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August 31, 2005
Director's Report - August, 2005
By Evelyn B. Morgen, MSLS, AHIP
Director, Lyman Maynard Stowe Library
This is an ideal time to be the new director of the Lyman Maynard Stowe Library, and I am honored to have this opportunity. Dr. Ralph Arcari left the library in excellent condition. We have just successfully completed a major library renovation that creates an attractive, comfortable and welcoming learning environment. We have an experienced staff poised to accept new challenges. Use of the library – both virtually and in person – is growing significantly. Access to our e-resources topped 900,000 in FY05 – the highest number in the history of the library. One of my first goals is to meet with as many people as possible to hear your assessments of the strengths and challenges for the library and the services we provide. What would you like to see us do differently? What shouldn’t be changed? How can we serve the research, clinical, educational, and public components of UCHC more directly? I look forward to hearing your answers. Meanwhile, here are some recent news items.
Ask a Librarian Page
To make it easier for you to contact us directly, we have added an “Ask a Librarian” button to the top of our home page. You can use this form to send us an email question, to schedule a consultation with a librarian, or to see when we’re at the reference desk.
Retirement of Ralph Arcari, Library Director
The Library hosted a gala farewell party for Dr. Ralph Arcari on June 30th, 2005 to honor his retirement. 200 people attended including librarians from Maine to Maryland and UCHC staff. Entertainment was provided by Len Paplauskas’ band “Seizure”, and remarks were made by faculty and peers. Ralph will continue to teach his History of Medicine class. A plaque honoring Dr Arcari’s 30 years as library director is mounted in the library.
Library Renovation Completed
The library renovation was dedicated on May 13, 2005, and has been very successful. Our study areas and computers have been busy all summer long, and we hear many compliments about the attractive environment and the increased technology available. Reading tables and carrels have secure wireless and cable access to our electronic resources for people with UCHC logon privileges. Our public computers are available to everyone using the library including the general public.
School of Medicine PDA Initiative
The School of Medicine’s class of 2007 is the second class required to purchase handheld computers as they begin their third year. The library has played a key role by purchasing databases they can download, helping to teach students and faculty to use PDAs, and providing support to students. The databases we purchased include InfoRetriever, and LexiDrugs. We also recommend two free programs – Shots 2005 with immunization tables, and Archimedes, a clinical calculator database from Skyscape. Our PDA Resources page provides more detailed descriptions and instructions. http://library.uchc.edu/pda/ The Computer Education Center has a PDA Syncing station students can use if they are unable to download programs from their home. In addition, library staff helped create tutorials for the students with step-by-step answers to specific clinical cases.
Library Resources
One of our major challenges is to choose resources that best meet your needs in a manner that is proactive and yet fiscally responsible. Toward that end, we are asking you to help us choose a database that will provide excellent clinical support to our students, residents, fellows, and community faculty when they are off-campus. The news item about databases trials explains this issue in more detail. Please use our new “Ask a Librarian” page to email us your comments.
EBM
30 August 2005
Posted by Robert at 11:01 AM | Comments (0)
Micromedex: New Healthcare Series Enhancements Officially Go Live!
On September 1st, the new Healthcare Series enhancements go live! You’ll find the same reliable evidence, but you’ll find it faster thanks to these new features:
» improved keyword search
» floating document outline
» full-text search by document section
» tabular display of drug product information
» tabular display of toxic substances
To access Micromedex, go to http://library.uchc.edu/, select “Databases” and look for “Micromedex” (New Version). The old version expires 9/2005.
If you have questions about the new Healthcare Series features, contact:
Hongjie Wang
wang@nso.uchc.edu
679-4053
Posted by Robert at 10:58 AM | Comments (0)
August 24, 2005
New Library Director
We are pleased to announce the appointment of Evelyn Breck Morgen, MSLS, AHIP as Director of the Lyman Maynard Stowe Library. Ms. Morgen has been the Associate Director of the library for the past 3 1/2 years. During that time she implemented the PDA program for the library and helped plan the major library renovation that was dedicated on May 13, 2005. She is a facilitator for CMPS II and an instructor in the School of Medicine.
Before joining UCHC, Evelyn was Director of the Tremaine Library at Middlesex Hospital in Middletown, CT. At Middlesex, she worked closely with the family practice residency program and the college of nursing. A graduate of Bates College, Evelyn was first a copywriter in the Educational Division of Houghton Mifflin Publishers in Boston, MA before getting her Master of Science in Library Science from Simmons College. She then became a librarian at the Cambridge Public Library in Cambridge, MA. Ms. Morgen is a Distinguished Member of the Academy of Health Information Professionals, an accrediting body of the Medical Library Association. Please join us in welcoming her to this new position.
Sandra Armstrong
Chief Information Officer
Bruce Koeppen, MD, Ph.D
Dean, Academic Affairs and Education
Posted by Robert at 10:35 AM | Comments (0)
August 19, 2005
Upgrades to Micromedex Database
The new version of the library’s popular pharmacology database, Micromedex, includes more content. An enhancement called DISEASEDEX has been added providing current information about treating diseases either as emergencies or within a general medicine practice. An IV Compatability index has also been added. This version is now available on the library’s home page under “Databases” (the intranet version will expire 9/2005). So, start using this new version now. If you have any questions or need training, please contact Hongjie Wang at wang@nso.uchc.edu
Posted by Robert at 09:19 AM | Comments (0)
August 09, 2005
New Databases on Trial
Trial for FirstConsult, DiseaseDX, and Cochrane Library are available for a limited time. Feel free to take advantage of the full-text content and special features of these products. Help us evaluate these new information sources by providing feedback. Your opinion is very important to us!!
FirstConsult
http://home.mdconsult.com/php/49366163-2/home.html (Click on the FIRSTCONSULT logo on the upper right hand corner of the page.)
FIRSTConsult provides instant access to evidence-based recommendations, guidelines, and continuously updated expert opinion that support your clinical decision making.
It is designed for use at the point and time of care, in a highly synthesized and tabulated format for rapid access to information.
DiseaseDX
http://www.thomsonhc.com (Send an email to Hongjie Wang for Username and Password - wang@nso.uchc.edu)
Select Micromedex Healthcare Series as your application; then click on Disease tab.
From Micromedex Healthcare Series, DiseaseDex General Medicine System supports disease management with synthesized medical evidence and identification of best practices for treating diseases.
Cochrane Library (Wiley)
http://www.mrw.interscience.wiley.com/cochrane/cochrane_search_fs.html
The Cochrane Library is a unique source of reliable and up-to-date information on the effects of interventions in health care.
Posted by Robert at 01:49 PM | Comments (0)
August 08, 2005
Cell Affiliated Subscription Program
Are you interested in getting a free print subscription to Cell? As a
benefit of the library's license to Cell Online, Cell Press is offering University of Connecticut Health Center faculty, students, and staff the opportunity to subscribe to Cell print at no charge.
Why order your own print subscription when you already have online access to Cell? There are several reasons:
*Convenience - you can read the print version whenever and wherever you want; no computer or printer necessary!
*Image Quality - the graphics are better than what you typically see online or when printing out a PDF
*Browsing - the print version is easier to flip thru and find material that is interesting and relevant to your work that you may not have been searching for...
*Advertising - stay informed about new products and services, conference announcements, and job opportunities found in the print version ads that are not available online
To order your free subscription, please visit this site and fill out our brief order form:
The print subscription is for 26 biweekly issues (1 year) and the first issue of your subscription should arrive 4-6 weeks from the time of ordering.
Please contact Mike at : x4287 or Arta at : x2432 with any questions.
Posted by Robert at 02:37 PM | Comments (0)
L.M.Stowe Library Exhibits August 2005
The L.M. Stowe Library is running two exhibits in the display cases for the month of August 2005.
The first exhibit is a very unique collection of medical artifacts currently residing in the glass exhibit case in the entrance of the library. This collection has been graciously loaned to the library from the Hartford Medical Society. The collection includes a pharmacists field scales kit and a surgical kit from the U.S. Civil War c1860-1865, as well a many other artifacts not to be missed.
The second display case located in the lobby outside the library, currently exhibits the talents and hobbies of library staff. The collection includes collage, watercolors, photography, stained glass, pottery, weaving, piece quilting, needlework, and even a recipe that you can take along with you.
Posted by Robert at 02:32 PM | Comments (0)
August 05, 2005
Discount Codes for PDA versions of ePocrates and Lexi-Comp
The library has successfully negotiated with ePocrates and Lexi-Comp to allow UCHC users to purchase their PDA products at a substantially discounted rate from 35% to 50%.
To use Lexi-Comp's discount (available until November), please go to: Lexi-Comp
To obtain your ePocrates discount code, please contact Hongjie Wang at wang@nso.uchc.edu or Ben Smith at bensmith@uchc.edu
Posted by Robert at 03:50 PM | Comments (0)
August 04, 2005
Natural Standard, added to our growing list of Database.
Natural Standard was founded by clinicians and researchers to provide high quality, evidence-based information about complementary and alternative therapies. This international multidisciplinary collaboration now includes contributors from more than 100 eminent academic institutions. For each therapy covered by Natural Standard, a research team systematically gathers scientific data and expert opinions. Validated rating scales are used to evaluate the quality of available evidence. Information is incorporated into comprehensive monographs, which are designed to facilitate clinical decision-making. All monographs undergo blinded editorial and peer review prior to inclusion in Natural Standard databases. Natural Standard is an impartial service and is not supported by any interest group, professional organization, or pharmaceutical manufacturer. Natural Standard provides in-depth coverage of scientific evidence, expert opinion, and historical uses of natural therapies. http://www.naturalstandard.com/
Posted by Robert at 11:26 AM | Comments (0)
August 01, 2005
New BioMedCentral journals accepted into MEDLINE
Five more journals published by BioMed Central have recently been accepted into MEDLINE, the selective indexing service
run by the National Library of Medicine <http://www.nlm.nih.gov/>
MEDLINE now indexes 61 journals published by BioMed Central.
A full list is available on the indexing page <http://www.biomedcentral.com/info/authors/indexing>
Cardiovascular Diabetology
<http://www.cardiab.com/>
was launched in 2002, and is edited by Enrique Z. Fisman and Alexander Tenenbaum.
The journal publishes articles on all aspects of the diabetes/cardiovascular interrelationship
and the dysmetabolic syndrome, including genetic, clinical, epidemiological, and molecular research.
Cardiovascular Ultrasound <http://www.cardiovascularultrasound.com/>
launched in February 2003, is edited by Eugenio Picano , and covers the clinical, technological, experimental, biological,
and molecular aspects of ultrasound applications in cardiovascular physiology and disease.
Lipids in Health and Disease
<http://www.lipidworld.com/>
is edited by Undurti N. Das , and was launched in 2002. The journal is aimed at all scientists, health professionals and physicians
interested in the area of lipids, including their biochemistry, pharmacology, and role in health and disease.
Nutrition Journal
<http://www.nutritionj.com>
Launched in 2002, Nutrition Journal is edited by Nehme Gebrayel. The journal considers manuscripts within the exciting field of
Nutrition and has published the fifth most accessed BioMed Central article of all time.
Retrovirology
<http://www.retrovirology.com>
Retrovirology was launched in February 2004, and encompasses all aspects of basic research in retrovirology,
with special emphasis on human retroviruses. The editorial team is headed by Kuan-Teh Jeang,
with support from an international editorial board.
Posted by Robert at 08:36 AM | Comments (0)