Get on your boots: a model for low-cost, regional professional development for science librarians at the University of Massachusetts

The University of Massachusetts Five Campus System Science Librarians organized a low-cost, regional professional development program as part of a response to state-wide life science initiatives. Science Boot Camp for Librarians was envisioned as a casual but intensive immersion event into selected scientific subjects that employ networked computing capabilities for research and collaboration. The goal of the event was to provide librarians with subject awareness and networking opportunities to enable them to better engage faculty and research scientists with regard to e-science. This article focuses on the planning and execution of the event as an example of a successful, grass-roots professional development program for librarians engaged with the health and physical sciences