We are MLA: a qualitative case study on the Medical Library Association's 2019 Communities Transition.

OBJECTIVE: In 2019, the Medical Library Association (MLA) adopted a new model of community governance and participation, referred to as the MLA Communities Transition. The Communities Transition was the culmination of long-ranging plans by MLA to support two of its strategic goals: diversity and inclusion, and communities. The reorganization aimed to strengthen MLA member communities, better support programming, reduce administrative overhead, and attract new members. The 2019-2020 MLA Rising Stars cohort was tasked to study the Communities Transition and identify lessons that might be applicable to any major future change proposed for the organization. METHODS: A qualitative study was designed and conducted to investigate MLA member and leader perceptions of the change process, using John Kotter's eight steps for organizational change model as a framework. A set of fifteen open-ended questions was developed based on Kotter's model, and seventeen semistructured interviews were conducted to gather perceptions and feedback. Interview transcripts were analyzed using a grounded theory approach to explore and identify several themes across all discussions. RESULTS: Four major themes were identified: communication between leadership and membership, leadership during the change process, membership investment in change, and instituting change and future recommendations. The study revealed strengths in the overall implementation and execution of the transition, but it also highlighted several perceived issues with communication and information sharing. CONCLUSIONS: Study findings were used to develop recommendations for improved communication strategies and for handling large-scale changes within the organization in the future.

UNLV Health Sciences Library's Initial Response to the COVID-19 Pandemic: How a Versatile Environment, Online Technologies, and Liaison Expertise Prepared Library Faculty in Supporting Its User Communities.

In this case study, the University of Nevada, Las Vegas Health Sciences Library describes how a flexible and technology-focused service model, liaison relationships, and individual expertise all contributed towards rapid mobilization of online instruction, virtual library services, and new resources to keep pace with the sudden needs of their user communities in the School of Medicine, School of Dental Medicine and local Las Vegas community prior to and during stay-at-home mandates related to the COVID-19 global pandemic of 2020.

Integrating Information Literacy and Evidence-Based Medicine Content within a New School of Medicine Curriculum: Process and Outcome.

This column describes a process for integrating information literacy (IL) and evidence-based medicine (EBM) content within a new school of medicine curriculum. The project was a collaborative effort among health sciences librarians, curriculum deans, directors, and faculty. The health sciences librarians became members of the curriculum committees, developed a successful proposal for IL and EBM content within the curriculum, and were invited to become course instructors for Analytics in Medicine. As course instructors, the librarians worked with the other faculty instructors to design and deliver active learning class sessions based on a flipped classroom approach using a proprietary Information Mastery curriculum. Results of this collaboration may add to the knowledge base of attitudes and skills needed to practice as full faculty partners in curricular design and instruction.