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. (more…)

by Paul B. Drake
Assistant Professor, User Services & Document Delivery Librarian
University of Guam
Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Library

When the National Library of Medicine announced a new traveling exhibit, A Voyage to Health, in spring 2010, staff at the University of Guam Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Library thought it was a good fit for us to host. A Voyage to Health presents efforts in Hawaii to reintroduce traditional navigation and voyaging. As the exhibit brochure states: “By restoring their heritage, this generation of voyagers seeks to heal the people.” (more…)

This one-day symposium was held on March 2, 2012, at the newly renovated UCLA Library Conference Center, at the Charles E. Young Research Library. Funded by NN/LM PSR to enhance the role of librarians in supporting evidence-based medicine education and practice for health care practitioners, the symposium was organized by the Medical Library Group of Southern California and Arizona (MLGSCA), in cooperation with the Northern California and Nevada Medical Library Group (NCNMLG) and the Hawaii Pacific Chapter, Medical Library Association (HPCMLA). The symposium planning committee was chaired by Lisa Marks, Library Services Supervisor, Providence St. Joseph Medical Center, Burbank. Roughly sixty enthusiastic attendees came to hear featured speaker Connie Schardt’s presentation highlighting the key types of clinical study designs, along with their strengths and weaknesses. She also thoroughly explained the terminology used to describe the results of clinical trials, as well as the criteria for judging the validity of therapy studies and systematic reviews. Ms. Schardt, who holds the position of Associate Director for Public Services at the Medical Center Library at Duke University, is a nationally recognized expert in the field. Other invited speakers included Cheryl Bartel, former UCLA librarian and current nurse for the Lake Elsinore School District, and Robert Johnson, clinical services librarian at the USC Norris Medical Library. (more…)

by Stephen Kiyoi, Second Year NLM Associate Fellow
NN/LM Pacific Southwest Region
UCLA Louise M. Darling Biomedical Library

On February 3, 2012, the UCLA Library proudly hosted the inaugural event introducing the much anticipated ARL Code of Best Practices in Fair Use for Academic and Research Libraries. This code, created by the academic library community and reviewed by an outside panel of distinguished copyright experts, provides a guide to academic librarians as they manage risks and make important decisions for their institutions. The UCLA event featured Peter Jaszi, Professor of Law, at American University’s Center for Social Media, and Brandon Butler, Director of Public Policy Initiatives, at the Association of Research Libraries. Following is a summary of the main points of copyright, fair use, and the code. The complete code document is availalbe on the ARL web site. (more…)

by Tom Shreves, MLIS
Manager, Library Services
Kaiser Permanente Medical Center, West Los Angeles

In recognition of National Medical Librarians Month, Kaiser Permanente West Los Angeles Medical Center’s Health Sciences Library is hosting a Special Exhibition and Open House. (more…)

October is National Medical Librarians Month (NMLM)! Highlighting the fact that medical librarians are the best resource when searching for health information, this year’s NMLM theme is “Medical Librarians: Your Ultimate Search Engine.” In honor of this event, the National Library of Medicine and the RML are celebrating the contributions of medical librarians by promoting Network member outreach projects. The National Library of Medicine has published a new web page featuring the noteworthy work of medical librarians in all NN/LM regions. Congratulations to the four PSR librarians that were highlighted! (more…)

The Medical Library Association has declared October as National Medical Librarians Month! In honor of this event, the National Library of Medicine and your Regional Medical Library are celebrating the contributions of medical librarians by promoting Network member outreach projects. The National Library of Medicine has published a new web page featuring the noteworthy work of medical librarians in the NN/LM regions. Congratulations to the four PSR librarians that were highlighted! (more…)

“Meaningful use” is a phrase that is gaining national momentum as national healthcare reform moves forward. But what is meaningful use, anyway? No, it’s not evidence based health care, although there is a logical tone to that analogy. Instead, meaningful use refers to using electronic health records (EHRs) to achieve improvements in health care. (more…)

The NN/LM PSR E-Licensing Program is continuing to grow! Join us for an informal meeting at MLA ’09 and read about our activities at SCELC’s Vendor Day and at the MLGSCA technology symposium, Technology in Libraries: Providing Access, Linking Communities. (more…)

The NN/LM PSR E-Licensing Program is now a “go” with two STAT!Ref offers underway. (more…)