A Librarian’s Guide to NCBI comprises a pre-course, “Fundamentals in Bioinformatics and Searching,” offered online (asynchronous), during March 2013, and a five-day, in-person course offered at the National Library of Medicine, April 15-19, 2013. The course provides basic knowledge and skills for librarians interested in helping their clientele use online molecular databases and tools from the NLM’s National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI). Topics include using the BLAST sequence similarity search and Entrez text search systems to find relevant data. The course describes the various kinds of molecular data available, and explains how these are generated and used in modern biomedical research. Instructors will be NCBI staff and Diane Rein, Ph.D., from the University at Buffalo. The course will be limited to 18 students. More information and an online application will be available in December, 2012.

The National Library of Medicine (NLM) is pleased to announce the release of a new educational resource, an afterschool science club curriculum for middle school students, entitled Discovering the Connection: Your Environment, Your Health. Lessons and activities of the curriculum combine research on the Tox Town website with hands-on experiments and communication and social action activities. The objective is to introduce middle school students to environmental health issues in their everyday life, emphasizing the relevance of science to informed citizenship.

The curriculum was developed as collaboration between NLM, University of Maryland College of Education, and an inter-disciplinary group of middle school teachers. It is based on National Science Education Standards and is grounded in problem-based learning approach that promotes in-depth understanding and critical thinking.

The curriculum sequence contains six units that each introduce one environmental health topic and include three to four 50-60 minute lessons. The units are: 1) Water Quality, 2) Air Quality, 3) Chemicals in Your Home, 4) Food Safety, 5) Runoff, Impervious Surfaces, and Smart Development, and 6) The Great Debate: Bottled Water vs. Tap Water in Our School. While the curriculum is for an afterschool club, its lessons can also be used to support the existing middle school science curriculum, as well as to reinforce the science/society connection in the social science or language arts classroom.

To stay up to date with all NLM’s K-12 resources subscribe to the K12NLMRESOURCES listserv.

Do you train others to use PubMed? If so, join us for PubMed for Trainers, a hybrid class with three online sessions and one in-person session. The class is eligible for 15 MLA CE credits. The class is an in-depth look at PubMed and a chance to share training ideas with your fellow participants.

More details about the PubMed for Trainers course and registration in Los Angeles is available! This course is taught by trainers from the  National Library of Medicine Training Center (NTC).

Applications for the 2013 sessions of the NLM Biomedical Informatics course in Woods Hole, MA, are now being accepted. The submission deadline is January 11, 2013. Selection decisions will be made by mid-February. The costs for attending this course, including travel, housing, and meals, are fully supported by the National Library of Medicine. Sessions are limited to 30 participants. This is a National Library of Medicine fellowship program directed at medical educators, medical librarians, medical administrators, and young faculty, who are not currently knowledgeable but can become agents of change in their institutions.

This week-long survey course is designed to familiarize individuals with the application of computer technologies and information science in biomedicine and health science. Through a combination of lectures and hands-on computer exercises, participants will be introduced to the conceptual and technical components of biomedical informatics. The conceptual components will include principles of database design, human-computer interfaces, medical terminologies and coding systems, medical decision analysis methods, clinical information systems architectures, and methods for measuring costs and benefits in health care systems. The technical components will include use of the Internet for biomedical applications, current and emerging wide area network technologies, use of literature and molecular sequence databases, and systems for telemedicine. Evening workshops will include hands-on project development to give students the opportunity to bring their own expertise to bear, and apply the lessons learned in class to a relevant informatics application.

The course dates for 2013 are:

• Spring Session: May 26 – June 1, 2013
• Fall Session: September 15 – 21, 2013

More information, including course objectives, activity agenda, and list of instructors, is available on the course page. Many PSR Network members have attended over the years, and they can attest to the value of the experience!

On July 27, 2012, Stephanie Evergreen, eLearning Initiatives Director for the American Evaluation Association (AEA), gave a half-hour webinar about the Ignite approach to giving presentations. This approach involves a five-minute presentation, based on 20 slides, that are each shown for 15 seconds. The American Evaluation Association, which is conducting a “Potent Presentations” initiative to help its members improve their reporting skills, has made the recording and slides for this great presentation available in its free AEA Public Library.

In her short, practical webinar, Stephanie demonstrated the Ignite approach with a great presentation about “Chart Junk Extraction,” with valuable tips for creating streamlined, readable charts with maximized visual impact. Spend an enjoyable and enlightening few minutes viewing the fast-paced and interesting Light Your Ignite Training Webinar. You can even learn how to set your PowerPoint timer to move forward automatically every 15 seconds to practice your Igniting!

MLA Continuing Education credit is now available for our monthly Midday at the Oasis sessions! You need to register ahead of time in order to receive the credit. The usual place to register is linked on the Training and Exhibit Calendar or on the Midday listing. One hour of MLA CE credit will be awarded for the Midday sessions.

The July 18th talk is:

Presentation Title: ClinicalTrials.gov: Results Reporting, Unique Evidence, and Evolving Policy
Presenter: Stephen Kiyoi
Description: ClinicalTrials.gov, the second most heavily visited resource from the National Library of Medicine, now provides access to over 6,000 study results, many of which have not been published in the research literature. Learn more about recent and upcoming legislation governing results reporting, how to promote results reporting to clinical researchers at your institution, and how to search ClinicalTrials.gov as a unique source of evidence for systematic reviews.

Register and join us at 1-2PM (Pacific) | 10-11AM (Hawaii) | 1-2PM (Arizona) | 9-10AM (American Samoa) | 6-7AM Thursday (Guam) for Midday at the Oasis!

The National Library of Medicine (NLM) is pleased to announce the 2012-2013 year of the leadership program jointly sponsored with the Association of Academic Health Sciences Libraries (AAHSL). The NLM/AAHSL Leadership Fellows Program is focused on preparing emerging leaders for the position of library director in academic health sciences libraries. The one-year program design is multi-faceted: three in-person leadership institutes; attendance at an Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) annual meeting; a yearlong fellow/mentor relationship; webinars and discussions on issues related to library leadership; and a two-week site visit to the mentor’s home library (in one- or two-week segments). The program is designed to:

• Introduce fellows to leadership theory and practical tools for implementing change at organizational and professional levels;
• Introduce fellows to critical issues facing academic health sciences libraries;
• Develop meaningful professional relationships between fellows and mentors that give fellows access to career guidance and support;
• Expose fellows to another academic health sciences library and its institutional leadership under the guidance of their mentors;
• Examine career development and provide models of directors to fellows;
• Create a cohort of leaders who will draw upon each other for support throughout their careers;
• Promote diversity in the leadership of the profession; and
• Offer recognition to emerging leaders and enhance the competitive standing of fellows as they pursue director positions.

The NLM/AAHSL Leadership Fellows Program is currently accepting applications and nominations for the August 1, 2012, deadline for potential fellows for the 2012-2013 experience. Candidates for fellow should have a strong interest in pursuing a directorship in academic health sciences libraries, as well as significant management experience. Applications are welcomed from professionals working in academic health sciences libraries, hospital libraries, or other library-related settings. Applications from qualified minority candidates are encouraged. Directors with at least five years of experience as director of an academic health sciences library should indicate preliminary interest in being matched as a mentor by contacting the AAHSL Future Leadership Committee by August 1.

The program brochure, including information on program design, schedule, and application process, is available on the AAHSL website. For more information about the program, please contact Carolyn Lipscomb, Program Manager, AAHSL Future Leadership Committee.

The Annual Meeting of the Medical Library Association (MLA) was held May 18-23, 2012 at the Washington State Convention Center in Seattle, WA. Attendees were invited to visit the NLM exhibit booth to meet NLM staff and see NLM Web products and services. The NLM Theater at the booth featured demonstrations and tutorials on a wide variety of topics. Recordings of the NLM Theater Presentations are now available:

• Disaster Health Information Update ( 27 min.)
• Drug, Toxicology & Environmental Health Update (20 min.)
• Everything You Ever Wanted to Know about ClinicalTrials.gov (14 min.)
• LinkOut and Submission Utility Update (8 min.)
• Managing Public Access Compliance Using My NCBI (27 min.)
• MedlinePlus and MedlinePlus Connect (23 min.)
• Native Voices and Other Voices (16 min.)
• NIHSeniorHealth Redesign (7 min.)
• Public Health & Health Services Research at NLM: A Tale of Two Portals (17 min.)
• PubMed Health (29 min.)
• PubMed Update (25 min.)
• UMLS and RxNorm Update (20 min.)

In addition, the PowerPoint presentations from the NLM Online Users’ Meeting, NLM Update, and DOCLINE Users’ Group Meeting are also available online.

Build your competencies in the necessary skills and knowledge required for all health-related services by attending this online course! The popular Health and Wellness @ the Library: The Essentials of Providing Consumer Health Services online class will be taught from June 27 through July 27^th.  If you are interested in receiving MLA Level I CHIS (Consumer Health Information Specialization), this is the class for you!

For details, see the course page at http://nnlm.gov/ntcc/classes/class_details.html?class_id=377.

This online course defines the core competencies of providing consumer health information services and then provides the tools and activities for participants to build the essential skills and knowledge needed to attain those competencies.  Throughout the four weeks, the class provides a comprehensive exposure to consumer health resources and services to meet the needs of diverse populations and improve the health literacy of entire communities.

Assignments in the class are designed to provide ‘real-world’ activities that are directly relevant in the workplace. The course is approved for 12 Medical Library Association CE units, in addition to attaining Level I CHIS.  Because of the comprehensive nature of this class, you can expect to spend approximately 3 to 4 hours per week for independent classwork.

Register now at http://nnlm.gov/psr/training/register.html?schedule_id=1723.

The Teaching with Technology: Tips, Techniques and Tools online class will be taught starting  July 23rd!

More information is highlighted on the NTC Blog at http://nnlm.gov/ntc/2012/06/05/join-us-for-an-online-class-teaching-with-technology/. 

In this class, you will learn about using technology tools for teaching distance learning courses. We will discuss options and best practices for asynchronous and synchronous distance classes, as well as “blended” classes that offer both in-person and online options. Adult learning principles will be reviewed. We will examine and discuss examples of software and website tools in teaching.

To register, go to http://nnlm.gov/ntcc/classes/class_details.html?class_id=453.

Please be sure you have the time to devote to this class, approximately 2 hours per week for independent classwork. With online classes, our experience indicates that many people have unrealistic expectations of their time management!