Exhibits and Presentations

To promote awareness of and the ability to access electronic health information:

• Our staff is available to do presentations, workshops, or to exhibit at your meeting or event free of charge. We highlight U.S. National Library of Medicine (NLM) and National Network of Libraries of Medicine (NN/LM) services. Contact your GMR State Contact Librarian for more information.
• We provide funding opportunities and support for both exhibiting in the GMR and teaching at meetings when you highlight NLM and NN/LM services.
• Learn about a variety of educational resources and handouts available to our network members.
• Members can also use the Promotional Materials Order Form to obtain materials for those meetings highlighting NLM and NN/LM services.
• Visit the GMR Calendar to view upcoming events and exhibits.

Training and Professional Development

Another way we increase the effective use of electronic health information resources is to provide training and professional development opportunities to those who directly provide health information to the public.

• Take one of the classes offered through the GMR office or schedule one for your group.
• Your institution may apply for a Professional Instruction Award and sponsor a workshop, technology fair or forum, or other professional educational activity.

Collaboration

To reach the many and diverse populations in need of health information, we work collaboratively with various regional partners to extend our services and to establish the infrastructure needed to support ongoing access to health information resources. We facilitate collaborative outreach in the region by funding awards, subcontracts, and cooperative agreements. The Funding Opportunities page includes resources that will help you get what you need to support your vision. Visit the Funding Recipients page to see what your colleagues in the region are doing.

Consumer Health Outreach

Consumer Health Services include free presentations about National Library of Medicine resources, exhibiting at conferences and health fairs, and funding opportunities. Our consumer health information workshops are available to our members and consumers throughout the Greater Midwest Region. Classes are customized to meet the needs of your organization.

For more information regarding consumer health, please contact: Samanthi Hewakapuge, Consumer Health Coordinator, Email Samanthi.

Underserved/Underrepresented Groups

A priority of the GMR is to ensure that the health care providers who serve underserved communities and populations at risk for health disparities have access to biomedical information. Working through intermediaries such community-based organizations, faith-based organizations, tribal colleges, and other agencies is one way to reach underserved healthcare consumers and those at risk for health disparities.

For more information regarding outreach to specific populations, please contact: Jacqueline Leskovec, Outreach and Evaluation Coordinator , Email Jacqueline .

Public Health Workforce

Another priority for the new contract is to improve access to online health information for the public health workforce and to assist with developing their skills for retrieving information to respond to epidemics, bioterrorism threats, and other public health issues. In the new contract, the RML is proposing to intensify its outreach efforts to the public health workforce and expand on models of regional public health information networks developed in the previous contract that could serve as building blocks for a national public health information network.

For more information regarding outreach to the public health workforce, please contact: Holly Ann Burt, Outreach and Exhibits Coordinator , Email Holly .

Resource and Outreach Libraries

The Greater Midwest Region supports 32 Resource Libraries distributed through out the region, who have signed a letter of agreement with the GMR and are selected because of collections that add significantly to the resources of the region and the special expertise they contribute to improve regional or national programs. Sixteen of these resource libraries are designated as Outreach Libraries for the 2006-2011 contract to assist the GMR with teaching classes, providing document delivery services, partnering with affiliate members of the network to conduct outreach projects, and exhibiting and/or presenting at community events or meetings to promote NLM resources and services. Toolkit for GMR-Funded Outreach is available online.