National Library of Medicine Trains for You Locally!

PubMed® in and around New York City!

Do you live in Queens, the Bronx, Westchester County, or New Jersey? Tired of coming into Manhattan for training? The National Training Center and Clearinghouse (NTCC) is offering FREE hands-on PubMed® classes at six different New York area locations in the upcoming months!

Anyone who has used PubMed regularly has noticed some of the many recent changes and more major changes are expected in the upcoming months. 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. Registration for all local classes can be done using the following link:

http://nnlm.gov/ntcc/classes/regions.html#Middle%20Atlantic

The following PubMed® (7.5 MLA CE Hours) classes will be taught by the staff of the NTCC:

Wednesday, September 16, 2009

The New York Academy of Medicine Library

New York, NY

8:30am to 5:00pm

Wednesday, October 14, 2009

New York Medical College, Health Sciences Library

Valhalla, NY

8:30am to 5:00pm

Wednesday, October 28 and Thursday, October 29, 2009

Robert Wood Johnson Foundation

Princeton, NJ

8:30am to 5:00pm

Wednesday, November 18, 2009

Albert Einstein College of Medicine, D. Samuel Gottesman Library

Bronx, NY

8:30am to 5:00pm

Friday, December 11, 2009

Queens College, CUNY, Graduate School of Library and Information Science

Queens, NY

8:30am to 5:00pm

Monday, January 25, 2010

New York University, Frederick Ehrman Medical Library

New York, NY

8:30am to 5:00pm

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 on this registration form link (http://nnlm.gov/ntcc/classes/register.html).

We hope to see you there.

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For further information about our classes, please go to: http://nnlm.gov/ntcc/

The inaugural class of Fellows in the Association of Health Care Journalists-National Library of Medicine (AHCJ-NLM) Fellowships was recently announced by AHCJ.

The Fellows, health journalists selected by AHCJ from dozens of qualified applicants, will receive training about NLM’s services and meet with physicians and researchers at NLM and the National Institutes of Health (NIH) during a weeklong visit to the NIH campus in Bethesda, Maryland, September 13-17, 2009.
The journalists chosen to take part this year are:

• John Fauber, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
• Lynya Floyd, Essence Magazine
• Jeff Hansel, Rochester, Minn. Post-Bulletin
• Douglas Podolsky, Consumer Reports
• Shari Rudavsky, The Indianapolis Star
• Heidi Splete, Global Medical News Network

The Fellows will receive hands-on training on how to use and get the most from NLM’s databases, such as Pub Med, MedlinePlus, ClinicalTrials.gov, ToxNet and the Household Products Database. They will also meet with senior NLM and NIH researchers and officials for exclusive informational sessions on such topics as diabetes, infectious disease, health disparities, and personalized medicine.
“The Fellowship is designed to help health journalists obtain new stories, improve their reporting and be more resourceful,” said Robert A. Logan, PhD, NLM senior staff, who helped coordinate the program with AHCJ. “The bonus for the Fellows is better stories,” added Len Bruzzese, Executive Director of AHCJ.

“NLM welcomes the inaugural class and is pleased that the Fellows represent a wide spectrum of news organizations,” said Donald A.B. Lindberg, MD, Director of NLM.

For more information about the AHCJ-NLM fellows program, please contact Dr. Robert A. Logan at rlogan(at)nlm.nih.gov and 301.496.1936.

The Medical Library of the Northport VA Medical Center has always been the “go to” place for medical information. Now, thanks in part to a grant from NN/LM MAR it is now a “go to” place for small group learning.

Library Chief Mary Lou Glazer used the funds she was awarded to purchase a large screen flat-panel T.V./monitor.   With support from the Northport VA’s facilities and IT departments, the bookshelves that were no longer necessary to house print journals were removed.  In their place are now two conference tables, chairs, two computers/desks, a teleconferencing phone, and the flat-panel T.V./monitor on the wall.

The space is already popular and has been used for Online Ethics Journal Club meetings, Podiatry department lectures and seminars, new employee orientation, patient education programs, and a variety of large group meetings such as nurse training and telecommunications planning.  Mini-med school, a popular health education program, is a monthly series of classes provided by clinical staff to the veterans/patients on a variety of health related topics.  It is scheduled to now take place this coming year in our new conference area.  The addition of the large screen flat-panel T.V./monitor allows for our attendees to comfortably view the presenters and their enhancements (PowerPoint presentations, slides, photos).

This reconfigured area allows the Northport VA Medical Library to enhance their educational services with this award.  The records clearly indicate the increase in traffic in the library and bookings for educational use of the new space.

Thank you MM/LM Middle Atlantic Region for the opportunity to move the Medical Library into the  future by creating a better learning envirornment!

Members of HILNNEP (Health Information Library Network of Northeastern Pennsylvania) have been struggling to develop innovative ways to offer health information to the local general public, as well as to their own constituencies, with little or no money or staffing.  Currently there are three hospitals that offer consumer health information, but only one has staff dedicated to that purpose.  The HILNNEP group thought that Web 2.0 technologies might provide some avenues for all members to work together in a joint project to develop a web presence to benefit the local communities. Some members had taken the MLA Web 2.0 courses, but the majority had not.  The group decided to sponsor a CE course that would acquaint everyone with the tools that might be needed in accomplishing the joint project.

HILNNEP received a MAR NN/LM Small Project Grant to help defray some of the costs of a CE Double Header event.  Instructors for “eXtreme Searching: Getting the Most from PubMed and Google” were Karen Heskett and Arpita Bose.  Gregg Headrick taught “Geeks Bearing Gifts: Unwrapping New Technology Trends.”  There were sixteen attendees, including ten from HILNNEP, one from Central Pennsylvania Health Sciences Library Association, and five from local college libraries.

It was determined in advance that the success of the activity would be measured by whether or not individual HILNNEP members actually used any of the new technologies to offer services to their own Library users, and if HILNNEP members eventually developed a plan to offer health information to the general public and to specific targeted populations using Web 2.0 tools.

At the June 18 HILNNEP meeting, members were polled to determine whether or not any of the tools had been put into practice.  A surprising number of tools had been utilized by the majority of attendees either within the library, in the performance of other organizational responsibilities, or for extracurricular activities.  Among the tools employed were blogs, Twitter, Facebook, Meebo, Library Thing, Tiny URL, and Google Alert.   One member of HILNNEP has become an instructor to others in her organization on the use of Google Docs.

During the meeting, HILNNEP members held a planning session to outline the beginnings of a consortium website for the local population.  One member volunteered to research the prevalent DRGs in the community to give a focus to the project.  The group was excited about the possibilities of using Google Sites to create the website.  The Go Local model will be investigated and the group will be searching for local health agency websites, free clinics, clinical trials, and health issues and opportunities with a focus on prevention for the local Northeastern Pennsylvania population.  The Hispanic population has grown tremendously in NEPA and information for this sector of the population will be added after the project is operational

The grant monies awarded was used to purchase two new public use computers for our medical library.  The computers that the library had previously were over 10 years old and could not handle some of the newer programs that the residents and staff use.  It is also anticipated that newer computers will attract more patients and their family members to the library for consumer health information.

The announcement of the grant award will go into the monthly in-house publication “News and Notes” which should help get the word out that the library has updated technology that is free to all hospital employees and visitors.  The Forbes Regional Campus library does not have a blog to put this information on.

The Touro-Harlem Medical Library received a Tech Grant Award in the spring of 2008 to increase our instructional capacity by purchasing a notebook computer, high intensity portable projector, and a wheeled case to hold both items. We originally visualized primarily using the equipment offsite to deliver instruction as part of the Colleges’ community outreach programs, but rapidly found more uses for the technology. Since we had full administrative rights to the notebook it was much easier to configure it and use it within the library for instruction than one of the public access desktop computers which needed IT staff to make changes in the setup (though I should say our IT staff is very cooperative and usually makes requested changes in a timely manner).
While we regularly provide faculty orientations in the library, we’re occasionally asked to come to a Dean’s or faculty member’s office to show them how to access some resource or make a mini-presentation on using a resource. Bringing the pre-configured computer has made such sessions easier, since we can show how to setup or use the resource while the faculty member clicks along. Having the notebook was particularly handy when we were asked to a dean’s office to show a hospital administrators the resources our students would have available while on rotation at their institution. I was able to set up the machine at the conference table and, after a brief demo and introduction, have the administrator test drive some of the databases.
Library staff has used the computer alone and/or the computer and projector to make presentations on PubMed and other library resources on and off-site at faculty meetings, faculty development sessions, student workshops and training sessions and for community outreach. Members of Be One, Teach One, a student community health literacy outreach group, has used the equipment in presenting to middle school students, using in part material developed by library staff.
In addition to a wired network with 28 public access PCs and 6 public access Macs, our library has a wireless network which can be used to print to the library’s printers. The bulk of our students bring their own notebook which need to be configured to use the printers. Having the notebook makes it much easier to test drive and demonstrate installation instructions. It also makes it possible for us to demonstrate how to login to the wireless network and to test wireless access to our resources, as well as showing students how to create a bookmark to the PubMed URL that provides on and off campus access to a login that indicates our holdings.
In short we’ve found that the grant allowed us to purchase equipment that has helped increase our instructional capacity in both anticipated and unanticipated ways and are pleased that NLM/MAR choose the Touro-Harlem Medical Library as a grant recipient.
Shelly Warwick, M.L.S., Ph.D. Director, Touro-Harlem Medical Library

Posted on behalf of Barbara A. Epstein, Director, Health Sciences Library System serving the University of Pittsburgh (PITT) and UPMC. PITT is one of MAR’s resource libraries.

We are very pleased to announce that the School of Information Sciences (the iSchool) and the Health Sciences Library System (HSLS) at the University of Pittsburgh have been awarded a grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS). The three-year grant, for $911,311, will support the development of a “Post Master’s Degree Certificate of Advanced Studies in Health Sciences Librarianship,” to be managed jointly by the iSchool and HSLS.

The program will offer specialized preparation for professional positions in health sciences libraries through online coursework, an applied research project, mentoring experiences, and attendance at a national conference. The grant from IMLS will support the costs of curriculum development and evaluation, online course delivery infrastructure, and student recruitment. In addition, the grant will provide tuition scholarships for 27 students located throughout the United States. Students will enroll in the program beginning in May 2010.

Coursework will address such issues as evidence-based medicine, teaching and instruction in a health care setting, clinical librarianship, expert searching in medical resources, and integration of information resources in electronic health records. Students, admitted in cohorts of 12-15, will complete the 15-credit program within one year. Students will plan and complete a 3-credit applied research project at their home institution under the guidance of a professional mentor. For full information about the grant, please visit http://www.ischool.pitt.edu/news/article/IMLS-grant.php.

Posted on behalf of Carolyn Lipscomb, Program Manager, AAHSL Future Leadership Committee:

NLM/AAHSL Leadership Fellows Program, 2009-2010

Call for Applications

The Association of Academic Health Sciences Libraries (AAHSL) is pleased to announce the 2009-2010 year of the leadership program jointly sponsored by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) and AAHSL. The NLM/AAHSL Leadership Fellows Program is focused on preparing emerging leaders for the position of library director in academic health sciences libraries.

“The partnership with NLM has demonstrated its value in encouraging and preparing the next generation of leaders of our libraries,” said AAHSL president Julia Sollenberger. “Its merit is recognized by institutions across the country as they recruit for director positions.”

Fellows will have the opportunity to develop their knowledge and skills in a variety of learning settings, including exposure to leadership in another environment. They will be paired with mentors who are academic health sciences library directors. In addition to the individual relationship with their mentors, fellows benefit from working collaboratively with other fellows and mentors. Experienced program faculty and mentors will provide content and facilitation for the cohort. The program takes advantage of flexible scheduling and an online learning community to minimize disruption to professional and personal schedules. The sponsors will provide financial support for up to five fellows and will underwrite travel and meeting expenses.

Thirty-five fellows have participated in the program since its inauguration in 2002. To date, thirteen fellows have assumed director positions.

“The program was key in securing my job as director and continues to sustain me,” noted Neville Prendergast, fellow, class of 2007-2008, and director at Tulane University. “It provided the learning environment to interact with my mentor and other leading directors very willing to share their ideas and experience. It places you in the position of ‘thinking like a director.’”

Chris Shaffer, fellow, class of 2006-2007, and university librarian at Oregon Health & Science University, said, “My mentor ‘opened the books’ to me and taught me about budgets of public and private universities. As a new director, I often turn to the other fellows in my cohort for advice and community, and I can get support from all the mentors who have participated in the program.”

Gary Freiburger, mentor, class of 2008-2009, and director at University of Arizona, stated, “My fellow’s visit to our library gave me a chance to see our operations through fresh eyes. As a mentor, I not only have the chance to rethink my assumptions, I also have the benefit of working with a cohort of directors who share information and experiences.”

Program Overview

The one-year program design is multi-faceted: three in-person leadership institutes; attendance at an Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) annual meeting; a yearlong fellow/mentor relationship; Web-based courses and discussions on issues related to library leadership; and a two-week site visit to the mentor’s home library (in one or two-week segments).

The program is designed to:

• Introduce fellows to leadership theory and practical tools for implementing change at organizational and professional levels;
• Introduce fellows to critical issues facing academic health sciences libraries;
• Develop meaningful professional relationships between fellows and mentors that give fellows access to career guidance and support;
• Expose fellows to another academic health sciences library and its institutional leadership under the guidance of their mentors;
• Examine career development and provide models of directors to fellows;
• Create a cohort of leaders who will draw upon each other for support throughout their careers;
• Promote diversity in the leadership of the profession; and
• Offer recognition to emerging leaders and enhance the competitive standing of fellows as they pursue director positions.

Application

The NLM/AAHSL Leadership Fellows Program is currently accepting applications and nominations for the August 3, 2009, deadline for potential fellows and mentors for the 2009-2010 experience. Candidates for fellow should have a strong interest in pursuing a directorship in academic health sciences libraries, as well as a minimum of five years of department head level or higher responsibility, or equivalent experience, in an academic health sciences library, hospital library, or other library-related setting. Applications from qualified minority candidates are encouraged. Mentors should have at least five years’ experience as director of an academic health sciences library.

The program brochure, including information on program design, schedule, and application process, is available at http://data.memberclicks.com/site/aahsl/NLM-AAHSL-Leadership-Fellows-Program-2009-2010.pdf

For more information about the program, please contact Carolyn Lipscomb, Program Manager, AAHSL Future Leadership Committee, carolynlipscomb(at)cs.com.

Posted on behalf of NLM History of Medicine. Questions may be directed to Jill Newmark, Exhibition Registrar in the NLM History of Medicine Division: newmarj(at)mail.nlm.nih.gov

The NLM History of Medicine Exhibition Program is accepting requests to host a new banner exhibition scheduled to be available October 4 2009.

The title is Literature of Prescription: Charlotte Perkins Gilman and The Yellow Wallpaper

In the late nineteenth century, at a time when women were challenging traditional ideas about gender that excluded them from political and intellectual life, medical and scientific experts drew on notions of female weakness to justify inequality between the sexes. Artist and writer Charlotte Perkins Gilman, who was discouraged from pursuing a career to preserve her health, rejected these ideas in a terrifying short story titled “The Yellow Wall-Paper.” The famous tale served as an indictment of the medical profession and the social conventions restricting women’s professional and creative opportunities.

http://www.nlm.nih.gov/hmd/about/exhibition/travelingexhibitions/literature.html

As with NLM’s other banner exhibitions, we are asking host libraries to cover incoming FedEx expenses, which usually run a couple of hundred dollars. The booking period is 6 weeks. The online exhibition will feature K-12 lesson plans and a higher education module and will be available after Labor Day.

An additional note, historian Helen Horowitz advised on the project and developed the higher education module, and is currently writing a book about the topic. She’ll be speaking about her research at the History of Medicine Division Seminar this September 9 for those who are interested. http://www.smith.edu/history/fac_hhorowitz.htm

National Library of Medicine’s Training for You Locally!

PubMed® Training in Bronx, NY!

The National Training Center and Clearinghouse (NTCC), in conjunction with the National Network of Libraries of Medicine Middle Atlantic Region (NN/LM MAR) and Albert Einstein College of Medicine, is offering one FREE hands-on class at the D. Samuel Gottesman Library in Bronx, NY!

The following class will be taught by the staff of the NTCC:

PubMed® (7.5 MLA CE Hours)

Wednesday, November 18, 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.

The training session is 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 this class, or to look for other class locations, simply click on this registration form link (http://nnlm.gov/ntcc/classes/register.html).

We hope to see you there.

For further information about our classes, please go to: http://nnlm.gov/ntcc/

For further information about this site location, please contact:

Racheline G. Habousha

habousha(at)aecom.yu.edu