National Medical Librarians' Month Prize Winners

The Affinity Library Services staff would like to send a hearty “Thank You” to everyone who participated in our 2008 National Medical Librarians' Month Activities.

From Mercy Medical Center:

Annette Drexler (Housekeeping) correctly guessed the number of Dove Chocolates in the Jar at the Clark Family Medical Library.

Dr. Stephen Shopbell (Behavioral Health) and Tracy Miller (Nuclear Medicine) each won Coffee Cart Gift Certificates for having completed the word search puzzle.

From St. Elizabeth Hospital:

Jennifer Broden (Foundation) had the best guess for the number of Dove Chocolates in the jar in the Health Science Library.

Sue Paulick had the best guess for the number of Dove Chocolates in the jar in the Resource Cafe Library.

Marianne Smith (Patient Access) and Marilyn Binder (Cardiac Cath Lab) each won Resource Cafe Coffee Shop Gift Certificates for having completed the word search puzzle.

Again, we thank everyone for participating in this year’s activities.

MedlinePlus Celebrates it's 10th Anniversary

MedlinePlus, the NLM® consumer health Web site, is celebrating its ten year anniversary.

MedlinePlus provides information on health topics, drugs and supplements, the latest medical news, a medical dictionary, an encyclopedia, surgery videos, interactive educational material, and links to other sites to locate clinical trials, understand genetic conditions, and information specifically for older Americans.

For more information see the press release.

Dig Deep Trivia : @sk Your Medical Librarian

Just for grins (and to see if you have been paying attention), here is a little exercise to demonstrate your knowledge of where your Librarians go to find information.

Match the database name to its function.

Database Name
1. MedlinePlus
2. Natural Medicines
3. Pubmed /Medline
4. Micromedex Drug Info
5. CINAHL

Function
a. Drug and Toxicology Information
b. Clinical Medical and Nursing Journals
c. Reliable consumer health resources
d. Nursing and Allied Health Information
e. Evidence-based information on herbal remedies

And remember, October is National Medical Librarian’s Month.
Visit your nearest Affinity Library (or visit the library web page) for a chance to solve this year’s word search puzzle (and be entered into a drawing for gift certificates to your hospital coffee shops)

If you are a chocolate fan, guess how much chocolate is in the candy jar at your library. The person with the correct or closest guess will win the chocolate!
Winners will be notified in early November.



Answers: 1=C; 2=E; 3=B; 4=A; 5=D

Archives Week 2008 : Celebrate Affinity Heritage

Browse some of our digital archival scrapbooks and photo albums online.
We’ve been busy digitizing photos for the Heritage Celebrations. The Sisters have always been the people who "do what needs to be done." We're grateful for their contributions over the years!

New digital collections include :
Sisters of the Sorrowful Mother in Oshkosh
Wheaton-Franciscans in Appleton

View our other Affinity Archives Web Albums on Picassa.

These days, many of the pictures we’re acquiring for the Affinity Archives are in digital format. This development allows us to make these photos much more accessible.

If you have pictures (digital or paper) that you would like to donate to the MMC or STE Library Archives, contact your Librarians :

Michele Matucheski at MMC mmatuche@affinityhealth.org

Margo Lambert at STE mlambert@affinityhealth.org

In most cases, you can keep the originals. We’ll make good quality copies.

What are we looking for?

People, places, and events from around Affinity, and Affinity in the Communities.

Examples :

* Nurses Week

* Heritage Days

* Retirements

* Affinity Picnics

Anything that captures the spirit, culture, and times of Affinity.

If you’ve got pictures, we’d love to have copies for the Archives!

Go Green and Keep Up-to-Date with Your Professional Reading

Get the latest Tables-of-Contents to your favorite journals via
1) email, or
2) an RSS Reader (ie GoogleReader or Bloglines)



What is RSS and why should I care?
RSS can save you time and trouble by helping you keep current with professional reading. It's convenient and easy.

• Imagine a Table-of-Contents service where you quickly scan the contents of any number of the latest journals at your convenience and with no additional e-mail clutter.


• When you come across an article you'd like to read, full-text is only a click away.


• Updates on literature searches and news can be automatically sent to your reader for you to peruse at your leisure.

Getting started with RSS is easier than you might think, and is likely to become an indispensable tool for keeping you current and saving you time.

Some analogies :

• If the web is Blockbuster Video, then your RSS Reader is like Netflix : The stuff you want comes to your door.


• Your RSS Reader is like your in-box for the web. It's the stuff YOU want to track.

At present, these are the journals easily available for email and RSS sign-ups.

If you don’t see your favorite journals here, please contact us. This list is evolving.

We can also customize the lists to your preferences and professional interests.

To learn more about RSS, click here. Remember email is also an option.

For assistance in getting started with RSS or emailed TOCs, contact your Librarians, Michele Matucheski (MMC) or Margo Lambert (STE).

Enter our Drawing for Dove Chocolates

How many candies in the jar?

Enter your guess online by visiting the library website, or use this web form.

Or stop by the libraries at :

• Mercy Medical Center Library


• St. Elizabeth Hospital Professional Library


• St. Elizabeth Hospital Resource Café·


• Affinity Health & Wellness Center at the20th Ave Oshkosh YMCA.

Contest ends October 31.

One entry per person, please.

The winning entry wins all the candy!

Puzzle Challenge for NMLM

Complete this Puzzle (Word doc) for a chance to win a gift certificate to the MMC Coffee Cart or the STE Resource Café.

Return the puzzle to either the MMC or STE Library for a chance to win!

Have fun, relax, and learn about Library Services along the way!

Dig Deep : @sk Your Medical Librarian

October is (once again) National Medical Librarian's Month

Celebrate with Affinity Library Services.

We'll be having special features all month. Stay tuned!

Changes to CINAHL Access

If you search the CINAHL Nursing and Allied Health Database, you may notice some changes.

As of Sept. 30, our online access to CINAHL will be through Ebsco instead of Ovid. Contact Library Services for help with the transition. We will provide more information as it becomes available.

Featured Database: BadgerLink

If you are looking for reliable information outside the field of medicine,
check out Badgerlink.

Goal of this resource is to provide quality online information on a number of topics to Wisconsin residents.
Find information in the areas of business, education, and literature as well as medicine.
Get articles from thousands of newspaper and magazine titles, image files, and other specialized reference materials and web sites.
Access specialized resources not available through Google or other Internet search engines.

Access Badgerlink here or from the Library web page under “Most Popular Links”.

For more information about this resource, please call Michele Matucheski at MMC (920-223-0340) or Margo Lambert at STE (920-738-2325).

Featured Database - eMedicine

If you are a clinician and want evidence-based, peer reviewed information,
check out eMedicine.

Intended audience is health professionals
This Clinical Knowledge Base contains 30,000 multimedia files (articles, images, etc.) on 7,000 diseases and disorders
Evidence-based content is regularly updated and peer-reviewed by nearly 10,000 physician authors and editors
Get the latest practice guidelines in 59 specialties

Access eMedicine here or from the Library web page under “Most Popular Links”.

For more information about this resource, please call Michele Matucheski at MMC (920-223-0340) or Margo Lambert at STE (920-738-2325).

AHRQ Helps Consumers Navigate the Health Care System

Dr. Carolyn Clancy of the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality prepares easily understood advice columns for consumers (and healthcare employees) to help them navigate the health care system.

Columns address issues such as how to recognize high-quality health care, how to be an informed health care consumer, and how to choose a hospital, doctor, and health plan. Affinity staff can also glean ideas in how to make our health system the top choice of health care consumers.

Dr. Clancy's advice column: http://www.ahrq.gov/consumer/cc.htm

More about AHRQ: http://www.ahrq.gov/

The Dash

The Dash : Movie (DVD) and Song (CD) Gift Set

Author: Ellis, Linda

Call Number: Simple Truths Bk29 2006 (MMC Library).

Click here to go to Simple Truths. Then click on The Dash book to read more about it and watch the inspiring video.

“When Linda Ellis wrote her poem, The Dash, in one afternoon ten years ago, it would change her life forever. In 239 words, she captured the "Simple Truths" of why we were put on this earth.
Since then, The Dash has been published hundreds of times in books, newspapers, magazines and company newsletters. It has also been read countless times at company meetings, graduations and funerals. In the last three years, Linda has received over one million e-mails thanking her for writing The Dash, and asking the question ... Where can I get a copy?” –Simple Truths

Nancy Schmidt, a long-time Affinity employee, had this to say about The Dash :
“What a GREAT inspirational book! If you haven't had a chance to read this book, please take the time and check it out from the Library at MMC. You won't be disappointed. I have read the book at least 10 times and am still inspired by it. Easy reading, easy to understand and you will wonder why you haven't thought more about what it says in regards to your life. You still have time to change.”

Contact the MMC Library to borrow this inspiring book!

Ext. 3-0342 OR mmclibrary@affinityhealth.org

Database of the Month: Micromedex Drug Information

For easy-to-find, evidence-based information to address both clinician and patient needs, take a look at Micromedex Drug Information.

Find evidence-based, unbiased, referenced information about drugs, toxicology, diseases, acute care, and alternative medicine

Create customized patient information forms, in English and Spanish, about drugs, medical conditions, lab tests and medical procedures

Quickly find drug information, such as drug identification and drug interactions.

Uncluttered, easy-to-locate information

Access Micromedex Drug Information here or from the Library page
under “Most Popular Links”.

For more information about this resource, please call Michele Matucheski at MMC (920-223-0340) or Margo Lambert at STE (920-738-2325).

NLM Drug Information Portal

The National Library of Medicine recently released the NLM Drug Information Portal at http://druginfo.nlm.nih.gov/ . This tool provides the public, healthcare professionals, and researchers with a gateway to current and accurate drug information from the National Library of Medicine and to other key government agencies.

The Drug Information Portal offers a varied selection of resources and focused topics in medicine and drug-related information, with links to individual resources with drug information and summaries tailored to various audiences. General drug categories from MeSH are also included in the Drug Portal records.
* More than 15,000 drugs are available for searching.
* The search interface requires only a drug name.
* A spellchecker is provided.
* Information buttons and balloon pop-ups guide the user by providing helpful hints or a description of the resource and links to the source website.
-- by The Liaison on NLM Announcements

You will find links to The NLM Drug Information Portal (and other helpful tools) on The Affinity Libraries website under

Find Drug Info for Health Professionals

Drug Info for Patients & Families

Innovations in Medical Education (IME) Video Library

from UW-Madison’s School of Medicine
http://videos.med.wisc.edu/

View cutting edge lectures from UW-Madison at your computer. Topics cover nursing, pharmacy, public health, family medicine, pediatrics and more.

The IME Video Library offers free, high-quality, streaming videos of educational events that have taken place at UW-Madison’s Health Sciences Learning Center.

Who can access the Video Library?
All presentations are open to the public through a simple (no cost) sign in.

Key users include :
* Physicians
* Nurses
* Health Professionals
* Health Consumers

What else can I expect to find?
* Biographies of presenters
* Research links selected by health science librarians
* Downloadable audio-only version of the presentations – MP3s
* Notification features such as email and RSS Feeds

What software do I need to view these presentations?
Videos are either in Windows Media or QuickTime format.

Both players are available as free downloads.

What types of presentations are in the Video Library?
* Expert lectures from the University of Wisconsin

* Invited guest lectures from around the world
* Seminar series including : Cultural Diversity in Healthcare, Population Health Sciences
* Department Grand Rounds including :
* Cardiovascular Medicine, Surgery, and Pediatrics
* Professional Development Seminars

Database of the Month: Evidence-Based Medicine Resources via the Affinity Library Website

If you are looking for Evidence Based Medicine resources to guide your practice, please check out the “Find the Best Evidence: Evidence-Based Practice Tools” on the Affinity Library Services website.

Use the “Best Evidence Pyramid Diagram” to see the range of available tools and their descriptions.

Link directly to Affinity’s Evidence Based Practice resources from the pyramid.

For more information about these resources, or for help with your research, please contact your Affinity Librarians,
Michele Matucheski at MMC or Margo Lambert at SEH.

Need Journal Articles?

If you need to identify relevant articles, try our citation databases. Most have links to the full-text articles.

Not comfortable doing your own searches? Request a Literature Search done by your Librarians, Margo or Michele. We are expert searchers! Just tell us what you are looking for.

If you have a complete citation in mind, check the Affinity Library Services’ A-Z Journals List to see if we have full-text access online or in print.

You can also Request an Article, and we’ll take care of the work in finding it for you. If we don’t own it, we have inter-library loan arrangements with libraries all over North America. We can usually get the article for free or low cost without a credit card.

Let us help you get the info you need!

Database of the Month – MDConsult

If you want a single place to find news, articles, guidelines, and patient information resources, look no further than MDConsult.

Review more than 50 electronic, full-text leading reference books
Access full-text articles in more than 80 journals and the Clinics of North America
Browse more than 1,000 peer-reviewed practice guidelines
Create customized patient education materials
Obtain CME credit
Locate drug information provided by Gold Standard
Keep current with news updates and selected articles from prominent medical journals
Create a personal MDConsult account from an Affinity Computer and access MDConsult from any computer with Internet access.

Access MDConsult here or from the Library page under “Most Popular Links”.

Literature Searching (aka, Research on Behalf of AHS Staff)

You may not realize that Affinity Librarians offer research services (literature searching) in the areas of health and wellness for all Affinity staff members and volunteers. If you need health information, or if you need information for patient care or other work-related projects, you can contact Michele Matucheski at MMC (920-223-0340) or Margo Lambert at STE (920-738-2325) and we can do the research for you. Simply let us know what you need and we’ll get the information to you as soon as possible.

If you wish, you can also complete this online form and we’ll do the rest.

Affinity CME Video Blog

Affinity Health System CME Offerings (aka The Affinity CME Video Blog) via your computer at http://affinitycme08.blogspot.com/

You can also find it by navigating to :
Affinity Intranet Home Page > Library > Affinity CME Video Blog
or
CME Page > Affinity CME Video Blog

What is it?
* A regularly updated website where you can access internet video presentations of continuing medical education (CME) lectures previously presented at Mercy Medical Center. We are now beginning to add other programs from around Affinity.
* Access is 24/7 - on your own schedule
* Access from your work or home computer
* Better use of time (not spent in travel to the presentation site)
* So more of you can "attend" these lectures without physically being there

ANYONE can watch the videos.
However, only medical staff will be eligible for CME credit.
Fill out the CME Evaluation form and submit it to Carole Carow at Mercy Medical Center to get CME credit.

For an intro about the CME Video blog itself, visit the sites below :
CME Video Blog FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions)
CME Video Blog and Library Orientation (Documentation and Handouts), July 11, 2007
CME Video Blog and Library Orientation Video
CME Video Blog System Requirements

Simple Truths at MMC Library

In effort to “Make Affinity a better place to work,” Affinity Library Services recently purchased a new series of books and DVDs from Simple Truths. Simple Truths shares quotes, stories, and short inspirational films about making a difference.

* Watch some of their inspiring (and short) movies here.
* Sign up for the Simple Truths free emailed newsletter.
* Contact the MMC Library to check out or reserve the books.

Looking for a quote or meditation to open a meeting? You’ll find it in these Simple Truths books!

Thanks to Dawn Auclair for suggesting this series.

Featured Database of the Month: MedlinePlus

Looking for quality health information from trustworthy sources?
Try MedlinePlus.



Information is geared to the public
Use MedlinePlus to find information about medical conditions, medical tests, and general health and wellness
Excellent for Patient Education materials
Created by the same people who compile Medline for health professionals, MedlinePlus provides health information written in everyday language
MedlinePlus is available free of charge
Search MedlinePlus from any computer with Internet access
Information comes from medical encyclopedias, dictionaries, medical organizations and other sources that have been screened and proven reliable by The National Library of Medicine
In addition to articles, watch videos of medical procedures and listen to online tutorials

Affinity Library Blogs

Did you know … The Affinity Libraries maintain two blogs with new messages posted regularly. A blog is like an online diary or journal with the latest entry listed first. We use it for announcements, news, and featured resources.

What’s New at Affinity Libraries?
Most of these posts are published in The Weekly Employee Newsletter. An easy way to find a past article, or post, is to use the “Search This Blog” Feature. All prior library posts are listed and available back to 2005 in the Blog Archive.

New Books at Affinity Libraries
We post three new books every week—usually consumer health-related for the widest appeal.

You can stay current with Affinity Library News by visiting our blogs and signing up for email notifications. By signing up, you will receive an email message with each new post.


You can also add them to your Google Reader. What’s this?

PDR Pros & Cons

One of my fellow Librarians in Florida created a helpful little PowerPoint Presentation to illustrate the pros and cons of the PDR, that heavy drug book people always ask for.

Physicians’ Desk Reference : Pros and Cons (ppt) * by Patti Reynolds, MLIS
(Affinity Access only)

Ms. Reynolds presents some surprising facts you probably didn’t know about the PDR, and why it is usually NOT the best available source for drug information. She also offers several alternatives for quality drug information.

For starters, try the following on the Affinity Libraries Intranet site (Affinity Access only) :

Find Drug Information for Health Professionals

Drug Information for Patients and Families


* Used by permission. Edited to reflect Affinity Drug Resources.

Featured Database of the Month: Natural Medicines Comprehensive Database

In April we are featuring the Natural Medicines Comprehensive Database.

Affinity’s newest database offering, this resource was suggested by medical and nursing staff and provides high quality information for professional staff and patients.

• Objective and thorough enough for medical professionals yet presented in a way that is accessible to patients.


• Search for information on various natural medicines, including effectiveness, individual ingredients (sugh as Ginkgo Biloba extract), and drug interactions.


• The database provides information about how the various sections are created and describes the criteria used to rate each product's safety and effectiveness.


• Researchers update the database daily, so the information is current.


• For those who wish to see the studies cited in the articles, direct links to the study abstracts are provided.

Access the National Medicines Comprehensive Database via the Library webpage. It is listed alphabetically on the right under the “Most Popular Links” heading. Please be sure to logout when you are finished.

PubMed Citation Matcher

PubMed Citation Matcher -- a useful tool to fill in the blanks!

Find complete citations when you have only partial information.

Fill in the details you have, click GO and PubMed Citation Matcher will do the rest ... like Magic!

Using Google Phonebook to find Contact Info and Directory Listings

Finding People is one of the trickiest tasks on the internet.

Finding fellow Affinity staff is easy—Use the Phone Book on the Intranet, or Outlook. But sometimes we need to locate contact info for people not on staff. The AT&T White & Yellow Pages on the Intranet only covers The Fox Valley. What if the person or business lives beyond the Fox Valley?

The Internet offers many directories that allow you to search, but often require payment to see the results.

One free option is to use Google Phonebook. Google’s phone directory for business and residential listings is integrated into the Google Search Engine.

To use the Google Phonebook directly, type phonebook: before your search.
To find the Smiths in Oshkosh, type phonebook: smith Oshkosh

This will get you a list of all the Smiths in Oshkosh, complete with their phone numbers, street addresses and maps. Since Smith is such a common name, you’ll probably want to give Google a few more clues (first name or initials, zip code, state, phone number) to help zone in on just the Smith you’re looking for.

Google pulls this info from local phone directories and internet phonebook searches already publicly available. To have your residential phone and address information removed from the Google PhoneBook, click here.
*****************************************************************************************

Still can’t find the person?
It may be that the person has a cell phone. Cell phone numbers are not listed in public phone directories.
The person may have an unlisted number.
Perhaps the person’s home phone is in someone else’s name?
Perhaps they live somewhere else?
Sometimes the numbers listed are outdated.

Reverse Lookup
To do a reverse look-up (when you want to know who belongs to what phone number), simply type the phone number into the main Google Search box. (You don’t have to specify phonebook for a reverse lookup.) Use the this format for best results : 555-555-555.

Remember, cell phone numbers are not considered public information.

If you still can’t locate contact info, Library Staff may be able to help.

Free Trial for NCMEtv

Through April 15, 2008, we will be doing a free trial of NCMEtv.

Many of you are already familiar with NCME. They produce the high quality CME video programs we show when a scheduled speaker is unable to attend. The Affinity Libraries have subscribed to NCME for many years. Soon, NCME will no longer be providing phycial DVD or videos in favor of their new online NCMEtv delivery program.


We need your help in determining if this would be a useful subscription for Affnity.


Benefits :

• Wider access available at your computer desktop 24/7
• Same cost as for monthly DVDs with much wider access
• Online submission of CME Tests
• Instant CME Certificates

Questions : Will it be used? Only YOU can help us answer this question ...

More Info (Affinity Access only):
NCMEtv Brochure

NCMEtv Registration Info Step-by-Step

Free Trials Evaluation Form We want to kow what you think!

You will also find links at the top of the Affinity Library web page.

Wildlife Siting at Mercy : Bald Eagle

This week, while eating lunch in the Mercy Cafeteria, I saw a majestic Bald Eagle swoop down over the frozen pond. The white head and tail were unmistakable. It was quite a sight to behold!

Several years ago, I created a list of animal sitings in and around the Mercy Pond in Oshkosh, WI. If you've seen animals not already on the list, please let me know, and I will add them.

ScienceDirect eJournals Available Online

325 new ejournals including old favorites like :

· American Heart Journal
· American Journal of Cardiology
· Annals of Emergency Medicine
· Heart & Lung
· Journal of Pain & Symptom Management
· Journal of Pediatrics

Visit the complete list here.

As of January 2008, Affinity Libraries are no longer receiving print copies of these journals. Instead, we now have reliable online access to these plus many more titles through ScienceDirect. As long as you are accessing these titles via an Affinity computer, you should be able to access full-text cleanly and effortlessly.

Access to our complete list of ScienceDirect titles is integrated into everyday Library tools and resources like :
OvidSP (Medline and CINAHL)
Google Scholar
A-Z Journals List
PubMed LinkOut

That means, if you are searching a database like Medline, the results come up with links to the full-text articles, when available.

Ask us about online Tables-of-Contents : a efficient way to keep up with new developments in your areas of interest.

Your Librarians,
Michele Matucheski, MLS, AHIP email via Outlook or 3-0340 (phone)
Margo Lambert, MLS email via Outlook or 8-2857 (phone)

Featured Databases of the Month: Ovid and Cinahl

When you hear librarians talk about searching Ovid, Medline and CINAHL are most likely the databases being used. Here is some general information about these resources:

The intended audience is health professionals
A search in CINAHL will lead to articles in Nursing and Allied Health Journals
A search in Medline will lead to articles in Clinical Medical journals
Since Affinity offers extensive online journal collections, many articles found using CINAHL Medline are available directly through Ovid, saving valuable time
Use CINAHL and MEDLINE to locate research on medical conditions and treatments

OvidSP is HERE!

If you search Affinity's MEDLINE, CINAHL, or Cochrane Library databases, you’ll notice that Ovid has a whole new look and feel beginning February 4, 2008.

Affinity Librarians will be available to help with the transition of getting used to using the new OvidSP. Contact Michele Matucheski or Margo Lambert via Outlook. We will be happy to sit down with you and lead you through the new interface.

We have OvidSP Quick Reference Cards available. Stop by the Libraries to pick one up or request that one be sent to you.

Remember to take advantage of the Help Files, OvidSP User's Guide, and the Database Field Guide available at the top of every page of the Ovid databases.

If you want a more formal online tour, try the following tutorials on the new interface from health science libraries around the US :

Online Tutorials:

OvidSP Tutorials – Cushing/Whitney Medical Library, Yale University
OvidSP –Medical College of Wisconsin Library
OvidSP –University of Michigan Taubman Medical Library
Using PICO to search the OvidSP CINAHL Nursing Database – North Colorado Medical Center Medical Library

Documentation / Handouts:

Multiple Search Modes in OvidSP for MEDLINE (and more): What to Expect – Himmelfarb Library
Natural Language Searching Medline (and more) on OvidSP – Himmelfarb Library
RSS Feeds on OvidSP –Himmelfarb Library
OVID databases starter workbook (pdf) –University of Leeds Library
OVID databases advanced workbook (pdf) –University of Leeds Library

2008 Affinity CME Video Blog

We've created a new Affinty CME Video Blog for 2008. The url is slightly different, so you may want to update your Favorites or your RSS Feed.

The first program for 2008 is Asymptomatic Primary Hyperparathypothyroidism by Rebecca Sipple, MD. More info here ...

The 2008 Video Blog does have a sidebar link to the 2007 version, so you'll still be able to view the 2007 programs.

If you signed up for Feedburner email notifications on the 2007 video blog, you may want to sign up again since the 2008 version is a whole new blog.

Let me know if you have any questions or comments on the CME Video Blog.

Your Librarian,

Michele Matucheski, MLS, AHIP

Updated Training Materials Available from NLM

The following training materials have been updated for 2008:

• The PubMed® training workbook
• The Basics of Medical Subject Headings® Web site
• The PubMed Tutorial

These materials reflect changes in the medical subject headings and PubMed through December 2007. For details regarding these changes, see the November-December 2007 issue of the NLM Technical Bulletin.

Additional training materials for PubMed and other NLM® resources are available from the NLM Distance Education Program Resources page and the NLM Training Manuals and Resources site. The training manuals are designed for use with the NLM National Training Center and Clearinghouse training courses described at: http://nnlm.gov/ntcc/description.html.

From The NLM Technical Bulletin, January 2008 :
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/pubs/techbull/jf08/jf08_updated_training.html

Back to Basics : What's the Difference between Affinity's Health Science Libraries and The Public Library?

Question : What’s the difference between the Public Library and Affinity’s Health Science Libraries?

Answer : A Health Science Library is a “special library” that focuses its resources in the areas of health and medicine. Our mission is to help health professionals, patients, consumers and community members find the quality information they need to make informed health care decisions.

Therefore, most of what we have focuses on health, medicine, nursing, allied health, patient education and consumer health.

What we do NOT have :

You won’t find blockbuster movies, romance novels, westerns, car magazines, dog-training, gardening or quilting books in The Affinity Libraries. While these subjects have a great mass appeal, it is beyond the scope of our special health science library focus.

Public Libraries typically have a much broader mission that covers entertainment, cultural, educational and informational needs. Public Libraries often have SOME health and medical resources, but not to the extent and depth that a health science library has. This is our business.

Here are examples of some health-related questions we can help answer :

For health care consumers
Do you have cookbooks with recipes for diabetics?
What are the latest treatments for asthma?
My father’s doctor prescribed a new heart medication for him. What are the possible side effects and drug interactions?

For Health Professionals (Doctors, Nurses, and others …)
Where do I find current drug information on ABC drug?
Best practices for patient care
Patient Education Materials
Policy Updates
Patient Safety Initiatives
Continuing Education

In short, if you want to research a health topic, Affinity Library Services is the place!

Used Book Sale at Mercy Medical Center Library

We just put out a new batch of used books at the MMC Library. These are old editions (In most cases new editions are available for checkout, but are not for sale).

Prices are $1 per volume.
Limit 5 books per person.
First come, first served.

Subjects this time include the following :
Surgery (heart and chest)
Nursing Nursing Nursing
Quality
Obstetrics / Gynecology
Neurology
and many more...

Stop in to see the selection!

As always NEW books can be checked out for 2-4 weeks at a time.

In addition, we still have a decent selection of the old AudioDigests free to a good home. Series that remain are :
Family Practice
Ophthalmology
Internal Medicine
Gastroenterology
Anesthesiology
Obstetrics / Gynecology

OvidSP Transforms Searching

OvidSP, Ovid’s up-n-coming search interface, boasts new features and functionality that will make working in Journals@Ovid faster and easier than ever before. Sophisticated search technology and time-saving workflow tools help you quickly pinpoint relevant issues or article content, and refine and manipulate search results for better, more productive research. Benefits include:

Natural Language Processing (NLP)
NLP fuels the new Basic Search mode, where all types of users—not just beginners—can simply use everyday natural language to find precise, relevant results.

eTOCS via RSS or Email
Electronic tables of contents keep you up-to-date on new journal issues as soon as they’re available in Journals@Ovid. Subscribe to an RSS feed or have them delivered via AutoAlert email.

Issue Covers and Numbers Now Visible
Covers (where available) and numbers of each issue now appear in the journal issues list to help users instantly identify the source of their information.

Inline Article Abstracts
Expand or collapse abstracts inline—you don’t have to go to another page!

Click on the Try OvidSP! link in Ovid Medline or CINAHL to see for yourself just how much easier and faster journal searching is in OvidSP. Remember – we’ll have dual access to both platforms until the old Ovid interface retires on February 4, 2008.

Contact Affinity Librarians (Margo Lambert at 8-2325 or Michele Matucheski at 3-0340) if you have questions on OvidSP.

Old AudioDigests Free to a Good Home

Once again, the MMC and STE Libraries have 1 year's worth of old AudioDigest tapes available for FREE.

Although these tapes are too old to apply for CE credits, they do still offer a lot of good information for Physicians, PAs, Nurses, and other health professionals.

Subject areas include the following :

Urology, Psychiatry, Pediatrics, Otolaryngology, Orthopedics, Ophthalmology, Obstetrics & Gynecology, Internal Medicine, General Surgery, Gastroenterology, Family Practice, Emergency Medicine, Anesthesiology.

Look for them on the book sale tables at each library this month.

Why are we giving them away?

• --limited shelving space for audiovisuals
• --CE credits are available only for 3 years since date of publication
• --Our libraries emphasize the most up-to-date info, so we want to make room for more recent issues.
• -- Newer editions are available on AudioCD and MP3 files that can be downloaded to your computer or MP3 player.

Contact Michele Matucheski for more details on accessing recent AudioDigest MP3 files.

CDC's Holiday Health Song

Enjoy a little holiday cheer from The Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC) :

The 12 Ways to Health Holiday Song
http://www.cdc.gov/family/holiday/12ways.htm

Introducing OvidSP : New Interface for Medline & CINAHL

Ovid has announced a new interface for MEDLINE and CINAHL. Click on the Try OvidSP! link on any page in the current Ovid databases for immediate access to the new platform.

Now is the time to check out OvidSP! You’ll notice the easy-to-use interface, now with multiple search tabs geared to different types of searching.

Basic Search (see screenshot below), ideal for novice or occasional users, employs natural language searching and generates relevance ranked results.

Ovid Syntax allows you to search just like you do now in Ovid Gateway’s Advanced Search. New search refinement, results management, and alerting tools really do speed and streamline searching.

We will have dual access to both OvidSP and Ovid Gateway until February 4, 2008. As always, if you have any questions, please contact your Affinity Librarians :

Michele Matucheski at 3-0340 (MMC) or Margo Lambert at 8-2325 (STE).

World AIDS Day : December 1

Established in 1988 by the World Health Organization, World AIDS Day is observed every year on December 1st.

Resources for AIDS awareness are available from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) website, http://www.hhs.gov/aidsawarenessdays/days/world/index.html .

Included are links to fact sheets, customizable posters, downloadable public service announcements (PSAs) and videos. AIDS.gov provides access to U.S. government HIV/AIDS information on prevention, testing, treatment, research, policies and resources.

--From the U.S Department of Health and Human Services, 2007.

Find Drug Information for Health Professionals

Find Drug Information for Health Professionals
Visit the above library web page on the Affinity Intranet for the following listing of recommended drug resources.

DailyMed (Drug Information) : Provides high quality information about marketed drugs. Includes FDA approved labels (package inserts). Provides health care providers and the public with a standard, comprehensive, up-to-date, look-up and download resource of medication content and labeling as found in medication package inserts (similar to the PDR).

FDA's Drug Information Pathfinder : Pathfinder from the Food & Drug Administration

MDConsult : Includes full-text Medical Books, Journals, Patient Handouts, Practice Guidelines and more. Includes excellent drug information from Gold Standard with images for identification and verification.

Drug Information (MedlinePlus) : Information on thousands of prescription and over-the-counter medications.

Micromedex Drug Information : Drug and Toxicology Information, Drug Interactions, Dosing Tools, AltMed Leaflets, PDA Resources. Includes access to the PDR.

How to Find the PDR Online : Step-by-step screenshots to navigate your way to the PDR online.

LactMed : Drugs and Lactation : Includes information such as maternal levels in breast milk, infant levels in blood, potential effects in breastfeeding infants and on lactation itself, the American Academy of Pediatrics category indicating the level of compatibility of the drug with breastfeeding, and alternate drugs to consider.

Online Books on Drugs and Medications : A selection of 20+ items from the Affinity Electronic Bookshelf.

New and Improved Electronic Bookshelf

Did you know that Affinity Library Services subscribes to over 350 online textbooks in medicine, nursing and allied health? We track all of them in a QuickBase application called The Electronic Bookshelf.

You can get a sneak peak here. This new version will replace the old version on December 17th, 2007.

How to get there :
Library Home Page > Find Books > Electronic Bookshelf (old version) > New and Improved eBooks on QuickBase

The Electronic Bookshelf is a DIRECTORY, or index, of the eBooks Affinity-ites can access in various free and subscription sources. It does not (and will not) search the full-text of these eBooks.

Since most of our vendors are IP-authenticated, you'll need to be at an Affinty computer in order to access the eBooks. Use outside Affinity will result in broken links.

Users will be able to search or browse by subject, title or keyword.
The eBooks database will present a direct link into any of the eBooks we track.

Sources covered include eBooks from the following :
Books@Ovid
Stat!REF
MDConsult
NCBI Bookshelf

If you have questions, comments, or want to report broken links, contact Michele Matucheski via Outlook email or via phone at 3-0340.

New and Improved Electronic Bookshelf

Winners Announced from NMLM 2007

Thank you to everyone who helped us celebrate National Medical Librarian’s Month 2007.

We appreciate your participation and enthusiasm!

Winners of our October Contests are as follows :

How Many Life Savers in the Jar? (Winners received the candies.)
Susan Harris, Radiology, MMC
Marilyn Binder, Radiology, STE
Donna Schultz, Cardiology/AMG Heart and Lung

Word Search Prize Drawing for a Gift Shop Gift Certificate :
Patricia Jolin, MMC Environmental Services
Nanette Williams - Nursing
Kendra Rios - STE Foundation

Find Past Entries

Did you know … The Library articles that appear in The Weekly are archived on The What’s New at Affinity Libraries Blog?

Visit us here!

Or Affinity Intranet > Library > What’s New?

Wish you could find a particularly helpful article from 6 months ago?

Use the “Search this Blog” feature (Above).

Or browse back in time on the archive of past posts (Left).

Archives Week : National Medical Librarians' Month

Photos from The Tank Family Farm, Oshkosh, WI.

Sneak a peak at some of our archival scrapbooks and photo albums online.

Affinity Archives Web Albums on Picassa

These days, many of the pictures we’re acquiring for the Affinity Archives come in digital format. While this poses some unique preservation challenges (Will they be around 100 years from now? Think about the fate of 8-track tapes from the 1970s …), it does allow us to make these pictures much more accessible to people.

If you have pictures (digital or paper) that you would like to donate to the MMC or STE Library Archives, contact us :

Michele Matucheski at MMC mmatuche@affinityhealth.org
Margo Lambert at STE mlambert@affinityhealth.org

What are we looking for?
People, places, and events from around Affinity, and Affinity in the Communities.
Examples :
Nurses Week
Heritage Days
Retirements
Affinity Packer Picnics

Anything that captures the spirit, culture, and times of Affinity.
If you’ve got pictures, we’d love to have copies for the Archives!

How is this useful?
At MMC, the Hallmarks of History exhibit includes photos from The Tank Family Farm, the farm that was on the building site of the present Mercy Medical Center. Not long ago, some neighbors of the Tanks from years ago asked about the Tank Family Farm Pictures. They had been removed from the exhibit. By making the pictures available as a web photo album, we were easily able to share the photos. The family was very pleased!

What's New at Affinity Libraries? Audio Book Drive

By Margo Lambert, MLIS

If you regularly listen to recorded books and are wondering what to do with that rapidly growing collection of tapes and CDs to which you’ll never listen again, please consider donating them to the Affinity Libraries and help to enhance our patients’ experiences.

The Affinity Libraries wish to develop a collection of general interest recorded books to be made available to patients. Since the purchase of non-medical materials falls outside the scope of acceptable uses for library funds, we are inviting AHS staff members to donate gently used books on cassette or CD. We would welcome fiction, history, humor, biography, or any other titles that might entertain and help pass the time for those facing longer periods of hospitalization or for those who must undergo lengthy treatments. It is our hope that, by providing this type of material to our patients, we will be able to increase patient satisfaction with our facilities.

Of course, staff members would also be welcome to check out these materials.

We will be accepting donated audio books at the following locations:

Mercy Medical Center, Oshkosh
The Clark Family Library
920-223-0342

St. Elizabeth Hospital
Health Science Library (near the ER)
920-738-2324

Thank you very much for your participation in this project.

Looking for Answers? : Your Librarian has the Key to Quality Information!

What does a Health Science Librarian do all day?

It’s a lot more than just circulating and shelving books.

In between helping people to use the computers, unclogging paper jams in the MFD, giving tours of the library and website, writing articles for The Weekly …

First and foremost, Librarians help people find the information they need to make well-informed health care decisions.

Who do we help?
Physicians, Nurses, Physical Therapists, Transcriptionists, Administrators, other health professionals, Patients and their families, community members, and students.

What are they looking for? Articles and information on :
Current updates in their specialty areas
Continuing Education and Training
Best Practices for Patient Care
Consumer Health and Patient Education Information
Policy Updates
Patient Safety Initiatives
Drug Info
Research for student papers (Many employees have gone back to school.)

How do we do help?
* By organizing and making accessible libraries of information in both physical (real-world books and journals) and online environments (internet).
* By training people to use the library tools to find what they need
* By doing the research in the form of database and internet searches
* By delivering the articles and information to our patrons
* By helping people use technology efficiently

Does our work make a difference?
YES! Information can help a patient or family member deal with a new diagnosis or treatment by alleviating anxiety, and by empowering them to take part in their own health care. It can also help them to cope, and develop a game plan.

One woman says, “At the age of 35, my brother was diagnosed with Asperger Syndrome. The helpful staff at The Mercy Library provided several books and handouts on the topic. For years my family had been wondering why this otherwise smart person (my brother) just wasn’t able to function in the world (He couldn’t hold a job, made poor decisions, didn’t have many friends, made inappropriate comments …) With this information, the pieces of the puzzle are coming together. Now, we understand that his brain is literally wired differently. We have a whole new understanding of what to expect, what situations to beware of, how we can support him, what he needs to work on, and what he might still be able to accomplish with his life. We know what we’re dealing with now, and we’re ALL learning to cope with this form of high-functioning autism. My brother is currently in counseling to learn the social skills he couldn’t pick up on his own. Thus starts the road to recovery.”

Your Medical Librarian : The Key to Quality Information

October is National Medical Librarian's Month

Celebrate with Affinity Library Services.

We'll be having special features all month. Stay tuned!

October is National Medical Librarians' Month : Enter Our Drawing

How many Life Savers in the jar?

Enter your guess online by visiting the library website, or use this web form.

Or stop by the libraries at :

· Mercy Medical Center Library
· St. Elizabeth Hospital Professional Library
· St. Elizabeth Hospital Resource Café
· Affinity Health & Wellness Center at the20th Ave Oshkosh YMCA.


Contest ends October 31.
One entry per person, please.

The winning entry wins all the candy!

As always, it is our pleasure to serve you.

Word Search Chellenge for NMLM!

Complete this Word Search (Word doc) for a chance to win a gift certificate to the MMC or STE Gift Shops.

By Popular request, Margo made this year's puzzle a little more difficult than last year.

Have Fun!

Download and Listen to AudioDigest MP3s

Download and listen to AudioDigest MP3s on your computer or player.
Use this tutorial [Affinity access only] with screen shots to learn how.
Includes our institutional username and password.
We’ve already subscribed, so you don’t have to!

Affinity Libraries subscribe to the AudioDigest continuing medical education series in the following areas :

Anesthesiology
Emergency Medicine
Gastroenterology
General Surgery
Internal Medicine
Obstetrics & Gynecology
Ophthalmology
Orthopaedics
Otolaryngology
Pediatrics
Psychiatry
Urology

New issues are made available once or twice a month.

If you would prefer, we still have AudioDigest programs available as AudioCDs.

Contact Your Librarian, Michele Matucheski, at mmatuche@affinityhealth.org or 920-223-0340 with any questions.

Affinity Full-Text on Google Scholar

What is GoogleScholar?
Instead of searching the wide-open internet, Google Scholar allows you to search the scholarly literature, online journals from reputable publishers. It's the scholarly (smarter) version of Google.

In theory, Google Scholar provides better quality results than just searching the wide-open internet.

Where is Google Scholar?
In Google, Click on “More.”
From the list of options, select Scholar.

Or go directly to : http://scholar.google.com/

Affinity Full-Text through Google Scholar
Did you know that if you use Google Scholar at any Affinity computer, you’ll be able to access the library’s stock of full-text articles. Just look for the “Affinity Full-Text” link with each entry.

Clicking on the Article Title (In this case “Creative Space”) will take you to the article on the publisher’s site. In this case, Affinity does have access to the journal Headache, so getting to the full-text is easy!

To see other options, click on the Affinity Full-Text link. This will take you to our A-Z Journals List. The Article Linker will provide all the links for where we have full-text access to that article. There may be more than one source.

Keep in mind, we don’t have online access to everything on the internet, but it’s a lot more than you’d see on your own.

Sometimes our only access is in a print journal. In most cases, if you make the request, we can email you a PDF copy of the article from a print journal. If we don't have it, we can also usually get copies of articles from other libraries via Inter-Library Loan.

Do Mandrakes Really Scream?

The exhibition, Do Mandrakes Really Scream?: Magic and Medicine in Harry Potter showcases seven treasures from the National Library of Medicine's History of Medicine Division, featured in the Harry Potter series. This special exhibition is open until November 30, 2007, and is located in the History of Medicine Division Reading Room, on the first floor of building 38 of the National Library of Medicine on the campus of the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, Maryland.

The exhibition's web site is now available to all at
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/exhibition/mandrakes . ENJOY!

"Save Patients from Media Hype"

Pector EA. Save Patients from Media Hype : How to Help Them Make Sense of the “Research” they Bring to You. Medical Economics. August 17, 2007 ; 84(16)). Available at http://www.memag.com/memag/article/articleDetail.jsp?id=448061

This article discusses how patients read medical studies, and some of the typical interpretations such as “Risk is imminent” or “If it’s published, it must be true.” It also includes a section on interpreting medical statistics and where to access the best evidence (EBM results).

DailyMed - Current Drug Information

DailyMed – Current Drug Information
http://dailymed.nlm.nih.gov/dailymed/about.cfm

* From The National Library of Medicine.
* Provides high quality information about marketed drugs.
* Includes FDA approved labels (package inserts).
* Provides health care professionals and the public with a standard, comprehensive, up-to-date, look-up and download resource of medication content and labeling as found in medication package inserts (similar to the PDR).
* Easier to get to than the PDR online through Micromedex
* Free on the Internet

For more info on DailyMed, view the PowerPoint Presentation from The NLM Theater.

How do I find it on the Affinity Intranet?

Method 1 : Use the Search box atop any intranet page . Type in : DailyMed.

Method 2 : Affinity Intranet > Library > Drug Info for Health Professionals > DailyMed

Method 3 : Affinity Intranet > Library > What’s New at Affinity Library Services? > Use the Search Box at top of page > Type in DailyMed

Method 4 : Use Google (or other favorite search engine) > Type in DailyMed.

Health : US News

Health: US News

A treasure trove of consumer health information, including US News’
Health Rankings and Hospital Search. Feature stories like "Avoid a Summer Visit to the Emergency Room," and "Keep Moving With Injury-Free Workouts,” and “How safe is Your Drinking Water?” and much more …

Hospital Directory
See Affinity listings with statistics :
Calumet Medical Center

Mercy Medical Center

St. Elizabeth Hospital

Best Health Plans – See where Network Health Plan ranks.

Announcing the Affinity CME Video Blog!

The Affinity Health System CME Offerings (aka The Affinity CME Video Blog) via your computer.


What is it?
* A regularly updated website where you can access video presentations of continuing medical education (CME) programs previously presented at Mercy Medical Center. We hope to add other programs from around Affnity soon.
* Access is 24/7 - on your own schedule
* Access from your work or home computer
* Better use of time (not spent in travel to the presentation site)

* So more of you can "attend" these lectures without physically being there

For an intro about the CME Video blof itself, visit the sites below.


CME Video Blog FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions)

CME Video Blog and Library Orientation (Documentation and Handouts), July 11, 2007

CME Video Blog and Library Orientation Video

CME Video Blog System Requirements

Liberating the Evidence : Take a TRIP

The TRIP Database is one of the better known meta-search engines for Evidence-Based Medicine (EBM). It lets clinicians search several EBM Tools at once, saving valuable time.

Find a link to TRIP on the Affinity Library Pathfinder, Find the Best Evidence.

TRIP is listed under Meta-Search Engines.

TRIP Database : Turning Research Into Practice
http://www.tripdatabase.com/

Top 10 Search Tips for TRIP
By John Brassey

Want more? Here’s a more comprehensive list of tips for TRIP, also by Mr. Brassey.

Credit goes to David Rothman for “discovering” these sources and sharing it on his medical librarianship blog.

MDConsult's New Look

Did you know … a smarter, easier, better MDConsult has been available for about 6 weeks.

Take a Tour! View the revised MDConsult training presentation.

Still all the great full-text info you're used to :

• Books
• Journals
• Drug Information
• Patient Education Handbouts
• Guidelines
• News, and more ...

MDConsult brings the leading medical resources together into one integrated online service to help physicians efficiently find answers to pressing clinical questions and make better treatment decisions.

Available through Affinity Library Services.