“Connecting with the NER,” a distance education series
Submitted by Michelle Eberle
Stay up to date professionally without leaving your desk! The National Network of Libraries of Medicine/ New England Region brings you a new distance education series. This ongoing series will feature hot topics in health sciences librarianship and major updates to National Library of Medicine resources. Stay tuned for more to come! Announcements about future programs will be highlighted on the NN/LM-NER distance learning page and announced on the NAHSL-L listserv. (http://nnlm.gov/ner/training/distancelearning.html)
Recent Programs Included
“Health Literacy”
Guest speaker: Rima Rudd
Date: February 12, 2008
Time: 1-2 PM
Our first program held on February 12, 2008 featured guest speaker, Rima Rudd, Senior Lecturer on Society, Human Development, and Health at the Harvard School of Public Health with a lecture on health literacy. Dr. Rudd shared the importance of health literacy in the context of research findings, promising initiatives and roles for professional action. This was a unique opportunity for members to hear from one of the most prominent researchers in the field and to inquire with burning questions. Dr. Rudd wrote several reports that are helping to shape the agenda in health literacy research and practice. They include the health literacy chapter of the Health and Human Services book Communicating Health: Priorities and Strategies for Progress (2003) and the Educational Testing Services report, Literacy and Health in America (2004). She served on the Institute of Medicine Committee on Health Literacy, on the National Research Council Committee on Measuring Adult Literacy, on the Joint Commission Advisory Committee on Health Literacy and Patient Safety.
“Library as Commons: Improving the Library Experience”
Guest speaker: Cheryl Bryan
Date: March 19, 2008
Time: 1- 2 PM
Libraries today are expected to create havens for those seeking a quiet place to work, study or read and places for shared exploration and work groups. They also provide access to new technologies, while providing traditional print and media sources all in the same floor plan. Cheryl Bryan, Consultant with the Southeast MA Regional Library System, explored the trend towards defined activity zones, allowing the space to be reconfigured to current demands and uses, reminiscent of the simplicity of the traditional Japanese house. How are libraries successfully doing this now? How can we modify traditional services and introduce new media and formats to our communities? The successes of public libraries with library as commons was shared to provoke thoughtful discussion of this important issue for medical libraries too.
“Marketing Showcase”
Guest speaker: You!
Date: April 9, 2008
Time: 1-3:30 PM
This unique opportunity provided members with a chance to share what worked best in promoting their library and to hear effective marketing strategies from other medical librarians throughout the region. Each participant had 10 minutes to share their project, program, resource, or approach and describe how it increased the visibility and status of the library within the organization and community. Five “best in show” projects will be chosen and highlighted by the NN/LM-NER in the next NER’eastah Newsletter. The Marketing Showcase was co-facilitated by Michelle Eberle and Mark Goldstein.
We look forward to continuing to bring you meaningful educational programming in this new format.
We want your feedback! To suggest a topic and/or speaker for an upcoming Connecting with the NER program, please contact Michelle Eberle at michelle.eberle@umassmed.edu.
