Director’s Insights: Q1 Highlights

Posted by Kathryn Vela on August 15th, 2024 Posted in: Blog, New from NNLM Region 5, News from NNLM Region 5
Tags: CHIS, conference, consumer health, education, training

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The NNLM year runs from May to April, so Region 5 has just wrapped up its first quarter! The last three months have been incredibly productive and rewarding for our team. Here are a few of our accomplishments over Quarter 1 and what we’re looking forward to in Quarter 2!

Looking Back on Quarter 1

We kicked off the year by participating in the Medical Library Group of Southern California and Arizona (MLGSCA) annual meeting, where we shared the Region 5 update and presented a lightning talk about our MedlinePlus tutorials for community health workers. This presentation was well-received and highlighted our commitment to improving health literacy and access to reliable health information.

In collaboration with our NNLM colleagues, we successfully led the completion of the CHIS On Demand modules for Level 2 certification. This achievement marks a significant step forward in providing accessible and comprehensive training for professionals who create and distribute consumer health information.

Our coordinators also made a notable impact by teaching the “How PubMed Works: Intro” course to a national audience. This course is essential for those learning how to navigate PubMed effectively.

One of the highlights of this quarter was evaluating a record number of funding proposals. After careful consideration, we selected three outstanding proposals to fund this year. Stay tuned for more information about these exciting projects!

Coming up in Quarter 2

As we move into our second quarter, we have several exciting initiatives on the horizon. We plan to expand our MedlinePlus tutorials to include a Spanish-language version, incorporating feedback from community health workers to make them even more effective and user-friendly.

To celebrate Medical Libraries Month and all of the amazing health information professionals in Region 5, we will share a series of guest blog posts written by our friends and colleagues around the region. If you want to participate in this blog series, please get in touch with us for more information!

If you’re planning to attend the California Library Association conference in Pasadena this October, be sure to look for our booth in the exhibit area! You can meet us face-to-face, learn more about our initiatives, and take home some NLM and NNLM handouts.

You can also find Region 5 staff teaching NNLM courses throughout the year. Over the next few months, you’ll find our coordinators teaching “ClinicalTrials.gov for Librarians” and “Telehealth 101: What Libraries Need to Know“.

 

As always, if you have any suggestions or feedback, drop us a note using the digital suggestion box on the NNLM Region 5 homepage.