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.

Science and space

Science Fair!
On April 3rd Yamila and Kathleen exhibited at the Arizona Science and Engineering Fair. This event brought together students from grades 5-12 from all over the state. Our librarians used an iPad to give demonstrations of PubMed and MedlinePlus and publicize the AHSL. For more details (and photos!) see Kathleen’s blog entry at:
http://ahslphoenix.wordpress.com/2012/04/04/ahsl-exhibits-at-azsef-2012/

4th floor?
Dr. Bootman has asked us to work with Facilities Management to propose some layouts for flexible study and meeting space on the 4th floor. This is exactly what the Space Committee proposed. I will be sharing proposals with you to hear your ideas and responses. It’s not definite that this will come to pass but we are moving in the right direction.

New Building?
You may remember that a new education building has been announced. It is planned for the parking lot diagonally across the traffic circle from the library – between AHSL and the Medical Research Building. The only guaranteed tenants for the building are Interprofessional Education and some classroom space. Facilities Management is brainstorming other potential uses for the building. We have raised the possibility of moving the AHSL into this space. This is just in the “what if” stage. The Administrative Team has just started talking about the implications of a move like this. We will be coming to you for your ideas as we think about what a future library might look like.

Front door project

The installation of our new front doors is tentatively scheduled for late in the week of April 16. There will be some noise associated with this work but it should only last for a couple of days. These new doors should accomplish three goals: replace the aging and broken sliding gate that currently secures the library when we are closed, cut off noise from the new lounge area outside the library and reduce the necessity to purchase another expensive security gate. Once the doors are completed we can push the old gate back into the wall for the last time!

No Smoking? Streetcar!

Cough, Cough
Now that the UA Health Network has adopted a smoke free policy, the AHSC Deans are considering doing the same for the health sciences campus. This is still in the discussion stage.

Streetcar
As previously announced, the ground breaking for the “Modern Streetcar” project will be on April 12, east of the Keating/Bio5 building. U.S. Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood is expected to attend. The Warren St. underpass (under Speedway) may be closed a few days ahead of this event. We can expect construction on campus along Helen St. over to Warren.

AHSL at the Tucson Festival of Books

Anyone going to the Tucson Festival of Books on Saturday morning? If so, you may see familiar faces at the Arizona Health Sciences Center booth! Annabelle and Yamila will be staffing the booth on Saturday morning and focusing on bones, featuring MedlinePlus, Kid’s Health, and BAM.gov (from the CDC), and involving folks in creating their own member of the Skeletoni family.

Z-Z-Z-Z-Z

SiestaLife
The SiestaLife team has been busy last night and today getting the purple room transformed into their business pilot project. This has given us the chance to see the room “opened-up” without all of the study carrels, etc. We are starting to consider installing study tables in this area in place of carrels. In addition, the room now has locks on the doors, which may give us some flexibility in future use.