Meet 2023 WHSLA President Liz Witkowski

This blog post is the third in a series featuring members of the 2023 WHSLA Executive Board. 

In this post, get to know WHSLA 2023 President, Liz Witkowski. 

Where is the coolest place you traveled? 

I recently went abroad with my husband to Italy. Our first there time for both of us! I think it is fascinating to experience culture from a place that has existed for thousands of years in the same space. The coolest thing we did on our trip was a tour of the Trevi Fountain. Obviously, the fountain itself is very beautiful and historically significant, but our tour included something a bit more interesting to me. We went under the fountain to the oldest known working Roman aqueduct. It was a “recent” archeological discovery from the 1990’s and wasn’t opened to the public until the mid 2000s. Seeing the construction up close and having a private guide (an enthusiastic teacher who did tours in her free time, she was a delight!) explain to us in detail the important features to look at as well as the other areas of interest including layers of medieval living spaces built on top of old roman homes. It was remarkable and easily the coolest thing I have experienced.

What is one thing that instantly makes your day better and aside from necessities, what one thing could you not go a day without? 

I am combining these two questions with one very simple answer: Coffee! I always enjoy a good cup of coffee, it makes my morning so much better, and I can’t imagine willingly forgoing it. Luckily, I am kept well in supply of good beans. Both my father-in-law and my mother’s partner are also coffee enthusiasts and love sending me new coffees to try. It’s special to be able to share something with both of them, and makes for good conversations.

What is something that always makes you smile?

I love seeing kids playing. It truly always makes me smile. They can be rowdy or quiet, in groups or alone, and it just makes me happy! It I visited the “Beyond Monet” exhibit this past fall, and one of the highlights was the projections of the lilypads onto the floors and ceilings. There were two small kiddos there who started hopping on them and ribbiting. So adorable! This is one of the reasons I sought to put up a little free library in front of my home, happy kids! (LFL currently on my front porch, in the works for warmer weather!)

What are you most looking forward to?

Right now, I am most looking forward to the Spring. I don’t love the short cold days, so Spring is always on my mind. Longer days, green grass, flowers, and sunshine. Yes please!! Only a few more months…

Meet 2023 WHSLA Board Member Claudia Noonan

This blog post is the second in a series featuring members of the 2023 WHSLA Executive Board. 

Claudia Noonan, Reference Librarian at the George E. Magnin Medical Library at Marshfield Clinic Library, will be serving as a Member-At-Large for a two-year term. 

Brenda asked me to share a bit about myself as I will be a member-at-large in 2023, and I am newer to medical librarianship. I started my librarian career later than most. I had two young children by the time I pursued my Masters. Ask me sometime to tell the story of when my child got lost in the closed (and moving) stacks at the UWM Golda Meir library! I was a public librarian for the beginning of my career in a small suburban library and wore many hats that involved programming for children and adults. As Covid affected how we interacted with our patrons, I found that what I loved most about librarianship was the “helping people find the information they need or suggesting their next best reading choice.” That meant a career change that led to medical librarianship where I can assist in researching timely information for our doctors and nurses.

What inspires me at work? I love finding the right information that helps a doctor or nurse treat a patient, do a presentation, or support their research.

What is a challenge at work? A perpetual challenge in any librarian role is being visible to the wider organization. Promoting the library and our important role in support is a challenge.

What are my hobbies? I am learning how to create stained glass pieces. I have learned the mosaic and copper foil methods. I also love to read, of course!

What is one this that instantly makes your day better? That’s easy—Chocolate!

Free-to-Use Photos from the Library of Congress

Thanks again to WHSLA member and guest blogger Liz Suelzer for this post!

Looking for free-to-use images to jazz up your PowerPoint? Look no further than the Library of Congress.  New photos are continually added to their collections, including this new shot of Brünnhilde, who is one of the most beloved cats featured in LoC’s image gallery.

Check out the free-to-use image gallery: Free to Use and Reuse Sets  |  Library of Congress (loc.gov)

Source: https://twitter.com/librarycongress/status/1610335276085248002

https://twitter.com/librarycongress/status/1610335276085248002/photo/2

Annie's note:  Alas, even the LoC can offer no further explanation of who dressed this cat like a Valkyrie or why.  But I still love that people were this dedicated to dressing cats in silly costumes long before the Internet came along.

Opinion on "rapid" reviews vs systematic reviews

 A colleague shared this with me, and I thought the broader WHSLA community would appreciate it, too. 

The Dark Side of Rapid Reviews: a Retreat from Systematic Approaches and the Need for Clear Expectations and Reporting 

The authors’ opinion piece from Annals of Internal Medicine lobbies to change the language about “rapid reviews” which omit key methods for systematic science.  They point out these reviews should be known as restricted reviews or partial systematic reviews.  They ask for funding agencies and journals to limit these partial reviews unless well  justified and disclose methods ( or lack of  them) transparently. They fear if more “rapid reviews” proliferate, we will return to poor and sloppy reporting and more confusion about the science reported to the public.   This is a good article to refer to when patrons indicate they are undertaking rapid reviews.   As librarians, we should teach the value of methodical (and yes time consuming)  approach which is transparent.   Ultimately it will improve the chances of publication and is a better contribution to evidence based knowledge.

The Dark Side of Rapid Reviews: A Retreat From Systematic Approaches and the Need for Clear Expectations and Reporting | Annals of Internal Medicine (acpjournals.org)

TikTok at the Library

Thanks to WHSLA member and guest blogger Liz Suelzer for this post!

The hottest library TikTok account in the world comes to you from Milwaukee, WI. Check out the TikTok account from Milwaukee Public Library (@milwaukeepubliclibrary). News outlets from all over have interviewed staff from Milwaukee Public Library about the phenomenal work they have been doing.

News stories:

·         The Milwaukee Public Library Runs Their Own TikTok That the Internet Seems to Love (msn.com)

·         Milwaukee Public Library’s TikTok Fame | Milwaukee Magazine

·         Milwaukee Public Library goes viral for creative TikTok videos (today.com)

·         This Local Library Is an Overnight Social-Media Sensation - WSJ   

Annie's note: There are no plans to expand WHSLA's social media presence beyond this blog,
unless you're volunteering to run that.  BUT we always welcome guest blog posts!

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The Organization of Your Bookshelves Tells Its Own Story

 

The Organization of Your Bookshelves Tells Its Own Story

Article from The Atlantic.  

Much of what we do these days is virtual, but I'll bet many Librarians still appreciate print books, and probably organize our own personal book collections differently than NLM, LC, or Dewey would prescribe.  Enjoy ...

OOPS! They Did it Again! How to Better Manage the Relationship with IT Departments and Avoid Conflict

Lori Anne Oja & Janice Thompson (2022) OOPS! They Did IT Again! How to Better Manage the Relationship with IT Departments and Avoid Conflict, Journal of Hospital Librarianship, 22:4, 349-355, DOI: 10.1080/15323269.2022.2125236

This article was brought to my attention by our very own NNLM Region 6 Contact, Erica Lake.  [Thank you, Erica!]  

I had so many "A Ha!" moments while reading it, that I wanted to share it with the rest of you.  Hopefully, you'll feel the same recognition, and know that you're not alone with these technical difficulties.

The authors run through a number of access issues, and possible solutions.  Most helpful for me was the fact that they were able to define the big picture issue.  For the last few years, we've known there was a problem with the way IT was setting up network access with regional VPNs and something called Zscaler, disregarding local IPs--which is how many library resources have traditionally been authenticated.  Over the years, I've been able to piece together an understanding of what was happening -- But no one seemed to have the bigger picture--until now!  Some of it may be helpful for you, too, if only to let you know you're on the right track with identifying the issues and troubleshooting.  

You might even find a solution (or two) that will work for you.  

Throwback Thursday: WHSLA 2004 Conference - The Art of Librarianship

While looking through some old files recently, I ran across documents related to the 2004 WHSLA Conference, held in Milwaukee. I wasn't a medical librarian at the time, but recognize many familiar names in the schedule below. 

In addition to a keynote, roundtable discussions, and CE, there was a social event at the Milwaukee Art Museum that featured kaleideoscope mania. Anyone remember this?

Meet 2023 WHSLA Board Member Hayley Severson

This blog post is the first in a series featuring members of the 2023 WHSLA Executive Board. 

First off, let's get to know Hayley Severson, Clinical Services Librarian at MCW and Children's Wisconsin. Hayley will be serving as a Member-At-Large for a two-year term.  

 

My name is Hayley Severson, I am the Clinical Services Librarian for the Medical College of Wisconsin and Children’s Wisconsin – a position I have only held since December 15th! Before now, I was a Reference Librarian with MCW since December 2021 and I was an academic librarian the UW System previous to that. I am from La Crosse originally and have bounced from Minneapolis to Madison where I went to school, and now I live on the East Side of Milwaukee with my boyfriend Isaac where we go for runs on the Oak Leaf trail and make unwise dessert purchases from Peter Sciortino’s.

What are your hobbies? I enjoy going for long walks, short runs, trying new recipes, and waiting (in agony) for the Packers to win a Super Bowl.

What are you passionate about? Pretty lame, but I really love my job! I come from a liberal arts background, but my mom is a cancer registrar for Mayo Clinic La Crosse and I have spent years talking about cancer with her prior to even knowing medical librarianship was a thing. I get so excited to learn about new things in medicine, assist students and professionals with their own research, and ultimately in my new job I get to support clinicians with their patient care decision making. It’s insanely cool, and I love that I know words like “myxofibrosarcoma.”

 What skill would you most like to learn? Not necessarily a skill, but I’m always looking for opportunities to permanently place more factoids in my brain for Jeopardy! or trivia purposes. Did you know that the clavicle is the last bone in the body to complete its growth, and only seals at around age 25? #noknowledge #onlyfactoids
 
What is something that always makes you smile? Airplanes flying overhead, funky fruited sour beers, walking past a curious dog, colorful lights, approaching a city skyline, and that first day in March that cracks 40 degrees.