March/April 2001
volume 10, issue 2
  
In this issue:
What Do You Know?
 
Welcome, Julie!
 
DOCLINE Quarterly Statistics
 
Serving Up Dynamic Web Pages with Cold Fusion: UCLA Biomedical Library E-Journals
 
Handheld Computers Facilitate Patient Care and Tracking
 
So You've Got Mail?
 
Need Promotional Materials?
 
New MLA Resource for Consumer Health Information on the Internet
 
UCITA: A Guide to Understanding and Action
 
PSRML offers Fee $avings on Information Today Conferences
 
NLM Gateway Update
 
NLM Technical Bulletin Highlights
In every issue:
Table of Contents for the NLM Technical Bulletin
 
Upcoming Events
 
Publication Information
 		   

What Do You Know?

The PSRML Update at this year's Joint Meeting of the Northern California and Nevada (NCNMLG) and Medical Library Group of Southern California and Arizona (MLGSCA) was designed in keeping with the intent of the conference planners-to provide a time both "educational and enjoyable." The session began with a staff report highlighting recent PSRML activities and program plans for the coming year. Following is a summary of the report:

  • The proposal for National Network of Libraries of Medicine Services for 2001-2006 was submitted in June 2000, with final negotiations still ongoing. PSRML anticipates a May 1 start of the new contract with NLM. A Network membership and renewal drive is planned for early summer. Additional members for the Regional Advisory Committee will be recruited.
  • PSRML educational opportunities will include the Professional Development Award; workshops and other continuing education activities, including co-sponsorship of programs with the regional MLA chapters; and technology showcases.
  • Web DOCLINE was successfully released on July 17, 2001; NLM is working very hard on programming statistical reports. See the DOCLINE Quarterly Statistics article in this issue for more detailed information on quarterly statistical reports.
  • PSRML subcontracts and agreements awarded that are still underway or just coming to a close are: two Partners in Public Health projects, six projects in Access to Electronic Health Information for the Public, and six projects in the PSRML Year 2000 Outreach Program. A Public Health Forum will be held at NLM in April to share findings from the Partners in Public Health projects nationwide.
  • NLM will offer another round of consumer health outreach awards in the near future.
  • PSRML will offer four $6,000 regional outreach awards, for projects with either a health professional or consumer population focus. The application process for these awards will be streamlined, including a web-based application form.
  • The 1999 hospital library survey indicated an increased level of regional connectivity, although work remains to be done in this area.
  • PSRML is planning to hold an AIDS Information Summit in May or June 2002, in conjunction with the California AIDS Clearinghouse. We'll be looking for librarians to volunteer as facilitators and to alert us to groups that should have representatives at this meeting, which will focus on access to electronic AIDS information.
  • For the PSRML Underserved Counties Project, we will be looking for a new partner this spring, as we complete the current project in Yavapai County, Arizona.
  • BioSites — we're still looking for contributors for various topics.
  • We appreciate the assistance we've received from Network members at PSRML exhibits at health professional and consumer-oriented conferences. Additional volunteers are welcome!
  • PSRML successfully concluded a collaborative project with the California State Library and Loma Linda University's Del E. Webb Memorial Library to enhance consumer health information collections and services in the Tierra del Sol Region of the Library of California. PSRML will extend training to other areas in the coming months.
  • PSRML is working with The Health Library at Stanford on a consumer health symposium, to be held at Stanford on August 17, 2001.
  • A final note on funding — health sciences libraries that work with public libraries and schools will want to watch for LSTA funding announcements. These are generally in the fall, and applications for funding have a quick turnaround time.

For additional details on PSRML activities, see the PSRML annual and quarterly reports on the web at http://www.nnlm.nlm.nih.gov/psr/reports.html, or contact any member of the PSRML staff.

Following the PSRML report, audience members were recruited for two "game show" teams to test the participants knowledge of NLM and NN/LM information resources and services. The first team represented NCNMLG: Eris Weaver, Redwood Health Library, Petaluma, CA; Mary Beth Train, Washington Hospital, Fremont, CA; and Florence Jakus, Las Vegas Clark County Library District, Las Vegas, NV. The second team represented MGLSCA: Judith Kraemer, USC Norris Medical Library, Los Angeles, CA; Linda Murphy, UCI Medical Center Library, Orange, CA; and Mary Riordan, Arizona Health Sciences Library, Tucson, AZ.

PSRML hosts were Elaine Graham, Claire Hamasu, and Heidi Sandstrom, with Julie Kwan enlisted as scorekeeper and Andrea Lynch as stage manager. PSRML Regional Advisory Committee members Mary White, MLGSCA representative, and Janie Grossman, NCNMLG representative, were on hand to offer encouragement to their teams. Players were challenged to answer the quiz questions posed by PSRML staff, with clues found on the session handouts. See the handouts on NLM and NN/LM services on the web site at: http://www.nnlm.nlm.nih.gov/psr/jntmet.html. To view the quiz questions-and answers-click here.

Both teams played enthusiastically, cheered on (and sometimes prompted) by their colleagues in the audience. In the end, NCNMLG captured the top prizes (MEDLINEplus briefcases with travel mugs), and the MLGSCA team was awarded consolation prizes (NLM coffee mugs). Our thanks to all those who attended the Update. We hope everyone enjoyed it — and learned something as well! Please don't hesitate to contact any of us if you have questions, comments or suggestions about the Update, or about NLM and NN/LM services.

************************************************************
PSRML Update — Quiz Questions with Answers
NCNMLG/MLGSCA Joint Meeting

Part 1. PubMed, NLM Gateway

  1. Which PubMed feature allows users to store searches and provides self-service SDI's?
    Cubby
  2. What's the name of the Cubby feature that can be set to alert your users to your electronic journal holdings?
    LinkOut
  3. How many journal titles does PubMed link to?
    Over 1500
  4. How long will the Cubby login remain active unless you log out?
    12 hours
  5. What's the name of the newest of NLM's web sites that lets you search PubMed, LOCATORplus, HSRproj, AIDS conference proceedings, and MEDLINEplus?
    The NLM Gateway

Part 2. MEDLINEplus, ClinicalTrials.gov

  1. What's the "new"est feature on MEDLINEplus?
    Current Health News
  2. How can I find web sites with non-English, non-Spanish language health information?
    Enter "other foreign language" in the search box [Note: Retrieves few citations at present.]
  3. Where can I find books and full-text journal articles oriented to the consumer?
    MEDLINEplus>Other Resources>Publications on the Web
  4. What happens if I spell something wrong in ClinicalTrials.gov?
    When the words that you have entered are not recognized during a search, the system may suggest other words with similar spelling that are found in the database.
  5. Where would you refer a library user who has questions about taking part in a research study?
    ClinicalTrials.gov - click on "Resources" in the menu bar

Part 3. NN/LM Web Tour

  1. I'd like to participate in my hospitals' upcoming community health fair, but I don't have a lot of time to get materials ready. What should I do?
    See the PSRML Promotional Materials page: http://www.nnlm.nlm.nih.gov/psr/promo.html
  2. I'm planning an outreach project for public health professionals — what resource can I use to determine if the project is a success?
    Measuring the Difference: Guide to Planning and Evaluating Health Information Outreach: http://www.nnlm.nlm.nih.gov/evaluation/
  3. Where can I find information on which clinical journals are available in electronic format?
    E-journals sites linked at: http://www.nnlm.nlm.nih.gov/libinfo/ejournals/
  4. I'm going to the MLA meeting in Orlando and then on vacation; what should I do about DOCLINE requests I'll receive during that time?
    Enter a DOCLINE Hold Request for temporary deactivation of DOCLINE at: http://www.nnlm.nlm.nih.gov/libinfo/docline/dochold.html
  5. Library users are giving me scribbled citations from their PubMed searches. How can I make my life easier? (Penmanship classes are not the answer.)
    Initiate Loansome Doc Service. See Information for Librarians: http://www.nnlm.nlm.nih.gov/libinfo/docline/loansome_lib.html

Welcome, Julie!

Julie Kwan has joined our PSRML team as Library Network Coordinator. Julie can be reached by e-mail at jkkwan@library.ucla.edu and by phone at (310) 825-5342 or at (800) 338-7657 from within the Pacific Southwest Region.

Many of you may remember Julie from her past role at UCLA, as Head of the Biomedical Library's Reference Division. Julie left UCLA for the University of Southern California's Science and Engineering Library in 1989, and most recently was at the USC Crocker Business Library.

At PSRML, Julie will coordinate Network member programs including resource sharing, education, and communication activities to support health sciences library service within the Pacific Southwest Region. Julie's health sciences experience and her recent work in the area of business will enable her to share innovative management and customer analysis approaches with Network member libraries, most of whom have been challenged by the changing business environment of health care. Julie brings to the position of Library Network Coordinator extensive teaching experience, practical knowledge of the Internet and related technologies, and an interest in understanding and exploring the implications of technological developments for library services and knowledge management.

Please join us in welcoming Julie to PSRML!

DOCLINE Quarterly Statistics

By Rosalyn Leiderman, DOCLINE Service Desk, National Library of Medicine

The following July-September, 2000 DOCLINE quarterly statistical reports are now available:

In reviewing these reports, please keep in mind that data from the old DOCLINE system was converted to the new system to ensure complete reports for the July-September 2000 quarter. Unfortunately, combining the data resulted in some anomalies in the reports. For example, one or two requests were lost on some but not on all reports. Additionally, please note the following:

  1. The number of requests pending at the end of the quarter is not available in reports 1-1A, 1-1B, and 5-1.
  2. The number of audiovisual requests received and processed reflects data that was converted from the old system.
  3. Some throughput data may appear as '/0'. This means that no requests fell into that category. Future reports will display 'N/A'.

Reports 1-2A and 1-2B will be modified beginning with the October-December 2000 quarterly reports. Starting then, libraries will be grouped by country and will be displayed in the following order: U.S., Canada, and international. (Note that the July-September 2000 reports display international libraries first, followed by U.S., then by Canada, sorted alphabetically by state and province.)

A summary description of the quarterly reports as well as information on printing and saving these reports may be found at http://www.nlm.nih.gov/docline/docline_manual/requests/statisticalreports.html.

The October-December 2000 quarterly reports will be available in March 2001. Users will continue to have access to the July-September 2000 quarterly reports until the January-March 2001 reports are released in April. Further schedule information may be found in the DOCLINE - Quarterly Reports (Statistics) FAQ at http://www.nlm.nih.gov/services/doc_quarterly_reports.html.

(Editor's note: This article was modified slightly to reflect current information.)

Serving Up Dynamic Web Pages with Cold Fusion: UCLA Biomedical Library E-Journals

By Randy Ahn, Reference Librarian
rahn@library.ucla.edu

Managing electronic journals poses challenges not only from a collection development/acquisitions perspective, but from a technological one as well. Unannounced changes in subscriptions, URL redirections, and publisher web site crashes can result in broken links to journals which may go unnoticed by staff until a client complains that a previously available journal is lost in cyberspace. When the Biomedical Library webmasters were originally approached to work on this and other related issues, the bibliographic records contained in UCLA's OPAC had no fields for entering e-journal information. Instead all e-journals were simply listed on various static web pages which clients had to examine one by one in order to find the title they wanted. Because of the frequent changes in electronic subscriptions, webmasters found it necessary to update the static pages on a continual basis — there was no easy way to maintain the collection without a steady vigilance.

If you have experienced any of these scenarios as we did at the UCLA Louise M. Darling Biomedical Library, then you'll appreciate why we wanted to develop a system in which we could easily update electronic records without the need to alter basic HTML page formatting — a time consuming job. We also wanted to provide search capabilities on our web page, since the original list of electronic journals had grown to almost 4,000 titles. And finally, our collection development division requested that we develop a method for tracking e-journal usage since traditional methods for collecting data were not applicable. (We settled on creating a simple hit counter.) With these goals in mind (centralizing data management, providing a search interface, and tracking usage via a hit counter) we soon realized that our project involved the design and implementation of a mini-OPAC for electronic journals. We began to explore different technologies and applications that would allow us to build and easily maintain a database of electronic records.

After reviewing the options (perl-cgi, ASP, and other middleware programs) we decided to pursue Allaire's Cold Fusion solution. We chose Cold Fusion because it was platform independent, scalable, and relatively easy to learn. Cold Fusion is software that in conjunction with your existing web server processes web pages containing Cold Fusion Markup Language (CFML). CFML makes it possible for clients to query a database and see the results of their search rendered in HTML. For webmasters, Cold Fusion makes managing an electronic collection easier and more efficient than scripting static pages.

Because it is a tag-based language, Cold Fusion is appealing for those already familiar with HTML who want to build dynamic pages. It is even possible to create powerful Cold Fusion templates using just a few tags. The tag below queries a database called "electronicJournals" and returns all the titles beginning with the letter "A."

<CFQUERY DATASOURCE="electronicJournals">

SELECT JournalTitle
FROM TableOfJournalTitles
WHERE (JournalTitle LIKE 'A%')
</CFQUERY>

The letter "A" could easily be recoded to perform searches for any other letter or even keywords. Other tags can manipulate data, output results, and perform an assortment of useful tasks. Prior to the availability of applications like Cold Fusion, one had to be a programmer to access database objects from a web page. Today, librarians with minimal programming skills can build useful information systems that will benefit their clients. Response to our system has been positive--our webmasters like the ease with which content can be changed; collection development likes the hit counter; and our clients appreciate having search features incorporated into web pages. We are already working on enhancing our system to include more powerful search features such as querying remote databases for data extraction. Starting with a simple system with proven stability gives you confidence to build more elaborate and ultimately more useful web pages. You can try our e-journal search from the Biomedical Library's homepage under "Locate Electronic Journals."

Here's a brief outline of how you can begin serving dynamic web content:

Step 1. Installation of Cold Fusion on Web Server

In order to run Cold Fusion, the application server must be installed on your web server. Cold Fusion runs on a variety of platforms — we have it installed with Windows NT Server and MS Internet Information Server. Allaire has a free version, Cold Fusion Express 4.5 (with limited capabilities) that you can download from their site. You'll want to upgrade to the professional edition if you choose to go live with your project.

Step 2. Create a Database

Creating a database is the next step in developing a Cold Fusion application. Cold Fusion works with most of the major databases on the market but we chose to use MS Access 97 for two reasons: First, MS Access was already installed on our workstations and second, creating tables in MS Access is relatively easy. MS Access is reportedly not as scalable or stable as other database products, but for our purposes it works well. Our initial database contained about 4,000 records on a single table. If you know how to create a database, you are ahead of the game.

Step 3. Create Cold Fusion Templates

Learning the Cold Fusion Markup Language does take some time. Allaire has a good training program; workshops are offered around the country on a rotating basis. It helps to attend one of these, but if you have some programming knowledge as I did, you can pick up a book and work through the tutorials. I've found the following books useful:

There are also a number of helpful web sites--links to tutorials and tips are found below. CFML templates can be authored in any text editor just like HTML. However, there are two Allaire products that offer a nice authoring environment, Homesite and Cold Fusion Studio. Both products look and feel similar — Cold Fusion Studio of course has more features related to your work with templates, but I have used Homesite and found it to be more than adequate.

Step 4. Test, Debug, and Launch

I cannot say enough about the importance of testing your application prior to launch. Fortunately, at the Biomedical Library, we have enthusiastic testers who are adept at finding bugs in the system — moreover, including end users at all phases of your system design will ultimately decrease development time since the most important features will be thoroughly worked out early on.

Getting Support

Tips and tutorials regarding Cold Fusion can be found at the following websites:

Give Cold Fusion a try—it can make managing e-journals so much easier!

(Editor's note: If you have taken another approach or used other software to manage e-journals and would like to share this with your professional colleagues via Latitudes, we welcome your article contributions.)

Handheld Computers Facilitate Patient Care and Tracking

By Eileen Eandi, Information Specialist and Editor of Newsletter, a publication of the Norris Medical Library at the University of Southern California

(Editor's note: We will be periodically featuring articles on health information applications of this increasingly popular technology in upcoming issues of Latitudes.)

Today's healthcare professionals and students are using a single, pocket-sized device to track their patients, look up drug and clinical information, compute medical calculations, and check their daily schedules. Known as personal digital assistants, or PDAs, these handheld computers are revolutionizing the online market.

Palm Computing has led the PDA industry, with Palm Pilots currently accounting for more than 65% of the handheld market. The original "Palm Pilot" now comes in several models of varying sizes, dimensions, and capacities. Most are capable of Internet access with the purchase of a modem accessory. Developed by some of the architects behind the original Palm Pilot, the Handspring Visor Deluxe offers complete Palm compatibility with the same amount of memory at a price lower than that of some Palm models. Other PDAs include the Casio Cassiopeia, Compaq iPAC Pocket PC, and HP Jornada. Prices of these handheld computers generally range from approximately $250 to $450.

Perhaps the most important function of the handheld for the healthcare student or professional is as a source of patient data or medical reference information, such as drug dosages, DRG codes, or lab values. Many quality PDA software application programs for tracking patients, medical calculation, and drug information are currently available and new programs are being developed at a rapid rate.

Since many of the useful medical software resources consume large amounts of storage space, it is advisable to purchase a PDA with at least 8 megabytes of memory. For example, installing the two clinical programs, Griffith's 5 Minute Consult and LexiDrugs, on a handheld uses up approximately 6 MB of memory. There are two primary formats for the storage of information on the Palm: document (or DOC) files, and databases. To get the most out of a handheld, a document reader and a database program are recommended. An advanced calculator can also be useful.

Although PDAs can operate alone, they derive much of their usefulness from the ability to transfer data between the handheld device and a desktop PC using PDA desktop software, and to convert data to and from existing organizer applications. Through a process of synchronization, often called a "sync," data on the handheld device is backed up on the hard drive of the PC. The hardware that is used to carry out this operation is called a "cradle." While the PDA rests in the cradle, a cable runs from the cradle to the PC's hard drive.

Hitting a single button initiates the synchronization. The amount of time required to perform a sync depends on the amount of data that needs to be backed up and also on the number of applications that are running on the handheld device.

In addition to synchronizing data, the cradle and desktop software can be used to add applications to the handheld device. Users can download software from the Internet to the PC and then perform a sync to load the software onto the PDA.

(Editor's note: Norris Medical Library maintains a web page entitled PDAs for the Health Sciences. The page contains links to PDA manufacturers, applications, tips, and discussion groups. This article was excerpted, with permission, from the Fall 2000 issue of Newsletter.)

So You've Got Mail?

One of the latest additions to the Resource Samplers page on the NN/LM web site (linked from Training Materials on the "Librarian and Health Educator Resources" page) is Getting Started with Email. The staff of the NN/LM Pacific Northwest Region has compiled this useful list of electronic resources, which covers various aspects of email usage...from junk mail to privacy and free e-mail systems. The page is at http://www.nnlm.nlm.nih.gov/pnr/samplers/e-mail.html. Check it out before you hit that "Send" button!

Need Promotional Materials?

To view and order NLM and NN/LM promotional materials (pens, bookmarks, posters, etc.) or to print handouts for your library or organization, visit our Promotional Materials page at http://www.nnlm.nlm.nih.gov/psr/promo.html. Simply fill out the order form online and submit the request electronically to order materials we have in stock; allow 1-2 weeks for delivery.

New MLA Resource for Consumer Health Information on the Internet

Medical librarians seeking to enhance public access to quality consumer health information on the Internet will find a valuable guide in MLA's latest BibKit. BibKits are selective, annotated bibliographies of discrete subject areas in the health sciences literature. MLA BibKit #7, Consumer Health: A Guide to Internet Information Resources, was compiled by Cecilia Durkin, AHIP, consumer health librarian, NN/LM Network Office of the National Library of Medicine (NLM), Bethesda, MD. According to the MLANET description, this BibKit and the accompanying disk "encompass medical search engines and search integrators, quality filters, subject directories, electronic libraries, subject-specific Websites, medical news sources, and electronic journals." While the publication emphasizes English-language Websites, many bilingual Websites are also included. For a table of contents and order information, visit MLANET at www.mlanet.org/publications/bibkits/ or contact Tom Pacetti in the MLA headquarters office at 312.419.9094 x19 or at mlafa@mlahq.org.

UCITA: A Guide to Understanding and Action

UCITA: A Guide to Understanding and Action was a live satellite teleconference sponsored by The American Association of Law Libraries, The American Library Association, The Association of Research Libraries, The Medical Library Association, and the Special Libraries Association. The program was broadcast on December 13, 2000, at over 200 sites in the United States and Canada.

The teleconference focused on UCITA (The Uniform Computer Information Transactions Act), a proposed state law that seeks to create a unified approach to the licensing of software and information. Panelists explained the provisions of UCITA and how it poses serious problems for libraries and educational institutions. They also explored how to address UCITA as it moves through state legislatures. Further information on UCITA's mission to create uniform national standards governing electronic information can be found on the Association of Research Libraries website at http://www.arl.org/ucita.html.

The UCITA videotape and supplemental material are now available on loan from PSRML. All requests for the videotape are filled in the order received; however, as PSRML owns only a single copy, members may experience a slight delay in delivery. We appreciate your patience; we will process all orders as quickly as possible.

To place your online order, please go to:

http://www.nnlm.nlm.nih.gov/psr/loans/videoloans.html

If you have any difficulty submitting your order online, please feel free to contact PSRML to receive an order form by mail or fax.

PSRML offers Fee $avings on Information Today Conferences

PSRML will coordinate the submission of registrations from Network member librarians who wish to attend InfoToday 2001: The Global Conference and Exhibition on Electronic Information and Knowledge Management. InfoToday2001 is comprised of three core conferences: National Online 2001, KnowlegeNets 2001 (Knowledge Management) and E-Libraries 2001 (Library Information System and Services). It will be held May 14-18, 2001, in New York City at the New York Hilton and Towers.

By submitting registrations as a "group," PSRML will make it possible for attendees to realize considerable savings on the general meeting(s) registration fees.

Please visit the Information Today, Inc. web site at http://www.infotoday.com/it2001/default.htm for complete details of the meetings. The registration forms can be downloaded from this site.

If you are interested in submitting your registration as part of the group, please send a copy of the completed form and check for any of the following meeting rates:

1. Platinum Pass (May 14-18, 2001): $597.00
(Includes full access to all three "InfoToday 2001" conferences as well as the Monday and Friday pre- and post-conference workshops.)

2. Gold Pass (May 15-17): $357.00
(Includes full access to all three "InfoToday 2001" conferences.)

3. "National Online Conference 2001" (May 15-17): $297.00

4. "KnowlegeNets 2001" (May 15-17): $297.00

5. "E-Libraries 2001" (May 15-17): $177.00

All checks should be made payable to: Information Today, Inc.

Please send the checks to:

"InfoToday 2001" Meeting
UCLA Biomedical Library/PSRML
12-077 Center for the Health Sciences
Box 951798
Los Angeles, CA 90095-1798
Deadline: PSRML must receive all forms and checks by APRIL 30, 2001.

Please note that PSRML's coordination of registration for this meeting does not imply any type of support, recommendation or sponsorship of the Information Today, Inc. "InfoToday 2001 Conference."

NLM Gateway Update

The NLM Gateway is a Web-based system that allows users to search simultaneously in multiple retrieval systems at the U.S. National Library of Medicine (NLM). It can be especially useful to the Internet user who is new to NLM's online resources and does not know what information is available there or how best to search for it. The current Gateway searches MEDLINE/PubMed, OLDMEDLINE, LOCATORplus, AIDS Meetings, HSR Meetings, HSRProj, MEDLINEplus and DIRLINE.

New versions of the NLM Gateway were released in February and March. Some of the highlights:

For more details about the Gateway, click on the Overview link on the Gateway home page at http://gateway.nlm.nih.gov/gw/Cmd. For detailed help in searching the Gateway and in using its many features, click on the Help link on the Gateway home page.

Useful resources for introducing your users to the Gateway can be found on the NLM Gateway Resources page at http://www.nnlm.nlm.nih.gov/nnlm/online/gw/. These include a Fact Sheet and a tri-fold brochure.

NLM Technical Bulletin Highlights

Internet Grateful Med (IGM) to be Retired

No longer just a rumor, NLM expects to retire IGM by the end of June 2001. Searchers do have other retrieval options for the ELHILL databases they have been accessing through IGM. The following is a table of the database found in IGM, the replacement interface, and its availability.

IGM DatabaseInterface*Availability
AIDSDrugsACTISNow
AIDSTrialsACTISNow
AIDSLINEGatewayNow
 PubMed's AIDS subsetNow
 LOCATORplusNow
BIOETHICSLINEGatewayBy June 2001
CHEMID ChemIDplusNow
DIRLINEDIRLINENow
HealthstarPubMedNow
 LOCATORplusNow
 GatewayNow
HISTLINEGatewayBy June 2001
MEDLINEPubMedNow
OldMEDLINEGatewayNow
POPLINEGatewayBy June 2001
SDILINEPubMed's cubby featureNow
SPACELINEGatewayBy June 2001

*The above databases can be accessed via the Health Information page (http://www.nlm.nih.gov/hinfo.html) on the NLM web site, with the exception of ACTIS, which is at http://www.actis.org/index.html, and ChemIDplus which is at http://chem.sis.nlm.nih.gov/chemidplus/.

Please note that all ELHILL databases being searched by IGM are now static. The last updates to these databases contained December 2000 entry month data.

PubMed Status/Changes

Table of Contents for the NLM Technical Bulletin

Table of Contents for the January-February 2001 issue:

In This Issue:

Changes to PubMed for 2001
Internet Grateful Med to Be Retired; Reminder of NLM Gateway Availability
PubRef to be Removed from PubMed
NLM Leases CATFILEplus
Next Generation TOXLINE
Complementary Medicine - New PubMed Subset

Technical Notes:

PubMed Status - [Editor's Note added on February 20, 2001.]
2001 MeSH in LOCATORplus
Revision to NLM's License Agreement to Lease NLM Databases in Machine-Readable Form
PubMed Status Update
Small Number of PubMed Citations Receive New Entrez Date (EDAT)
New Version of the NLM Gateway Released
Expanded Access to MeSH
MEDLINE Updates Resume in PubMed

Upcoming Events - 2001*

April
6
HPCMLA Annual Conference, Honolulu, HI
24
Life in the Palm of Your Hand videoconference, MLGSCA. Locations: Banner Health Arizona, Phoeniz, AZ; University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ; University of California, Irvine, CA; University of California, San Diego, CA
30
Licensing Electronic Resources, MLGSCA, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ
May
1
Licensing Electronic Resources, MLGSCA, Long Beach Memorial Medical Center, Long Beach, CA
10
XML for Librarians, NCNMLG, Stanford, CA
20 - 24
PSRML Exhibit - American Association of Critical Care Nurses, Anaheim, CA
25 - 30
MLA 2001: An Information Odyssey, Orlando, FL
June
9 - 14
Special Libraries Association Annual Conference, 2001 - An Information Odyssey: Seizing the Competititve Advantage, San Antonio, TX
14 - 20
ALA Annual Conference 2001, San Francisco, CA
21 - 24
PSRML Exhibit - American Physical Therapy Association, Anaheim, CA
28 - July 1
PSRML Exhibit - Association of School Nurses & Practitioners, Phoenix, AZ

*Please visit the PSRML Library Professional Development Award web page to apply for an award to attend educational events. PSRML will make available awards up to $1,000 to individuals in Primary Access Libraries in Region 7. Applications may be made at any time.

Publication Information

Please send items and contributed articles for Latitudes to Heidi Sandstrom, Editor, at heidits@library.ucla.edu.

Pacific Southwest Regional Medical Library (PSRML), Headquarters for Region 7, NN/LM

UCLA Louise M. Darling Biomedical Library/PSRML
12-077 CHS
Box 951798
Los Angeles, CA 90095-1798
Phone: (310)825-1200 or (800)338-7657
Fax: (310)825-5389
URL: http://www.nnlm.nlm.nih.gov/psr

PSRML Staff

Alison Bunting, MLS, Director, abunting@library.ucla.edu
 
Elaine Graham, MLS, Associate Director, elgraham@library.ucla.edu
 
Claire Hamasu, MLS, Health Information Services Coordinator, chamasu@library.ucla.edu
 
Vacant, Education & Exhibit Coordinator
 
Heidi Sandstrom, RN, MLIS, Consumer Health Information Services Coordinator, heidits@library.ucla.edu
 
Julie Kwan, MLS, Library Network Coordinator, jkkwan@library.ucla.edu
 
Andrea Lynch, Network Assistant, andlynch@library.ucla.edu
 
Michael Miller, Computer Resource Specialist, mmiller@library.ucla.edu
 
Karen Ricard, Administrative Assistant, kricard@library.ucla.edu

Network members may subscribe to the Regional Listserv by clicking here. If you do not want to subscribe to the Regional Listserv, but would like to receive Latitudes click here.

Latitudes: Newsletter of the Pacific Southwest Region, National Network of Libraries of Medicine (NN/LM) is published bi-monthly by PSRML.

Funded by the National Library of Medicine under a contract (#N01-LM-6-3527) with the UCLA Louise M. Darling Biomedical Library.

Latitudes Home | NN/LM PSR Home
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Contact us: (800)338-7657
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