PNC Weblog ? The Benefits of Writing for Medical Library ...

Author: Hope Leman

Career coaching, nagging time! I have written about this before, but what the heck. We have such a wealth of talent and expertise in the Pacific Northwest Chapter of the Medical Library Association that I would like to once again encourage all of you to write up accounts of your accomplishments or projects for one of the many newsletters published by the various sections of the Medical Library Association.? Doing so offers several benefits.

First of all, it gives you the opportunity to tell your colleagues in the MLA about a resource you find valuable. For example, I have recently written the article, ?H-Net History of Science, Medicine and Technology Discussion List? for the History of the Health Sciences Section Newsletter ? Medical Library Association Volume XXIII Issue 2 Spring 2012.? That discussion list is fascinating reading for those interested in what it covers and looking for opportunities such as fellowships, calls for papers, etc. in the field.

Second, writing for a section newsletter gives you a publication credit to add to your CV. Never hurts to look productive, publicationally speaking!

Third, writing for a section newsletter gives you the opportunity to publicize your own doings or projects. I am not shy about self promotion. Therefore, the article I mentioned above contains the info that I am one of the list editors of the H-Net list. If you are doing something exciting (or even dull and tedious but nevertheless important), tell us about it. And given that the section letters tend to be freely available on the Web, it becomes quite easy to refer people to your presence there.

Fourth, when you write for a section newsletter you tend to become a regular reader of it and there is quite a lot of valuable material in the newsletters.? For example, in the issue of the History of the Health Sciences Section Newsletter mentioned above there is an edifying? article entitled, ?University of Iowa John Martin Rare Book Room ? Recent Travails? that contains some tips to note for those of you contemplating (or recently informed on short notice about!)? a remodel or move of your library. That issue also contains discussions of digitization projects (and many of us possess archival materials that are crying out for such treatment, which would help raise the visibility of? our collections and contribute to scholarly research and local pride) such as one concerning the African-American experience in Chicago (of which project the history of nursing was a component) and the digitization of the newsletters of the National Hansen?s Disease (Leprosy) Center at Carville, Louisiana.

Fifth, writing and working with the editors of the newsletters is an ideal way to burnish rusty writing skills (or master the craft of writing for publication if you are early career) and networking in medical librarianship. And it is ego-boosting to see one?s name in print.

Sixth, writing for the section newsletters gives your colleagues in the PNC/MLA something to write about on this blog and about which to submit to the Chapter News Section of MLA News. The mileage you can get out of a single article is quite something.

Seventh, if you write about an online resource your work on (such as the ones I work on ResearchRaven and ScanGrants) you may generate some hits to them or nudge people into linking to them, blogging about them or including them in their online databases of online resources. And be sure to tweet about any article you publish and link to it in the tweet, as well.

So watch for announcements in the discussion lists of the various sections, pitch an article (that is in itself is good experience in marketing and distilling ideas down to appealing chunks) and get writing.

Go, team!

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