Lynn Fortney Elected Chair, Collection Development Section of Medical Library Association

BIRMINGHAM , Alabama , U.S.A. , February 17, 2006 – Lynn Fortney, vice president and director of EBSCO ’s biomedical division, has been elected to lead the Medical Library Association’s (MLA) Collection Development Section (CDS). The leadership role begins in May 2006. It is a rotating, three-year term and includes the positions of chair-elect, section chair and nominating committee chair, respectively.

Prior to joining EBSCO in 1989, Fortney served as acting director and associate director of the Lister Hill Library of the Health Sciences, University of Alabama at Birmingham; and prior to that as the chief medical librarian and the medical reference librarian for the Health Sciences Library at the University of Alabama’s College of Community Health Sciences. Fortney received her master’s degree in library science from Emory University in 1973. An active member of MLA, Fortney served on its Board of Directors from 2000 – 2003 and is a past Chair of the association’s Southern Chapter. She is a frequent presenter and the author of numerous articles on medical and academic librarianship, including a special theme issue of Reference Services Review on the emerging roles of health sciences librarians.

“Lynn is not only incredibly knowledgeable about the biomedical publishing industry, but she also seems to know just about every medical librarian,” said CDS Nominating Chair Mark Funk. “This combination will undoubtedly result in her being a terrific leader for the Collection Development Section of MLA.”