http://www.fda.gov/cdrh/medsun/

provides a representative profile of reports from healthcare facilities, such as hospitals. MedSun improves understanding of medical device problems so FDA, healthcare facilities, clinicians, and manufacturers can better address safety concerns. Over 350 health care facilities, primarily hospitals, participate in the network. MedSun is unique because it educates health care professionals about the importance of monitoring, being aware of, and reporting device related problems to FDA and the manufacturer.

MedSun also ensures that new safety information is rapidly communicated to the medical community thereby promoting patient safety.

The content that FDA produces is not copyrighted. Stories can be reprinted without permission and copies can be downloaded and displayed free of charge. If you are an editor who wishes to use our material in your publication, we ask only that you acknowledge MedSun as the source and send us copies of your stories for our records.

If you click on “Subscribe to email updates” you will automatically receive monthly updates.

Questions may be directed to Tina Powell at 1-800-859-1292 or email at:

medsun@s-3.com

Coming soon: To improve the look of the PubMed Summary results Web page, as well as to make it easier to scan titles, the positions of author names and the title of the article will be reversed. The article title will soon display on top and serve as the link to the AbstractPlus format. Author names will appear under the title; the rest of the citation remains the same.

Read the Technical Bulletin article.

The Medical Library Association (MLA) has declared October as National Medical Librarians Month. In addition to the many librarians on the NLM staff, NLM relies heavily on the work of medical librarians associated with the National Network of Libraries of Medicine, made up of more than 5,800 member organizations.

Check out the featured Web sites, including contributions from MAR network members:

The National Library of Medicine (NLM) is accepting applications for its Associate Fellowship program, a one-year training program for recent MLS graduates and librarians early in their career.

In the first half of the year, a formal curriculum offers exposure to library operations, research and development, intramural and extramural research, development and lifecycle of NLM’s web-based products and services and the extensive outreach and education program reaching consumers, special populations, health professionals and librarians. In the second half of the year, Associate Fellows have the opportunity to choose projects based on real-world problems proposed by library divisions and work with librarians and library staff over a six-seven month period. Successful projects have led to peer-review publications and to services that have become a regular part of library operations.

The September through August program also offers professional development and an introduction to the wider world of health sciences librarianship that may include:

· Supported attendance at national professional conferences, often including the Medical Library Association’s annual meeting, the American Medical Informatics Association annual meeting and others

· One week Spring Practicum at a health sciences library in the contiguous United States

· Additional brown bags, seminars, field trips and learning opportunities available on the National Institutes of Health campus

· Opportunities to meet and interact with senior management at the National Library of Medicine

· Experienced preceptors from National Library of Medicine staff

· Potential to compete for a second year fellowship at a health sciences library in the United States

The Fellowship offers:

· A stipend equivalent to a U.S. Civil Service salary at the GS-9 level ($48,108.00 in 2008)

· Additional financial support for the purchase of health insurance

· Some relocation funding

· Assistance in finding housing

Who is eligible?

All U.S. and Canadian citizens who will have earned a MLS or equivalent degree in library/information science from an ALA-accredited school by August 2009.  Both recent graduates and librarians early in their career are welcome to apply.  Priority is given to U.S. citizens.

Applications and additional information are available on the Web at www.nlm.nih.gov/about/training/associate/.  Application deadline is February 6, 2009.

Feel free to contact Kathel Dunn for further information.

Kathel Dunn

Associate Fellowship Coordinator

National Library of Medicine

Bldg 38, Rm 2N-19

8600 Rockville Pike

Bethesda, MD  20894

301-435-4083

dunnk@mail.nih.gov

We have received numerous calls over the past few days regarding LinkOut.

NLM has responded to our questions about these issues.

MyNCBI experienced a system glitch which affected library and publisher icons in PubMed. This was a transient system glitch which was resolved.

If you continue to experience problems, please contact the RML.

Hurricane Ike, South Central Region Medical Libraries, Hurricane Web Links, and a New Listserv.

As many of you are aware, the South Central RML is currently closed, and will remain closed until Thursday, September 18^th, due to affects of Hurricane Ike.  In accordance with the NN/LM National Emergency Preparedness & Response plan, South Central’s buddy RML, the Middle Atlantic Region (MAR), is backing up the office by taking calls and redirecting DOCLINE, when necessary.  A special thanks to MAR staff for temporarily taking on this important responsibility.

For information on emergency preparedness planning for libraries as well as some post-disaster updates, see the NN/LM Emergency Preparedness & Response Toolkit at http://nnlm.gov/ep/. I am pleased to report that the toolkit received a lot of traffic the day before Hurricane Ike struck the Gulf Coast, which shows that libraries are using the toolkit as a preparedness resource.  To see additional updates (or provide a status report), check the SCR blog, Blogadillo, at http://nnlm.gov/scr/blog/.

Also of note, the National Library of Medicine home page has added a news item on hurricane resources, “Online Resources for Hurricanes, Floods, and Disaster Preparedness and Recovery” at http://www.nlm.nih.gov/news/disaster_resources_online.html.

Finally, a new listserv, DISASTR-OUTREACH-LIB, is now available as a discussion forum for librarians, information specialists and others interested in disaster information outreach to their communities and responding to information needs for all-hazards preparedness, mitigation, response and recovery. It is also the primary source for information announcing the activities of the National Library of Medicine’s Disaster Information Specialist Pilot Project. List members may post comments and resources of interest to those involved in disaster information outreach as well as relevant announcements of meetings, training, conferences, job openings, etc. The listserv is provided by the National Library of Medicine’s Disaster Information Management Research Center.  You can sign up for the list and view the archives at https://list.nih.gov/archives/disastr-outreach-lib.html.

Please contact Cindy Love, lovec@mail.nlm.nih.gov, if you have any questions or comments about the listserv.

The September issue of NIH News in Health, the monthly newsletter bringing you practical health news and tips based on the latest NIH research, is now online at http://newsinhealth.nih.gov/.  In this issue of NIH News in Health:

Good Health to Go
Eating Smart at School
Even in the chaotic world of the school cafeteria, children can make smart food choices. You can play a key role in helping children learn the fundamentals of healthy living—eating well and staying active—whatever pressures they face outside home.
full story

Back to School with Diabetes
Plan Ahead for a Smooth Start to School
Notebooks, erasers, pencil sets and backpacks are on most kids’ back-to-school lists. But if your child has diabetes, you should add a few extra tasks to the list. Planning ahead, and getting help from others, will help pave the way for a successful year.
full story

Health Capsules:

• Children’s Physical Activity Drops
• Diabetes and a Healthy Pregnancy
• Featured Web Site: NIDA Goes Back to School

Click here to download a PDF version for printing.

Subscribe to receive email alerts when new issues of NIH News in Health are posted by going to https://list.nih.gov/cgi-bin/wa?SUBED1=nihnewsinhealth-l&A=1.

The National Library of Medicine would like to publicize your upcoming noteworthy projects about National Medical Librarians’ Month in October.

Submissions are due by this Friday, September 12, with the NLM site unveiling on October 1. Please submit by email to rml@library.med.nyu.edu:

Name of the institution

Title of project

Brief summary of the project

Name of project director

Key staff

The History of Medicine Division of the National Library of Medicine is pleased to announce a new web exhibit: “Hooke’s Books:  Books that Influenced or were Influenced by Robert Hooke.”

www.nlm.nih.gov/exhibition/hooke/

Robert Hooke (1635-1703) was a remarkably versatile man — artist, biologist, physicist, engineer, architect, inventor, and more. However, his crowning glory was Micrographia: or Some Physiological Descriptions of Minute Bodies made by Magnifying Glasses, first published 1665. It was a masterpiece — an exquisitely illustrated introduction to the previously unknown microscopic world. This exhibit focuses on Hooke’s influences and legacy in print, the pioneering books that stimulated Hooke’s research, and the works he left for others — most famously the great Dutch microscopist, Antoni van Leeuwenhœk (1632-1723).

The August 2008 issue of NIH News in Health is now online at http://newsinhealth.nih.gov/.  The monthly NIH News in Health newsletter brings you practical health news and tips based on the latest NIH research.  In this issue:

Arm Yourself for Good Health
Stay Up-to-Date on Vaccines
As summer winds down, students from kindergarten to college are heading off to new schools, with lots of new people to meet—and new germs to catch. One of the best ways to guard you and your family against infectious disease is to stay up-to-date with your vaccines.
Full story: http://newsinhealth.nih.gov/newversion/2008/August/feature1.htm

Matching Genes and Vitamins
A Personalized Plan May Be in Your Future
You may be one of the many people who take vitamin and mineral supplements as a kind of insurance plan, to make sure your body’s getting enough of all the nutrients you need. New research suggests that doctors may one day be able to design a personalized supplement plan that’s best for your particular body.
Full story: http://newsinhealth.nih.gov/newversion/2008/August/feature2.htm

Health Capsules

• Wide Waists Boost Risk of Death
• Online Care Helps Control Blood Pressure
• Featured Web Site: Findings

Click here to download a PDF version for printing.