All:
It’s hard to believe that a quarter of 2023 is already gone. The HSLI committees have been very busy over these past few months, and I would like to highlight some of their ongoing activities.
Before I do that, however, I would like to thank everyone who responded to the planning survey I sent out in January. While we did not have widespread interest in forming a separate Continuing Education Committee for planning activities outside of the Annual Conference, I have been working with the HSLI Board to begin implementing the ideas in each category that received the most votes. One of the results of these efforts is the first “Coffee and Conversation” informal networking gathering that Secretary Frances Drone-Silver has graciously agreed to host from 3:00 to 4:00 PM this afternoon. Additionally, the Journal Club continues to meet quarterly, with its next virtual gathering scheduled for Thursday, May 25, from 3:00 to 4:00 PM. I would like to thank Peggy Carey for her ongoing work to organize and host these meetings.
Moving on to committees, the Conference Planning Committee continues to work diligently on putting together the 2023 meeting. We have decided on a one-day, in-person event at the Hilton Garden Inn Naperville/Warrenville. While this condensed format might not allow us to include all of the activities and sessions we have held in the “traditional” three-day format, we are thinking creatively about ways to incorporate as many of these activities as possible into the smaller timeframe. Please check the 2023 Conference page on the HSLI website for more details as they become available.
Speaking of the website, I would like to thank Stacey Knight-Davis for her diligence on behalf of the Website Committee in redesigning HSLI’s site, including incorporating the new HSLI logo. While the website revamp is still a work-in-progress, you can see the results of her efforts on the Newsletter page, for instance, with a much sleeker, user-friendly interface. If there is anything from the old website that you cannot find on the new one as it continues to take shape, please let her know, at slknight@eiu.edu, so that we can make the website transition as seamless as possible.
The Helen Knoll Jira Scholarship Committee has put together the requirements to apply for the Scholarship, and they are available on the website here. The Committee has already received at least two applications. Please share this opportunity with people in your professional networks who are eligible to apply and might have an interest in doing so.
The Legislative Committee continues to track legislation of importance to health sciences and medical librarians, along with the field of librarianship more broadly. Many, if not most, of you are aware of Illinois House Bill 2789, which would help ensure that Illinois libraries continue offering access even to materials that some people may find controversial or offensive and attempt to ban. Stacey Knight-Davis submitted a witness slip on behalf of HSLI for the committee hearings on this legislation.
All of the HSLI committees continue to do outstanding work keeping the organization functioning, and I would like to encourage anyone who is not currently on an HSLI committee, but who might have an interest in serving on one, to e-mail me, at eedwards@ilsos.gov. As always, if you have any ideas on how HSLI might better serve its members and expand its reach, please feel free to contact me.
Eric Edwards
2022-24 HSLI President