Increasingly health sciences librarians are finding a need to move outside the library to provide small group instruction.  Technology facilitates the process and in 2009 the cost of outfitting the mobile classroom has been reduced significantly.  In a hospital setting providing instruction in the patient care setting ensures that your customers, hospital staff and physicians, are familiar with the extensive array of online medical resources that you work hard to create and for which you dedicate a considerable amount of funds.  By bringing instruction to the point of need there is a greater likelihood that hospital staff will learn how to use the library’s online resources and will actually use the tools.

GETTING STARTED

If your hospital is wired to the Internet the first and most important step has been completed.  If the hospital is not yet wired this is an essential component to tackle and the best way to begin the process is to get to know the head of information technology (IT) at your institution.  However, let’s assume that the hospital is fully hardwired.

Wireless Connectivity:

The next step would be to investigate installation of wireless Internet access.  At Kaleida Health in Buffalo, New York, the four hospital libraries (Buffalo General Hospital, Millard Fillmore Gates Circle, Millard Fillmore Suburban Hospital, and Women & Children’s Hospital of Buffalo) were among the first departments to provide wireless access to the Internet.  We achieved this milestone with a grant from MAR in 2005.  We partnered with the health system’s IT department who supported the additional related costs because they wanted to test the use of wireless Internet connectivity and saw the libraries as a good test bed.  Having wireless access in the library gave the staff the ability to move around the library to provide instruction, one-on-one, to library users at their individual laptop computers.  Since 2005 wireless access to the Internet has been installed in many areas of our hospitals. The expanded wireless access provides an opportunity to move instructional activities from the library to other areas of the hospital.

RESOURCES FOR THE MOBILE CLASSROOM

In late 2008 we received a new laptop computer, a gift from a hospital physician.  A second grant from MAR in 2008 was used to purchase a Digital Light Processing (DLP) projector. The laptop computer coupled with the DLP projector were the resources needed to roll-out our mobile classroom.  Because we wanted a full compliment of hospital software programs on the laptop the cost was approximately $1,000, which is a bit higher than standard retail cost.  We sought funds from MAR to cover the cost of the DLP projector and a replacement bulb, which came to just under $1,000.  Thus with $2,000 the Kaleida Health Library’s mobile classroom became a reality.

Using the Mobile Classroom

We have used the mobile classroom to train undergraduate college students serving as interns in an area public school to use MedlinePlus to access authoritative, understandable, reliable health information.  The interns are working with elementary school teachers in a train the trainer model to instruct the teachers how to use MedlinePlus and other NLM and NIH health information resources to teach school children about living a healthy lifestyle.  Many of the students are refugees from third world countries such as Somalia and Myanamar.  This project is a follow-up to the Somali-Bantu health education project completed in late 2008.

Currently planning is underway to offer an in-service health information training program for Buffalo city public school nurses.  The training session is planned for early May.  Many Buffalo City school nurses are Kaleida Health employees and we have a commitment to ensure that the nurses have access to the full spectrum of library services and resources as staff located in one of our hospitals.  Thus, we are working with the lead school nurse for Kaleida Health and the Director of Health Services for Buffalo City schools to offer the in-service program.  The program’s focus will include use of MedlinePlus to educate students about healthy lifestyle issues such as nutrition, infections, immunizations, safety and the like.  We will use both the DLP projector and the laptop to instruct the school nurses, thus taking full advantage of our mobile classroom.  We hope that this will be the first in a series of training programs for the school nurses.

By using the mobile classroom we will bring knowledge and information to an important new group of library users.  Without the technological resources described above this training program would not have become a reality.  It is our expectation that by introducing the school nurses to the myriad of resources available via MedlinePlus, and services available from Kaleida Health Libraries that the nurses will be empowered to use both more effectively and more frequently.  We also hope that the school nurses will view the libraries as a resource available to support their professional information needs.

Diane G. Schwartz, MLS, AHIP, FMLA
Director of Libraries
Kaleida Health
100 High Street
Buffalo, NY 14203

Email:  Dschwartz@kaleidahealth.org
Website:  http://library.kaleidahealth.org

What will you do in the event of an emergency or disaster at your library? Register now for MAR’s free online classes to learn about disaster preparedness and recovery.

To sign up for a class, e-mail us at rml@med.nyu.edu with the title and date of the class you wish to attend.  Please include your name, e-mail address, and mailing address.

Service Continuity Planning

An emergency can be as wide-scale as a hurricane or as local as a burst pipe in the book stacks. Do you know how to ensure the continuation of your primary services and access to your primary resources in the event of an emergency at your library? Learn (and share) strategies during this 90 minute class. Dan Wilson, Coordinator, NN/LM Emergency Preparedness Project, will present a simple, relatively quick, approach to creating a service continuity plan.

Dan Wilson is Associate Director for Collection Management and Access Services at University of Virginia Claude Moore Health Sciences Library.

Thursday, March 26, 10-11:30 am

NEW! Resources for Disaster Response and Preparedness

This course is designed to help librarians identify the key resources they and their users can turn to in the event of an emergency or disaster.  Instructor Emily Molanphy will focus on Web sites (FEMA, CDC, etc.), databases (TOXNET, HazLit, QUAKELINE, etc.), blogs and Listservs, as well as resources for mobile devices.  Attendees will learn sources for useful information in an emergency; the formats that are easiest to use; and ways to keep up-to-date.  Disaster preparedness is a major undertaking-and knowing where to look for information in the event of an emergency is an important step towards readying your institution.

Emily Molanphy is Web Services Librarian at the NYU Health Sciences Libraries, where she also serves on the Disaster Preparedness Team.

Thursday, April 23, 10-11 am

Transformational Change in Health Sciences Libraries: Space, Collections, Roles

The one day conference will be held on April 2, 2009 at the University Conference Center on the Penn State Milton S. Hershey Medical Center and College of Medicine Campus. Pat Thibodeau, Associate Dean of Library Services, Duke University Medical Center Library, will present the keynote address focusing on changes in health sciences libraries, the implications for librarian roles, and the need to transform skill sets.

Julie Poletta, Architect, Radelet McCarthy Incorporated, will speak about re-purposing library space for alternative uses.

Two panel discussions will address models and best practices in libraries’ reduction of print collection, models and best practices in libraries’ reduction of space and/or re-purposing of existing space, emerging roles and identities of librarians in the changing physical environment, and best practices in adjusting traditional library roles and services. A breakout session will follow each panel discussion.

Five scholarships of up to $1,000 will be awarded. The scholarship will cover conference and travel costs.

For more information and to Register: http://www.hmc.psu.edu/library/conferences/SpacePlanning.htm

Registration deadline is March 18, 2009. Spots are limited so register early.

Happy New Year from the Middle Atlantic Region! We are pleased to offer a number of online classes for Winter / Spring 2009. Classes are FREE. All you need is an Internet-connected computer and a telephone.

To sign up for a class, e-mail us at rml(at)med.nyu.edu with the title and date of the class you wish to attend.  Please include your name, e-mail address, and mailing address.

Thirteen classes will be offered—and three are new!

1. DOCLINE: Reports and Routing Tables

This one hour class will cover two of the more specialized topics in DOCLINE—reporting features and routing tables. Registrants are welcome to submit their “problem questions” to be answered during the course.

Thursday, February 5, 11 am-12 pm

2. What’s New in PubMed

This update class will review new and noteworthy features in PubMed, including the new display formats and revised Automatic Term Mapping (ATM) algorithm.

Wednesday, February 11, 2-3:30 pm

3. Basic Nutrition Resources

Consumers, students, clinicians, and you!  Where do you begin when looking for nutrition information for consumers or for clinicians?  This course will take you through basic resources available to you from NLM, NIH, and others.  We will also briefly review how to search for nutrition information literature.

Thursday, February 12, 11 am-12 pm

4. PubMed MyNCBI

In this 90-minute session, you will learn how to customize your PubMed experience using MyNCBI (formerly Cubby), and create shared filters for your library users. Save your favorite citations, and keep current with automatic searches—the results will come straight to your inbox. Change the look of PubMed with custom tabs and highlighted search terms. Create shared filters that allow you to activate LinkOut icons, specify display formats, and limit search results.  Shared Filters are an important feature for any library that participates in NCBI’s LinkOut program.

Thursday, February 19, 10:30 am-12 pm

5. Copyright and ILL

Guidelines? Law? CONTU? This course will give a basic introduction to copyright including the exclusive rights of copyright holders, copyright duration, and fair use. Learn how copyright affects ILL and how librarians can better balance ILL service needs with copyright law. You will also gain an understanding of the features in DOCLINE that address copyright law.

Tuesday, February 24, 1-2 pm

6. DOCLINE for Beginners

The title says it all! If you are new to DOCLINE, this one-hour class will provide an overview.

Thursday, February 26, 11-12 am

7. NEW! Logic Models

Are you curious about logic models and their application? Logic models are an often used tool in grant proposals, strategic planning, and program planning and evaluation. Attend this one hour introductory session to learn about their purpose and how to create a logic model.

Tuesday, March 3, 10:30-11:30 am

8. DOCLINE SERHOLD: Searching, Updating, and Reporting

This course will focus on the SERHOLD feature of DOCLINE.  Attendees will learn how to add new titles and formats to their library’s record, search SERHOLD for other libraries’ holdings, and utilize the SERHOLD reporting functions to make the most of this unique tool in DOCLINE.

Tuesday, March 10, 10-11 AM

9. NEW! Licensing Electronic Resources

Licensing electronic resources has been identified as one of the biggest challenges for members of our region—and with good reason.  Electronic collections are an incredible asset to users, but securing an effective license and managing multiple licenses from multiple vendors is a huge responsibility.  This one-hour session is designed to present the basics for effective licensing which will increase access to and resource sharing from electronic collections.  Presenter Paul Wrynn will explain what to look for in an electronic license (especially ILL rights, remote access, etc.); tips on managing multiple licenses; strategies for communicating with vendors; and best practices for consortia licenses.

Paul Wrynn retired in 2008 from NYU’s Health Sciences Libraries as Collection Development Librarian.  Wrynn has over 30 years of experience in libraries, including significant experience managing electronic licenses.

Thursday, March 19, 10-11 am

10. Free Productivity Tools

Library’s budgets are always pinched for one thing or another. Did you know that there are a multitude of free software packages out there that do just about everything that commercial software packages can do? In this 90-minute class we’ll take a look at some of these software packages, their usefulness, their limitations and things to think about if you decide to go the free software route.

Tuesday, March 24, 2-3:30 pm

11. Service Continuity Planning

An emergency can be as wide-scale as a hurricane or as local as a burst pipe in the book stacks. Do you know how to ensure the continuation of your primary services and access to your primary resources in the event of an emergency at your library? Learn (and share) strategies during this 90 minute class. Dan Wilson, Coordinator, NN/LM Emergency Preparedness Project, will present a simple, relatively quick, approach to creating a service continuity plan.

Dan Wilson is Associate Director for Collection Management and Access Services at University of Virginia Claude Moore Health Sciences Library.

Thursday, March 26, 10-11:30 am

12. NEW! Resources for Disaster Response and Preparedness

This course is designed to help librarians identify the key resources they and their users can turn to in the event of an emergency or disaster.  Instructor Emily Molanphy will focus on Web sites (FEMA, CDC, etc.), databases (TOXNET, HazLit, QUAKELINE, etc.), blogs and Listservs, as well as resources for mobile devices.  Attendees will learn sources for useful information in an emergency; the formats that are easiest to use; and ways to keep up-to-date.  Disaster preparedness is a major undertaking—and knowing where to look for information in the event of an emergency is an important step towards readying your institution.

Emily Molanphy is Web Services Librarian at the NYU Health Sciences Libraries, where she also serves on the Disaster Preparedness Team.

Thursday, April 23, 10-11 am

13. Introduction to TOXNET

Learn how to find information on chemicals, toxic releases, toxicology literature, and toxicology data files with NLM’s TOXNET set of databases. TOXNET is a rich resource for environmental health, toxicology, and chemical hazards.

Tuesday, May 5, 10-11 am

Join the National Training Center and Clearinghouse (NTCC) in April for FREE hands-on classes on National Library of Medicine’s resources!

The NTCC will be offering free hands-on classes hosted by Thomas Jefferson University, Edison Building, 130 S. 9th Street, 13th Floor, Philadelphia, PA.

Class schedule:

PubMed®

April 14, 2009

8:30am to 5:00pm

PubMed®

April 15, 2009

8:30am to 5:00pm

The NLM Gateway and ClinicalTrials.gov

April 13, 2009

1 PM to 4:30 PM

All the training sessions are free and intended for health sciences library staff, health professionals, and anyone interested in using these free National Library of Medicine (NLM) databases.  The NLM Gateway is of particular interest to public and consumer health librarians. The Clinical Trials database is of interest to anyone concerned with consumer health.

Follow this link, NTCC Training Registration , for a quick and easy on-line registration form.

For more information on these classes, please contact NTCC directly: (212) 822-7396

The staff of Thomas Jefferson University and the NTCC hope to see you there!

The National Training Center and Clearinghouse (NTCC) has scheduled an additional PubMed class for January 29, 2009 at New York University School of Medicine Frederick L. Ehrman Medical Library, New York, NY. Sign up soon before this class fills up!

PubMed®  (7.5 MLA CE Hours)
Thursday, January 29, 2009
8:30am to 5:00pm

Class description: Anyone who has used PubMed regularly has noticed some of the
many changes. This PubMed® class is of particular interest to those who
want a review of recent changes to the system, including medical
librarians, researchers, medical editors, and anyone who searches for
biomedical journal article citations.
This full-day class is designed to teach students how to use
PubMed® which includes MEDLINE citations. The class also includes an
overview of the Medical Subject Headings (MeSH®) and its importance as a
tool to both searchers and indexers.

To register for this class, or to find additional classes, register here.

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

National Library of Medicine’s Training for You Locally!
NLM Gateway/ClinicalTrials.gov, PubMed®, and TOXNET and Beyond Training in New York City!

The National Training Center and Clearinghouse (NTCC), in conjunction with the National Network of Libraries of Medicine Middle Atlantic Region (NN/LM MAR) and New York University School of Medicine’s Frederick L. Ehrman Medical Library, is offering three FREE hands-on classes at the Frederick L. Ehrman Medical Library in New York City!

The following three classes will be taught by the staff of the NTCC:

The NLM Gateway and ClinicalTrials.gov  (3.5 MLA CE Hours)
Monday, January 26, 2009
1:00pm to 4:30pm

The NLM Gateway and ClinicalTrials.gov class is of particular
interest to public, consumer health, and medical librarians and all
health information consumers.
The NLM Gateway allows users of NLM services to initiate
searches from one Web interface, providing “one-stop searching” for many
of NLM’s information resources or databases, including: PubMed®,
MedlinePLUS, TOXNET®, Meeting Abstracts, and many more.

PubMed®  (7.5 MLA CE Hours)
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
8:30am to 5:00pm

Anyone who has used PubMed regularly has noticed some of the
many changes. This PubMed® class is of particular interest to those who
want a review of recent changes to the system, including medical
librarians, researchers, medical editors, and anyone who searches for
biomedical journal article citations.
This full-day class is designed to teach students how to use
PubMed® which includes MEDLINE citations. The class also includes an
overview of the Medical Subject Headings (MeSH®) and its importance as a
tool to both searchers and indexers.

TOXNET® and Beyond (6 MLA CE Hours)
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
9:00am to 4:00pm
This full-day class is designed to convey the basics of
searching NLM’s TOXNET®, a Web-based system of databases in the areas of
toxicology, environmental health, and related subjects. Students learn
the content and structure of files covering toxicology data, toxicology
literature, toxic releases, and chemical searching and nomenclature.
Among the databases highlighted will be TOXLINE®, the Hazardous
Substances Data Bank, the Integrated Risk Information System, the Toxic
Release Inventory, and ChemIDplus.
All the training sessions are FREE and intended for health sciences
library staff, public librarians, health professionals, and anyone
interested in using these free National Library of Medicine (NLM)
databases.

To REGISTER for any or all of these classes, or to look for other class
locations, simply click this registration form link.

If you are not in the New York City area, consider registering for the
PubMed or the NLM Gateway/ClinicalTrials.gov class in Philadelphia at
Thomas Jefferson University in April of 2009! NLM
Gateway/ClinicalTrials.gov will be offered on Monday April 13, 2009 at
1:00pm, and two days of PubMed will be offered on Tuesday April 14, 2009
and Wednesday April 15, 2009, both from 8:30am-5:00pm.

We hope to see you there.

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

NN/LM MAR will offer two sessions of the class Measuring Your Impact: Using Evaluation for Library Advocacy this November. One session will be held in New York City at NYU’s Frederick L. Ehrman Medical Library on Wednesday, November 19, 2008 from 9:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.. The other session of the same class will be held in Hershey, Pennsylvania at the Penn State College of Medicine, George T. Harrell Health Sciences Library on Friday, November 21, 2008 from 9:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m..

Class Description:

Show the value of your libraries’ services. The ultimate goal of this class is to insure that library users and stakeholders will recognize and value the importance of their library’s services and of the librarian to the organization. Participants will become familiar with an evaluation process by using methods and tools for assessment, evaluation planning, creating logic models, data collection and reporting. The workshop will feature a case-based scenario that moves participants through the steps of an evaluation process. Class discussion, lecture, and exercises will help participants take away the skills needed to show the value of their library’s services.

Upon completion class attendees will receive 6 hours MLA CE credit.

Instructors:

Maryanne Blake, Outreach/Evaluation Coordinator, NN/LM, Pacific Northwest Region, University of Washington, Seattle, WA.

Sue Hunter, Planning and Evaluation Coordinator, NN/LM, Middle Atlantic Region, NYU Health Sciences Libraries, New York, NY.

Class Details:

Session 1: Wednesday, November 19, 2008, 9:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.
Location: New York University, Frederick L. Ehrman Medical Library, 550 First Ave., NY, NY.

Session 2: Friday, November 21, 2008, 9:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.
Location: Penn State College of Medicine, George T. Harrell Health Sciences Library, 500 University Dr., Hershey, PA.

Register for the class by sending an email to rml@library.med.nyu.edu. Please specify which class session you plan to attend. Registration is free. Class break refreshments and lunch are provided for attendees. The classes are limited in size. Please register by October 30, 2008. Directions and classroom locations will be provided to registrants closer to the class date.