In Fred Reichheld’s recent bestseller "The Ultimate Question: Driving Good Profits and True Growth," he states that the ultimate question any company should ask itself is "Would you recommend us to a friend?" While the HS/HSL is not a for-profit company, this question is extremely important to us. During the 21 years that I have worked at the HS/HSL, we have prided ourselves on our service philosophy and commitment to excellence. Although we may not have many of the resources or the budget of some of our peers, the staff share a passion for acquiring needed information from anywhere in a timely manner, refining our resources, educating users and supporting researchers. The ultimate goal in all of this is to provide an overall library experience that enhances the work of the University of Maryland, Baltimore and the communities we serve. Of course, this means nothing, unless you believe it too.

Beginning in mid-April, the library organization will be sending out a survey called LibQual+™ to a random sampling of our users. This survey tool is used by libraries across the nation to assess user satisfaction. By participating in the survey you will be helping us identify our local strengths and weaknesses. The survey also enables us to benchmark our results against those in other academic health sciences libraries and see how we stack up. This is the second time we have administered the survey and we will use the survey results to further define the steps we need to take to improve our organization. Even though the survey is a bit long, if you are part of our sample, please take the time to thoughtfully complete it.

Ultimately, we want you to be able to recommend us to a friend! Thank you.

Members of the University of Maryland, Baltimore campus community have been randomly selected to receive an email inviting them to participate in a web-based survey. This international survey is designed to measure library service quality and to identify best practices. Over 240 libraries are participating in the spring 2007 implementation of the survey.

If you have received an invitation to participate in the survey, please take the time to complete it. By responding to the survey, you will provide the library with essential information that will be used in planning the library?s future. We are eager to provide our patrons with the services that you value and find most useful. Better understanding your expectations will help us tailor our services to your needs.

Faculty librarians at the Health Sciences and Human Services Library continuously seek feedback from library users, to help establish priorities and to improve collections and services. The LibQual+™ assessment tool is made available through the Association of Research Libraries.

Thank you for your participation!

HS/HSL has joined with a group of libraries throughout the Mid-Atlantic region to license a comprehensive package of science, technology and medicine journals from Springer. This arrangement has expanded our Springer-Verlag title list to over 1600 journals. When available, access to content starts with issues published in 1997. These titles, posted in the A-Z list, point to Springer’s new interface, which has been redesigned to provide more user-friendly navigation and enhanced search capability.

In the January issue Executive Director M.J. Tooey announced that one of our bigger projects for 2007 would be moving every book in the library to make room for office space for Student Accounts and Financial Aid. Before this could happen, we developed a careful plan.

Beginning now, we are moving the less frequently used books to basement shelving while keeping the more current and useful material on floor five. This involves checking various lists of key books against our catalog and to identify those books to be sure we keep those in our collection. In addition, the library liaisons are methodically reviewing their subject sections to identify other materials that we need to be certain to retain. Staff members from all departments of the library are working in harmony to make this happen in a timely manner.

This is truly a library-wide effort that we believe will result in space for our new neighbors and a finely-tuned collection. We will try to keep our users up to date as we move forward and the more physical part of the project begins.

Stay tuned!

Copyright Myth #2:
Copyright permission lasts forever. Once something is protected by copyright, it will always be protected.

The copyright on a work will expire. Once it expires, the work is in the public domain and can be freely duplicated, used, and altered. U.S. Copyright Law states that works created on or after January 1, 1978 are protected for a term of the life of the author plus 70 years. If it is a corporate author then the protection is for the shorter period of 95 years from publication or 120 years from creation. Works created before 1923 are no longer protected and are considered to be in the public domain. (Chart)

Keep your eyes out for the next installment of this series written by Julie Nanavati, one of our Liaison and Outreach Services Librarians.

Looking for information regarding chemical substances and reactions? If so, SciFinder Scholar is the resource for you.

SciFinder Scholar seamlessly integrates five databases produced by Chemical Abstracts Services (CAS), a division of the American Chemical Society, into one powerful search tool. Using SciFinder Scholar, you can display and draw chemical reactions and structures. You can also access chemical registry numbers, regulatory data and ordering information. Last, but not least, SciFinder Scholar can be used to search for chemical and biological journal citations dating from 1907 to the present. If the HS/HSL owns the electronic journal, you can access the full-text of the article in one click.

Ready to start using SciFinder Scholar? Here are two ways to access this resource:

1. Visit the HS/HSL. We have a computer set up with the database already downloaded onto it. Just ask one of the friendly Reference Librarians and they can get you started.
2. Download SciFinder Scholar onto your computer and follow the step by step instructions on how to download this resource onto your desktop.

DNA Day was created to commemorate the discovery of the 1953 discovery of DNA’s double helix and the 2003 completion of the Human Genome Project. This year is the fifth annual DNA Day celebration sponsored by the National Human Genome Research Institute in cooperation with the American Society of Human Genetics, the Genetic Alliance, and the National Society of Genetic Counselors. You can participate in DNA Day through a live, moderated online chat with NHGRI researchers on April 25th from 8 a.m to 6 p.m. Eastern time – More Information and find transcripts from previous years events as well as other information about genetics.

The National Library of Medicine has been working hard to improve the design layout and usability of the popular consumer health resource, MedlinePlus. As of March 28, 2007, the following new features are available on Health Topic pages.

• Each page will now display a photograph or illustration.
• A brief summary of each disease or condition will also display at the top of the page. The summaries are written at an easy-to-read level and include links to related topics.
• Synonyms will appear right under the health topic name.
• A new category, labeled Start Here, will link users to overviews and important information for first-time visitors.
• A centrally-located Table of Contents will divide the MedlinePlus categories into six boxes to show users everything on the page at a glance.

Learn more about these recent MedlinePlus upgrades.

About MedlinePlus

Scientific publisher Nature Publishing Group (NPG) has announced the launch of Nature Network, a new free online networking website for scientists worldwide. Nature Network also features local hubs, offering all the global tools plus area news, features, blogs, jobs and events. The first local sites are Nature Network Boston and London.

View the complete press release.

Getting the information they need just got easier for the Dental School community. Mary Ann Williams, Library Liaison to the Dental School, will be available twice a month in the Student Learning Center located on the 5th floor of the new Dental School building. Faculty, staff & students are invited to drop-in for assistance with research in their educational or clinical areas of interest. In addition, Mary Ann can provide an introduction to the resources on the Library’s website including how to tell if the Library owns a journal in electronic format.

Appointments for alternate times can also be arranged by contacting Mary Ann at mwilliam@umaryland.edu or by phone at 410.706.8863.

As the open access movement gains momentum, it is getting easier for individuals world-wide to access high quality information. University faculty and information professionals continue to investigate this alternative to traditional publishing models. The open access model provides a fast and efficient peer review system, author copyright retention and high visibility for published manuscripts. Join us on April 17th from 3-4 pm for an introduction to open access publishing and learn how researchers can get involved.

Register Now