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This study explored 1) whether there were any differences in the way medical students used library resources under problem-based learning (PBL) and scenario-based learning (SBL) curricula; and 2) what improvements the library could make to facilitate its use by medical students using the different curricula. Twenty medical students selected from two different medical universities in different countries were interviewed in depth. The study found that a) PBL and SBL students used the library significantly differently; b) SBL students presented a wider range of demands and behaviors in seeking information; c) more PBL students preferred using solely electronic resources to solve PBL problems; and d) more SBL students preferred using textbooks in their study and to solve the problems. It is concluded that the characteristics of the two learning approaches affect the medical students in their uses of library resources. The library staff must interact differently with students depending on the curriculum they are following. The study suggests several directions (‘SHELTER’) to the library and recommends it to provide service targeting students’ needs after exploring the following three dimensions of the curriculum: students’ perceptions of the library’s collection related to the curriculum, course requirements for gathering information, and the librarian’s role in the curriculum. When new reforms are initiated it is necessary for the library to undertake a comprehensive review and to gain understanding of the curriculum at the outset. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Medical college libraries are set up in medical colleges to lend support to their basic function of promoting medical education and research. Such libraries are entrusted with the responsibility to develop a good collection of documents comprising of medical literature, which is required and demanded by its users. Moreover, they have to be well equipped to meet all the users' needs in a wide range of disciplines related to medicine. The medical college libraries have to cater to the needs of medical students, research scholars and faculty cum practitioners. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article reports concerning the congress of the Union for Medical Library Science, Arbeitsgemeinschaft für Medizinisches Bibliothekswesen (AGMB), held from September 27-29, 2010 in Mainz, Germany. The conference theme was the availability of medical information and how it can be improved. Speaking were professor Dr. Christoph Bläsi of the Johannes-Gutenberg University of Mainz, medical library director Dr. Oliver Obst, and librarian Ulrich Korwitz, who introduced the search engine MedPilot 3.0.

Use of mobile technology in medicine has steadily gained momentum over the past 10 years. With the advent of new mobile devices that offer superior functionality and connectivity, medical librarians have an opportunity to expand mobile services and resources that have the potential to enhance user experience, medical education, and clinical practice. This article looks at the genesis of mobile medicine from the early adopters to today's always connected user. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Milford Care Centre is a major centre for specialist palliative and gerontological care in the Mid-West of Ireland. In August 2008, a Librarian was employed to support the information, research, teaching and professional development needs of staff and students. In planning associated with this role, it was necessary to undertake an analysis of the information needs of staff. (1) To understand the information needs of staff with regard to the new Library and Information Service. (2) To identify current access to and levels of skill in information literacy and ICT. (3) To ascertain the need for training in those skills. A web-based questionnaire was disseminated in November by email and printed copies were left at other locations. Assistance with obtaining journal articles was rated most highly by respondents as being an important service. Eighty-three per cent indicated that they did not have access to online health databases. Small group classes were considered the preferred method of providing training. Afternoons were also considered more convenient for visiting the library. The results will be used to plan the development of the library with a better insight of users needs and assist us to utilise resources more effectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article describes the experiences of librarians at the Research Medical Library embedded within clinical teams at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center and their efforts to enhance communication within their teams using Web 2.0 tools. Pros and cons of EndNote Web, Delicious, Connotea, PBWorks, and SharePoint are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In summer 2009, the Norris Medical Library decided to increase outreach efforts in an attempt to revitalize its role in the USC School of Pharmacy for the upcoming academic year. Active networking in the summer and early fall resulted in an increase in use of both educational and reference services by pharmacy students and faculty; the number of planned instruction sessions for the 2009-2010 academic year increased fivefold. This article identifies ten steps that allowed the Library to expand its role considerably in just a few months. If followed wholly, or in part, these ten steps will help any library become more involved on a health sciences campus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article reports on research which used a survey to assess the types and levels of support that academic health science libraries provided to biomedical researchers. Researchers used the survey with 134 academic health sciences libraries in the U.S. and Canada. They found that 133 of the libraries provided some sort of support to biomedical researchers and that all of the libraries felt that librarian support for researchers was important, somewhat important or very important. They also found that several types of support were offered to researchers including licensed electronic resources and individual consultations with researchers.

Background and objectives: The main objective of this paper is to determine the frequency of doctors’ clinical information needs using Clinical Librarians as data collectors, focusing on the UK acute sector. Additionally, the frequency of questions followed-up by Clinical Librarians was determined. The information needs of doctors have been investigated in other countries, particularly the USA, but not in the UK. Clinical Librarians have not been utilized as data collectors in any previous studies. Method: Clinical Librarians counted clinical questions posed by doctors in clinical settings. Results: The Clinical Librarians counted 286 questions from 655 doctors discussing 1210 patient cases. This represents approximately one question for every four patients. Conclusion: Clinical Librarians can collect data to identify the number of information needs doctors have, but this was more successful when the Clinical Librarian was experienced and an established part of the clinical team. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and objectives: The expansion of evidence-based practice across sectors has lead to an increasing variety of review types. However, the diversity of terminology used means that the full potential of these review types may be lost amongst a confusion of indistinct and misapplied terms. The objective of this study is to provide descriptive insight into the most common types of reviews, with illustrative examples from health and health information domains. Methods: Following scoping searches, an examination was made of the vocabulary associated with the literature of review and synthesis (literary warrant). A simple analytical framework—Search, AppraisaL, Synthesis and Analysis (SALSA)—was used to examine the main review types. Results: Fourteen review types and associated methodologies were analysed against the SALSA framework, illustrating the inputs and processes of each review type. A description of the key characteristics is given, together with perceived strengths and weaknesses. A limited number of review types are currently utilized within the health information domain. Conclusions: Few review types possess prescribed and explicit methodologies and many fall short of being mutually exclusive. Notwithstanding such limitations, this typology provides a valuable reference point for those commissioning, conducting, supporting or interpreting reviews, both within health information and the wider health care domain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The School of Public Health at Saint Louis University is located at a greater distance from the library than other programs on the main medical center campus. Physical distance diminishes the ease of access to direct reference services for public health users. To bridge the gap, the library developed the Mobile Reference Service to deliver onsite information assistance with regular office hours each week. Between September 2006 and April 2007, a total of 57 in-depth reference transactions took place over 25 weeks, averaging 2 transactions per week in a 2-hour period. Overall reference transactions from public health users went up 28%, while liaison contacts with public health users doubled compared to the same period the year before. The Mobile Reference Service program has improved library support for research and scholarship, cultivated and strengthened liaison relationships, and enhanced marketing and delivery of library resources and services to the Saint Louis University School of Public Health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: This study was designed to document the state of open access (OA) in the biomedical field in 2005. Methods: PubMed was used to collect bibliographic data on target articles published in 2005. PubMed, Google Scholar, Google, and OAIster were then used to establish the availability of free full text online for these publications. Articles were analyzed by type of OA, country, type of article, impact factor, publisher, and publishing model to provide insight on the current state of OA. Results: Twenty-seven percent of all the articles were accessible as OA articles. More than 70% of the OA articles were provided through journal websites. Midrank commercial publishers often provided OA articles in OA journals, while society publishers tended to provide OA articles in the context of a traditional subscription model. The rate of OA articles available from the websites of individual authors or in institutional repositories was quite low. Discussion/Conclusions: In 2005, OA in the biomedical field was achieved under an umbrella of existing scholarly communication systems. Typically, OA articles were published as part of subscription journals published by scholarly societies. OA journals published by BioMed Central contributed to a small portion of all OA articles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To improve understanding of the information-seeking behaviors of public health professionals, the authors conducted this randomized controlled trial involving sixty participants to determine whether library and informatics training, with an emphasis on PubMed searching skills, increased the frequency and sophistication of participants' practice-related questions. Methods: The intervention group (n534) received evidence-based public health library and informatics training first, whereas the control group (n526) received identical training two weeks later. The frequency and sophistication of the questions generated by both intervention and control groups during the interim-two-week period served as the basis for comparison. Results: The intervention group reported an average of almost 1.8 times more questions than those reported by the control group (1.24 vs. 0.69 questions per participant); however, this difference did not reach statistical significance. The intervention group overall produced more sophisticated (foreground) questions than the control group (18 vs. 9); however, this difference also did not reach statistical significance. Conclusion: The training provided in the current study seemed to prompt public health practitioners to identify and articulate questions more often. Training appears to create the necessary precondition for increased information-seeking behavior among public health professionals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Searching for alternatives to using animals in research is not a standard service currently offered by most medical research libraries. The goal of this article is to demystify this type of expert search for medical librarians and to do so using a language they know well. that of the Medical Subject Headings (MESH) thesaurus. An attempt is made in this paper to discuss possible search strategies and to include examples of recommended approaches to searching-all in the context of the 3Rs of alternatives: Replacement, Refinement, and Reduction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents a paper that evaluates and researches the role that libraries play as a source of mediated search services and skill-building teachers for medical literature. Medical schools and small hospital online commercial products are evaluated. Journal cost, ease of use and scope of titles are compared.

Web 2.0 refers to all emerging social environment that uses various tools to create, aggregate, and share dynamic content in ways that are more creative and interactive than transactions previously conducted on the Internet. The extension of this social environment to libraries, sometimes called Library 2.0, has profound implications for how librarians will work, collaborate, and deliver content. Medical librarians can connect with present and future generations of users by learning more about the social dynamics of Web 2.0's vast ecosystem, and incorporating some of its interactive tools and technologies (tagging, peer production, and syndication) into routine library practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: The Patient Education Resource Center at the University of Michigan Comprehensive Cancer Center conducts mediated searches for patients and families seeking information on complex medical issues, state-of-the-art treatments, and rare cancers. The current study examined user satisfaction and the impact of information provided to this user population. Methods: This paper presents the results of 566 user evaluation forms collected between July 2000 and June 2006 (1,532 forms distributed; 37% response rate). Users provided both quantitative and qualitative feedback, which was analyzed and classified into recurrent themes. Results: The majority of users reported they were very satisfied with the information provided (n = 472, 83%). Over half of users (n = 335, 60%) shared or planned to share the information with their health care provider, and 51% (n = 286) reported that the information made an impact on treatment or quality of life. For 96.2% of users (n = 545), some or all of the information provided had not been received through any other source. Discussion: The results demonstrate that, despite the end-user driven Internet, patients and families are not able to find all the information they need on their own. Expert searching remains an important role for librarians working with consumer health information seekers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Study design:Collecting and analyzing all possible documents by internet, and consulting medical libraries in different countries.Objective:To focus on the work of Ollivier d’Angers who, in the beginning of the 19th century, spent most of his professional life studying the spinal cord, marrow (SM), or medulla spinalis, and publishing the first comprehensive treatise on the subject in 1824.Setting:ParaDoc database, Swiss Paraplegic-Centre, 6207 Nottwil, Switzerland, in collaboration with Paul Dollfus, ISCoS/Paradoc, Mulhouse, FranceResults:Some of d’Angers's clinical descriptions, observations and also pathologic findings, described in the successive editions of his treatise, were very much in advance of his time.Conclusions:To our knowledge, this was the first comprehensive treatise, in 1824, at least in France. It gave a clear picture on the matter of the SM and in that period of medical history.Spinal Cord (2006) 44, 700–707. doi:10.1038/sj.sc.3101956; published online 11 July 2006 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A huge number of drug reference sources exist. For the librarian new to the drug information field, choosing the appropriate source to answer a reference question can be difficult. This paper presents some common drug reference questions and some of the American, British, and Canadian tools best suited to answering them. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper discusses concepts and terminology of some aspects of infections of the central nervous system as it relates to medical reference work. Details of anatomic, biochemical, and pathologic processes are not discussed. Specific terminology involved in this area will be reviewed in order to help ensure a good approach to developing prudent strategies for database searching of the medical literature. MeSH thesauri terms are discussed and text word synonyms are presented that provide tools for thorough searching techniques. Commonly used medical jargon for this area is also explained. Examples of specific search strategies are illustrated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the use of the Ovid Jumpstarts, a URL linking th users to Ovid resources librarians, in the Internet site of the library, located at Providence Portland Medical Center in Providence, Rhode Island. For Ovid, Jumpstarts are links from an institution's Web pages to virtually any point within an Ovoid session. Users of Ovid Jumpstarts can access a particular journal, displaying a list of articles from that journal, as well as a particular article from the library's full text subscriptions.

This article focuses on a survey conducted to gather evidence for the elimination of a Reference Collection at the John W. Scott Health Sciences Library at the University of Alberta in Edmonton. Investigators conducted a literature search that determined titles on the shelf that are present or missing and titles that have been re-shelved for a 12-month period. The outcome of the effort is detailed.

Objective - To provide an action plan for the Knowledge, Resource and Information Service (KRIS) based on an impact assessment of current services, satisfaction with current services, and views on desirable improvements to service and service delivery. Design - Questionnaire for KRIS service users and interviews with KRIS staff. Setting - Two locations served by KRIS in the north and south of Bristol City in the UK - one a health promotion service and one a National Health Service (NHS) teaching hospital. Subjects - A convenience sample of a total of 244 users of the library services at the two locations, 121 users at the health promotion service site and 123 users at the hospital site. Methods - A questionnaire designed for a previous NHS library service impact study was adapted for use with staff other than health workers, since teachers and youth workers, for example, also used the health promotion service. The researchers circulated the questionnaire by mail and email to prospective respondents. The questionnaire asked participants to reflect on the most recent time they had used KRIS services and provide details on the purpose of use, what elements of the service they used, satisfaction with the service or the information provided, the immediate impact on their work, and its probable contribution to future work. It also asked about desirable improvements and how KRIS contributed to the respondents' work and continuing professional development. The researchers interviewed KRIS staff face to face and asked for their views on the history of the service and future developments. Main Results - The overall response rate was 62.3% (152/244), with similar responses from each site. Community nurses and midwives were the largest group of respondents (n=31, 20.4%), followed by managers and administrators (n=24, 15.8%). Both sites reported health promotion activities as the dominant reason for use. Health promotion leaflets (n=94, 61.8%) and resources for loan (n=57, 37.5%) were the top two service elements used, with literature searching third (n=46, 30.3%). The service completely met the needs of 93% (n=141) of respondents, with 97.4% (n=148) reporting being wholly satisfied that information was delivered in time. In terms of the immediate cognitive impact of the information obtained, 93% (n=141) reported obtaining relevant information, 76% (n=115) current information, and 72% (n=109) accurate information. Nearly 70% were distributing information or resources to other people, and 68% were sharing or discussing information provided with colleagues. Nobody claimed that they had found little or nothing of value. Advice to patients, clients or carers was the most frequently cited impact category (n=104, 68%), followed by advice to colleagues (n=84, 55.3%). The main strengths of the service were the perceived reliability of the service, the current awareness and alerting service run from one site, and literature searching support for commissioning and public health enquiries. Respondents reported saving time, and the main cognitive impact was the perceived relevance of the information obtained. Service weaknesses identified related to accessibility issues such as parking, opening hours, and staff coverage, and outreach was identified as the main service development opportunity. Conclusion - The adaptation of an existing questionnaire provided a clear assessment of the effectiveness of a primary health care information service to a broad spectrum of users. Respondents identified what they valued about the service and how it could be improved. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recommends the book `Introduction to Reference Sources in the Health Sciences, Third Edition' edited by Fred W. Roper and Jo Anne Boorkman to librarians.

Medical Reference Services Quarterly considers for review reference materials and professional literature of interest to health sciences librarians. Substantially changed or expanded new editions or supplements of reference works may also be included. It is the purpose of each review to provide a detailed description and critical evaluation of the work. Recommendations for purchase are also included. Whenever possible, full bibliographic information is provided. Reviews reflect the opinion of the individual reviewer, not of the editor or publisher of Medical Reference Services Quarterly. Anyone interested in becoming a book reviewer for Medical Reference Services Quarterly is invited to contact the Book Review Editor: Elizabeth Connor, Daniel Library, The Citadel, 171 Moultrie Street, Charleston, SC 29409. E-mail: elizabeth.connor@citadel.edu. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Announces the online catalog of the National Library of Medicine called Locatorplus. Informative materials contained in the online service; Direct access available from Locatorplus; Web site address.