The Medical Library Association's international fellowship programs

Area of Science:

• Medical Librarianship
• International Cooperation
• Professional Development

Background:

• The Medical Library Association (MLA) has a history of international fellowship programs.
• Two key programs include the Rockefeller Foundation program (1948-1963) and the Eileen R. Cunningham program (1971-present).

Purpose of the Study:

• To document the history and administration of two MLA international fellowship programs.
• To analyze the costs, including financial and human resources, associated with these programs.
• To gather feedback from past fellows to inform future program direction.

Main Methods:

• Historical review of fellowship program administration.
• Documentation of program costs and resource allocation.
• Survey of Cunningham Fellows to collect qualitative feedback.

Main Results:

• The Rockefeller Foundation program ran for 15 years, while the Cunningham program continues to date.
• Fellow feedback was collected and is presented.
• The article details the financial and human resource costs of running these international training initiatives.

Conclusions:

• The MLA's international fellowship programs have a long-standing commitment to training medical librarians globally.
• The membership must evaluate the mission and future funding strategies for these vital international training programs.
• Continued support and strategic planning are essential for the sustainability of international medical librarian training.