Past, Future, Facilities

New Exhibit
Stop by Java City to see our new exhibit, “Early Hospitals in Arizona with Diploma Schools of Nursing”.  Hannah did the research for this exhibit and Nga and Dave Cantrell from Biomed did the layout on the posters.  There are two exhibit cases near the entrance and posters on the north wall.  In addition to the interesting narrative history there are some wonderful photographs from “the old days”.

Library of the Future
Sr. Vice President Bootman has formed a task force to discuss what health sciences libraries will look like 10-20 years in the future.  He has asked Gary to Chair the group, which will write a brief report in the fall.  This is one of several task forces that Dr. Bootman has created.  The purpose of the groups is to help in planning what goes into different buildings, how resources are allocated, how priorities are ordered and what reorganizing/restructuring is needed to create better efficiencies.  The Library of the Future Task Force met for the first time yesterday.  It consists of faculty and student representatives from each of the AHSC colleges and from the COM-Phoenix.  The group is very engaged and thoughtful and their thoughts should be very valuable to us.

Facilities news
Fire drills are planned for our building sometime between July 16th and 20th.

The University is NOT going to implement a no smoking policy on the AHSC beyond what is mandated by state law.  HOWEVER state law does allow us to ban smoking in open areas where it could be drawn into windows or vents.  So, the Hippocrates area and the area west of the AHSL next to the Comstock Building and the lower open area of the College of Pharmacy are going to be designated as non-smoking.  “Ashtrays” (actually tin cans with gravel in them) will be removed.  Signs need to be posted in order to ban smoking.  Facilities will be working with the Colleges to obtain funding.

The Warren St. underpass will be closed at the end of June (plus or minus 3 months!) for 6-8 months and single lanes of Speedway will be closed during the work on the modern streetcar.  Portions of Cherry and Helen will be closed for a couple of weeks at a time this summer.  Signs will be posted with alternate routes to the Zone 1 parking lot at Cherry and Mabel.

Student Fees, Awards, Fire!

How has the AHSL used student fee money?
You may be asked how we spend the money that comes to us from the student IT/Library fee.  Here is a brief answer.  Most students pay a $200 Information Technology/Library fee.  Of that, $120 is for the libraries on campus.  The University takes 17% for the Arizona Assurance scholarships so the library gets $99.60 per student.  With these funds we have:

Purchased new study tables and chairs
Converted staff offices to group study rooms
Purchased white boards for group study rooms
Installed security cameras
Cleaned chairs
Reupholstered chairs
Purchased computers for the library computer lab
Purchased CatCard readers for the computer lab to limit access to students
Paid fees for supporting off-site access to electronic collections
Paid fees to support online catalog and system to check out books, keys, etc.
Purchased white board markers, headphones, earplugs, anti-septic wipes
Purchased electronic access to books and journals

Award
Yesterday it was my pleasure to present the Eleanor Johnson Award at the College of Medicine Senior Awards Breakfast.  Eleanor Johnson was a librarian here in the 1970’s and early 1980’s.  She served both the campus and health care providers around the state.  She had a long-standing interest in encouraging women to practice medicine and this award was established in her memory.  The award goes to an outstanding woman in the graduating class.
This year the award went to Allison M Small.  It is always wonderful to attend this event to celebrate these students who have excelled not only in academics, but also in research, clinical skills and in their humanitarian efforts both in Arizona and globally.

Fire!
On Wednesday five of us attended the UA Fire Extinguisher Training course.  We learned some basic fire safety tips and more detailed information about when to use and not to use a fire extinguisher.  I strongly encourage you to attend this session when we schedule more in the fall.
There are two things we learned that I want to pass along now.  Not just on campus, but in hotels, restaurants, movie theaters, at home and anywhere that you go, always be aware of at least two exits.  Thinking about an exit strategy from any enclosed space could save your life.  Also, find the location of the fire extinguisher nearest to your desk.  I learned that one is located about 50 feet closer to me than I thought!  They are marked on the small exit maps located near the main library stairwell.

Congratulations! Congratulations! Congratulations!

Promotions and Continuing Status
Congratulations to Annabelle and to Carol who have each been promoted from Assistant Librarian to Associate Librarian and awarded Continuing Status!  Congratulations to Jacque who has been awarded Continuing Status!

Congratulations Mary Riordan!
As incoming chair of the Medical Library Association Awards Committee Mary will be a mentor to MLA “Rising Star” Rolando Garcia-Milian from the University of Florida HSC Library.  Rolando will be working with the Awards Committee to increase the number of nominations for MLA awards.  I’m sure that you remember the press release announcing that Annabelle will be one of the five “Rising Stars” and will be working with the MLA Leadership and Management Section.

Congratulations Diana!
I am very happy to announce that Diana Almador-Douglas has been accepted as a 2012-2013 National Library of Medicine Associate Fellow.  As a Fellow Diana will work at the NLM for a year, learning about the internal workings of the library and working on a special project.  Fellows are offered an optional second year working in a health sciences library.  This is a very selective and competitive program.  Many of you will remember Paula Maez and O.C. Tom.  Both were Knowledge River students who worked in the AHSL and who were accepted as Fellows.