To further advance the goals of medical librarianship, Medical Library Association of India planned its 3-day national convention from March 2 to March 4, 2020, on the theme “Emerging Trends in Medical Information and Technology” to provide a platform to present the trends and the challenges as well as opportunities available towards management of health science information.

The event was inaugurated today at the Manav Rachna campus in the august presence of Dr. Nimesh G Desai, Director, Institute of Human Behaviour and Allied Sciences who was also the chief guest for the occasion. The inaugural ceremony was also graced by the guests of honor Dr. N C Wadhwa, DG, MREI and Dr. I K Bhat, VC, MRU. Dr Vikram Sharma, Organizing Secretary; Dr R P Kumar, Vice President, MLAI; Dr Raj Kumar, Secretary, MLAI; and Mr Qumar Abbas, Convention Director.

The objective of the convention is to provide an opportunity for academicians, health science professionals, librarians, and researchers to engage in a discussion based on issues related to the dynamic and challenging world of medical information management.

Dr. Nimesh G Desai urged all to never let their self-identity suffer, he said, “To apply the knowledge better is a challenge; the gathering of the information is not anymore. The credibility of the knowledge matters and that is what we need to focus on more.”

The MLAI19 awards were also announced during the inaugural session, the Best Female Medical Librarian Award went to Ms Neelima Chadha, PGIMER, Chandigarh; the R P Kumar – MLAI Young Librarian award was presented to Mr Qumar Abbas, J L N Medical College, Ajmer; the G M Kumar Best Paper Award went to Dr Rakesh Mohindra, Panjab University, Chandigarh; the MLAI Elected Fellow went to Dr Raj Kumar, Chandigarh; and the MLAI Lifetime Achievement Award was presented to Dr. J N Satpathi, Kolkata.

The 3-day convention aims to provide a platform to get acquainted with the latest developments and trends in health science information and related technology management. The convention will facilitate interaction, discussion, and deliberation amongst the professionals towards widening the horizons of medical information management in the ever-changing dynamics of information technology management.