This information is over 2 years old. Information was current at time of publication.

HSLS to Discontinue Copy Cards

In the coming weeks, Falk Library will switch to an updated cash/coin payment system on its photocopiers and printers. Patrons have always been able to use cash or coin for photocopies, but the library printers required the purchase of a copy card. This update will make printing more convenient for HSLS patrons.

In addition, in the coming weeks, University departments, and patrons with Pitt ID’s, will be able to pay for photocopying using Panther Cards on one of the library’s photocopiers.

By fall, all photocopiers and printers will be fully operational to accept both cash/coin and Panther Cards. At this time, the library’s outdated copy card system will be eliminated. Until then, all print stations and 2 photocopiers will continue to accept copy cards in order to allow users time to deplete any remaining value on existing cards.

If you have any questions or concerns, please contact the Falk Library main desk at 412-648-8866.

~ Renae Barger

This information is over 2 years old. Information was current at time of publication. This information is over 2 years old. Information was current at time of publication.

Treasures from the History of Medicine Collection

Be sure to visit the exhibit tables in the Falk Library lobby and Rare Books Room for a fascinating display illustrating the progress of public health and hygiene studies through books in our non-circulating History of Medicine collections.

One such book is the 1885 title, Women, Plumbers, and Doctors; or, Household Sanitation, by Harriette Plunkett. This illustrated work elucidates the author’s notion of women’s place in sanitary reform, suggesting that if women and plumbers did “their whole sanitary duty, there will be comparatively little occasion for the services of doctors.” As well as a social and historical curiosity, Plunkett’s book is considered valuable to architecture scholars investigating how the advice offered to women by experts in the home economics movement may have been applied to architectural design.

On display in the Rare Books Room are several European works on the plague. Fillipo Ingrassia’s Informatione del pestifero, et contagioso morbo…, depicting the plague of 1575 in Palermo, is the oldest book on the subject in our collection. The magnificent folio Tractatus de avertenda et profliganda peste politico-legalis eo lucubrates tempore by Geronimo Gastaldi (Bologna 1684) is one of the most important books on quarantine. Beautifully mapped and depicted, this documentation of the 1656-57 plague was authored by the commissioner of health in the city of Rome during the epidemic. It is said that the sanitary precautions introduced by Gastaldi were the reason why the plague claimed only 14,000 victims in Rome, while 300,000 people died in Naples. Also worth viewing is Loimologia: or, An historical account of the plague in London in 1665, by Nathaniel Hodges, celebrated as the best medical record of that Great Plague.

Richard Meade’s A short discourse concerning pestilential contagion, and the methods to be used to prevent it (London 1720) was written as a response when he was asked to give his advice on plague. His views and prophecies were highly valued, leading to his book being reprinted seven times in one year, which was unheard of during that period. Meade’s work is historically important in understanding contagious diseases, and he is viewed as a pioneer in the field of public health.

For more information, call HSLS Collections and Technical Services at 412-648-2049 or email techserv@pitt.edu.

~ Sarah LaMoy and Gosia Fort

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Changes at Falk Library

In order to streamline operations and provide better information to our users, the circulation and reference desks at Falk Library have been combined into one service desk. The desk as you enter the library has been renamed the Main Desk. You can now check out a book, request a reserve item, or ask a question at the Main Desk. Reference librarians are available as always Monday–Friday, 9 a.m.–5 p.m. and Saturdays, noon–4 p.m. They can assist with your information and research needs, guide you in the use of library resources, help you choose the right databases for your search, or find print resources on your topic. If you’d like to consult with a reference librarian while in the Library, just ask at the Main Desk.

~ Nancy Tannery

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A New Breed of Librarian: The Informationist

Barb FolbIn 1999, Barb Folb began her HSLS career as a reference/outreach librarian at Western Psychiatric Institute & Clinic (WPIC). Four years later, she was appointed public health librarian/liaison to the Graduate School of Public Health (GSPH). In that position, she provided reference services and library instruction to faculty, staff, and students.

Several years ago, Barb began attending public health classes at GSPH. Because public health encompasses many academic disciplines, Barb quickly realized the more she learned about the various disciplines, the better she was able to deliver information services to users. This led Barb to apply for a two-year informationist training grant from the National Library of Medicine (NLM). An Informationist combines a strong background in library science with expertise in a specialized subject area such as biomedical research, consumer health, or public health. Informationists are usually embedded with the professionals they support. Barb was awarded the fellowship in 2007.

The fellowship has allowed Barb to further her education and work experience in public health. She spent the past two years at GSPH earning a Master’s of Public Health degree emphasizing behavioral and community health sciences. She also earned an Evaluation of Public Health Programs certificate. She completed her course work in December, 2009, and is currently working on her thesis. Her research area is the information needs and behaviors of disaster response professionals.

During her fellowship, Barb completed two practicums. The first, from January, 2008 through December, 2009, was at the GSPH Center for Public Health Practice, where she assisted with the information needs of professionals working in the field of disaster preparedness.

Barb then went on to complete a second, four-month practicum at the Schuylkill County Emergency Management Agency, where she performed information searches on topics related to Strategic National Stockpile distribution planning. She also observed the daily operation of the Schuylkill County Emergency Management Agency, and attended planning meetings of the Task Force Health and Geographic Information System regional integration committee.

Now back at HSLS, Barb is working as a public health informationist and has two offices—one at Falk Library and the other at GSPH in the Center for Public Health Practice. Because of her fellowship experience, Barb better understands the context in which the faculty, staff, and students at GSPH operate, and can better meet their information needs.

~ Jill Foust

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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

Renae Barger, has been promoted to assistant director for Access Services. Her areas of responsibility include the library’s circulation and document delivery departments, as well as stacks and space management, and onsite and remote storage facilities.  In addition, she participates in overall library management as a member of the HSLS Executive Committee.

Michelle Burda, consumer health librarian, was recognized for her advisory role in reviewing and editing the publication Survivorship Guide for Bone Marrow/Stem Cell Transplant: Coping with Late Effects. Stronach, 2010. Southfield, MI: National Bone Marrow Transplant LINK.

Ansuman Chattopadhyay, head, Molecular Biology Information Service, presented three lectures at the fifth Workshop on Genetic Epidemiological Methods for Dissection of Complex Traits in Kolkata, India, February 17-24, 2010.

Jonathan Erlen, history of medicine librarian is the associate book review editor of The Watermark: Newsletter of the Archivists and Librarians in the History of the Health Sciences and has been appointed to the Local Arrangements Committee of the 2010 Southern Association for the History of Medicine and Science Conference.

Carrie Iwema, information specialist in Molecular Biology, has been appointed to the Medical Library Association’s Grants and Scholarships Committee for a three-year term.

Melissa Ratajeski, reference librarian, has been appointed chair of the Medical Library Association’s Beatty Award Jury for 2010-2011.

Patricia Weiss, reference librarian, has been appointed to the Medical Library Association’s David A. Kronick Traveling Fellowship Jury.

 

Publications

Jonathon Erlen, history of medicine librarian published “Dissertations” in AVISTA Forum Journal, 19(1/2):146-155, 2009 and “Dissertation/Theses” in the Canadian Bulletin of Medical History, 26(2):573, 2009.

Liping Song, electronic resources cataloging and access librarian published “The Road to CONSER—Taken by the Health Sciences Library System, University of Pittsburgh” in Cataloging and Classification Quarterly, 48(2/3):143-152, February 2010.

This information is over 2 years old. Information was current at time of publication.

HSLS Schedule of Classes May-June 2010

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 the Computer and Media Center classroom 2. Some classes are also held in the conference room at UPMC Shadyside Libraries. All classes are open to faculty, staff and students of the schools of the health sciences at the University of Pittsburgh and UPMC.

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.

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

Thursday, May 13 1-2 p.m.

Also offered upon request to groups or individuals. Call 412-648-8796.

Introduction to HSLS Services at UPMC Shadyside
Offered upon request to groups or individuals. Call 412-623-2415.

Finding Full-Text Articles at UPMC Shadyside
Offered upon request to groups or individuals. Call 412-623-2415.

SEARCHING DATABASES
PubMed Basics* (Falk Library Classroom 1)

Thursday, May 27 1-2:30 p.m.
Thursday, June 10 3-4:30 p.m.
Wednesday, June 23 10-11:30 a.m.

Searching in CINAHL* (Falk Library Classroom 1)

Thursday, May 13 10-11:30 a.m.

Searching for Nursing Articles Using CINAHL* (UPMC Shadyside Libraries)

Friday, May 14 3:30-4:30 p.m.

MOLECULAR BIOLOGY AND GENETICS RESOURCES
DNA Analysis Tools* (Falk Library Conference Room B)

Wednesday, May 5 1-3 pm.

Pathway Analysis Tools 1* (Falk Library Conference Room B)

Wednesday, May 19 1-3:30 p.m.

Pathway Analysis Tools 2* (Falk Library Conference Room B)

Wednesday, June 2 1-3:30 p.m.

Introduction to Vector NTI* (Falk Library Conference Room B)

Wednesday, June 23 1-3:30 p.m.

SOFTWARE TRAINING
EndNote Basics (Falk Library Classroom 2)
(Note: This class is usually full. Please arrive 15 minutes in advance to ensure seating.)

Thursday, May 13 10 a.m.-noon
Thursday, June 17 1-3 p.m.

Adobe Photoshop for Beginners (Falk Library Classroom 2)

Tuesday, May 11 10 a.m.-noon
Tuesday, June 8 10 a.m.-noon

PowerPoint for Beginners

Wednesday, June 16 10 a.m.-noon (Falk Library Classroom 2)
Wednesday, June 23 10 a.m.-noon (UPMC Shadyside Libraries)

Advanced PowerPoint for Presentations (Falk Library Classroom 2)

Wednesday, May 19 10 a.m.-noon

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

Tuesday, May 25 10 a.m.-noon

LUNCH WITH A LIBRARIAN
These informal, brown-bag lunches are held in Falk Library conference room B. Bring your own lunch. Drinks and dessert are provided. For more information, visit the online descriptions.

Searching for Dollar$: Grant Resources

Thursday, May 13 Noon-1 p.m.

Twitter: a Powerful Current Awareness Tool

Tuesday, June 22 Noon-1 p.m.

Thursday @ Three HSLS UPMC Shadyside Libraries Information Series
These informal sessions are held in the conference room at UPMC Shadyside Libraries.
Why Use Clinical Focus?

Thursday May 6 3-4 p.m.

Beyond PubMed-Next Generation Literature Searching

Thursday, June 17 3-4 p.m.

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

LEARNING @ YOUR PACE
These online tutorials provide information on getting started at HSLS, focusing on the Web site and popular resources.

This information is over 2 years old. Information was current at time of publication.

Bates’ Visual Guide to Physical Examination

Bates’ Visual Guide to Physical Examination, the online version of the classic textbook on physical examination and history taking, is now available.  This electronic guide consists of lessons organized by body systems, with each lesson providing detailed explanations of examination procedures and demonstrations of specific techniques via streaming video.

To access Bates’ Visual Guide to Physical Examination, type “Bates Visual Guide” into the Pitt Resources Quick Search box on the HSLS home page. This resource can also be found in the HSLS Databases A – Z list.   A short tutorial on accessing and using Bates’ Visual Guide is available.

1.Bates

To view the videos, users must have Internet Explorer version 5.5 or higher and Windows Media Player 9 or newer installed on their PC (Bates is not compatible with Macintosh products).  Due to licensing restrictions, use of Bates’ Visual Guide is currently limited to individuals with current University of Pittsburgh computer accounts.

The latest print version of this resource (Bates’ Guide to Physical Examination and History Taking, 10th edition) is still available in the reference sections of Falk Library, UPMC Shadyside Library, and UPMC Children’s Hospital – Blaxter Library. The call number is RC76 B38 2009.

~ Mary Lou Klem

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First CONSULT, an Evidence-Based Clinical Information Tool

2.FirstCONSULTFirst CONSULT, from the producers of MD CONSULT, provides health professionals with authoritative, continuously updated, evidence-based, point-of-care information. Information is based on multiple sources including, but not limited to, respected textbooks, peer-reviewed articles, evidence-based databases, drug alerts, practice guidelines, and position papers reviewed and edited by opinion leaders in clinical practice.

Evidence is summarized, where possible, from systematic reviews of primary research from the Cochrane Collaboration. Evidence-based guidelines from the National Guideline Clearinghouse and the Web sites of relevant learned societies, professional associations, and government organizations are also included.

You can search for information by medical topic, differential diagnosis, or procedure.

Medical topics are broken down into easy-to-navigate pages with information on background, diagnosis, treatment, outcomes, and prevention.  A summary is given at the beginning of the text and evidence-based references and guidelines are part of the resources listed at the end.

Differential Diagnosis provides a rapid evaluation of your patient’s complaint with interactive access to potential diagnoses ordered by age and prevalence.

Procedures provides clear systematic guidance of procedures integral to the practice of medicine across many specialties. Videos and animations are included.

First CONSULT is designed for use at point of care and is included in search results on the library’s Clinical Focus search tool. To access it directly, type “First CONSULT” in the search.HSLS box on the HSLS home page.  It can be accessed remotely as well. For questions, email Ask A Librarian.

Parts of this article were reprinted from MD CONSULT.

~ Linda Hartman

This information is over 2 years old. Information was current at time of publication.

Director’s Reflections…A Blizzard of Online Services

barbara-2009-altered_35At the beginning of February, Pittsburgh was subjected to an exceedingly large snowfall.  As a result, the University and its libraries were forced to close for three workdays as workers struggled to clear the streets and sidewalks.

Had such an event occurred before the advent of easy access to electronic resources, our users would not have been able to consult the library’s books and journals for questions related to patient care and research.  But during this unprecedented library closing, library employees were able to maintain services, answer questions and provide access from home.

Users logged onto our Web site to consult databases, e-books and e-journals.  Questions were submitted through our Ask-A-Librarian button, and librarians conducted mediated searches and provided reference assistance.  Document delivery services for urgent patient-related questions also continued without disruption.  Computer services staff kept the Web site updated about our hours and services.

And what was one of the most common questions submitted to Ask-A-Librarian?  Our conscientious users were worried about penalties for late return of borrowed books!  I’m pleased to report borrowing periods were extended for books due while we were closed.

On February 2 this year, our neighbor Punxatawney Phil predicted that winter would last six more weeks.  In the meantime, you can rest assured that access to HSLS resources and services will help you make it through to springtime!

This information is over 2 years old. Information was current at time of publication.

Rapid Research Notes

Rapid Research Notes is a new resource for timely scientific communication from the National Library of Medicine (NLM). Initial content comes from PLoS Currents: Influenza, a new Web site for sharing H1N1 research from open access publisher Public Library of Science (PLoS).

3.Rapid Research NotesUnlike articles in PLoS’ regular journals, articles on the PLoS Currents: Influenza site are moderated rather than peer-reviewed to facilitate rapid availability to the research community. Reader comments are welcome. The Web site is based on Google’s Knol software. Similar in concept to a Web-based wiki, Knol is an easy-to-use platform for formal knowledge sharing, with author-controlled options for collaboration and communication.

Articles on PLoS Currents: Influenza constitute Rapid Research Notes’ first collection. They are available in PubMed Central, the open access archive of biomedical and life sciences journals maintained by NLM’s National Center for Biotechnology Information.

~ Patricia Weiss

This information is over 2 years old. Information was current at time of publication.

Use Pubget to Find PDFs

4.PubGetYou are probably familiar with how to search for relevant research articles using PubMed.  You enter your search terms, get a long list of results, scan the titles, skim an abstract, decide you would like to read the entire article, and then click a few (or many) links before finally arriving at the full-text article itself.

Pubget is designed to remove those final steps out of the equation by not only helping you search for articles of interest, but also supplying you with an immediate PDF as part of the results.

This does not mean that you are getting unlimited access to free articles.  The only way to access fulltext is if the e-journal is open access or if it is licensed by HSLS. What makes Pubget unique is that it offers a much faster way of getting to the information you need.  According to their Mission Statement:

“Each year, scientists spend about a half-billion minutes searching for biomedical literature online. This is time they could better spend curing disease and building the future. Pubget’s mission is to give them that time back.”

One convenient feature of Pubget is that the home page provides customizable links to top scientific journals, thereby allowing you to easily browse the most recent issues of your favorite publications and instantly read the PDF of an interesting article.

You can also create a personal library of articles on the site, as well as take advantage of the Pubget RSS feed to receive automatic updates on your favorite topics without recreating your search each time.

Pubget’s newest feature is PaperPlane, which helps you immediately access PDFs upon selecting an abstract in PubMed, via a bookmark in your toolbar.

Presently, Pubget is free, although the developers mention that “premium services” are coming soon. So now is the time to try Pubget, take a look at their blog, and see if it really does give you back your time!

~ Carrie Iwema

This information is over 2 years old. Information was current at time of publication.

E-book and Print Collections at HSLS: A Survey of HSLS User Preferences and Practices

Since 2000, HSLS has built its e-book collection from a small core of medical texts to today’s collection of around 3,000 titles.  In 2009, we surveyed a random sample of our library users to understand how they use HSLS e-books for clinical care, research, administration, teaching and learning.  Results confirm that e-books, accessible 24/7, with full-text search capabilities, support many user activities, especially clinical care and research.

Seventy-five percent of attending physicians and 86% of interns, residents and fellows use e-books to support clinical care.  Fifty-four percent of faculty members and 76.5% of postdocs and fellows use e-books for research purposes.  As one respondent said, “It is an invaluable resource for fellows like me who have both clinical duties, as well as research obligations, to have easy access to electronic versions of journals and books.” Fifty-one percent of students have used e-books to complete assignments, but only 21% of teachers have assigned an e-book class reading, possibly pointing to a need for further investigation.

In keeping with other studies of e-book users, we found that most users want a print book for extended reading tasks.  They can rest assured that the print collection will not disappear. But as other studies have found, we saw that short reading tasks are well supported by e-books. Users who need to locate a small section of information in a large amount of text appreciate that feature of e-books.  The HSLS full-text e-book search tool is used by 66% of respondents and 74% of users rated it as highly as Google Books in usefulness.

Our users don’t have extra time to seek information. They recognize e-books can help:

“Electronic from home is appreciated and preferred.  I have no time to go to Scaife.  My last presentation I used an e-book, and this is critical to me. I printed out graphs, pictures etc., giving proper credit and it made the difference in my presentation and verification of data.  If UPMC is going to be far reaching, its access to data needs to reach all those who may need it.”

Thank you to all survey participants. The results will help us build an even stronger library collection.

~ Barbara Folb

This information is over 2 years old. Information was current at time of publication.

A Wireless Emergency and Disaster Preparedness Tool

WISER, the Wireless Information System for Emergency Responders, is a system designed to assist first responders in hazardous material incidents, as well as during training sessions and exercises in preparation for such events.  WISER provides rapid access to a wide range of information on hazardous substances, including substance identification support, physical characteristics, human health information, and containment and suppression advice.

6.WISER

Developed by the National Library of Medicine, WISER is available for Microsoft Windows™ platforms (both PCs and Windows Mobile devices) and Palm OS mobile devices. Download WISER free-of-charge. A Web-based WISER supports Web browsers for both PCs and PDAs, including BlackBerry and iPhone.
Training materials, including scenario-based modules, are also available for downloading.

Parts of this article were reprinted from WISER.

~ Linda Hartman