UB Health Sciences Librarians Make Their Mark at MLA 2026

by UB LIBRARIES

“...everywhere I look, there’s another University at Buffalo presentation. You all are doing great things!”

That observation from Susan Lessick, recipient of the Medical Library Association’s (MLA) highest honor, the Marcia C. Noyes Award, summed up the strong presence of UB librarians at the 2026 MLA Annual Meeting, held May 19-22 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

Health Sciences librarians from the University Libraries delivered an impressive 10 presentations during the conference, sharing their expertise with colleagues from across the country.

Liz Stellrecht, Molly Maloney, Nell Aronoff, Michelle Zafron, Laurel Mueller, Nicole Thomas, Jessica Hollister and Jocelyn Swick-Jemison represented UB through presentations on evidence synthesis, pharmacy education, systematic reviews, dental humanities, outreach, instructional design and innovative library programming. Keith Nichols and Pam Rose also contributed as co-authors on conference presentations, helping showcase UB’s expertise through collaborative scholarship. Many of the presentations were developed in partnership with colleagues from institutions including the University of Minnesota, Duke University and the Medical University of South Carolina.  

Presentations ranged from a 75-minute immersion session on evidence synthesis apprenticing presented by Stellrecht, Maloney, Aronoff, Zafron and Mueller that attracted more than 100 attendees, to research on resident resource use in clinical settings, strategies for streamlining systematic review workflows, embedding video tutorials into nursing education and innovative approaches to librarian-led instruction. The breadth of topics reflected the many ways UB librarians contribute to teaching, research and clinical practice while sharing their expertise with colleagues across the profession.

The conference showcased the scholarship, collaboration and leadership of UB’s health sciences librarians while highlighting the impact they continue to have on the profession. Through research, teaching and service, these librarians are helping advance health sciences librarianship and raising the visibility of the University Libraries and the university on a national stage. 

The group also enjoyed some time exploring Milwaukee, gathering for a team dinner and stopping for a photo with the city’s iconic Bronze Fonz statue. After a week of presentations, the thumbs-up from Fonzie felt like a fitting seal of approval.