Recorded Presentation: May 9, 2012 – Beyond the SEA: Study Design and Systematic Reviews (SR)

Date:  May 9, 2012

Time:  Noon to 1:00 pm (ET)

Presenter: Mary Lou Klem, PhD, MLIS – Dr. Klem received a PhD in clinical psychology from University of Memphis in 1993, going on to complete a residency in clinical psychology at University of Mississippi Medical Center and the Jackson Mississippi VA Medical Center.  From there, she moved to the University of Pittsburgh and served as a postdoctoral fellow in cardiovascular epidemiology at the Graduate School of Public Health.  From 1999 to 2003, Dr. Klem held an appointment as an assistant professor of psychiatry at Western Psychiatric Institute & Clinic at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine. During this time period, she also completed a Master’s degree in Library and Information Sciences at Pitt.  In 2003, as part of a career transition from clinical psychologist to librarian, she completed a traineeship in Health Sciences Librarianship and Biomedical Informatics at Pitt’s Center for Biomedical Informatics.  Dr. Klem is currently a faculty librarian for the Health Sciences Library System, University of Pittsburgh.

Presentation: Study Design and Systematic Reviews (SR)

Systematic reviews are literature reviews that critically appraise and summarize the “best available evidence” for a clinical question or topic. While the most well-known “best evidence” is the randomized controlled trial (RCT), other study designs may also be appropriate for use in systematic reviews. This presentation provides an overview and description of two broad classes of study designs (experimental and observational), an explanation of critical differences between these two types of design, and a real-world example of the impact of such design differences on study outcomes.

Please click on the link below to hear the recorded presentation:

https://webmeeting.nih.gov/p59735852/

Date:  April 18th, 2012

Time:  Noon to 1:00 pm (EST)

Presenter: Janet Schneider

Bio:  Janet Schneider is recently-retired Chief of Library Service at the James A. Haley Veterans’ Hospital in Tampa, Florida.  She was instrumental in the formation of one of the first VA patient education library programs in the nation in 1976, and has spent her professional career in promoting the librarian as an integral part of the health care team. She has worked to advance the rights of patients to access reader-appropriate evidence-based information, including their own health records, in order to make informed decisions about their health care. She has chaired the VA Library Network’s (VALNET) Consumer Health Library Panel, and has authored numerous articles and one book chapter on patient education and consumer health issues. She began a formal information therapy program in 1997, and has been involved with the Department of Veterans’ Affairs electronic patient health record program “My HealtheVet (www.myhealth.va.gov) since its inception in 2001.

Presentation:  Electronically Embedded:  Librarians and the Electronic Medical Record

Electronic medical records (EMRs) are increasingly being implemented by health care organizations and private practitioners.  The benefits to patients and health care organizations are great, providing continuity of care and patient safety through clinician access to one’s comprehensive health records. Librarians have the opportunity to provide point of care resources directly through the EMR as well as participate in information therapy services, to provide consumer health information in collaboration with the referring clinicians. A case report of how  Veterans Healthcare Administration librarians are providing services and resources through the VA’s Computerized Patient Record System (CPRS) and My HealtheVet web portal will be presented.

How to get connected:

What do you need to join these conferences?

• A computer (with Flash installed)
• A telephone

How do I connect?
Go to this URL: http://webmeeting.nih.gov/beyondthesea
Enter as a Guest
Sign in with your first and last name
Follow the instructions in the meeting room to have Adobe Connect call your phone or call 1-800-605-5167 and enter the participant code 227471 when prompted.

We’ve added 12 new books to the SE/A Professional Development Library:

• Hernon, Peter. Assessing service quality: satisfying the expectations of library customers /Peter Hernon and Ellen Altman. 2nd ed. Chicago: American Library Association, 2010.
• Crawford, Walt .Open access: what you need to know now. Chicago: American Library Association, 2011.
• Kern, M. Kathleen. Virtual reference best practices: tailoring services to your library. Chicago: American Library Association, 2009.
• Barber, Peggy and Wallace, Linda. Building a buzz: libraries & word-of-mouth marketing. Chicago: American Library Association, 2010.
• The library PR handbook: high-impact communications /edited by Mark R. Gould. Chicago: American Library Association, 2009.
• Bite-sized marketing : realistic solutions for the overworked librarian /Nancy Dowd, Mary Evangeliste and Jonathan Silberman. Chicago: American Library Association, 2010.
• Landau, Herbert B. Winning library grants: a game plan. Chicago: American Library Association, 2011.
• Kane, Laura Townsend. Working in the virtual stacks :the new library & information science. Chicago: American Library Association, 2011.
• Pre- & post- retirement tips for librarians /edited by Carol Smallwood. Chicago: American Library Association, 2012.
• Doucett, Elisabeth. Creating your library brand: communicating your relevance and value to your patrons. Chicago: American Library Association, 2008.
• Harris, Lesley Ellen. Licensing digital content: a practical guide for librarians. 2nd ed. Chicago: American Library Association, 2009.
• The ALA book of library grant money /edited by Ann Kepler. 8th ed. Chicago: American Library Association, 2012. (2 copies available)

As always, borrowing these books is free. For instruction on borrowing these items and a list of all titles, please visit our Professional Development Library page at: http://nnlm.gov/sea/services/professionaldevelopmentlibrary.html

The National Library of Medicine Training Center (NTC) will be creating web based self-paced tutorials related to PubMed®, TOXNET®, and NCBI databases.

We need your input in order to inform topics, length, and format of the tutorials we will develop.  Please visit https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/ntctutorial to complete a short questionnaire.  The questionnaire should take 10-15 minutes to complete.

To say thank you for your time, we will give a $10 Amazon.com gift certificate to the first 50 people who complete the questionnaire.

Please complete the questionnaire by close of business on Friday, February 17, 2012.

Questions may be directed to Sharon Dennis, Assistant Director of the NTC, at sharon.dennis@utah.edu.

The NN/LM National Library of Medicine Training Center (NTC), located at the University of Utah, offers in-person and online training related to NLM products.

PubMed® class

The previous one-day PubMed class is being replaced with a hybrid PubMed for Trainers class. This hands-on course consists of lectures, individual exercises, group work and discussions in four sessions, with independent work before or after each session. The course consists of three 2 hour online sessions and an in-person session. NLM or NTC trainers will deliver the lectures and facilitate discussions.

The objectives of the class are for current and future PubMed trainers to discover and develop:

1. functional knowledge of the MEDLINE® database,
2. understanding of the structure and use of the Medical Subject Heading (MeSH®) vocabulary in MEDLINE/PubMed,
3. expertise in the use of features and functions of the PubMed system, and
4. techniques and best practices in MEDLINE/PubMed instruction with fellow trainers.

The class is intended specifically for those who train, or will train, others to use PubMed. This class could be for you if you teach PubMed to large groups, small groups, or one-on-one training. We look forward to lively discussions on PubMed instruction and adult education best practices.

The first NTC PubMed for Trainers class was held in October 2011 in Bethesda, MD.   Registration is now open for the PubMed for Trainers class in Chapel Hill, NC from March 13-27, 2012.  The class will also be taught in other locations between February and April 2012:  Los Angeles, CA; Houston, TX; Chicago, IL; and Syracuse, NY.

TOXNET® and Beyond class

We will continue to offer the one-day TOXNET and Beyond class. This course is designed to convey the basics of searching TOXNET, a Web-based system of databases in the areas of toxicology, environmental health, and related fields. The course also teaches students how to use the NLM Environmental Health and Toxicology portal which provides resources beyond the TOXNET® databases. Students learn the content and structure of files covering toxicology data, toxicology literature, toxic releases, and chemical nomenclature. The databases highlighted are TOXLINE®, the Hazardous Substances Data Bank (HSDB®), the Integrated Risk Information System (IRIS), the Toxic Release Inventory (TRI), and ChemIDplus®. The course includes lectures, online demonstrations, and hands-on exercises.

NTC has TOXNET and Beyond classes scheduled beginning in February 2011 in Los Angeles, CA; Houston, TX; and Chicago, IL.

Plans for Online Training

In addition to the hybrid PubMed class and in-person TOXNET and Beyond class, NTC will be offering shorter online Adobe Connect classes for delivery later this year.  In conjunction with the Pacific Southwest Region, we are also developing a Moodle version of the “Effective Training Design: Teaching with Technology” class (see http://cech.mlanet.org/node/576). 

In the next few months, will be conducting a needs assessment to identify gaps in the current Web-based training offerings.  After the needs assessment is completed we will be developing additional Web-based training.

Wait, there’s more…

The NTC blog features regularly published short articles about teaching technologies, adult education, and upcoming activities.  You can also follow us on Twitter where we are posting links to resources related to education and NLM products.  Please visit the NTC Web site at http://nnlm.gov/ntc/ for more information, to register for classes and to follow the NTC blog or Twitter feed.

–Sharon Dennis, Assistant Director

January 18, 2012 – 1 PM ET
90 minutes

 A free Webinar via Adobe Connect

- Created by the Chicago Collaborative, a joint partnership of librarians, publishers and editors*

- Sponsored and hosted by the New England, Mid-Atlantic, and Southeastern/Atlantic Regions of the National Network of Libraries of Medicine

 This 90-minute webinar provides an opportunity to learn about the publishing cycle of biomedical journals, both in print and online.  The complexities of publishing, in a world of rapidly changing delivery formats and devices will be explored, including the publishing challenges and opportunities posed by each.  Presenters include John Tagler of the Association of American Publishers, Inc. and the session will be moderated by MJ Tooey, Associate Vice President , Academic Affairs and Executive Director of the Health Sciences and Human Services Library and Director of the Southeastern/Atlantic Region at the University of Maryland.

 Participants will gain knowledge of the various roles and responsibilities of different players in the scientific publishing chain and of the international aspects of bioscience communication.  All participants will have a chance to engage in discussions with the presenters.  Key topics to be covered include:

•          The Current Biomedical Publishing Landscape
•          The Publishing Process
•          Publication Ethics
•          Production & Delivery
•          Practical Considerations
•          The Road Ahead

Please register at http://nnlm.gov/sea/training/register.html by December 31, 2011 if you plan on attending.

Connection instructions will be provided upon registration.

Several new titles have come in for the Professional Development Library hosted by the NN/LM SE/A.

• Copyright for Teachers & Librarians in the 21^st Century by Butler
• E-books in Academic Libraries by Minčić-Obradović
• E-Metrics for Library and Information Professionals: How to Use Data for Managing and Evaluating Electronic Resource Collections by White & Kamal
• Evidence-based Librarianship: Case studies and active learning exercises by Connor
• Facelifts for Special Libraries: A practical guide to revitalising diverse physical and digital spaces by Bassett, Ballantyne, & Fry
• Lean Library Management: Eleven Strategies for Reducing Costs and Improving Customer Services by Huber
• Library Marketing that Works! By Walters
• Management Basics for Information Professionals by Evans & Ward
• Measuring Library Performance Principles and Techniques by Brophy
• Productivity for Librarians: How to get more done in less time by Hines
• The Center for Intellectual Property Handbook ed. by Bonner
• The Medical Library Association’s Essential Guide to Becoming an Expert Searcher: Proven Techniques, Strategies, and Tips for Finding Health Information by Jankowski
• The Medical Library Association’s Guide to Managing Health Care Libraries ed. by Mandy & Dudden
• The Medical Library Association’s Master Guide to Authoritative Information Resources in the Health Sciences ed. by Thompson
• The Virtual Reference Handbook: Interview and Information Delivery Techniques for the Chat and E-mail Environments by Kovacs
• Winning Grants by Mackellar & Gerding

How to use the NN/LM SE/A Professional Development Collection:

• Find a title in the RML subset in the HS/HSL collection and check availability.
• If the item is checked out, contact Ashley Cuffia to see if the item may be recalled.
• Use the DOCLINE M/A/N Map to order the item from the University of Maryland, Baltimore Health Sciences and Human Services, Library LIBID: MDUMDB, and indicate that you are an NN/LM SE/A Network Member in the Comments field.
• Send the request.

Registration Now Open!!

A One-Day Workshop Co-sponsored by CENDI and NFAIS

Hosted by FLICC at the Library of Congress
The Mumford Room, Library of Congress, 101 Independence Avenue, SE,  Washington, DC 20540

WHO SHOULD ATTEND?
The over-arching nature of this one-day workshop will appeal to a broad array of communities, including librarians, scientists/researchers, technologists, information professionals, both managerial and content providers, publishers, and futurists – anyone who is concerned with ensuring access to the record of science, both today and in the future! Registration is now open for all who need to pay before the new fiscal year begins.

THE FOCUS OF THE DAY

Clifford Lynch, Executive Director of the Coalition for Networked Information, will open the day with a thoughtful and high-level perspective of the current repository landscape – the various types that have emerged and the different, yet synergistic missions served by libraries, archives and repositories.  Following his perspective will be a series of case studies given by established repositories from around the globe, including PubMed, the Cambridge Crystallographic Data Centre, Dryad, EROS (NASA), and DSpace@MIT.  These studies will provide real-life examples of how and why each repository was developed, how they operate, and how they are handling the diverse issues facing all repositories, whether they be institutional or national, data-oriented or subject-oriented, public or private - issues such as interoperability, standards, scope, user concerns, accessibility, preservation, costs and sustainability, level of openness (access), and the evolution of digital formats will be highlighted and discussed. The Library of Congress will also present the results of the requirement-gathering phase in preparation for the implementation of their new digital content repository.

A tools session will take a look at two initiatives that directly support the mission of repositories through the development of unique identifiers – DataCite and ORCID.  These identifiers will play a major role in ensuring ease of access to the record of science.

The day will close with a summary wrap-up by Judith Russell, Dean of University Libraries, the University of Florida, after which she will facilitate a discussion on such key challenges as interoperability, information sharing, and collaboration across repositories. What action is required now to build a secure foundation for the preservation and ease of access to the growing mass of scientific output?  What role will “repositories” play in the Knowledge Infrastructure of the Future? Follow-up sessions may be scheduled depending upon the outcome of today’s workshop.  So plan on joining us and add your voice in the development of the future role of repositories.

EXPERTISE

All speakers were chosen for their significant expertise and experience in the subject matter being addressed.  We believe that at the end of the day, all attendees will leave with a much broader perspective on the essential role that repositories play in preserving the record of science and the diverse challenges and issues that they face in fulfilling their missions. Watch for future communiqués on this timely and informative event, but for NOW – make sure your calendars are marked for November30^th!!!!

Online registration is now available at:

http://cendi.gov/activities/11_30_2011_CENDI_NFAIS_FLICC.html

Registration Fees

$95  Members (CENDI, NFAIS, FLICC)

$125  Non-members             

FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION, CONTACT:

Jill O’Neill

Director, Communication and Planning
NFAIS
1518 Walnut Street, Suite 1004
Philadelphia, PA  19102-3403
(215) 893-1561  Voice
(215) 893-1564  Fax
jilloneill@nfais.org

by Terri Ottosen, Consumer Health Coordinator, NN/LM, SE/A

The “nature” vs. “nurture” argument took an interesting turn recently. An article in the journal Science, describes recent research that found that genes, not a healthy lifestyle, determine whether most people make it to age 95 or beyond. Of course, lifestyle matters, but according to Dr. Jill P. Crandall, a professor of clinical medicine at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine and co-author of a new study on longevity, “the genetic component that allows people to survive into extreme old age is probably a very powerful one, even counteracting the effects of unhealthy lifestyle choices.”[1] This article has since been retracted, but in the full notice of retraction, the main scientific findings remain supported by the original data.

The study authors interviewed people living independently at ages 95 through 109, and asked them to recall things such as their weight, height, alcohol consumption, smoking and their physical activity at age 70. They were also asked whether they ate a low-calorie, low-fat or low-salt diet at that age. All the subjects were Ashkenazi Jews, who share a similar genetic heritage. The researchers then compared the responses to those from a group of 3,164 people who took part in a survey in the 1970s.  The participants in the earlier study were at about the same ages as the elderly subjects who appear in the new study.

So, did today’s elderly people act differently back when they were 70, from people in general? Were they healthier, or did they smoke less and exercise more? The researchers found the answer to be, not really. They discovered that centenarians in general did not stick to any specific healthy diet any more than the general population. The same was found for smoking and exercise. For example, only 43% of men 95 and older reported exercising regularly with moderate intensity, compared with 57% of men in the comparison group.

Generally, science knows relatively little when it comes to genetics. Since the Human Genome Project was completed in 2003, we are learning more and more as the data from that project is analyzed. As librarians, you may get questions regarding genetic conditions occasionally, but not routinely. In the future, we will probably see this change as consumers and health professionals seek knowledge and answers. Additionally, there are many social, ethical and legal issues surrounding genetic information. It is important as health information professionals that we know good sources of reliable genetic information to assist those with questions. Some health sciences librarians are adept at searching genomic databases and assist researchers with genetic sequences and more. Some of us may simply recognize that a particular disease or condition is genetic in nature and will refer patrons beyond MedlinePlus, to the National Library of Medicine’s Genetic Home Reference database. [2]

The NN/LM SE/A has a consumer genetics class, “ABCs of DNA: Unraveling the Mystery of Genetics Information for Consumers,” that has been taught several times throughout the Region and at MLA. It will be updated and offered in Seattle at MLA 2012 and will be added to the suite of courses via distance education on Moodle in the future. The Consumer Health Coordinator has a keen interest in genetics information and constantly strives to increase her knowledge of the subject. There are quite a few interesting genetics blogs for those interested in the topic. Tomorrow’s Table: http://scienceblogs.com/tomorrowstable/ is a blog that explores genetically modified food and its future.  The U.S. PharmD.com site has a great list of the top 50 genetics blogs for further reading: http://www.uspharmd.com/blog/2009/top-50-genetics-blogs/. A SEAGuide (our version of a LibGuide) will also be forthcoming on the topic.

For those of you that would like to take a look at the resources and materials from the class, please visit: http://nnlm.gov/training/genetics/index.html