Congratulations to HSLI member Mary Ashley Dotson, who just graduated from the UI iSchool and was invited to join Beta Phi Mu (LIS Honors) and Phi Kappa Phi (all discipline honors)! Mary Ashley was a 2025 Jira Scholarship recipient, and is the Librarian for Sarah Bush Lincoln Health System, based in Mattoon, IL.
Category: Member News
HSLI Member Michelle Nielsen Ott Has Article in Latest Issue of JMLA
(via Frances Drone-Silvers, Carle Foundation Hospital) Michelle Nielsen Ott, Assistant Professor, Sciences/Health Sciences Librarian and Head of Reference Services at Bradley University’s Cullom-Davis Library, is one of three co-authors for the article “Navigating Unique Challenges: Librarian Perceptions in Supporting Physician Associate (Assistant) Programs”, in the January, 2026, issue of Journal of the Medical Library Association….
MLA Collection Development Caucus Holding Forum on Collection Development Policies, with Presenters Including HSLI Member Ramune Kubilius–Online Thurs., Jan. 29, at 12:00 PM CDT (No Registration Required)
(via Ramune Kubilius, Galter Health Sciences Library and Learning Center at Northwestern University) The Medical Library Association’s (MLA) Collection Development Caucus will be hosting a forum on collection development policies online Thursday, January 29, at 12:00 PM CDT. Please join us via Zoom here. No registration is necessary. The session will start with brief presentations from librarians who…
Debra Smith is HSLI Member of the Quarter
Debra Smith is the HSLI Member of the Quarter for December! She is Professor, Nursing & Health Sciences Liaison Librarian, at College of DuPage Library. Having attended library school at a Michigan-based institution (Wayne State University) and worked at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN, what, if anything, do you find unique or different about…
College of DuPage Library Wins NILRC Fall Photo Contest for “Making a World of Difference” Collage
(via Debra Smith, College of DuPage) The College of DuPage Library won the Fall 2025 NILRC (Network of Illinois Learning Resourcesin Community Colleges) photo contest, themed “Involved”, with its “Making a World of Difference” collage entry. What a fantastic example of being “seen”, as this contest is based on the votes of participating NILRC library staff…
Peggy Carey is HSLI Member of the Quarter
Peggy Carey is the HSLI Member of the Quarter for September! She works in Interlibrary Loan/Document Delivery/Circulation Assistance at National University of Health Sciences. How did you go from working in retail to becoming a librarian, and have you noticed similarities between the two fields? Having left retail employment, I did a lot of job…
Melissa Hudak is HSLI Member of the Quarter
Melissa Hudak is the HSLI Member of the Quarter for May! She works as Library Coordinator at OSF HealthCare Saint Francis Medical Center in Peoria. How did you decide that special libraries, particularly medical ones, were the best fit for your career interests and goals? I like the challenge of medical librarianship—finding answers to questions…
IACRL Announces Winners of 2025 People’s Choice Award in Scholarly Publishing, Including HSLI Member Nielsen Ott
(via Gwen Gregory, Northern Illinois University) The results are in, and we want to congratulate this year’s winners of the 2025 IACRL (Illinois Association of College and Research Libraries) People’s Choice Award in Scholarly Publishing! First Place Title: “Along for the Journey: Graduate Student Perceptions of Research” Authors: Alissa Droog, Northern Illinois University; Kari D. Weaver, University…
Next HSLI Coffee & Conversation on Thurs., Nov. 21, 3:00-4:00 PM CDT–Includes Presentation From Jira Scholarship Winner
(via Frances Drone-Silvers, HSLI Secretary) Please join us virtually on Thursday, November 21, from 3:00 to 4:00 PM CDT, for a chance to share updates, challenges, wins, and insights. Attendees will also have the chance to meet one of the HSLI Helen Knoll Jira Scholarship winners, UIUC iSchool PhD student Devyn Wilder.
Janet Harper is HSLI Member of the Quarter
Janet Harper is the HSLI Member of the Quarter! Janet is the Librarian at the Pacific College of Health and Science’s Chicago campus. When did you first learn about the Health Science Librarians of Illinois, and why did you decide to join? After getting my current job, I looked for a health science library association…