NNLM MAR
Executive Director
This year, NNLM MAR provided about $450,000 in subawards to Network member organizations in Pennsylvania, New York, New Jersey, and Delaware. Subawards are typically small (this year’s range from just $600 to $20,000) and allow NNLM MAR to expand training of National Library of Medicine resources and increase the access to and use of high quality health information across diverse populations around the region.
Examples of funded projects include:
Library Moon Walk: Over twenty public libraries in 10 counties in New York State are getting staff training on health information resources, hosting health programming, and encouraging their patrons to track their steps in an effort to walk to the moon. The project celebrates the 60th anniversary of the Apollo 11 Moon Landing and serves as a preview for the 2019 Summer Reading Theme, “A Universe of Stories.”
The Critical Appraisal Institute for Librarians (CAIFL), organized by librarians from the New York Medical College, New York University Health Sciences Libraries, Rutgers, and more, offers advanced training for 42 librarians on research design, biomedical statistics, and clinical reasoning. Participants are eligible for 35 MLA CE.
The Northwest Pennsylvania Area Health Education Center received funding to incorporate MedlinePlus into their Community Health Worker training curriculum. They teach a 100 hour certification course for community members and added the use of MedlinePlus to several modules throughout the training. Because this will remain in their curriculum long term, many more trainees will be taught to use MedlinePlus when they work with their community.
Libraries without Borders received funding to integrate health literacy programming and awareness of the All of Us Research Program into a new “Wash and Learn” program in McKeesport. Wash and Learns provide pop-up library services in laundromats. A short video highlighting a Wash and Learn location funded by NNLM Greater Midwest Region is available on the NNLM YouTube Channel.
In early February, NNLM MAR will announce funding opportunities for health information outreach projects that would run from May 1, 2019–April 30, 2020. To be the first to hear about funding opportunities, upcoming trainings, and news from the National Library of Medicine, sign up for our Weekly Postings.
Developed resources reported in this publication are supported by the National Library of Medicine (NLM), National Institutes of Health (NIH) under cooperative agreement number UG4LM012342 with the University of Pittsburgh, Health Sciences Library System. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institutes of Health.
~Kate Flewelling, Executive Director, National Network of Libraries of Medicine, Middle Atlantic Region