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ALIA West
August 2003VALA Travel Scholarship to Research PDAsThe opportunity to travel, to learn about new technology and gain experience writing a conference paper was presented to me when I was awarded the VALA Travel Scholarship. VALA - the Victorian Association for Library Automation awards up to 2 biennial scholarships worth $12 000 'for persons intending to undertake overseas travel to explore development in the application of information technology in libraries and information services.' Details about the scholarship are available from the VALA website. The VALA travel scholarship has been around for quite some time. I remember thinking of applying for the travel scholarship when I lived in Brisbane back in 1996 but just couldn't think of an interesting enough project topic to research. In August 2002 I read an e-mail on the cybrarians e-list advising that the deadline for the VALA travel scholarship was being extended by a week. I thought to myself 'hmmm maybe not too many people have applied' which sparked me into action. I spent three long nights doing research on the Internet and putting an application together that included; project goals and objectives, a project timetable, a budget and a travel itinerary. I remember spending $11.00 to Platinum post it from Perth to Melbourne in time for the extended deadline. Good tip for if you want to get a package across the country fast! My project was to research the use of PDAs (Personal Digital Assistants) by North American medical libraries. The aims and objectives of the project were:
The idea to research PDAs Where did I get the idea to look at PDA? I had seen doctors using these tiny computer gadgets in the library and in the hospital wards and thought to myself 'I need learn a bit more about this new technology!' A library colleague of mine who worked on an e-book project in Queensland forwarded me an e-mail from an e-book e-list about a PDA project two libraries in Peoria, Illinois were working on. The OSF St Francis Medical Centre Library and the University of Illinois Health Sciences Library in Peoria received a US$50 211 LSTA grant from the Illinois State Library to purchase PDA hardware, software, licensed clinical content and to provide training to clinicians. Their very comprehensive report titled "Point of Care to their Palms: Medical Libraries Provide Critical Knowledge-Based Resources, Technology and Training to Medical Professionals" on the Internet at http://library.osfsaintfrancis.org/PDAGRANT/shortfinal.htm provided much food for thought for my application. It was from their report I found out about the MLA conference being held in San Diego and other PDA projects happening in the States. My travel itinerary In early May 2003 I attended the Medical Libraries Association conference in San Diego. I participated in two of the Continuing Education workshops: a PDA Introductory session facilitated by Mari Stoddard and PDA Medical Applications and Content for Librarians facilitated by Jo Dorsch and Karen Heskett (whom I was later visiting in Peoria). The MLA conference was just HUGE compared to any conference I'd attended in Australia before. There were over 2000 delegates. One of the highlights of visiting San Diego was a tour of the USNS Mercy Hospital Ship. Marilyn Schwartz, manager of the Naval Medical Centre Library organised a tour of the USNS Mercy Hospital Ship which was in service during the Gulf War. The ship is a fully operational 1000 bed hospital complete with 12 operating theatres, an intensive care unit, the usual medical and dental services plus a library! From San Diego I flew to Peoria in Illinois where I spent a week visiting the two libraries who had received the LSTA grant - the St Francis Medical Centre Library and the University of Illinois Health Sciences Library in Peoria. The library staff were very hospitable and welcoming, inviting me to their homes for a BBQ and a Pizza night. An article about my visit to the St Francis Library is on the web at http://library.osfsaintfrancis.org/Newsletters/june2003rev3.pdf It was while I was in Peoria that I received the e-mail from Lisa Kidd advising me that I'd received the WA Special Librarian of the Year Award! While in Illinois, I visited the Blessing Health Professions Library in Quincy, a small town west of Peoria on the Mississippi river. Arlis Dittmer the library manger had received a $5000 National Library of Medicine grant to explore the role of handheld devices for clinical instruction of nursing students and to explore the role of the library in supporting these devices. While visiting her library, the hospital's PR manager organised for the local TV and radio station to interview me. An Aussie librarian visiting Quincy was a novelty! In Chicago I visited Sandy DeGroote at the University of Illinois Health Sciences Library. Sandy had applied for and received another National Library of Medicine grant to run a "technology awareness" program teaching sessions to public health staff. From Chicago I flew to Canada and spent a week and a half in Edmonton visiting the University of Alberta's John W Scott Health Sciences library and attending the Canadian Health Libraries Conference as well as the Evidence-Based Librarianship conference. At the CHLA I met up with Rhonda Mayberry from Fremantle Hospital, who was in Canada on long service leave at the time. The VALA travel scholarship has been a fantastic learning and networking opportunity. I will be presenting a paper about my PDA study at the VALA Conference in February next year in Melbourne. I would encourage anyone who's got a bright idea to look at new technology overseas to consider applying for the VALA travel scholarship. Terena Solomons
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