At the November 1994 board meeting of the Canadian Health Libraries Association, Lois Wyndham (Chedoke Division Hospital Library) brought forward an application from the Hamilton and Area Health Libraries Association requesting chapter status in CHLA/ABSC. The Board viewed the application positively and asked that the HAHLA accomplish the following before being granted chapter status: 1. Hold an inaugural meeting of the association. 2. Elect a slate of officers. 3. Approve the association bylaws. 4. Contact the Toronto Health Libraries Association to inform them of their intention to form a chapter.
On January 30, 1995 the inaugural meeting of the Association was held with representatives from local hospital libraries, Hamilton Public Library, the McMaster Health Sciences Library and Mohawk College Health Sciences Education Centre Library. At this time the draft bylaws were reviewed, amended and approved and the name of the association was changed to the Golden Horseshoe Health Libraries Association. This was done to encourage membership beyond the Hamilton area. A slate of officers was selected: President: Leslie Sutherland (Hamilton General Division Library, Hamilton Civic Hospitals), Vice-President/President-Elect: Liz Bayley (Health Sciences Library, McMaster University), Secretary/Treasurer: Gayle Fitzgerald (Library Services, St. Joseph’s Hospital).
GHHLA received formal approval from the CHLA/ABSC Board on February 17, 1995.
