Current Executive
President
Esther Atkinson
president[at]thla.ca416-946-6539
Esther Atkinson holds a Master of Science in Physical Anthropology and a Master of Information Studies from the University of Toronto.
Since graduating in 2001 with her MISt, Esther has gathered experience in working for such organizations as the University of Toronto Libraries and as the Assistant Executive Director for the Health Science Information Consortium of Toronto.
Currently, Esther is the Information Specialist for Oncology and Pathology at Princess Margaret Hospital, University Health Network. Her role is to provide information support to all medical, research, nursing, and allied health personnel at PMH/OCI.
President-Elect
Corrina Switzer
president_elect[at]thla.ca416-756-6746
Corrina Switzer earned a Bachelor of Science in Anthropology from Trent University and a Master of Information Studies from the University of Toronto .
Corrina has experience working in academic, public, and health libraries. Since 2006, Corrina has held the position of Technical Services Librarian at North York General Hospital .
Corrina loves to learn new things, experiment with Web 2.0 technologies, and in her spare time enjoys travelling, reading, and watching meteor showers.
Past President
Weina Wang
past_president[at]thla.ca416-979-5000 ext. 6264
Weina Wang obtained an MSc. in Information Systems from the University of Sheffield, U.K. in 2003 and after graduation she worked for the Prescription Pricing Authority of the National Health Service (NHS) U.K. for one year.
Weina currently works at the Ryerson University Library as the Borrower Services System Librarian. Weina also had more than 4 years experience working in the Health Sciences Libraries at the University Health Network, where she was the Electronic Services Librarian.
In her spare time, Weina enjoys Ultimate Frisbee, hiking and traveling.
Treasurer
Penka Stoyanova
treasurer[at]thla.ca905-813-2411
Penka Stoyanova has a Bachelor of Chemical Engineering from the University of Chemical and Metallurgical Engineering, Sofia, Bulgaria, and a Master in Information Studies from the University of Toronto.
Currently, she is the Health Sciences Librarian at the Credit Valley Hospital and the Carlo Fidani Cancer Centre in Mississauga. Her role is to support the information needs of medical, nursing, and allied health professionals, administration, researchers and community members by ensuring access to current and relevant print and electronic resources.
Penka is also an active member of the Health Science Information Consortium of Toronto, OLA and OHLA. In her free time, she likes to travel with her family, read a nice book, or listen to music.
Secretary
Sue Reynolds
secretary[at]thla.ca416-287-7483
Sue Reynolds has a Library Technician certificate from Ryerson, a Bachelor degree from the University of Toronto, and is currently working on her Masters in Library and Information Studies at the University of Wales Aberystwyth.
Sue works in the library of the University of Toronto Scarborough . She previously worked at Janet Wright & Associates, in the Learning Resource Centre and Research Department at The Michener Institute for Applied Health Sciences and at the Metro (now Toronto ) Reference Library.
Sue is an avid reader and active member in her book club. She keeps fit by skiing and curling in the winter, golfing and walking in the summer. She has contributed to professional and community organizations by holding positions on the executive of TALTA, THLA and the East York Curling Club.
Newsletter Editor
Erin Jones
newsletter[at]thla.ca416-487-9089
Erin Jones is a student at the University of Toronto's Faculty of Information Studies, currently completing the final year of her MISt.
Erin's background is in Healthcare Informatics, conducting usability and development research for computer and web programs for the Oncology Education Department and Patient and Family Library at Princess Margaret Hospital.
Erin is pleased to be joining THLA as Editor of the Newsletter, in which she will try not to take up too much space waxing poetic about the joys of snowboarding or printing pictures of her cat.
Webmaster
Qionghui Liu
webmaster[at]thla.ca416-927-2027 ext. 2184
Qionghui (Joanna) Liu received a Bachelor degree in Telecommunication Engineering in China and a diploma in Library and Information program from Seneca College.
Joanna works at the Library Services at the Institute for Work & Health as a Library Technician and is a part-time Library Assistant at the Health Services Libraries of University Health Network.
Joanna loves jogging and reading romantic novels. She is a animal lover, especial cats and dogs.
Association Profile
The Toronto Health Libraries Association (THLA) was originally established as the Toronto Medical Libraries Group during the fall of 1965 to meet occasionally and informally in order to discuss matters of mutual interest.
THLA is a professional organization of approximately 150 individual members from over 80 medical and allied health libraries in the Toronto area.
As a chapter of the Canadian Health Libraries Association/Association des bibliothéques de la santè du Canada (CHLA/ABSC), THLA is dedicated to the improvement of health and health care through the promotion of excellence in access to information.
THLA Executive
The Executive Committee of THLA directs the activities and establishes the policies of the Association. The Committee is elected by the membership-at-large. It comprises a President, a President-Elect, a Past-President, Secretary, and Treasurer, all of whom must be members of CHLA/ABSC, as well as THLA.
Past Executive Members
View listings of Past Executive Members. sorted by year, on the Archives page.
Objectives
- To promote the provision of quality library service to the health community in the Greater Toronto Area by fostering and stimulating health sciences libraries.
- To encourage communication and cooperation among its members and to actively promote their continuing education and professional development.
- To consult and collaborate with other professional, technical, and scientific organizations in Toronto in matters of mutual interest.
Activities
At least four General Meetings are held during the Association year, all of which include a significant professional development component.
Occasional workshops are held to keep members abreast of current technology and issues.
Due to an inordinate amount of spam and disuse the THLA listserv has now been disbanded. We are working on a way to continue providing members with communication tools while still minding their privacy and the safety of their email inboxes.
