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The National Network of Libraries of Medicine, New England Region has a number of monetary awards that are available on a first-come, first-served basis to network members in New England. It is necessary to apply for these awards, following the guidelines outlined at the NER website (http://nnlm.gov/ner/) for each one. In addition to 5 Outreach Subcontracts, there are six funding opportunities. Included are Exhibits (5 awards), Technology Awareness (2 awards), Internet Connectivity (3 awards), Course Development (2 awards), Sister Library (2 awards) and Research Awards (1 award). What follows is a description of each award and listing of awardees during year 1 of all contracts. We encourage your applications for year 2.

Outreach Subcontracts :

The primary purpose of Outreach Subcontracts is to assist health information professionals or consumers and health sciences libraries in the NN/LM NER in providing information services and training to groups that do not have access to a medical library. In addition, Outreach Subcontracts are offered to expand the number of health information professionals within the NN/LM NER who have specific knowledge of the healthcare populations and needs in their areas, provide access to health information resources to individuals who do not have convenient access to the resources of large academic medical centers, identify areas or populations that are in need of better health information services, or increase awareness and use of currently available health information resources.

Awards :

Boston University -- The Alumni Medical Library, Boston University Medical Center, in collaboration with the Boston Public Health Commission (BPHC), will facilitate access to biomedical information in HIV and AIDS by providing information skills training to the consumers of the Boston EMA and those using services of the approximately 60 Title I and City of Boston Prevention, Education and Care funded programs. ($40,000)

Tufts University - The Tufts University Medical Library will work with the 60 health care providers (physicians, physician assistants, providers, nurses, psychiatrists, and social workers) at South Cove, a clinic which specializes in providing medical services to specific ethnic/racial Asian Groups who are not being served elsewhere. The library staff will provide training on locating and using health related information, especially PubMed and MedlinePlus.($22,374.00)

Yale University -- The Yale School of Medicine, the Cushing/Whitney Medical Library, the Epidemiology and Public Health Library, and the New Haven Free Public Library will collaborate to develop a Consumer Health Information Center (CHIC) at the New Haven Free Public Library. The CHC will serve the New Haven region as well as surrounding towns. It will provide access and training in the use of health related resources to local citizens. ($ 43,885.00)

Massachusetts General Hospital - The Treadwell Library will expand service to a community based outreach project that includes improving access to on-line health information for school and community health nurses in four underserved communities. Funding will enable ARCH (Access to Resources for Community Health, a collaborative project among four partners in Boston, MA) to improve access, especially electronic access, to health information and resources to the school and community health nurses who have limited access to high quality health information. ($25,000)

Boston College - The Boston College School of Social Work will develop and provide a two day workshop for practicing social workers titled "Information Technology Skills for Social Workers". The workshop will be held in the fall of 2002. ($ 13,650.00)

Course Development Award :

The purpose of this award is to develop a class to improve the knowledge base and skills of the customers of the RML. Program options include developing a web-based class, design a web site or developing a long distance learning program using videoconferencing technologies.

Award : Locating and Evaluating Health Resources on the Internet, Berkshire AHEC -- The purpose of this training program is to provide nurses who live and/or work in Berkshire County (MA), with an awareness of the numerous nursing and health resources that are available to them via the Internet. This program has been developed to serve the unique needs of nursing professionals in Western Mass. ($500.00)

Internet Connectivity Awards :

Funds are available to assist NER members in upgrading connections or implementing Internet services in unconnected or under-connected institutions. This enables the networks libraries to access NLM's services and products for its staff, health care providers and patients. Staff at each site are trained by librarians from local Resource Libraries, Outreach Libraries or a NER coordinator. Funding may be used to purchase equipment as needed (computer, printer, fax, high-speed modem) or Internet service provider access.

3 Awards : Falmouth Hospital Library - purchase a Panasonic Network Fax ($2995); Inland Hospital Library - purchase one computer to replace out of date hardware ($1392.00); AIDS Outreach Library -- purchase two computers to replace out of date hardware ($3921.00)

Sister Library Award :

Funding is available to support the career and professional development of health sciences and public librarians in the region. Funds may be used to sponsor the exchange of staff between a health sciences library and/or a public library in order to promote the improved access of health information to the public.

Award : Len Levine, New England Baptist Hospital - visit Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS) in New York City for two days to see first hand the programs and services that are being offered at the nearest musculoskeletal center of excellence. ($362.00)

The National Library of Medicine (NLM)requested that Regional Medical Libraries (RML) develop regional showcases or technology forums focused on the use of information technology to improve biomedical information. To fulfill this request, network members may receive funding to co-sponsor a technology awareness program or conference. The purpose of the award is to improve awareness of and access to biomedical information for health professionals and consumers. Program options include organizing and hosting a conference, developing a series of small workshop(s) or videoconference(s), or organizing and hosting an information fair of exhibitors.

Award : University of Connecticut Health Sciences Library -- The consumer health conference will foster collaboration between public health departments, public libraries, major health organizations, AHEC outreach librarians, and health sciences librarians in using the appropriate technology, resources, and referral patterns to effectively answer consumer health questions in a timely manner. ($6400.00)

The National Network of Libraries of Medicine, New England Region (NN/LM, NER) exhibits regularly at national meetings of health professional associations and associations with a consumer focus in order to promote access to health information resources using the products and services of the National Library of Medicine (NLM) and the NN/LM. In order to promote access at the state and local level, the Exhibit Award is issued to affiliate libraries, consortia, resource libraries, outreach libraries, and primary access libraries to exhibit at state and local health association meetings with either a health professional or consumer focus.

To foster the professional development and research opportunities of network members in support of NN/LM mission and goals. NER research awards may be used to study a number of rich topics applicable to the NN/LM. Applicants may choose to design a research study focusing on a number of areas including telemedicine, distance learning, web-page evaluation and design, consumer health reference services, electronic publishing, technologies for public health professionals, assessing information needs, etc. Research projects involving librarians and multi-disciplinary teams of health professionals and/or public librarians will receive priority.

Electronic Document Delivery Project :

A collaborative project between the University of Massachusetts Medical School's Lamar Soutter Library and six libraries in Maine, using Ariel software's electronic document delivery option is being investigated. As patient stay times in hospitals decrease, librarians have become more concerned about the speed of document delivery and it's impact on patient care. This project enables 24 hour turn-around time for document delivery through the use of Ariel software, scanners, storage space on a library server and the internet. Libraries were awarded up to $1,000 to purchase hardware and/or software to support their participation in the project.

Participants :

Central Maine Medical Center, Lewiston, ME
Eastern Maine Medical Center, Bangor, ME
Husson College, Bangor, ME
Jackson Laboratories, Bar Harbor, ME
Maine Medical Center, Portland, ME
Mercy Hospital, Portland, ME
Penobscot Bay Regional Hospital, Rockland, ME
University of Massachusetts Medical School, The Lamar Soutter Library, Worcester, MA