New app for Guide to NLM Mobile Resources

NLM recently released a new mobile app that is intended to serve as the authoritative guide to NLM mobile resources. The app was created as an HTML 5 mobile Web site in support of the Library’s ongoing efforts to make our information broadly available. Learn more about this new resource via the NLM Technical Bulletin article at http://www.nlm.nih.gov/pubs/techbull/ja12/ja12_nlm_mobile_app.html.

To explore the app, visit http://www.nlm.nih.gov/mobile-app/ on your mobile device.

The Library welcomes your feedback about this new app at http://apps2.nlm.nih.gov/mainweb/siebel/nlm/index.cfm or via the Contact Us link in the footer of the app.

What’s New in PMC: Another Name and Another Facelift

PMC (formerly known as PubMed Central) has shortened its name in order to avoid confusion with PubMed. What’s also new is PMC’s look and feel, which has been updated to conform to NCBI’s new standards for page design. This redesign allows for a cleaner and more uniform presentation across PMC’s site as well as its article, issue and journal archive pages.

http://www.nlm.nih.gov/pubs/techbull/ja12/ja12_pmc_redesign.html

Have you checked out “The learn about drugs” page of the NLM?

You can find LactMed information here http://www.nlm.nih.gov/learn-about-drugs.html.

That’s right, this page is a gateway to a comprehensive list of databases and web sites to help you become and stay informed about prescription drugs, over the counter drugs, supplements and other medications or remedies you want or need to know about.

It’s like shelf reading except you don’t have to tilt your head.

When asked what does Arlene Freed do for the NN/LM NER, she reponded:

“I answer questions on searching PubMed and general questions about PubMed.  Librarians can call or email me.  I respond quickly and cheerfully!”

NN/LM NER has enlisted Arlene Freed, an instructional consultant, to provide individual consultations to network member to better understand PubMed database changes and functionality.

Since becoming an Instructional Consultant, Arlene has done webinars for member libraries like Aroostook Medical Center and Kennebec Valley Community College. At the request of UConn HealthNet, Arlene recently taught PubMed to public librarians at Connecticut State Library.

Having spent more than 20 years at Hartford Hospital Health Science Libraries, she says:

“I came to medical librarianship circuitously and brought all my previous skills to this wonderful profession.  Though I am retired from full time work, I’m not ready to completely retire from a profession that I love.”

Having been a web resource librarian, Arlene loves ending each of her instructional sessions with a web resource that might interest librarians.  Arlene offered this advice and resource tip: “… administrators, department heads and others in hospitals may be thinking about more than medicine. The business of medicine and healthcare is on everyone’s minds” Arlene recommends a resource like the Health Affairs blog (http://healthaffairs.org/blog) as a reliable source for health administration, policy, and research.”

What does Arlene do when she isn’t imparting her love and passion for the profession?  Currently living in Boston, she and her husband, David, walk everywhere exploring all Boston has to offer, often finding that there are more to do than one has time.

To get in contact with Arlene Freed, you can email her at arfreed@yahoo.com or contact us at nnlm-ner@umassmed.edu.

DOCLINE 4.8

DOCLINE is the National Library of Medicine(NLM’s) automated interlibrary loan (ILL) request routing and referral system.  On Jul 11, 2012, NLM released DOCLINE 4.8.  This newest release corrects several user-reported issues in the Loansome Doc interface.

Check out what’s new in this release: http://www.nlm.nih.gov/docline/docline_rel_info_v4_8.html

 WISER iOS 3.0

WISER (Wireless Information System for Emergency Responders) was designed to assist first responders in hazardous material incidents. WISER provides a wide range of information on hazardous substances, including substance identification support, physical characteristics, human health information, and containment and suppression advice.

Made available earlier this month, WISER for iOS 3.0 has become a universal app for Apple iOS devices; this new release adds native support for the iPad.

And later this September:  Mark Goldstein will be conducting a breakout session on the WISER app at this year’s Massachusetts Association of Hazardous Materials Technicians (MAHMT) conference to be held in Plymouth on September 19-21.

Check out what’s new in this release:

http://wiser.nlm.nih.gov/whats_new_iOS_3_0.html

 WISER for iOS 3.0 can be downloaded and installed directly from the Apple App Store:

http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/wiser-for-ios/id375185381?mt=8

Today NLM announced the release of several enhancements to the MedlinePlus XML files and Web service. These enhancements make MedlinePlus XML data more robust, accessible, and flexible for users.

MedlinePlus XML Files

The MedlinePlus XML files are being published in a new format with a new DTD. Prior to this release, the files only included basic information about all English and Spanish health topics, and they were published weekly. Now, they contain all currently displaying site records and links to related multiple languages content, related health topics, and primary NIH institutes. With this release, virtually all text and links available on MedlinePlus health topic pages become accessible in XML format. MedlinePlus will update and publish the new MedlinePlus health topic XML files daily (Tuesday-Saturday) to correspond to the update schedule of the MedlinePlus.gov Web site.

MedlinePlus Web Service

The MedlinePlus Web service, which allows users to submit keyword queries and receive relevant health topics in XML format, now offers new features, parameters, content, and policies, including:

• A Spanish version of the MedlinePlus Web service that accepts Spanish-language queries and responds with Spanish health topics.
• Field searching for user queries. Fields that can be searched this way are title, alt-title, mesh, full-summary, and group.
• Multiple result formats: brief, topic, and all. By default, results are returned in brief format. The topic format returns the health topic results as full XML records with all associated data and links. The XML format of the topic result type matches the format and DTD of health topics in the MedlinePlus XML files (as described above). The all format returns health topics in both brief and topic format.
• Two new optional parameters, email and tool that allow Web service users to specify a contact email address and the resource using the Web service, respectively. Including these parameters in requests can assist NLM in providing better service and allows NLM to contact users if there are problems with their queries.
• An acceptable use policy that sets a request rate limit at 85 requests per minute per IP address. The new policy will help us ensure that the service remains available to all users. The policy will be enforced using request throttling, which will begin in mid-July.

Publicly available documentation for the MedlinePlus XML files and Web service reflects the enhancements described above. NLM encourages users of MedlinePlus data to subscribe to the MedlinePlus Web Service and XML Files email list to stay current on the latest changes and enhancements to these services. Send the MedlinePlus team any questions or feedback via the Contact Us link that appears on any MedlinePlus.gov page.