The National Library of Medicine (NLM) is pleased to announce the release of a new educational resource, GeneEd. Developed in collaboration with the National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI), and with teachers and experts in genetics and genetic counseling, GeneEd is a useful resource of trusted information, designed to help students and teachers in grades 9 – 12 learn about genetics. Read more »

Here are some highlights from the NLM Technical Bulletin issue from July-August 2012: Read more »

Introduction

The increased attention to managing research data during the past few years, along with the adoption of national and international policies for data archiving and sharing, has made data curation a hot topic! The latest webinar from the National Information Standards Organization (NISO), Metadata for Managing Scientific Research Data, provides an overview of why metadata is important, what to consider when selecting a metadata standard, and tips for getting involved with data curation for the first time. Read more »

During my spring 2012 internship, I took on a variety of projects at NN/LM PSR. One of these projects included making modifications to the existing Helping Older Adults Search for Health Information Online: A Toolkit for Trainers to create a toolkit targeting adults, especially those with low literacy skills. Read more »

Occasionally the settings in PubMed don’t operate the way they did the day before. This may be due to a change to PubMed by NCBI. Sometimes this change affects only a small number of users. One way to avoid problems is to make sure that your browser settings are up-to-date. Read more »

We extend our thanks and appreciation to everyone who participated in the recent RML questionnaire! We received nearly 140 responses, with information and valuable feedback that will enable us to continue to improve our programs and services to meet the needs of Network members. Overall, we were encouraged to see results suggesting that our work does make a difference for health sciences librarians and information centers in the region. Two illustrative examples include over 91% of respondents agreeing that the RML helped them obtain access to information resources, and more than 97% agreed that the RML makes them aware of relevant regional activities. Read more »

by Paula Maez, Youth Services Librarian & Paulina Aguirre-Clinch, Librarian
Pima County Public Library
Tucson, Arizona

In January 2012, Pima County Public Library (PCPL) partnered with the Pima County Health Department, to become the first public library in the nation to have a public health nurse permanently assigned to its staff. Because the pilot program proved successful, PCPL was able to expand it to additional branches in the summer of 2012. Read more »

We have been somewhat remiss in posting items about our Network members and their achievements, appointments and departures, so we had some catching up to do! In the future, we will publish quarterly updates regarding Network members in the news. Read more »

I just returned from a great trip to the 3rd Biannual National Latino Cancer Summit, held July 23-25, 2012, at the Mission Bay Campus of the University of California, San Francisco, where I presented an overview of NLM’s TOXNET system to researchers and community activists working to eliminate cancer in the Latino community. The summit is organized by Latinas Contra Cancer, a nonprofit organization established in 2003, which is dedicated to assisting Latino cancer patients and advocating on their behalf. In addition to organizing the Biannual summit, Latinas Contra Cancer mobilizes promotoras community health workers to provide linguistically appropriate patient navigator services in cancer centers, support groups, and educational workshops for cancer patients and their families. The organization also advocates for increased cancer research funding and community engagement, and provides access to bras, wigs, and prostheses for cancer patients and survivors. The summit is held biannually in San Francisco, with an estimated attendance of 200. Read more »

Nineteen applications were received in response to the NLM Administrative Supplement for Informationist Services in NIH-funded Research Projects funding program announcement (PA 12-158.) The supplement provides up to $50,000 in direct costs, plus indirect costs, for 2 years, to an active NIH-funded researcher, in order to bring needed information expertise into the research team. Applications were received from principal investigators currently funded by six NIH institutes: Aging, Cancer, Dental, Deafness, Eye and NLM. Read more »