MESSAGE FROM THE CHAIR

Written by Daniel Dollar

1989 was the year of Tiananmen Square, the Exxon Valdez, revolution in Eastern Europe and the fall of the Berlin Wall. Paula Abdul and the group Milli Vanilli were at the top of U.S pop charts. And in the midst of these events, historic and fleeting, the International Cooperation Section (ICS) was founded.

Since its founding 20 years ago, ICS has been in the forefront of MLA’s international efforts. The section has played a key role in supporting the Cunningham Memorial International Fellowship, Sister Library partnerships, MLA’s Librarians without Borders program, and the WHO’s Health InterNetwork Access to Research Initiative (HINARI) just to name a few projects. Less noted, but no less important, are the individual efforts of ICS members through resource sharing, advocacy, job exchanges and other means that promote dialogue with our colleagues around the world, who are engaged in the same mission of providing quality information for improved health to the health care community and the public.

Our important work continues, such as the newly established Librarians without Borders Grant, as announced in this issue. While we move forward, I encourage you to read the early history of the section and our roots that run back to the founding of MLA, written by the late T. Mark Hodges. The history is linked from our section website and posted on MLANET at http://www.mlanet.org/archive/history/unit-history/international.html.

Happy 20th Anniversary ICS

Regards,

Daniel Dollar