Under the auspices of an NN/LM MAR  Small Projects Award, the staff of Warner Memorial Library at Eastern University (St. David’s, PA), Eastern University nursing students, and professional nurses were able to work firsthand with a variety of e-reader technologies.  Students from a nursing informatics class sampled the e-readers. The project was designed to evaluate the e-readers as tools to be used to reduce the cost of nursing textbooks and to demonstrate how faculty and students in the classroom setting could utilize the e-readers. The evaluation of the readers was based on the following criteria: 1) cost; 2) durability; 3) ease of use; and 4) sustainability.   The devices evaluated included the Kindle, Nook, Sony Digital Reader, and Velocity Cruz Readers.  Generally, for both student and professional nurses, the Kindle offered the best tool for reading e-books.

The evaluation of textbook cost benefits of e-readers continues. However, the e-readers provided a surprising unanticipated benefit, the sharing of notes and highlights via Twitter and Facebook. This made for a highly interactive sharing of readings. The social networking tools provided an added value above text cost saving for those considering using e-readers to deliver textbooks and journal articles to nursing students.

Mark Puterbaugh
Information Systems Librarian
Eastern University

Last fall, the University at Buffalo’s Health Sciences Library (UB HSL) exhibited at “The 4th Annual P² Conference – Creating a Healthy Community”. The P² Collaborative of Western New York (P²) organized the conference. The P² membership includes the general community, employers, health care providers, and health plans all working towards their mission to improve the health of people in the Western New York region by empowering the community to responsibility for their health and wellness.

Elaine Dean(left), Ophelia Morey(right)

Approximately 318 individuals attended this year’s conference over a two-day period representing primarily health care, social services, and community-based organizations. The conference included presentations on health equity, collaborating with diverse and underserved populations, in addition to other health and healthcare related topics.

The goals of the exhibit were to increase awareness of health information resources and services available from NLM and UB HSL. We accomplished this by providing print material on MedlinePlus, Pubmed and other NLM resources in addition to MedlinePlus Magazine. We were also able to find out what services participants were interested in receiving from HSL by having them complete a survey for entry into a raffle. Many indicated that they were interested in consumer health exhibits and workshops.

Approximately 100 participants attended our exhibit where we were prepared to offer demos of NLM resources, but the conference format resulted in high traffic during brief breaks thus making online demos difficult. Nevertheless, we were able to answer questions about NLM resources and services provided by UB HSL.

Exhibiting at the conference provided us with information to more effectively plan and participate in other consumer health outreach activities.

Ophelia Morey, MLS
Associate Librarian
Coordinator of Community Outreach Service University at Buffalo Health Sciences Library

The Brooklyn, Queens, Staten Island, Manhattan and Bronx Health Sciences Librarians (BQSI/MB) held its Spring Meeting at Lenox Hill Hospital on April 19^th, 2010.  The continuing education program was the Medical Library Association (MLA) “Getting Magnetized: Search and Service Strategies for Nursing Excellence”. The MLA Instructor was Ms. Joy C. Kennedy, MLS, from the Health Resource Library, Northwest Community Hospital, Arlington Heights, Il. This continuing education program would not have been possible without the support of MARL small project grant which covered the cost of our Instructor fees and travel. We were all very pleased with the program and wonderful response.

Ms. Kennedy was extremely knowledgeable on the topic of magnet nursing. The Five ‘Model Components” of Magnetism, transformational leadership; structural empowerment; exemplary professional practice; new knowledge, innovation & improvements; empirical outcomes were all discussed at length including background, implementation and resources. Ms. Kennedy provided the class with handouts of the Power Point presentation; an extensive bibliography; and plenty of information to return to our prospective libraries ready to support nursing magnet initiatives.

The results of 29 evaluations returned at the conclusion of the class are as follows:

Instructor Rating
based on a 1-4 rating; 4 being excellent.

Program Evaluation

* We had a couple of breakout sessions which may have been considered a “hands on session”.

The top three major strengths of the program were instructor scored 28; information gained scored 28; creative ideas scored 16. The overall rating was excellent and very well received.

Comments:

• Ideas and illustrations of what the instructor has done; audience participation excellent
• Examples by instructor and audience participants were very helpful
• Good class wonderful presenter-dynamic and knowledgeable
• Connecting materials presented to work of the librarian
• Slides were very helpful
• Ideas on how to be more involved in the magnet process/I felt inspired
• Instructor gave an excellent presentation relevant to librarians and nurses
• Handouts with websites input from other attendees were helpful
• Good brainstorming ideas
• Great background information to use in any situation
• Steps to follow in magnet application process most helpful
• Power point slides and anecdotal information were most helpful

The segment on ideas for library services for structural empowerment provided the librarians in attendance with concrete initiatives which encourage library outreach to our nursing programs. Involving our nurses in our collection development policies; supporting nursing research; encouraging library participation in Nurses Week; library newsletters should include a segment on nursing are all initiatives designed to support one of the largest departments in the hospital.

As a result of this continuing education course we as librarians are prepared to support our nursing programs whether or not the various institutions represented apply for and achieve Magnet Nursing status. This program was met with a great deal of enthusiasm and again we are grateful to NN/LM  MARL small project grant for making this possible.

MAR is pleased to announce that we have broadened the scope and extended the deadlines for two awards that were announced in June:

1. Outreach Training Award (formerly Outreach Training Award Targeting Unaffiliated Health Professionals Working with Seniors or in Nursing Homes.) http://nnlm.gov/mar/funding/outreachuhpsenior.html

This award for Full and Affiliate Network members is intended to support training for and promote awareness of the products and services of the National Library of Medicine (NLM) and NN/LM. Priority will be given to applications targeted to unaffiliated health professionals who work with seniors and/or in nursing homes, but other projects are welcome. Two awards of up to $7,500 each are available. The new deadline for applications is September 30, 2010.

1. Small Outreach Project Award (formerly Small Project Awards Targeting Unaffiliated Health Professionals Working with Seniors and/or in Nursing Homes) http://nnlm.gov/mar/funding/smallprojuhpsenior.html

This award for Full and Affiliate Network members is intended to promote library services and NLM products and services. Priority will be given to applications targeting unaffiliated health professionals who work with seniors and/or in nursing homes, but all projects are welcome. Eight (8) awards of up to $2,000 each are available. Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis until December 31, 2010 or until all the funds have been awarded. PLEASE NOTE INCREASED NUMBER OF AWARDS.

Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Library and Archives (CSHL; http://library.cshl.edu/) wanted a novel approach to promote and deliver access to the varied resources and services we provide to our community of scientists, scholars, students, donors, neighbors and friends. With help from a grant provided by the National Network of Libraries of Medicine, Middle Atlantic Region, received in January, 2010, we purchased equipment to create a digital Information Kiosk. During the next three months we teamed up with our Information Technology Department to select and purchase hardware (a PC, headphones, mouse, and flat-panel display television), and plan and design a website. We also enlisted the help of the laboratory’s in-house architects and Facilities Department to design, build, and install a cabinet for the Kiosk. Our science librarians and archivist adapted content from our existing websites for the initial Kiosk website content, which can be frequently updated to meet our users’ needs. The CSHL Library Information Kiosk was introduced on May 18, 2010 during a ceremony to celebrate the expansion and renovation of the library building. Over 200 guests were in attendance and many were given demonstrations of the Kiosk which is prominently placed in a new exhibit gallery, directly inside the library’s main entrance.

CSHL Library Information Kiosk, installed in the Carnegie Library Building on the campus of Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Cold Spring Harbor, NY

The CSHL Library Information Kiosk is an attractive and engaging tool to encourage browsing for the expansion of knowledge. It not only contains links to library services, current biomedical information and public health information from NIH and NLM, recent papers from CSHL scientists, and tutorials from NLM and database vendors, but also provides access to online historical exhibits and records from our Archives and NLM. We believe promoting the history of molecular biology and genetics, and the role of our institution in this history, gives a context for understanding today’s rapid scientific advances and the issues which are important for personal health decisions.

We will use labwide e-mails and postings on internal websites to introduce the Kiosk to the CSHL community. The regularly scheduled CSHL campus tours will include a stop at the Library for demonstrations of the Kiosk by librarians and tour guides. Going forward we plan to deliver content developed for the Information Kiosk to other physical locations on the CSHL campus using digital signage technology. To measure user satisfaction we have placed paper survey forms at the Kiosk site, which include space for feedback and contact information to follow up on suggestions and comments. In addition web statistics generated by the Webalizer analysis program will help us determine what people are looking at, and how many people are using the Kiosk. We anticipate the Kiosk, in combination with new exhibits on display in the Library, will lengthen the time our patrons spend seeking information and knowledge.

CSHL Library and Archives’ newest information access tool is a flexible delivery vehicle which can easily display fresh content according to our patrons’ needs. We can present our users with interesting and entertaining views for accessing biomedical information, library services, and the history of molecular biology, genetics, and biotechnology at CSHL and worldwide. In addition, the Kiosk has accelerated the creativity and ideas our science librarians and library staff have for introducing new content to educate and engage our patrons.

Mila Pollock
Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Library and Archives
Cold Spring Harbor, NY

MAR is pleased to announce another new funding opportunity:

Small Project Awards Targeting Unaffiliated Health Professionals Working with Seniors and/or in Nursing Homes

http://nnlm.gov/mar/funding/smallprojuhpsenior.html

This award for Full and Affiliate Network members is intended to promote library services and NLM products and services specifically to unaffiliated health professionals who work with seniors and/or in nursing homes. Three (3) awards of up to $2,000 each are available. Deadline for applications is August 1, 2010.

Between April, 27-30, 2010 the Substance Abuse Librarians and Information Specialists (SALIS) welcomed over 40 of its members to New York City and its 32nd annual conference.

SALIS is the preeminent international association of individuals and organizations concerned with the exchange and dissemination of information about alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs (ATOD). The theme of this year’s conference: ‘ATOD Policy and Information Technology in an Era of Change’, reflected the two intersecting fields of knowledge in which SALIS members operate, as well as the fact that major changes have occurred within both these fields.

Public policy in the United States has been affected by, among other things, the change in administration as well as public opinion. The resulting changes have included passage of medical marijuana laws in various sates, and in some, a reduction in drug related sentencing laws as well as a new national drug control strategy.  At the same time, technological innovations, mostly in the form of Web 2.0, have resulted in changes in the ways in which SALIS members practice their skills as librarians and information specialists.

The purpose of the SALIS 2010 conference was to provide the attendees with a fresh perspective on their professional lives so on returning to their respective libraries they would be better able to carry out their professional duties while at the same time networking in New York City with their colleagues.

The meeting was hosted by The National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse (CASA) at Columbia University. From its foundation in 1992, CASA recognized the importance of timely and accurate information in conducting its research by making certain that a librarian was a part of the CASA research team.  It was therefore considered very appropriate that the two organizations (SALIS and CASA) found common cause through the conference and CASA welcomed SALIS to its conference space on the 18the floor of 633 Third Avenue.

David Man
The National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse (CASA) at Columbia University
633 Third Avenue, Floor 19
New York, NY 10017

From the latest HealthCampNYC announcement:

 HealthCampNYC is happening this Friday. We are very excited about the event and look forward to meeting everyone.

 Here are a few things you should know:

 * HealthCampNYC will take place at the Central Library located at

Grand Army Plaza and Eastern Parkway, Brooklyn, NY 11238. Directions:

http://healthcampnyc.wetpaint.com/page/Directions

  HealthCampNYC starts at 9am. Doors to the Library’s Dweck Auditorium

Eastern Parkway entrance (the side with the flag) will open at 8:45am.

 * We will raffle some prizes, so bring your business cards to enter the raffle.

 * Wireless internet access is available and the HealthCampNYC wiki will be used throughout the day. Feel free to bring your laptop.

 * Schedule of the Day

Opening session: 9:00am-10:30am

AM discussion sessions: 10:45am-11:45am

Lunch: 11:45am-1:15pm

PM discussion sessions: 1:15pm-2:15pm and 2:30pm-3:30pm

Wrap up session & raffle: 3:45pm-5:00pm

 * Lunch options: We’ve created a list and map of area restaurants:

http://healthcampnyc.wetpaint.com/page/Places+to+Eat+Nearby.

 * More information about HealthCampNYC is on http://healthcampnyc.wetpaint.com

Please email us at healthcampnyc@gmail.com if you have any questions.

 See you this Friday.

 The HealthCampNYC Team

Carrie Banks, Angela Barnes, Stephanie Bouffard, Lisa Chow, Mel Gooch,

and Sandra Sajonas

HealthCampNYC is funded by a Small Projects Award from MAR.

Crouse Hospital Library acquired a table skirt for use at health fairs that we participate in both in our organization and in our community. The skirt which is imprinted with our hospital logo helps us project and maintain a professional, recognizable image that is consistent with related hospital marketing materials.  It is a big step up from the generic plastic dollar-store tablecloths we utilized up till now.

The Library table with the new skirt premiered November 5th at Crouse’s Community Education program Living Well with Diabetes; Managing Stress & Your Medications with presentation and panel discussion which included a hospital pharmacist, mental health counselor, diabetes educator, and endrocinologist. Participants were able to explore NLM’s MedlinePlus and received handouts such as MLA’s Diabetes Recommended Web Sites.

We look forward to using our new table skirt at the many community health fairs and hospital educational events that we participate in each year with other members of Crouse’s health care team.

Kristine Delaney
Crouse Hospital
Syracuse, NY

For many years, the Delaware Division of Substance Abuse and Mental Health (DSAMH) Medical Library languished in the dark, sustained by a group of dedicated patrons.  It was not until the past few years that the DSAMH Medical Library put their collection on an online catalog, joined the DOCLINE revolution of inter-library loaning, and became a member of an information consortium (the Delaware Medical Information Resource Alliance, DelMiRA) to purchase electronic resources.

Despite emerging into the world of technology and interconnectivity, the DSAMH Medical Library had lost some of its on-site vitality – reduced staff, increased workloads, and the concept of using the Internet as the information go-to hacked their way into the foot traffic of the Library.

But, thanks to a Small Project Award granted by the National Network of Libraries of Medicine – Middle Atlantic Region, the Library started a new initiative to combat the realities of the world:  If you display it, they will come.  The Small Project Award allowed the Library to purchase a display table and signage, for the purpose of catching the eye of potential patrons.  And, once the person stepped into the Library to look at the contents of the table…all was lost.  Well, not really lost, per se, but the person was engaged and more often than not left the Library with something in their hands, be it a borrowed Library book, a ephemeral brochure, or a business card.  The Library hopes to encourage an increase in foot traffic and materials circulation due to the colorful display table.