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Objective: The article reports on an assessment of the effectiveness of the MLA Research Training Institute (RTI) for the years 2018 and 2019. The RTI is a year-long continuing education research methods training and support program for health sciences librarians. The study focuses on assessing RTI participants' research confidence after program completion and compares these results with their perceptions of workshop/program performance and learning outcomes. In addition, the authors discuss how the findings were applied to inform and improve the program., Methods: The study used a 26-item questionnaire, RTI Research Confidence Questionnaire, to gather information on participants' self-reported research confidence before the workshop, immediately after the workshop, and one year after the workshop to determine statistically significant differences. Differences in research confidence were identified by using three nonparametric statistical tests. Additional workshop and program surveys were used to corroborate the research confidence findings., Results: Post-workshop and one-year-after-workshop research confidence ratings were significantly higher than pre-workshop levels for years 1 and 2. A comparison of median ratings between years 1 and 2 showed significant increases in research confidence for nine items in year 2. Participants' positive perceptions of workshop/program effectiveness and learning outcomes corroborated these findings., Conclusion: Overall assessment findings indicated that RTI training helped participants understand, use, and apply research skills to conduct research. Findings also revealed that participants' heightened research confidence persisted at least 12 months postintervention. The RTI Research Confidence Questionnaire proved effective for rigorously assessing and improving the RTI program. This study enhances the currently limited evidence on evidence-based approaches for assessing and improving research instruction for librarians., (Copyright © 2024 Susan Lessick, Jodi L. Philbrick, Lorie Kloda.)

Professional associations provide resources to support members' career development and facilitate ways for members to engage with and learn from one another. This article describes Medical Library Association (MLA) activities related to the revision of professional competencies and the restructuring of the organization's communities during the past twenty-five years. Grounded in MLA's Platform for Change, the MLA competency statement underwent two revisions with core themes remaining consistent. Major efforts went into rethinking the structure of MLA communities, and it became a strategic goal of the association. Numerous groups spent considerable time guiding the changes in MLA's community structure. Sections and special interest groups were transformed into caucuses. Domain hubs were established to facilitate project coordination across caucuses and create more leadership opportunities for MLA members, but their implementation did not meet expectations. Member engagement and leadership are ongoing challenges for MLA. The next twenty-five years will undoubtedly see additional revisions to the competencies and continued iterations of the community structure., (Copyright © 2024 Stephanie Fulton, Gale G. Hannigan, Rikke S. Ogawa, Jodi L. Philbrick.)

In this study, the authors analyzed 147 AAHSL member libraries' COVID-19 research guides to determine the volume and origin of links included. Through stratified sampling based on total enrollment of health sciences academic institutions, 51 eligible AASHL library websites were selected for inclusion in the study. Content from COVID-19 research guides was analyzed, and the origin of each link was categorized. Most AAHSL libraries have at least one COVID-19 research guide, while some have two or more. A total of 8,848 links within examined research guides were visited. Links to academic institutions including universities' own internal links were most common while news outlets, social media, and international government were linked least. Regarding individual organizations, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the National Institutes of Health (NIH)were most frequently linked. The overwhelming majority of sampled health sciences libraries use research guides to share COVID-19 information with their users. It is necessary to further investigate how libraries can optimize research guides to benefit their users. These results and conclusions reveal information resource patterns in research guides at health sciences academic libraries and are consistent with those reached by researchers investigating academic libraries' research guides in 2020.

In this profile of Julia M. Esparza, AHIP, Medical Library Association President, 2019-2020, she is described as a pleasure to work with, practical, and intelligent, and she adds a spark of humor to any activity. Esparza has spent the last twelve years of her career in the Health Sciences Library and Department of Medical Library Science at Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center Shreveport. She is an excellent role model for medical librarians who want to engage in scholarly activities and is active in supporting the educational needs of health care providers, students, library personnel, and the community through her instructional efforts., (Copyright: © 2019, Authors.)

Personal branding is an introspective process by which you define yourself professionally, and it can serve as your pathway to professional success. There are six steps to building your personal brand: (1) taking an introspective look, (2) understanding the brand that may already exist, (3) developing your personal brand mantra, (4) crafting your physical footprint, (5) creating your digital footprint, and (6) communicating your message. Your personal brand is a promise of value and performance, and it is necessary to meet the expectations of your audience. Effective brand management is a key component to maintaining a positive brand reputation.