Are you coming to the joint MLA/CHLA/ ABSC/ICLC Meeting – Mosaic, in Toronto this May, or thinking about it?

Here is some handy information about Toronto to tempt you!

Toronto is well-known as a mosaic of heritages and peoples.  Priding itself on being one of the most multicultural cities in the world, the mingling of unique communities into its “big picture” has generated a wonderful energy within the city.  Reflecting this diversity, according to the 2011 National Household Survey, out of approximately 5.5 million Torontonians responding, almost 43% reported speaking a language other than English or French in their homes (Source: Source: Statistics Canada, 2011 National Household Survey, Statistics Canada Catalogue no. 99-010-X2011031).

Multicultural Toronto is not easily divided into ethnic neighbourhoods but there are locations where you may experience the energy that is quintessential Toronto.  We encourage you to not only attend Mosaic ‘16 but to experience Toronto’s multicultural mosaic by visiting some of these neighbourhoods known for culture, cuisine, community and character.

Here are some interesting notes about just a few of Toronto’s unique neighborhoods.  

Baldwin Street:  Through different times in this street’s history it has been home to Toronto’s Jewish population, American war resisters, and immigrants from around the world.  Today it is a cozy and eclectic mix, one of the most pleasant places for a stroll.

Downtown Chinatown:  With a mixture of Southeast Asian influences from Chinese, Thai, to Vietnamese to Cambodian, this area is known for its many cuisines.  It is one of the larger Chinatowns in North America.

Greektown: Known to be the second largest Greek community outside of Greece and the largest in North America, it is “the” place to listen to Greek bands, spend time at a sidewalk cafe, and experience authentic Greek cuisine. It was originally established as a small community in 1907.  

Kensington Market: Kensington Market is many things -  bohemian, counter-culture, gritty, and close-knit. It also houses many modestly priced high-quality restaurants.  Known as one of the best street markets in North America.

Koreatown: A relatively young neighborhood, Koreatown offers shopping at high-end Korean fashion boutiques, acupuncture clinics, and authentic restaurants knowns for generous portions of Korean comfort food.

Little India: North America’s largest South Asian market.  It is a high density neighbourhood  of shops with all the latest in Indian fashion, jewelry, art, cinema, and cuisine. Also known as Gerrard Bazaar, it is home to immigrants from all over South Asia.  

Little Italy: Check out traditional Italian trattorias, enjoy an espresso on an outdoor cafe, hit one of the nightclubs or take in pool halls. The neighborhood is a busy and vital area. Although more Portuguese according to demographics now, it still holds a truly Italian vibe.

Old Town: Of significance as a historical area dating back to the early 19th century. Check out Old Town for a taste of Toronto’s historical beginnings. It contains the Distillery HIstoric District where Victorian-era spaces have converted into restaurants and galleries.

Toronto’s neighborhoods celebrate the city’s distinct style and flair. To find out more, see “Toronto Neigbourhoods” on the Official Website of Tourism Toronto at http://www.seetorontonow.com/explore-neighbourhoods.

(Source: Official Website of Tourism Toronto: http://www.seetorontonow.com/explore-neighbourhoods)

Twitter tips

•  Remember to complete your Twitter profile. Not only does it allow people to find you through a keyword search but you are more likely to receive a follow back.
• To find Twitter profiles in your profession, type in a phrase (e.g. "clinical librarian") into the search field. The results will default to "Top" results. Instead, select "Accounts" to view all those profiles that have your search term in.
• To find fellow clinical librarians on Twitter, use those literature searching skills and try searching for the following terms:

           - clinical librarian

           - clinical medical librarian

           - health librarian

           - healthcare librarian

           - health sciences librarian

           - life science librarian

           - medical librarian

           - medicine librarian, 

           - NHS librarian

           - public health librarian

• Switch the above term "librarian" for: library, information professional, informationist,  information specialist and so on.

Don't forget to follow us on Twitter for more handy tips and all things clinical librarian related!

The 2016 MLA/CHLA/ABSC/ICLC Joint Planning Committee invites submissions for Late Breaking Lightning Talks

The 2016 MLA/CHLA/ABSC/ICLC Joint Planning Committee invites submissions for Late Breaking Lightning Talks that support the theme, “Mosaic: Be Part of the Big Picture.” 

Submit using MLA’s online abstract submission site starting on Monday February 15, 2016 and ending at 6:00 p.m., central time, on Monday February 29, 2016. 

Keep in mind that Lightning Talks are brief, focus on one main point, and are verbally oriented.  They will be strictly limited to no more than 5 minutes of presentation time.  All Late Breaking Lightning Talks will be presented during the 9-10:25 am session on Wednesday, May 18, 2016. 

Plan to submit your structured abstract for your research project or program description using the structured abstract guidelines.  When submitting structured abstracts, authors will decide whether their abstract is a research abstract or program description abstract:

• Research abstracts report on designing, conducting, and analyzing a research project.
• Program Description abstracts describe the creation and improvement of products, programs, technologies, administrative practices, or services conducted by librarians and information professionals.

Authors should select carefully, as different criteria are used to assess research and program description abstracts. All criteria for both kinds of abstracts are available in the Papers and Posters FAQ.

Late Breaking Lightning Talks acceptance or decline letters will be sent by Wednesday, March 30, 2016.

For more information, contact:  Carrie Iwema, AHIP  (iwema@pitt.edu).

Download the full Call for Submissions (includes both English and French).

Recently published evidence updates

The following Evidence Updates have recently been published, detailing the latest evidence and literature.

Anaesthesia & critical care
Breast Cancer
Cancer
Cardiac Surgery
Cardiology
Children's Health
Clinical Genetics
Colorectal Surgery
Corporate Nursing
Emergency Medicine
Infection Control
Musculoskeletal
Neonatal
Obstetrics and Gynaecology
Older People's Health
Pain Management
Palliative Care
Respiratory Medicine
Stroke
Vascular Surgery

Don't forget to follow us on Twitter to find out when an evidence update is hot off the press!

Calling all Clinical Librarians Heading to Toronto!

The Mosaic 2016 planners are seeking moderators for paper and lightning talk sessions during Mosaic 2016, a joint meeting of MLA, CHLA/ABSC, and ICLC. Please, consider volunteering as a moderator, and share this message with others in MLA, CHLA/ABSC, and ICLC.

Ready to apply to be a moderator? Fill out the application form at  http://goo.gl/forms/tvg4wDCVDl  by February 16^th at noon, eastern time.

Need more details? Read on!

Papers, lightning talks, and Special Content Sessions will be presented during 5 Program Session times; during each Program Session, eight rooms will simultaneously include programming. Mosaic 2016 will include 24 paper sessions and 3 lightning talk sessions.

We will select 27 moderators who will introduce presenters, help presenters follow time limits, and ensure questions from the audience are gathered and responded to by presenters. Moderators receive a point applicable to the Academy of Health Information Professionals (AHIP) credentialing program. Moderators must register for the Mosaic 2016 conference.

Moderators do NOT receive any compensation, registration discounts, or assistance with travel costs; however, we can provide you a letter indicating your duties at Mosaic 2016 which may aid with obtaining visas or travel funding from your institution.

Detailed guidelines on moderator duties will be given to all selected moderators in March 2016.

The application form, one more time: http://goo.gl/forms/tvg4wDCVDl

Please contact Amy J. Chatfield with questions, problems, or concerns.

Amy J. Chatfield, MLS

Section Council Liaison, Joint Program Committee 2016, Medical Library Association

Acting Associate Director, Educational and Research Services Section & liaison to the School of Pharmacy

Norris Medical Library, University of Southern California

amychatf@usc.edu

P: 323.442.1128

A day in the life of a clinical librarian

For those of you who are new to our blog, each month we share what a day in the life of a clinical librarian looks like. This month we're interviewing one of our clinical librarians, Sarah Sutton.

Who are you and where do you work?
Sarah Sutton, University Hospitals of Leicester, Leicester Royal Infirmary.


How long have you been there?
Since 2002, I think I am the longest serving Clinical Librarian in the UK.


What attracted you to Clinical Librarianship?
The opportunity to impact on patient care. So often Librarianship has a very indirect impact on users, it is great to hear from clinical staff what they have done with the information I provide and how this has effected patient care. I did a search on the life expectancy of children with a particular syndrome, as a child with that syndrome needed an operation for another condition and the surgeon was refusing to operate because he believed the child would not live long enough to benefit from it. My research convinced the surgeon that the child would live long enough to benefit from the surgery.


What does an average day at work involve?
I spend a lot of time in front of a computer doing literature searches. I do some outreach into Clinical areas but not as much as I did originally, as after nearly 14 years in my role, I am quite well known and the clinical teams email me their search requests or pop into the library to see me. I also find they recommend me to new colleagues, so even though some clinicians have left the trust during my time, new ones pop in to see me regularly and I meet others at clinical meetings.


If you weren’t a Librarian, what would you be?
I would either be a journalist or work in advertising. I do enjoy marketing things and encouraging people to get the best use out of resources.


Tell us a joke or a non-work fact about yourself
I have  fed and patted a killer whale: