Jessica Hollister

This October, I attended the 2024 UNYOC Annual Meeting in Celeron, NY. As a newer health sciences librarian, this served as a terrific opportunity to interact with and present to my fellow regional librarians.

At the University at Buffalo, I am the chair of the Libraries’ AI Literacy Training Task Force. This committee serves to assess AI competency and use in the UB Libraries, and to design and implement AI training opportunities for UB Libraries faculty and staff, and the wider UB academic community. When UNYOC put out the call for proposals, I was excited at the prospect of attending and the potential of presenting to a room of colleagues on a topic that was in line with the conference panel discussion.

After submitting a proposal, I was fortunate to be selected for a Lightning Talk session. From there, the challenge was to craft a presentation that would inform on the assessment work of the Literacy Training Task Force in a way that could be applicable to other institutions within the time limit. I elected to create a more content-heavy presentation, for the purposes of providing more scaffolding to any colleague who requested a copy. As a newer health sciences librarian, I was feeling a bit nervous to present. However, the UNYOC attendees did not disappoint as they facilitated an encouraging and dynamic atmosphere for each presentation. As an attendee, I was thrilled to learn about the creative and important work my chapter colleagues are doing at their institutions. Overall, the experience was energizing, and I look forward to continuing to interact with my fellow chapter members.

Anne Meore gave the keynote address on Thursday, October 24, 2024. Meore’s work as an instructor, social worker, and horticultural therapist presented a unique perspective for us librarians. She asked us to consider not only the physical characteristics of our own working spaces, but also the spaces in which we interact with our health sciences or hospital library constituents. Through her lecture and activity, she reasoned that spaces could be both productive and welcoming by introducing light and greenery sensory elements. The horticultural therapy exercise wherein each attendee decorated their own plant environment demonstrated the positive impact these elements can have—regardless of how small the element. Moving forward, my team and I seeking opportunities to apply these lessons and create friendlier spaces for ourselves and our patrons.

Thank you, UNYOC, for affording this opportunity, and your continued support for the regional MLA community!

Presenting a poster at UNYOC is a great way to showcase your innovation, project, website upgrade, user experience, or any other library endeavor. You can use the opportunity to test a new approach or new way of doing something, or to demonstrate a library product or invention. It can also be a great way to test out an idea before submitting it to a national conference. Share your experience with us!

A poster does not need to be complicated or printed out on high-gloss paper. I’ve done three of these, and in all three cases I used either a stiff poster board or a tri-fold display board, either of which can be purchased at Staples. Having said that, a professionally printed poster is the best if you have the means to do so.

Test your poster on an easel to make sure it will stay open and upright; bring your own portable easel if you can. Hotels do not allow posters to be attached to the walls in any manner.

Here are some tips on creating a poster for display:

• Keep the layout simple and the text easy to read from a short distance. Most people stand about 3 to 5 feet away when they view a poster.

• Do check and make sure any graphics or images used are not copyrighted; an easy way to avoid copyright is to make your own graphic or use your own photo images.

• Go with a simple font like Ariel or MS Sans Serif.

• If adding information in your own handwriting, be sure to use a good sharpie or poster marker.

• Would a handout be nice for the viewers? If so, include any relevant information and/or references along with poster details.

• Is there additional information you’d like to share but can’t fit it on the poster? Consider creating a companion web page and insert a QR code on the poster.

Things to Avoid:

• Blurry or pixelated images

• Layout too busy or font too small

• Notes or words added using thin marker or ball point pen

• Poster too large for easel and falls off

• Multiple handouts

(By the way, it is best to remain at your poster for the entire poster session.)

Please complete the nomination form by September 30, 2024, to be considered. If you have any questions, please contact us at MLA.UNYOC@gmail.com.

Registration is around the corner!

UNYOC’s 2024 Conference will be held on October 23-25th at the Chautauqua Harbor Hotel in Chautauqua, NY! Explore the area ahead of time in anticipation of early bird specials when registration opens this summer. We’re going to have a ball this fall.

Conference Proposals

If you have an idea, no matter how big or how small, we are the group to share it with! We build our program around the submissions we receive. Your content can be a poster, a lightning talk, or more. Please consider presenting; you won’t find a more welcoming group. Start your noggins! Invitations for proposals will open later this summer.

Speaker Announcements

We are delighted to welcome three keynote speakers to our 60th conference this October

Anne M. Meore, MA, LMSW, HTR

Licensed Master Social Worker & Registered Horticultural Therapist

Ms. Meore is a licensed social worker in New York and a registered horticultural therapist with the American Horticultural Therapy Association. Anne is the Garden Projects Coordinator for Bon Secours Charity Health System in Suffern, NY, where she is responsible for designing and managing therapeutic garden spaces and conducting Horticultural Therapy programming in the accessible and therapeutic, “Garden of Hope,” at Good Samaritan Hospital. At the New York Botanical Garden, Anne serves as the Horticultural Therapy Program Coordinator for THRIVE (Therapeutic Horticulture and Rehabilitative Intervention for Veteran Engagement) in partnership with the Bronx VA’s Resilience & Wellness Program.

Lori V. Quigley, Ph.D.

Full Professor & Program Coordinator in Leadership and Policy at Niagara University

Dr. Quigley has enjoyed a career in education that ranges from achieving the rank of tenured full professor to university president. Currently, Dr. Quigley is a full professor of leadership and policy at Niagara University and is also an educational consultant and advisor to many school districts and colleges/universities in areas ranging from curriculum development to strengthening diversity, equity, and inclusionary policies and practices. Lori grew up on the Allegany territory of the Seneca Nation of Indians; currently, she lives in Grand Island, NY, with her husband, Don, and their Goldendoodle, Clancy.

In her address, "Multigenerational Effects Resulting from the Native American Residential Boarding School Era", Dr. Quigley will draw on her lived experience growing up on the Allegany territory of the Seneca Nation of Indians and reflect on her mother's experiences as a survivor of a residential boarding school.

Steve Petersen, Ph.D. Associate Professor of Philosophy at Niagara University

Steve Petersen is a philosopher at Niagara University. He first started publishing on the philosophy of Artificial Intelligence in 2006, and for the past ten years his focus has been on philosophical and mathematical aspects of "the alignment problem" for artificial superintelligence. Related research involves formalizing scientific theorizing using tools from algorithmic information theory. He is also a local part-time actor and improvisor - though not so much since the birth of his delightful children.

Dr. Petersen's keynote address, "Why AI is an Existential Risk", will explore the myths and realities behind the worries about future super-intelligent computers.

This May, I attended the 2024 Annual Meeting of the Medical Library Association in Portland, OR. It was a great experience. It afforded me the opportunity to learn a lot, reconnect with old colleagues, and meet new ones.

Along with some other colleagues at the University at Buffalo, I am a co-developer of our Evidence Syntheses Service so most of the programming I went to had a focus on systematic reviews [SRs] and specifically about similar services. There were also some interesting sessions about the use of AI with SRs. “An empirical study evaluating ChatGPT’s performance in generating search strategies for systematic reviews” looked at how well the free and premium versions of ChatGPT worked with both question formulation and search strategy. Not unsurprisingly, the premium version of ChatGPT performed better. I am personally still not sure where AI fits in conducting SRs, but there are definitely some tedious parts of reviews that it would be nice to have automated.

“’Do I really need to work with a Librarian?’: Exploring the Reporting and Reproducibility of Comprehensive Reviews Published on an Academic Medical Campus” and “Examining Institutional Evidence Synthesis Publications to Inform Outreach & Provision of Service for an Academic Library’s Evidence Synthesis Service” were a few sessions I attended where librarians had run searches of SRs done at their institutions and then evaluated the reviews to see if a librarian had been involved and to evaluate the quality of the reviews.

Several of the papers I heard dealt with managing workload, team preparation, dealing with ill-formed research questions, and other issues. “Defining our scope: Eliminating “service creep” in library systematic review support services” was an engaging lightning talk with some suggestions for some of these issues. For instance, requiring that a protocol be written before meeting with a team and having the SR coordinator being firm about compliance with their policies were suggested. Lydia Howes gave a lightning talk, “What to do when the SR team is at capacity: Grab a number, get in line, and learn SR methodology” and shared that their library utilizes learning checklists “to provide a scaffolded approach to learning” for their teams so they are better prepared to write protocols and conduct reviews.

“Speed Dating Through Evidence Synthesis Education: Finding Your Instructional Match” was a great immersion session where we heard from a panel of librarians and then did breakouts working our way through questions designed to help us figure out solutions to a lot of the very common hurdles that come from SRs. One of the presenters, Sally Smith, talked specifically about a course she has developed and mounted on their course management system designed to help both non-medical librarians and research teams with learning the basics of conducting Evidence Syntheses projects. Another librarian shared that she had created scripts for every aspect of doing a review that she could then email each time. All of these are things that I would like to suggest that we adapt for our own purposes at our library.

Thank you UNYOC, for awarding me UNYOC Professional Development Scholarship!

Photo from left to right: Liz Stellrecht, Molly Maloney, Jocelyn Swick-Jemison, Amy Lyons, Michelle Zafron, and Nell Aronoff

Join us at the UNYOC Annual Conference in Clayton, NY, at the beautiful 1000 Island Harbor Hotel! The conference will take place October 25^th -27^th. 2023.

We are thrilled to announce the annual Upstate New York and Ontario Chapter (UNYOC) of the Medical Librarians Association Conference 2023. We invite you to contribute your expertise and passion to this incredible event! Whether you are a seasoned professional or studying to be a librarian, this is your chance to share your knowledge, insights, and groundbreaking research with a diverse and engaged audience.

This conference aims to bring together professionals from various medical and health science disciplines, creating an environment where innovative ideas can flourish, networks can be built, and valuable collaborations can be forged. Your unique perspective and expertise will greatly contribute to the success of this event.

We are seeking a wide range of presentation formats to accommodate different topics and styles of communication. Whether you prefer to deliver a dynamic lightning talk to ignite inspiration, present a comprehensive poster to showcase your research visually, or have a longer, in-depth presentation to delve into your chosen subject matter, we warmly welcome your submissions. With a diverse range of presentation options available, you have the freedom to select the format that best suits your content and presentation style.

Moreover, we extend a special invitation to all those interested in librarianship. As a rapidly evolving field, librarianship is crucial in the medical and health sciences sectors, facilitating access to vital information and supporting research endeavors. We encourage aspiring and experienced librarians to share their unique perspectives, challenges, and success stories in this ever-ever-changing landscape. Your contributions will undoubtedly enrich the conference and enhance the overall knowledge-sharing experience.

Here are just a few suggested topics to spark your creativity:

1. Emerging Trends in Medical Research: Unveiling the Latest Breakthroughs

2. Digital Libraries: Navigating the World of Online Resources

3. Librarians as Knowledge Navigators: Bridging the Gap between Information and Research

4. Data Management in the Health Sciences: Best Practices and Challenges

5. Open Access Publishing: Democratizing Knowledge in the Medical Field

6. Evidence-Based Medicine: The Role of Librarians in Promoting Quality Research

7. Integrating Technology into Health Sciences Libraries: From Virtual Reality to Artificial Intelligence

8. Health Information Literacy: Empowering Patients and Caregivers

However, please note that these topics are only suggestions – we encourage you to submit presentations on any aspect of librarianship or the medical and health sciences you are passionate about! Your unique perspectives and experiences are highly valued and appreciated.

Submitting your presentation proposal is quick and easy. The following link will take you to the submission form and the guidelines.

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfWNVSDg3nnS2PW3ADY4v5-1ceOMaVSzHPT8AGn_3U42iR4dA/viewform?usp=sf_link

The deadline for submissions is September 15^th. 2023, so take advantage of this fantastic opportunity to showcase your work and inspire others in the field.

Join us at the forefront of innovation, collaboration, and discovery in the medical and health sciences community. Together, let's shape librarianship's future and advance medical knowledge's frontiers. We eagerly await your presentation submissions and welcome you to our esteemed conference.

Registration for UNYOC 2023 is NOW OPEN at https://unyoc.wildapricot.org/Member-Registration

We invite you to register and join us for the 2023 UNYOC Annual Conference at 1000 Island Harbor Hotel, Clayton, NY. The meeting will take place on October 25^th- 27^th, 2023.

Conference Registration prices:

• Early Bird: $185 – ends 8/25/23
• Regular: $ 215 – ends 9/22/23
• Late: $ 240 – ends 10/18/23
• Onsite: $ 280

To reserve a reduced-rate hotel room, you can call the hotel reservation desk at (315) 686-1100 and request the Upstate New York and Ontario Chapter (UNYOC) of the Medical Library Association room block or by going to their website at https://www.1000islandsharborhotel.com/ and using the block code UNYOC to secure your Group Attendee reservation.

Rates: Govt. Per Diem/Tax Exempt Reduced Rate = $118.00

           Regular Reduced Rate = $159.00

Rooms at this rate will only be available until they are filled, or September 25, 2023.

Rooms at this rate are also limited. Book early to guarantee this special rate!

Reservations made after September 25 will not be eligible to receive the group rate.

1000 Island Sunset – Come See for Yourself!

Hello,

     UNYOC Conference 2023 will be held on October 25-27^th at the 1000 Island Harbor Hotel in Clayton, NY

     Clayton is a quaint village in Northern New York. The hotel rests on the banks of the St. Lawrence River amid the beauty of the 1000 islands. Restaurants and unique shops are within walking distance, and the hotel is less than 10 miles away from the 1000 Island Bridge and Bolte Castle in Alexandria Bay, New York.

     If you have never been to the region, it’s a must-see. If you’ve been, you already know why you need to come back!

     Additionally, we have had repeated requests for more member/supporter content in our conference programming. We are unable to do that without member/supporter submissions. If you have an idea, no matter how big or how small, we are the group to share it with. We build our program around the submissions we receive. Your content can be a poster, a lightning talk, or more. Please consider presenting; you won’t find a more welcoming group. We will begin soliciting submissions in the spring. Stay tuned!

     As this year’s conference chair, I look forward to hosting you in a region I hold dear to my heart.

Enjoy the day,

Kimberly A. Nolan MLS, AHIP
UNYOC Conference Chair 2023

1000 Island Sunset: Just Gorgeous!!