JMLA Appoints UK School of Information Science Director to Senior Editors Team

LEXINGTON, Ky. (May 25, 2016)  The Journal of the Medical Library Association (JMLA) has appointed Jeff Huber, director and professor of the University of Kentucky School of Information Science, to its senior editors team.

JMLA is a peer-reviewed quarterly journal authored by field professionals and published by the Medical Library Association (MLA) to advance the practice and research of health sciences librarianship and information specialists.

JMLA Editor-in-Chief Diane Cooper outlined the journal’s strategic goals for the 2016-2017 calendar year: 1) to strengthen editorial operations and organization, 2) to develop editorial content strategy, and 3) to update business and distribution models. The overarching goal, however, is much simpler to define — to produce a high quality research journal of even greater value to health sciences librarians.

"Jeff in his position will help with suggestions and advice to improve and strengthen JMLA’s evidence-based research structure and content through data sharing, more randomized library research studies, and encouraging multi-institute inter-library research,” Cooper said.

According to Cooper, the senior editors team is a recent addition to the JMLA editorial board that she finds will fulfill her initial goal, which is to establish a limited number of positions that call for experienced members who advise and spread awareness of the journal to readers and submitters. The JMLA editorial board team will also consist of JMLA features editors, assistant editors and JMLA reviewers.

“As the premiere venue for disseminating research findings related to health sciences librarianship, JMLA is uniquely positioned to advance evidence-based practice where health information professionals are concerned,” Huber said.

Huber has more than 24 years of health sciences communication and information experience in various positions from research information scientist to academia. He joined the UK School of Information Science in 2008 and by 2013, it held a "top 5" ranking in health librarianship according to U.S. News and World Report. Additionally, Huber has served on the JMLA editorial board for 15 years and was recently named the 2016 Lucretia W. McClure Excellence in Education recipient by MLA. All of which have prepared him to accept his new responsibilities as JMLA senior editor.  

Huber convened with colleagues of the new editorial board at the JMLA editorial board meeting on May 15 during the annual Medical Library Association meeting in Toronto.

About the UK School of Information Science

The School of Library and Information Science in the College of Communication and Information at the University of Kentucky became the School of Information Science on July 1, 2015. The name change follows the expansion of programs at the school (both at the graduate and undergraduate level) and the increasing diversity of professions in the information field. The Instructional Communication and Research program became a part of the school in 2013 and the Information Communication Technology program debuted in 2014. The school offers a M.S. in Library Science, School Media Certification, M.S. in Information Communication Technology, B.A./B.S. in Information Communication Technology and an undergraduate minor in information studies

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MEDIA CONTACT: Whitney Harder, 859-323-2396, whitney.harder@uky.edu