Very interesting library/librarian advocacy article. Please share this article and its accompanying report with current, future medical librarians, and library students of all types - our profession is still vital to health care and the world in general, folks. While you are sending messages out to fellow librarians and librarians-to-be, add policy makers to your Send list - those that hold the keys to resources should read this, too:

Librarians set to be NHS cure: Librarians have been put at the heart of an evidence-based NHS
by Laura Smith
http://www.whatpc.co.uk/information-world-review/features/2227780/librarians-set-nhs-cure-4246209

This is the link to the March report the article above refers to:
http://www.library.nhs.uk/rss/newsAndRssArticle.aspx?uri=http%3a%2f%2fwww.library.nhs.uk%2fresources%2f%3fid%3d281336

I sent both links to Carla Funk, Executive Director of the Medical Library Association, who quickly responded with the following good news about all of the advocacy efforts conducted by the Association (reprinted here with permission):

" MLA is working on advocacy for our members and their roles, most notably right now through the Vital Pathways Project http://www.mlanet.org/resources/vital/. I think I just received information about Sir Muir Gray who's cited in the paper from the group yesterday and his work in bringing NHS library services to their current position. There are certainly comparisons that can be made between UK and US medical librarians, particularly in the dedication to supporting evidence-based medicine, the importance of lifelong learning, and the importance of being part of the health care team. MLA has had several initiatives in this regard including the informationist, supporting research on the value of the medical librarian, and disseminating a variety of advocacy tools to help librarians promote their value. We continue to work closely with NLM on projects, included our current project of exploring and promoting the librarians' role in health information literacy.
I am going to pass these documents on to the Vital Pathways group as additional resource documents for their work. Thanks again.

Carla J. Funk, MLS, MBA, CAE
Executive Director
Medical Library Association"

Many thanks to Ms. Funk and all of the medical librarian professionals who are working hard to remind and inform others about the worth of librarians and libraries!

"I Love My Librarian" award is now taking nominations - go to http://www.ilovelibraries.org/lovemylibrarian/home.cfm and nominate your favorite librarian!

From the site:

"Librarians in our nation’s 123,000 libraries make a difference in the lives of millions of Americans every day. Now is your chance to tell us why we should shine the spotlight on a librarian at your public, school, college, community college or university library. Nominate your librarian for the Carnegie Corporation of New York/New York Times I Love My Librarian Award!

Up to ten librarians will be honored. Each will receive $5,000 and be recognized at an awards ceremony hosted by The New York Times at TheTimesCenter in December 2008."

Now THIS is one event that I hope they get Oprah to visit! Deadline for nominations is October 15, so hurry. If you don't nominate that deserving librarian, who will?? Here's your chance!

From Mashable: Hakia Semantic Search Taps Librarians for More Credible Results
http://mashable.com/2008/10/06/hakia-librarians/
The post says that Hakia is working with the Medical Library Association. I saw that they list the consumer sites recommended by MLA on their HClub page. There is also a link for librarians to suggest credible sites on their HClub page http://club.hakia.com/lib/.

Librarians and libraries in the news:

Smith College had an Alumnae Panel yesterday on: Why Librarian is Among Best Careers
http://www.smith.edu/news/2008-09/librarians-015.php

Students Go to Court Over Library Policy http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/nation/2008/10/117_32129.html - Students at the University of Seoul have been leaving their belongings to 'save' their seats in the library. The University decided to ban the practice by suspending offending students from entering the facility for up to 30 days. A student has filed a lawsuit against the University.

Librarian: No Typical Day http://www.pioneerlocal.com/oakpark/news/1194278,op-librarian-100108-s1.article - a short article on why a librarian became a librarian. [An aside - this Internet news site demonstrates one of my major pet peeves - you can't tell where the news is from just by looking at the page. I think it is from Oak Park, IL, but not sure. Wonder why the newspapers hide their locations on the Internet?-th]

The Librarian Specializes in Terrorism and Extremism http://media-newswire.com/release_1074863.html - a librarian at Texas A&M is a professor and author on terrorism.

The $900.000 Librarian http://www.forbes.com/lifestyle/2008/10/01/collecting-auctions-art-forbeslife-cx_nw_1001librarian.html - no, this isn't an article about a lottery win, but a photograph that was recently sold for over $900k, showing the photographer/model posing as a librarian next to shelves.

Electronic Arts' Cellphone Librarian http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/technology/2008/10/electronics-art.html - story about the job of managing 15,000 cell phones that are used by employees at this company.

Westmoreland Libraries Finding Creative Ways to Raise Funds http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/tribunereview/news/westmoreland/s_591106.html - library in Pennsylvania (?) discussing creative ways to raise money and promote their services.