During the planning stages of 8ICML, the Medical Library Association has proved itself a good friend to the organising committee. Advice and support has always been available, but so has more tangible support. Each year delegates to the MLA annual meeting have found ICML information in their packs, and this year MLA set aside a booth in the exhibition to enable us to launch the congress brochure in style.

As a token of 8ICML’s gratitude, ICML chair Tony McSeán presented a framed copy of the ICML poster to Carla Funk, executive director of MLA during the 1999 MLA meeting in Chicago. Carla replied by saying the gift is double welcome as MLA has just moved to larger offices and has been looking for ways to decorate the new, empty walls.