Want to become more involved at the Annual Meeting and have fun too? Receive AHIP points for exhibiting at the health fair. Show your passion and commitment to community service by participating in these activities at MLA ‘08! The National Program Committee is collaborating with local Chicago organizations for two exciting events:

1) Only Connect: Each One Teach One on Friday, May 16, 2008, noon – 2:00 p.m.: MLA members will visit the Wrightwood-Ashburn branch public library to meet with public librarians interested in finding out more about healthcare information. We need volunteers who have outreach and teaching experience to exchange expertise with a team of public librarians on health information and community outreach. Each volunteer will present for 15 minutes on their favorite health web site and/or share information on their latest outreach project relevant for public librarians. We see an opportunity for connecting medical librarians and public librarians! Round trip transportation provided from the Hyatt. Pick up at 11:00am in the hotel lobby. Participants will return to the Hyatt about 3:00pm. Maximum: 15

2) Only Connect: MLA health information table at the Rush University Free
Health Fair on Saturday, May 17, 2008, at the Chicago Christian Industrial League: MLA members will offer free literature searches to the approximately 1,000 residents who are expected to attend from the city’s underserved communities. Spanish-speaking librarians are encouraged to volunteer. We will need volunteers for 2-hour shifts each:

  1. Morning, 8:00a.m. pickup at Hyatt (in the lobby), return at noon, Maximum: 20
  2. Afternoon, 10:30a.m. pickup at Hyatt (in the lobby), return at 2:30 p.m., Maximum: 20

To volunteer, please check the appropriate box on the MLA ‘08 Registration Form (page 27). Round-trip bus transportation from the Hyatt Regency Chicago will be provided. These community outreach events are the first to be held at an MLA annual meeting, and we need your support to make them successful! For additional information contact Tammy Mays, AHIP at tmays@wisc.edu or Deborah Jameson, AHIP, at djameson@partners.org.

Thank you for supporting MLA!

Tammy Mays and Deborah Jameson
Community Outreach Chairs, 2008 MLA NPC