Following are some tips for faster, more focused search results using Google:

• Exclude terms. If you are looking for information on the term “myocardial,” but not “myocardial infarction,” place a minus sign in front of the word you wish to exclude, e.g., myocardial -infarction.
• Site search. Limit your search to a single website or a specific group of sites, by using site: followed by a Web address or ending. For example, entering “stroke site:gov” as the search will provide information about strokes from government agencies, including MedlinePlus!
• Wildcard search. Use the asterisk to substitute for any word in a phrase. This can be especially useful for identifying a particular fact or even finding a missing word in a song lyric! Put phrases in quotes; for example, “Las Vegas is in * county.”
• Math and conversions. Enter a math problem into Google Search, and it will give you the answer (use * for multiplication and / for division). It will also convert currencies and temperatures. For example, enter “$100 in euros.”
• Definitions. Place the word “define” before any word, for example “define popliteal,” and Google provides a definition at the top of the results list. You can also enter “movies” or “weather” before a ZIP Code or city name to see a list of films playing nearby or a weather forecast for that area.

The National Science Foundation and the National Institutes of Health are co-sponsoring a webinar regarding their joint Core Techniques and Technologies for Advancing Big Data Science & Engineering (BIGDATA) solicitation. The webinar will be held from 8-9am PDT on May 8, 2012. Questions about the solicitation can be submitted during the webinar. Please register for the webinar by May 7, 2012. After your registration is accepted, you will get an email with a URL to join the meeting. The webinar will be archived for later viewing, and linked to the BIGDATA program web page.

The BIGDATA solicitation aims to advance the core scientific and technological means of managing, analyzing, visualizing, and extracting useful information from large, diverse, distributed, and heterogeneous data sets so as to accelerate the progress of scientific discovery and innovation; lead to new fields of inquiry that would not otherwise be possible; encourage the development of new data analytic tools and algorithms; facilitate scalable, accessible, and sustainable data infrastructure; increase understanding of human and social processes and interactions; and promote economic growth and improved health and quality of life.

The phrase “big data” in this solicitation does not refer just to the volume of data, but also to its variety and velocity. Big data includes large, diverse, complex, longitudinal, and/or distributed data sets generated from instruments, sensors, Internet transactions, email, video, click streams, and/or all other digital sources. Proposal submission deadlines are June 13, 2012, for mid-scale projects; and July 11, 2012, for small projects. Fifteen to twenty projects will be funded, subject to availability of funds.

The National Library of Medicine (NLM) announces the retirement of Sheldon Kotzin, Associate Director for Library Operations, at the end of June, 2012, after 43 years of service.

NLM colleagues will gather on June 14, 2012, to wish him farewell, best wishes and a heartfelt thank you in speeches, videos, and song. Mr. Kotzin served NLM long and well, including his service as Executive Editor of MEDLINE, Administrator of the Literature Selection Technical Review Committee, and NLM’s representative to the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors. For his many contributions to NLM’s services, he has earned the lasting respect and admiration of NLM staff, medical librarians, editors, and publishers worldwide.

What is a Health Literate Organization?

In January 2012, participants in a workgroup of the Institutes of Medicine (IOM) Roundtable on Health Literacy published a discussion paper titled “Attributes of a Health Literate Organization.”

This paper describes ten attributes of a health literate organization, with examples for each attribute.  Health literate organizations will make it “easier for people to navigate, understand, and use information and services to take care of their health.”

The authors underscore the importance of addressing health literacy at an organizational level, along with guidelines for various types of health care organizations. The paper concludes with a list of highly relevant resources that will be useful to anyone interested in this topic.

To see the detailed list of attributes and examples, please visit www.iom.edu/healthlit10attributes.  A PDF of the discussion paper can be downloaded here.

Early bird registration for the June 4-7, 2012, International Conference of Indigenous Archives, Libraries, and Museums in Tulsa, Oklahoma ends Monday, April 30 at 5 p.m. CDT.  The Association of Tribal Archives, Libraries, and Museums (ATALM) is an international organization that serves the needs of those who work to protect and advance cultural sovereignty.

Early bird registration is $250 and includes an opening reception, two breakfasts, and three luncheons. After April 30, registration fees are $300. Very few registrations remain and many events are already full. If you plan to attend, you are encouraged to register at your earliest opportunity by visiting http://www.atalm.org/node/22.

Hotel and travel information, as well as the full conference program, are available at http://www.atalm.org/.

The next few Midday at the Oasis Sessions are listed here. Note that the April date is this Monday instead of the usual third Wednesday.

April 23rd — PubMed Health and MedlinePlus – A Tale of Two Sites
May 16th — Sexual Violence: Resources for Survivors and their Support Network
June 20th — Operation Health: Resources for Veterans and Their Families

Times
1-2PM (Pacific) | 10-11AM (Hawaii) | 1-2PM (Arizona) | 9-10AM (American Samoa) | 6-7AM next day (Guam)

Register here:
http://nnlm.gov/ntcc/classes/class_details.html?class_id=227

Presentation Title: PubMed Health and MedlinePlus – A Tale of Two Sites
Presenter: Kelli Ham, Consumer Health & Technology Coordinator
Description: PubMed Health is a relatively new offering from the National Library of Medicine and the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI). Searching for health topics on a site like Google often brings up a result from PubMed Health, but a result from MedlinePlus may or may not appear. What is the difference between the two sites? This webinar will provide a closer look at PubMed Health and how it compares with MedlinePlus. We will discuss the site’s relevance for medical libraries, health professionals and consumers, and situations when MedlinePlus would be a more appropriate resource.

Presentation Title: Sexual Violence: Resources for Survivors and their Support Network
Presenter: Lynn Kysh, PSR Intern
Description: This webinar will provide an overview of the prevalent issue of sexual violence and resources for librarians to help survivors and their support networks. Participants will learn about who is affected by this issue and about the different experiences and needs of survivors. Health issues and information needs will be highlighted and will include resources focused on what happens during the reporting process, how to locate local agencies, how to help a loved one, symptoms of rape trauma syndrome, and prevention strategies for youth.

Presentation Title: Operation Health: Resources for Veterans and Their Families
Presenter: Kelli Ham, Consumer Health & Technology Coordinator
Description: This webinar will provide an overview of the most pressing issues faced by returning veterans and their loved ones, and what library staff can do to help. Participants will learn about the spectrum of health issues and information needs of military veterans and their families, quality health resources and mobile apps; directories of medical facilities and services, and information about support services for spouses and families of deployed troops.

To view previous Midday presentations, go to the Archives page.

Frederick M. Burkle, Jr., MD, MPH, DTM, FAAP, FACEP, gave the 2012 Joseph Leiter NLM/Medical Library Association (MLA) Lecture on Wednesday, May 9, 2012, at 11:00 am (PDT) in the Lister Hill Center Auditorium at the National Library of Medicine. His lecture, Future Humanitarian Crises: Challenges to Practice, Policy & Public Health, was recorded and the archive is available for viewing or downloading.

Dr. Burkle is Senior Fellow and Scientist, the Harvard Humanitarian Initiative, Harvard School of Public Health and former Senior Scholar and now Senior Associate Faculty and Research Scientist, the Center for Refugee & Disaster Response, Johns Hopkins University Medical Institutes. He also serves as a Senior International Public Policy Scholar, Woodrow Wilson Center for International Scholars, Washington, DC, (2008-present). In addition, he serves as an Adjunct Professor; and, as a Clinical Professor of Surgery and Adjunct Professor in Tropical Medicine at the University of Hawaii. He is Adjunct Professor, Department of Military & Emergency Medicine, Uniformed Services University of Health Sciences, Bethesda, Maryland, and the Department of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, John Cook University, Australia.

The PubMed Abstract display now includes a “Save items” portlet that will provide users with an easy way to add items of interest to a My NCBI collection. My NCBI users that are signed in may click the “Favorite” button, which will turn blue when selected, and then adds the citation to a new My NCBI collection, Favorites. When signed in to My NCBI, the “Save items” portlet also includes a drop-down menu which will display a list of all the collections for your account. Clicking the star next to a collection name will automatically add the citation to the collection. You may also choose to create a new collection using the drop-down menu. To see more details, along with screen shots of this newly released feature, please visit the recent article in the NLM Technical Bulletin.

The Annual Meeting of the Medical Library Association (MLA) will be held May 18-23, 2012, at the Washington State Convention Center in Seattle, WA. Attendees are invited to visit the NLM exhibit booth #321 (May 19-22) to meet NLM staff and see NLM Web products and services. The NLM Theater at the booth will feature demonstrations and tutorials on a wide variety of topics.

Mark Your MLA Calendars!

Monday, May 21 (7:00 am – 8:15 am)
NLM Online Users’ Meeting “Sunrise Seminar”
Location: Rm. 602-603, Convention Center
NLM staff will highlight recent accomplishments and indicate new developments in a variety of online systems including MEDLINE/PubMed, MedlinePlus, MedlinePlus Connect and other NLM products.

Tuesday, May 22 (10:30 am – 11:30 am)
NLM Update
Location: Ballroom 6ABC, Convention Center
Speakers:
Betsy Humphreys, Deputy Director
Sheldon Kotzin, Associate Director, Library Operations
Jeff Reznick, Chief, History of Medicine Division

Informal Meetings
Sunday, May 20 (3:30 pm – 4:30 pm)
DOCLINE Users Group Meeting
Location: Rm. 601, Convention Center

Good news! If you have been thinking about registering for the annual Health Literacy Conference sponsored by the Institute for Healthcare Advancement, you still have a few days to save on your registration!  The Early Bird Savings Registration deadline has been extended to Monday, April 16^th.

Also, did you know that attendees receive a set of the “What to Do for Health” books? If you are not familiar with this wonderful series, you can learn more by going to www.iha4health.org and clicking on the Books tab, or you can go directly here.

The Medical Library Association and the National Network of Libraries of Medicine (NN/LM) recognizes that members have a role to play in health literacy and encourages you to attend this conference. This activity has been approved by the Medical Library Association (MLA); attendees can earn up to 19 contact hours.  Also, the NN/LM PSR and MLA will be hosting an exhibit table at the conference to help inform attendees how librarians can support and improve health literacy.

IHA has been very proactive in reaching out to our profession.  Librarians can save even more on their registration by taking advantage of the special discount! Use discount code MLA12 when you register, and save $50 off the regular low registration rate. Register early to get this special rate – the early bird deadline is on or before Monday, April 16 at 5pm Pacific Daylight Time. Click here to register now.  Also, see the announcement towards the end of the email for information about applying for a conference scholarship.

Additional information about what you can expect at the conference:

New, Extended Preconference Offerings!

 There are some great preconference activities lined up for you this year! Some are repeats from last year; many are FREE, and a few are brand-new offerings. As a registered attendee, here’s what you can look forward to when you come in a day early…

•     Extended, 3-Hour Preconference Learning Sessions. Take advantage of this opportunity to choose an immersive, 3-hour learning session on two very important topics: How to Write for a Low Literacy Audience, by IHA’s Gloria Mayer, or 10 Tips to Make Your Health Website Easier to Use, by Stacy Robison and Xanthi Scrimgeour. NOTE: There is an additional fee of $59 for either workshop.

•     FREE: National Action Plan Live Virtual Event. This event will bring in participants from all over the world to discuss, via social media, ways in which they have implemented the National Action Plan to Improve Health Literacy. Discussion moderators at the session are IHA’s Michael Villaire and Gloria Mayer, and (just added!) CDC’s Cynthia Baur, Ph.D, a Lead Editor of the National Action Plan.

•     FREE: Workshop: Draft Your Own Action Plan. Attendees at the conference can stay for this workshop to walk through each step of writing your own Action Plan and implement it in your organization.

•     FREE: Health Literacy 101: An Introduction to the Field.  For those who are somewhat new to the field of health literacy, join us for this basic, introductory overview of the field, and learn what you need to know about health literacy.

Attend Four Hands-On, Interactive Breakout Sessions!

 Folks who have attended the conference tell us what really sets the IHA Health Literacy Conference apart is that you can attend four, 1.5-hour skill-building sessions. Roll up your sleeves and learn specific skills to help you function more efficiently and better understand and meet your clients’ and patients’ needs.   These sessions provide a wide selection of choices, from tools you can use and programs you can replicate to practicing new skill sets, and more. Here are the breakout session selections for 2012:

•     The Case for Collaboration: Creating and Sustaining Healthy Partnerships

•     Developing a Health Literacy Program Evaluation Plan

•     Finding the Right Resources to Meet Your Health Literacy Needs

•     Including People Who Experience Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities in Health Literacy Plans and Programs

•     Implementing Health Literacy in a Large Company: An Example from Pharma

•     Using the Arts to Advance Health Literacy

•     Using New Media Tools to Reach People with Health Information

•     Learning the Language of Health Literacy Grants

•     Usability Testing on a Dime: What, Why and How

•     Panel: Health Literacy Tools Developed by Health Plans

Best Buy for Your Education Dollars

 These days, we all need to look at where we can best spend our money. This is particularly true for nonprofit organizations. However, when you consider that only slightly more than 1 in 10 American adults are considered proficient in the health literacy skills they need to effectively navigate and use our healthcare system, you can see that the Health Literacy Conference is an excellent buy. If you make even a small number of incremental changes in how you and your staff interact and communicate with your patients and clients, the results could more than pay for your small investment.

We have kept our tuition rates at the same low rate every year. See our rates grid and show it to whoever approves your education programming to see how little you will pay to attend this important conference. And remember, your registration fee includes:

•     Continuing Education credits (up to 19 hours)

•     Breakfast on Thursday and Friday

•     Lunch on Thursday and Friday

•     Opening Night Reception–cocktails and hors d’oeuvres

•     FREE Wednesday nationwide virtual event AND workshop on the National Action Plan to Improve Health Literacy, to help you create an action plan for your organization

•     FREE Preconference Session on Wednesday evening: “Health Literacy 101: An Introduction to the Field”

•     Complimentary tote bag with info and free set of IHA books

•     Poster session on Thursday evening

•     Multiple networking opportunities

 Conference Scholarships Offered Courtesy of Health Literacy Innovations

Want to attend the conference but you are short on funds? This year the sponsor Health Literacy Innovations (HLI), creators of the Health Literacy Advisor™ (in Spanish-Asesor de Comunicación en Salud™) will provide seven scholarships to the conference. If you are interested in applying, please visit http://www.healthliteracyinnovations.com/IHA.

 Conference Hotel–Hyatt Regency Irvine

 The Eleventh Annual IHA Health Literacy Conference will be held once again at the Hyatt Regency Irvine, close to John Wayne/Orange County Airport (SNA) with complimentary airport shuttle, and just minutes from world-class shopping at South Coast Plaza. Easy access to the beach and freeway, close to Disneyland Park, California Adventure, the Downtown Disney District, Knott’s Berry Farm, The Outlets at Orange, Crystal Cathedral, and Anaheim Stadium.

There are a limited number of rooms at a special rate of $125 at the Hyatt Regency Irvine. Be sure to mention that you are attending the IHA Health Literacy Conference to get this special rate.  Book your room early, as the block of rooms at this special rate is limited. When these rooms are gone, prevailing rates apply on an as-available basis. Deadline for reserving rooms at this rate is April 23, 2012 OR until rooms in this block are sold out, whichever comes first. Rates are good for two days before and two days after the conference.

IHA welcomes your calls.  For any questions, don’t hesitate to call Michael Villaire at (800) 434-4633, ext. 202, or email mvillaire@iha4health.org.