Happy summer to the members of the GMR! According to the National Weather Service, although astronomical summer is still days away, June 1 launched meteorological summer. Time to celebrate the season of sand, sun and fun(ding)! With the annual MLA conference over and Memorial Day a memory, if you’re like me, thoughts now turn to what else but great outreach and other projects.

On May 1, NN/LM GMR entered into its fifth year (May 1, 2010 through April 30, 2011) of the 2006-2011 contract with the National Library of Medicine. As a result, there is no time for those larger, longer projects that the GMR funds as subcontracts to get underway and completed before the end of our contract year. However, if you have ideas for technology improvement, a small outreach opportunity or an exhibit showcasing NLM and other resources, the GMR might have just the sort of funding option to help. (more…)

MedlinePlus and MedlinePlus en español will debut a new design in summer 2010.  Many of the changes are based on feedback NLM received from users.

Redesign features:

• Emphasizes search and makes navigation more intuitive
• Frequently used content is easier to find
• New MedlinePlus logo for strong product branding
• Web 2.0 technologies that help users share content
• Distinctive color schemes for English and Spanish pages

To get a sneak peek at what’s coming, please go to http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/preview/overview.html to start your tour.

There is a feedback form on the bottom of every page. Your comments are welcome!

By Anna Ercoli Schnitzer
Liaison/Disabilities Librarian
Taubman Health Sciences Library
University of Michigan

Three staff members of the University of Michigan A. Alfred Taubman Health Sciences Library staffed a table at the biennial VISIONS Conference on May 12, 2010. Originally sponsored by the Washtenaw County Library for the Blind and Physically Disabled, this is an event currently organized and presented by the Ann Arbor District Library as an occasion for vendors to demonstrate technological advances that will be helpful to people who are visually impaired. The conference is held at Washtenaw Community College in Ypsilanti, Michigan and usually attracts about 500 or more participants and some of them travel considerable distances to attend. (more…)

MedlinePlus, the premiere consumer health site from the U.S. National Library of Medicine, has newly updated pages on some of the basics: vitamins A, B, C, D, E & K. Check them out.

B Vitamins: http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/bvitamins.html

Vitamin A: http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/vitamina.html

Vitamin C: http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/vitaminc.html

Vitamin D: http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/vitamind.html

Vitamin E: http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/vitamine.html

Vitamin K: http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/vitamink.html (more…)

by Mary Ann Urbashich
Associate Director
Green-Field Library and Resource Center
Chicago, IL

The Alzheimer’s Association Green-Field Library is pleased to announce a new Virtual Library at http://www.alz.org/library.  The new web page has been made possible by an Outreach Express Award from NN/LM Greater Midwest Region.   Green-Field Library serves diverse populations and an expansive geographic area through the national headquarters in Chicago, Illinois, and a network of 74 chapter organizations nationwide.  Since 1991 the library has grown to house a collection of 6,000 books and videos and 150 journals.  In 2009 we responded to 4500 questions and distributed a thousand articles through interlibrary loan. (more…)

The Maternal and Child Health Library at Georgetown University in collaboration with the National Maternal and Child Oral Health Resource Center (OHRC) released a new edition of the knowledge path about oral health for infants, children, adolescents, and pregnant women.

Presented in time for National Children’s Dental Health Month in February, this electronic guide points to resources that analyze data, describe effective programs, and report on policy and research aimed at improving access to and the quality of oral health care. The knowledge path contains sections with resources for professionals, resources for consumers, and resources on specific aspects of oral health. (more…)

by Diane Nordeng
Medical Librarian
VA Medical Center
Fargo, ND

MyHealtheVet (http://www.myhealth.va.gov) is an award-winning website that was developed for the veterans in the Fall of 2003. It is an online Personal Health Record and offers veterans access to Veterans Administration (VA) health care any time through the internet. MyHealtheVet is the gateway to web-based tools that empower veterans to become better partners in their health care. The site is constantly adding new features and the latest is the capability of the veteran to order prescriptions online by seeing the names of the drugs–not just numbers. Future features will include access to lab results, appointments and secure messaging to the provider.

At the Fargo North Dakota VA Medical Center, the Library and Education staff work together to assist veterans with MyHealtheVet registration, In-Person-Authentication and general orientation to the website. One of the Medical Library links on this website is a link to Medlineplus®, and it seemed like a natural fit to have copies of the NIH MedlinePlus the Magazine available to give to the veterans in connection with registering for this website and also an excellent opportunity to advertise this great magazine. They can take a copy home and if they like it, sign up for a free subscription with the card included.

It’s a win-win situation for the veterans and NLM!

December 1, 2009, has been designated World AIDS Day in order to bring attention to the increasing prevalence of HIV and AIDS. Organizations around the world will be joining together to promote awareness and education of HIV/AIDS through a variety of events.

The Specialized Information Services division of the National Library of Medicine provides information on HIV/AIDS treatment, prevention, and research for the public, researchers/scientists, health professionals and students/educators at: http://sis.nlm.nih.gov/hiv.html

For more information on HIV/AIDS and World AIDS Day, please see: http://www.aids.gov or http://www.worldaidsday.org. These sites contain personal stories, links to awareness and promotional materials, common myths, and a wealth of information on HIV/AIDS including print resources and new media tools such as podcasts, blogs, ecards, Twitter, widgets and more.

Anna Ercoli Schnitzer
InfoPoint Librarian
Health Sciences Libraries
University of Michigan
Ann Arbor, MI

On the morning of November 4th, the staff of the Health Sciences Libraries, plus about a dozen visitors from the Health System, were treated to a demonstration by representatives from Paws with a Cause–of how a trained service dog can help a client who happens to be paralyzed or otherwise physically challenged.

Becky and her black lab Dart (short for D’Artagnan) worked together to illustrate how the dog can pick up fallen objects–some as small as a dime, pull off clothing (gloves, jacket, shoes) and even help an individual to rise from a sitting or supine position. We met another dog, a golden retriever puppy, who was being socialized by Diane, another Paws representative before being put through its training, a regimen that costs about $20,000 for each dog. Paws with a Cause pays for everything except the annual maintenance (vet’s fees, food) for the working dogs when they are placed.

(more…)

Thanks to Nancy Brothers, Coordinator of Programming and Public Relations at the Morton Grove Public Library for sharing this report:

The third annual Low Vision Fair was held September 26, 2009, at the Niles Senior Center, Niles, Illinois. The Fair, sponsored by eight north suburban Chicago public libraries, featured speakers, supportive service providers, and vendors of equipment and assistive devices. The intent of the Fair was to provide practical and useful information about new developments in eye care, retina and glaucoma screenings, and products and services available to help persons with limited vision.

An Exhibit Award from the GMR made it possible for the librarians to expand promotional efforts and to provide an honorarium for each of the speakers. The NN/LM briefcase exhibit and a variety of NLM brochures were positioned in the main meeting room, where two speakers gave presentations on diagnosis and treatment of retina disorders and current advances in eye and vision research. Everyone who attended the speakers’ sessions or who picked up refreshments passed by the display and had an opportunity to talk with the librarians and to pick up brochures. (more…)