Beginning in 2012, the Virtual Projects section of the Journal of the Medical Library Association has provided an opportunity for library leaders and technology experts to share with others how new technologies are being adopted by health sciences libraries. From educational purposes to online tools that enhance library services or access to resources, the Virtual Projects section brings technology use examples to the forefront. The new publication issue for future Virtual Projects sections will be January and the call for submissions and Virtual Projects deadline will now take place in June and July.
The Virtual Projects Section continues to evolve, enlighten, and offer a forum for health sciences libraries to share their ongoing work with technology-focused projects. This year the [MLA Virtual Projects Committee was delighted by the number of project abstracts received. Since 2020, those submitting content proposals for the Medical Library Association (MLA) conference may opt in to have their abstract reviewed by the JMLA Virtual Projects Committee for consideration in the Virtual Projects Section. This opportunity has opened the door, allowing even more projects to be considered.
This year the Virtual Projects Committee is pleased to share eight projects that demonstrate the wide depth and breadth of technology deployment in health sciences libraries. A number of projects this year demonstrate early adoption of artificial intelligence (AI). From the use of Al to facilitate event planning to Al assistance in collection development as well as Al use in library research guide creation, Al is transforming nearly every aspect of health sciences librarianship. Also of note, this year several projects demonstrate the robust use of technology to enhance teaching and training including both in-person sessions and online modules. Unique ways to support the evolution and training of bioinformatics are also showcased in one project. Another project provides perspectives on the use of free and paid tools to quickly create and maintain clinical bibliographies and technology solutions to enhance repositories through the creation of digital object identifiers (DOIs) are highlighted in another.
Material for this year's column was selected in 2024 with the assistance of the JMLA Virtual Projects Advisory Committee: Christine Andresen; Emily J. Hurst section editor; Michelle Kraft, AHIP, section coeditor; J. Dale Prince, AHIP; Tariq Rahaman; and Brian Zelip. Selected projects were edited by Emily J. Hurst.
Virtual Projects are published on an annual basis in the Journal of the Medical Library Association (JMLA) following an annual call for virtual projects in MLAConnect and announcements to encourage submissions from all types of libraries. An advisory committee of recognized technology experts selects project entries based on their currency, innovation, and contribution to health sciences librarianship.
AUTHORS' AFFILIATIONS
Emily J. Hurst, MSLS, AHIP, [email protected], https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4191-1938, Virtual Projects Advisory Committee, Journal of the Medical Library Association, and University of Maryland Baltimore, Health Sciences and Human Services Library,
Received October 2024; accepted November 2024
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Abstract
Beginning in 2012, the Virtual Projects section of the Journal of the Medical Library Association has provided an opportunity for library leaders and technology experts to share with others how new technologies are being adopted by health sciences libraries. From educational purposes to online tools that enhance library services or access to resources, the Virtual Projects section brings technology use examples to the forefront. The new publication issue for future Virtual Projects sections will be January and the call for submissions and Virtual Projects deadline will now take place in June and July.
You have requested "on-the-fly" machine translation of selected content from our databases. This functionality is provided solely for your convenience and is in no way intended to replace human translation. Show full disclaimer
Neither ProQuest nor its licensors make any representations or warranties with respect to the translations. The translations are automatically generated "AS IS" and "AS AVAILABLE" and are not retained in our systems. PROQUEST AND ITS LICENSORS SPECIFICALLY DISCLAIM ANY AND ALL EXPRESS OR IMPLIED WARRANTIES, INCLUDING WITHOUT LIMITATION, ANY WARRANTIES FOR AVAILABILITY, ACCURACY, TIMELINESS, COMPLETENESS, NON-INFRINGMENT, MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. Your use of the translations is subject to all use restrictions contained in your Electronic Products License Agreement and by using the translation functionality you agree to forgo any and all claims against ProQuest or its licensors for your use of the translation functionality and any output derived there from. Hide full disclaimer