# Maritimes Health Libraries Association (MHLA) / Association des Bibliothéques de la Santé des Maritimes (ABSM)

This is a challenging time for the MHLA as we begin to implement our Strategic Plan. This is new for us, and frankly a little scary, but the membership support and interest has been excellent. We continue to acknowledge the support of the CHLA/ABSC Chapter Initiatives Fund for this work, which is on-going (expected to wrap up in 2016). In October, Joanne Hodder of the Nova Scotia Community College Library & Information Technology program led us through a session on Marketing for Associations. At this meeting, the MHLA formulated its new mission statement: "Supporting Health through Knowledge". The spring meeting was held for the first time at Université de Moncton. The second priority in our Strategic Plan, creating a scope of practice document, was brought to the group. Several minor changes were suggested, and it was also recommended that the name of the document be changed to the *Statement of Ethics and Accountability* rather than Scope of Practice as it was more appropriate for our membership. These changes were accepted with a goal to adopt the Statement of Ethics and Accountability officially in October of 2013 and circulate it more widely at that time. It was noted that a great many members attend our meetings on their own "time and dime". That members continue to come despite lack of support speaks to the role of MHLA as an important source of local support, and we recognize the need to deepen that support.

Katie McLean of Capital Health in Halifax is the International Editor for the MLA News. Lara Killian, Librarian, and Adam Keylor, Library Technician, have been hired to coordinate the Patient Education pamphlets and to provide publishing support for policy development at Capital Health. Amanda Horsman of Université de Moncton and Michelle Helliwell of Annapolis Valley Health presented a poster about the MHLA Strategic Planning process at the MLA 2013 Annual Meeting and Exhibition. Michelle also presented a paper at MLA on the "Changing our picture of health" project. Kathleen Gadd of Horizon Health Network was awarded MHLA's professional development grant ($500) to support her attendance at the CHLA/ABSC 2013 Conference where, with Robyn Butcher of the University of Toronto, she will be presenting the paper "Evaluation of Evidence-Based Point-of-Care Medical Applications for Mobile Devices by Residents on a Clinical Rotation: A Role for Librarians in Clinical Research".

## Michelle Helliwell, MLIS

President, MHLA 2012–2014

Library & Knowledge Management Services

Shared Services (Dalhousie School of Nursing – Yarmouth Site, Annapolis Valley Health, South Shore Health, South West Health)

23 Earnscliffe Ave. Wolfville, NS B4P 1X4

E-mail: mhelliwell@avdha.nshealth.ca