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Directors Reflections…Welcome to Students and Faculty!

It seems as if the summer has barely started, but we’re already greeting new students and faculty, and planning fall term orientations and workshops.

This “welcome-back” Update issue includes articles about how to access HSLS technology, a list of school liaison librarians, and some tips about using our electronic resources.

Mark your calendar to attend one of our scheduled workshops or classes to enhance your current awareness and productivity, or learn about an HSLS service or resource.

We look forward to “seeing” you online or in-person!

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

Introduction to the Computer & Media Center

The Computer & Media Center (CMC), located on the second floor of Falk Library, is open to UPMC and Pitt health sciences faculty, students, and staff. The computer lab and helpdesk services are available during the same hours as Falk Library, except the CMC closes thirty minutes before the library does.

Group Study Rooms

Falk Library hosts four group study rooms, available for two to eight people. Each room is equipped with a plasma display monitor that can be connected to a laptop. Individuals can reserve group study rooms, either online or on a first-come, first-served basis from the CMC helpdesk. Keys and laptops for these rooms can be picked up at the CMC helpdesk. Before reserving a room, please consult the Group Study Room policies.

In-house Hardware and Software

The CMC’s computer lab has Windows XP- and Windows 7-based Dell computers, along with several Macintosh computers. A valid Pitt login or HSLS Computer account is needed to connect to the Internet. The computers are equipped with software for word processing, spreadsheets, statistics, graphics, video editing, and database management.

Peripheral hardware includes CD-ROM and DVD-ROM writers, video capturing devices, and flat-bed scanners. The CMC also houses two televisions with VHS videotape players and DVD players.

Printing

Color, black-and-white, and double-sided printing are available from the CMC. Cash and change are accepted methods of payment. Medical students can use their subsidized accounts for printing on the black-and-white printer only.

Circulating Technology

The CMC provides circulating technology, which currently includes Apple iPads, Dell laptops, and one Macintosh iBook that may be checked out by patrons for up to four hours. Laptops and iPads can access the Pitt wireless system with a valid university username and password, and may be taken outside the library. Also available are headphones that may be checked out for up to four hours, and USB flash drives that may be checked out for up to twenty-four hours.

The CMC also offers a collection of audiovisual materials including videotapes, CDs, and DVDs which may be checked out for one week.

Helpdesk Services

A CMC helpdesk assistant is available to assist with using HSLS technology and services, including Microsoft Office and Adobe software, HSLS Computer Account renewals, remote access, and Pitt wireless. For assistance, stop in at the CMC, or call 412-648-9109.

~ Julia Jankovic

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

Access to HSLS E-Resources from Home

As a Pitt or UPMC affiliated patron, you can access HSLS online books and journals even when you are not on campus or at a UPMC facility. Start by clicking the Remote Access link on the upper-right corner of the HSLS home page. If you are a Pitt user, choose Secure Remote Access, or if you are a UPMC user, choose Connect@UPMC.

Pitt – Secure Remote Access

  •  Once on the Secure Remote Access page, enter your University Computer Account username and password.
  • If you are connecting for the first time, you may see a pop-up box asking you to allow Juniper Networks to run. Select Allow.
  • Once connected, select Health Sciences Library System from the Web bookmarks.
  • You will be redirected to the HSLS home page. You now have access to HSLS databases and can view, save, and print articles from HSLS e-journals.
  • Secure Remote Access is monitored by the Pitt Technology Helpdesk: browse the online information or call 412-624-4357 for help.

UPMC – Connect@UPMC

  •  If you are using Connect@UPMC for the first time, you will need to talk to your UPMC department administrator to set up an account.
  • When your Connect@UPMC account has been set up, you can login with your UPMC Network Username.
  • Select Internet Explorer in the set of Applications.
  • From the Favorites menu, select UPMC, and then Health Sciences Library.
  • You will be redirected to the HSLS home page. You now have access to HSLS databases and can view and print articles from HSLS journals.
  • Saving journal articles to your computer’s hard drive can be problematic; try instead to save to another location, like a flash drive.
  • Connect@UPMC is monitored by the UPMC ISD helpdesk: browse the online information or call 412-647-4357 for help.

Having problems?

  • If you are searching for an article, and you are prompted for a user name and password, either:
    • You didn’t sign in remotely—follow the steps above for Pitt or UPMC.
    • You are trying to access a journal that is not included in the HSLS online collection.
  • If your username and password are invalid:
    • Make sure you are using you Pitt username and password (same as your my.pitt.edu login) or your UPMC Network username and password. You cannot use your HSLS Computer Account for Remote Access.
  • If you cannot connect to remote access from the above steps:

You can always contact someone from HSLS for help, either through Ask-A-Librarian, or by calling the CMC Help Desk at 412-648-9109. Questions specific to your Connect@UPMC account should be directed to the UPMC ISD helpdesk at 412-647-4357.

~ Julia Jankovic

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

Liaison Librarians Work in Partnership with Health Sciences Schools

Do you have a question about how to search a specific database? Feeling overwhelmed and not sure where to begin researching a topic of interest? Ask for help from your school’s liaison librarian.

Liaison librarians provide a communication link between HSLS and the departments and programs in the schools of the health sciences. Liaisons can incorporate library and information management skills into the curriculum, collaborate on research projects or grants, and consult one-on-one on in-depth or specialized topics.

Last year the liaison librarians provided instruction and orientations to over 3,000 health sciences students in over 100 class sessions.

HSLS Liaison Librarians

Dental Medicine
Rebecca Abromitis, MLS baa@pitt.edu 412-383-8984
Graduate School of Public Health
Barbara Folb, MM, MLS, MPH folb@pitt.edu 412-648-1974
Health and Rehabilitation Sciences
Linda Hartman, MLS lhartman@pitt.edu 412-648-1479
Nursing
Mary Lou Klem, PhD, MLIS klem@pitt.edu 412-383-9947
Pharmacy
Ahlam Saleh, MD, MLS saleha@pitt.edu 412-648-2166
School of Medicine
Contact the Main Desk medlibq@pitt.edu 412-648-8796

~ Nancy Tannery

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HSLS E-Books: STAT!Ref

STAT!Ref is one of several e-book platforms to which HSLS provides access. While some platforms only include e-books from a single publisher, STAT!Ref provides access to e-books from multiple publishers via a single interface. STAT!Ref currently includes 32 e-books, as well as ACP PIER, an evidence-based, point-of-care tool.

Our subscription includes access to new editions that are automatically updated. STAT!Ref includes many authoritative titles in medicine and nursing, as well as drug information resources. A few of the most popular e-books include:

  • ACP Medicine
  • ACS Surgery: Principles & Practice
  • AHFS Drug Information
  • Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders – 4th Edition (DSM-IV-TR)
  • DrugPoints System
  • Fundamental & Advanced Nursing Skills
  • ICD-9-CM
  • Sparks & Taylor’s Nursing Diagnosis Reference Manual

 

Additional content provided by STAT!Ref includes:

  • Stedman’s Medical Dictionary
  • MedCalc 3000
  • STAT!Ref Medical News Feed (available with sign-up)
  • STAT!Ref Evidence Alerts (available with sign-up)

 

You can search within the STAT!Ref platform itself. The advanced search option allows you to limit your search to a particular title or group of titles in a specific discipline. Search the entire platform by typing STAT!Ref in the Pitt Resources Quick Search (http://www.hsls.pitt.edu) box or in the PITTCat for the Health Sciences Search Term(s) box.

To access individual e-books:

~ Jeff Husted

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Treasures from the Rare Book Room: 27th General Hospital in New Guinea

In the Forward to the Quarterly History, Volume 1, Lt. Colonel George L. Beatty writes: “It is our hope that this history may be of some interest, and possibly of some small value to other medical installations in the future.” Beatty’s hope was unfulfilled from 1945 until today, when Falk Library staff have provided detailed information about Beatty’s works and mounted selections on the Web.

The collection is from the 27th General Hospital in New Guinea for which Beatty was the commanding officer from August 1944 to July 1945. Contained in the collection are two bound volumes of reports, articles, illustrations, charts, graphs, and photographs along with 33 glass plate slides. Volume one contains three quarterly reports that describe the activities in the hospital, including detailed medical reports that discuss types and numbers of operations, numbers of patients, incidence of wounds and mortality percentages from them, and detailed discussions of treatment for non-surgical patients. Dental and psychiatric services are included. The volume is illustrated with photographs (from the glass slides) and hand-drawn sketches. Volume 2 includes surgical reports, papers written by staff doctors on various medical procedures or treatments, and 28 detailed autopsy reports (with patients identified by name).

 Of special interest to medical historians may be the articles written by staff doctors, a few of which were also published in medical journals. One unpublished article is “Anesthetic Procedures used in a General Hospital in the Communication Zone with Analysis of 2,000 Anesthetics” by Captain Leonard M. Monheim of the Dental Corps. In another article, written by Captain Thomas N. Meredith, “Penicillin Therapy at the 27th General Hospital,” the author stated: “No fundamentally new concepts were discovered, but penicillin was used widely for a great variety of conditions, and considerable experience as to its possibilities in topical and local administration was gained.” This unknown article gives further evidence of the vital role played by penicillin in World War II as it became widely used.

Library staff does not know how this collection came to Falk Library. However, Lt. Colonel James R. Watson was Chief of Surgical Service at the Hospital, and he, Captain Monheim, and Captain John J. McAleese were affiliated with the University of Pittsburgh.

An online exhibit of the collection is available. Further information about the collection can be found in the finding aid. The bound volumes can be viewed in the Rare Book Room by appointment.

~ Leslie Czechowski

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.

So, What Does It Mean to Be a Regional Medical Library?

In the June 2011 HSLS Update, we announced that HSLS was awarded a five-year contract from the National Library of Medicine to serve as the Regional Medical Library (RML) for the National Network of Libraries of Medicine, Middle Atlantic Region (NN/LM-MAR). We have been working diligently to set up our program and recruit qualified staff. But what does it mean to be a regional medical library?

Our role is to support the efforts of the National Library of Medicine for this region to provide all U.S. health professionals with equal access to biomedical information and improve the public’s access to information so they can make informed decisions about their health.

To accomplish this, our collaborative team of librarians will form partnerships with libraries and other organizations, and offer a variety of in-person and online training for health professionals, community organizations, health information centers, and public, hospital and academic medical libraries throughout Pennsylvania, Delaware, New York and New Jersey. Additionally, we will fund awards to assist regional libraries and information centers to educate and support unaffiliated health professionals and consumers in their local areas.

As an RML, our outreach efforts are directed toward libraries, health professionals and consumers. Throughout the five-year contract, our role is to develop, fund and manage a variety of outreach awards, ranging from $2,500-$30,000, that support programs to:

  • Promote the changing role of librarians within their institutions and communities;
  • Provide access to biomedical information to unaffiliated health professionals, including behavioral and mental health professionals, the public health workforce, minority health workers and rural, underserved hospitals;
  • Improve health through access to reliable information for consumer groups, including soldiers, veterans and their families, senior citizens, caregivers, K-12 schools, community-based and faith-based organizations.

Being an RML requires a commitment to continually evaluate the needs of those in our region, and adapt and develop programs to address those needs. It takes a dedicated staff and the support of a strong institution in order to succeed. Stay tuned for future updates and an introduction to the MAR staff.

~ Renae Barger

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

HealthCAS Cohort-2 Visits Pitt

The second cohort of students enrolled in Pitt’s online Certificate of Advanced Study in Health Sciences Librarianship (HealthCAS), visited HSLS and the School of Information Sciences (iSchool) for an orientation to HealthCAS and the University. The students came from eight states, including California, Florida, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Maryland, Ohio, and Texas.

HealthCAS cohort members, faculty, and administrators came together for a 2.5 day orientation program.  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 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.  In a visit to UPMC Shadyside, students learned about Magnet Certification and the role of the medical library in that process.  A presentation by faculty from the Schools of Pharmacy and Medicine introduced students to the importance of interprofessional education.

Though the schedule was full, there was also time for fun.  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.

HealthCAS is funded by a three-year grant to the iSchool and HSLS from the Institute of Museum and Library Services. The program consists of three semesters of coursework. Each semester covers one four-credit course: (1) Libraries in Healthcare Environments, (2) Collections and Resources in Healthcare Environments, and (3) Reference Services and Instruction in Healthcare 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

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

Changes Coming to the CMC

Do you remember Falk Library’s Learning Resource Center (LRC)? The LRC was created in 1982 with a donation of audiovisual equipment in memory of Pharmacology Professor Paul L. Mclain. Since then, audiovisual resources have become integral to our users. The modest LRC expanded as new advances in computer-based health care education were increasingly available.

As a result of the computer revolution of the late 1980’s, and in order to reflect advances in computer technology, the LRC evolved into the Microcomputer and Media Center (MMC). The MMC’s small computer lab provided a personal computer experience to the health sciences community. Falk Library’s online catalogue, WordPerfect word processing software, and dot matrix printing attracted patrons by the dozens looking for hand-on experience with DOS and Apple systems, as well as the new fangled Windows 1.0.

By 1992, the MMC had tripled the number of computers while providing access to MARS, FTP protocols, education software and laser printing. In 1999, the MMC expanded again to become the Computer and Media Center (CMC). The name change embodied our commitment to enhance both the computer and media-based technological abilities of the Health Sciences Library System. The Computer and Media Center currently provides up-to-date hardware, software and network connectivity to improve health care education and access to medical information.

To meet the demands of 21st century ubiquitous computing, the computer lab is moving out!

In the next several months, our Help Desk, desktop computers, and public printing stations will be moved out of the CMC and onto the upper floor of the library. We’ll also be increasing the number of circulating tablet and laptop computers. In all, the only thing lost will be the walls! For those who enjoy the lab-type atmosphere, a classroom setting will be available for patrons when not in use.

Stay tuned for further information about dates and details!

~ Fran Yarger

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

Finding Keepsakes in an Unusual Place!

You never know what treasures you’ll find in an old file cabinet!

Recently, while cleaning out several old file cabinets in Falk Library, Administrative Specialist Nelson Galloway came across two class rings, a 1971 Sewickley Area High School ring and a 1982 McKeesport High School ring. He also found a 1967 St. Francis School of Nursing pin. Galloway decided to try to locate the owners.

Galloway started with the nursing pin which included the engraved initials J.A.K. Through an Internet search, Galloway located Alexis Weber, former director of the St. Francis School of Nursing. She is now director of the UPMC Mercy Hospital Schools of Nursing. Weber searched the St. Francis Alumni database and located a possible match. She then contacted the nurse. It turned out the pin did belong to that nurse, who was very excited to hear the news. She sent Galloway an email stating that she “did lose her pin at Falk and thought that it would never be found.” Galloway mailed the pin to its grateful owner.

Some 38 years ago, a young lady lost her high school sweetheart’s Sewickley Area High School ring while attending college at Pitt. Galloway found the ring in one of the file cabinets and called Sewickley Area High School to no avail. Based on the inscription inside the ring, he then searched the Internet and local telephone directories and came up with one possibility. He contacted the man and much to Galloway’s surprise, the man confirmed that the ring was his. The man wrote, “it would be very nice to have that ring back to bring back the memories of that period of my life.” Galloway promptly mailed him the ring. By the way, that girlfriend is now his wife!

There was one ring left, from McKeesport High School. The inscription inside the ring indicated that it belonged to a woman. Galloway contacted the McKeesport Area School District. Using the inscription information, a helpful employee searched the 1982 Commencement Book. There was only one match. Knowing it was very possible the woman had married since graduating from high school; the Alumni Book was also searched. That book listed the woman’s married name and address. Galloway contacted her and she, too, was very surprised and grateful. Incidentally, she currently works at Pitt, so returning the ring was easy.

Through hard work and persistence, Galloway was able to return all of the treasures to their rightful owners.

~ Jill Foust

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

HSLS Staff News

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

News

 Barbara Epstein, HSLS director, will chair the Medical Library Association’s Task Force for Advocating Scholarly Communication.

Michele Klein-Fedyshin, reference librarian, was certified as an ELNEC (End of Life Nursing Education Consortium) Core Trainer.

Melissa Ratajeski, reference librarian, was appointed Chapter Council Liaison to the Medical Library Association’s Membership Committee.

 

Presentations

UPMC Shadyside librarians Michelle Burda, Melissa Ratajeski, and Charlie Wessel presented a Web conference talk “Magnet Experience: Providing Services that Facilitate Quality Care, Evidence-Based Practice and Leadership at your Institution” for the Atlanta Health Science Libraries Consortium meeting on July 14, 2011.

 

Publications

Leslie Czechowski, assistant director for Access Services, published “Problems with E-Books: Suggestions for Publishers” in JMLA, 99(3):181-2, Jul 2011; “Report on ALA Midwinter Session, ‘Is Selection Dead: The Rise of Collection Management and the Twilight of Selection’ ” in Developments, 23(1), Spring 2011; and “Providing Access to a Hidden Collection at the University of Pittsburgh” in Watermark, 34(3): 60-61, Summer 2011.

Barb Folb, public health informationist and reference librarian, Charlie Wessel, head of Hospital Services, and Leslie Czechowski, assistant director for Access Services, published “Clinical and Academic Use of Electronic and Print Books: The Health Sciences Library System E-Book Study at the University of Pittsburgh” in JMLA, 99(3):218-228, Jul 2011.

Senior Associate Director Nancy Tannery, along with co-authors Lauren Maggio1, and Steven Kanter2 published “Reproducibility of Literature Search Reporting in Medical Education Reviews” in Academic Medicine, 86(8):1049-54, Aug 2011, and “AM Last Page: How to Perform an Effective Database Search” in Academic Medicine, 86(8):1057, Aug 2011.

1Lane Medical Library, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA

2University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA

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

HSLS Schedule of Classes September-October 2011

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)

Wednesday, September 21 9-10 a.m.

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)

Monday, September 12 1-2:30 p.m.
Tuesday, September 27 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
Monday, October 17 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m.

PubMed for Nurses* (Falk Library Classroom 1)

Wednesday, October 12 1-2:30 p.m.

MOLECULAR BIOLOGY AND GENETICS RESOURCES
Locating Gene/Protein Information* (Falk Library Classroom 2)

Wednesday, September 7 1-3 p.m.

Introduction to Vector NTI* (Falk Library Classroom 2)

Wednesday, September 14 1-3 p.m.

Genome Browsers 1* (Falk Library Classroom 2)

Tuesday, September 27 1-3 p.m

Genome Browsers 2* (Falk Library Classroom 2)

Wednesday, September 28 1-3 p.m.

SNPs & Genetic Variation* (Falk Library Classroom 2)

Wednesday, October 5 1-3 p.m.

Gene Regulation Resources* (Falk Library Classroom 2)

Wednesday, October 12 1-3 p.m.

Pathway Analysis Tools 1* (Falk Library Classroom 2)

Wednesday, October 19 1-3 p.m.

Pathway Analysis Tools 2* (Falk Library Classroom 2)

Thursday, October 20 1-3 p.m.

Cancer Informatics* (Falk Library Classroom 2)

Wednesday, October 26 1-3 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.)

Wednesday, September 7 9:30-11:30 a.m (Falk Library Classroom 2)
Friday, September 23 1-3 p.m. (Falk Library Classroom 2)
Tuesday, October 11 10:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. (Falk Library Classroom 2)
Thursday, October 27 10:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. (Falk Library Classroom 2)
Thursday, October 27 10 a.m.-noon (UPMC Shadyside Libraries)

Adobe Photoshop for Beginners (Falk Library Classroom 2)

Thursday, October 13 9-11 a.m.

PowerPoint for Beginners (Falk Library Classroom 2)

Tuesday, September 13 9-11 a.m. (UPMC Shadyside Libraries)
Tuesday, September 20 9-11 a.m. (Falk Library Classroom 2)

Advanced PowerPoint for Presentations(Falk Library Classroom 2)

Tuesday, October 25 9-11 a.m.

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

Thursday, September 8 9-11 a.m.

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.

Personal Genomics, Personalized Medicine, and You Monday

Thursday, September 8 noon-1 p.m.

EndNote Clinic (This LWAL is located in Falk Classroom 1)

Thursday, October 13 noon-1 p.m.

Classes
Back to School Basics (UPMC Shadyside Libraries)

Wednesday, September 7 11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.

Find it Quick (UPMC Shadyside Libraries)

Friday, October 7 11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.

Thursday @ Three HSLS UPMC Shadyside Libraries Information Series
These informal sessions are held in the Conference Room at UPMC Shadyside Libraries.

The Nuts and Bolts of Publishing an Article: Resources and Strategies for Aspiring Authors

Thursday, September 22 3-4 p.m.

Registered Research and Clinical Trial Databases

Thursday, October 13 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.