Free webinar: Generative AI Features in Library Resources: A Panel Discussion About What You Need to Know

 Enjoy this free webinar from ACRL.

"A panel discussion among vendors and academic librarians about generative AI in current library resources, the directions they may take in the futures, and their impact on librarianship and education. The panel includes Kathleen Flynn, University at Albany, SUNY; Eric Prosser, Arizona State University; J. Denice Lewis, Wake Forest University; Ann Benyon, Clarivate; Emily Singley, Elsevier; Ashank Rai, JSTOR; and Beth LaPensee, Ithaka. Brought to you by the STS Vendor/Publisher Relations Committee."

The End of SLA

The Special Library Association just announced that they will cease to exist in 2025. 

Read the official announcement.  

UWM's map library

UWM's map library is in the news. One of their oldest maps will be getting digitized: Lazarus Project to shine a new light on oldest map in UWM collection

for more pictures and an interesting tidbit about a donation from Charles Lindbergh himself, check out this Atlas Obscura article about the map library: Inside the Most Amazing Map Library That You've Never Heard Of - Atlas Obscura.

 

 

These Words are Disappearing ...

WHSLA Member Diane Giebink-Skoglind wanted to share the following NY Times article, 

as this info may impact search strategies going forward:

These Words Are Disappearing in the New Trump Administration

By Karen Yourish, Annie Daniel, Saurabh Datar, Isaac White and Lazaro Gamio 

March 7, 2025

As President Trump seeks to purge the federal government of “woke” initiatives, agencies have flagged hundreds of words to limit or avoid, according to a compilation of government documents.

• accessible
• activism
• activists
• advocacy
• advocate
• advocates
• affirming care
• all-inclusive
• allyship
• anti-racism
• antiracist
• assigned at birth
• assigned female at birth
• assigned male at birth
• at risk
• barrier
• barriers
• belong
• bias
• biased
• biased toward
• biases
• biases towards
• biologically female
• biologically male
• BIPOC
• Black
• breastfeed + people
• breastfeed + person
• chestfeed + people
• chestfeed + person
• clean energy
• climate crisis
• climate science
• commercial sex worker
• community diversity
• community equity
• confirmation bias
• cultural competence
• cultural differences
• cultural heritage
• cultural sensitivity
• culturally appropriate
• culturally responsive
• DEI
• DEIA
• DEIAB
• DEIJ
• disabilities
• disability
• discriminated
• discrimination
• discriminatory
• disparity
• diverse
• diverse backgrounds
• diverse communities
• diverse community
• diverse group
• diverse groups
• diversified
• diversify
• diversifying
• diversity
• enhance the diversity
• enhancing diversity
• environmental quality
• equal opportunity
• equality
• equitable
• equitableness
• equity
• ethnicity
• excluded
• exclusion
• expression
• female
• females
• feminism
• fostering inclusivity
• GBV
• gender
• gender based
• gender based violence
• gender diversity
• gender identity
• gender ideology
• gender-affirming care
• genders
• Gulf of Mexico
• hate speech
• health disparity
• health equity
• hispanic minority
• historically
• identity
• immigrants
• implicit bias
• implicit biases
• inclusion
• inclusive
• inclusive leadership
• inclusiveness
• inclusivity
• increase diversity
• increase the diversity
• indigenous community
• inequalities
• inequality
• inequitable
• inequities
• inequity
• injustice
• institutional
• intersectional
• intersectionality
• key groups
• key people
• key populations
• Latinx
• LGBT
• LGBTQ
• marginalize
• marginalized
• men who have sex with men
• mental health
• minorities
• minority
• most risk
• MSM
• multicultural
• Mx
• Native American
• non-binary
• nonbinary
• oppression
• oppressive
• orientation
• people + uterus
• people-centered care
• person-centered
• person-centered care
• polarization
• political
• pollution
• pregnant people
• pregnant person
• pregnant persons
• prejudice
• privilege
• privileges
• promote diversity
• promoting diversity
• pronoun
• pronouns
• prostitute
• race
• race and ethnicity
• racial
• racial diversity
• racial identity
• racial inequality
• racial justice
• racially
• racism
• segregation
• sense of belonging
• sex
• sexual preferences
• sexuality
• social justice
• sociocultural
• socioeconomic
• status
• stereotype
• stereotypes
• systemic
• systemically
• they/them
• trans
• transgender
• transsexual
• trauma
• traumatic
• tribal
• unconscious bias
• underappreciated
• underprivileged
• underrepresentation
• underrepresented
• underserved
• undervalued
• victim
• victims
• vulnerable populations
• women
• women and underrepresented

Notes: Some terms listed with a plus sign represent combinations of words that, when used together, acknowledge transgender people, which is not in keeping with the current federal government’s position that there are only two, immutable sexes. Any term collected above was included on at least one agency’s list, which does not necessarily imply that other agencies are also discouraged from using it. 

NNLM Traveling Exhibit now at Marquette's Raynor Library

 Marquette will host “This Lead is Killing Us: A History of Citizens Fighting Lead Poisoning in their Communities,” which explores how citizens, scientists and medical professionals have confronted industry to protect their health against the dangers of lead poisoning, beginning March 10 and running through April 19 at Raynor Library. 

Lead exposure can cause neurological problems, even death — especially in children. Despite this, the metal has been pervasive in many aspects of life in Milwaukee and the rest of the United States for more than a century. Many industries added lead to their manufacturing processes and products, endangering their workers and putting communities at risk through polluted air, contaminated water and paint dust. 

“This Lead is Killing Us” is produced by the National Library of Medicine and features photographs, advertisements, newspaper articles, official reports and other materials that reveal how and when lead has hurt Americans’ health and shines a light on milestone civic actions that have protected communities against this environmental danger. 

The National Library of Medicine offers a variety of online companion materials: 

• Exhibition highlights, including historical materials shown in the exhibition 
• Educational resources for K-12 educators, including lesson plans 
• Digital gallery with related historical materials, including scientific reports and public service announcements, on the dangers of lead 

This exhibit is free and open to the public during the library’s regular visitor hours. 

MLA's Statement on Protecting Access to Health Information

In response to recent political actions, including threats of defunding, lost workforce, and disappearing data on federal websites, The Medical Library Association (MLA) issued a position statement:

Protecting Access to Health Information: The Critical Role of Libraries, NLM, and NIH Funding

Medical Library Association Position Statement - February 25, 2025.

We are encouraged -- both MLA members and non-members -- to contact our US Representatives and Senators to share or quote from the statement and let them know how the federal government’s recent actions are impacting our work. An emailed press release from a random organization will be ignored, whereas if the message comes from one of their constituents, an aide will at least read it (or hear it, if it’s a phone call).

We must remember we, their voters, are their boss, and they serve us, not the other way around. 

 

Upcoming WHSLA WISDOM Chat March 21: Will White on Systematic Review Tools and Instructional Design

Will White, Health Science Librarian at UW-Milwaukee

The upcoming WHSLA Wisdom Chat features Will White. 

Friday, March 21, 2025  from 2-3 pm CST

In this Wisdom Chat, Will White, Health Sciences Librarian at UW-Milwaukee, will inform us about what he learned about systematic review tools and instructional design, and how he has incorporated key takeaways into his work at UW-Milwaukee.

Will won a 2024 WHSLA Professional Development Grant.  This presentation will fullfill the grants requirement to share learnings with WHSLA Members via a Wisdom Chat or a blog post.

Join us for Will’s presentation followed by our usual round of sharing.

WHSLA Wisdom Chats are open to all WHSLA members in good standing. If you are a current member and did not receive an invitation, please contact Michele Matucheski, WHSLA Wisdom Chat coordinator filling in for Barb Ruggieri this year. 

What if We Can't Rely on PubMed?

This thought has certainly crossed my mind in the past few weeks -- every time PubMed goes down, even just briefly with a 403 (or some other error), my first thought is; "This is the end."   

So far, it's only ever been a brief outage, and it has come back online in 10 min. or so -- Thankfully!

I'm not the only one with these doomsday thoughts ...  

Hilda Bastian at the Absolutely Maybe PLOS Blog wrote an article entitled "What if we can't rely on PubMed?"  She offered some alternatives around the world that we can fall back on if necessary.  

Weathering the Storm with YLE

I have to admit: I am feeling more than a little out-of-sorts with the current political situation and what could happen to public health, medicine and medical research (among other things) in the next few years ...  Life as we know it will change.

One of the leaders / writers who gives me some hope is Dr. Katelyn Jetelina at Your Local Epidemiologist (YLE).  She started writing during the pandemic to help explain some of the science, statistics and public health proclamations as they were released -- Sort of "public health for the rest of us" in plain terms that was easy to understand.  Communication is her thing.

It seems absolutely bonkers that a vaccine denier would ever be in charge of the NIH and CDC.  Here is some advice from YLE about how to get through the coming storm for public health ...  I've pulled out some of the salient points, but please see her full article for more details about how we might weather the storm.

RFK Jr. is now HHS Secretary. What comes next?

What to look out for and tips to navigate the storm

• Half of Americans get their health information from social media.
• Social media rewards sensational content, not accuracy.
• Falsehoods spread 6x faster than the truth.
• Bad actors fuel this landscape for a profit, like through supplements or services.
• These messages are now coming from the highest health office in the country.

 Navigating through the storm:

1. Recognize top-down information doesn't work anymore.
2. Meet people where they are.
3. Tell more stories.
4. Recognize trust isn't declared -- it's demonstrated.
5. Don't turn your anger into shaming others.
6. Keep telling the truth.    

Library Legislative Day 2025

Interior of the Wisconsin state capital in Madison.

Posted on behalf of Liz Suelzer.

On Tuesday, February 11, 2025, I had the privilege of participating in Library Legislative Day,
organized by the Wisconsin Library Association. This was my first time attending such an event, and I wanted to share my experience to inform others who might have the opportunity to participate in similar events. I participated in this event because I’m a trustee on the West Allis Public Library Board and the Milwaukee County Federated Library System (MCFLS) Board.

I rode a bus to the capital with over 35 librarians, library directors and library friends from the
MCFLS and Bridges library systems. At the capital, there were over 200 attendees from all over the state, including a group of library students from UW Madison.

Governor Evers making the rounds at the opening meeting.

The day began with speeches from Governor Tony Evers, State Superintendent Jill Underly, and other state leaders. The speakers all shared how libraries have impacted their lives. Governor Evers reaffirmed 2025 as the “Year of the Kid” and spoke about how libraries are essential spaces for children and families to access information, computers, and programs. He also vowed to veto any law banning content from libraries, which received applause.

WLA organized the schedule of meetings for the day, and attendees were scheduled to meet
with legislatures from their district. WLA provided us with information packets to give to our
legislatures that included infographics and talking points about libraries. There were between 2-5 attendees at each 20-minute meeting. We took turns sharing stories about how our libraries impact our communities directly and the value of libraries. Our major ask to the legislatures was that the next budget have sustained or increased funding for public library systems in the next biannual budget. We heard that the budget process will be contentious, but it was great to see bipartisan support for public libraries.

Liz Suelzer and Representative Angelito Tenorio.

As a resident of West Allis and a board member of the West Allis Public Library, I was assigned to meet with Senator Rob Hutton and Representative Angelito Tenorio. I met with staff from Sen. Hutton’s office, and I got to meet with Representative Angelito Tenorio and his chief of staff. Rep. Tenorio served on the West Allis Public Library Board with me a few years ago and has a good understanding of libraries. I’m glad he’s representing my district in Madison.

If you come across opportunities like this, I encourage you to consider signing up. WLA
provided me with everything I needed to have a successful meeting with my legislators, and it
was a positive experience for me.