MLA Research Training Institute (RTI) 2018 and 2019: participant research confidence and program effectiveness.

Objective: The article reports on an assessment of the effectiveness of the MLA Research Training Institute (RTI) for the years 2018 and 2019. The RTI is a year-long continuing education research methods training and support program for health sciences librarians. The study focuses on assessing RTI participants' research confidence after program completion and compares these results with their perceptions of workshop/program performance and learning outcomes.

Twenty-five years of Medical Library Association competencies and communities.

Professional associations provide resources to support members' career development and facilitate ways for members to engage with and learn from one another. This article describes Medical Library Association (MLA) activities related to the revision of professional competencies and the restructuring of the organization's communities during the past twenty-five years. Grounded in MLA's Platform for Change, the MLA competency statement underwent two revisions with core themes remaining consistent.

Analyzing COVID-19 Resources on Association of Academic Health Sciences Libraries' (AAHSL) Research Guides.

In this study, the authors analyzed 147 AAHSL member libraries' COVID-19 research guides to determine the volume and origin of links included. Through stratified sampling based on total enrollment of health sciences academic institutions, 51 eligible AASHL library websites were selected for inclusion in the study. Content from COVID-19 research guides was analyzed, and the origin of each link was categorized.

Temporal Variations and Spatial Disparities in Public Sentiment Toward COVID-19 and Preventive Practices in the United States: Infodemiology Study of Tweets.

Background: During the COVID-19 pandemic, US public health authorities and county, state, and federal governments recommended or ordered certain preventative practices, such as wearing masks, to reduce the spread of the disease. However, individuals had divergent reactions to these preventive practices.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to understand the variations in public sentiment toward COVID-19 and the recommended or ordered preventive practices from the temporal and spatial perspectives, as well as how the variations in public sentiment are related to geographical and socioeconomic factors.

Julia M. Esparza, AHIP, Medical Library Association President, 2019-2020.

In this profile of Julia M. Esparza, AHIP, Medical Library Association President, 2019-2020, she is described as a pleasure to work with, practical, and intelligent, and she adds a spark of humor to any activity. Esparza has spent the last twelve years of her career in the Health Sciences Library and Department of Medical Library Science at Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center Shreveport.

Personal branding: building your pathway to professional success.

Personal branding is an introspective process by which you define yourself professionally, and it can serve as your pathway to professional success. There are six steps to building your personal brand: (1) taking an introspective look, (2) understanding the brand that may already exist, (3) developing your personal brand mantra, (4) crafting your physical footprint, (5) creating your digital footprint, and (6) communicating your message. Your personal brand is a promise of value and performance, and it is necessary to meet the expectations of your audience.

Quality Health Information on the Internet: Developing a Diabetes Pathfinder for the Chinese Population.

A Web-based bilingual diabetes information pathfinder was created to help the Chinese population access quality health information on the Internet as part of a collaborative outreach project in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. A survey was conducted to identify the demographics, Internet usage, health information needs, and preferences for training sessions of the Chinese population. Breast cancer, diabetes, and breast cancer were the top three diseases of interest.

An innovative partnership to recruit and educate biomedical information professionals.

There is a growing need for biomedical sciences information professionals who have strong backgrounds in the biomedical sciences. This project pilots an innovative model for recruiting and educating students with these backgrounds. The project includes recruiting students from undergraduate biomedical programs, creating and teaching a basic course in biomedical information management, and awarding ten fellowships for advanced study.