Canadian Health Libraries Association
Encyclopedia
The Canadian Health Libraries Association or Association des bibliothèques de la santé du Canada was founded in 1976. It represents the views of Canadian Health sciences librarian
s to governments, the health community and fellow librarians.
which was held in Cleveland, Ohio
, in 1975. The Canadian Group of the MLA met there (it was its second meeting, having been founded the year before) on June 2 and established an “Ad hoc committee to study the organisational status of Canadian health librarians.”
The formation of this Ad-hoc committee arose at this meeting (it was not specifically on the pre-circulated agenda), as it was clear that the proliferation of Canadian health library groups was not in the best interests of Canadian health sciences librarians. It was important then, as now, that Canadian health librarians spoke with one authoritative voice but there were at the time three “national” groups (four if one counted the French speaking Section de la santé of ASTED).
These other groups were the Special Resource Committee on the Medical School Libraries of the Association of Canadian Medical Colleges. This grouped then, as now, the Directors of Canadian medical schools under the aegis of the ACMC. The ACMC group had been officially formed in 1967 and first met in 1968 but was actually the successor to the Canadian Library Association’s Committee on Medical Science Libraries that had been founded in 1961.
The second group which was active in 1975 was the Health Sciences Section of CASLIS (the Canadian Association of Special Libraries and Information Services) – itself a sub-group of the Canadian Library Association. This was a spin-off of and partial successor to the Committee on Medical School Libraries noted above. The third group was the Canadian Group of the Medical Library Association
. This group had been formed in 1974 as a way to formalise the links between Canadian members of the MLA and the MLA.administration.
At the meeting of the Canadian Group in 1975 it was proposed that an ad-hoc committee be established to look at the situation and propose improvements. The Canadian Group of MLA chaired by Dick Fredericksen, then the Health Sciences Librarian at Memorial University of Newfoundland
, voted overwhelmingly to establish a committee with a rather broad mandate: “To survey local health science library groups across the country; to discover the gaps existing; to locate key personnel.”
David S. Crawford from McGill University
was appointed to chair this group and authorized to select its membership.
), Martha Stone (then Head of the library at the Department of National Health and Welfare), Dorothy Sirois (then the Librarian at the Montreal Children’s Hospital and a link with ASTED’s Section de la santé). Subsequently, in October 1975, Alan MacDonald, who had been much involved in the creation of the Canadian Association of Law Librarians and had recently been appointed Health Sciences Librarian at Dalhousie University
, joined the ad-hoc committee as a second representative from CASLIS. In February 1976, Philippe Lemay, recently appointed to head the HSRC, replaced Ann Nevill.
In June 1976 the Medical Library Association
Canadian Section (meeting in Minneapolis) and the CASLIS Section, meeting in Halifax
both accepted the report of this Ad-hoc Committee. The MLA Canadian Group accepted it (34 voted in favour, one against) with one amendment; this was to remove the capitalisation from the proposed name “in case a better name is suggested”!
The ad hoc
committee continued their discussions over the summer of 1976 and accepted further suggestions and comments from the community. It met for the last time on 4 October 1976 and agreed that there was enough support to form a Canadian health libraries association. No better name had been suggested and the agenda for this meeting notes, “It seems we are left with Canadian Health Libraries Association, the addition of ‘Sciences’ was not well received at the CASLIS meeting.”
Subsequently the Canadian Group of the MLA and the Health Sciences Section of CASLIS have both disbanded and the CHLA / ABSC works closely with the Committee on Medical School Libraries of the renamed Association of Faculties of Medicine of Canada.
There is an article by David S. Crawford (CHLA's first President), reprinted from the Association's journal, Bibliotheca Medica Canadiana, describing the formation of the Association. http://www.chla-absc.ca/assoc/chla25bmc.html
Librarian
A librarian is an information professional trained in library and information science, which is the organization and management of information services or materials for those with information needs...
s to governments, the health community and fellow librarians.
Background
The genesis of the CHLA/ABSC can be traced to the Annual Meeting of the Medical Library AssociationMedical Library Association
The Medical Library Association is a nonprofit, educational organization with more than 4,000 health sciences information professional members and partners worldwide.- History :...
which was held in Cleveland, Ohio
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
, in 1975. The Canadian Group of the MLA met there (it was its second meeting, having been founded the year before) on June 2 and established an “Ad hoc committee to study the organisational status of Canadian health librarians.”
The formation of this Ad-hoc committee arose at this meeting (it was not specifically on the pre-circulated agenda), as it was clear that the proliferation of Canadian health library groups was not in the best interests of Canadian health sciences librarians. It was important then, as now, that Canadian health librarians spoke with one authoritative voice but there were at the time three “national” groups (four if one counted the French speaking Section de la santé of ASTED).
These other groups were the Special Resource Committee on the Medical School Libraries of the Association of Canadian Medical Colleges. This grouped then, as now, the Directors of Canadian medical schools under the aegis of the ACMC. The ACMC group had been officially formed in 1967 and first met in 1968 but was actually the successor to the Canadian Library Association’s Committee on Medical Science Libraries that had been founded in 1961.
The second group which was active in 1975 was the Health Sciences Section of CASLIS (the Canadian Association of Special Libraries and Information Services) – itself a sub-group of the Canadian Library Association. This was a spin-off of and partial successor to the Committee on Medical School Libraries noted above. The third group was the Canadian Group of the Medical Library Association
Medical Library Association
The Medical Library Association is a nonprofit, educational organization with more than 4,000 health sciences information professional members and partners worldwide.- History :...
. This group had been formed in 1974 as a way to formalise the links between Canadian members of the MLA and the MLA.administration.
At the meeting of the Canadian Group in 1975 it was proposed that an ad-hoc committee be established to look at the situation and propose improvements. The Canadian Group of MLA chaired by Dick Fredericksen, then the Health Sciences Librarian at Memorial University of Newfoundland
Memorial University of Newfoundland
Memorial University of Newfoundland, is a comprehensive university located primarily in St...
, voted overwhelmingly to establish a committee with a rather broad mandate: “To survey local health science library groups across the country; to discover the gaps existing; to locate key personnel.”
David S. Crawford from McGill University
McGill University
Mohammed Fathy is a public research university located in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. The university bears the name of James McGill, a prominent Montreal merchant from Glasgow, Scotland, whose bequest formed the beginning of the university...
was appointed to chair this group and authorized to select its membership.
Founding Members
The members selected were Dick Fredericksen, Sheila Swanson (then the Librarian of the Academy of Medicine, Toronto and the chair of the CASLIS Group), Ann Nevill (then Head of the Health Sciences Resource Centre at CISTICISTI
The Canada Institute for Scientific and Technical Information began in 1924 as the library of the National Research Council of Canada , the leading agency for research and development in Canada. This library took on the role of national science library unofficially in 1957 and became the official...
), Martha Stone (then Head of the library at the Department of National Health and Welfare), Dorothy Sirois (then the Librarian at the Montreal Children’s Hospital and a link with ASTED’s Section de la santé). Subsequently, in October 1975, Alan MacDonald, who had been much involved in the creation of the Canadian Association of Law Librarians and had recently been appointed Health Sciences Librarian at Dalhousie University
Dalhousie University
Dalhousie University is a public research university located in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. The university comprises eleven faculties including Schulich School of Law and Dalhousie University Faculty of Medicine. It also includes the faculties of architecture, planning and engineering located at...
, joined the ad-hoc committee as a second representative from CASLIS. In February 1976, Philippe Lemay, recently appointed to head the HSRC, replaced Ann Nevill.
In June 1976 the Medical Library Association
Medical Library Association
The Medical Library Association is a nonprofit, educational organization with more than 4,000 health sciences information professional members and partners worldwide.- History :...
Canadian Section (meeting in Minneapolis) and the CASLIS Section, meeting in Halifax
City of Halifax
Halifax is a city in Canada, which was the capital of the province of Nova Scotia and shire town of Halifax County. It was the largest city in Atlantic Canada until it was amalgamated into Halifax Regional Municipality in 1996...
both accepted the report of this Ad-hoc Committee. The MLA Canadian Group accepted it (34 voted in favour, one against) with one amendment; this was to remove the capitalisation from the proposed name “in case a better name is suggested”!
The ad hoc
Ad hoc
Ad hoc is a Latin phrase meaning "for this". It generally signifies a solution designed for a specific problem or task, non-generalizable, and not intended to be able to be adapted to other purposes. Compare A priori....
committee continued their discussions over the summer of 1976 and accepted further suggestions and comments from the community. It met for the last time on 4 October 1976 and agreed that there was enough support to form a Canadian health libraries association. No better name had been suggested and the agenda for this meeting notes, “It seems we are left with Canadian Health Libraries Association, the addition of ‘Sciences’ was not well received at the CASLIS meeting.”
Subsequently the Canadian Group of the MLA and the Health Sciences Section of CASLIS have both disbanded and the CHLA / ABSC works closely with the Committee on Medical School Libraries of the renamed Association of Faculties of Medicine of Canada.
There is an article by David S. Crawford (CHLA's first President), reprinted from the Association's journal, Bibliotheca Medica Canadiana, describing the formation of the Association. http://www.chla-absc.ca/assoc/chla25bmc.html