Welcome to the Liberty Chapter Newsletter, a quarterly blog post that will highlight chapter initiatives, committee activities and the achievements of our members.
Business Meeting Recap
By Allison Piazza, Chair On October 7, 2025, the annual business meeting was held via Zoom with over 60 members in attendance. The meeting kicked off with Faith Steele (Executive Director, Region 1) and Jessica Kilham (Associate Director, Region 7) of the Network of the National Library of Medicine, followed by Heather Holmes, 2025-2026 MLA President.
Jaclyn Morales then opened the Liberty Chapter board meeting by giving the Chair’s report, which provided membership with a high-level overview of the Chapter’s accomplishments from the past year. The Treasurer (Matthew Bridgeman) and each Committee Chair also provided brief reports. A highlight of the meeting was the announcement of the election results by Nominating Committee Chair, Gregg Hendrick and Chapter Award Announcements by Professional Recognition Chair Helen-Ann Brown Epstein (results below). The meeting ended with the virtual passing of the Liberty Chapter Chair’s gavel from Jaclyn Morales to incoming chair, Allison Piazza, who introduced herself and provided a quick overview of her goals as Chair for the next year.
This year’s Continuing Education program was “Tips and Tools for Continuous Process Improvement.” Led by Michele Vellucci and Thomas Bimmer of Virtua Health, this interesting program helped define Continuous Process Improvement and explored key principles, tools, and rules of engagement to foster team participation, effective communication, and sustained improvement.
Annual Meeting Highlights
By Allison Piazza, Chair
On October 9, 2025, over 100-chapter members and vendors met in-person at the Heldrich Hotel in New Brunswick, NJ and online for the 2025 Annual Meeting, themed “Keep Calm and Power On: Moving from Planning into Action.”
The event commenced with a warm welcome from our chair, Jaclyn Morales. This was followed by an engaging and empowering keynote address from Andy Hickner, Education and Outreach Librarian at Weill Cornell Medicine and a Director of the Medical Library Association (MLA). During his talk, which was entitled, “Finding Agency by Practicing Advocacy,” Andy shared a personal example of how he practices advocacy and provided tips and resources for staying optimistic and avoiding burnout.
Members then showcased their work during lightning talks and poster presentations, highlighting various librarian-led research and programming initiatives. The posters and lightning talks can be accessed HERE.
The afternoon session, “Table Topics,” provided members with an opportunity to discuss issues of particular importance to them and their careers. Subjects covered included AI, advocacy, public health, data librarianship, and programming and outreach.
The meeting concluded with the Liberty Chapter's award ceremony and announcement of the “Vendor Game” winners.
Special thanks to our vendors (McGraw Hill, Covidence, Third Iron, Gideon, Wolter Kluwer, Elsevier, Springer Nature, EBSCO, Thieme, Cabells, Merck Manuals, BMJ Group, TDNet, and Matthews Medical Books) for sponsoring this year’s program!
Photos from the event can be found HERE. Thank you to everyone who made this year’s meeting a success! If you have photos from the annual meeting to share with us, please deposit them here (Google Drive, log in required)!
Advocacy Section
By Jordan Correia
Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) provides food assistance for low-income families, with most SNAP beneficiaries being the elderly and disabled. Because of the current government shutdown, benefits have been suspended, leaving millions of US Americans without help for November and probable future months. Some states are enacting their own policies and procedures to provide relief, but the future is uncertain for too many. This, combined with high food prices and stress of affordable living for everyone, not just SNAP beneficiaries, makes it feel like there is too much to overcome.
The advocacy section for this issue is not specific to medical librarianship and that's on purpose. I am always an advocate of not assuming too much about a person. I went to a "prestigious" university and met people who lived in their car, who were on SNAP, who went hungry some nights because they could not afford basic necessities. I am sure there are medical students, residents, staff, librarians, and faculty who simultaneously rely on SNAP and walk the halls of our institutions.
It's too hard to learn when you are hungry. It's too hard to do your job when you are worried about affording groceries. And it can be too hard to be positive when it feels like there's no assistance or support. Feeding America has a tool that allows you to find local food banks and soup kitchens or directs you to resources to find options: https://www.feedingamerica.org/find-your-local-foodbank
It's never a shame to reach out for help and make use of community resources; always feel free to do so. If you can, contact your local food bank about making a donation. I would also encourage making a sign, a post, etc. about local food banks and having it in your library. No one knows how long this will last, but whether the government shut down ends today or next month, there will almost certainly be someone who will still need these resources.
We value your feedback and we want to hear from you! Please fill out THIS FORM for comments and questions!
"What Healthcare Looks Like: Exploring Non-Clinical Healthcare Professions” – A panel presentation at The New York Public Library
By Trina Keith, Membership Committee Chair
The New York Public Library (NYPL) held their Annual Job Fair and Expo at the Bronx Library Center on Friday, September 12. This year’s theme focused on employment opportunities in the healthcare sector. My colleague, Roberto Ortega, (third-year MD-PhD trainee at Albert Einstein College of Medicine) and I were invited by Career Services at NYPL to participate in a panel presentation titled: “This is What Healthcare Looks Like: Exploring Non-Clinical Healthcare Professions.” We shared how our careers began, work experiences, and what inspired us to pursue our chosen career paths, among other topics. The event was well-attended and even after the session ended, many members of the audience stayed and engaged with us to follow up with their own questions. It was a wonderful experience describing my journey into the healthcare industry with such a receptive crowd. This collaboration with the NYPL was not only a great outreach opportunity for my institution but also exposed future health sciences librarians to new and exciting opportunities.
Membership Spotlight
By Rie Goto, Communications Committee Chair
Introducing Marianna Czeisel!
Marianna is a Head of Electronic Resources and Access Services at Zucker School of Medicine (Hofstra University/Northwell Health). She manages technical needs that arise with library resources and services. She also oversees interlibrary loan and other access services.
Why did you become a librarian?
“While getting my master's in music degree, I worked part-time at the college's music library. That experience stuck with me, and I eventually realized that being a librarian was my true calling.”
What project are you working on now?
“Improving accessibility of the library website.”
What’s your hobby outside of work/school?
“Playing board and card games (e.g., Wingspan, Magic The Gathering)”
What/who is your favorite Librarian character in popular culture (movies, TV shows, songs, etc..) and why?
“Barbara Gordon(Batgirl/Oracle) - most librarian characters are depicted as disliking computers, and Barbara Gordon uses her computer skills to save people (like health sciences librarians!).”
Make some noise to welcome Marianna!!
If you want to be featured or know someone you want to introduce, please fill out this form.
Kudos for Chapter MembersCongratulations to our fellow Chapter members!
Stephanie Kerns, MLS, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center
Stephanie has recently accepted the position of Director of the MSK Library at the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center.
In her new role, she leads the library team to cultivate innovative library services and drive user engagement in a mostly virtual environment. Her work focuses on delivering strategic leadership and vision for library services and collections, addressing information and technology needs with a future-focused and user-friendly view, and building collaborative relationships in the MSK community and beyond.
She received her MLS and her BA in English with a certificate in Women’s Studies from Indiana University, Bloomington. Prior to joining MSK, she held positions at Dartmouth Geisel School of Medicine, OHSU, Northwestern University, University of Southern California, and Georgetown University.
As a recent transplant to New York City, she is spending lots of time exploring the city and the area! Welcome to the Liberty Chapter, Stephanie!
As a recent transplant to New York City, she is spending lots of time exploring the city and the area!
Welcome to the Liberty Chapter, Stephanie!
Theresa A. Rienzo, BSN, RN, MS, MLIS, AHIP, Molloy University
Congratulations to Theresa who received her AHIP renewal at the distinguished level.
Kristine Alpi, MLS, MPH, PhD, AHIP, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai Jeannine Creazzo, MLIS, MBA, AHIP, Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital Somerset Jenny Pierce, MLS, Temple University
Kris, Jeannine, and Jenny were co-authors of this article:
Pierce, J., Bakker, C., Jo, P., Creazzo, J., Thompson, H., & Alpi, K. (2025). Content Access via Resource Sharing Early in the COVID-19 Pandemic: Findings from Nine Health Science Libraries. Issues in Science and Technology Librarianship, (111). https://doi.org/10.29173/istl2829
John Mokonyama, MS, MBA, MSLS, AHIP-D, Penn Medicine
Congrats to John for his successful mentorship.
This past semester, Penn Medicine (CCH) had the privilege of mentoring a library science graduate student from Syracuse University’s Graduate School of Information Studies. Under the guidance of John Mokonyama (AHIP-D), the student successfully completed an impressive capstone project titled “QuickServ: Bringing Self-Service to Penn Medicine, CCH Hospital Library.” The project focused on developing a self-checkout kiosk that offers hospital staff, patients, and students 24/7 access to both books and digital resources. Designed with accessibility and inclusion in mind, the kiosk features multilingual audio-visual instructions and is wheelchair friendly. The students’ research highlighted how this initiative could enhance access, improve service efficiency, and align with Penn Medicine’s commitment to excellence and innovation. The student has recently completed her Master of Library and Information Science degree and is set to graduate from Syracuse University in the spring of 2026. She is poised to launch her professional library career in New York. We extend our heartfelt congratulations to our library science mentee for this remarkable achievement and wish her continued success in her career!
Congratulations to our 2025 Professional Recognition Award winners:
Outgoing Chapter Chair Appreciation Award -- Jaclyn Morales Chapter Chair Award -- Rie Goto Outstanding New Member -- Jordan Correia Outstanding Members -- Gary Kaplan and Marlowe Bogino Katz Award for AHIP Registration -- Emmett Booth Recognition of Annual Meeting Keynote Speaker -- Andy Hickner
Congratulations to the 2025/2026 new and returning Chapter Board Members:
• Allison Piazza, Chair • Jaclyn Morales, Immediate Past Chair • Ben Hoover, Treasurer • Matthew Bridgeman, Immediate Past Chair • Jess Saunders, Secretary • Elizabeth Blake, Member-At-Large • Michelle Bass, Member-At-Large • Joey Nicholson, Representative to the Chapter Council (October 2025 - May 2026) • Mina Ghajar, Alternate Representative to the Chapter Council (October 2025 - May 2026) • Robert Mackes, Representative to the Chapter Council (June 2026 - May 2029) • Tony Nguyen, Alternate Representative to the Chapter Council (June 2026 - May 2029)
Congratulations to the members of the 2025/2026 Nominating Committee:
• Mina Ghajar • Yingting Zhang • Alexandra Short • Katelyn Angell • Gary Childs
Kudos for Chapter Members
Congratulations to fellow Chapter Members! With this issue we have so much to celebrate! So much so that we went over the capacity of one blog entry. Here is the full list of Kudos!
By Trina Keith, Memberhsip Committee Chair
Marie Elias, MLS, AHIP, Health Sciences Library, Montefiore Medical Center
Congratulations to Marie, who has recently accepted the position of Library Director of the Health Sciences Library at Montefiore.
Barnaby Nicolas, MSIS, AHIP, NYU Grossman Long Island School of Medicine
Barnaby has been promoted to a new additional role at the NYU Health Sciences Library: Director, Digital Information Strategy and Access. In this new role, Barnaby will lead a new division within the NYU Health Sciences Library to enhance how the Library acquires, manages, and delivers information resources across NYU Langone Health. His work will focus on aligning and optimizing digital infrastructure, collections, and library systems to improve access and efficiency throughout the health system.Barnaby will continue to serve as Director of the Hollis Health Sciences Library at NYU Grossman Long Island School of Medicine and NYU Langone Hospital—Long Island, a role he has held since 2016, and as Associate Curator in the Department of Foundations of Medicine. In addition to his leadership at NYU Langone Health, Barnaby brings deep experience from his time at Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, where he served as Assistant Director for its health system libraries—supporting the integration of library services across newly affiliated hospitals—and as Manager of New & Emerging Technologies, where he led efforts to strengthen library systems and resource sharing
Barnaby has been promoted to a new additional role at the NYU Health Sciences Library: Director, Digital Information Strategy and Access.
In this new role, Barnaby will lead a new division within the NYU Health Sciences Library to enhance how the Library acquires, manages, and delivers information resources across NYU Langone Health. His work will focus on aligning and optimizing digital infrastructure, collections, and library systems to improve access and efficiency throughout the health system.
Marie T. Ascher, MS, MPH, Lillian Hetrick Huber Endowed Director, Phillip Capozzi, M.D. Library, New York Medical College
Marie Ascher is the 2025 recipient of the Lucretia W. McClure Excellence in Education Award! Named in honor of Lucretia W. McClure, a legendary educator and mentor in medical librarianship, this award recognizes outstanding contributions to the field through teaching, curriculum development, mentoring, leadership, and scholarship. Marie is the creator and director of the Critical Appraisal Institute for Librarians (CAIFL), a nationally recognized workshop that has trained over 200 librarians in evidence-based practice. Her work has been supported by multiple NIH grants and has had a lasting impact on the profession. In addition to her instructional leadership, she has served on the MLA Board of Directors, the Nominating Committee, and currently contributes to the AI Imperative Task Force. Most importantly, Marie has been the "go-to" mentor/advisor/teacher/co-worker/friend for so many of us in this chapter! We can't be happier for Marie to receive this prestigious award. Congratulations Marie!!
Marie Ascher is the 2025 recipient of the Lucretia W. McClure Excellence in Education Award! Named in honor of Lucretia W. McClure, a legendary educator and mentor in medical librarianship, this award recognizes outstanding contributions to the field through teaching, curriculum development, mentoring, leadership, and scholarship.
Marie is the creator and director of the Critical Appraisal Institute for Librarians (CAIFL), a nationally recognized workshop that has trained over 200 librarians in evidence-based practice. Her work has been supported by multiple NIH grants and has had a lasting impact on the profession. In addition to her instructional leadership, she has served on the MLA Board of Directors, the Nominating Committee, and currently contributes to the AI Imperative Task Force.
Most importantly, Marie has been the "go-to" mentor/advisor/teacher/co-worker/friend for so many of us in this chapter! We can't be happier for Marie to receive this prestigious award.
Congratulations Marie!!
The NYU Health Sciences Library at NYU Langone Health
Congratulations to the NYU Health Sciences Library for the Research Advancement in Health Sciences Librarianship Award 2025! This award recognizes organizations whose exemplary actions have served to advance health information research and evidence-based practice in health sciences libraries. MLA presented the award to two institutions this year: the London Health Sciences Centre, Health Sciences Library and the NYU Langone Health, Health Sciences Library. Both institutions have demonstrated outstanding commitment to integrating librarians into the research, clinical, and educational missions of their organizations, setting a high standard for innovation and scholarly impact in the profession. NYU Langone Health supports librarian research with financial backing, professional development, and sabbaticals. Their efforts in data management, collaborative research, and education highlight their essential role in advancing health sciences librarianship. Notably, their librarians have co-authored more than 75 publications since 2022 and secured nearly $500,000 in grant-supported research funding, underscoring their leadership in scholarly productivity and institutional impact.
Congratulations to the NYU Health Sciences Library for the Research Advancement in Health Sciences Librarianship Award 2025! This award recognizes organizations whose exemplary actions have served to advance health information research and evidence-based practice in health sciences libraries. MLA presented the award to two institutions this year: the London Health Sciences Centre, Health Sciences Library and the NYU Langone Health, Health Sciences Library. Both institutions have demonstrated outstanding commitment to integrating librarians into the research, clinical, and educational missions of their organizations, setting a high standard for innovation and scholarly impact in the profession.
NYU Langone Health supports librarian research with financial backing, professional development, and sabbaticals. Their efforts in data management, collaborative research, and education highlight their essential role in advancing health sciences librarianship. Notably, their librarians have co-authored more than 75 publications since 2022 and secured nearly $500,000 in grant-supported research funding, underscoring their leadership in scholarly productivity and institutional impact.
Judy Lee, MBA, MLS, Maimonides Medical Center
Judy received two professional development awards that helped her attend MLA’25. One was from METRO and the other was from the Medical Library Association for the 2025 Hospital Libraries Professional Development Grant.
Judy also celebrated her birthday with her sister and child in Sarasota, Florida (May 26).
Michael Huang, MLS, MSEd, MSAc, Lac, Stony Brook University
Michael Huang, Health Sciences Librarian at Stony Brook University and SUNY Distinguished Librarian, has been selected as the recipient of the 2025 Chinese American Librarians Association (CALA) Outstanding Library Leadership Award, in memory of Dr. Margaret Chang Fung.
Laurel Scheinfeld, MLS, AHIP-D, Stony Brook University
Laurel Scheinfeld, Health Sciences Librarian at Stony Brook University, has been selected to receive the SUNY Chancellor's Award for Excellence in Librarianship, 2024-2025.
Sunny Chung, MLIS, AHIP, Stony Brook University
Sunny Chung, Health Sciences Librarian at Stony Brook University, presented her Medical Library Association Rising Stars research project results virtually on June 4, 2025.
Mina Ghajar, MLS & Maria Deptula, MLS, MA, AAPC, Rutgers University
Mina Ghajar and Maria Deptula presented a poster: Exploring Faculty Needs and Perceptions on Open Access Publishing at the New Jersey Library Association Annual Conference in Atlantic City on May 30, 2025. Mina and Maria will also be presenting a poster: Open Access & Transformative Agreements – Awareness, Perception, Experience during the ALA Conference in Philadelphia on June 29.
Mina Ghajar and Maria Deptula presented a poster: Exploring Faculty Needs and Perceptions on Open Access Publishing at the New Jersey Library Association Annual Conference in Atlantic City on May 30, 2025.
Mina and Maria will also be presenting a poster: Open Access & Transformative Agreements – Awareness, Perception, Experience during the ALA Conference in Philadelphia on June 29.
Jeannine, Pam, and Ryan were co-authors of this article:
Markus-Rodden, M., Creazzo, J., Hargwood, P., Norman, R., Vose, C., & Russell, M. B. (2025). Partnering Alongside Librarians. The American Journal of Nursing, 125(6), 60–63. https://doi.org/10.1097/AJN.0000000000000095
Jeannine and Ryan were co-authors of this article:
Barlow, P., Creazzo, J., Norman, R., & Levitt, L. (2025). Coffee across the pond – Implementing a transatlantic Randomised Coffee Trial for hospital nurses. Information Professional, (Summer), 29–29.
Travis Nace, MSLIS, Ginsburg Health Sciences Library, Temple University
Travis co-authored the following scoping reviews:
November 2024. Exploring Music-Based Interventions for Executive Functioning and Emotional Well-Being in Stroke Rehabilitation: A Scoping Review
April 2025. Culturally appropriate patient-provider communication methods for Black women with breast cancer: a scoping review
April 2025. Unexpected Admissions and Patient-Directed Discharges - Understanding Trauma Patients: Scoping Review
Lara has a resource review published in the Journal of Electronic Resources in Medical Libraries:
Lasner-Frater, L. (2025). Books@Ovid® Review. Journal of Electronic Resources in Medical Libraries, 22(1–2), 40–53. https://doi.org/10.1080/15424065.2025.2496620
Congratulations to John for his achievements!
Conference Presentation:
John presented a poster at the 2025 Medical Library Association (MLA) Annual Meeting. His presentation was part of the Research Training Institute program focused on: Exploring nurses’ Perceptions of Using Library Databases for Evidence-Based Research in Hospital Settings.
Research Collaboration:
John co-presented a paper at the 2025 MLA conference as part of the Rising Stars Program, 2024-2025. His colleagues in this presentation included Angela Murrell, Sunny Chung, and Kay Strahan. The session was titled: Modern Time Capsule: Shaping the Future and Building a Better Tomorrow.
Media Feature:
John was featured in Penn Medicine, Chester County Hospital’s institutional LinkedIn and Facebook pages, highlighting his contributions and achievements.
Publication Success:
John authored the inaugural issue of the Quarterly Penn Medicine, Chester County Hospital Medical Library Newsletter. Now it is in its third edition. The Newsletter has been very well received, with overwhelmingly positive feedback from the community.
Annual Meeting of the Liberty Chapter!
The Programming Committee is pleased to announce the 5th Annual Meeting of the Liberty Chapter will be held on Thursday, October 9, 2025, from 9:30am-4:00pm at The Heldrich Hotel (10 Livingston Ave, New Brunswick, NJ 08901). The meeting will be held in-person and virtually.
The programming committee is actively meeting to create an engaging program for all our attendees. The theme for this year's meeting is “Keep Calm and Power On: Moving from Planning into Action.”
Please see the Annual Meeting Website for more information. This page will continue to grow and will be updated. The call for Lightning Talks and Posters is now open! Registration will open in August.
Chapter Event Highlights
AI implementation in Health Sciences Librarianship: A Panel Discussion
Nearly 100 members attended, “AI implementation in Health Sciences Librarianship: A Panel Discussion,” on April 8. Featuring presentations by Liberty Chapter members, Gloria Willson, MLIS, MPH (Director of Education & Research Services, Levy Library, Icahn School of Medicine), Irma Qavolli, MSLIS (Information Services Librarian, Scott Memorial Library, Thomas Jefferson University), Fred LaPolla, MLS (Head Data Services, NYU Health Sciences Library, NYU Langone Health) and Amanda Adams, MLS (Evidence-Based Practice Librarian, CMSRU Library, Cooper Medical School of Rowan University/Cooper University Hospital), the panel was led by Allison Piazza and Jaclyn Morales. Presentation slides can be viewed HERE.
Empowering Libraries to Navigate Uncertainty: Liberty Chapter EDI Seminar Recap
By Diana Delgado, Associate Director, Information, Education and Clinical Services, Samuel J. Wood Library, Weill Cornell Medicine
On May 14th, the Liberty Chapter Equity, Diversity & Inclusion (EDI) Committee hosted a dynamic one-hour seminar titled, “Empowering Libraries to Navigate Uncertainty: Discussing Global Challenges, Thriving Together, and Supporting Well-being.” The session brought together members from across the region to reflect on the evolving global landscape and its impact on libraries, particularly in health care and academic settings. Through small group breakout discussions, participants shared how shifting political climates, funding uncertainties, and institutional changes are influencing staffing, programming, and DEI initiatives.
Despite these challenges, attendees highlighted innovative ways libraries are adapting and supporting their communities. From grassroot networks, advocating for inclusive resources and preserving access to critical information, to expanding roles in professional development and institutional advocacy, libraries are finding creative paths forward. The session served as a powerful reminder of the resilience and resourcefulness of librarians in times of uncertainty.
By Jo Polanco, MSLIS, SLA NY Community Past-President, 2023
Last month, the Special Libraries Association NY Community and the MLA Liberty Chapter held an online event titled "Health Sciences Librarianship: Beyond the Basics". The talk, led by Kristine Alpi, MLA Past-President, focused on areas of practice for health sciences librarians, career development and networking. The presentation was a follow up to The Basics of Health Sciences Librarianship, where Kris introduced SLA members to health information professional work.
The collaboration between MLA and SLA came about in 2023 while I was president of the SLA NY Community. Consistent feedback from our members highlighted the interest in professional and skills development. We wanted to offer learning opportunities for librarians at all stages of their careers and sought to develop a program with broad appeal.
We developed a “Basics of” concept where practitioners would present an overview of their field including education, job roles, and career paths. We launched the series with law librarianship and settled on medical librarianship for the next topic.
The joint MLA/SLA conference in Detroit that year provided the stage for our cross-association collaboration! Kris and I were introduced at the conference and later reconnected to discuss the project and potential formats. Kris graciously agreed to present the first session and reached out to the Liberty Chapter board about co-branding the event. The event was shared on the Liberty Chapter’s listserv and website. The enlightening talk presented SLA members with a broad view of health sciences librarianship and set up the second session to go deeper and beyond the basics.
The sessions were well attended by members of both organizations and bridged communities that may not naturally interact despite overlapping interests. We are grateful to Kris and MLA for their continued enthusiastic support of SLA and its mission.
As SLA embarks on its next chapter, this collaboration illustrates the cross-organizational cooperation and support which will guide the path forward.
The presentation, Health Sciences Librarianship: Beyond the Basics by Kris Alpi, is recorded and available to view for the Liberty Chapter Members. Please access it from here (Log in required).
Upcoming Chapter Events
CAIFL: Critical Appraisal Institute for Librarians - Sign up for Pre-Registration Reminder Now
By Marie Ascher, The Lillian Hetrick Huber Endowed Director of the Phillip Capozzi, M.D., Library, New York Medical College
Do you want to improve your ability to critically appraise the health sciences literature? Do you feel like you can only go so far with teaching EBM? Are you great at asking questions and acquiring the literature but feel you need help reading, understanding, and appraising? Do you want to know how to interpret the numbers presented in the results and how to read various charts of data?
If so, this is the course for you!
CAIFL: the Critical Appraisal Institute for Librarians is a professional development course specifically for librarians who want to engage more deeply with the literature. We've been offering the course since 2019 and have taught over 270 librarians. Participants who complete the course are eligible for 40 MLA CE credits. The course takes place over 8 weeks with one break week and consists of: five modules, two plenary sessions, participant journal club presentations, and peer presentations. The course is a lot of work and takes a commitment. The cost is $525.
CAIFL 2026 will officially open for registration during September 2025. For more complete information and to sign up to be reminded see: https://guides.library.nymc.edu/CAIFL. If you have any questions, please email CAIFL course director, Marie Ascher at marie_ascher@nymc.edu
We hope to see you there!
Membership Renewal Update
Many thanks to Chapter members who have renewed their 2025 membership! There are still a few members whose Chapter membership has lapsed, so please take a moment to check if your membership is up to date.
Members whose renewal is severely overdue will receive a final email reminder in early July and will be removed from the Chapter listserv if membership is not renewed by Friday, August 1, 2025.
Click here for more information on renewing your membership or becoming a new member. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact Trina Keith, the Chair of the Membership Committee, or e-mail us at support@libertymla.org.
Thank you for your continued support of the Liberty Chapter!
By Jordan D. Correia
Executive orders issued this year have caused significant changes to NIH grants, including putting existing and in-progress research in jeopardy of halting or being terminated. Similarly, prospective grant seekers have had to abandon plans to seek grant funding from federal sources as their projects do not meet requirements, such as including or focusing on so-called “DEI” topics or terminology.
As librarians, part of our jobs may include assisting researchers find grants, guiding them in the grant writing process, or helping them understand the policies attached to them. While there is no one-stop shop for finding grants, there are several ways to help researchers find grants:
As we continue to navigate rapid changes in our government, global affairs, and in our daily lives, it’s more important than ever to stay connected and form community. One of the most notable ways to get help with just about any medical library-related question, is to ask our community. Throw your questions in a forum or stop by a meeting and ask for help.
As we continue to try and support medical librarians, we want to hear from you! Please fill out THIS FORM or use the QR code below to discuss issues you have faced, resources you would like to hear, or anything else you feel the advocacy section should address.
Introducing Candace Hernandez
Candace is a User Engagement Librarian at New York Medical College.
“I am currently working on a small photo project for our library’s Art Meets Science Exhibit. Initially planning to provide content for a blog post alone, I photographed various flowering plants around campus and did research on 8 of them to determine their species and to provide brief descriptions for each, including possible uses in medicine and current scientific research on their application in human or animal health. This is the first time any photos that I have taken will be displayed publicly so it’s quite exciting!”
What do you think is so special about the field of Health Sciences / Medical /Hospital / STEM Librarianship compared to other librarianships?
“Health sciences/medical librarianship allows for such a dynamic practice of our skills - it is interdisciplinary and highly specialized in the services that we provide researchers and healthcare professionals. We are constantly learning and evolving to meet their needs and keep up with trends in health, science, and technology. It is an exciting place to be in this field.”
“I enjoy studying Japanese and recently started learning Korean. Otherwise, I can always be found reading and listening to music (and going to see live performances).”
“My favorite librarian character is Evelyn from The Mummy. It’s such a fun movie and one of my favorite scenes in it is her speech where she proudly declares that she is a librarian (I have it printed on a mug, on my desk!).”
Check out Candace’s flower photos and description of them on the blog of New York Medical School Library here!!
Congratulations to fellow Chapter Members!
With this issue we have so much to celebrate! So much so that we went over the capacity to publish in one blog post. Please see the full Kudos from here!
Please join Kris Alpi, our chapter member and Associate Dean for Libraries and Information Sciences at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, for a virtual event discussing Health Sciences Librarianship!
This event is hosted by the Special Library Association’s New York Community (SLA-NY).
Event: Health Sciences Librarianship: Beyond the Basics
When: Tuesday, May 13. 6:00 - 7:15 PM (ET)
Where: Virtual (Zoom)
Register: bit.ly/3SoYCaI
For more information: Please visit sla.org/new york community
By Jaclyn Morales, Liberty Chapter Chair
The Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Committee hosted the 2025 Vision Board Workshop, led by Allison Piazza. The Vision Board Workshop provided participants with a structured approach to identifying areas for personal growth and balance. Utilizing the Wheel of Life framework, attendees assessed their current satisfaction across various life domains, such as family and spiritual well-being.
Based on their self-assessments, participants selected a digital tool, such as Canva or PowerPoint, to create a visual representation of their focus areas for 2025. Through the incorporation of stock imagery, personal photographs, and inspirational quotes, participants articulated their goals, which included increased engagement in personal hobbies, career growth, and dedicated time for family and friends.
In February, over 30 Liberty chapter members were uplifted by Chair Yoga, guided by Helen-Ann Brown Epstein! Using only a chair, we explored the transformative power of seated and balancing poses. Chair Yoga was sponsored by the Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Committee.
In February, the board approved the creation of three new chapter committees. These committees were discussed during the merger and were built to encourage education and professional development within the chapter, advocacy and revenue diversification. Members learned about these new committees, along with the Chapter’s existing committees during a Committees Open House held on March 7th. A description of the new committees is listed below, with a dedicated section on the Liberty Chapter Website.
Governmental Relations Committee
The Government Relations Committee monitors relevant legislative activity at local, state, and national levels; reports legislative activities to the Board; recommends action in response to relevant issues (may include correspondence with legislators); encourages membership to act where relevant; publishes articles of interest in the chapter newsletter; submits annual objectives and an annual report. Sign-up Here
Professional Development Committee
The Professional Development Committee develops educational events to keep chapter members informed about new developments in their field and related areas; plans and coordinates continuing education programs and workshops; solicits input from chapter members regarding preferred course/workshop topics; identifies relevant programs offered by MLA or other groups based on member needs; proposes courses/workshops to the Board; provides credentialing information to chapter members; submits annual objectives and an annual report. Sign-up Here
Budget and Finance Committee Chair- Treasurer Co-Chair - Treasurer elect/past treasurer
The Budget and Finance Committee meets at least once a year to examine all current revenue sources and expenditures; research revenue-producing activities; studies investment policies and current sources of revenue for the chapter; submits annual objectives and annual report. Sign-up Here
This interactive course, led by Stacy Posillico, focused on practical writing strategies for creating effective posters and lightning talks. Participants explored the Problem-Gap-Hook Writing Technique, which emphasizes identifying the gap in existing research, clearly defining the problem being addressed, and establishing a relevant hook that personally connects with the audience. This framework provides a strong foundation for conveying key messages in both poster and presentation formats.
Through an interactive exercise, attendees applied this technique to their own projects, concisely summarizing their work into these three core elements. The session also covered various poster templates, effective data visualization methods for highlighting key takeaways, and an introduction to relevant AI tools. The session wrapped up with an open Q&A where participants could discuss their projects and challenges directly with the speaker.
When: April 8, 2025, 12:00pm – 1:30pm EST Where: Zoom Register Today: Registration Link
This panel discussion will give members the opportunity to discover ways to get started with AI implementation at their institutions. It will also support librarians who are already actively implementing AI with idea development, help in navigating conversations around AI use in education and research, and showcase how the librarian is well suited to support constituents in its ethical uses.
Speakers:
For our Spring 2025 programming, we invite you to share any initiatives your libraries have undertaken or plan to undertake to support justice, equity, diversity, inclusion, and belonging (JEDI-B). If you’ve implemented JEDI-B programming or training, conducted research, or performed a diversity audit of your collection, we’d love to hear about your experiences.
Presentations can be done with or without slides, and you’ll have 5-8 minutes to share. The event will take place on Wednesday, May 14th at 12pm EST via Zoom.
Please complete the MLA Liberty EDI Spring Lightning Talks survey to submit your proposal by Wednesday, April 16th. Feel free to reach out to Diana Delgado [did2005@med.cornell.edu] and Marlowe Bogino [marlowe.bogino@christianacare.org] with any questions.
We believe this will be a valuable experience for all involved.
The call for Membership Renewal went out in January. Membership dues were due on February 1.
Please click HERE for more information on renewing your membership or becoming a new member.
Members whose renewal is overdue should have received an email reminder. The deadline to renew your membership without being removed from the Chapter listserv is Monday June 2, 2025.
If you have any questions, please feel free to contact Trina Keith, the Chair of the Membership Committee, or e-mail us at support@libertymla.org.
The current presidential administration has come with a quickly changing research landscape. One of the issues that researchers and librarians have faced because of this is difficulty in accessing pre-existing datasets, particularly as the CDC changes or removes pages from their website in accordance with executive orders. In an effort to uphold continuing research, evidence-backed science and data, and diverse initiatives, several websites and organizations have worked hard to capture data prior to the current administration as well as present data. Below is a list of websites containing pertinent information that researchers may find benefit from and for librarians to refer their patrons to.
Medical Librarians are encouraged to share any resources they find with us or MLA headquarters.
As we continue to try and support medical librarians, we want to hear from you! Please fill out THIS FORM or use the QR code below with issues you have faced, would like to hear resources about, or anything else you feel the advocacy section should address.
***** Urgent Updates Regarding NNLM Region 5 ******
Heartbreaking news broke that grant funding for the NNLM Region 5 has been terminated, resulting in a stop work order and the loss of the jobs of seven staff members based at the University of Washington.
NNLM Region 5 included Washington, Oregon, California, Nevada, Hawaii, Alaska, and Territories and Freely Associated States in the Pacific. The team provided invaluable resources, support, funding, and professional development. Colleagues in the NCNMLG have created a spreadsheet of job listings within Region 5. Please add to it, particularly if you know of opportunities in the Seattle area where our impacted colleagues are based.
This is a critical moment when we support each other. Even if we are not in the Region 5, if you have any job opportunities, please share the job information in the list. Thank you!
The 125th Annual Meeting of the Medical Library Association will take place in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, from April 29th to May 2nd, 2025. This year’s theme is Bridging Tradition and Innovation, honoring the City of Bridges!
Registration is now open! Early Bird registration ends on Thursday, April 3rd ($114 savings for In-person attendance for MLA members!!). If you haven’t registered already, please register soon. MLA offers a $75 discount for presenters and Bulk Registration Rates for MLA Institutional Members! Rates and discount information are available online.
On the MLA’25 website, you will find Hotel and Travel information, Program information, Schedule at a Glance(PDF), CE Courses and descriptions, Presenter Tool Kit, and more!
One thing I wanted to remind everyone is that MLA has various Membership Activities planned for the meeting including Colleague Connection (paring first-time attendees with experienced MLA members), MLA Career Center with Resume Clinic (30 minutes with an experienced colleague to review your cover letter, and Resume or CV, or chat about your job search) and Job Placement Center (submit your resume or job opportunity ahead of time and meet with your potential candidate/employer at MLA!) Please contact Tomi Gunn at MLA Headquarters for details.
Don't forget to join the Liberty Chapter Colleagues at the Communities Lunch on Wednesday, April 30th, 12 noon to 1pm! We would love to see you in person!
Enjoy MLA'25 in person or virtually!
Member Spotlight: Introducing Emmett Booth (he/him/his)
Emmett is a Clinical Librarian at Thomas Jefferson University. He provides core reference services to students, residents, and staff at Einstein and Abington Hospitals. His role includes Initiating and supporting library outreach efforts at Einstein and Abington Hospitals, contributing to content development and maintenance of appropriate LibGuides and learning objects in Canvas, assisting library users with the evaluation of information resources, providing in-depth consulting services on the effective use of information resources and bibliographic management software, teaching sessions on library resources and information literacy in the context of evidence-based medicine, and conducting orientation sessions.
Why are you interested in becoming a librarian?
“I love helping people solve information problems, and I believe in the cause of preserving and disseminating knowledge, especially when that knowledge can help people with medical issues.”
“A scoping review about the effect of climate change on vector-borne diseases in pregnancy.”
"I host a podcast, the NotACast podcast, going through A Song of Ice and Fire (the books adapted into Game of Thrones)”
“Mike Hanlon in Stephen King's IT; he has the courage to dig deep into his hometown's violent history, and to stay there to confront it while the rest of his friends leave town and forget all about it.”
Game of Thrones fans or anyone curious about his podcast, take a listen to Emmett’s podcast here!
If you want to be featured or know someone you want to introduce, please fill out this form!
Kudos for Members
Maria Deptula, MLIS, George F. Smith Library of the Health Sciences, Rutgers University
Maria has written an article that was published in January 2025.
John Carey, MA, MLS, AHIP & Ajatshatru (A.J.) Pathak, MA, MLS, MPH, Health Professions Library, Hunter College - Brookdale Campus
John and A.J. co-authored an article that will be available online mid-March. The article is based on a lightning talk that they did back at the Liberty annual meeting in October 2024.
Sunny has 2 paper sessions that were accepted for the 2025 MLA Annual Meeting:
Jeannine Creazzo, MLIS, MBA, AHIP, Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital Somerset
Jeannine and Brittany Haliani will be presenting a poster at the 2025 MLA Annual Meeting in Pittsburgh
Jeannine and Ryan Norman presented a poster at the University Health & Medical Librarians Group 2025 Spring Forum, March 27, 2025.
Design & Deliver: Crafting Dynamic Posters and Engaging Lightning Talks
When: March 11, 2025, 1:00pm-2:00pm EST. Where: Zoom
Register Today: Registration Link
This interactive course explores the art of transforming a concise research abstract or program description into a dynamic and visually compelling poster presentation or lightning talk. Participants will learn strategies for translating complex information into accessible and engaging presentations, helping you find your story and tell it well in your own unique voice. Techniques such as persuasive writing approaches, authentic and purposeful messaging, effective layout design, impactful use of color and typography, and information visualization styles will guide you as you create a shared experience with your audience that will jumpstart the conversation you both want to have. Various tools will also be explored to streamline your workflow, all just in time for the MLA and the Liberty Chapter Annual meeting.
When: April 8, 2025, 12:00pm – 1:30pm EST
Where: Zoom
We are looking for speakers for a professional development session on the role of librarians in assisting clinicians/educators/administrators/faculty and students with the assessment, implementation, and usage of AI tools, within the academic and hospital setting. We want to hear about your involvement in AI workshops/classes, awareness campaigns, task forces, policy committees, etc. We are hoping to present this session in April 2025 via zoom.
Please reach out to Allison Piazza (allisonpiazza.nyc@gmail.com) and Jackie Morales (jmorales31@northwell.edu) if you are interested in presenting.
The EDI Committee of the Chapter has been working hard to organize a program for our members to present lightning talks to share any initiatives your libraries have undertaken or plan to support justice, equity, diversity, inclusion, and belonging (JEDI-B) in your institutions. Please save the date for Wednesday, May 14th , 12pm – 1pm and mark your calendar for this exciting session, which will take place via Zoom. Participant registrations will open in March. More information will follow.
Are you feeling the weight of the world on your shoulders? Are your joints crying out for relief? Longing for a moment of tranquility amidst the whirlwind of your day?
We invite you to an uplifting experience of Chair Yoga, guided by the talented Helen-Ann Brown Epstein! Join us on Thursday, February 13, 2025, from 12:30 PM to 1 PM, and let us embark together on a journey of rejuvenation.
Using your chair, we will explore the transformative power of seated and balancing poses, awakening your body and spirit.
Join us, and let’s breathe, stretch, and flow into a brighter moment together!
Register now!
