Notable Veterinary Medical Librarians
Jo Anne BOORKMAN
- 23 years in veterinary librarianship
- Head, Public Services, 1985-1986; Acting Director, 1986-1988; Director, 1988- 2008, Loren D. Carlson Health Sciences Library, University of California at Davis
- Co-author with Judith Levitt, “Reference Update,” The Literature of Animal Science and Health, 1993.
- Co-compiler and editor with Fred W. Roper, Jeffrey T. Huber, and Jean Blackwell. Introduction to Reference Sources in the Health Sciences, 1st-5th eds., 1980-2008.
- Co-compiler with Victoria T. Kok, Livija Carlson, and Gayle K. Willard, Survey of Veterinary Medical Libraries in the United States and Canada, 1998/1999, 1999/2000, 2000/2001.
Major Contributions to Veterinary Librarianship:
Throughout her long and distinguished career in health sciences libraries, Jo Anne Boorkman held a number of public services and management positions. In particular, she was appointed as head of public services at the Loren D. Carlson Health Sciences Library at the University of California at Davis in 1985. When Marjan Merala retired in 1986, Jo Anne served as acting director for two years before being appointed as its director in 1988. Under Jo Anne’s capable leadership until her retirement in 2008, she continued the Library’s development which provided information support for the faculty and students at the UCDavis School of Veterinary Medicine.
With her background in public services and knowledge of reference sources, Jo Anne has contributed an understanding of the literature of veterinary medicine. With Judith Levitt, she compiled the section on reference sources on animal health and veterinary medicine that appeared in The Literature of Animal Science and Health in 1993. This is an update of the extensive bibliography assembled by Marjan Merala in 1981 for Blanchard and Farrell’s monumental work, Guide to Sources for Agricultural and Biomedical Research.
Jo Anne is also well known for compiling and editing four editions of the Introduction to Reference Sources in the Health Sciences with Fred W. Roper, Jeffrey Huber and Jean Blackwell published between 1980 and 2008. Arranged by type of reference publication, such as bibliographic indexes, drug sources, and handbooks, there are no sections devoted exclusively to veterinary or laboratory animal resources and tools. However, given the nature of “one medicine,” veterinary librarians undoubtedly have found the resource descriptions and management suggestions related to human medicine useful in complementing their animal-related collections. The abstract for Elizabeth Connor’s review of the fourth edition states, "Few works serve as solid a framework for the field of health sciences librarianship or provide as many insights and detailed knowledge as Introduction to Reference Sources in the Health Sciences.“
In response to VMLS member’s ongoing need for comparative data, a survey of veterinary libraries was conducted in 2000 using an online questionnaire for the first time. Jo Anne served on the Survey Committee which produced an extensive 53-page report for 1989/1999 with updates in 1999/2000 and 2000/2001.
In addition to her ongoing support for and membership in the Veterinary Medical Libraries Section, Jo Anne was elected to the MLA Board of Directors from 1988 through 1991, participated and chaired many MLA committees over the years , and was honored by becoming an MLA Fellow in 1999.
Jo Anne retired in June, 2008. On this occasion, it was noted that “Boorkman has spent twenty-three years as the exemplary steward of a major health sciences resource library in northern California and as an honored leader in both regional and national and special library associations.”
Selected Publications:
Boorkman JA, Huber JT, Roper FW. Introduction to reference sources in the health sciences. 4th ed. Chicago: Medical Library Association; 2004.
Boorkman JA, Levitt J. Chapter 7: Reference update. In: Olsen WC, ed. The literature of animal science and health. Ithaca, NY: Cornell University Press; 1993. p. 223-321. (The literature of the agricultural sciences, v.3).
Huber JT, Boorkman JA, Blackwell J. Introduction to reference sources in the health sciences. 5th ed. New York: Neal-Schuman Publishers; 2008.
Kok VT, Boorkman JA, Carlson L, Willard GK, Edmonds RC, Garrison E. Survey of veterinary medical libraries in the United States and Canada 1998/99. [Blacksburg, VA]: Veterinary Medical Library, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University; October 2000. [cited 27 Apr 2010]. <http://www.vmls.mlanet.org/1998-99SurveyResults.pdf>.
Also updated for: 1999/2000, May 2001 and 2000/2001, May 2002.
<http://www.vmls.mlanet.org/1999-2000SurveyResults.pdf>
<http://www.vmls.mlanet.org/2000-2001SurveyResults.pdf>
Roper FW, Boorkman JA, Introduction to reference sources in the health sciences. Chicago: Medical Library Association; 1980.
Roper FW, Boorkman JA. Introduction to reference sources in the health sciences. 2nd ed. Chicago: Medical Library Association; 1984.
Roper FW, Boorkman JA. Introduction to references Sources in the health sciences. 3rd ed. Chicago: Medical Library Association/Scarecrow Press; 1999.
Honors and Awards:
Academy of Health Information Professionals, Distinguished Member
MLA Fellow, 1999. Brief Vitae: <http://www.mlanet.org/awards/honors/fellows/boorkman_jo_anne_bio.html>.
Northern California and Nevada Medical Library Group (NCNMLG) Award for Professional Excellence, 1996.
Special Libraries Association, Fellow, 2000.
Publications about Jo Anne Boorkman:.
Boorkman, Jo Anne. In: Black B, ed. Who’s who in veterinary science and medicine. 2nd ed. Van Nuys, CA: Crown Publishing; 1991. p. 23.
Davis R. Retirements: Jo Anne Bookman and Carolyn Kopper. NCNMLG [Northern California and Nevada Medical Library Group] Newsletter. 2008 Apr-Jun;29(4):10-11.
Personals: Jo Anne Boorkman. MLA News. 2008 May;406:11.
MLA Oral History Project Interview:
Interview with Jo Anne Boorkman; interviewed by Diane McKenzie. Chicago: Medical Library Association. Oral History Committee; 2010 [in preparation].
Other Publications and Resources:
Connor E. Introduction to reference sources in the health sciences: an interview with Jo Anne Boorkman, Jeffrey T. Huber and Fred W. Roper. Interview by Elizabeth Connor. Med Ref Serv Q. 2005 fall;24(3):1-15.