Hello from NNLM Region 5 staff: Cathy Burroughs

Posted by Cathy Burroughs on September 8th, 2021 Posted in: Blog, New from NNLM Region 5

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Hello!  My name is Cathy Burroughs.  I am honored to be Executive Director of the Regional Medical Library (RML) at University of Washington, serving the Network of the National Library of Medicine (NNLM), Region 5.

In this role, I am leading the RML to deliver a flexible, rapid response to changing regional and national needs, maintain continuity of quality programs, and develop effective collaborations and innovative methods for outreach, engagement, and instruction. I supervise the terrific RML staff and ensure representation of the RML to NNLM network members in Alaska, California, Hawaii, Oregon, Nevada, and Washington, plus U.S. Territories and Freely Associated States in the Pacific. An important Region 5 aim is to reconnect with longtime members, get to know newer members, and stay connected with all of you! Be sure to join our NNLM Region 5 Listserv to learn about NNLM education, training and funding opportunities and for curated news and announcements  from the National Library of Medicine and National Institutes of Health.

This is the first year of the 2021-26 program for the newly structured Region 5, but I have been working in various capacities for the NNLM since 1997!  I received my MLS degree in 1987 at UCLA, where I specialized in health sciences information and was an intern at the Louise M. Darling Biomedical Library. In my first professional position, I was a reference librarian at Georgetown University Medical Center Library in Washington DC. I then worked as a research librarian/project manager for contracts with multiple agencies of the National Institutes of Health.  When I returned to the Northwest, I was fortunate to serve as project manager for the National Library Medicine funded outreach evaluation study at the University of Washington resulting in the NNLM evaluation guide that I co-authored:  Measuring the difference: guide to planning and evaluating health information outreach. I was then appointed as Associate Director of the Pacific Northwest Region of the NNLM and have served in this leadership capacity since 2004. I report to Tania Bardyn, who is Principal Investigator and Director of NNLM Region 5, and I serve on the broader NNLM leadership team and the Health Sciences Library Management Team at University of Washington.

Before becoming a librarian, I was a musician and member of the Spokane Symphony Orchestra. Although I have set aside my violin for now, I feel a kindred spirit with all things classical music. I also love spending free time with my best friend and partner, and together he and I enjoy hiking, snow shoeing, taking road trips and exploring national parks. Other personal interests are yoga, cooking and entertaining, worldwide travel, reading, and getting back to attending live concerts and theatre!

I look forward to working together with you in the years ahead to address health information needs in your communities. Feel free to contact me directly at cburroug@uw.edu,  I’d love to hear from you!