Librarians Without Borders: Building In-Country Research and Information Provision Capability Carla J

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Librarians Without Borders: Building In-Country Research and Information Provision Capability Carla J Against the Grain Volume 26 | Issue 2 Article 8 2014 Librarians Without Borders: Building In-Country Research and Information Provision Capability Carla J. Funk Medical Library Association, [email protected] J. Michael Homan Mayo Clinic Libraries, [email protected] Lenny Rhine Medical Library Association, [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: https://docs.lib.purdue.edu/atg Part of the Library and Information Science Commons Recommended Citation Funk, Carla J.; Homan, J. Michael; and Rhine, Lenny (2014) "Librarians Without Borders: Building In-Country Research and Information Provision Capability," Against the Grain: Vol. 26: Iss. 2, Article 8. DOI: https://doi.org/10.7771/2380-176X.6693 This document has been made available through Purdue e-Pubs, a service of the Purdue University Libraries. Please contact [email protected] for additional information. Librarians Without Borders: Building In-Country Research and Information Provision Capability by Carla J. Funk (Executive Director, Medical Library Association; MLA International Affairs Officer) <[email protected]> and J. Michael Homan (Director, Mayo Clinic Libraries; Chair, MLA Librarians Without Borders Advisory Committee) <[email protected]> and Lenny Rhine (E-library Training Coordinator, Medical Library Association Librarians Without Borders E-Library Training Initiative) <[email protected]> Global Commitment • MLA supports capacity building training through Global commitment for the Medical Li- programs at the association, section, distance educa- brary Association (MLA) is not a series of chapter, and individual member tion programs and talking points or an informative Website, but areas. the mobilization a program that reflects a deep commitment • MLA believes that building capacity of volunteers for to internationalism and outreach. One of will be most effective and long-last- in-country train- the keys to understanding MLA’s global ing when partnerships are created ing and work- commitment is the association’s international with groups sharing similar goals, shops. Besides the Elsevier Foundation, strategic statement which underscores the particularly partnerships with inter- MLA also partners with the Health Inter- importance of partnerships and the need to national agencies where shared goals Network Access to Research Initiative build in-country capacity through qualified intersect with available expertise and (HINARI) Access to Research in Health librarians, technology, and information ac- infrastructure.1 Programme, the Information Training and Outreach Centre for Africa (ITOCA), and cess. This includes collection development As part of this strategy, the MLA/Librar- by facilitating free and/or less costly access the World Health Organization (WHO) ians Without Borders (LWB) program was among others. HINARI is included in the to a variety of scientific databases through formally established in 2005 as MLA’s or- in-country training programs. Research4Life program that is a public-pri- ganizational structure for its global outreach. vate partnership between WHO, the Food • MLA believes that the key elements One of the most successful programs is the and Agricultural Organization (FAO), the in improved health for all peoples grant-funded E-Library Training Initiative. United Nations Environment Programme are the ability of each nation to (UNEP), the World Intellectual Property strengthen and build health scienc- E-library Training Initiative Organization (WIPO), and others with 190 es information capacity through The MLA/Librarians Without Borders science publishers facilitated by the Interna- qualified health sciences librarians, (LWB) e-library training initiative was estab- tional Association of STM Publishers. MLA implementation of supporting tech- lished in 20072 and is funded in part by the has also worked with other partners to support nological infrastructure, and access generous support of the Elsevier Foundation. this program including the World Health to quality information. It provides access to quality health information Organization’s European, Western Pacific, and Southeast Asia and Eastern Mediterranean Regional Offices, the Pan American Health Organization, and the Ministries of Health, against thepeople grain profile universities, medical schools, libraries, and hospitals in the countries and cities where the workshops were held. The partnership’s goal Executive Director is to reduce the gap in scientific knowledge Medical Library Association between industrialized countries and the devel- 65 E. Wacker Place, Suite 1900, Chicago, IL oping world by providing long-term training on the use of online resources through a variety of Phone: (312) 419-9094 • Fax: (312) 419-8950 training modules.3 <[email protected]> • www.mlanet.org HINARI was established in 2002 with six publishers including Blackwell, Elsevier PROFESSIONAL CAREER AND ACTIVITIES: MLS from Indiana University; MBA Science, the Harcourt World STM Group, from University of Chicago; started as a public librarian and public library director and Wolters Kluwer International Health & Sci- consultant in the Chicago, IL area; worked at the American Medical Association in the ence, Springer Verlag, and John Wiley that library and then in other areas of the association; have worked at the Medical Library provided free or low cost online access to about Association as Executive Director since 1992. 1,500 journals in biomedical and related social PHILOSOPHY: Stay flexible and don’t be afraid to make intelligent changes or course sciences to local, not-for-profit institutions in corrections as you move forward, considering all the information developing countries. HINARI has grown to available to you to achieve positive outcomes. more than 150 publishers offering more than 37,000 information resources.4 MOST MEMORABLE CAREER ACHIEVEMENT: My good fortune in working for MLA and its members and contributing E-Library Training Coordinator, Lenny to the profession for over 20 years. Rhine, has coordinated the e-library training initiative since its inception. He has taught Carla J. Funk HOW/WHERE DO I SEE THE INDUSTRY IN FIVE YEARS: almost 1,000 people in twenty-nine countries The library profession as a whole, including medical librarians, around the world including library staff mem- will continue to face a variety of challenges, and will face these bers, researchers, university faculty, physicians by taking on new and evolving roles in information access and and nurses, medical students, Ministries of provision using the latest technologies and methodologies. Health, public health staff, pharmacists, med- continued on page 16 14 Against the Grain / April 2014 <http://www.against-the-grain.com> Librarians Without Borders ... from page 14 against thepeople grain profile ical records and IT staff, and veterinary and agricultural students in developing countries about HINARI, Access to Global Online Director of Libraries, Mayo Clinic Libraries Research in Agriculture (AGORA), Online Mayo Clinic, 200 First Street SW, Rochester, MN 55905 Access to Research in the Environment Phone: (507) 284-9595 • Fax: (507) 284-1038 (OARE), and Access to Research Devel- <[email protected]> • http://www.mayo.edu/library opment and Innovation (ARDI) resources, authorship skills, how to organize workshops to teach others how to access information or BORN AND LIVED: Born in Portland, Oregon but raised in Enterprise located in Wallowa Train the Trainers courses, and other important County in far northeastern Oregon near the Idaho border. I have lived in Portland, Chicago, information. AGORA, OARE, and ARDI are Los Angeles, Santa Monica, Kalamazoo, Irvine, and Rochester. also part of Research4Life programs. PROFESSIONAL CAREER AND ACTIVITIES: Began as a UCLA Biomedical Library intern Fifty percent of the e-library training ini- and later as an employee of the Pacific Southwest Regional Medical Library at UCLA. tiative involves the development and updating Following the UCLA post I managed specialized library services at The Upjohn Company, of training materials. There are over thirty a large multinational pharmaceutical company now part of Pfizer in Kalamazoo. I returned training modules, tools, and presentations in to the Irvine campus of the University of California as the AUL for the Sciences and to the program. This material is updated regularly participate in the planning, design, and construction of a large consolidated science library. as the HINARI, PubMed, and publishers’ Since 1994 I have been enterprise director of libraries at Mayo Clinic in Rochester. platforms continually change. The first train- IN MY SPARE TIME: Gardening, reading, travel, and music — particularly opera. ing module was an overview of Internet and FAVORITE BOOKS: I like novels and short stories and just finished Dear Life by Alice basic computer skills, but for the past three Munro and Zoli by Colum McCann. Also like current events/politics and I’m currently years, this module has not been taught as reading Charles Krauthammer’s Things That Matter and have a digital subscription to the participants already have the necessary the New York Times. baseline skills. Current workshops include more advanced material on evidence-based J. Michael Homan PET PEEVES: Those without passion and opinions. practice and eBook resources plus authorship PHILOSOPHY: You can achieve a great deal if you don’t mind who gets the credit. skills (e.g., how to read and publish a paper, GOAL I HOPE TO ACHIEVE FIVE YEARS FROM NOW: Continuing to contribute to the copyright,
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