Statement from PNCMLA concerning the changes in the NNLM regions

As you may have heard, the Network of the National Libraries of Medicine (NNLM) will be re-drawing their component regions for the next five-year grant cycle. This change will take place on May 1, 2021; the member states of our Chapter (bolded) will be affected as follows:

Current Regions:

• Pacific Northwest Region: Alaska, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, and Washington. 

The Pacific Northwest Region is based in Seattle, WA, at the University of Washington.

• Pacific Southwest Region: Arizona, California, Hawaii, Nevada, and US Territories in the Pacific Basin.

The Pacific Southwest Region is based in Los Angeles, CA, at the University of California, Los Angeles.

New Regions:

• Region 4: Arizona, Idaho, Montana, Colorado, New Mexico, North Dakota, South Dakota, Utah, and Wyoming
• Region 5: Alaska, Oregon, Washington, California, Hawaii, Nevada, and U.S. Territories and Freely Associated States in the Pacific

Despite these changes to the NNLM Regions, PNC/MLA is not planning to make any changes to our boundaries based on the new regions -- we value our colleagues in Idaho and Montana! We are also looking forward to working closely with our Pacific Southwest Region neighbors as part of Region 5.

Statement from the Pacific Northwest Chapter of the Medical Library Association

On June 1st, 2020, the African American Medical Librarians Alliance (AAMLA) released a statement about police brutality and systemic racism and violence. We at the Pacific Northwest Chapter of the Medical Library Association (PNC/MLA) fully support and stand in solidarity with AAMLA and all Black, Indigenous, and People of Color in this fight against systemic racism and police brutality.

In light of recent events and the need to diversify the predominant “whiteness” of our library profession, the PNC is committed to establishing a Diversity Committee that will help our Chapter to fulfill our values of diversity, equality, and inclusion. This committee will provide our members with educational opportunities to improve our understanding and practice of anti-racism and amplify the voices of Black, Indigenous, and People of Color within our community.

For anyone who needs help getting started, here are some valuable resources specific to the Pacific Northwest region:

• Thompson, Carmen P. “Expectation and Exclusion: An Introduction to Whiteness, White Supremacy, and Resistance in Oregon.” Oregon Historical Quarterly, Winter 2019, 120:4
• Seattle Civil Rights and Labor History Project. African Americans and Seattle's Civil Rights History.
• Oliver, M. (2006). Idaho Ebony: The African American Presence in Idaho State History. The Journal of African American History, 91(1), 41-54. Retrieved June 24, 2020.
• Montana Historical Society. Montana’s African American Heritage Resources.
• Hartman, I.C. (2020). Black history in the last frontier. National Park Service: University of Alaska Anchorage.
• BC Black History Awareness Society