The Power of Play: How Lego MRI scanner sets are reducing anxiety in children undergoing medical treatment

 

 

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Makes me think this would be helpful not just for kids but for adults (or anyone) undergoing MRI scans as well.  The power of Play to make things familiar, and not so scary.

 

* Special thanks to Dr. Cat Smith for pointing me to this article.

 

Nikon Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards

*Not a candidate or winner in the competition, but thought I would share to follow their spirit! This was a photo I captured of a groggy muskrat rubbing his face after a good nap!

For others like myself in dire need of some comic relief, take a look at this year's finalists (and winners!) of the 2025 Nikon Comedy Wildlife Awards. The images are simultaneously hilarious and stunning (my personal favorite is the lion choir 😊). 

A bit of info on the competition. Each year, thousands of photographers submit comedic wildlife photos into this competition. Anyone from around the word, from experts to novices, alike, can submit their photos for consideration.

As stated on their about page:

"A funny animal photo is incredibly effective because there are no barriers to understanding, or taboos that must be negotiated. It taps into the impulse for anthropomorphism (big word!) which is well-documented as one of the most powerful triggers for human empathy. To really understand animals and the issues that affect them, you need to empathise with them as fellow inhabitants of the same planet."

A beautiful purpose and some good laughs, to boot!

Thanks for reading, and I hope everyone has a wonderful day!

First match day!

 

From Furniture Piles to Foundational Support: A Historic Match Day at ThedaCare

Today isn’t just Match Day for the thousands of medical students across the country—it’s a career-defining milestone for our team at ThedaCare. This year, we are celebrating the very first Match for our brand-new Internal Medicine Residency Program, and the energy is electric.

As we prepare to welcome our inaugural class of 15 residents this July, I’ve been reflecting on what it actually takes to build a GME program from a library perspective.

Starting from Scratch (Literally)

Two years ago, I joined ThedaCare as part of a three-person "pioneer" team: myself and the first two GME administrators. My position was refilled after a significant gap in librarian coverage, specifically to provide the research and evidence-based practice (EBP) backbone this program required.

For any of you who have ever stepped into a "dormant" library, you know the scene. When I started, my primary greeting wasn't a collection of residents—it was a pile of miscellaneous furniture living in the space outside the library doors.

Building the Library

In the absence of a librarian, the decision was made to turn the library to a digital only future, so I was greeted with a beautiful library resembling a conference room. It is one of the best features of the GME space and a source of envy among many staff. Over the last 24 months, we’ve moved from clearing out that hallway to:

• Re-establishing Clinical Search Services: Promoting the library to the current ThedaCare physicians, practitioners, nurses, and anyone else interested in evidence-based practice has been a great precursor to the incoming residents. 

• Curating the Core Collection: Year one was spent rebuilding the previous library collection and year two looking towards the future of GME with the library's resources. 

• Integrating into the GME Workflow: I've been blessed with full integration into the GME department to establish the library as a strategic partner in physician recruitment and retention.

To the Class of 2029: We’re Ready

As a librarian, there is nothing more rewarding than seeing a "quiet" space transform into a hub of clinical inquiry. The furniture is in the right place, the resources are live, and I can't wait to see residents in the library this July.

Service Request #1: What Happens when I Call #311?

 

Service Request: What Happens When I Call 311? 

One of my favorite podcasts is 99% Invisible.  They recently posted an episode for a new series called Service Request.  This premier episode was on the 311 information line in New York City.  Although they never mentioned reference Librarians, I thought this would be a natural fit for information / knowledge workers.  

Fascinating to think of creating a knowledge base built for NYC, and responsive to the needs of the citizens and their burning questions, answered by real people -- real New Yorkers, invested in the game.  I'm glad they didn't push that off to AI or a call center halfway across the world!

"By mapping millions of individual service requests, the city can pinpoint systemic issues and even solve regional mysteries, like the time 311 data and wind patterns were overlaid to trace a phantom maple syrup scent back to a New Jersey fenugreek factory."  

They talked about the importance of the reference interview -- although they never called it that, I knew exactly what they were talking about--and you will too! 

They also mentioned some of the questions that come in --  Everything from 

• complaints about noise (and the various classifications of said noises) 
• where to recycle electronics
• what to do with insulin in a power outage
• ghosts in your apartment
• or even bad vibes from the neighbor downstairs. 

Could we create something like this within our own institutions, going beyond the medical and health sciences to internal company knowledge?   I think some of our institutions have become too big and disjointed to make that work, but maybe it's still possible in some institutions?  Maybe you already have something like this?  If so, consider telling WHSLA Members about it.  Were Librarians involved in the making or implementation?  

I'm amazed that NYC was able to do it at all!

 

 

Vote in the 2026 MLA Election!

Image by WOKANDAPIX from Pixabay

If you're a member of the Medical Library Association (MLA), take care to cast your vote in the 2026 MLA Election! 

Positions on the ballot include: 

• President-Elect (1 position)
• Board of Directors (3 positions)
• Nominating Committee (9 positions)

You may also have access to personalized ballots based on your caucus memberships. 

You will need to be an active member of MLA and sign into MLANET in order to vote.

Happy voting!

Making Time for Research (and You) Article

From "To-Do" to "Ta-Da": Reclaiming Your Calendar with an Intentionality Toolkit

We’ve all been there: that one tab that stays open for three months, or the article printout buried under a stack of interlibrary loan requests. For me, that "someday" read was "Making Time for Research (and You): Using an ‘Intentionality Toolkit’ to Achieve Your Goals and Mitigate Feelings of Overwhelm."

I finally crossed it off my list, and honestly? I wish I’d opened it sooner.

While the article focuses heavily on the academic struggle to balance faculty research with service roles, its core message is a lifeline for any health science librarian feeling the squeeze of "urgent" tasks displacing "important" goals.

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As librarians, our work is variable and responsive to others. We respond to urgent literature searches, clinical inquiries, and troubleshooting requests. Because we are "helpers" by nature, our own long-term projects—whether that’s committee work (like writing a blog post 😬), a professional certification, or reorganizing a digital repository—often get pushed to the I can do that later pile.

The "Intentionality Toolkit" suggests that overwhelm isn't just about having too much to do; it's about the cognitive load of trying to keep track of it all while feeling like you're losing control of your time. This rang incredibly true for me. 

Two Game-Changers for Your Workweek

The article outlines several strategies, but two stood out things I'm going to try:

1. The Strategic Brain Dump

Instead of a linear to-do list that grows like a weed, the toolkit encourages a massive weekly or so brain dump.

• The Goal: Get every "should," "must," and "want" out of your head and onto paper (or a digital board).

• Why it works: It stops the "open loop" cycle in your brain where you're constantly reminding yourself not to forget "X" while trying to focus on "Y". This is a big struggle for me not be-bopping between all of the tasks. Stopping to check the latest email while in the middle of a literature search really can detail the train of thought. 

2. Intentional Weekly Scheduling

This isn't just about marking meetings. It’s about defensive tattooing of your calendar.

• The Shift: Rather than looking for gaps in your schedule to do "deep work," you schedule the deep work first often weeks in advance. This is vital for those long-term projects that don't have a screaming deadline but provide the most value to your career or institution. If it isn't on the calendar, it doesn't exist.

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Why This Matters for Us

Whether you are in a hospital or university library, the feeling of being "busy but not productive" is a fast track to burnout. It’s about making sure that the goals that actually move the needle for your career—and your well-being—don't get buried under the daily deluge of emails.

The Bottom Line: You don’t need more hours in the day; you need more intention in the hours you have. 

Caffeinated Coffee and Tea Associated with Reduced Risk of Dementia

Image by Spike Summers from Pixabay

Good news for fellow caffeine addicts! A new (2026) study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) found an association between drinking caffeinated coffee and caffeinated tea with a reduction in dementia risk. 

The study by Zhang et al., which followed over 131,000 people for up to 43 years, found that drinking caffeinated coffee was associated with an up to 18% reduction in dementia risk, with consumption of caffeinated tea being associated with similar cognitive benefits. According to the study, "the most pronounced associated differences were observed with intake of approximately 2 to 3 cups per day of caffeinated coffee or 1 to 2 cups per day of tea." 

For a plain-language overview of the study, you can check out these articles by Nature and The New York Times. 

Cheers! ☕

Rescheduled: MLA Collection Development Caucus Forum- Open to Non-MLA Members

 

The Medical Library Association’s (MLA) Collection Development Caucus has rescheduled its forum on collection development policies. It is now scheduled for Thursday, March 12 at 10am (PT) / 1pm (ET). Please contact gaukh@vcu.edu for the Zoom link.

The session will start with brief presentations from librarians who will talk about how their collection development policies were developed, what their policies include, and some of the challenges they faced in developing them. We will hear from:

 

• Yumin Jiang, Collection Management Department Head, University of Colorado’s Anschutz Medical Campus (Collection Development Policy)
• Robyn Gleasner, Resource Management Librarian, University of New Mexico’s Health Sciences Center (Collection Development Manual)
• Liz Kellermeyer, Director of Library & Knowledge Services, National Jewish Health (Collection Development Policy)
• Ramune Kubilius, Collection Development / Special Projects Librarian, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine (Collections Philosophy)

 

Following the presentations, there will be time for Q&A and discussion. Kayce Gill, from Vanderbilt University and Chair-Elect of the Caucus, will facilitate the session.

 

Non-MLA members are welcome to attend and participate in the discussion. The session will not be recorded to encourage open conversation. 

 

See you there!

Call for questions: Navigating the ADA Title II Digital Accessibility Rule

The April 2026 compliance deadline is approaching. Is your library ready?

Join five MLA Caucuses (User Experience, Accessibility & Disability, Vision Science, Technical Services, and Technology in Education) for a 90-minute deep dive into the Department of Justice’s new rule impacting websites, LibGuides, databases, and instructional materials.

Event Details

 

Date: Wednesday, February 25, 2026

Time: 1:00 PM Central / 2:00 PM ET/ 12:00 pm MT/ 11:00 AM PT

Who can participate: Anyone! MLA membership not required

Platform: Zoom https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83051394100?pwd=JM4jFRGGBteWR7bB4BDVvrX0hJa1LN.1

We Want Your Questions!  Help our expert panel address your specific "on the ground" challenges—from legacy PDF remediation to vendor accountability. Questions will be anonymized and used to provide actionable, real-world solutions.

Submit Your Questions Here Deadline to submit: Thursday, February 12, 2026 (11:59 PM PST)

See the full text of this rule at ADA.gov: https://www.ada.gov/law-and-regs/regulations/title-ii-2010-regulations/ 

Note: The above text was written by the MLA Multi-Caucus Planning Committee (on behalf of the User Experience, Accessibility & Disability, Vision Science, Technical Services, and Technology in Education Caucuses)

Entertaining Read: Author responds to journal's phishing email with fake paper on "pregnancy cravings for prime numbers"

Image by Kris from Pixabay

Retraction Watch published a guest post on an author's experience submitting a fake paper to a likely fraudulent journal. In addition to being an entertaining read, the post provides a bit of a behind-the-scenes look at some of the predatory tactics employed by potentially fraudulent publishers. 

Spoiler: The author's fake paper was, in fact, published, and, as noted by a commenter, is searchable in databases like OpenAlex and Google Scholar. The paper can also be helpfully summarized by AI tools such as Elicit (which isn't surprising, as Elicit, like many AI literature summarizers, crawls OpenAlex as one of its data sources). 

For a firsthand account from someone who had fallen victim to a predatory publisher, I highly recommend checking out this 2019 article from Science by Alan H. Chambers.

Thanks for reading, and hope everyone has a great Monday!