The Great Space Debate!

Be it Resolved: As Libraries Evolve to Electronic Access Their Need for Physical Space Decreases

An Argument in the Affirmative was given by Wayne Peay who made some excellent points about the space changes happening in libraries today. A few of my favorite comments include:

The driving idea is we are not in the paper business anymore partly because we delivered what our patrons wanted – high quality online information available 24/7.

Libraries are not about books and journals but about creating new knowledge. Our scholars have changed how they do what they do and we need to change to meet their needs.



On the other side, Rick Forsman’s argument “Super Size Me – Embracing the Edifice Complex” lobbied that libraries are not one dimensional; we house resources, offer services, and inspire our users.

He also noted that learning and work are influenced by the physical space. The physical structure gives many messages and the building is a springboard to the future. If the Library goes away – is it any wonder our users think Google has all the answers?

Furthermore, he argued that given society’s horrible record of estimating the impact of technology (recalling that TV was going to kill Radio), should we just give up? Well, obvious that answer would be NO!


A few of the rebuttals:

• Ah, the romance of paper and those clay tablets were pretty sweet too.


• Technology over time -- will we be able to read what is digital today?


• What is the mission or focus of the institution? The library needs to fit into it.


• Hedging our bets versus trying to go back.

Mr. Forsman's Summary (in a nutshell):
The library is symbolic to all sorts of things association with learning. Libraries need to re-purpose their space and be in control of that change. The libraries role is to help with knowledge management not warehouse management.


Mr. Peay's Summary (in a nutshell):
The perception of the library is “paper” and we need to change that. Look at the space – how do we redefine ourselves? As we do that, there is a huge opportunity.

By show of hands, the “winner” of the debate was the self-described “cowboy in white” - Rick Forsman.

But wait, that's not all ...

MJ Tooey provided the pragmatic voice with Who Cares about Space & Books - What's in it for Me? in which she presented recent changes in her library and choices she made to maintain some control regarding those changes. She noted that, “the container [the building] remains the same – the content has changed” as the university co-opted some library space for student services. The ability to “not be defined by the container” has brought some great benefits to the library.

Jane Bridges explored Space – the final frontier? Even in hospitals, there are needs for work space and social space along with the virtual space. Her dream library description is a "welcoming location where digital, human, and social resources are organized in support of learning, technology, group gathering space, and provides a continuum of service."

Worth a listen if you have the conference CD (or can borrow it from a friend).

MLA 2007 Photos posted on MLANET

http://www.mlanet.org/am/photo/index.php?cat=4

Looks like they stopped adding entries on Monday as well!

Special Collections and Historical Collections: Renewed appreciation for rare materials / They’ll All be rare books one day

Building a digital library is not just about leasing online access to content from publishers. In many medical libraries it’s also about discovering, and in some cases rediscovering, and then exposing our long-held assets (and in some cases acquiring someone else’s long-held assets). These assets generally reside in out Special Collections and Archives. This was the topic at MLA at the History of the Health Sciences Section (HHSS) entitled “They’ll all be rare books one day: collection development in Special Collections.” But there was more than just book talk.

John Schleicher from the McGoogan Library of Medicine, University of Nebraska described their treasured artifacts as “anything smaller than a bread box”. After not having any staff to manage the rare book collections for 10 years, John has been brought in and had the task of rediscovering Nebraska’s McGoogan Library treasures. They include works from the pre-IRB era like Edward Jenner’s famous work on small pox vaccination, artwork, and other classics such as Ketham's " Fasciculus medicinae" and Michael Scot's " Liber phisionomie", both published in 1495. For more details, see http://www.unmc.edu/library/about/histmed.html

Dr. Cheryl Rae Dee, Assistant Professor, School of Library and Information Science, Universit of South Florida-Tampa shared her experience in bringing the personal papers of NLM’s Martin M. Cummings to life. Many fishing trips later, the papers are being digitized and described for future scholars.

Michael Flannery, Associate Director, Historical Collections, Lister Hill Library of the Health Sciences, University of Alabama-Birmingham took us on a quick tour of the “keepers” and “throwaways” of pharmacy-related materials or material medica. For more details on the significance of early works that eventually became the USP Pharmacopoeia, the USD and National Formulary, see his paper in BMLA.

Diane McKenzie, Collection Development Librarian, Health Sciences Library, University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill revitalized UNC’s Special Collections when she accepted a gift of foreign medical theses from the New York Academy of Medicine, measuring 3,500 linear feet. As a result of this acquisition, the library has new partners and champions for their historical collections.

Posted for Heidi Heilemann

Another Blog with MLA 2007 Reports

http://tunaiskewl.wordpress.com/

Section Program: Taking Flight with Evidence-based Library and Information Practice: Educational Perspectives

This Monday morning session sponsored by the Medical Library Education Section was one of several sessions at MLA this year which had a focus on evidence-based librarianship. Coupled with the "research vignettes" shown before every plenary session, and the revision of the MLA Research Policy Statement, it is clear that the idea that we should all be doing research of our own and strengthening the library science evidence base, is one whose time certainly appears to have come.

I have a confession to make: I spent the first five minutes of this session with several other conference attendees locked in the hall while someone from the Marriott fumbled around with keys.The first speaker was Assako N. Holyoke from Saint Louis University who talked about a study they did to assess the impact of instructors' backgrounds and attitudes on the training of residents. It appeared to be an interesting talk but I couldn't quite get my bearings once I took my seat. I regret it, and I hope to later read about her methodology and results in published form. A few informative articles were mentioned toward the end of her presentation which I can link here:

DiPiro JT. The Best Lecture of the Year. Am J Pharm Ed. 2006 Oct;70(5):108.

Ramos K, Linscheid R, Schafer S. Real-time information seeking behavior of resident physicians. Fam Med. 2003 Apr;35(4):257-60.

Tennant MR, Tobin Cataldo T, Sherwill-Navarro P, Jesano R. Evaluation of a library liaison program: client and liaison perspectives. J Med Libr Assoc. 2006 Oct;94(4):402-9, e201-4.

Martha Preddie followed with a presentation on the state of the evidence base utilizing qualitative research methods, by which she meant research which didn't utilize statistical methods: focus groups, interviews, and the like. She described qualitative research as generally good at answering "why" questions and from Gorman and Clayton, as "facilitating the investigation of complex information environments." To determine the evidence base for qualitative research in our field, Preddie conducted a content analysis of PubMed, finding 84 library research articles utilizing qualitative methods in the period 1996-2006. One thing that she did determine was that the bulk of the research (75%) was 2003-present implying that librarians are doing more research currently. Also, most common methods were interviews and focus groups and most (57%) used mixed methods. The implications are that there continues to be a small evidence base using qualitative methods which are very relevant to our field, that there continues to be difficulty in finding qualitative research studies, and that the methods were not always identified in the abstracts. The implications are that more rsearch using these methods is needed and the LIS curricula need more of a research emphasis.

Joanne Marshall from UNC-Chapel Hill discussed the development of a full-semester course in evidence-based information practice in a Masters LIS program. The textbook used for the course was Booth and Brice's Evidence Based Practice for Information Professionals: A Handbook with guest speakers. They taught the steps of EBLIP which are the same steps we know from EBM: identify a question; find the evidence; appraise the evidence; apply the evidence; evaluate outcomes. In the end they found that they did have enough information for a full-length course. Marshall feels that evidence based library and information practice may be useful in facilitating knowledge transfer between the boomer librarians who will be leaving the field in the next decade or so, and newer entrants to the field who are equipped to conduct research.

Section Program: Joining the Revolution: Strategies for Marketing Yourself

Sponsored by the Leadership and Management Section
Cosponsored by the Corporate Information Services Section and the New Members Special Interest Group
Tuesday, May 22.

The program featured two segments - Julie Cohen, a certified career coach, spoke about the job search process, followed by speed mentoring sessions, where participants spoke with senior library managers offering career development advice in 10-minute intervals.

Cohen provided tips typical of any job hunting guide, part strategy and part pep-talk – know yourself, know what you want, networking is important, don’t be discouraged. She compared career development to stages in a romantic relationship – look for the right job for you, know when to leave a job, seek contentment.

The truly valuable part of the program was the speed mentoring. Based on a suggestion from former MLA president, M.J. Tooey, who recognized that a need exists in spite of the mentoring programs MLA promotes, speed mentoring offered a quick, largely informal way to seek advice from experienced medical librarians. My roster of mentors happened to include Julie Cohen, whose expertise was much less generic and much more valuable on an individual basis, and two librarians whose understanding of the profession made for sound counseling.

One mentor genuinely wanted to know if I found the experience helpful and yes, I did. While each mentor had a different approach and I inevitably received some contradictory advice, certain suggestions were echoed throughout. It wasn’t that I got a lot of suggestions that hadn’t occurred to me, it was more the consensus of opinion and repetition of certain “must do’s” that resonated. How could I not benefit from this collective wisdom?

While I fully expected the mentors to be friendly and encouraging, it still struck me how generous people in our profession can be with their time and advice. I strongly suggest that speed mentoring becomes a regular part of the annual meeting.

Posted for Deborah Crooke

Medical Library Education Section’s New Voices in the Air: Hearing the Next Generation of Medical Librarians

May 21, Section Programs 3:00-4:30

Joanne Gard Marshall, Past MLA President and professor at the School of Information and Library Sciences at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, introduces the topic and the first speaker, Elizabeth La Rue from the University of Pittsburgh, School of Nursing. Interestingly, La Rue has a PhD in Library Science but her faculty appointment is with her institution’s School of Nursing. The title of her program is A Study on the Adoption of a Web Page Content Assessment Tool: SPAT. SPAT is a pneumonic, easy-to-use tool to use in analyzing the validity and reliability of web sites and resources.

S=site
P=publisher
A=audience
T=timeliness

Does the tool work? That answer to that question gave the presenter her dissertation topic and after studying a group of CDE’s (certified diabetes educators), the author found that SPAT has made a positive impact on the way her population group reviews Web-based information.

The next presenter is Marty J. O’Neill of the Health Informatics Program at the University of North Texas, Denton with his presentation entitled: Technical Concerns of Using Extended Character Sets in Creating Bilingual Chinese/English Health Information Pathfinders. O’Neill detailed the technical issues associated with creating websites (in this particular case, library pathfinders in Chinese), particularly the issues associated with using languages that have extended character sets. After much study, O’Neill found that numerical character references (NCRs) were chosen to represent the Chinese characters.

The final presenter in the session in Mellanye Lackey with her presentation, An analysis of evaluation activities planned in NN/LM outreach subcontracts 2001-2006. Lackey is an NLM 2nd year fellow, spending the year at UNC-Chapel Hill Health Sciences Library. She discusses the importance of evaluation, how evaluation shows a project’s worth in quantitative and measurable terms, but also discusses the barriers to successful evaluation, including lack of time, money and knowledge about evaluation projects. Lackey analyzed 150 records in the NLM’s database of outreach projects, particularly which evaluation methods were used in outreach efforts.

Posted for Andrea Griffith

Revolutions Under Way: Capture the Moment

Monday, May 21

Section Program 10:30-12:00

Susan Lessick from University of California-Irvine welcomes the audience to the NPC-sponsored-session, Revolutions Under Way: Capture the Moment. The session will highlight how five speaker groups extended the reach and visibility of their libraries by redefining their services and bringing the library to their users.

The first presentation is In Librarians We Trust: Building a Partnership with Practitioners for the Benefit of Patients. Angela Dixon, Mary Beth Klofas, Marilyn Rosen, and Julia Sollenberger are librarians at the Edward G. Miner Library, University of Rochester. Marilyn Rosen introduces the topic by reading a comment from the parent of a patient who never knew that the hospital had a library, let alone a library that could offer information to patients and their families. Mary Beth Klofas starts the presentation with the statistic that only ¼ of health information seekers consistently check Internet sources and currency (Pew Report, October 2006). Miner Librarians created a task force with a physician, a nurse, a social worker, and an administrator to implement an information prescription. Librarians also created standardized information packets on physician-identified topics. Resources used to create the topics: CLIC on Health, Genetics Home Reference, Medline Plus, Miner Library Patient Education Collection, and NORD. The successful pilot program lasted from June-December 2006 and averaged five requests per month during this time period.

Denise Hersey of Cushing/Whitney Medical Library at Yale University was next with her presentation Bringing the Mountain to Mohammed: Having a Librarian in the Operating Room Area. Hersey’s project began when an anesthesiologist in a focus group mentioned off-handedly that he wished their was a librarian in the OR area. So, Hersey jumped at the chance and set up regular “office” hours in the anesthesia workroom in the operating suite. She uses the computer and internet access in the work room and averaged 51 questions (mostly one-on-one) in 2.5 months. Most of the questions involved literature searching, RefWorks & EndNote, and PDA resources.

Hersey’s partnership with the anesthesia department has given her multiple opportunities. She built an information portal for the department and introduced them to Blackboard for their journal club; 19 courses are up and running. Hersey is now one of the gang and has even been asked to write an article for Current Opinion in Anesthesiology about the partnership.

Patrick McCarthy, the director of the Medical School Library at Saint Louis University, is the presenter for the next program, mostly developed by Donghua Tao entitled A New Liaison Outreach Program: Mobile Reference Services to the School of Public Health. The School of Public Health is located at a greater distance from the library than most departments on campus, and a mobile reference service program was implemented to better serve the faculty and students, focusing on literature search and reference instruction, identifying resources with full-text and customized information support. Overall reference transactions went up 28% as a result of this program; School of Public Health reference transactions went up 110%.

Cristina Pope, the director of the library at SUNY Upstate Medical University was next with her presentation entitled Books to Bedside, a unique cooperation between the medical library at SUNY and the Onondaga County Public Library System. As health science libraries generally have little to no general reading material, this cooperation brings general reading material to patients, their families, and clinicians. All public library books can be picked up or dropped off at the medical center library. This partnership has faced unique challenges, including a relatively small book cart that is too big to fit into patient rooms. A new Golisano Children’s Hospital is being built (2009) and will have a family resource center that will coordinate general reading and entertainment for children and their families in the hospital.

The final program for the session is Weill Cornell Medical College Librarian’s Millenials Find Treasure in the Library! helen-ann brown introduced the program and Patricia Mongelia detailed 2006’s medical school orientation. Using the seven core traits of the Millenial generation (special, sheltered, confident, achieving, team oriented, conventional, pressured) the librarians designed a treasure hunt complete with rhyming clues and a treasure map to highlight locations and services in the library. Students divided into teams to complete the hunt; each member of the winning team received a flash drive. The winning team finished in 17 minutes.

Posted for Andrea Griffith

Section Program: Turning Clinical Students into Evidence-Based Clinicians: The Medical Library's Role

This session, presented by the Dental Section in collaboration with EMTS, NAHRS, and the Medical Library Education sections and the Mental Health and Clinical Librarians/EBHC SIGs, explored the efforts of several libraries to integrate EBM instruction by the library into the curricula of their various institutions. The opening speaker was Connie Schardt from Duke University Medical Center where they have a fairly established EBM Curriculum integrated throughout the four years of medical school. Interested readers should also check out their EBM Librarian blog at http://ebmlibrarian.wetpaint.com.

The next presenter was Lauren Maggio who spoke about the experience of Boston University librarians to create an EBM session in a Dental School course. One thing that resonated from this presentation was their efforts of "librarian calibration": they involved the BU Center for Excellence in Teaching to improve the teaching and presentation skills of all the librarians who would be participating in the session. Kathryn Skhal from Hardin Library at the University of Iowa described the components of their "360 Degree Library Services" program including small group sessions, case-based "5-minute challenges," and electronic resource centers. They have plans to add their case vignettes to MedEdPORTAL in the future.
Mary Lou Klem from Pittsburgh has been working with the nursing curriculum, integrating a modular system of case-based online instruction built on a MySQL database. And Irena Bond presented the Massachusetts College of Pharmacy's evaluation of EBM knowledge and skills following instruction. In the closing words of her presentation, she stressed the need for new forms of rapid assessment of EBM and searching instruction learner outcomes.

An assessment instrument mentioned by several of the speakers was the Fresno Test. In addition, a systematic review of instruments to evaluate education in evidence based health care was published in JAMA in September 2006.

The Krafty Librarian's MLA 2007 Blog

For more posts related to MLA events and programs, visit The Krafty MLA 2007 blog brought to you by the Krafty Librarian, Michelle Kraft and several volunteers.

A Great McGovern Lecture

This morning MLA attendees in Philadelphia listened to Arthur Caplan, bioethicist from the University of Pennsylvania's Center for Bioethics, a man with a list of credentials so long that Laurie Thompson lost her place as she was reading them in an introduction Caplan said he wished "his mother had been here for."

The subject of Caplan's talk was "Peer Review in Science and Medicine: Does It or Can It Work?" In his talk, Caplan offered a description of conflicts of interest and how they affect scientific publishing. He provided several examples to illustrate conflict of interest, the need to disclose conflicts, and the problem of peer review:

* A center who produced a study which found that Walmart's low wages costs California taxpayers $86 million in health care and public assistance -- the center was found to be funded in part (10%) by organized labor.

* Positive results bias resulting from industry funding of scientific research. For more information, the reader is referred to this 2006 JAMA article by Ridker and Torres.

* The Korean cloning scandal , the authors' failure to disclose financial interest in the AtriCure/atrial fibrillation studies, and the manufacture of data by a Norwegian oral cancer researcher.

Possible politically-motivated bias was discussed with regard to an article published in JAMA related to fetal pain. This article was criticized because the authors were found to be pro-choice and/or have ties to abortion clinics. The question was raised: how much information do need to know about authors? How much disclosure is necessary?

His message to librarians was to get involved in and add our voices to this issue. Solutions mainly related to "beefing up" the peer review process (compensation for reviewers, disclosure for authors as well as editors -- see recent JCI article, more statistical analysis of data/need for statistical expertise, publishing of the actual peer reviews online, and anonymity of reviewes for a limited time. He proposes a more transparent process, and promotion of understanding of the scientific processs itself -- that "scientific truth comes through verification and attempts to falsify" findings.

A scintillating question and answer period followed and Caplan encouraged attendees to communicate with him via
email.

CE - Writing for Publication in Peer-Reviewed Journals

This course covered the journal article publication process. Including the rationale, particpants, journals, rights, ethics, submission and review of the article. Also discussed was how to choose a topic, the approach of writing the article and the different types of articles. The actual writing process was also covered. The ways of gathering information, organization of notes, writing of the 1st draft to revision and the abstract.

I learned a lot in this course but won't bore you with all points, only a few... Remember to write your article first, and your abstract last. Short and concise writing is best - always. Only submit your article to one journal at a time. Even though chronological organization sounds easiest, it is the hardest to write. Organize your thoughts (an outline works great!) before putting pen to paper. Use graphics wisely. Watch out for too many prepositional phrases.

And last but not least...

Life is too limited in length... er, Life is Short!

~Angela Anderson
aander@lsuhsc.edu

Dine Arounds - Monk's Cafe, err uh Warsaw Cafe

Hello everyone at MLA! Please take note of the Dine Arounds available at MLA. As a first time MLA attendee it was nice to go out to dinner with fellow librarians. You can sign up for dine arounds near the registration desk. My colleague and I had signed up for the Monk's Cafe dine around last night, but our group arrived late to the restaurant and thus they cancelled our reservation. Nonetheless, we wound up at Warsaw Cafe right down the street. Good food and maybe 15 minutes walking distance of the Marriott.

~Angela Anderson, guest blogger
LSUHSC-Shreveport
http://sassysystems.blogspot.com

Wear Your Dancing Shoes Tuesday Night!

Come one come all to the first ever “MLA mini-ballroom dancing with the stars!” This will be part of the Tuesday night MLA reception.

Clive and Suzanne Phillips, links to their bios below, will spark the festivities with some group dance sessions followed by an exhibition or two. Come see world class professionals first hand, wear your dancin’ shoes and/or your most comfortable shoes or socks.

If you do not have a ticket for this reception, they may be purchased at the MLA Registration. There are options for both adult and child tickets.

And, we will have a photographer!

Here are the links to the bios and to more info about the studios. No doubt there is a local studio near you. Join us as we all learn to dance together…and/or just have fun!

Clive: http://www.dnywestchester.com/CliveBio.htm

Suzanne: http://www.dnywestchester.com/SuzanneBio.htm

Here is the link to Dance New York studio: http://www.dancenewyork.com/stand_alone2.htm

Here is the one for the Westchester studio: http://www.dnywestchester.com/

Even one for those dancers in Iowa: http://www.dnyia.com/

See you there!

Posted for Diana Cunningham

Finding Your Way Around Philly

I just received via email a map from a vendor for an event happening at something like 1336 Chestnut Street and I had to chuckle. But that was just my Philadelphia-native sensibilities. You don't really need a map to get around Philly! So I thought I'd explain it to you.

Philadelphia is one of the easiest cities to figure out, because of it's wonderful grid system. Numbered streets run north and south. Named streets (mostly trees) run east and west. And the best thing: the numbers mean something. So, to use the example above 1336 Chestnut Street would be found on Chestnut between 13th and 14th Streets (it's a bowling alley, by the way).

In addition, Market Street is the dividing line between north and south for numbered streets. So an address like 106 S. 13th St. is south of Market (but not too far, just a couple of blocks) on 13th Street. (I hear they have great margaritas!)

I lived and worked in Manhattan for many years, and there are formulas in the phone book (no lie!) to estimate the location of addresses on the grid, variable by street. Philadelphia is much simpler!

The only thing you really need to know is the order of the "trees". So quickly from North to South (for the main named streets of Center City), remember: Callowhill-Vine-Race-Cherry-Arch-Market-Chestnut-Sansom-Walnut-Locust-Spruce-Pine-Lombard-South.

Happy walking!

Calling all bloggers

If you're interested in blogging one of the conference sessions or about the conference in general, we need volunteers.

Contact Marie Ascher at marie_ascher@nymc.edu or Barbara Kountouzi at varvarak@mail.med.upenn.edu

Dine-Arounds

Please join some of your colleagues to explore the tastes of Philadelphia. To register for a Dine-Around on Friday or Saturday evening, please sign up at the Hospitality Desk by 2pm on the day of the scheduled dine around. For Thursday night Dine-Arounds, sign up in advance by emailing the host or at the Hospitality Desk after it opens on Thursday at 4pm. Dine-Around participants should plan on being at the Message Area 5 minutes prior to the time listed below. Please be on time as your party will leave promptly. If you miss them it is up to you to get to the restaurant on your own.

Please let your non-blogging colleagues know about these events!

Thursday, May 17th (note: you can email the host to sign-up in advance)

Lolita http://lolitabyob.com
Mexican
106 S. 13th Street
Host: Anne Seymour seymoura@mail.med.upenn.edu
Time: 6:30
Number of dinner slots: 7

Swanky Bubbles www.swankybubbles.com
Asian, champagne
10 S. Front Street
Host: Andrea Kenyon kenyon@collphyphil.org
Time: 6:30
Number of dinner slots: 8

Friday, May 18th
(additional restaurants may be added)

Nodding Head search.cityguide.aol.com/philadelphia/bars/nodding-head/v-130117
www.noddinghead.com
16th and Sansom
Hostess: Maura Sostack msostack@virtua.org
Time: 6:30
Number of dinner slots: 7 persons

Estia www.estiarestaurant.com
(Greek)
1405 Locust Street
Hostess: Andrea Kenyon kenyon@collphyphil.org
Time: 6:30
Number of dinner slots: 5

Monk’s Belgian Café www.monkscafe.com/
16th & Spruce
Host: Dan Boutchie
Time: 7:00
Number of dinner slots: 7

Saturday, May 19th
(additional restaurants may be added)

Singapore
(Chinese, kosher, vegetarian)
1006 Race Street
Hostess: Diane Wolf
Time: 8pm
Number of dinner slots: 7

Farmacia www.farmiciarestaurant.com/
15 S. 3rd Street
Host: Jen de Richmond JdeRichemond@ECRI.org
Time: 7:30pm (meet at message board at 7pm)
Number of dinner slots: 7

Pub Crawl
Tour of the drinking establishments in the Center City East/TJU area including Ludwig’s Garden, McGillians (Philly's oldest pub), Fergie's, the Irish Pub (the one by Jefferson), and Doc Watson's. Please note that while restaurants are smoke free, none of these establishments qualify for the exemption.
Host: Brad Long
Time: 8:45
Number of slots: 12 persons

Politics of Health Information

The Politics of Health Information: Keeping the New Barbarians at Bay
Monday, May 21, 2007, 10:30AM - 12:00PM, Marriott Room 305/306

The Relevant Issues Section is soliciting input before this session for anyone interested in the topic - questions, issues you'd like to see covered, etc. A full desciption is at the survey site. If you'd like to help here's the link: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.asp?u=983183768457

Survey Monkey will be down for updates Saturday morning, otherwise the survey should be available. Thanks for helping out!

Strange Bedfellows

Strange Bedfellows: Radical Shifts in the Relationships Between Libraries and their Partners
Sunday, May 20, 2007, 4:30pm - 6:00pm, Marriott Grand Ballroom, Salon IJ

The Relevant Issues Section is soliciting input before this session for anyone interested in the topic - questions, issues you'd like to see covered, etc. A full desciption is at the survey site. If you'd like to help here's the link: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.asp?u=745603768195

Survey Monkey will be down for updates Saturday morning, otherwise the survey should be available. Thanks for helping out!

May Issue of MLA News Contains Meeting Information

Issues of MLA News are often available online ahead of the print edition. This may be the case for your May 2007 issue, which has been mailed, but may not reach you before you leave for the Annual Meeting. Check the online version for features and regular columns, and also for information concerning the meeting, including tips for new members and previews of technology sessions sponsored by the Medical Informatics Section.

Hope to see you all at MLA '07!

posted for Linda Katz, editor of MLA News

Beyond the Digital Revolution

Beyond the Digital Revolution: Virtual Collaborations, Virtual Partnerships, Virtual Communities
Monday, May 21, 2007, 3:00 pm - 4:30 pm, Independence Ballroom

If libraries are to serve the next generation of health care professionals, we must serve them in the virtual spaces where they practice, teach, and conduct research. We must develop virtual tools and services which clearly meet their changing information needs and take full advantage of the latest technological innovations. Explore with us the opportunities, successes, and challenges we face as we develop new user-driven virtual information service models, reach out to virtual communities, create innovative virtual partnerships and collaborations, and develop best practices and gold standards for virtual information and knowledge management services.

The NPC invites you to join us as we learn and discuss:

• How librarians at the Second Life Medical and Consumer Health Libraries and a podcast are reaching out to the one million registered users of the Second Life 3D online world (handout preview);

• How the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) Library began the development of the Clinical and Translational Science Institute (CTSI) "Virtual Home", with the objective of accelerating the pace of translating discovery into patient care (presentation preview);

• How the Basic Sciences Digital Library, a "one-stop shop" for busy researchers at all levels, integrates library resources, institutional links, National Center for Biotechnology Information-Entrez database searching, and an extensive list of Web-based bioinformatics tools (presentation preview);

• How the challenges faced in converting face-to-face classes to the online environment have been met by librarians using Moodle, an open-source software program for Web-based instruction (presentation preview); and

• How an in-depth analysis of ILL and document delivery and a study of workflow redesigns in businesses and libraries has made requests available in less than half the time, reduced staff time by over 30%, produced an 85% reduction in average turnaround time, and resulted in a dramatic positive shift in customer satisfaction (presentation preview).

posted for Joan Gregory

Join your LGBT colleagues

Every year during MLA, the LGBT SIG ( Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgendered Health Science Librarians Special Interest Group--longest SIG name ever!) gets together for a social event. This year two events are planned!

Dinner: Sunday, May 20 at 7:30
Tavern on Camac http://www.tavernoncamac.com/
243 South Camac St.
215-545-0900
(We will be ordering from the regular menu and there will be at least one additional vegetarian entree)

Happy Hour: Monday, May 21, 5-7
Bump Lounge http://www.bumplounge.com/
Corner of 13th and Locust Streets
215-732-1800

If you are interested you can RSVP or just show up, we'll make room for you. Both spots are walking distance and in the Gayborhood.
Here's a map with both event locations.

Revolutions Under Way: Capture the Moment

Health Sciences librarians in all settings are presented daily with challenges in new areas from new patrons and with new generations of users who are not accustomed to coming to any library. Reaching out to demonstrate value in clinical or academic settings is becoming the new norm. Capturing each opportunity in innovative ways is a revolution under way.

We have on our blog five wonderful examples of innovative outreach programs that are “Revolutions Under Way” and we invite you all to spend some time viewing these presentations before MLA to absorb the splendid work these folks are doing and to begin to frame topics for discussion at the program on May 21. By all means do jump into the blog with comments and questions for our presenters. We will continue the discussion at our session, “Revolutions Under Way: Capture the Moment” on Monday morning, May 21, 10:30 am – 12:00 pm, in the Grand Ballroom KL.

Please remember folks that we are hoping for a very “green” conference so there will be no printed handouts and we ask you not to print out the presentations yourselves. Please make notes and bring them with you.

And now folks… over to our presenters…check out their interesting PowerPoint presentations and bios at URL http://gml.lib.uci.edu/mla2007.html

Posted for Susan Lessick.

Tours, tours, tours

If you're interested in a tour of Philadelphia on a bus, in a car, on a duck, or on foot, check out the gophila website. It is one of the best on everything Philadelphian.

http://www.gophila.com/C/Things_to_Do/211/Itineraries_and_Tours/428/Tours/204.html

Two questions: nearest UPS/FedEx and convenience stores

Located inside the Marriot Lobby is a 24 hour FedEx/Kinkos. The nearest convenience/drug stores are 7-11 at 1215 Filbert Street and 7 South 11th Street, Wawa (like 7-11) at 1038 Arch Street, CVS at 1046 Market Street, and Rite Aid at 1000 Market Street.

More Free Wireless!

Earlier posts noted wireless availability in the Marriot (for a fee) and in the exhibit's Internet Cafe (free) as well as links to wireless hotspots. Here are a two more convenient spots for free wireless:

• The Reading Terminal Market which is across from the Marriot has free wireless throughout including the restaurants and open seating areas. Hours: M-Sat 8am-6pm, Sun 9am-4pm.
• Convention Center which is adjacent to the Marriot. Ask at the hotel how to get to the Convention Center from within the Marriot.
  

Early Morning Coffee

For those early birds and caffeine hounds, here are a couple of places that will be open early to help get you going for a full day of conference activities!

Starbucks
Marriott Lobby
Sunday-Thurs 5:30am-10:00 pm
Fri & Sat 5:30-10:30pm

Java's Brewin
1101 Market St (just 2 blocks down from the Marriott)
Mon-Fri: 6:30am-6:30pm
Sat: 10am-4pm
FREE WIRELESS FOR CUSTOMERS

Olde City Coffee
Reading Terminal Market
12th and Filbert Sts (Walk out the backdoor of the Marriott and you're there!)
Mon-Sat 8 am- 6pm
FREE WIRELESS FOR CUSTOMERS

What Not To Wear-- Philadelphia version

Wondering what the weather is like in Philly and what to wear at the conference?

The world's favorite season is the spring. All things seem possible in May.
- Edwin Way Teale

To quote an old Norwegian saying “There is no such thing as bad weather. Only bad clothing”. It is always a challenge when packing to anticipate what you will be wearing. Typical spring weather in Philadelphia calls for high temperatures around 74°F/23°C and lows around 52°F/11°C. Dress for all sessions is business casual. Temperatures in meeting rooms tend to be cool so bring a light jacket or sweater. Don’t forget to bring an umbrella and a raincoat. But don’t worry if you forget anything, Philadelphia has boutiques and stores galore to find that special something.

To help you plan your wardrobe accordingly for your trip to the city of brotherly and sisterly love I have compiled some information and weather links for you to check out.

Weather reports: Check the weather forecast for Philadelphia a few days before you leave (Accuweather.com link for Philadelphia is on blog, right column under blog archive), then adjust your wardrobe plans. Layering is a sound strategy given the frigidity of some meeting rooms compared to the allure of outdoor activities on a nice spring day. Just remember

The trouble with weather forecasting is that it's right too often for us to ignore it and wrong too often for us to rely on it.
-Patrick Young

So, if you don’t like the weather reports on one website- try another!!!

National Weather Service Forecast for Philadelphia

The Weather Channel, Local Philadelphia Forecast by the day, week, month

Weather Underground

Philly.com

A great place to read and complain about the weather!

Climatological Data for Philadelphia
Average temperature 63.5
High- 72.1
Low- 52.7
Average precipitation 3.89
56% of days with sunshine in May
Highest recorded Temperature: 1991 97 degrees
Lowest: 1966 28 degrees

posted for Andrea Kenyon, LAC weather girl

Reward Yourself While in Philly!

Compiled by June Fulton

Champagne
Swanky Bubbles
Swanky Bubbles is an upscale Champagne Bar in Olde City. It opened in late 1999 and is located on Front Street, a few doors in from Market Street. The menu offers 12 champagne-spiked specialty drinks, in addition to a dozen champagnes by the glass and nearly 30 in bottles. If you decide to dine there, the menu is Asian-inspired.
Hours: Daily, 5:00 p.m.-1:00 a.m.; walk-ins accepted; Telephone: (215) 928-1200
Address: 10 South Front Street, Philadelphia
URL: http://www.swankybubbles.com/

Chocolates
Flying Monkey Patisserie
Flying Monkey Patisserie is located in the Reading Terminal Market and serves handcrafted sweets, confections and cakes made with the finest ingredients and a touch of whimsy. Of note to chocolate lovers are the dark chocolate ganache sandwich cookies, brownies amped with cayenne, chocolate-dipped handmade marshmallows, cupcakes (a best seller), and deep, rich dark chocolate layer cake, sometimes available by the slice.
Price: Cupcakes from $1.75 to $3.25; Marshmallows, 75 cents; Brownies, $2.50.
Hours: Monday-Saturday, 10:00 a.m.-6:00 p.m.; Sunday, 10:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m.
Address: 12th and Arch Streets
URL: www.flyingmonkeyphilly.com/index.html

John & Kira’s
West Philly is proud of these locals whose chocolates have been featured in Gourmet Magazine, the New York Times, Business Week, Wine Spectator, Money, Oprah, Food & Wine, and, most recently, Consumer Reports. Best of all, John Doyle and Kira Baker run one of the country's foremost socially conscious confection businesses. John and Kira's uses mint grown at local public school gardens, organic cream from grass-fed cows, strawberries and lavender from local farmers and cocoa beans from cooperatives to make their dark-chocolate delights, sold online or by telephone, fax, or mail (no retail store).
Price: From $25 for a 15-piece box to $175 for a three month chocolate journey.
Telephone: (800) 747-4808; E-mail: support@johnandkiras.com
URL: www.johnandkiras.com/site/Welcome_business.htm

Naked Chocolate Café
The stylish shop feels like a European coffee house and serves a wide variety of chocolates and desserts handmade on the premises. Sit down and sip a hot or frozen drinking chocolate, pop a freshly whipped buttercream truffle, or nibble on “heart-healthy” dark chocolate piped with antioxidant blueberry, pomegranate, and green tea. Lots of baked goods on the menu, too.
Price: Chocolate drink, $4.50; Truffles, $1.00 each; Chocolate bar, $2.00; Pack of flavored savouries, $5.00.
Hours: Monday-Thursday, 10:00 a.m.-11:00 p.m.; Friday-Saturday, 10:00 a.m.-11:30 p.m.; Sunday, 11:00 a.m.-9:00 p.m.
Address: 1317 Walnut Street, Philadelphia; Telephone: (215) 735-7310
URL: www.nakedchocolatecafe.com/



High Tea
Four Seasons Hotel’s Swann Lounge
Tea sippers can choose between “Social Tea” and “Royal Tea,” both of which include tea, scones, finger sandwiches, desserts and fruit tartlets. The “Royal Tea” includes the addition of sparkling wine, sherry, or a raspberry cocktail.
Price: Social Tea is $26; Royal Tea is $32.
Hours: Monday-Saturday, 3:00-4:15 p.m.; reservations required (215) 963-1500.
Address: 1 Logan Square, Philadelphia
URL: www.fourseasons.com/philadelphia

Rittenhouse Hotel’s Mary Cassatt Tea Room and Garden
Guests can nibble on scones, pastries, and tea sandwiches while enjoying afternoon British tea and cocktails. A floral garden provides a scenic vista and warm weather seating just beyond the tea room’s French doors.
Price: The Rittenhouse Signature Tea is $24.95; The Queen Victoria Tea (with champagne) is $29.95; in addition, there is an a la carte menu.
Hours: Daily, 2:00-5:00 p.m.; reservations recommended during the week, required for week-ends (215) 546-9000.
Address: 210 W. Rittenhouse Square, Philadelphia
URL: http://www.rittenhousehotel.com/

Ritz-Carlton
Guests can sample an array of light British fare, including tea, sandwiches, pastries and champagne, in the grand, neo-classical Rotunda lounge amidst soaring white marble columns and the oculus of the hotel’s historic architecture.
Price: Traditional Tea is $30; Royal Tea (with champagne) is $35.
Hours: Sunday only, 1:00-2:30 p.m.; reservations required (215) 523-8000.
Address: 10 Avenue of the Arts, Philadelphia
URL: www.ritzcarlton.com/en/Properties/Philadelphia

Spas
Body Restoration
This center city skin and body work day spa specializes in massage therapy, skin treatments, body therapies and waxing. Signature treatments include: deep tissue massage, warm stone facial, and Brazilian bikini wax. A spa specialty is LaStone Therapy, the original hot stone massage. Over 50 stones are used during a treatment. Different sizes and shapes correspond to body parts such as hand and toe stones.
Price: LaStone Massage is $85/120 for 55 or 80 minutes. Swedish Massage is $70/95 for 55 or 80 minutes. See Web site for other services and prices.
Hours: Monday-Tuesday, 12:00 p.m.-6:00 p.m.; Wednesday-Thursday, 10:00 a.m.-8:00 p.m.; Friday, 10:00 a.m.-6:00 p.m.; Saturday, 10:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m.; appointments required: 888-296-9327.
Address: 1611 Walnut Street, Philadelphia
URL: http://www.bodyrest.com/

Pierre & Carlo European Salon & Spa
Treat yourself to luscious treatments like full body massages, facials, body scrubs, aromatherapy and mud treatments. The salon, where makeup and hair can be touched up or overhauled, offers its own line of hair products. The best of each world comes together in the "Best of Philadelphia" package--a half-hour each of facial and massage, plus a manicure, pedicure and hairstyle.
Price: Best of Philadelphia package, approximately 4 hours ~ $189.00; Manicure, $20; Pedicure, $50; Massages, 1 hour, $80 to $100. See Web site for other services and prices.
Hours: Monday, 9:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m.; Tuesday, 9:00 a.m.-6:00 p.m.; Wednesday-Friday, 9:00 a.m.-7:00 p.m.; Saturday, 9:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m.; Sunday, 10:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m.; appointments required (215) 790-9910.
Address: Park Hyatt at the Bellevue, Broad and Walnut Streets, Philadelphia
URL: www.pierreandcarlo.com/Center_City/salon.html

Terme Di Aroma
A community of mind-body therapists offer services ranging from the spa's signature aromatherapy massage to wraps and educational seminars on feng shui. Terme was the first local spa to offer LaStone therapy, a massage using warm and cool volcanic stones aligned along the spine. Prenatal massage, shiatsu, Reiki, reflexology and an array of aromatherapy facials are also popular Terme treatments.
Price: Aromatheapy Massage (The spa’s signature full body massage combines aromatherapy with Swedish massage.) $75/110 for 75 or 110 minutes. A Special package is offered if booked by May 13, and consists of the Aromatherapy Massage (1 hour) and a facial (1/2 hour) for $105. See Web site for other services and prices.
Hours: Tuesday, 12:00 p.m.-8:30 p.m.; Wednesday-Friday, 11:00 a.m.-8:30 p.m.; Saturday, 10:00 a.m.-7:00 p.m.; Sunday, 10:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m.; appointments required (215) 829-9769.
Address: 32 North 3rd Street, Philadelphia
URL: http://www.termediaroma.com/

Theater
Carousel is the musical masterpiece and perennial favorite from Rodgers and Hammerstein. The sublime score includes “June is Bustin’ Out All Over,” “You’ll Never Walk Alone,” “If I Loved You,” and the infamous “Soliloquy.” When you walk through a storm, hold your head up high… Carousel is a thrilling, heartfelt testament to the redeeming power of love.
Ticket Price: $10 - $67.50.
Hours: May 15-July 15. During May, Tuesday through Sunday, 8:00 p.m., except on May 20, 23 & 27 at 7:00 p.m. Also at 2:00 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday.
Address: Walnut Street Theater, 825 Walnut Street, Philadelphia
URL: www.walnutstreettheatre.org/season/carousel.php

Menopause The Musical® is a hilarious celebration of women and The Change. It is a joyful parody of 25 re-lyricized classic baby boomer hits, the 90-minute show features such chart-toppers as "I Heard It Thru the Grapevine; You No Longer See 39" and the disco favorite "Stayin' Awake! Stayin' Awake!" Inspired by a hot flash and a bottle of wine, writer/producer Jeanie Linders created the show as a celebration of women who are on the brink of, in the middle of, or have survived The Change. (Note: the show’s run in Philly ends on May 20th.)
Ticket Price: $45.00.
Hours: Matinees -- Saturday, 2:00 p.m.; Sunday, 2:00 p.m. & 5:30 p.m. Evenings – Wednesday-Friday, 8:00 p.m.; Saturday, 6:00 p.m.; Box Office telephone number (866) 468-7619
Address: Society Hill Playhouse, 507 South 8th Street, Philadelphia
URL: www.menopausethemusical.com/index.php

ECRI Institute/Medical Information Specialist

ECRI Institute, an independent non-profit organization that researches the best approaches to improving patient care, is seeking an experienced Team Leader to oversee the information retrieval staff and processes for ECRI Institute's rapid review product, the HTAIS Hotline. Detailed responsibilities include inter/intra-departmental communication, client support, reference interviews, literature searching, and process improvement.

Requirements include: Bachelor's degree in life sciences or related discipline required, along with Master's degree in information/library science. The successful candidate will have excellent communication and problem solving skills; excellent knowledge of scientific information resources, tools and delivery; writing skills; and a demonstrated ability to work collaboratively with multidisciplinary staff. Solid knowledge of evidence-based medicine (EBM) principles, controlled vocabularies such as MeSH, ICD, and other medical vocabularies and previous experience with Web-based information services are also required.

To apply for this position follow this link to the ECRI Institute Careers page and select Medical Information Specialist (Hotline Team Leader).

http://www.ecri.org/About/Careers/Pages/JobListing.aspx

"Get Acquainted" Wine & Cheese ECRI Institute

You are invited to be our guest at a “Get Acquainted Wine and Cheese Reception”
held in conjunction with the 2007 MLA conference

Monday, May 21, 2007 5:30 to 7 P.M.
Philadelphia Marriott Grand Ballroom, Salon D
1201 Market Street
Philadelphia, PA 19107
Space is limited.
Please RSVP by May 17, 2007 to Jeanette de Richemond at jderichemond@ecri.org or call (610) 825-6000, ext.5402.
Forward this invitation or bring a friend.
Enter your business card to win a 2007 Healthcare Standards Directory (value $465)

What role do information specialists and librarians play at our Evidence-based Practice Center? Attend this relaxed gathering to meet our professional staff and learn more about ECRI Institute’s unique research opportunities. ECRI Institute conducts expert searching for evaluations of healthcare technology and services along a continuum of evidence.

Our Health Technology Assessment Information Service:
· Develops information products (databases, publications, and reports) for hospitals and health systems, other types of healthcare facilities, government payers, ministries of health, private third-party payers, and behavioral health plans.
· Manages the National Guideline Clearinghouse™.
· Developed and manages Universal Medical Device Nomenclature System™ (UMDNS™).


ECRI Institute is an independent nonprofit that researches the best approaches to improving patient care. We are designated as both an Evidence-based Practice Center by the U.S. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality and a Collaborating Center of the World Health Organization. For more information, visit www.ecri.org.

ECRI INSTITUTE 5200 Butler Pike Plymouth Meeting PA 19462 (610) 825-6000

Sunrise Seminars

Rise and shine for these sunrise seminars:

Integrated solution with ISI Web of Knowledge, EndNote and now EndNote Web
Presenter: Jeff Clovis
Location: Marriott: Room: 305/306
Date: Sunday, May 20, 2007
Time: 7:00am - 8:15am

EndNote Web enables all users to manager, organize and store references online via ISI Web of Knowledge. Intermediate researchers benefit from the convenience and ease of online storage and bibliography development; EndNote users benefit from higher degrees of accessibility and control using the complementary desktop and Web-based bibliographic management solution.

*****

OVID SUNRISE SEMINAR
-Continental breakfast will be served-
Sunday 5.20.07
7:00 AM - 8:15 AM
Independence Ballroom

Speakers: John Mate, Andrew Popper, Mark Barragry, Scott MacFarland

New Essay from Arthur Caplan, McGovern lecuturer

This year's McGovern Lecturer, Arthur Caplan, has written a wonderful response to the recent events at Virginia Tech. Although not related to his talk at MLA, it gives a taste of his style, understanding of current issues, and his passion for bioethics.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/18262056/

Hotel Alternatives

For those who have not booked a room yet here is a list of alternative hotels. We suggest you book soon, there are multiple graduations in Philadelphia that week and many hotels are already sold out. If you really want to stay at the conference hotel, you can call the Marriott directly to see if there have been any cancellations. (215-625-2900)

The following list was generated from www.hotels.com and then sorted by landmark. Use the Philadelphia Convention Center as you landmark. It is right next door to the Marriott (12th and Market Sts.)

Travelodge Philadelphia
www.the.travelodge.com/philadelphia30031
1227 Race Street
Philadelphia, PA 19107 US
Distance from selection:
0.1mi/0.2km NW
maybe SOLD OUT
(215) 564-2888

Hampton Inn Philadelphia Convention Center
http://www.hamptoninn.com/en/hp/hotels/index.jhtml?ctyhocn=PHLCVHX
1301 Race Street
Philadelphia, PA 19107 US
Distance from selection:
0.2mi/0.3km NW
215-665-9100

Holiday Inn Express Midtown
http://www.ichotelsgroup.com/h/d/ex/1/en/hotel/phlmt?_requestid=337016
1305 Walnut Street
Philadelphia, PA 19107 US
Distance from selection:
0.3mi/0.6km SW
215-735-9300

Windsor Hotel and Suites
http://www.windsorhotel.com/index_home.html
1700 Ben Franklin Parkway
Philadelphia, PA 19103 US
Distance from selection:
0.5mi/0.8km NW
877-784-8379

Holiday Inn Historic District Philadelphia
http://www.ichotelsgroup.com/h/d/hi/1/en/hotel/phlim?_requestid=335481
400 Arch Street
Philadelphia, PA 19106 US
Distance from selection:
0.5mi/0.9km SE
215/923-8660

Embassy Suites Hotel City Center-philadelphia
www.embassysuites.com
1776 Ben Franklin Parkway
Philadelphia, PA 19103 US
Distance from selection:
0.6mi/0.9km NW
215/561-1776

Latham Hotel Downtown
http://www.lathamhotel.com/
135 South 17th Street
Philadelphia, PA 19103 US
Distance from selection:
0.6mi/1.0km SW
(215) 563-7474

Comfort Inn Downtown/historic Area
http://www.choicehotels.com/ires/en-US/html/HotelInfo?hotel=PA405
100 North Columbus Boulevard
Philadelphia, PA 19106 US
Distance from selection:
0.9mi/1.5km SE
215-627-7900

Best Western Center City Hotel
http://book.bestwestern.com/bestwestern/productInfo.do?propertyCode=39087#null
501 North 22nd Street
Philadelphia, PA 19130 US
Distance from selection:
1.1mi/1.7km NW
215-568-8300

Sheraton University City Hotel
http://www.philadelphiasheraton.com/
36th and Chestnut Streets
Philadelphia, PA 19104 US
Distance from selection:
1.9mi/3.1km NW
215.387. 8000

Hilton Inn At Penn
http://www.theinnatpenn.com/
3600 Sansom Street
Philadelphia, PA 19104 US
Distance from selection:
1.9mi/3.1km NW
215-222-0200

Other sites to use for find hotels.
gophila.com
http://www.gophila.com/C/Places_to_Stay/314/Hotel_Packages/315.html
This site also has an interactive map.

Yahoo Philadelphia Travel site
http://travel.yahoo.com/p-travelguide-191501998-philadelphia_vacations-i
This also have an interactive map for hotels.

VOYAGER/ExLibris Meeting May 22 @ 7:30am

VOYAGER/ExLibris Meeting at MLA in Philly
The Voyager/ExLibris Sig will be meeting this year on Tue, May 22, 2007 at the Marriott from 7:30 AM - 845 AM. in Conference Room 310. Couldn't attend ENDUSER 2007? Join us for coffee and muffins and join in a lively discussion with fellow users. Issues, questions, benefits related to Voyager products and services. Jenny Forbes from ExLibris will be sharing the latest information from the User Group meeting. For more information, contact Stephanie Ferretti at stephaniefe@pcom.edu

Wireless Access in Philadelphia

Guests of the Philadelphia Marriot Downtown can get wired access in their rooms for $9.95/day plus tax. Wireless access is available in two locations: public lobby area (which may include the Starbucks) for a fee and in the MLA/Elsevier Internet Cafe which is free to attendees. There is a station in the Marriot lobby for registering for wireless using a credit card. The MLA/Elsevier Internet Cafe is located in the exhibits area and will have 12 stations as well as free wireless access for a limited number of simultaneous users. Instructions for registering for access will be available in the Cafe.

Other wireless options in Philadelphia:
Philadelphia WiFi.com
Wi-Fi-FreeSpot Directory for Pennsylvania
iPass Hotspot Finder listing within one mile of the Marriot

Transportation to Marriot

We've received some questions about the best way to get to the Marriot from the airport. Check out the page on the meeting website under Hotel & Travel:
http://www.mlanet.org/am/am2007/travel/travel.html

There are several options-- the cheapest at $5.50 is the the Airport Train Line (R1). The train is easily accessible from all airport terminals and you can exit at Market East/The Gallery Station which is across from the Philadelphia Marriott Downtown. You buy your ticket from a machine on the platform. The trains run every 1/2 hour, but check the exact R1 schedules at www.septa.org.

Public transportation and parking info

Getting to, and parking at, the Philadelphia Marriott Downtown:
http://marriott.com/hotels/maps/travel/phldt-philadelphia-marriott-downtown/

Parking facilities near the Philadelphia Marriott Downtown :
http://www.philapark.org/parkinglocator/parking_locator.aspx?destinationID=29
(scroll down the page a bit)

Trains and Rail Lines:

New Jersey Transit's Atlantic City Rail Line (Atlantic City -- Philadelphia)
http://www.njtransit.com/pdf/rail/r0090.pdf
SEPTA
http://www.septa.org/
AMTRAK
http://www.amtrak.com/servlet/ContentServer?pagename=Amtrak/am2Station/Station_Page&code=PHL

The Place to be on Sunday Night!

The Bearded Pigs (the world’s first open access international librarian rock band) will once again be holding a live rehearsal at the MLA meeting. Look for us in Liberty Ballroom C, in the Marriott, on Sunday evening from 8:00 to 11:00. We’ll have a cash bar and dancing is definitely encouraged. We’d also like to extend a special welcome and invitation to new members and first-time attendees. Think of it as an informal professional networking event – with rock band.

For those of you who would also like to receive a special limited-edition commemorative t-shirt, consider joining the Thicket Society before April 22nd. For details on the Thicket Society and for pictures of previous rehearsals, check out our website: http://www.beardedpigs.org/.

Rooms Available at the Courtyard Marriott

Apparently, rooms are unavailable for some nights at the Marriott in Philly.

To accommodate, rooms have been opened up at the Courtyard Marriott across the street from the conference hotel. The link to book a hotel room there is:

https://resweb.passkey.com/Resweb.do?mode=welcome_gi_new&groupID=93200

Research Philly restaurants

The MLA dining guide should be available online soon. In the meantime you can explore these local restaurant listings/review sites. They are a good source for info on the hippest, popular, and hard to get a reservation spots, so you can make plans and reservations now.

Philadelphia Magazine
Philadelphia Inquirer/Daily News
Philadelphia CityPaper (weekly)
University of Pennsylvania's daily newspaper
Gayot guide to Philadelphia restaurants

Join Us for the Great Space Debate!

On Sunday afternoon, the 20th of May, the NPC 2007 will sponsor the great space debate between 4:30 pm and 6:00 pm. The proposition is: "Be it resolved: As Libraries Evolve to Electronic Access, Their Need for Physical Space Decreases".

Many of us have heard this already -- or fear hearing it -- from our administrators or rivals in our corporate or academic organizations. Everybody is looking to take over our territory because they have heard that: "It's all on the Internet (oh, and by the way, it's free)!" So, we have choices; we can prepare to lose space, or we can defend our need for and use of the space we have. This debate will allow you to hear the arguments on both sides of this timely and important question. Sit and listen, or bring your own perspective on the questions to be raised and make a contribution to the battle!

Some of MLA's best-known and most feisty debaters will square off against each other in this challenge. Rick Forsman and Wayne Peay will face each other in the main bout, while M.J. Tooey and Jane Bridges will ensure that the perspectives of academic and hospital librarians, in particular, are heard. Laurie Thompson will blow the whistle (as moderator), clock the participants, encourage audience participation and conduct a final vote to determine a winner.

If you'd like to get started early, you can post your arguments here, ask questions about the format, or establish your support for the "yeas" or "nays" in advance of the debate just in case you can't attend. This event is sure to be rowdy, raucous and a real crowd-pleaser; plan now to be there!

Need a room?

Demand for MLA’s room block at the Philadelphia Marriott is up from past years. To accommodate attendees, MLA has added rooms to its block.

If you have not yet made a reservation, there are 3 easy ways:

1. Call group reservations at 800.266.9432 mention the MLA Conference for discounted rates.
2. Online at: https://resweb.passkey.com/Resweb.do?mode=welcome_gi_new&groupID=81666
3. Fax using the hotel reservation form available at: http://www.mlanet.org/am/am2007/travel/hotel.html#3

The deadline for your reservation is Monday, April 16, 2007. Reservations are processed on a first-come, first-served basis.

The Philadelphia Marriott Downtown will be the site of most meeting sessions and exhibits. Your patronage allows MLA to focus member’s collective buying power to reduce meeting costs and hold registration fees down. You will benefit from Marriott’s 4-diamond rating by AAA, discounted rates, and the convenience of staying near sessions and exhibits.

Have a Room Reservation You Do Not Need?
Sometimes MLA’s room block fills quickly. Then, just before the meeting many rooms are returned to the block due to cancellations. If these rooms remain empty, MLA pays a penalty to the hotel. To avoid this, we ask that if you are holding a reservation you do not need, please cancel it before April 16th, which will free-up the room for another member who needs it. Thank you for your help in controlling costs.

Need to Cancel or Change a Reservation?
Before Monday, April 16, 2007, to cancel or adjust your reservation, please call group reservations at 800.266.9432. After Monday, April 16, 2007, please call the Philadelphia Marriott Hotel direct at 215.625.2900.

Accepted Poster Files Due to MLA by April 15, 2007!!

New for 2007 - your poster will be published on MLANET before the meeting.

MLA is piloting the early publishing of posters to help attendees plan which poster presentations they will want to visit. After the meeting, posters will remain on MLANET as a resource for the profession.

By April 15, 2007, email a file of your poster to posters@mlahq.org. Use one of the following formats: Word, Excel, PDF or Power Point.

Name the file as follows: poster number_author last name

In the email include your full name. Before MLA'07, MLA will publish your poster on the MLA'07 website and create a link to it from your abstract.

Roundtables Facilitators and Recorders Needed

The Chapter Council Sharing Roundtables are one of the most well attended events of the conference, but we need your help. Facilitators and recorders are needed for many of the tables. If you have an expertise or even an interest in a topic, please consider volunteering for this event. You get an AHIP point if you do! The Roundtables will be held on Sunday, May 20th from noon-2pm.

If you are interested in volunteering, please email Chapter Council Roundtables Committee Co-chairs Marie Reidelbach (mreidelb@unmc.edu) or Melanie Cedrone (mcedrone@mail.med.upenn.edu)


Volunteers are needed for:

Topics to Facilitate
#4 - Copyright Issues
#5 - Digitization Issues
#6 - Electronic Health Record
#12 - How to Start an Institutional Repository
#17 - Management of E-resources
#18 - Management/Leadership
#19 - Managing Resources in Emergency/Disaster Situations
#22 - Open Access/Scholarly Publishing
#24 - Strategies for License Negotiations with Vendors
#25 - Talking to Administration/Communication Techniques
#26 - Technology Issues for Hospital Librarians
#27 - Using New Technologies & Instructional Design for Teaching
#29 - Web Design and Usability

Topics to Record
#2 - Clinical Decision Making
#5 - Digitization Issues
#6 - Electronic Health Record
#12 - How to Start an Institutional Repository
#13 - Integrating You or the Library into the Curriculum
#16 - Library Space Planning
#18 - Management/Leadership
#19 - Managing Resources in Emergency/Disaster Situations
#22 - Open Access/Scholarly Publishing
#23 - So You Want to Publish?
#24 - Strategies for License Negotiations with Vendors
#25 - Talking to Administration/Communication Techniques
#28 - Virtual / Electronic Library
#30 - Wikis, Blogs & Pods, Oh My!

MLA News articles

MLA members: I'm sure you've already read your latest MLA News. Even so, here's a refresher list of the articles written by LAC members about Philly-- fun things to do and see both near and far.

Make a Date with History
http://www.mlanet.org/members/mla_news/2007/jan_07/history.html
A Wealth of Excursion Options in Philadelphia
http://www.mlanet.org/members/mla_news/2007/feb_07/excursion.html
Philly in the Spring!
http://www.mlanet.org/members/mla_news/2007/mar_07/philadelphia.html

One more article to come in the April issue on good eats.

Chocolate Redux

For those who are still thinking about chocolate (or are always thinking about chocolate), here is a little article about that lesser known alternative to the Hershey Kiss -- the Wilbur Bud!

On the Side Better chocolate, and prettier, too
Kiss off - try a Wilbur Bud
By Rick Nichols
Inquirer Columnist
http://www.philly.com/mld/philly/entertainment/dining/16646831.htm

(IN) center city...

The Center City District and the Central Philadelphia Development Corportation offers a fun and informative monthly newsletter on dining, shopping, happenings, and (in)side info.
The March issue is here: http://www.centercityphila.org/incentercity/march2007/default.aspx
If you like what you see, sign up here:
http://www.centercityphila.org/home/default.aspx

Uniquely Philadelphian….

Did you know that Philadelphia has been recognized both nationally and internationally as the “City of Murals”? Their Royal Highnesses (TRH), Prince Charles, The Prince of Wales and his wife, Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall, visited Philadelphia in January for the express purpose of reviewing our Mural Arts Program (MAP)!

Thanks to MAP and director/mural artist Jane Golden, Philadelphia boasts over 2,700 murals scattered throughout the city. MAP began in 1984 as a component of the Anti-Graffiti Network with the idea being that graffiti writers could be persuaded to re-direct their energies to making murals. It worked! The program now reaches out to over 100 communities and employs more than 300 artists each year. Visit http://www.muralarts.org/ for more info.

Be on the lookout for murals as you travel from the airport or the train station to Center City. If what you see whets your appetite for more, there are several options. Weekly tours depart from the 6th and Market St. Visitor Center at 11 AM on Saturdays and Wednesdays. Tours last 2 hours. The cost is $24 for adults, $21 for seniors 65+, $14 for children 3-10, Free for children under 2. Reservations are strongly recommended. Call 215-685-0754 to reserve. The tour on May 19 will cover South Philadelphia while the May 23 and May 26 tours will visit West Philadelphia.

Can’t make a tour? Visit http://www.muralarts.org/pdf/virtual_map.pdf for colorful maps of a walking tour of 19 murals in Center City plus a driving tour of 29 murals all around town.

Best of Philly

Philadelphia Magazine, Best of issue is a great place to find the typical (Best Italian Restaurant) and the no-so-typical (Best Place to Play Vintage Arcade Games). Other useful categories include:

• Best new BYOB
• Best Falafel
• Best Cocktails
• Best Toy Store
• Best Pet Jewels
• Best Express Manicure
• Best Place to Buy New Junk for Your Basement
• Best Cupcake
• Best Shoes for the Trendsetter
• Best Hoagie

Philly IS the Best!

MLA Abstract Deadlines

Just a friendly reminder that tomorrow (FEBRUARY 28, 2007 11:59 PM CST) is the deadline for updating abstracts for your accepted poster and papers.

Your abstract will be posted on the Online Program Planner/ Itinerary Builder) in early March and published in the MLA '07 Abstract supplement to the Official Program which will be distributed at the meeting. After February 28, 2007, any additional author/presenter changes will most likely not be included in MLA '07 Annual Meeting official publications.

Update your abstracts at: http://www.abstractsonline.com/submit/login.asp?mkey=%7B9443EE70%2DD89B%2D4347%2DBC63%2D467154391C33%7D

Philly With Kids

For those of you planning to travel to Philadephia with children, here are some interesting destinations:

Franklin Institute Science Museum, now exhibiting Tutankhamun and the Golden Age of the Pharaohs; also offers many permanent exhibits (a giant heart, Sir Isaac's Loft, Space Command, and many more) as well as an IMAX theater.

Independence National Historic Park - see the Liberty Bell and visit Independence Hall; it's all here.

Philadelphia Zoo, America's First Zoo

Please Touch Museum for the younger ones (8 and under): Please Touch Museum is home to interactive exhibits & programs designed to encourage learning through play. Once inside let your child be your guide! Play croquet with the Queen of Hearts. Sit behind the wheel of a real SEPTA bus. Romp with a Wild Thing or whip up a cake with Mikey and the Bakers. The Barnyard Babies section is designed for the under 3 set. They can "feed" chickens, dress a scarecrow and play in the veggie garden. Great hands-on fun!

Academy of Natural Sciences

The following links provide some ideas as well:

Taking the Kids: Three Days in Philadelphia

Family-Friendly Philadelphia

Independence Visitor Center: Especially for Kids

This is by no means a comprehensive list, but a good place to start for some ideas.

UpToDate for FREE

Up to date on Philadelphia, that is.

Want a hip intro to Philadelphia that will bring you up to speed on shopping, services, recreation, etc. via daily emails? You want Daily Candy, Philadelphia edition! Go to
http://www.dailycandy.com/index.jsp?city=13 to sign up.

Librarians love chocolate, right?

Philadelphia is a mecca for chocolate lovers. You won’t have to venture far from the Marriott to fulfill your cravings, either. Just across the street at the Reading Terminal Market, you will find Chocolate by Mueller where the chocolates are made on site and where chocolate body parts, including an anatomically correct chocolate heart, are big sellers. Also at the Market is the Pennsylvania General Store – a great place to find both Pennsylvania and Philadelphia souvenirs. (Aren’t the best souvenirs the ones you can eat?) PA General specializes in candies such as Asher’s, Neuchatel, Wilbur’s and Zitner’s, that are made in Pennsylvania.
The Naked Chocolate Café, 1317 Walnut St., (www.nakedchocolate.com) merits a visit for many reasons (the name?) and offers yummy baked items as well as candies.
Several blocks further away, Lore’s Chocolates, 34 S. 7th St., (www.loreschocolates.com) has been making and selling fine chocolates for 35 years.
Stroll further down Market St. in the direction of the Delaware River and you will be rewarded by Shane Candies (shanecandies.com). Located at 110 Market St., Shane’s has been delighting customers since 1876. The store and the employees are just as wonderful as the candies! Plus, you can stop for an egg cream or a phosphate at The Franklin Fountain, 116 Market St. (http://www.franklinfountain.com/) to fortify you for the walk back to the hotel.

If you want to head off in the other direction, toward City Hall, for your chocolate excursion, you will not want to miss Maron Chocolates, 1734 Chestnut St.
(http://www.maronchocolates.com/). Maron’s has been in business at several different Center City locations since 1850! It is still a small, family-run operation and produces great chocolates. If you’ve brought along a non-chocoholic friend, no worries! Opt for ice cream instead at Maron’s ScoopDeVille (http://www.maronchocolates.com/cream.html).

[posted for Nancy Calabretta, chocolate lover and medical librarian extraordinaire]

Maps & Directions: getting around Philly

The gophila website is one of the best on everything Philadelphian. Here's a link to the maps section which has both regional maps and detailed downtown maps.

http://www.gophila.com/Go/TravelTools/mapsdirections.aspx

Philadelphia: Home of Ice Cream?

Someone heard that Philadelphia is the "home of ice cream." And asks, what are some of the LAC's favorites for ice cream? Is Capogiro Gelateria really as good as they say? I turned to the collective expertise of the LAC and this is what I found out:

History of ice cream in Philadelphia:
http://www.chillyphilly.com/icehist4.html

Best of list
http://www.gayot.com/restaurants/bestof/icecream/philadelphia.html

Website that talks about "Philadelphia style" ice cream:
http://www.slate.com/id/2121378/

For the true ice cream aficionados, a recipe for Philadelphia-style ice cream
http://www.inmamaskitchen.com/RECIPES/RECIPES/Desserts/ice_desserts/ice_cream_philadelphia.html

Comments on specific ice creams and locations:
Bassetts-- the ice cream most associate with Philly (a long-timer - founded in 1861)
right next door in the Reading Terminal Market
http://www.bassettsicecream.com/news.html
great French Vanilla, great Butterscotch

Capogiro Gelateria, yes it is as good as they say -- 20th and Sansom.

Scoop de Ville at Maron Chocolates, the oldest, independent retail candy
business in America (91 years), has great ice cream. (1724 Chestnut)
http://www.maronchocolates.com/cream.html

Also wonderful is More than Just Ice Cream -- wonderful ice cream and really good food as well. between 11th and 12th on Locust.