Twila Snead is using her Micro-Award grant from NN/LM-MAR to increase the number of physicians registered to use St. Luke’s Cornwall Hospital’s Virtual Medical Library and to get resource evaluation and feedback from those already using the extensive array of electronic resources.  Physicians who participated chose a 256k credit card style flash drive or digital golf scope both imprinted with the library logo and URL.  Her initial effort in conjunction with a physician’s seminar resulted in thirteen new physician’s registering to use the library website and fifteen physician’s responding to the three question survey.

Surprisingly many of the physician’s stated that the resources they normally use are already available through the website.  Other significant results were that 13 of the 15 physician’s expressed a desire to order articles directly through PubMed.  Twila will follow up with individual office visits to set them up and review procedures for Loansome Doc use.

Snead, Twilia.  St. Luke’s Cornwall Hospital, Newburgh, NY.

Saint Peter’s University Hospital is a 458-bed teaching hospital located in central New Jersey.  It is fully accredited by the Joint Commission and was the tenth hospital in the nation to be certified as a Magnet hospital by the American Nurse Credentialing Center. Saint Peter’s has been an academic affiliate of Drexel University College of Medicine since 2005. Saint Peter’s University Hospital’s Medical Library’s mission is to support the clinical research and educational requirements of hospital staff and personnel through the maintenance of a comprehensive and current collection of medical, nursing, and allied health databases, books, journals and multimedia materials.  Patients and visitors may request simple health-related reference questions.  Due to the size of the memory (256 MB) the computers did not work to their fullest potential.  Three staff workstations have standard monitors, which limits the amount of workspace. 

The award money was used to purchase five new staff computers (Reference Desk, Circulation Desk, Interlibrary Loan Desk, Manager’s Office, Medical Librarian’s Office.) as well as two computers for patron use.  The computers were ordered in December 2007, with installation completed in February 2008.  There have been no desktop requests made to the IT helpdesk since the computers were installed.  Staff is able to open PDF’s without delay, as it was time consuming in the past.  Feedback from the patrons has been 100% positive.  They appreciate the upgrade and the additional workstation space the new computers provide.  The project has allowed both staff and patrons to work effectively, saving both time and sanity.  The Middle Atlantic Region (MAR) of the National Network of Libraries of Medicine for the opportunity to apply for this award.  Without the funding, our library would not have been able to purchase new computers. 

Creazzo, Jeannine.  Saint Peter’s Univeristy Hospital, New Brunswick, NJ.

In March 2007, The New York Academy of Medicine (NYAM) applied for a Technology Improvement Award from the National Network of Libraries of Medicine, Middle Atlantic Region (NNLM/MAR) for the purpose of setting up a wireless network in the Library’s Reading Room. In July 2007, the NNLM/MAR awarded $7,500 to the NYAM Library for this project.

 The New York Academy of Medicine’s building was constructed in 1927 and, as such, is an old building full of cement and steel bars, making the installation of a wireless network extremely difficult.  We are pleased to report that our installation was successful and the Library now has a completely wireless network.

 Although it is difficult to formally evaluate the impact of having wireless internet access in the Library, we can say that our patrons are very pleased as it has made their research process much simpler.  In the past, patrons would have to use the public workstations to search our catalog and databases and then enter their findings onto their laptops.  Now this is a one-step process that can be accomplished on their laptops anywhere in the Library.

 NYAM staff and visitors, in increasing numbers, are also using our wireless service. Mount Sinai students who will be using the NYAM Library while their library is renovated this summer were very happy to hear that wireless would be available to them here. The members of an evidence-based emergency medicine group that meets at NYAM each August were equally pleased when notified of our new wireless service.

 The availability of wireless internet access has made a positive impact on service at The New York Academy of Medicine Library and we are most grateful to the National Network of Libraries of Medicine/Middle Atlantic Region for their financial support.

 Yixiong Xu.  The New York Academy of Medicine Library.  New York, NY.

Our project was entitled “Sharper Image: Library Presentations Using Photoshop CS3″.  The Health Sciences Library of New York Methodist Hospital, Brooklyn, NY, used our Microaward grant to purchase a copy of Photoshop CS3.  The first photographs we edited using PhotoShop CS3 went up on our library web page on April 1st.  The photos were taken at a database search training session just a few days earlier.  You can view the results by going to our library web page http://nymlibrary.nyp.org/hslibrary.  Using photographs of familiar people and places in the hospital on the web site is an excellent way to feature our library users as well as to promote our activities.

Dorothy Schwartz- New York Methodist Hospital- Medical Library, Brooklyn, NY.

On April 5, 2008 the St. Francis Women’s Health unit and the St Francis Medical Library sponsored a health fair at the Latin American Community Center in Wilmington, Delaware. The theme of the health fair was “Healthy Women=Healthy Moms=Healthy Babies”.   The target audience was the local Hispanic community.  We chose this area and population because Delaware has been cited as the sixth leading state in the nation for infant mortality. 

The exhibits included blood pressure screening, cholesterol screening, glucose screening and HIV testing. Information was available on lead testing in the home, cancer screening, diabetes and a heart healthy lifestyle.  Great educational materials were provided by the National Library of Medicine.  Most of the materials were available in Spanish.

Our physicians and nurses that volunteered to work the fair were all Spanish speaking. The women and men attending the fair were given one on one attention. Several very ill women were identified and referrals were made. Information was given to all attendees concerning access to health care and insurance.

The health fair was a great success with over 80 attendees.  Everyone left with bags of health information and some fun giveaways. 

Rosemary Figorito.  St. Francis Medical Library.  Wilmington, DE

When Charlotte Fischman, Chairperson of the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), New York Chapter, approached John Ganly, Assistant Director for Collections at the Science, Industry and Business Library (SIBL), with a request to consider bringing the exhibit The Lives They Left Behind: Suitcases From A State Hospital Attic to SIBL, the response was an immediate yes.

 The exhibit The Lives They Left Behind: Suitcases From A State Hospital Attic, focuses on the over 600 suitcases discovered in the attic of the Willard Psychiatric Clinic near Albany after it had closed in 1995.  In the suitcases were the belongings of patients housed at Willard over the past century. Personal items such as, a shaving kit, a sewing box and photographs taken in a coin vending photo machine were among the reminders of lives lost within the institution.  Patient histories documented in the exhibit included that of a WW ll veteran, an Eastern European immigrant and a young woman accused of irrational thinking. Each patient’s story documented years of institutionalization that often ended in death and an unmarked grave.  Dr. Peter Stastny and Darby Penney spent 10 years researching the suitcases and the exhibit and an accompanying monograph recount the story.

 The response to the exhibit at SIBL was amazing. More than 30,000 persons visited the exhibit between December 4 and February 6.   Visitors would often stop SIBL staff members to offer thanks and to share personal stories related to family experiences with institutionalization. One particularly poignant story came from a woman who discovered that her grandfather had died at Willard and was buried in a grave marked only with his patient number. The woman found the grave and erected a stone in his memory.  Several public programs were offered in conjunction with the exhibit, each with a large turnout resulting in standing-room only. A final program focused on African American attitudes to mental health presented by Vanessa Jackson drew over 200 attendees.

 The on-line version of the exhibit can be viewed at suitcaseexhibit.org

John Ganly, Science Industry & Business Library- The NYPL, New York, NY

The sum of the three $500 grants for the “What Can the 21^st Century Library Offer to Mental Health Practitioners in Rural Areas?” project  have shown some initial success with significant potential for further expansion.  The Health Sciences Library at SUNY Upstate Medical University in Syracuse, NY was looking to provide library services to unaffiliated health care professionals located in the rural counties of central New York.  This unmet information need was initially identified by our Department of Psychiatry in the College of Medicine.  The team formed to proceed with this project included George Blakeslee, a social worker in the Department of Psychiatry, Diane Davis Luft, Assistant Director of  Customer Services in the Health Sciences Library, and Bradley A. Long, Head of  Reference and Liaison Services in the Health Sciences Library.

The first group that we approached was Chenango County Mental Hygiene Services, located in Norwich, NY.  Our initial focus was to approach them to provide document delivery, mediated searches, and to potentially manage an extended trial of  the PsychiatryOnline database for them.  After an initial meeting, and after a subsequent meeting with the IV County Mental Hygiene Directors (Chenango, Delaware, Otsego, and Schoharie counties) it was determined that grant funded document delivery and mediated searching services were very desirable.  However, it was not an option to provide subscriptions to any online resources could not be financially sustained after the conclusion of the trial.  On a positive note, it was determined that their information needs could be redirected towards the creation of a project specific webpage containing links to free websites with quality mental health information for both the professional and the consumer.  This led us to create the R-Psych Library, specifically for this group, with Chenango County Mental Hygiene Services as apparently our most active user.

The one service that we were not equipped to handle was interlibrary loan requests for books.  However, after consulting with the Guernsey Memorial Library, Norwich, NY, they were more than willing to provide this service to the employees of the Chenango County Mental Hygiene Services who resided within the county.  By dealing directly with local public libraries for book ILL requests, this should help us remove this service barrier.  Also, it will open the possibility of working directly with the local public libraries on other community health initiatives that Health Sciences Library already has in place.

 The project has shown initial success with Chenango County, with unforeseen expansion to two state hospitals that no longer have their own libraries.  They are the Greater Binghamton Health Center and Hutchings Psychiatric Center in Syracuse.  Additionally, we have since been approached by the Broome County Health Department to expand the service to the public health sector, for which initial work has begun.  Other county mental health departments have been reluctant to engage in the project, but continued marketing and commitment on our part should hopefully address this issue.  Also, our continued effort to seek various funding resources will help this project continue to its fullest potential.

Bradley A Long- Health Sciences Library. SUNY Upstate Medical University, Syracuse, NY.

The National Network of Libraries of Medicine, Middle Atlantic Region (NN/LM MAR) is pleased to announce the awarding of three Small Project Awards and an Exhibit Award to:

PJ Grier; Linda Leonard
Delaware Academy of Medicine, Newark, DE
Exhibit: Delaware State Fair - Healthy Kids Day at the Fair (July 22, 2008)

PJ Grier, Linda Leonard, Patty Hartmannsgruber, Susan LaValley
Delaware Academy of Medicine, Consumer Health Information Services (3 awards for each county: Kent County, New Castle County, Sussex County)
Project: exhibiting at Delaware Library Association Annual meeting (May 9, 2008)

Congratulations!

The Small Project Awards are small awards of up to $1,000 awarded to network members to enhance their services and provide seed money for ongoing or one-time projects through the purchase of displays, brochures, presentations, materials, equipment, supplies, or presentation of small programs.

Small Project Awards are currently available and will be awarded until funds are depleted. Small Project Award applications are reviewed in-house by RML staff, with notification of award given 10 days from receipt of a complete application.

Apply online at: http://nnlm.gov/mar/funding/microawards.html Questions?

Call or email Arpita Bose at 1.800.338.7657 or bose at library.med.nyu.edu

Summary report of the Regional Hearing held on May 14, 2008, New York, NY

On May 14, 2008, almost 300 registrants from throughout the Health and Human Services (HHS) Regions 1 and II participated in a public hearing on the Healthy People 2020. Participants were invited to provide feedback on the draft vision, mission, overarching goals, and framework proposed for the upcoming 2020 national health targets. Healthy People 2020 will be launched by January 2010, with six regional meetings scheduled throughout the United States during 2008, public input and comments solicited through 2009. Reportedly, it will be released in two phases: the framework (vision, mission, goals, focus areas, and criteria for selecting and prioritizing goals) and the final objectives (with criteria for selecting and prioritizing the objectives).

The Healthy People objectives totaled 226 in 1990 and have grown to 467 in 2010, with 1000 sub-objectives. The strengths are the collaboration underlying the process, the wide array of areas included, and the fact that the objectives are data-driven with measurable targets. Recommendations for the 2020 version include the following. First, objectives should be limited to no more than 150 and no more than 15 target areas. Second, the primary focus should be on risk factors and determinants of health, with secondary focus on diseases and disorders. It should also emphasize public health priorities adding a focus on health information technology (IT), preparedness; and primary care emphasis should continue. Finally, all objectives should be scientifically valid and sustainable.

The draft recommendations from the thirteen member advisory committee of the Secretary’s Advisory Committee on National Health Promotion and Disease Prevention Objectives for 2020 are available at: http://www.dhss.mo.gov/fridayfacts/DraftCommitteeRecommendations.pdf

The vision statement for Healthy People 2020 is: A society in which [all] people can live long, healthy lives. One of the first public comments asked why the word all did not appear in the draft vision; participants were assured that this was an inadvertent omission and, in fact, was part of the draft vision. The HP2020 mission includes

• Increase public awareness and understanding of the underlying causes of health, disease and disability;
• Improve results by providing priorities, measurable goals and objectives, and guidance on effective strategies and tactics;
• Catalyze action using best available evidence to improve policy and practice;
• Identify research and measurement priorities for improving the evidence base.

The draft goals are limited to four:

1. Achieve health equity, eliminate disparities and improve health of all groups;

2. Eliminate preventable disease, disability, injury and premature death;

3. Create social and physical environments that promote good health for all;

4. Promote healthy development and healthy behaviors across every stage of life.

Everyone was/is encouraged to submit written comments via the Internet at http://www.healthypeople.gov/hp2020/comments/

Summary report submitted by Diana Cunningham, MLS, MPH, AHIP, Associate Dean and Director, Health Sciences Library, New York Medical College, Valhalla, N.Y. 10595 (Diana_cunningham@nymc.edu).

Leigh Mihlrad
Systems & Technology Librarian
Schaffer Library of Health Sciences
Albany Medical College
Albany, NY

A variety of Internet-based office products, such as Google Docs (http://docs.google.com), Zoho (http://www.zoho.com), and Microsoft Office Live (http://workspace.officelive.com) have popped up to challenge traditional desktop-based office products. While not new, they are developing new features that might pose a threat to more established (and expensive) products like Microsoft Office, as least for some. All are still in beta format, and are works in progress.

The best way to learn is by trying them out. All are free, though require registration. Sampling both desktop and Internet varieties gives you an idea of the pros and cons of each, as well as what kinds of projects each might be good for. Practicing with test files or other non-crucial material is advised. Try setting up margins, adding colors, changing presentation templates, etc. to see how things work.

As an Office 2007 user, the biggest thing I noticed is that most of the Internet products do not yet let you upload Office 2007 documents. In Word 2007, file names end in “docx” (as opposed to “.doc” in previous verstions). Not surprisingly perhaps, Microsoft Office Live permits this. When trying to upload a .docx file in Google Docs, the system tells you that this file extension is not supported. This leaves the only option as saving the file in the older Word file extension, and uploading it that way. Zoho.com lets you export Office 2007 files from their site but not import them.

Internet-based products seem well-suited for collaborative projects, as they allow you to easily add collaborators. This permits easier editing than if doing them in Office, where one might e-mail a file back and forth. In some cases chat windows are also available, so you can talk to collaborators while working on a project. Expect fewer layout bells and whistles though. Fonts are limited, as are things such as bullet types and symbols. When I exported a file from Microsoft Office to Zoho, I found that many of my layout choices did not transfer over. I had to redo some of the bullet points and fonts. However, the content was all still there. The files also save a bit slower than they do when working in Microsoft Office.

Changes are afoot to bring the Internet products even closer to their desktop peers. Not long ago, you had to be logged onto the site to work on your files. Now, you can work on them even while “offline.” The spreadsheet products feature pivot tables. Most of the products also have their own blogs to alert users of new features.

As they offer fewer bells and whistles, I also found many of the Internet products easier to use for a beginner. Whereas PowerPoint might intimidate some, the Internet-based versions are more “click and add.” One could likely prepare a presentation or spreadsheet with very little prior experience.

Being relatively new products, things are not perfect with the Internet suites. Occasionally I experienced bugs, and the Microsoft versions certainly offer more layout choices. If one wants vast layout or customization options, then they might want to stick with the desktop versions. Privacy is also an issue, as desktop files appear safer, being saved on one’s computer or flash drive instead of another company’s server. However, Internet-based office products keep improving and offer more flexibility. They are certainly worth considering.