POC in LIS Cohorts

According to ALA Diversity Counts Survey (2012), librarians of color (African American, Asian American/Pacific Islander, Native American including Alaska Native, Two or more races, and Latino) made up only 12% of the profession. Building community in the form of cohorts is a vital opportunity that allows librarians of color to connect with one another and provide support while navigating a profession that is predominantly white. In this presentation, the panelists will discuss different types of cohorts that exist in POC in LIS circles. We conclude by presenting a call to action and ask participants how they might define a cohort, to identify cohorts they may be currently part of, and encourage those to consider creating cohorts of their own in and outside of their respective institutions. Our panel format will include a 45-minute informative discussion followed by a 15-minute Q&A

Lisa K. Traditi, AHIP, Medical Library Association President, 2020–2021

In this profile, Lisa K. Traditi, MLS, AHIP, Medical Library Association president, 2020–2021, is described as an individual with a bright personality, rich professional experiences, and a natural ability to lead. She is a respected mentor in the medical librarianship field, especially in the realm of evidence-based medicine instruction and education. Traditi has spent the past twenty-six years at the Strauss Health Sciences Library at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus

UNLV Libraries’ Peer Mentor Cohort: A Model for Successful Allyship and Support amongst Womxn Faculty

In 2020, 10 womxn from a variety of racial, ethnic, and professional backgrounds formed an unique support network for faculty librarians hired between June 2019-July 2020 at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV) Libraries (Fig 1 & 2 & Table 1). The group benefits from diverse voices and unique perspectives. We consist of early and mid-career academic librarian, newly relocated staff, womxn of color, and members of the LGBTQ+ community (Fig 2 & Table 1). Our group holds expertise across health sciences, sciences, social sciences, acquisitions, cataloging, data services, special collections, and scholarly communications. We span 7 departments and 4 divisions, adding a holistic view of organizational culture and structure as well as the tenure process. Our aim is to support each other through the tenure-track process and promote retention among group members

Photobiomodulation in the management of oral mucositis for adult head and neck cancer patients receiving irradiation: the LiTEFORM RCT.

BackgroundOral mucositis is a debilitating and painful complication of head and neck cancer irradiation that is characterised by inflammation of the mucous membranes, erythema and ulceration. Oral mucositis affects 6000 head and neck cancer patients per year in England and Wales. Current treatments have not proven to be effective. International studies suggest that low-level laser therapy may be an effective treatment.ObjectivesTo assess the clinical effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of low-level laser therapy in the management of oral mucositis in head and neck cancer irradiation. To identify barriers to and facilitators of implementing low-level laser therapy in routine care.DesignPlacebo-controlled, individually randomised, multicentre Phase III superiority trial, with an internal pilot and health economic and qualitative process evaluations. The participants, outcome assessors and therapists were blinded.SettingNine NHS head and neck cancer sites in England and Wales.ParticipantsA total of 87 out of 380 participants were recruited who were aged ≥ 18 years and were undergoing head and neck cancer irradiation with ≥ 60 Gy.InterventionRandom allocation (1 : 1 ratio) to either low-level laser therapy or sham low-level laser therapy three times per week for the duration of irradiation. The diode laser had the following specifications: wavelength 660 nm, power output 75 mW, beam area 1.5 cm2, irradiance 50 mW/cm2, exposure time 60 seconds and fluence 3 J/cm2. There were 20-30 spots per session. Sham low-level laser therapy was delivered in an identical manner.Main outcome measureThe mean Oral Mucositis Weekly Questionnaire-Head and Neck Cancer score at 6 weeks following the start of irradiation. Higher scores indicate a worse outcome.ResultsA total of 231 patients were screened and, of these, 87 were randomised (low-level laser therapy arm, n = 44; sham arm, n = 43). The mean age was 59.4 years (standard deviation 8.8 years) and 69 participants (79%) were male. The mean Oral Mucositis Weekly Questionnaire-Head and Neck Cancer score at 6 weeks was 33.2 (standard deviation 10) in the low-level laser therapy arm and 27.4 (standard deviation 13.8) in the sham arm.LimitationsThe trial lacked statistical power because it did not meet the recruitment target. Staff and patients willingly participated in the trial and worked hard to make the LiTEFORM trial succeed. However, the task of introducing, embedding and sustaining new low-level laser therapy services into a complex care pathway proved challenging. Sites could deliver low-level laser therapy to only a small number of patients at a time. The administration of low-level laser therapy was viewed as straightforward, but also time-consuming and sometimes uncomfortable for both patients and staff, particularly those staff who were not used to working in a patient's mouth.ConclusionsThis trial had a robust design but lacked power to be definitive. Low-level laser therapy is relatively inexpensive. In contrast with previous trials, some patients found low-level laser therapy sessions to be difficult. The duration of low-level laser therapy sessions is, therefore, an important consideration. Clinicians experienced in oral cavity work most readily adapt to delivering low-level laser therapy, although other allied health professionals can be trained. Blinding the clinicians delivering low-level laser therapy is feasible. There are important human resource, real estate and logistical considerations for those setting up low-level laser therapy services.Future workFurther well-designed randomised controlled trials investigating low-level laser therapy in head and neck cancer irradiation are needed, with similar powered recruitment targets but addressing the recruitment challenges and logistical findings from this research.Trial registrationThis trial is registered as ISRCTN14224600.FundingThis project was funded by the National Institute for Health and Care Research ( NIHR ) Health Technology Assessment programme and will be published in full in Health Technology Assessment; Vol. 26, No. 46. See the NIHR Journals Library website for further project information

¡Presente!: Affirming Latinx Voices Within Health Sciences Library Scholarship

Increasing diverse author representation within medical librarianship scholarship among BIPOC information professionals is an important endeavor that requires closer examination. This commentary looks to examine the ways in which the profession can support Latinx librarians and library workers in fully participating within the scholarly pipeline by exploring our unique and authentic voices, structural barriers, hesitation and fears, Whiteness in the profession and knowledge production, bias in the peer review process, lack of resources and support, and finally, a call to action

Hispanic/Latinx Inclusive Terminologies Project: Recommendations to Improve and Expand Medical Subject Headings

The Hispanic/Latinx Inclusive Terminologies Project was in response to a series of calls to action by the Medical Library Association\u27s Latinx Caucus in the summer of 2020. This presentation addresses recommendations to improve and expand medical subject headings to be more inclusive of groups not currently represented