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Director’s Reflections…Welcome to New and Returning Faculty and Students

Here we are again at the start of a new school year! We invite you to explore HSLS resources and services described in this issue and on our Web site. Even if you think you know everything about us, you may learn something new!

Renovation of Falk Library’s upper floor is underway, with completion scheduled by the beginning of October. We’ll be freshly painted and re-carpeted, with new spaces for group study and collaboration. In the meantime, be sure to visit the library’s main floor to see our traveling exhibit on Charles Darwin and the Rise of Evolutionary Theory, on loan from the National Library of Medicine. Continue reading →

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Michele Klein Fedyshin to Be Featured “Guest Speaker” for the HPNA Live Chat Event

The Hospice and Palliative Nurses Association periodically holds nationwide Live Chat Events where members can ask questions during a 30-minute online meeting. HSLS Liaison Librarian Michele Klein Fedyshin, BSN, MSLS, RN, AHIP, will be the “Guest Speaker” at the next event, which is September 12, 2012, at 12:30 p.m. (EST). The guest speaker types answers to questions as they are posted online. Each chat event focuses on a specific topic of interest. In Michele’s case, she will be answering questions about evidence-based practice.

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Happy New Year!

We are pleased to welcome new and returning faculty, staff, and students. Although the new calendar year officially begins in January, August begins the new academic year. There are a few things you should know about the library that can make this new year easier for you.

  • Falk Library is located on the second floor of Scaife Hall.
  • What are Falk Library’s hours?
  • An extensive, up-to-date online library is available to you.
  • Use remote access to locate library resources 24/7 when off campus.
  • Ask us a question via e-mail, phone, or chat.
  • Contact your liaison librarian and find out how the library can help you.
  • To learn about molecular biology databases and software tools, contact the Molecular Biology Information Service.
  • Use PittCat, the online catalog of the University of Pittsburgh libraries, to locate electronic and print journals and books, or audiovisual materials.
  • Put your course readings, books or other materials on reserve.
  • Are we missing something you need? If so, recommend a resource.
  • You can borrow tablet and laptop computers as well as flash drives and headphones.
  • Group study rooms with wall-mounted display screens can be reserved.

We invite you to use the library’s resources and services to support your teaching, learning, and research activities. Have a great year!

~ Nancy Tannery

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The New England Journal of Medicine Celebrates 200 Years

The New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM) is celebrating its 200th anniversary. The journal, originally delivered by horseback and known as the New England Journal of Medicine and Surgery and the Collateral Branches of Science, is the longest continuously published medical periodical in the world.1

To involve NEJM readers in the celebration, an anniversary Web site was created to highlight medical advances and classic images, and also to give readers a chance to share their medical inspirations and feedback for NEJM.

Other features of the anniversary Web site include:

The Web site is continuously updated with new articles and reader comments. If you would like to receive notice of these updates, enter your e-mail address at the bottom of the NEJM 200th Anniversary Web site.

  1. A.M. Brandt. 2012. A reader’s guide to 200 years of the New England Journal of Medicine. New England Journal of Medicine 366 (1): 1-7. doi:10.1056/NEJMp1112812.

~ Melissa Ratajeski

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Discover Recommended Articles with search.HSLS.MolBio & F1000

Faculty of 1000 (F1000) is a post-publication peer review resource. Its purpose is to help researchers identify highly regarded papers through article reviews and recommendations generated by a peer-nominated “faculty” of subject-expert scientists and clinicians from around the world. Established in 2002, F1000 now has over 10,000 reviewers, including 135 affiliates from the University of Pittsburgh/UPMC.

The article evaluations result in a ranking system (Recommended, Must Read, or Exceptional), from which F1000 calculates the F1000 Article Factor (FFa). The more times an article is evaluated and the higher the rankings, the greater its FFa and therefore its rating.

F1000-evaluated articles may also be tagged with one or more of the following classifications to indicate special attributes: Changes Clinical Practice, Clinical Trial, Confirmation, Controversial, Good for Teaching, Interesting Hypothesis, New Finding, Novel Drug Target, Refutation, Review/Commentary, Systematic Review/Meta-analysis, and Technical Advance.

The HSLS Molecular Biology Information Service has integrated F1000 into the search.HSLS.MolBio search engine under the Recommended Articles tab. It is accessible only on the Pitt network. The top 100 search results are listed with article title, authors, journal, rating, and category (classification). Search results may be narrowed by using the clusters on the left of the page, which filter by topic, rating, and category.
 

F1000 is run by and for scientists and clinical researchers. Search.HSLS.MolBio makes it easier for Pitt researchers to use this resource to systematically organize and evaluate the scientific research literature; identify key papers in areas inside and outside of expertise; provide suggestions for journal club articles; and confirm the importance of specific papers.

For more information, see the F1000 FAQ or contact the HSLS Molecular Biology Information Service.

~ Carrie Iwema

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Treasures from the Rare Book Room: Joseph Hodgson’s A Treatise on the Diseases of Arteries and Veins, Containing the Pathology and Treatment of Aneurisms and Wounded Arteries

Joseph Hodgson (1788-1869) was a British physician who practiced at Birmingham General Hospital and St. Bartholomew’s Hospital in London during the first half of the 19th century. He is best known for describing the aneurismal dilation of the aorta, later named after him as “Hodgson’s Disease.” He described this condition in his book, A Treatise on the Diseases of Arteries and Veins, published in London in 1815. His work was accompanied by an atlas titled Engravings Intended to Illustrate Some of the Diseases of Arteries. Author Leslie Morton claims these are “the best illustrations of aneurysms and of aortic valvular endocarditis.”1 The atlas includes eight plates with 23 illustrations accompanied by explanations. All illustrations were drawn by Hodgson himself and engraved by either J. Stewart or G. Shury.

Falk Library’s copy is an example of a beautiful half leather and marble paper binding, with marbled edges. The accompanying volume of illustrations has a slightly less exciting cloth binding, but both are in a good condition and make a valuable contribution to the wealth of Falk Library’s historical collections.

The book belonged to a noted British surgeon, Edward Robert Bickersteth, supporter of Lister’s antiseptic treatment of fractures and author of ‘”Remarks on the Antiseptic Treatment of Wounds” published in Lancet. His son, Robert Alexander Bickersteth, also a surgeon, presented the book to the Liverpool Medical Institution in 1923. How it wandered from Liverpool to Pittsburgh one can only guess. The book was then presented to Falk Library by the members of the Minutemen of the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine in honor of Alexander Hunter Colwell, MD, former faculty member at the School of Medicine and past president of Allegheny County Medical Society.

  1. Leslie T. Morton, A Medical Bibliography. 3rd ed. London, 1970, p.327.

~ Gosia Fort

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NN/LM MAR Outreach Services Include Exhibiting at Professional Meetings

One of the many exciting roles of a regional medical library is exhibiting at national, state and local meetings and conferences. Exhibiting offers the opportunity to demonstrate National Library of Medicine (NLM) products to health professionals, consumer groups, and public, school, and health sciences librarians. It is also a great way to encourage membership and promote the services of the National Network of Libraries of Medicine.

In our first year as a regional medical library, the National Network of Libraries of Medicine, Middle Atlantic Region (NN/LM MAR) staff promoted NLM resources to over 1,000 health professionals, public health workers, community-based leaders, and librarians. We did this by exhibiting at four national and eight regional/state meetings. For instance, MAR highlighted drug information resources to pharmacists at the American College of Clinical Pharmacy Annual Meeting; emergency response tools and public health resources at the New Jersey Environmental Health Association Meeting; and K-12 resources to school librarians at the New York City School Library Association Annual Conference. Staff also reached a large population of health consumers at an employee health fair in Pittsburgh.

MAR also offered exhibit awards to allow Network members the opportunity to exhibit at a state or local level. Public health librarians from Drexel University exhibited at the Pennsylvania Public Health Meeting in Philadelphia. Mid-Atlantic Behavioral Health received an award to exhibit and present mental health services and resources to senior citizens in Newark, Delaware.

The 2012–2013 regional medical library contract year began on May 1. So far, MAR has exhibited at the following national, regional, and state meetings:

  • American Psychiatric Association
  • American Diabetes Association
  • National Association of Counties
  • Delaware/Maryland Joint Library Association
  • New Jersey Library Association
  • Pennsylvania Mental Health Consumers Association
  • State University of New York Library Association

Information professionals in public libraries, community colleges, and institutions offering two-year and four-year academic programs in the health sciences may visit the MAR exhibit booth at upcoming New York and Pennsylvania state library association meetings. K-12 librarians and science teachers will benefit from MAR exhibits at the New Jersey Association of School Librarians, New York City School Library System, and the New Jersey Science Convention meetings.

NN/LM MAR staff will reach out to public health workers and unaffiliated health professionals at the Migrant and Immigrant Health in Rural Pennsylvania Conference, as well as upcoming meetings of the New York Public Health Association, the Pennsylvania Public Health Association, and the New Jersey Public Health Symposium. And finally, MAR plans to exhibit to mental health professionals and consumers during the Delaware Community Mental Health Conference, Delaware Psychological Association Mixer, and the annual conferences of the Pennsylvania Mental Health Consumers and New Jersey Association of Mental Health and Addiction Agencies.

Do you belong to a professional organization that would benefit from access to free, reliable biomedical information provided by the National Library of Medicine? Do members of your organization provide patient education? If so, you can invite us to exhibit or teach a continuing education course at your next annual meeting in our four-state region of Delaware, New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania. For more information, e-mail NN/LM MAR.

~ Renae Barger, NN/LM MAR Executive Director

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NLM’s IndexCat: History of Medicine Database Expanded and Improved

When initially released in 2004, IndexCat was a boon to medical historians and researchers. They finally had free online access to a keyword-searchable, digitized version of the Index-Catalogue of the Library of the Surgeon General’s Office, a 61-volume print series published between 1880 and 1961. The Index-Catalogue contains material dating from the 15th through the 20th centuries. Now, in a major update, IndexCat also includes the expanded digital version of A Catalogue of Incipits of Mediaeval Scientific Writings in Latin (eTK), and Scientific and Medical Writings in Old and Middle English: An Electronic Reference (eVK2).

In addition to the inclusion of new resources to the database, numerous improvements have been made to the user interface:

  • In both the Quick and Advanced Search features, search categories have been increased to include: Date, Subject, Author, Title/Journal Title, and ID Number.
  • The new search category, Keyword Anywhere, automatically uses the Boolean AND.
  • Special characters used in Medieval, Old, and Middle English are available for searching in the eTK and eVK2 collections.
  • The Help section provides general search tips as well as instructions on how to search unique aspects of the database.
  • For quick and easy management of search results, a maximum of 100 records can now be saved from the Results Display page to the My Documents page, where users can download, print, or e-mail search results.

IndexCat has become a critical resource for research in the development of medical theories, philosophies, therapies, and other aspects of the history of medicine. To access this resource, type “indexcat” in the search.HSLS box on the HSLS home page or browse the Databases A-Z list. For help using IndexCat, contact the Main Desk at 412-648-8866 or e-mail Ask a Librarian.

~ Andrea Ketchum

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HSLS Administrative Secretary Retires after Four Decades of Service

Mary Lou O’Shea, HSLS administrative secretary, retired at the end of June after almost 40 years of service. During her tenure, she worked under five library directors, including: Carroll F. Reynolds, Laurabelle Eakin, June Bandemer, Pat Mickelson, and Barbara Epstein.

Over the years, O’Shea witnessed a number of technological changes. One of her more notable memories was the transition from electric typewriters to computers, and the impact these changes had on her workflow. In 1973, when O’Shea began her career at HSLS, her primary office equipment was an IBM electric typewriter. Ten years later, she moved up to a Xerox Memorywriter with correctable ribbon, and eventually a computer. Continue reading →

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HealthCAS Cohort-3 Visits Pitt

The third cohort of students enrolled in Pitt’s online Certificate of Advanced Study in Health Sciences Librarianship (HealthCAS), visited HSLS for an orientation to the course and the University. The students came from Illinois, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, and Virginia.

HealthCAS students, faculty, and the project team came together for a 2.5 day program in June.  In the cohort model, students share professional experiences, learn from each other, and form a network of peers to turn to throughout their careers. The onsite visit gives them and the faculty the chance to connect on a more personal level. This is significant in HealthCAS as students are required to collaborate on several online group projects during the year.

The HealthCAS orientation included an overview of the program, the curriculum and objectives, a meeting with instructor teams, and an explanation of policy and procedures at Pitt, with an emphasis on academic integrity in writing.  Reviews of good research and writing practices were also included, as well as a presentation by faculty from the Schools of Medicine and Pharmacy that introduced students to the importance of interprofessional education.

Though the schedule was full, there was also time for fun.  A visit to the Nationality Rooms at the Cathedral of Learning gave the students a taste of Pitt’s rich history and its international connections. On a beautiful Pittsburgh day, students “quacked” on the Just Ducky Tour, had dinner at the Hard Rock Café at Station Square, and rode the Monongahela Incline to the top of Mount Washington to enjoy the spectacular Pittsburgh skyline.

HealthCAS is funded by a three-year grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services to Pitt’s iSchool and HSLS. The grant was extended to a fourth year to include the 2012-13 academic year. The program consists of three semesters of coursework. Each semester covers one four-credit course: (1) Libraries in Health Care Environments, (2) Collections and Resources in Health Care Environments, and (3) Reference Services and Instruction in Health Care Environments. The three-credit Independent Research Project spans all three semesters. HSLS faculty librarians develop and teach the curriculum.

Further information about HealthCAS is available from the iSchool or HSLS.

~ Ester Saghafi

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HSLS Staff News

The HSLS Staff News section includes recent HSLS presentations, publications, staff changes, staff promotions, degrees earned, etc.

News

Sue Burke is working part-time for the National Network of Libraries of Medicine, Middle Atlantic Regional office (NN/LM MAR). In addition to her duties as document delivery specialist, Burke is providing administrative support for the NN/LM MAR staff. Burke began working at HSLS in 1989, first in the Circulation Department, and then transferred to the Document Delivery Department in 1998. She will continue to work in these departments on a part-time basis.

Barbara Epstein, HSLS director, has been re-appointed to a four-year term on the Joint Legislative Task Force of the Medical Library Association and the Association of Academic Health Sciences Libraries.

Jeff Husted has been promoted to HSLS Head of Collections. In this position, he is responsible for collection development of electronic and print resources, including materials selection and acquisition, analysis of usage and trends, vendor relations, serials management, and oversight of the acquisition budget. As a member of Management Council, he participates in overall library planning and management. Jeff has been at HSLS since 1997, when he earned his BS degree in biology at Pitt. He worked in various positions in Technical Services, rising through a series of promotions.  In 2006, he was appointed acquisitions manager, and continued to steadily assume more responsibility in that area. He earned an MLIS from the University of Pittsburgh’s School of Information Sciences in 2009, and was appointed acquisitions librarian and then collections librarian.

Tristan Lucchetti, formerly NN/LM MAR administrator, has moved into the HSLS director’s office to become HSLS Business Manager. In his new position, Lucchetti will oversee the financial operations of the NN/LM MAR, and will also assume responsibility for HSLS business operations and human resource functions, including budget monitoring and planning, employment/payroll records, and travel and reimbursement requests.

Nancy Tannery, senior associate director, has been appointed a member of the National Library of Medicine’s Literature Selection Technical Review Committee that recommends journals to be indexed in MEDLINE/PubMed.

Publications

Jonathon Erlen, history of medicine librarian, published “Disability studies: Disabilities abstracts” in The Review of Disability Studies: An International Journal, 8(2):67-68, 2012, with co-author Megan Conway.

Farewell

Ruth Deer, HSLS document delivery specialist, retired at the end of June after 12 years at Falk Library. Ruth was highly entertaining and always helpful and generous. Her festive outfits will be missed during the holidays and Steeler season. Deer looks forward to spending more time with her young grandson.

Mary Lou O’Shea, HSLS administrative secretary, retired from the University at the end of June. For a retrospective look at O’Shea’s 40-year career, please see “HSLS Administrative Secretary Retires after Four Decades of Service” in this issue.

We wish both Ruth and Mary Lou a wonderful, healthy retirement!

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Classes September-October

HSLS offers classes on database searching, software applications such as Adobe Photoshop, bibliographic management, molecular biology and genetics, and library orientations. For more information, visit the online course descriptions.

Classes are held on the first floor of Falk Library (200 Scaife Hall) in Classroom 1 and Conference Room B, and on the second floor in Classroom 2. All classes are open to faculty, staff and students of the schools of the health sciences at the University of Pittsburgh. They are also open to UPMC residents and fellows.

No registration is required for any of these classes. Seating for classes is first-come, first-served, until the class is full. Classes marked with an asterisk (*) qualify for American Medical Association Category 2 continuing education credit.

Class schedules are subject to change. Please consult the online class calendar for the most current information.

Faculty, staff and students of the schools of the health sciences will need a valid Pitt ID or e-mail account to attend these classes. UPMC residents/fellows will need to show their UPMC IDs.

 

HSLS ORIENTATION

Introduction to HSLS Resources and Services at Falk Library
(Meet inside entrance to Library)

Monday, September 10 9-10 a.m.

Also offered upon request to groups or individuals. Call 412-648-8866.

SEARCHING DATABASES

Painless PubMed* (Falk Library Classroom 1)

Wednesday, September 5 11 a.m.-noon
Thursday, September 13 3:30-4:30 p.m.
Tuesday, September 18 noon-1 p.m.
Friday, September 28 10-11 a.m.
Friday, October 5 11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
Wednesday, October 10 9-10 a.m.
Monday, October 15 3:30-4:30 p.m.
Friday, October 26 1-2 p.m.

MOLECULAR BIOLOGY AND GENETICS RESOURCES

Locating Gene/Protein Information* (Falk Library Classroom 2)

Wednesday, October 3 1-3 p.m.

Genome Browsers* (Falk Library Classroom 2)

Wednesday, October 10 1-3 p.m.

Microarray Data Analysis* (Falk Library Classroom 2)

Wednesday, October 17 1-3 p.m.

Gene Regulation Research* (Falk Library Classroom 2)

Wednesday, October 24 1-3 p.m.

Introduction to CLC Main Workbench* (Falk Library Classroom 2)

Wednesday, October 31 1-3 p.m.

SOFTWARE TRAINING

EndNote Basics

Tuesday, September 11 11 a.m.-1 p.m. (Falk Library Conference Room B)
Wednesday, October 24 9:30 a.m.-11:30 a.m. (Falk Library Classroom 2)

PowerPoint for Beginners (Falk Library Classroom 1)

Wednesday, September 19 noon-2 p.m.

The WOW Factor: PowerPoint for Posters (Falk Library Classroom 2)

Tuesday, October 16 12:30-2:30 p.m.

Adobe Photoshop

Tuesday, September 25 noon-2 p.m. (Falk Library Classroom 1)
Tuesday, October 30 12:30-2:30 p.m. (Falk Library Classroom 2)

CUSTOMIZED CLASSES

Customized classes can be developed for your department, course, or other group.

 

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How Can the Library Help in the Systematic Review Development Process?

In early 2011, the Institute of Medicine released Standards for Systematic Reviews. Standard 3.1 that calls for systematic reviewers to work with a librarian or other information professional when conducting literature searches for systematic reviews. Additionally, the standard advises that a librarian or other information professional be involved in the peer review of the search strategies.

The following list expands and specifies the potential ways a librarian can contribute to the systematic review team:

  • Provide guidance on determining if a systematic review has already been done on your topic
  • Prepare and conduct literature searches for the systematic review
  • Peer review of systematic review search strategies
  • Provide guidance on the reference management of the located studies
  • Document delivery (ordering the full text of articles not available at our institution)
  • Documenting and writing the search methods for the review
  • Updating literature searches

Health Sciences Library System (HSLS) reference librarians have expertise in systematic review searching. They are available as potential collaborators for University of Pittsburgh systematic review teams. To request a librarian to help with your systematic review, contact the Main Desk at 412-648-8866 or e-mail Ask a Librarian. Search preparation and processing can take as long as three months, therefore it is advisable to put in your requests early in the process and to engage the librarian in the first stages of planning for a systematic review.

HSLS librarians have collaborated on the systematic reviews listed below, and several others are in process:

~ Ahlam Saleh