The Spring issue of the NIH MedlinePlus Magazine is now online:  http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/magazine/issues/spring09/toc.html

Click here for print subscriptions or to get email alerts when the new issues are posted online: http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/magazine/subscribe.html

The National Library of Medicine’s History of Medicine Division (HMD) updated its Images from the History of Medicine (IHM) database of almost 70,000 images. Patrons can view search results in a multi-image display, download high resolution copies of their favorite images, zoom in on image details, move images into a patron-defined workspace for further manipulation, and create media groups for presenting images and sharing them via e-mail or posting on blogs.

For more information, see the announcement at: http://www.nlm.nih.gov/news/hmd_new_image_platform.html.

The National Library of Medicine launched a new feature on MedlinePlus today. On both MedlinePlus and MedlinePlus en español, search clouds will be displayed that show the most frequently searched terms for both sites:

MedlinePlus Search Cloud: http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/cloud.html
MedlinePlus en español Search Cloud: http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/spanish/cloud.html

The MedlinePlus search cloud displays the top 100 English searches, and the MedlinePlus en español search cloud displays the top 100 Spanish searches. The search clouds are linked from the MedlinePlus and MedlinePlus en español homepages.

The search clouds are usually updated every week day. The search terms appear in alphabetical order, and their size represents their relative frequency. The bigger the term, the more often it is searched by people who visit MedlinePlus. A term’s exact ranking is found by placing your cursor over the term, and you can click on any term in the search cloud to conduct a search for that term in MedlinePlus.

As the most popular searches change over time and with the seasons, visitors can see the dynamic and diverse interests of MedlinePlus users. For instance, the term “tick bites” might appear in the cloud during the summer, and the term “frostbite” might appear in the winter.

Check out the April issue of NIH News in Health, the monthly newsletter bringing you practical health news and tips based on the latest NIH research. And consider joining us on Facebook, where you can write on our wall to suggest topics you’d like us to cover, or start a discussion about how you use the newsletter.  Go to http://www.facebook.com/pages/NIH-News-in-Health/45385547967 and become a fan. In this edition:

Get Moving and Stay Healthy: Make Physical Activity Part of Your Life
People from all walks of life find it difficult to get enough exercise. But research shows that all Americans need physical activity for good health. New government guidelines can help you get started and stay active.

Remember To Take Your Pills? Jog Your Memory of What To Take and When
We forget things every day—people’s names, our keys or whether we locked the front door. But when it comes to taking your medicines, don’t let your memory fail you.  

Health Capsules:
•    Study Questions Prostate Cancer Test
•    Vitamin C May Ward Off Gout
•    Featured Web Site: Rethinking Drinking

Click here to download a PDF version for printing.

Please pass the word on to your colleagues about NIH News in Health.  We are happy to send a limited number of print copies free of charge for display in offices, libraries or clinics.  For more information, contact:
Harrison Wein, Ph.D., Writer/Editor
National Institutes of Health
Office of the Director, Office of Communications and Public Liaison
Phone:  301-435-7489
E-mail:  weinh@od.nih.gov

Congratulations to Greysi Reyna, Assistant Director of the Ramirez Library at the Regional Academic Health Center, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, the recipient of the 2009 Michael E. DeBakey Library Services Outreach Award! (more…)

The National Library of Medicine’s exhibition “Harry Potter’s World: Renaissance Science, Magic, and Medicine” is now available online! View “Harry Potter’s World” at http://www.nlm.nih.gov/exhibition/harrypottersworld. The banner show, which will travel to libraries around the country through the American Library Association starting in fall 2009, explores the plants, animals, and magic featured in the Harry Potter book series and their roots in Renaissance traditions that played an important role in the development of Western science.  It incorporates the works of several fifteenth- and sixteenth-century thinkers mentioned in the Harry Potter book series and looks at topics such as alchemy, astrology, and natural philosophy, as well as the ethical issues faced by both the fictitious characters from the novels and the historical figures who influenced them. The website for “Harry Potter’s World” includes the full exhibition text, middle/high school lesson plans, and a higher education module for professors and students.
Visit the American Library Association’s request for proposals for libraries interested in hosting the traveling banner exhibition at http://www.ala.org/ala/aboutala/offices/ppo/programming/potter/index.cfm.

Please refer any questions about “Harry Potter’s World” to nlmExhibition@mail.nih.gov.

The National Library of Medicine (NLM) is pleased to announce the solicitation of quotations from organizations and libraries to design and conduct projects that will improve access to HIV/AIDS related health information for patients, the affected community, and their caregivers. (more…)

From the NLM Technical Bulletin:

National Institutes of Health (NIH) Awardees have been notified that the NIH Public Access Policy is permanent, per the Omnibus Appropriations Act of 2009 in the NIH Guide for Grants and Contracts. The NIH Public Access Policy Web site was updated to reflect this policy.

In addition, the National Library of Medicine has created a new Web page, NIH Public Access and NIH Manuscript Submission — Useful Resources & Tools, providing links to information and training resources that support the NIH Public Access policy.

MedlinePlus has an exciting new interactive tutorial that teaches people about medical terms. It shows how medical words are put together, and includes quizzes, lists of words parts, and lists of medical abbreviations. http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/medicalwords.html

The American Library Association (ALA) Public Programs Office, in cooperation with the National Library of Medicine (NLM), announces a new small format traveling exhibition to libraries, “Harry Potter’s World: Renaissance Science, Magic, and Medicine.” Public, academic (university, college and community college) and medical libraries may apply to host the banner exhibition by downloading an application at http://www.ala.org/harrypotter.  In order to be considered, applications must be received at ALA by May 1, 2009.

For more information, see the ALA Press Release: http://www.ala.org/ala/newspresscenter/news/pressreleases2009/march2009/ppoharrypotter.cfm