Patty Kahn 1998 Cairns Award Winner

PATRICIA KAHN, MLS ELEANOR C. CAIRNS DISTINGUISHED HSLIC LIBRARIAN AWARD RECIPIENT, 1998 Spring, 1998 Patricia Kahn, MLS, Director of the Penobscot Medical Center Health Science Library is the 1998 recipient of the Eleanor C. Cairns Distinguished HSLIC Librarian Award. Patricia, known as Patty to all her colleagues and friends, has held numerous positions on the HSLIC Executive Board, including Chair. Regionally, Patty is Chair-Elect of the North Atlantic Health Sciences Libraries (NAHSL) and Chair of the 1999 NAHSL Conference (to be held in Portland, Maine).

.As a HSLIC member (and while Chair), Patty advocated increased resource sharing in Maine, especially with expanded DOCLINE participation (electronic interlibrary loan). Besides her PenBay librarian duties, HSLIC and NAHSL responsibilities, Patty teaches computer classes at PenBay (Windows 95) and has authored an article with her husband, Dr. Richard Kahn, "The Medical Repository." This was published in the prestigious New England Journal of Medicine, December 1997. Patty also presented a poster session at the 100th Medical Library Association Conference (1998) based on the article she and her husband published. 

As a one-person librarian, Patty serves as a model, mentor and friend to her colleagues. She has inspired others to pursue a graduate librarian degree. Patty has also developed a bridge between the medical library and her local public library by serving on it Board of Trustees. 

Patty Kahn accomplishes her many librarian roles with grace and humor. She is a friend, a professional, and effective leader, and respected among her peers. Patty Kahn is most deserving of the 1998 Cairns Award. Congratulations, Patty!