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Associate Fellowship Program
Former Associates have come to NLM from diverse educational and cultural backgrounds, and have gone on to achieve leadership positions in libraries and information centers across the United States and around the world. The Associate Fellow Program will provide you with the skills and knowledge you need to become a part of this dynamic network.
Several past participants review the Associate Fellow Program and discuss their NLM experiences and subsequent career paths.
Biographies of the 2003-2004 NLM Associates are also available.
Former Associates Index
Peggy (Beavers) Blake, Special Assistant to the Director, National Agricultural Library, Beltsville, MD
Dr. Alexandra Dimitroff, Associate Professor, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, School of Library and Information Science, Milwaukee, WI
Larry Ellis, Director and Chief Medical Librarian, Oliver Ocasek Regional Medical Information Center, Northeastern Ohio Universities College of Medicine, Rootstown, OH
Jijun (Harry) Guo, Vice-Director, China Medical University Library; Vice-Dean, School of Medical Library and Information Studies, Shenyang, China
Sheldon Kotzin, Chief, Bibliographic Services Division, National Library of Medicine, Bethesda, MD
Sally Sinn, Associate Director, Technical Services Division, National Agricultural Library, Beltsville, MD
Peggy Tahir, Information Services Librarian, UCSF Center for Knowledge Management, San Francisco, CA
Rose Marie Woodsmall, Operations Research Analyst, Information Resources Branch, National Center for Biotechnology Information, National Library of Medicine, Bethesda, MD
Peggy (Beavers) Blake, Associate 1980-1981
Special Assistant to the Director
National Agricultural Library
10301 Baltimore Avenue
Beltsville, MD 20705
301/504-6780 (voice)
pblake@nal.usda.gov
Please describe your current position.
My current job title is Special Assistant to the Director of the National Agricultural Library. As Liaison for Cooperative Interactions within the Office of the Director, I coordinate library-wide special projects and program initiatives that support a broad range of agricultural research and education programs. They include cooperative outreach programs with USDA agencies, land-grant universities, and other organizations and institutions to promote and expand access to agricultural information.
What attracted you to the NLM Associate Fellow Program?
I learned about the NLM Program while in graduate school at the University of Michigan School of Library and Information Studies. Professor Gwendolyn Cruzat informed students of the NLM postgraduate internship program in her lectures on medical librarianship and the NLM. She encouraged me to apply, which I did, but was not accepted in the highly competitive program that year. Through efforts of the Equal Employment Opportunity Coordinator, I was instead offered a regular job with the NLM. After working for several years, I accepted the opportunity to participate in the Program to enhance my career. The Program provides unique learning and career opportunities for medical librarians including working with and among leaders in the field at the NLM, the premier medical library of the world.
During my undergraduate years, I began work-study. Reflecting on those years, I appreciate the value of work-study programs beyond the immediate economic need in providing an edge toward learning. Similarly, post-graduate training provides an edge in the workplace that is unsurpassed by any other on-the-job training method I have experienced.
What part(s) of the program did you enjoy the most and why?
I enjoyed all segments of the program for the benefits gained from each. The rotation through each division of the NLM was especially helpful to me, even after several years as a staff member; rotating allowed me to learn more about the mission, services and programs of the NLM. The results of this experience have been invaluable since leaving the NLM in positions held at the Morehouse School of Medicine and here at the National Agricultural Library.
Individual projects and fieldwork practica rank at the top and were very meaningful. I especially liked the study of the use of NLM's on-site reference services that involved personal interviews of on-site users. A second project provided my first opportunity to learn how to develop a database that described the Regional Medical Library Network, now the National Network of Libraries of Medicine training programs and materials. The field experiences were also very beneficial in exposing me to two types of libraries that I would not have otherwise experienced: a hospital library through the Washington Hospital Center and a medical school library at the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Philadelphia. From the field vantage point, I learned a better appreciation and knowledge of the role of the NLM and its relationship to network members.
In what ways did the program help you to advance your career?
Being a NLM Library Associate advanced my career tremendously in medical librarianship for 15 years in particular and in the profession as a whole. The experience expanded opportunities within the NAL and provided knowledge, skills and abilities that have been invaluable to all positions held in three organizations--two Federal and one academic--during my professional career.
Why would you recommend the program to someone interested in biomedical librarianship?
I would highly recommend the NLM Associate Program to anyone interested in postgraduate biomedical librarianship because it is a unique opportunity that is not available elsewhere that provides far-reaching results professionally.
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Alexandra Dimitroff, Ph.D., Associate 1985-1986Associate Professor |
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Please describe your current position.
After working in several academic health sciences libraries following my Associate year, I went back to school to earn a Ph.D. in LIS (University of Michigan, 1990). I have been a faculty member for seven years now and teach courses in health sciences librarianship, information services, electronic information retrieval, and special libraries. My research areas include education for the information professions, evaluation of IR system interfaces, and information seeking behaviors. I very much enjoyed the teaching and research components of my job, but the most exciting have been the opportunities I've had to teach overseas. I've taught information retrieval and lectured on health sciences librarianship in Cairo and in Kuwait. In 1998 I will be spending a semester at Moscow State University of Culture as a USIA/Fulbright Senior Scholar.
What attracted you to the NLM Associate Fellow program?
Clearly, the opportunity to work and interact with individuals engaged in developing and providing state-of-the-art information products and services was my primary motivation for applying to the Associate program. In no other way could I explore areas of health sciences librarianship in such a rich and supportive environment.
Working with the exceptional NLM staff was an obvious attraction. One would be hard pressed to find a health sciences librarian or student who wouldn't jump at the chance to experience NLM firsthand for a year. No other library in the world has the support that NLM does to conduct research in information technology; no other library would provide me with the perspective that a national library could.
In what ways did the program help you to advance your career?
Most important, my year at NLM "demystified" research. The opportunity to work with a research team enlightened me: I saw that research was not necessarily a dry undertaking! It was, often, exciting (some tedious data collection notwithstanding!). This was a key to the decisions I made after leaving NLM. Before my firsthand exposure to research at NLM I would not have considered a Ph.D. or a faculty position. I now spend a substantial portion of my time doing research.
On a more personal note, the selection process (yes, the full day of group interviews!), the development workshops I attended on the NIH campus, and working with some extremely supportive staff members during the project phase gave me confidence in my professional potential. I've come a long way since my Associate year but I credit many of my NLM experiences with giving me the boost I needed to make the career decisions I did. Of particular concern at the time was the program's goal of developing "leaders." I came to realize that not all library leaders are administrators! Substantive contributions are made as much by researchers and educators as by the more visible administrative leaders in our field. I saw a career path that fit more comfortably with my personality and I recognized that it was, indeed, a potential path for me.
Why would you recommend the program to someone interested in biomedical librarianship?
See all the above! NLM is unique in the world: the collection, the research and development, the staff. For anyone interested in health sciences librarianship, the Associate program will provide opportunities to meet and work with information professionals whose broad range of expertise is matched nowhere else! Some of these relationships will extend beyond the Associate year and will continue to provide that unique perspective.
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Larry Ellis, Associate 1978-1979Director and Chief Medical Librarian |
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Please describe your current position.
Director and Chief Medical Librarian Dec. 1996 - Present
- Organize and manage the staff, programs, and services of the Oliver Ocasek Regional Medical Information Center and the Northeastern Ohio Regional Cooperative Library Depository.
- Represent the Information Center to the College of Medicine community, the consortium institutions, Board of Regents, OhioLINK, and other library and health related institutions and organizations.
- Serve on Neoucom committees as a member of the faculty.
- Participate in the institutional planning and as a member of the College of Medicine administrative staff.
- Make recommendations to the College of Medicine administration on improvement of the physical facility and equipment needed for the effective operation of the Information Center.
- Actively further the profession through conduct of library and information research, publication, and participation in library organizations on a local, regional, and national level.
What attracted you to the NLM Associate Fellow program?
While matriculating through graduate school, I had opportunities to have part-time positions in both Law and Public Libraries. I remember at the time, that neither of these two areas of the profession held any particular appeal to me. Since graduating from high school and while matriculating through undergraduate school, I'd always worked part-time in hospitals and enjoyed the dynamic lifestyle of that environment. Medical terminology was never a problem for me so when I saw the chance to apply for the Associate program I felt that medical librarianship would further my opportunities to work within the biomedical environment.
What part(s) of the program did you enjoy most and why?
In retrospect, the most frustrating and most enjoyable part of the program, to me, was working on the individual projects. There were many irritating and frustrating moments spent justifying your results with those responsible for the development of the Associates. I now realize that they were really preparing us for the real world of work in the information industry, but at the time I can remember thinking of it as "Cruel and Unusual Punishment" and wondering why I ever submitted myself for such torture . . . wasn't graduate school enough!?!
I also enjoyed working in the Reference Department. This is where I felt I was really learning something. Even though I was learning many other things, I enjoyed learning in the Reference Department the most.
In what ways did the program help you to advance your career?
I think because I received my postgraduate training at NLM in the Associate Program, employment avenues were opened to me earlier than had I elected to immediately try and work in several types of libraries after graduate school . I elected to work abroad for a good portion of my career and I think I had an edge in obtaining employment abroad because I'd been trained at NLM and this institution is recognized internationally for its excellence.
Why would you recommend the program to someone interested in biomedical librarianship?
I'm not as up-to-date with the type of training involved in the current Associate Program; however, it could not have changed drastically over the years. I would recommend the program to someone interested in biomedical librarianship because I have found biomedical librarianship to be one of the most fascinating areas of the profession, and one always receives the greatest gratification in being part of a team of individuals who are instrumental in the provision of health care. I would also give any potential candidate a word of warning: the Associate Program is difficult and one should be serious and willing to apply oneself to plenty of hard work.
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JiJun (Harry) Guo, Associate 1992-1993
Vice-Director
China Medical University Library
Vice-Dean
School of Medical Library and Information Studies
92 Beier Road
He Ping District
Shenyang 110001
China
guo@iris.cmu.edu.cn
Please describe your current position.
I am responsible for the administration of the library and school.
What attracted you to the NLM Associate Fellow Program?
As a foreigner, I had a great interest in the modern techniques in library and information services, especially computer systems and interlibrary loan systems. I also liked building good relationships with colleagues in the U.S.A.
What part(s) of the program did you enjoy the most and why?
The best part of the program for me was learning the CD-ROM network systems and database searching.
In what ways did the program help you to advance your career?
It was a great help in learning computer systems.
Additional comments
Please give my greetings to all my colleagues at NLM.
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Sheldon Kotzin, Associate 1968-1969Chief, Bibliographic Services Division |
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Please describe your current position.
As chief of the Bibliographic Services Division at the NLM, I supervise a staff of approximately 70 persons who create MEDLINE and other NLM databases through editing, data entry, indexing, and quality assurance activities. We also support the licensing and distribution and customer support for these databases. My immediate office has responsibility for marketing NLM databases, outreach to underserved users, and working with journal editors and publishers who seek to have their publications reviewed for MEDLINE/Index Medicus.
What attracted you to the NLM Associate Fellow program?
I was an Associate in 1968 so it's a little difficult to remember. I know that there was some prestige associated with working at the National Institutes of Health (NIH)--I worked at Indiana University where many scientists had received NIH grants. I also was attracted by working in the Washington area.
What part(s) of the program did you enjoy most and why?
I enjoyed meeting a lot of staff and being able to share my ideas with them. I also enjoyed the project phase even though I irritated a few people by working on only one project for six months.
In what ways did the program help you to advance your career?
The Associates Program solidified my interest in management by giving me exposure to different supervisory styles. It also gave me the broadest possible exposure to Library activities so I could make informed decisions on what I wanted to do next in my career.
Why would you recommend the program to someone interested in biomedical librarianship?
It's an opportunity to work with and be around some talented people involved in interesting projects and programs. It's also a chance to sit back and observe the "big picture" of medical librarianship and informatics, and to assess the contribution you can make as a professional in this field. It's a great way to start one's career.
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Sally Sinn, Associate 1973-1974
Associate Director
Technical Services Division
National Agricultural Library
10301 Baltimore Avenue
Beltsville, MD 20705
301/504-7294 (voice) 301/504-6951 (fax)
ssinn@nal.usda.gov
Please describe your current position.
I am responsible for managing a division of the National Agricultural Library. The Division includes the acquisitions and serials management, cataloging, and indexing branches.
What attracted you to the NLM Associate Fellow Program?
After graduating from library school in 1973, I was interested in library automation, especially automation of technical services. At that time, NLM was the most advanced library of its size and scope in the U.S. and I felt that the Associate program would be an excellent opportunity to gain unique experience in technology applied to delivery of health sciences information.
What part(s) of the program did you enjoy the most and why?
I enjoyed the project phase the most because I was able to work in the Cataloging Section where I learned cataloging, evaluated the cooperative cataloging program, and was involved in the implementation of MEDLARS II and early phases of CATLINE.
In what ways did the program help you to advance your career?
Since I accepted a position at NLM immediately following the Associate year, it is difficult to separate the experience and benefits of the program from the follow-on experiences working at NLM. The Library had and continues to have experienced and competent staff from whom I learned and received valuable guidance and encouragement. I value these associations and friendships that continue even after leaving NLM.
Why would you recommend the program to someone interested in biomedical librarianship?
The experiences of the Associate program are unique; the access to the staff and resources of NLM afforded the Associates cannot be duplicated in any other health sciences library.
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Peggy Tahir, Associate 1986-1987
Information Services Librarian
USCF Center for Knowledge Management
530 Parnassus Avenue
San Francisco, CA 94143-0840
415-476-5765
tahir@library.ucsf.edu
What attracted you to the NLM Associate Fellow program?
I felt it would give me a comprehensive foundation and knowledge of health sciences librarianship, as well as introduce me to a larger network of information professionals.
What part(s) of the program did you enjoy most and why?
I liked the project phase of the program the best. I enjoyed working on the projects I selected and working with NLM staff. Indexing training with Thelma Charen was also a highlight of my Associate year, as well as my practicum at the University of Texas Health Sciences Library in San Antonio.
In what ways did the program help you to advance your career?
It gave me a great overview of information management and resources in the health sciences. It provided me with specific skills such as indexing and knowledge of MEDLARS databases and search protocol.
Why would you recommend the program to someone interested in biomedical librarianship?
I would absolutely recommend the program to others interested in this field.
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Rose Marie Woodsmall, Associate 1967-1968Operations Research Analyst |
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Please describe your current position.
I handle user inquiries via email and phone regarding NCBI's molecular biology databases and search services; coordinate, write, and edit NCBI's Web page; compile and maintain the NCBI bibliographies (by and about); and carry out administrative duties, such as monthly and annual reports.
What attracted you to the NLM Associate Fellow program?
Although I knew I wanted to be a medical information specialist and work with computer applications in libraries, I had no idea what specific types of library work would satisfy me. I was struck with the rare opportunity to "browse" a real library's variety of positions and see what appealed. Fortunately for me, even though I discovered that I didn't enjoy traditional library work, the online world was just coming into being in time for me to enter on the ground floor.
What part(s) of the program did you enjoy most and why?
The project phase, which hooked me once and for all in human-computer interface design, working with real users, and serving as a liaison between the computer, information, and end-user communities.
In what ways did the program help you to advance your career?
Probably the biggest advantage was finding a mentor, Davis B. McCarn, who would foster my career, teach me how to function within a government bureaucracy, and put the stamp of approval on my natural tendency to be attracted to the bright, shiny, new toys in the workplace.
Why would you recommend the program to someone interested in biomedical librarianship?
There is no better place to learn and explore, find out what you like and dislike about your chosen field, and make lifelong friends and professional contacts.
Last reviewed: 06 August 2007
Last updated: 22 March 2005
First published: 02 January 2002
Metadata| Permanence level: Permanence Not Guaranteed