The NN/LM MCR is changing how it uses social media. The biggest changes are in the use of Twitter and Facebook. Follow us on Twitter and you will find Tweets, 2-3 per day, intended for not only health sciences librarians but also for the health practitioners interested in health information access news. MCR Tweets will tend to be breaking news related, will have a short shelf-live, and we hope you will reTweet them on to your constituents. NN/LM MCR Facebook Wall Post will be more for the health sciences librarian. Wall posts, 1-2 per day, will also be health information access related but will solicit discussion via your comments or likes.

Read more about the NN/LM MCR Communication Plan in our new Plains to Peaks Post Newsletter…

Ipads and tablets are the rage!   What can you do with them?  And other mobile resources?  John Bramble will have some answers as he will be presenting the Spotlight! session on Feb 8 (not our usual end of month time but we didn’t want to conflict with the E-Science events at the University of Utah!)   Taking the one-hour class and completing the exercises and class evaluation makes you eligible to receive 1 Medical Library Association Continuing Education credit. This online training is FREE. Register online at http://tinyurl.com/mcrclasses (registration is not required but is appreciated).

URL: https://webmeeting.nih.gov/mcr/ Equipment: connection to the Internet and a phone, Login: as a guest with your first and last name. Instructions to connect to the audio will show up once you’ve logged in. Captioning will be provided.  Questions to mmagee@unmc.edu. (mm)

The January 25, Spotlight! session focusing on National Library of Medicine Digital Resources, was presented by Marty Magee. It included such resources as Turning the Pages, and History of Medicine Resources, tutorials and much more!  See it at:  http://nnlm.gov/mcr/services/updates/spotlightresources.html

And the January 18, Breezing session included: 1) Jean Shipman, Director of the MidContinental Region and NLM Training Center, discussed potential futures for health sciences librarians and thus libraries and 2) Claire Hamasu, Associate Director, described current funding opportunities and discussed the MCR Communication Plan.
View the archived recording at: http://nnlm.gov/mcr/services/updates/index.html

New article by Holly Burt outlines ways that health sciences librarians can become involved with patient safety.

Burt, Holly. “Patient Safety Answers Require Outreach, In-reach, and Partnerships” Journal of Hospital Librarianship, 11:366-378, 2011.   (bbj)

What is the value of your library – journals, books and databases?  Do you know?  Has it changed?  With the start of the new year, it’s a great time to look back to 2011 and determine the value of your library.  Easy to use calculators are available at http://nnlm.gov/mcr/evaluation/calculator.html.

It’s also a great time to take the extra step and submit your data.  You can contribute your values to the collected valuation data and increase the knowledge of what values libraries bring to their institutions.

If you have questions or need help, please contact Barb Jones (jonesbarb@health.missouri.edu) or Betsy Kelly (betsy.kelly@wustl.edu).  (bbj)

The first issue of the newly re-designed Plains to Peaks Post is now available at: http://nnlm.gov/mcr/p2pp/category/january-2012/

In This Issue:

• Whooo Says:
• Funding Opportunities!
• Finding Out How to Communicate Better within the MCR
• MCR Communication Plan
• Consider hosting a traveling exhibit from NLM!
• MedPrint
• Hospital Evaluation Scan
• What’s New with… – the NN/LM National Library Medicine of Training Center (NTC)
• Consumer Health Literacy in the Public Library
• Book Review: Internal Bleeding
• Faith Community Nursing

We hope you like the new format and welcome your feedback.

Professional Development Awards -looking  especially for hospital librarians -how about you?   Is there something you want to attend – before April 31, 2012 – a conference where you might gain information you’d like to share with other MidContinental Region members?   Funding is available up to $1500 for travel costs/conference registration.   Learn more and apply at:  http://nnlm.gov/mcr/funding/  (mm)

With EBSCO’s recent purchase of NetLibrary, the NN/LM MidContinental Region e-book collection has taken on a new look!  More than 100 e-books are still there – ready for you to read online.   Check our E-book brochure for a listing of books located at:   http://nnlm.gov/mcr/education/pdf/TrifoldNetLibrary0610.pdf. As always, if you access the collection through the NN/LM MCR webpage, it’s FREE, and you can also print out a handy brochure. See: http://nnlm.gov/mcr/education/ (mm)

Now available on the NN/LM MidContinental Region web site:

January 18, 2012
1) Jean Shipman, Director of the MidContinental Region and NLM Training Center, discussed potential futures for health sciences librarians and thus libraries.
2) Claire Hamasu, Associate Director, described current funding opportunities and discussed the MCR Communication Plan.
View the archived recording at: https://webmeeting.nih.gov/p43279624

This Spotlight! session focusing on National Library of Medicine Digital Resources, will be presented by Marty Magee. It will include such resources as Turning the Pages, and History of Medicine Resources, tutorials and much more!  Taking the one-hour class and completing the exercises and class evaluation makes you eligible to receive 1 Medical Library Association Continuing Education credit. This online training is FREE. Register online at http://tinyurl.com/mcrclasses (registration is not required but is appreciated).

URL: https://webmeeting.nih.gov/mcr/ Equipment: connection to the Internet and a phone, Login: as a guest with your first and last name. Instructions to connect to the audio will show up once you’ve logged in. Captioning will be provided.  Questions to mmagee@unmc.edu. (mm)