funding and teaching. In my position, I man the exhibit booth at consumer health shows, design and teach classes related to consumer/minority health, and monitor assigned NN/LM SE/A funded outreach projects. My 2-year education has provided these insights:

Exhibiting:

• Pace the tchotchkes! If you put all of the pens out at the beginning, no one will be lured to your booth later in the day.
• Remind people that they own the National Library of Medicine and all of its resources. It gets their attention.

Funding:

• There really is no dumb idea. If you think a Health Research Computer can be installed at the local beauty salon and people will use it, let’s talk.

Teaching:

• Never go into a consumer health class to tell people what their community needs.
• Never leave a consumer health class without asking what their community needs.

Of those three aspects of my job, I’ve evolved in my approach to teaching the most. I now discuss more than lecture and I often ask more questions than are asked of me. I’ve also added health disparities, health literacy and cultural competency components to most of my classes. Because so many of the groups I work with consist of “special populations” like racial and ethnic minorities and senior citizens, I am passionate about reducing the health disparities that exist between their communities and those of more fortunate Americans. Improving health literacy is a huge component in affecting such social change.

Over the course of the next five years of our contract, some of the plans I have in store are:

• Creating and promoting new classes:

• Immigrant Health
• Nutrition Across the Lifespan
• Health, Wellness and the Pursuit of Happiness (which addresses the strong link between a person’s happiness and health)

• Creating outreach partnership models that can be easily duplicated – based on successful projects. The first will be based on a health ministry model.

• Facilitating introductions between health outreach enthusiasts throughout the Region that have complementary needs and resources – as requested and also via advertised web summits.

As I head into my third year on the job, I look forward to working with all of you. Please don’t hesitate to contact me with any questions or ideas – I’d love to hear from you.

Nancy Patterson
Community Outreach Coordinator
(410) 706 2858
npatters@hshsl.umaryland.edu

Following closely on the success of the “Show us Your App” contest, NN/LM  is sharing this information about another challenge from the Institutes of  Medicine (IOM).  The IOM is an arm of the National Academies which also  includes the National Academy of Sciences, the National Academy of Engineering , the National Research Council.  Please share this information with anyone interested in connecting people with health information via Apps.  This is a great opportunity to once again showcase  the wealth of NLM resources through Apps created for the public.

Based on the success of last spring’s event, the IOM and NAE are sponsoring the 2nd annual Go Viral to Improve Health: Health Data Collegiate Challenge. Working in interdisciplinary teams that meld technological skills with health knowledge, college students can generate powerful apps to improve health for individuals and communities. A video of last year’s first-place winners presenting their app, Sleep Bot, at the 2011 Health Data Initiative Forum.

We need your help in reaching out to students about the challenge. Information about eligibility, judging criteria, and registration is available on our webpage, and our Facebook page, . We have also developed a flyer that you can download and print to help spread the message about this year’s student challenge. I encourage you to help us get the word out by “liking” us on Facebook and forwarding information about the challenge to faculty and students who may be interested in participating. This year, a total of $10,000 in prizes will be available to the student teams who develop the best new health apps. Team registration is open until February 10, 2012.