I’ve always wanted my own library. I wanted to be a permanent resident in a place of knowledge, where dreams are created and nurtured, where there is a near-guaranteed payoff for time well spent, where I could inspire people to imagine possibilities and achieve the unexpected, and where I could make a positive difference in the lives of others.

After several years of leading a creative project management and development team, I moved to south Florida in 2004 chasing love and the dream of becoming a library success story. It wasn’t long before I developed aspirations of finding my way to the top, where I could lead and inspire others to dream even bigger than I could on my own. After some hard years of clawing my way up the corporate ladder, and learning and losing more than I had bargained for both professionally and personally in the process, I relocated again in 2009 to venture into the unknown territory of the accidental medical librarian.

The past five years have had both ups and downs, but these years have ultimately been rewarding, and have provided me plenty of opportunities to grow personally and professionally. I am proud of the things that I have accomplished as a medical librarian, as a diabetes advocate, and that I have had the opportunity to play a role in inspiring the people around me to achieve. In our medical library, we are a team, and our success is as dependent on each other as it is on ourselves and our individual accomplishments. And we’re only just getting started.

I am so excited to share the news that, as of today, I am the Director of the Charlotte Edwards Maguire Medical Library at the Florida State University.

I have worked extremely hard to get to this place and to tie all of my little worlds together into one big dream where my passions can coexist. I’ve had some great support. And Amanda has had the patience of Job. So I’m going to take a few moments to enjoy this accomplishment.

And then I’m going to change the world.

Friday, 5/23/2014

I am pleased to inform  you that after a national search, Martin Wood has been named Director of the Charlotte Edwards Maguire Medical Library at the FSU College of Medicine, and promoted to Associate Librarian.

Martin graduated from Florida State University, twice, where he acquired a Bachelor of Science degree in Mass Communication, and a degree as Master of Library and Information Studies. He is also a graduate of the Harvard Leadership Institute for Academic Librarians.

After years of experience with the Florida Center for Prevention Research and in the Global Research Library for Franklin Templeton Investments, a Fortune 500 company, Martin brought his skills in technology, business, communications, education, and research to the Maguire Medical Library. Martin started at the College of Medicine in 2009 as the Head of Electronic Resources and Technical Services, and shifted the library’s definition of “collection” to focus on those electronic resources with the greatest potential for positive impact on patients at the point of care. He was promoted to Assistant Director of the medical library in 2012, and then Interim Director in March of 2014, overseeing electronic resources, collection development, scholarly communications and open access publishing, systems, web services, and public services.

Complimenting his leadership of the Maguire Medical Library team, Martin was elected and served as the President of the Florida Health Sciences Library Association in 2012-13, and has been the Chair of both the Strategic Planning and Nominating Committees in FHSLA. Martin is a Senior member of the Academy of Health Information Professionals (AHIP) with the Medical Library Association (MLA), and also represents Florida State University as a member of the Florida Collaboration of Academic Libraries of Medicine (FCALM), the Southern Chapter of the Medical Library Association (SC/MLA), the Consortium of Southern Biomedical Libraries (CONBLS), and the Association of Academic Health Sciences Libraries (AAHSL).

In addition to his accomplishments in the medical library field, Martin is also a leader and outspoken advocate for people living with diabetes, and serves at the local, state, national, and international levels to improve the lives of people with chronic conditions. Martin is a well-known blogger and patient advocate in the diabetes community, and was recently appointed to the JDRF International Type 1 Diabetes Voices Council in Washington, DC. He is also a faculty advisor for the Students With Diabetes organization, which aims to create a community and connection point for young adults with diabetes on both college campuses and in local communities across the country.

I want to thank the members of the search committee for their due diligence in reviewing a number of qualified applicants, and confirming for us the real jewel we have at the College of Medicine. Please join me in congratulating Martin, and thanking him for his leadership as he continues to direct the medical library team and oversee the services and resources that have made the Maguire Medical Library the model academic digital medical library for the 21st century.

–Dr. Littles