Hello, Network Members! How about working with community agencies to improve health literacy of senior citizens? Training emergency responders to use NLM tools? Sharing hospital library expertise and resources with free clinics? Implementing a program to strengthen partnerships in support of school health goals? The possibilities for health information outreach are endless, and the National Network of Libraries of Medicine, Pacific Northwest Region is happy to be able to offer once again Express Outreach Awards to help fund your efforts. Applications for the 2009-2010 Express Outreach Awards must be submitted by September 4, 2009. Maximum award is $12,000.

Read the full announcement at http://nnlm.gov/pnr/funding/Express_Outreach_July_2009.html. Any network member is eligible to apply, though project personnel must have demonstrated experience using MedlinePlus or other applicable NLM resources, or identify a project partner with this expertise. Examples of current or previously funded express outreach projects are online at http://nnlm.gov/pnr/funding/OutreachAwards2006-2011.html#A3. If you have questions or would like to discuss potential project ideas, contact Linda Milgrom or other PNR staff.

A new funding opportunity is being offered at the National Library of Medicine, by the National Information Center on Health Services Research & Health Care Technology (NICHSR). The purpose of the funding is to identify and pursue collaborations that advance the mission of Partners in Information Access for the Public Health Workforce.  A factsheet about Partners can be found at http://www.nlm.nih.gov/nno/partners.html

Information about the funding is below.  Questions may be directed to nichsr@nlm.nih.gov.

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We are excited to announce another round of funding from the NN/LM PNR to support purchase, installation, and/or upgrading of hardware and software to enhance access to health information.

Up to three (3) awards of up to $5,000 each are available to NN/LM member organizations in Alaska, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, and Washington. The purpose of these awards is to enhance the capacity of a library or organization to offer electronic health information services for health professionals or health consumers.

This funding can be used for:

• computer equipment, scanning or document imaging equipment, or other hardware
• software for Internet or Web-based transmission of documents
• Internet access fees
• trainings or demonstrations related to a new information service

Applications from community-based organizations are especially welcome.

A spring 2007 assessment of libraries in the Pacific Northwest revealed a number of technology and connectivity gaps including the need for wireless Internet access, facilities for computer-based instruction, document delivery equipment, and other hardware and software upgrades. This funding is intended to help libraries and other member organizations to meet those needs. We hope that this funding can also provide an opportunity for network members to collaborate with their institutional Information Technology personnel. In the fall of 2009, we were pleased to award technology improvement project funding to three network member organizations. Those projects are currently underway.

We aim for recipients of these awards to be distributed across our five state region. Priority will be given to proposals that:

1. Respond to a previously identified health information access need

2. Have active support of the institution’s information technology staff

3. Include a clear strategy for evaluating project outcomes

Consideration of requests for funding will begin on May 13, 2009. Proposals should be submitted using the Technology Improvement Awards Application form .

For additional information, see the official funding announcement or contact Alison Aldrich, NN/LM PNR Technology Outreach Coordinator, at aldrich3@u.washington.edu , 1-800-338-7657.

For every successful blog, wiki, or social networking attempt, there are many abandoned projects. During the ACRL Virtual Conference last weekend, Meredith Farkas shared some great points about why Web 2.0 projects in libraries fail and what can be learned from those failures.

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Congratulations to Kootenai Medical Center, Northern Rockies Rural Health Clinic, and Bastyr University. These three network member organizations were recently awarded funding  for technology improvement projects. Read on to learn more about their exciting plans.

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Web Tools Training for Rural Oregon Health and Social Service Professionals
By Laura Kuperstein
Oregon SafeNet Program Manager

A year ago I received funding from NN/LM Pacific Northwest Region’s Express Outreach Award to train health and social service professionals on four websites- Oregon SafeNet, MedlinePlus, Oregon Helps and the Beehive - and to give information about Oregon SafeNet, our statewide maternal and child health line. My proposal was to partner with the Oregon Child Development Coalition, an agency that provides Head Start and child care to 3500 primarily Hispanic children in mostly rural areas of Oregon.

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