VMLS Committees 2011 - 2012

Several committees were reorganized and combined in 2011. See the listing of Past Committees and Task Forces (Ad Hoc Committees)

Standing Committees


Bylaws Committee

STATUS: Standing Committee
CHAIR: Lorraine Toews
MEMBERS: Kate Anderson, Gretchen Stephens, Gayle Willard

CHARGE: The Bylaws Committee/VMLS is to monitor bylaw and structural changes within the Medical Library Association and to recommend changes to the Section’s Bylaws in keeping with the changes within MLA; to ensure that Section Bylaws continue to be approved by the MLA Bylaws; and to advise Section members and officers concerning bylaws issues.


Nominating Committee

STATUS: Standing Committee
CHAIR: Heather Moberly, VMLS Past-chair
MEMBERS: Vicki Croft and Marisa Conte

CHARGE: The Nominating Committee will perform the following duties.

  • Prepare a slate of candidates, at least one for each vacancy for elective office.
    • Chair-elect/Program chair
    • Treasurer
    • MLA Nominating committee
  • Secure written acceptance of nomination for office from each candidate and a brief biography.
  • Submit slate and biographies to the Executive Board.
  • Send out the ballots and a reminder one week before the voting deadline.
  • Committee Chair will report the results to the Executive Board and to MLA.

Current committee’s service ends May 2012


Veterinary Information Resources Committee

STATUS: Standing Committee
CHAIR: Trenton Boyd and Esther Carrigan
MEMBERS: Vicki Croft, Heather Moberly, Ann Viera, Ana Ugaz, Jessica Page

CHARGE: The Veterinary Resources Committee is charged with the all tasks related to veterinary information resources. These tasks include:

  • Exploring methods of sharing information on our individual collections and collection strengths
  • Maintaining a list of changes to serial publication and a periodic review of core veterinary serials titles.
    • A serials title evaluation should be undertaken at least every 10 years.
  • Maintenance of the specialty board reading lists
  • Explore the creation of a core monographic list for veterinary medicine

This committee may find it necessary to form subcommittees to effectively pursue its charge. Sub committees may be formed in consultation with VMLS Executive Board and may include members outside the parent committee. The term of a subcommittee should not be longer than two years. (see procedures manual)


Communications and Public Relations Committee

STATUS: Standing Committee
CHAIR: Susanne Whitaker
MEMBERS: Trenton Boyd, Vicki Croft, Vicki Kok, Ann Viera

CHARGE: The VMLS Committee on Communications and Public Relations is responsible for all communications and public relations efforts of VMLS including creation, archiving, revision, and maintenance of the following:
VMLS Logo
VMLS brochure
PubMed Searching brochure
Annual AVMA Meeting Exhibit/Booth
International Directory
Liaison Program
Notable Librarians (after May 2012)
VMLS Oral Histories (after May 2012)

In addition, the Committee will be responsible for the administration of the liaison program and the Committee Chair will work with the VMLS Executive Board to ensure that there are one or more VMLS members working in a liaison capacity to outside organizations of interested to VMLS members. (see below) These members will serve as an information conduit between these organizations and VMLS.

In an effort to preserve our history, VMLS formed the ad hoc Notable Librarians committee to create profiles of notable members for the VMLS website. In addition, members of that committee have been involved in a project to compile oral histories of founding members. When the work of the ad hoc Notable Librarians committee is completed in May 2012, the Committee on Communications and Public Relations will assume responsibility for the Notable Librarians section of the VMLS website and will add additional notable librarian information to the pages. The work of the ad hoc Notable Librarians committee members pursuing oral histories will also be part of the duties of Committee on Communications and Public Relations.

This committee may find it necessary to for subcommittees to effectively pursue its charge. Sub committees may be formed in consultation with VMLS Executive Board and may include members outside the parent committee. The term of a subcommittee should not be longer than two years. (see procedures manual)

Liaisons:

  • AgNic: Vicki Croft
  • AVMHS (American Veterinary Medical History Society): Susanne Whitaker
  • EBVM: ?
  • ICAHIS: Vicki Croft
  • USAIN: Vicki Croft and Heather Moberly
  • V-Ags: Esther Carrigan
  • VetMed Info Portal: dead?
  • VIN: Susanne Whitaker


Standards and Assessment Committee

STATUS: Standing Committee
CHAIR: Esther Carrigan
MEMBERS: Marisa Conte, Heather Moberly, Ana Ugaz

CHARGE: Benchmarking is a useful tool for evaluating and assessing library collections and services against standards, and communicating this value to administrators and other stakeholders.  The VMLS Standards Committee is charged to:

  • evaluate previous VMLS surveys. Modify and enhance these tools to provide a method to benchmark VMLS member libraries.
  • identify and explore additional tools available to assist VMLS members to benchmark and assess their services and collections.
  • identify and publicize all applicable extant veterinary library “standards,” including services and collections.
  • develop an assessment toolkit for VMLS members to use to meet accreditation reporting expectations and to monitor library services and collections.

The committee will work toward the goal of implementing a VMLS survey in late 2012.

Task Forces


Electronic Health Record and Evidence-based Point-of-care Resource Task Force

CHAIR: Kristine Alpi
Member: Sheila Bryant, Suzanne Shurtz, Julie Urwin

CHARGE: To explore how to encourage connections between publishers of veterinary resources and veterinary health record/practice management systems developers and vendors; to compile a list of information providers who have content that could be beneficial at point of care in veterinary systems; to coordinate with the American Animal Hospital Association's Electronic Health Records Task Force which is working closely with the systems vendor community.

At the 2011 MLA Annual Meeting an interested was expressed by the membership to have this committee charge extended to include the exploration of veterinary evidence-based medicine and point-of-care products for veterinary practitioners. The extended charge includes the following tasks:

  • Explore the availability of commercial or non-commercial veterinary evidence-based medicine and point-of-care products for veterinary practitioners.
  • Contact information vendors to determine the interest in and possible future availability of these types of products for veterinary medicine.
  • Make recommendations as to the continued efforts required in this area.

Date of completion: May 2012


MLA 2012 Program Task Force

CHAIR: Esther Carrigan
MEMBERS: Vicki Croft, Derek Halling, Cathy Pepper, Suzanne Shurtz, Mary Taylor

CHARGE: This committee is charged with coordinating an exciting VMLS activity and dinner, under the direction of Program Chair, Esther Carrigan. The committee will also assist Membership Chair, Mary Taylor in the section shuffle program and staffing of the VMLS section shuffle booth.

Date of completion: May 2012


Notable Librarians and Oral History Project

CHAIR: Susanne Whitaker
MEMBERS: Alison Bobal, Vicki Croft, Gretchen Stephens, Ana Ugaz

CHARGE: To recognize and document leaders in the veterinary medical library specialty through the Notable Librarians section of the VMLS web site, and through the use of recorded oral histories. The duties of this committee will transfer to the Communications and Public Relations Committee at the end of the MLA annual meeting in 2012.

Date of completion: May 2012


One Health (MLA 2013) Program Task Force

CHAIR: Esther Carrigan
MEMBERS: Trenton Boyd, Vicki Croft

CHARGE: A joint meeting of the Medical Library Association, International Conference of Animal Health Information Specialists, International Clinical Librarian Conference, and International congress on Medical Librarianship will be held in May of 2013. The size and international scope of the joint meeting necessitates program timeline adjustments, see attached program timeline. Work on the program must begin in the fall of 2011, prior to the elections of the VMLS 2012-2013 Chair-elect who would normally serve as the program chair for this meeting. This ad hoc committee has been formed and will be chaired by the VMLS 2012 Program Chair/Chair-elect. The committee and its chair will be responsible for meeting all the MLA deadlines for submission of section program information, reviews names, and so forth, as outlined in the 2013 meeting timeline. The 2012-2013 Program Chair/Chair-elect will become chair of this committee when Esther Carrigan assumes the duties of VMLS chair at the end of the 2012 MLA Annual Meeting. Depending on the status of the committee’s activities, and the wishes of the 2013 Program Chair/Chair-elect, this committee’s duties may be extended for an additional year at the discretion of VMLS Executive Board.

Date of completion: May 2012


VMLS Procedures Manual Task Force

CHAIR: Heather Moberly
MEMBERS: Esther Carrigan

CHARGE: To prepare a procedures manual for the Veterinary Medical Libraries Section that includes all duties, responsibilities, and deliverables for all officers and committee chairs.

Date of completion: May 2012

Appointed Positions

Archivist – Gretchen Stephens
CE Chair – Greg Youngen
Listserv Manager – Derek Halling
Membership Chair – Mary Taylor
Web Coordinator – Alison Bobal (until August 2011)
Robin Sewell (filling in for Alison until May 2012)

Last updated on: Tue, 05/15/2012 - 12:22