THE NEW YORK REGIONAL GROUP/MLA:

A DISCURSIVE HISTORY

by Judith Topper (1985)

In the late 1940's, the advisability of sanctioning regional meetings to be held between the Annual Meetings of the Medical Library Association was a subject of disagreement in the organization. During the war, a regional meeting held in Philadelphia because of restrictions on travel had met with criticism from some MLA members. Nevertheless, other regional meetings were held in the postwar period, including one at the New York Academy of Medicine. However, these meetings had no sanction in the MLA bylaws, and many members continued to disapprove of them.

At MLA's Annual Meeting in 1947, Mildred Jordan of Emory University Medical Library read a paper presenting the results of a survey of the administrative heads of the 253 MLA member libraries on the subject of regional meetings [1]. Of the 157 respondents, 86 were "absolutely for," 22 "absolutely against," and 49 undecided. All agreed that the paramount consideration was whether such meetings would strengthen the national organization. Among the arguments of those opposed were: regional meetings would diminish the importance of the central organization; there would be fragmentation and encouragement of provincialism (one respondent cited the "New York-New England axis" as being particularly provincial); the organization was too small and scattered; attendees would be drawn from the national meetings, which attracted only 150-200 persons at that time; regions with fewer libraries would have poor meetings; and supervision of regional groups would place additional demands on MLA's officers. Those in favor argued that the regional meetings already held had been successful; they could deal with practical and local problems, and nurture new libraries, especially in hospitals; they would be useful to the many members, especially junior staff, who could not afford to go to national meetings; they would help meet the need for personal professional contacts; and they would encourage cooperative planning on regional matters such as interlibrary loans, cooperative buying, and union catalogs.

Janet Doe of the New York Academy of Medicine Library put the controversy into perspective in an editorial in the Bulletin of the Medical Library Association [2]. Opposition to regional meetings was necessary in the early days of MLA, she wrote, to permit its survival and growth into a unified, cohesive association. Early membership was small and scattered, and if it had been permitted to fragment into even smaller groups the profession of medical librarianship might have been "swallowed up by other types of librarianship of greater and age and reputation." By 1950, however, the Association had grown in numbers and strength to 915 member throughout the United States and Canada. At this stage, regional meetings would strengthen the national association rather than weaken it.

The sentiment of the membership had clearly swung in favor of regional meetings, and in 1950 MLA acknowledged this by amending its bylaws to permit such meetings, provided that they did not conflict with the Annual Meeting in time, expense, or size (not over one-fifth of the MLA membership participating). It was also specified that officers and committee chairmen should be voting members of MLA.

ORGANIZATION OF THE NEW YORK REGIONAL GROUP

In New York City, the impetus toward local meetings had become strong even before the bylaws change. On March 9, 1949, a "New York Regional Meeting" was held at The New York Academy of Medicine. Attendees paid $2.75 for cocktails, dinner, and a talk on handling the index crisis. Predictably, the group also discussed the pros and cons of holding regular New York regional meetings of the Medical Library Association.

After the adoption of the MLA bylaws change, the New York group quickly began the process of formal organization. On November 20, 1950 another meeting was held at the Academy of Medicine, and the flyer announcing it used the name "New York Regional Group" for the first time. The principal speaker was Mary Louise Marshall, Past President of MLA. The cost of cocktails and dinner had gone up to $4, although attendees could lower this by a dollar by forgoing the cocktail hour. Apparently few persons did so, as is suggested by this account by Gertrude Annan, who was working at that time in the Rare Book Room of the Academy:

My memories of the first dinner meeting held at the Academy are of people rather than events, and of my real concern for the Rare Book Room where a seemingly endless cocktail party was held. Dinner was so delayed, the pleasant haze so evident, that I recall the advice of one member in regard to preventing rings from wet glasses damaging the table. Industriously we obeyed her and rubbed masses of cigarette ashes, but the scars are still visible [3].

BYLAWS AND FIRST OFFICERS

At the time of the November 1950 meeting, the Regional Group was functioning under an Acting Executive Committee, informally organized because there were as yet no bylaws. Thomas Fleming of Columbia University was Chairman of this Committee. At a meeting on April 14, 1951 at the New York University Faculty Club, which was attended by 90 people, a set of bylaws was presented. The Group's purpose was to be "to stimulate and strengthen interest in the Medical Library Association by providing for interim meetings within this geographical region, for the exchange of information and ideas both professional and social." Membership was open to persons who were or had been actively engaged in library work in medical and allied scientific fields in the New York, New Jersey and Connecticut region. Officers were to be a Chairman, Secretary, and Treasurer, with an Executive Committee comprising the officers and four other elected members. There were to be two meetings a year.

The bylaws were adopted and the first official slate of officers was elected on November 17,1951 at a meeting at the Town Hall Club. Candidates for the Chairmanship were Janet Doe, Thomas Fleming, and J. Alan MacWatt, Librarian of the Lederle Laboratories. MacWatt was elected. Myrl Ebert of the New York University College of Medicine Library was chosen to be Secretary and Gilbert Clausman, at that time Reference Assistant at the New York Academy of Medicine, became Treasurer. Elected to the Executive Committee were Gertrude Annan, Eva Hawkins (National Health Library), Eleanor Fair (Metropolitan Life Insurance Co.), and Margaret Kinney (Bronx V.A. Hospital). It is worthy of note that among the topics considered that day were the MLA Exchange and the certification of medical librarians. Secretary Ebert's minutes record that these were both followed by "spirited discussions."

ORGANIZATIONAL PROGRESS

The process of organization moved along briskly, and by January 1952 six committees (Nominating, Bylaws, Membership, Program, Publicity, and Serials) had been set up and chairmen appointed. Almost immediately, however, the geographical boundaries of the group contracted. In March 1952, Henrietta T. Perkins of the Yale University Medical Library wrote to ask for a copy of the bylaws of the New York Regional Group to serve as a model for a group that had just been formed in Connecticut. The New York and the Connecticut Regional Groups were briefly reunited for a joint meeting in October 1955 at Yale University, when Gertrude Annan and Professor John Fulton spoke on rare books.

Although organizational matters generally proceeded smoothly, there were occasional problems. In 1955, there was confusion concerning arrangements for the Spring Meeting, and the Program Chairman resigned in protest. Letters among the group's officers record that the complexities of running an organization frequently caused frustration. After trying to open a bank account for the NYRG, Elizabeth G. Boykin, Secretary, wrote to Rita Sue King: "It never ceases to amaze me how many forms are involved in even the simplest transaction." In 1958, an extra person was inadvertently elected to the Executive Committee. Jeane E. Foulke, Secretary, wrote in a positive vein about this to the Chairman, Lois B. Miller: "It is probably well to have, five -- certainly will do no harm." The need to revise the mailing list caused Erich Meyerhoff, Chairman, to write in 1963 to the Treasurer, Paul Merrigan: "Not a day passes by that we don't hear from some irate customer who complains that his sex has been changed, or some other serious difficulty."

EARLY ACTIVITIES

Shortly after its founding, the NYRG set about trying to further its interests in its local area. In April 1952, the Executive Committee wrote to Dr. Lowell A. Martin, Associate Dean of the Columbia University School of Library Service, asking that Columbia offer an evening course in medical library administration, in addition to its daytime course. Dr. Martin replied stating his concern that offering both day and evening courses would cause enrollment in both to fall below the desired level of 12 to 15 students. Apparently the matter was not satisfactorily resolved, because at the fall meeting in 1956 Helen Kovacs reported on a questionnaire concerning a proposed course in medical librarianship to be given at Columbia in 1957.

Another early project involved the Serials Committee, which developed a plan for setting up a clearinghouse for data on serials: 'births, deaths, changes in title, format, etc." The Committee urged the NYRG Chairman to encourage the national organization to adopt the idea.

MEETING TOPICS

The subjects discussed at the meetings in the early 1950's are of interest for the light they shed on the interests of the membership at that time. At the meeting in April 1951 these subjects included new indexes and abstracting tools, and mechanical aids in medical libraries. In November of that year, the group considered, among other topics, the problems of small medical libraries. Other subjects of meetings in the early 1950's included the handling of ephemera, book selection, free and inexpensive materials, and presenting the library to management and users.

Physicians were frequent speakers at the early meetings. In 1952, Dr. Clarence Oberndorf addressed the membership on the place of fiction in the psychiatric collection. In 1953, Dr. Frederick Mettler of Columbia spoke on "Research in psychosurgery and its literature needs." Later that year, Dr. Claude E. Heaton of the N.Y.U. - Bellevue Medical Center chose as his subject, "Early American obstetricians and their books." An international note was struck when Mrs. Nesta Dean, Librarian of the Department of Pharmacology of Oxford University, spoke on "Origins of the oldest medical journals."

In 1956, the NYRG surveyed its members about the subjects they most wanted to hear discussed at meetings. The results, in order of preference, were bibliographic services (32 votes), mechanical aids (20), book selection (19), medical periodicals (19), library administration (18), indexing (17), abstracting (16), circulation (15), and publications for librarians (14). The non library subject of greatest interest was the history of medicine. To a question on preferred meeting places, the respondents cited New York City restaurants, hospitals, and medical schools. One wishful thinker suggested the Starlite Roof of the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel.

RELATIONS WITH MLA

The increasing vigor of the Regional Group was demonstrated by its invitation in 1954 to the national organization to hold its 1957 Annual Meeting in New York City. The acceptance of this invitation was announced to the membership in April, 1955, As its contribution to the Annual Meeting, which was held May 5-10, 1957, the NYRG prepared and distributed a directory of local libraries. The sum of $243 for printing the directory was provided by American Cyanamid, parent company of Lederle, whose Librarian had been the Regional Group's first Chairman.

Interaction between the NYRG and the national MLA was not extensive in the early years. In May, 1952, a letter was received from William D. Postell, President-Elect of MLA, requesting a report of the activities of the Regional Group. "All reports are limited to one, single page double-spaced," Postell specified.

Secretary Myrl Ebert responded, presumably within these limits. In 1953, MLA again requested an Annual Report, but this time the length had doubled to one typewritten page, single spaced.

The parent organization sought in other ways to maintain contact with the fledging group. In November 1952, Estelle Brodman, Editor of the Bulletin of the Medical Library Association, wrote to MacWatt asking for photographs of the NYRG's officers or speakers to print in the journal. Presumably none were sent, however, since none appeared.

Correspondence between the NYRG and MLA reveals some little-known sidelights of MLA history. Early in 1958, Mary Fenlon Kaylor, then Chairman of the NYRG, wrote to Henrietta T. Perkins, Secretary of MLA, requesting nine copies of the MLA Constitution, since none on the Executive Committee had one. Ms. Perkins replied that she was sending copies of the Charter and Bylaws, but that the Constitution was nowhere to be found and she thought is might have been abolished. She amended this, however, in a postscript. The Constitution had been published in the MLA Directory in 1950, but copies were not available because they had been lost in a flood at Oak Ridge, Tennessee.

The relationship between the parent and regional organization was occasionally rocky. In September 1958, Mrs. Kaylor wrote to Otilia Goode, Regional Liaison Officer of MLA, complaining of a lack of communication:

I have never quite understood what "liaison" there is among the Regional Groups of the Medical Library Association. There is seldom, if ever, any information available as to the scope and location of the various groups; the officers of those groups; the way they are organized; the full program, etc.... With that in mind, I am enclosing a copy of our fall program for you to see. If you think that other chairmen would like to have a copy, I shall be glad to send them one -- when I know who they are.

The letter concluded on a more positive note:

You have my every good wish for a very successful appointment as Liaison Officer, and I want you to know that our group will be happy to cooperate in any way possible to keep MLA on the highest possible basis.

The NYRG again played host to MLA in 1971 at what proved to be the best-attended Annual Meeting to that date. The Regional Group again produced A Directory of Health Sciences Libraries of Greater New York, and also presented a $1000 check to the Scholarship Fund. On the lighter side, it hosted a party at a night club, La Martinique. Reactions from attendees at the Annual Meeting were enthusiastic. Janet Doe, who was presented with an orchid corsage by the NYRG, wrote about her pleasure in greeting old and dear friends. Gertrude Annan mentioned how good it was to have an updated directory ... "And it is handsome, too!" Congratulatory messages on the careful planning and organization on the happy time that was had by all came in from Ann Kerker, William Postell, Erika Love, Sarah C. Brown, and MLA members throughout the country.

NEWSLETTER

The subject of a newsletter for the NYRG arose early. A letter from Janet Doe to J. Alan MacWatt dated April 19, 1951 suggested a mimeographed newsletter, and proposed that it publish a summary of the hours and interlibrary loan rules of the various local libraries.

Nearly 13 years passed, however, before a newsletter appeared. The first issue of An Occasional Newsletter was circulated in January 1964, written by Sonia Gruen of the Albert Einstein College of Medicine. It consisted of one side of a legal size sheet of paper. Among the news items reported was the formation of a Continuing Education Committee, whose first project would be to organize a course on data processing for libraries under the direction of the International Business Machines Corporation. This issue also announced that Dr. Martin Cummings had been appointed Director of the National Library of Medicine, succeeding Dr. Frank Rogers.

The Occasional Newsletter lived up to its name, appearing again only four times between 1964 and the end of 1968. The publication acquired a new title and a quarterly publication schedule in January 1969, when volume 1, number 1 of the New York Regional Group News appeared. This issue, too, included news relating to automation, announcing a seminar to be held the next month on the application of computer techniques to serials control.

During the years that followed, the News presented information, not only about NYRG activities, but also about the other medical library groups that were developing in the area. The November 1969 issue announced that the New York Academy of Medicine had begun to receive grant funds from the National Library of Medicine to serve as the Regional Medical Library for New York and Northern New Jersey. The News initiated a calendar of local meetings and activities, including those of the Regional Medical Library, the Medical Library Center of New York and the numerous area groups, as the geographically-based consortia in New York City and its surrounding localities were called. It served as an important communications link among all these groups during their formative years, since most of them, at least initially, had no publications of their own.

JOB PLACEMENT

The archives of the NYRG indirectly record several important changes in the profession of medical librarianship. Although it is hard to remember now, in the 1950's there was an acute shortage of medical librarians. An amusing episode illustrating this involved a librarian from Delmar, N.Y., who wrote to Gilbert Clausman on April 19,1952 enclosing her membership dues and asking if the NYRG had a placement officer, as she was interested in obtaining a position. Nine days later, on April 28, J. Alan MacWatt wrote back welcoming her to the group, and enclosing an application for a job in cataloging and reference at Lederle.

A placement service did not exist in the NYRG at the time the librarian from Delmar inquired about it, but it was suggested again by Mary Kaylor in 1959, and its creation is reported in the January 1964 issue of the newsletter. Mrs. Kaylor administered this service for a number of years, after which it was taken over by Samuel Waddell. By the middle 1970's, however, the employment situation in medical librarianship had changed. Waddell reported that, although he had a file of 93 resumes, only six prospective employers had called him in 1976. At the fall meeting in 1977, the NYRG voted to suspend the Placement Office "while present conditions persist." It was subsequently moved to the New York Academy of Medicine for a couple of years, but it never again served a useful function.

SUPPORT OF MLA SCHOLARSHIP FUND

The change in employment opportunities is also reflected in the NYRG's shifting position on raising funds for the MLA Scholarship Fund. In its early years, and until the late 1970's, the NYRG was enthusiastic in its support. In 1971, the NYRG News reported that $996.54 had been collected by the NYRG's Scholarship Committee toward a $1000 gift to MLA. As late as 1975, John LoSasso, MLA Executive Director, wrote to acknowledge a contribution and stated, "Your Group has, in most years, contributed more than the rest of our regions combined."

Only a few years later, however, the situation had changed. At the fall meeting in October 1977, Jane Port, Chairman of the NYRG Scholarship Committee, reported that raising money for scholarship no longer seemed an appropriate priority for the organization. She recommended suspension of the Scholarship Committee's activities until such time as more entry level positions became available, or until the emergence of viable support programs for the continuing education of practicing librarians. At the Fall 1978 meetings, the membership voted to delete the Scholarship Committee from its bylaws.

NEW COMMITTEES

While placement and scholarship activities were winding down, the NYRG found new outlets for its energies. In the 1970's, it became evident that hospital librarians, a burgeoning group at that time, felt that their needs and concerns were not adequately served. In 1973, a number of hospital librarians petitioned the NYRG Executive Committee to establish a standing committee that would concentrate on their interests and represent them in the organization's activities. The Executive Committee agreed, and the Committee on Small Health Science Libraries was formed, with Jeanne Becker as its first chairman. It quickly became one of the most active committees, and served as a forum for development of leadership talent for the NYRG and the national MLA.

The impetus for establishing another of the NYRG's most effective committees came from another organization entirely. In 1977, the Health Information Libraries of Westchester, a suburban consortium, recommended that the NYRG take on the task of coordinating activities on political and legislative matters of interest to medical librarians in the region. The subject was studied by an ad hoc committee chaired by Lynn Kasner, and at the October meeting the membership approved the creation of a Legislation Committee, which was to be a joint undertaking with the Upstate New York and Ontario Regional Group. The Joint Legislation Committee has served effectively since that time to inform the membership and mobilize activity to promote legislation favorable to medical libraries on the state and national levels.

The financial history of the NYRG began very simply and became, predictably, more complex over the years. The bylaws adopted at the November 1951 meeting set the dues at one dollar, and the first Treasurer, Gilbert Clausman, recalls that they were collected on the spot and he took the money away in a cigar box. The dues remained the same until 1967, when they were raised to two dollars. Three years later, in 1970, they took a more substantial jump to five dollars.

Some of the early correspondence on financial matters that has survived relates to refunds for alcoholic beverages served at meetings. A 1958 letter from Mary Kaylor, Chairman, to Rita Sue King, Treasurer, enclosing a check for three dollars, notes that a bottle of mixed martinis had been left over at the Fall Meeting, and she had sold it to a member. In December 1966, $67.18 was refunded to the NYRG by a liquor dealer for bottles returned unopened after a meeting.

Refunds for expenses within the organization were not always so expeditiously handled. In April 1965, a bill was sent by Gilbert Clausman to the Treasurer, Paul Merrigan, which included a 73 cent item for place cards used at the Spring Meeting. Complications ensued, and after considerable correspondence the 73 cents was refunded at the end of October by the succeeding Treasurer, Donald Clyde.

By 1976, inflation and increased group activity were putting a severe strain on the financial viability of the NYRG. At the Fall Meeting in November, an ad hoc committee under the chairmanship of Sonya Wohl Mirsky was appointed to prepare a budget for the organization, which had not previously had one, and to deal with several related matters. The committee's report found that the organization was "hovering on the brink of insolvency." The line budget that the committee had prepared indicated that income from dues would not cover the anticipated expenditures for 1977/78. Accordingly, at the October 1977 meeting, the membership approved the budget structured and a dues increase to $10 beginning in 1978. In addition, the bylaws were amended to permit the appointment of an auditor.

At this same meeting, a report was presented on proposed changes in the MLA group structure. The NYRG Executive Committee, under the chairmanship of C. Robin LeSueur, had met during the previous summer with Erich Meyerhoff, a member of the Ad Hoc Committee to study MLA Group Structure. Following this meeting, the Executive committee had expressed several misgivings in a letter to MLA President Gilbert Clausman. The intent of the Ad Hoc Committee's report was found to be acceptable but changes were suggested in the wording of some of the recommendations, which were felt to infringe upon local autonomy.

In 1977, then, when the NYRG was putting its financial affairs on a sounder footing, and making major changes in its scholarship and placement activities in response to a changed professional climate, it was also considering the most important change of all -- from Regional Group to a Chapter of the Medical Library Association. This came to fruition in 1981, when the NYRG membership voted to accept a new set of bylaws incorporating Chapter status.

In its thirty-year existence, 1951 to 1981, the NYRG had borne out Janet Doe's prediction that the sanction of regional meetings would strengthen the Medical Library Association. The Regional Group fostered professional contacts, dealt effectively with local issues, provided a training ground for leadership, enhanced the role of hospital librarians, and provided a forum for the involvement of librarians unable to attend national meetings. By permitting a portion of its organizational energies to be expended in the regions, MLA was enabled eventually to coalesce into a more dynamic and representative organization under its new group structure.

1. Jordan M. Regional meetings for the Medical Library Association. Bull Med Libr Assoc 1947; 35:3O9-20

2. Doe J. the new venture: regional meetings. Bull Med Libr Assoc 1950; 38:273-4

3. Annan G. Untitled. New York Regional Group/MLA News 1977 May, 9 (2):4

The history of our Chapter from its beginnings as the New York Regional Group of MLA was written by Judith M. Topper and published in 1985. This is a continuation and extension of some of her topics.

The past fifteen years were dominated by a dizzying pace of acceleration in the use of computers in all phases of the health communication and library field. It affected not only information retrieved through Medline, on-line catalogs of books, journal holdings and audio-visuals, but also the entire administrative activities of libraries. Those working in libraries embraced and mastered this technology quickly and became instructors in its use and application. This occurred at a time of steeply rising costs of the traditional materials such as books and journals, the initial high cost of acquiring computers for public and staff use, and the need for the replacement of this equipment which became rapidly outdated. Funding for libraries, however, did not keep pace with the cost of supplying the needed resources. The Chapter responded to the change with programs which are a part of its recent history.

Annual meetings continue to be held in the Fall. They serve to transact the business of the organization, to present programs and to arrange for continuing education courses. They are scheduled for two days and some have been joint meetings with other Chapters. Evening meetings continue to be held in the Spring of the year.

The title for the October 24, 1981 meeting was "2001 is Here: New Technologies for the Health Science Libraries." Jean K. Miller, formerly Director of the Medical Library Center of New York, and then Director of the University of Texas Health Sciences Center Library at Dallas, was the featured speaker. Her topic was "Computer Technology in the Medical Library: A Personal Viewpoint." Concurrent afternoon sessions were devoted to microcomputers, video discs, word processing, and publishing. Registration and lunch was $9.00.

The 1982 meeting reverted to earlier concerns and Stephen Barrett, M.D., talked on "Quackery in the Health Science Literature." Fee-based service vs. free service was discussed by Gilbert Clausman, NYU Medical Center and W. D. Walker, Director, Medical Library Center of New York.

On October 22-24, 1987, a joint meeting brought the New York/New Jersey Chapter, the Upstate New York and Ontario Chapter and the Albany Area Health Library Affiliates together in Saratoga Springs, NY. The keynote speaker was the New York State Commissioner of Health, Dr. David Axelrod.

The winds of change were clearly evident at this meeting. Managed care, its financial realities and implications for the future, why and how health professionals do their own database searching, designing an expert system for reference consultation; serials control systems, marketing, and many more computer-related topics were on the program. It was one of the most successful meetings ever to be arranged by the group. Medical ethics and problems of cost-effective management also emerged as topics that were of interest to attendees.

Partly as a result of the scarcity of meeting places at a reasonable cost and partly to have meetings at attractive places to visit led to the development of annual meetings that were held more frequently outside of Manhattan. The 1991 meeting was held in Philadelphia, PA. The 1995 meeting was at the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy in King's Point, New York.

The Spring meetings tended to be dinner and entertainment. For example, on March 19, 1990, it was held at the Nice Chinese Restaurant in Chinatown. Professor Eliot Engel, dressed as Charles Dickens, entertained the group with a sketch about Dickens' life. One hundred members paid $40 to attend. In 1991, Kaycee Hale, a former model, then Executive Director of Resource and Research Centers, Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising in Los Angeles, CA, spoke on how to "Create Opportunities for Personal Effectiveness". In 1993, Dr. Richard Selzer, author of Confessions of a Knife, read selections from his writings and stories from the memories of his childhood.

Among the meetings which were especially noteworthy was the 90th birthday celebration of Janet Doe at the New York Academy of Medicine on March 20, 1985. Ms. Doe was unable to travel but Gilbert Clausman, Henry Lemkau and Thomas Williams visited her at her home in Katonah, New York to congratulate her. At the Academy she was celebrated by our membership in Hosack Hall. Among those who assisted with the celebration were Estelle Brodman, Judith Topper and Brett Kirkpatrick. Estelle Brodman, Gilbert J. Clausman, and Philip J. Rosenstein provided reminiscences. Memorabilia from Janet Doe's era were exhibited. An open bar and sumptuous food completed the celebration. At the meeting all medical librarians from the area came together, old hands and recent practitioners, to experience a renewal of our identity.

The meeting at Saratoga Springs at the Gideon Putnam Hotel has been mentioned. It took place in a charming historic setting and brought us together with the Upstate New York and Ontario Chapter. Joint meetings with other chapters were conducted with the Philadelphia Chapter in Philadelphia, October 14-16, 1991, and with the North Atlantic Health Science Libraries Chapter, October 6-8, 1997 in Greenwich, Connecticut.

In absolute numbers, the membership hardly changed over the years. New members made up for those who left. The enlargement of membership was a constant concern of the Membership Committee. Letters welcoming new members were written and surveys soliciting the views of members were distributed. Informational pamphlets about the Chapter were also written and distributed.

An indication of the importance placed on increasing membership is reflected in some of the objectives of the 1991 revision of the Chapter's Strategic Plan. Among these with target dates were to increase the number of new library school graduates who become Chapter members by 5% (6/92); and, to increase the number of pharmaceutical librarians who become Chapter members by 5% (6/93). A review whether these objectives were achieved was not recorded.

The absence of any significant increase in membership made an ongoing rise in members' fees necessary to cover increasing operating expenses of the Chapter.

Hospital librarians constitute the majority of members. Since 1987, hospital librarians have served as chairpersons of the Chapter, generally superceding medical school librarians.

The ethnic diversity of the Chapter reflects the "melting pot" character of our region. The membership record does not provide ethnic data; however, African-Americans, Latinos, and Filipinos are represented in professional and staff positions in our libraries. (For a partial listing see Appendix A.)

The Chapter also constituted a significant pool of those who achieved special recognition in our national association. Chapter members became MLA presidents and directors, as well as recipients of awards, among them the "Award for Excellence and Achievement in Hospital Librarianship," "The Estelle Brodman Award," "The Janet Doe Lectureship," "The Ida and George Eliot Prize," and "The Marcia Noyes Award." (For a partial listing see Appendix C.)

The responsibilities of the editor were stated in a thoughtful document, "Editorial Policies - New York-New Jersey Chapter/MLA." To assure continuity, the editor would serve a one-year term after serving as assistant editor, and continue as a committee member for a year following the term as editor. Three to five other members of the editorial committee would serve for one or two year terms.

In practice, this was difficult to achieve. Paul Wrynn of New York University, after an assistant editorship, became editor in 1988. As was noted in the annual report:

Paul Wrynn served his second and concluding term as editor of the News. Robin Tannenbaum is unable to assume the editorship for next year, due to evening work. The identity of the new editor is unknown at this time.

The following year's report noted his farewell as committee chairman: "Paul Wrynn completed his third year as editor, his 5th year on the committee overall." He recalled that each issue consisted of 500 copies. To save funds, these were printed in New Jersey. The total cost of printing and mailing two issues in 1990 was $1,238. His report states: "No expenses were incurred for the delivery of the newsletter. Mr. Wrynn personally picked up the newsletter from the printer in Newark each time, as a donation to the Chapter."

During his editorship, copy was arranged in recurring features, among them a calendar, "Who? What?, Where?," libraries and government, and the Chapter Chairman's message. He also introduced an informative account of the activities of standing committees to serve as a means of enlisting member participation. The Small Health Sciences Libraries Committee began a feature called "Query Corner" consisting of questions and answers from practicing librarians. A new mini-feature, "Chapter Flashback," was initiated to celebrate the history of the chapter, with brief paragraphs recalling key events published in earlier issues of the News.

Ellen Rothbaum of North Shore University Hospital, followed as editor and actively solicited contributions from members. The newsletter appeared regularly in adherence to a strict publication schedule. The cost of printing continued to be subject to bids. Theresa Jacobelli, who was geographically close to North Shore, was selected for the production of the newsletter, and a satisfactory working relationship was maintained throughout Ellen Rothbaum's editorship.

While the traditional features were retained, articles were solicited. Permission was obtained to reprint a cartoon by G. Steiner from the July 5, 1993 issue of the New Yorker of two dogs at a desktop computer with the caption, "On the internet nobody knows you're a dog." The New Yorker asked for a fee of $50, which was paid to the artist. To illustrate the effort, it required seven letters and one phone call to obtain permission.

The next editor was Thea Thompson of Columbia University Health Sciences Library, who served through 1994. The newsletter was produced in two color print in a handsome format. The annual cost was nearly $10,000. Persistent queries at the time of budget votes asked for reductions in cost.

Thea Thompson was followed by Valerie Rankow of New York University Medical Library, who further improved the appearance of the publication but also had difficulties in receiving copy. The executive committee considered monetary compensation for the editor as a method of obtaining editorial services. The problem was resolved when George Wahlert of Long Island College Hospital Library agreed to accept the editorship and declined any compensation. He instituted cost savings by returning to a one color format. The "NEWS" became the "NEWSLETTER" and was printed on lighter stock with twelve pages per issue.

Paul Wrynn once claimed that our newsletter was the oldest and best in the Association. May it grow and flourish!

In the early years the continuing education of the membership was confined to chapter meetings. Every strategic plan since 1988 includes the need for continuing education courses.

The goal is to schedule six to eight courses during the year of which two are those developed by the Medical Library Association. Frequently, those conducting these came from out of town and their travel expenses and honoraria were a group organization. Fees were charged to cover costs. Courses were cancelled when registration did not cover costs. Fees of $50 and more were not unusual. In 1995, the fee was $85. The certification program of the Medical Library Program insured attendance. To maintain certification, continuing education credits had to be earned.

While courses in traditional concerns like budgeting, copyright, oncology concepts, and resources continued to be scheduled, there also were classes on more contemporary topics such as marketing strategies, benchmarking as a measure of quality control, database searching, and evidence-based medicine. Average attendance reached twenty.

Originated by members and functioning in 1992, they were described as follows:

The purpose of the Special Interest Groups (SIGs) is to provide a forum for discussion of topics of current interest to members of the Chapter. Activities of the SIGs should not conflict with activities of other Chapter committees. Program contents should be discussed with the CE committee.

In 1992 the two SIGs were the Microcomputer Users Group chaired by Patricia Gallagher and Larry Dormer, and Online Searching and CD-ROM SIG chaired by Dorothy Schwartz and June Rosenberg.

Both groups have been meeting regularly since their inception, retaining the same leadership. They have addressed current developments in the respective fields. Attendance is not limited to Chapter members, non-members may come to meetings. Both groups have been most successful in maintaining their membership.

The files of the activities of the Ad Hoc Committee on Strategic Planning reveal a truly enormous effort not only to state specific goals for the Chapter, but also to study the wishes, composition, expectations, self image and governance of the Chapter. Hospital librarians constituted the majority of the committee's members. One is tempted to characterize them as the "best and the brightest". A list of the participants and their initial terms on the committee follows:

• Michelle Volesko, Health Research and Educational Trust of New Jersey, 9/85 - 12/88, Chair, 2/86-12/88
• Kay Mills Due, formerly of the Greater Northeastern Regional Medical Library, Program, Chair, 9/85-1/86
• Shifra Atik, Long Island Jewish Medical Center, NY, 9/85-12/88
• Laura Barrett, University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey _ Newark, 9/85-12/88
• Debbie Cassel (Rand), Long Island Jewish Medical Center, NY, 9/85-12/88
• Pamela Anderson Kerns, Login Bros., 10/87-12/88
• Arlee May, SUNY Stony Brook, NY, 9/85-12/88
• Lynn Kasner Morgan, Mt. Sinai Medical Center, NY, 9/85-12/88
• Ellen Poisson, Beth Israel Medical Center, NY, 9/85-10/87
• Daniel T. Richards, formerly Columbia University, NY, 9/85-4/88
• Judith Schuback Cohn, University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey - Newark, 9/85-12/88
• Ann Vreeland Watkins, Mountainside Hospital School of Nursing, NJ, 4/86-12/88

The work was carried on for three years from 1985-88 with the first meeting on December 16, 1985. This continued for 12 meetings. The Chairperson, Michelle Volesko, summarized the methodology as follows:

With committee member's backgrounds in strategic planning, and subsequent self study, timelines and a work flow chart were prepared. To analyze the internal and external environments of the Chapter, task forces within the Strategic Planning Committee were established as follows; Budget Review and Analysis, Chapter Image Analysis, Historical Review and Interviews, Organizational Structure and Survey. These Task Forces produced numerous documents including the 1987 Survey of Opinions of Members of the NY/NJ Chapter/MLA, Inc. and the Image Analysis Task Force Survey. Of a total of 356 opinion surveys issued to the Chapter membership, 186 were returned for a 51% response rate. 40 image surveys were issued to library associations geographically related to the Chapter with 27 surveys returned for a 67% response rate. Final reports were prepared by each task force and were included as appendices to the final report of the Ad Hoc Committee.

Using the proposed new mission statement, the committee identified key issues facing the Chapter and goals for each issue. Key events/objectives for each goal were written, revised and tabulated. The resulting strategies also included data on due dates for objectives, costs, revenue, number of members required to implement the objective, aspects of the strategy to be reported in the newsletter and prioritization. The first document included 11 issues and 41 Chapter goals, while the second one included 154 total objectives to fulfill the proposed goals.

The strategic planning, however did not coincide with a time of abundance of resources for our libraries. On the contrary, it occurred during a financial drought. The Committee projected important tasks for all committees of the Chapter without identifying the financial support which might be needed to achieve them. It is not clear which of the 154 objectives were reached in their projected timeframes.

The initial truly intensive effort was followed by more modest plans. To give an example, the 1991 plan recommended that "the fiscal policy committee review investments annually". The same recommendation was made in 1992. The recommendations were not for five or ten years, but for short periods. The success of the Government Relations Committee, the effective programs of continuing education, the vitality of the Special Interest Groups to be discussed do not seem to owe their motivation to any strategic plan.

Perhaps the most immediate function was to serve as the Chapter's conscience in setting forth useful chapter activities and attaching deadlines for their fulfillment. Successive plans became more limited in scope when compared to the first effort, which is still a model for its methodology.

The committee which carried responsibility for all information concerning legislation, both national and especially local, was known as the Ad Hoc Legislative Committee in 1977, the Legislative Committee (1978-1981), the Joint Legislative Committee (1982-1985) and the Government Relations Committee, since 1986. In effect, New York State was covered by members from the New York State Metropolitan area, upstate New York was covered by members of the Upstate New York and Ontario Chapter and New Jersey by members of this area. The New York/New Jersey-Committee and the Upstate New York Committee worked closely together during the eighties. They displayed great energy and perseverance. Proposals for the support of hospital library resources were drafted. Librarians lobbied legislators in both houses in Albany. Library standards were developed to buttress library need vis a vis hospital administrators. Members providing active support were Jacqueline Picciano, Ursula Poland, Ann Hutchinson, Josefina Lim, Jean Baker, George Wahlert, June Glaser and others. This campaign was a successful collaboration of the New York Library Association and the chapters in finding a special place within the existing statewide Reference and Research Library Resource System (3Rs) and the Regional Medical Library Program administered by The New York Academy of Medicine.

In June 1981, bills A-3150a and S-2805b were signed by New York State Governor Cuomo and became Chapter 718 of the laws of 1981. In 1981, $395,000 were provided of which $350,000 went to support the interface between the Regional Medical Library Program and the "3Rs" program of New York State.

Ursula Poland has described the achievement in "Legislative Activism in New York State" (Bull Med Lib Assoc (70) January 1982: 54-56) $5,000 was used to identify where aid to rural hospital libraries was needed and to develop standards for such libraries. $40,000 was used to support two pilot projects for two years in public library systems to determine how health information services could be provided to consumers. Much later the Federal government rescinded the requirement of a medical library as a condition for the receipt of federal funding. The Commissioner of Health for New York State, Dr. David Axelrod, removed the requirement for a medical library from the New York State Code for Hospitals. Ursula Poland recalls a personal interview with him in 1991 during which she requested a reinstatement of the requirement of a medical library for hospital certification. For once there also was support from the community of physicians. This was of no avail. At their meeting, Dr. Axelrod told Ms. Poland that not a single hospital had closed an existing library. A few years later this was no longer true.

The committee continues to do good and responsive work on copyright. Obtaining monetary support for hospital libraries was, and continues to be, a high point in the history of the committee's activities.

The addition to Judith Topper's "Discursive History" was prepared with regrettable haste and, hopefully, another edition will accomplish a more thorough account of our Chapter. The Chapter is in good health and it continues to benefit from the dedication and the energetic work of its members and those who participate on its committees. It is a tribute to our members that even in financially difficult times our institutions continue to support and value the Chapter. In order to obtain first-hand impressions from those who chaired our Chapter, their comments about their term of office were invited. Among those who responded were:

• Jeanne Becker and Pamela Kerns who visited the Archives to try to refresh their memories.
• Ellen Poisson wrote to recall a satisfying term of service.
• Brett Kirkpatrick wrote a more extensive account which appears in Appendix E.

The remainder did not have any special comments.

Finally many earned my thanks, none bear any responsibility for the shortcomings of my piece. They are: Lois Weinstein, Executive Director, The Medical Library Center of New York; William Self of the same institution; Caron Capizzano, Nancy Panella, Carla Tobias, Judith Topper, Jacqueline Picciano, Tina Meyerhoff, and Jeanne Becker.

Erich Meyerhoff
May 1998

The membership of the chapter reflects the ethnic diversity of the region.

A statistical summation is not available. However, it is to be noted that among African-American librarians, Madeline Taylor served as chairperson of the chapter as well as editor of its newsletter. In addition, she was also President of the Chapter Council, a member of the Board of Directors of MLA, and Director of the George F. Smith Library of the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey. Among other culturally diverse librarians were Reginald Smith, Head of Reference at the George. F. Smith Library and instructor for the course in Medical Librarianship at Rutgers University; Roy Johnson, Librarian of the New York University Dental Center; the late Angelina Harmon, head of the library of the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center; and the late Arlee May of SUNY at Stony Brook.

Currently this category also includes June Burrows, formerly of the Mount Sinai School of Nursing; Carol Cave-Davis, Head, Brookdale University Hospital Medical Center; Julia Chai, Head of Lenox Hill Hospital Medical Library; Josefina Lim, Head of the Medical Library at Montefiore Medical Center; Narciso Rodriguez, Head of the Medical Library at Brooklyn Hospital Center; Alma Sanders, formerly of the New York Academy of Medicine; Sheigla Smalling, Montefiore Medical Center; Dorice Vieira, NYU Medical Center; and Maureen Wren, NYU Dental.

January 12, 1995

Mr. Erich Meyerhoff
Ehrman Medical Library
New York University Medical Center
550 First Avenue
New York, NY 10016

Dear Erich,

Your invitation to supply comments about my year as chair of the New York and New Jersey Chapter of MLA prompted a cascade of memories and recollections. Reviewing the Executive Committee meeting minutes for 1982/83, which you helped me locate, produced more than one chuckle and stimulated additional recollections.

For some years prior to my becoming chair, the chapter leadership had devoted considerable attention and energy to improving organizational effectiveness and to recovering from financial difficulty. My tenure continued that process, focusing on improving the procedures manual, developing additional procedures where needed, coordinating and following up on committee activities, ensuring quality content in programs and ensuring future fiscal solvency. In the latter instance, the appointment of a long-term financial planning committee may have been one of the more important accomplishments of my term of office. That simple action established a precedent for active financial planning, and the recommendations from the committee signaled the membership that the Chapter was finally "out of the woods" financially - and intended to stay there.

Through the year, the Executive Committee maintained a cordial and productive, albeit independent-minded, working relationship with MLA. We enquired about the benefits of tax-exempt status and the possibility of acquiring such status under MLA's corporate umbrella. On the other hand, we opposed the idea of having MLA collect chapter dues as part of MLA's annual membership renewal program. We also declined to provide comments on a final draft of hospital library standards being proposed by MLA. Our position was that the standards already had sufficient review by a number of bodies and should be put forward for ratification or rejection. Due to complaints from members, we also petitioned MLA to refrain from scheduling meetings over the Labor Day holiday. We submitted our annual report (without comment), our chapter membership compliance report (with an analysis of the compliance survey's shortcomings and with suggestions for further improvement), and our chapter goals and objectives (requested by MLA for the first time). With finances on a firmer foundation, the Committee also increased its annual donation to the Janet Doe lectureship fund and began exploring possibilities for contributing to the planning and execution of the MLA annual meeting scheduled in New York in 1985. Working in conjunction with MLA, the Joint Legislative Committee prepared and submitted comments on proposed changes in Medicare/Medicaid reimbursement guidelines.

Due to MLA's earlier organizational restructuring and the implementation of all that that entailed, it seemed as though MLA was making increasing demands on the Chapter and imposing deadlines for action which were difficult to meet. The occasional grumbling that this caused among Executive committee members was due more, I think, to adjusting to change than to acquiring more work.

The Chapter's direct relationship with NLM was unremarkable. Chapters were not asked to input to the MLA/NLM Liaison Committee in 1982/83 due to a reassessment of the committee's function. Indirectly, through the Regional Medical Library Program (RMLP), the Chapter maintained a close working relationship with the NLM. It was during this time, however, that NLM was de-emphasizing RMLP contract support for continuing education. As of 1983, the RMLP was not allowed to co-sponsor Chapter meetings. The New York Academy of Medicine Library picked up the slack from its own operating budget in order to continue the long-standing tradition of holding Chapter meetings at the Academy.

Due to some poor programming in the previous year, the Executive Committee took great care to review proposed program ideas, speakers and program content. The Committee was not reluctant to reject ideas which it viewed as unlikely to generate significant member interest or to reject speakers who were known to be less than dynamic. Throughout the year, programs were designed and presented to meet the varying needs of constituent groups. The Committee also recognized an opportunity to husband rescues by co-sponsoring relevant programs with other library groups in the area.

I believe the Chapter continued to make significant strides toward organizational maturing during my term of office. I credit this to the creativity and hard work of the Executive Committee as a whole. Our accomplishments truly were a team effort and continued a pattern, established by earlier Chapter leadership, of functioning less like a social club and more like a professional association.

Of course, there were minor frustrations. Two stand out in mind. One was the frustration caused by well-intentioned volunteers who couldn't or didn't follow through in executing their responsibilities. In one case, this was significant enough a problem to prompt serious discussion about the fact that the Chapter had no procedure for removing or replacing a chair who was not functioning. A second frustration concerned the general confusion among a high proportion of the membership regarding the roles, responsibilities, and activities of the Chapter, the Medical Library Center of New York and the Regional Medical Library Program. In truth, there was considerable cooperation among the three entities, and it was not always clear to the casual observer whose resources were being employed to do what. However, that synergism, fraught as it sometimes was with tension, provided a strength and a perspective I think unique to the New York and New Jersey Chapter.

I hope that some of these comments may be useful to you in preparing the update of Judy Topper's history of the Chapter. If there are specific areas I haven't addressed or areas where you would like additional clarification, please don't hesitate to ask. Of course, you must bear in mind that a good bit of what I remember can't be printed - yet! Many thanks to you for giving me this opportunity to reminisce.

Sincerely yours,
Brett A. Kirkpatrick
Director