Those of you watching the calendar have probably figured out that I’ve been on the job as the NLM Director for just about five months. My past 30 years were spent in academe, and I figured the biggest transition I would be facing was from academic to Federal employee—daunting but doable, I thought!
I had not figured on the difference between my transition from academic to fed and THE TRANSITION, the change brought about when a new president takes over for a sitting president and the reshuffling in the House and Senate that accompanies it. The logistics of a presidential transition are many—with a good percentage actually completed by October—including preparing briefing books for the incoming administration.
This task is more challenging than it might sound. Putting together a briefing book means distilling this $400 million operation down to a 3.5-page summary detailing our goals, staffing, and key actions for the near future. None of this would have been possible for a newbie without the diligence and insights of Betsy Humphreys, our NLM Deputy Director.
Beyond NLM, it seems to me that the NIH and the entire Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) is experiencing a mixture of business-as-usual, excitement about change, and curiosity about where a new DHHS Secretary and a whole new administration (with 4,000 new political appointees) will take us.
So what is my role in all of this?
My primary job is to ensure adequate resources for the men and women who work here to create and manage our products and services (such as PubMed, the Common Data Elements Repository, the UMLS, PubChem, ClinVAR, TOXNET, etc.), preserve our historical collections, conduct research, and develop new ways to document clinical trials. I also need to be an advocate for the NLM in NIH-wide discussions about how to foster discovery and support clinical practice in a time of uncertain direction. I must be mindful of my own tolerance for ambiguity, being sure to listen to the concerns of staff and colleagues, respond with confidence, and provide reassurance in a realistic manner.
No leadership job comes with a crystal ball, and my personal opinions about how the future will pan out do not serve as a guide for action. What does guide me is the wisdom arising from the strong NLM leadership team, formed prior to my arrival and now pivoting to guide me as I lead the Library not only in anticipating our third century but also in transitioning to a new administration. The NLM enjoys broad respect and acceptance, so I expect our core mission to persist, but frankly, I too am curious about what the future holds.
What do you think this transition will bring us?
I’ve found the amount of change we’re dealing with professionally as health sciences librarians coupled with the changes at NLM to challenge not only my tolerance for ambiguity, but also for alcohol. However, I have confidence in NLM leadership, in the expertise of my colleagues, and in the value of the tools we develop and support.
The NIH has a long history of Bi-partisan Support and the Need for Medical information is not a partisan issue. That said I wish you the best with all the operational challenges ahead (mid-year budget briefs, hiring freezes, changes to federal employment etc.) Good luck and let the data guide you.