Tell us briefly about the purpose and/or background of your SIG.
The Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgendered Health Science Librarians SIG was founded in 1995 to identify, collect, and disseminate gay, lesbian, bisexual, and/or transgendered health care information to enhance the quality and quantity of information available to our colleagues within the Medical Library Association (MLA) and our institutions.

Do you have a website and/or list-serv?
Our Web site is available at http://lgbt.mlanet.org, and information about our email discussion group is available here. We also publish an annual/semi-annual newsletter, sharing information about the SIG’s activities at the MLA Annual Meeting.

Will you be meeting at MLA? If so, when, and what is on your agenda? Is the meeting open to non-members?
The SIG will hold an informal business meeting on Tuesday, May 20, at 11:30 a.m. in the Atlanta Room at the Hyatt Regency Chicago. The meeting is open to non-members, and while we do not have a specific agenda prepared as yet, we typically talk about our program activities at the current meeting and begin discussing the types of activities in which we would like to be involved at next year’s meeting.

Is there anything else about your SIG that you’d like to share with MLA blog readers?
The SIG’s membership is not limited to gay persons but rather is open to any member of the Medical Library Association who supports anti-discrimination and is pro-human rights.

And just for fun, what’s on your must see/do list for Chicago?
Chicago is home to the Center on Halsted (COH), the city’s premier lesbian, bay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) destination. The COH opened in April 2007 and is located in the center of Lakeview on “Northalsted”, a bustling, diverse commercial district. For a less intense yet still colorful venture, check out Andersonville on North Clark. Andersonville is a historic Swedish district with small-town charm.

- Thank you to co-convener Jon Crossno for sharing info on LGBT SIG activities at MLA ‘08.