In this Issue:

From the Desk of the Editor

Join MAHSLIN now!

MAHSLIN Education Committee Report

Share the Vision

Reminder- Resource Sharing Survey

UMass awarded NCLIS Blue Ribbon

People & Places

Share the Vision

Although retired, MAHSLIN member and Medical Librarian, Gail Cogan, has continued her mission to provide books and journals for the Medical Library at Sihanouk Hospital in Cambodia. Gail travels throughout Massachusetts each year collecting discarded books and journals (recent editions and issues only) to send to Cambodia. The trips can be long, the boxes heavy, but the rewards are enormous, as evidenced in the Sihanouk Hospital Annual Report 2002-03, “Our library is one of the largest in the country and we continue to grow and update our volumes from overseas. Mrs. Gale Cogan, a retired Boston librarian, has been an ongoing contributor to our efforts… a building is presently being constructed to increase library space.”

Gail would be delighted to hear from anyone who would share in her vision. She could use assistance with either the pick-up of materials from donor libraries or the offer of 2-3 libraries that would serve as central drop-off/pick-up locations (Boston, Worcester, western locale) that would eliminate the need for trips to individual libraries. To volunteer for this worthwhile endeavor, or to get more information, please contact Gail at 978-692-5443 or by email: gcogan@massmed.org.

By Kathy McCarthy

Message from Gail Cogan

As most of you are aware, through a convoluted set of circumstances, I developed and have maintained (all through donations) the first English language medical library in Cambodia at the Sihanouk Hospital-Center of Hope in Phnom Penh. I set this up in 1998 and did not return until this past June. What a miracle has transpired!!! The hospital has grown from one building to the third one just being completed when I was there. There are conference rooms, an auditorium, an enlarged emergency department, and many more clinics…..hard to imagine. But the most important development was that the library was MORE THAN DOUBLED in size. I could not believe my eyes. They now have eight computer stations!!! They have credited the library as being responsible for the hospital being considered the primary teaching and training center in the entire country. (My feeling is that its very complete and extensive collection that gives it this honor). But so rewarding!!!

MOST IMPORTANT—I have just incurred devastation to the journal collection of 2004. Our four year old water heater burst (figure that??). All the journals are collected by title and placed on the basement floor. At the end of the year I scoop them up for mailing. I now have lots of mush and unusable journals…especially from the beginning of the year (January was on the bottom). I beg that you look through your collection and if you have any duplicates, please mail them to me at P.O. Box 782, Westford, MA 01886. All clinical medical, nursing, and surgical journals were involved. If you would like a complete list of the titles sent to the hospital please email me at gcogan @massmed.org. The good news is that the 30 plus boxes of books were not damaged at all…the water did not reach them. Hopefully, you can help me solve this problem so that I may send them a complete set. Would be most appreciated.

MAHSLIN Network News

October 2004

Volume 24 (4)