Health Science Librarians of Illinois Update, Spring 2020

Illinois Association of College & Research Libraries Forum (IACRL)

March 20, 2020

by Eric Edwards, Illinois State Library

The Health Science Librarians of Illinois (HSLI) will hold its 2020 Conference from Wednesday, September 2, to Friday, September 4, at Starved Rock State Park in Utica, Illinois. The Conference Planning Committee has selected “Rock Solid Information Practices” as the theme, to reflect the location and the focus of the Conference sessions. Watch for a Conference logo and other upcoming announcements, including calls for poster presenters and student volunteers, on the Conference website, http://hsli.org/conference/.

The website also contains information on the Conference venue, the Starved Rock Lodge & Conference Center. Hotel registration is open now, with only 30 rooms blocked at the Conference rate, so, if you do plan to attend, please call to make a reservation at your earliest convenience. Registration for the Conference itself is tentatively scheduled to open on June 1, with early-bird registration closing July 31.

While the Conference Planning Committee is still finalizing speakers, including a keynoter and several continuing-education presenters, it can report that the sessions will cover a number of interesting and timely topics in librarianship. These include the role of data in medical librarianship and informatics, design thinking for libraries, and data visualization using Excel. Attendees will have the opportunity to earn continuing-education credits from the Medical Library Association for several of the sessions.

In addition to participating in educational activities, Conference attendees will have the chance to network and socialize at a reception and silent auction on the evening of Thursday, September 3. Proceeds from the auction help fund the Syed Maghrabi Scholarship, which provides up to several attendees with partial reimbursement for Conference registration and hotel costs. (Also watch for an upcoming announcement on applying for the Scholarship.) Depending on the schedule and attendee preferences, several local excursions, including a trolley tour and canal-boat ride, are also possibilities.

For more information on the Health Science Librarians of Illinois as an organization, please go to http://www.hsli.org. Regular membership is just $10, with students currently enrolled in a library and information science program needing to pay only $5. Current members receive a slightly lower rate on Conference registration.

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