Cunningham fellow

Subject:     [MLAICS-L] Cunningham fellow
Date:     Fri, 28 Oct 2005 09:42:46 -0400
From:     Lenny Rhine
Reply-To:     Lenny Rhine
To:     MLAICS-L@LISTSERV.IUPUI.EDU



Hello everyone,

I've read everyone's replies and here is my 2 cents.  I agree with the consensus about the shorter stays and possibly two or three fellows per year. 
My recommendation is that each individual spend between 2-3 weeks in one institution.  From my interaction with various fellows, this is a better experience than being shifted around to several sites week by week.  This would mean attending MLA and visiting one site for a month long visit or MLA and two sites for a two month visit.

I understand Bruce's support for potential fellows from industrialized countries but would suggest a priority be given to individuals from lesser developed environments.  My justification for this is that these are the applicants who are in most need of the training and often don't have the options locally.  This has become critical in the electronic age.  Via the Internet and other IT applications, those in developing countries have the potential to bridge the digital divide and access vital health information.

I realize this might be opening a can of worms but perhaps this is a good time for some discussion. 
The fact sheet currently says: 
"The purpose of the Cunningham fellowship is to assist in the education and training of health science librarians from countries outside the United States and Canada."

Lenny