New MLA Members Hangout!

The best way to get the most out of your MLA membership is to get involved.  For new members it can be a bit daunting.  But never fear, the MLA New Members SIG is having a Hangout this Friday December 6th at 9pm Eastern.

If you are a new member you may not know exactly what a SIG is. A SIG is a Special Interest Group.  SIGs are “ad hoc groups open to all members of the association. SIGs range from a series of informal meetings on a specific, short-term issue to an established subgroup within an MLA section.”

There are 21 SIGs in MLA (view list here).  SIGs “provide a forum for members with unique interests to identify and meet with others with similar interests without having to fulfill the governance requirements of Sections. SIGs are generally created as less formal and more flexible organizational units, with the advantages of fewer reporting and no minimum membership requirements.” IMHO think of a SIG as the light version of Section. (For more information on SIGs go to MLA or my blog post.)

A SIG for new members is a great way to get some exposure and involvement in MLA because it is less formal and more flexible.

So if you are new member please consider joining other new members at the New Members SIG online event this Friday, Dec 6 @ 9pm Eastern.

They will be talking about the New Members SIG, preparing for MLA 2014, MLA resources, strategies for networking and meeting other medical librarians, and just getting to know each other.

More information can be found here http://bit.ly/1cVg0I2

While the Hangout is geared for new members, it is open to all.