Introduction

Library Advocacy is a new special project for the MidContinental Region. This area will focus on providing health science librarians with the tools and education to successfully advocate for their libraries within their institutions. It will also increase awareness of the value of libraries and librarians to hospital administrators and health care professionals.

Online Tools

Click here to try the new Library Value Calculator

Click here to try the new CBA/ROI Calculator

MCMLA Library Advocacy Task Force

MCMLA Library Advocacy Task Force is sponsoring a contest for "Frontier Forerunners of Library Marketing and Promotion!" Here is your chance to show off your marketing project or promotional activities that you have used to improve or expand services in your library or for your users. Members are encouraged to submit materials to Marketing and Promotion Categories: you may enter one or both categories.

Prizes for the best entry scoring above 80 points will be awarded. Entries will be evaluated on Design, Presentation and Evaluation Criteria. Entries should be submitted to Barb Jones (jonesbarb@health.missouri.edu) by September 1, 2008.

All entries are encouraged to display their projects and promotional materials at the Marketing Booth at MCMLA. The winners will be announced at MCMLA 2008.

Hospital Library Advocacy Resources

• Hospital Library Advocacy Blog
  This weblog brings together resources related to hospital library advocacy: standards and their promotion, making the business case for library services, and promotion of library within hospital and to outside organizations.
• 
  
• Hospital Library Advocacy Handout
  Created by Julie Gaines. First section encompasses Colorado: modify to meet your needs. Second section: resources all can use now.
• 
  
• Hospital Libraries Section of the Medical Library Association
• 
  
• Future of Hospital Libraries Forum
  Presentations and Notes from MCMLA 2004
• 
  
• Standards for Hospital Libraries 2002
• 
  
• Preparing for JCAHO
• • Panel on Cultural and Linguistic Issues: hospital efforts to address cultural and linguistic issues impacting patient care are studied.
  • Hospitals Language and Culture: A Snapshot of the Nation
  • JCAHO Letter: The MCR's response to the proposed changes to the JCAHO standards.

Recommended Readings

• Bibliography: Value of Librarians and Library Services
• Bibliography: Recommended Book List
• Bibliography: Librarian Relationship to Administrators
• CCML Advocacy Committee Collaborative Bibliography
  

Marketing and Promotion Resources

• Library Advocacy Letter 2005
  The RML has written a letter advocating for the role of medical librarians within the hospital. If you are interested in having your hospital administrator receive this letter, please contact Suzanne Sawyer at (ssawyer@rml4.utah.edu or 1-800-338-7657)
• 
  
• American Library Association

  ALA's Campaign to Save America's Libraries
  

  The Small but Powerful Guide to Winning Big Support for Your Rural Library
  

• Demonstrating Impact
  WebJunction
• 
  
• Information RX
  Order free promotional materials now!
• 
  
• Loansome DOC
  Easy to implement! Health professionals love it and it makes your job easier!
• 
  
• Marketing and Justifying the Library
  Marketing strategies and articles for immediate use
• 
  
• Medical Librarians Affect Patient Care
  Lisa McCormick, Medical Librarian, makes a difference
• 
  
• Gale Helps You to Market Your Library
• 
  
• MLA's Librarian Survival Kit
  Created to help you promote your value as a health sciences librarian and the value of the services you provide to your institution.
• 
  
• Quotes from journal articles you can use to demonstrate your worth
  Created by Deb Weaver of the Colorado Council of Medical Librarians Advocacy Group
• 
  
• Measuring Your Impact: Using Evaluation to Demonstrate Value
  Link to class materials at the bottom of the page: Logic model, evaluation plan, resource list and more

Collection Development

Written by Paul Theerman of the National Library of Medicine, this article suggests considerations for collection of historical materials.

Get AHIP Points While Working with the MCRML

Click here to to view the Breezing Along with the RML: RML Updates presentation on this topic

The Academy of Health Information Professionals is MLA's peer-reviewed professional development and career recognition program. The academy recognizes the personal investment of time and effort required for exemplary professional performance and for contributions to the association and to the profession.
The academy provides a structure for individualized professional development for all health information professionals, no matter how long they've been in the field. Whether you are new to the profession or have been working in it for years, the academy has a membership level and professional development guidelines for you.

To contact the MCMLA Credentialing Liaison, please click here.

• Contribute content to MedlinePlus Go Local
  You can earn 5 AHIP points by working with a MedlinePlus Go Local site. This is new to AHIP and details will be available in the Spring of 2008. In the meantime, please click here for more information from the MCRML News Blog on this topic.
  
  Please contact the Consumer Health/Colorado Liaison, Dana Abbey, your state liaison, or the Go Local contact for the Go Local site you are interested in contributing your services.
• 
  
• Contribute to the Plains to Peaks Post Newsletter
  We are always looking for Members to contribute to the Plains to Peaks Post Newsletter. If you have a 200 to 600 word piece you would like to contribute, this would earn you 1 AHIP point. Click here to learn more about authoring and AHIP points.
  
  Please contact the Network Membership/Utah Liaison John Bramble or Project Coordinator, Suzanne Sawyer to learn how you can submit your article and share your experience with your colleagues.
• 
  
• Exhibit at national, international, regional, state and local meetings
  There are several roles you can play as an exhibitor for the RML and earn AHIP points at the same time. To earn 3 points, you can be a exhibit organizer or to earn 2 points, you can be a exhibit demonstrator. There are dozens of opportunities that you can participate in each year. Click here to learn more about exhibiting and earning AHIP points.
  
  Please contact the Consumer Health/Colorado Liaison, Dana Abbey or your state liaison to learn how to become a certified MCRML exhibitor and share your expert knowledge with members of the numerous health sciences professionals from around the world or those who are right in your community.
• 
  
• Teach - We can help you with developing classes and help with finding venues where you can instruct or be a guest lecturer. For those of you who would like a chance to mentor someone developing and teaching a class, we can also help by putting you in contact with someone who is looking for a mentor. There is a wide range of AHIP point available for the many teaching roles, such as MLA CE and non-MLA CE course developer/co developer, instructor/co instructor, MLA discussion group convener, etc. Click here to learn more and find what role fits you best.
  
  Please contact the Education/Nebraska Liaison, Marty Magee or your state liaison for more information on how to take advantage sharing your knowledge as a teacher and/or mentor to those in the health sciences field.