2014 Issue

In February, the library conducted a one-week in-library survey to learn your thoughts about the library space. One hundred and eighty three surveys were completed, 95% of these by students. We learned that when you are in the library, you want a quiet, comfortable place to work with no distractions. You may use one of the library’s computers, or find a space with an outlet to plug in your own device. A number of you prefer larger tables with room to spread out. A majority, 67%, responded that you sit in the same area of the library, if it is available, every time you visit. Continue reading →

Bates’ Visual Guide to Physical Examination is now in its Fifth Edition and features updated content and visuals. New clinical skills videos aid in students’ preparation for Objective Structured Clinical Examinations, or OSCEs

Continue reading →

Congratulations to all NIH-supported investigators who have achieved 100% compliance with the NIH Public Access Policy! For those who may have non-compliant publications, a new easy-to-use guide, Steps for Retroactive Compliance with the NIH Public Access Policy, is available on the HSLS Scholarly Communication LibGuide. Click on the NIH Public Access Policy tab and select either the MS Word document or the PDF version in the HSLS Tips section in the upper left corner.

Seven steps will guide you through

• confirming applicability of the Policy;
• using the PMID-PMCID Converter tool to check for status updates;
• using the “Edit Status” function in My Bibliography;
• what to do if there is no NIHMSID or PMCID assigned;
• what to do if the responsible author is not timely in completing the process;
• contacting journals for submission status; and
• contacting the NIH and/or the NIHMS submission help desks.

Compliance begins with the publisher’s agreement: confirm the author’s right to deposit a copy of the final peer-reviewed manuscript to PMC (formerly PubMed Central). It should appear in the publisher’s agreement, in the journal’s Instructions to Authors, or other related section. If not, it may be necessary to attach the necessary language as supplied by NIH, or the Scholarly Publishing and Academic Resources Coalition (SPARC) Author Addendum.

Question: “When working towards retroactive compliance, may an author submit the journal’s PDF to PubMed Central?”

Answer: As stated in the NIH Public Access Policy, the author must submit the final peer-reviewed journal manuscript upon acceptance for publication. This is usually a MS Word document. In the case of traditional publishers, authors generally do not retain the right to submit the publisher’s PDF. Thus, it is very important to keep a copy of the final peer-reviewed manuscript in the original format as submitted to the publisher. Always check the publisher’s agreement for specific details.

For more information, visit the HSLS Scholarly Communication LibGuide or send an e-mail to Andrea Ketchum.

~Andrea Ketchum

The depiction of human anatomy often brings to mind the precise illustrations found in the classic Gray’s Anatomy textbook. At the opposite end of the spectrum are contemporary artists who portray human anatomy through unconventional modes and techniques. A new Falk Library exhibit, Anatomy as Art, displays artistic interpretations of human anatomy via unique mediums (balloons, crochet, flower petals, edibles), as well as more familiar methods (photography, sculpture, paint). The exhibit is on display in the lobby outside the Falk Library entrance through May 31.

~Rebecca Abromitis

If your research topic requires a literature search, statistics, reference books, or other major resources, the National Library of Medicine’s (NLM) “Subject Guides on Selected Topics” may be the right tool for you. This Web site provides practical, easy-to-use guides that are designed to help you locate information on health statistics, drug information, conference proceedings, and library statistics.

For example, the “Health Statistics and Numerical Data” guide includes major sources of health and general statistics in the U.S., as well as some international resources. The scope of each guide is listed on its home page, so there’s no guessing as to what type of information is included in the guide.

In this guide, you’ll find:

• PubMed medical subject headings (MeSH) that are useful in searching for statistics. MeSH include biostatistics, epidemiology, and vital statistics, among others.
• Organizations and agencies that compile statistics. Among the many resources listed is FEDSTATS. FEDSTATS is an online portal that provides access to all types of statistics from more than 100 agencies. Other organizations that provide access to statistical information include the National Center for Education Statistics and the U.S. Census Bureau.
• Organizations and resources that provide anthropometric and reference values.
• Resources that provide statistics on specific health conditions, health economics, health insurance, hospitals and health statistics, procedures, veterinary medicine, and more.

The resources listed are both online and in print.

For questions or additional help with your research needs, please feel free to contact your school’s liaison librarian, the Falk Library Main Desk at 412-648-8866, or Ask a Librarian.

~Jill Foust

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

News

Nancy Tannery, senior associate director, was elected chair of the Medical Library Association’s Leadership and Management Section. Tannery will serve a three year term as Chair-Elect, Chair, and Past Chair.

Pat Weiss, reference and information technology librarian, has been appointed to the Medical Library Association Lindberg Research Fellowship jury for 2014-15.

Presentations

Rebecca Abromitis, reference librarian, presented “PechaKucha Basics for Presentations,” as an NN/LM Middle Atlantic Region Boost Box Webinar on Feb 11, 2014.

Lydia Collins, consumer health coordinator, NN/LM Middle Atlantic Region, presented “Health Information Resources to Support the School Nurse,” on April 4, 2014, at the Westmoreland County School Nurses Association Spring Meeting, in Greensburg, PA, and “Exploring the National Library of Medicine’s Toybox: Health and Science Resources for Librarians and Educators,” on April 22, 2014, at the Catholic Library Association Annual Conference, in Pittsburgh, PA.

Publications

John Erlen, history of medicine librarian, along with co-author Megan Conway published, “Disability Studies: Disabilities Abstracts,” in The Review of Disability Studies: An International Journal, 9(4): 684-70, 2013.

Melissa Ratajeski, reference librarian, published a review of Learning from Libraries That Use WordPress: Content-Management System Best Practices and Case Studies, by L.M. Kyle, Jones and Polly-Alida Farrington, Journal of Electronic Resources in Medical Libraries 11, no. 1  (2014): 55-56.

HSLS offers classes on database searching, software applications such as Prezi, 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 on the upper floor of the library 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. 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.

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.

FlashClass

FlashClass is a “deal of the week” Groupon-like offer of timely and useful learning. Each week’s offer proposes one or two topics, and you’re invited to sign up to attend a one-hour class the following week. If at least three people sign up, we’ll hold the class. (We’ll notify you either way.)

HSLS CLASSES

EndNote Basics (Falk Library Classroom 2)

Painless PubMed* (Falk Library Classroom 1)

MOLECULAR BIOLOGY AND GENETICS RESOURCES

Genome Browsers 2* (Falk Library Classroom 2)

Gene Regulation Resources* (Falk Library Classroom 2)

CUSTOMIZED CLASSES

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