In November 2010, I wrote a column asking what you value about the HS/HSL. One of my key points was that we provide an academic institutional conscience and a moral compass through our support of intellectual freedom, copyright and fair use, and advocacy for our users and their right to information and privacy. During a period when our time and energy is consumed by budget woes and complaints about resources we don’t have and can’t afford, by hiring staff with expertise in exciting new areas and programs, and by imagining and envisioning our future, it’s easy to lose sight of why we do what we do. This noise obscures and clouds our foundational work.

October is National Medical Librarians Month. Please note the use of the word librarians, not libraries. Libraries do nothing more than provide shelter for people and physical resources.  And while it is essential to consider the importance of the library as place and philosophy, it is the librarians (and other talented library staff) who provide access, develop and deliver programs, conceive of, and create services. We supply the knowledge and intellectual capital for the creative engine that moves the library forward and underpins the culture and output of a great university.

We believe that we are an integral part of the discovery, education, and service enterprises. Our expertise is knowledge management. Without our expertise, those who value ease of access would have no access. We aquire, organize, and assure access to critical resources. Web pages are designed. Content is created, linked and made findable. We partner in curricula. We consult on complex information problems. We are knowledge informaticists. We collaborate across campus, across the university, across the region, and across the country. We relentlessly pursue information on behalf of, and with our clients.

We are tireless advocates for user rights, for fair use, copyright, and access to information … and for privacy when you do acquire the information you need. This year we recognize the 10th Anniversary of the Budapest Open Access initiative and read with interest the report from "10 Years On". We are encouraged that positive progress is being made. To celebrate National Medical Librarians month we are partnering with some of our students in recognition of the open access movement (see article below).

We believe there is a direct connection between quality information and good health. Linking our citizens to understandable, appropriate health information makes them better health care consumers and partners in their own care and wellness. Through our outreach efforts in the region, across the state, and in our community, we advocate for health literacy and elimination of health disparities.

Happy National Medical Librarians Month!

October is National Medical Librarians Month. In addition, October 22 – 28th marks Open Access Week, an annual global event dedicated to raising awareness of open access to information – "the free, immediate, online access to the results of scholarly research, and the right to use and re-use those results as you need."

To celebrate these October events, the HS/HSL will display an Open Access exhibit in the Library’s Weise Gallery. The HS/HSL will also host a reception for the exhibit on Wednesday, October 24th from 3-4. Look for more details about the reception during Open Access Week and student-run events across campus promoting awareness of open access issues.

We are developing a comprehensive program of research support in bioinformatics. As a step in the process, we are hosting three one-hour focus group sessions with faculty and staff, which will take place in November. If you are interested in providing feedback about how HS/HSL resources and services could be enhanced to support bioinformatics, please contact Andrea Goldstein, Liaison and Outreach Librarian.

The Association for Library Collections and Technical Services (ALCTS), a division of the American Library Association (ALA), announced the winners of its Transforming Collections Microgrant during the ALA Conference (June 21-26, 2012). Maria Pinkas, HS/HSL’s Metadata Management Librarian, became one of the first two recipients of this microgrant. The Transforming Collections Microgrant program is designed to support and encourage innovative practices, emerging technologies, and innovation in collections. Thanks to the Microgrant, selected books from the Crawford Collection, the founding collection of the HS/HSL, are now available in the UM Digital Archive.

Have you noticed the new search box in the upper right-hand corner of the Library’s website? This "discovery tool" lets you search multiple types of library resources (scholarly articles, books, reviews, images, and more) with just one click. We’re looking to you to help us come up with a clever name for this tool. Submit your suggestion by November 1, and you will be in the running to win a snazzy new iPod (your choice of color). Send your ideas to Everly Brown.

This past April and May, the HS/HSL was one of 246 libraries to administer the LibQUAL+ survey. The survey is a tool to assess how well a library meets its users’ needs. LibQual+ measures library users’ minimum, perceived, and desired service levels in three areas: Information Control, Affect of Service, and Library as Place. We would like to thank everyone who took the time to respond to the survey. User response allows us to have a better understanding of our patrons needs and gives us direction and focus as we work to serve you.

In the areas of Affect of Service (customer service) and Library as Place (environment) the HS/HSL met all user expectations. The Library is perceived as a welcoming place to gather for group meetings and as an environment conducive to learning. Students, in particular, were pleased with the attention given to their needs by the Library.

In the Information Control category (delivery of information in the format, location, and time of choice) survey respondents expressed concern about not always finding the electronic resources they need for their work. Like many other libraries, the HS/HSL’s budget restraints and the high cost of some resources make providing "everything" a difficult task. The HS/HSL remains committed to finding new and creative ways to improve electronic access to resources.

M.J. Tooey, Associate Vice President, Academic Affairs and Executive Director, Health Sciences and Human Services Library, has been elected vice chair of the Lyrasis Board of Trustees. A non-profit organization, LYRASIS collaborates with libraries and information professionals to transform their institutions, operations, and technologies, enhancing efficiencies and effectiveness and leveraging strategic partnerships to expand access to content while controlling costs. The vice chair serves on the executive committee of the organization which provides strategic and fiduciary oversight for the organization. "Lyrasis, with over 1900 members, continues to grow and reposition itself to remain relevant in the swiftly changing library landscape," says Tooey. "It is an honor and pleasure to work with such a talented board and organization committed to imagining and ensuring the future of libraries and information professionals."

Each semester, the HS/HSL offers free workshops for UM faculty, students, and staff, and UMMC staff. Want to learn about some new and interesting medical apps? Consider registering for "Medical Apps for Mobile Technology in 30." This 30-minute workshop reviews a variety of different medical apps that you can use on your smart phone or tablet device. Topics covered include Drug Information, Patient Education and Clinical Tools. For the full workshop schedule and registration, visit the Library’s Workshops page.

Yunting Fu has been working with the School of Pharmacy for more than three years as their liaison librarian. During this time, Ting has developed a productive relationship with the School as a guest instructor in curriculum-based courses, a valuable collaborator on faculty research, and as a library services consultant.

In addition to providing instruction and consultation services to students, staff, and faculty, Ting is involved with the American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy and currently serves as the Chair of the Library and Educational Resources Section. The section unites pharmacy librarians and drug informationists nation-wide to support pharmacy education. One of Ting’s most important responsibilities as Chair is to develop and maintain the Basic Resources for Pharmaceutical Education, a list of resources required by the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE) for pharmacy school accreditation.  Ting will accompany the ACPE accreditation team on their site visit to the HS/HSL in late October 2012.

This fall, Ting will offer library assistance during bi-weekly drop-in sessions at Pharmacy Hall.  If you think Ting could help with your research, contact her at 410.706.8865 or by email.

The Library has expanded the number of study rooms open for reservation from three to ten. Use your umaryland.edu or umd.edu email to reserve a room today.

Guidelines:

• Study rooms are meant for groups of three or more.
• Rooms may be reserved up to three hours a day. Hours do not need to be consecutive.
• You may reserve rooms for up to three weeks in advance.
• Study rooms must be reserved at least one hour before use.
• Rooms are self-monitoring. If someone is in a room that you have reserved, kindly let them know or go to the Circulation Desk and ask for assistance.

Anna Tatro, Outreach Librarian, was invited to speak about Project SHARE (Student Health Advocates Redefining Empowerment) to the National Library of Medicine Board of Regents Subcommittee on Outreach and Public Information on September 11th in Bethesda, Maryland.

Project SHARE was funded by the National Library of Medicine Information Grant to Reduce Health Disparities (Award Number G08LM011079). Tatro serves as the Project Manager for Project SHARE and spoke to the Board of Regents about the 154 hour curriculum HS/HSL staff created and delivered to 12 students from the Vivien T. Thomas Medical Arts Academy during 2011-2012. Some of the topics covered in the curriculum include: health literacy, cultural compentence, health information outreach, and presentation skills.

This fall brings many professional presentations about Project SHARE. Tatro has been invited to speak as an outreach panelist at the upcoming Quad Chapter Meeting of the Medical Library Association being held in Baltimore (Oct. 13-16, 2012). Next up, is a poster session presented by Head of Outreach and Liaison Services, Paula Raimondo at the 4th annual Health Literacy Research Conference in Bethesda, MD sponsered by the Boston University Medical Campus (Oct. 22-23, 2012). Project SHARE is also getting national attention.  A paper, submitted by Tatro; Project Consultant and Associate Director for Services, Alexa Mayo; and Principal Investigator M.J.  Tooey, entitled "Empowering High School Students: Health Sciences Librarians Partners in a Health Advocacy Education Project” is scheduled for the session, Innovative Strategies and Programs in School Health at the America Public Health Association Annual Meeting, on October 30, 2012 in San Francisco. At the beginning of November, Alexa Mayo will present a poster at the 2012 Summit on the Science of Eliminating Health Disparities (Oct.31-Nov. 2, 2012).

A group of 12 VTMAA students begin Project SHARE on October 2, 2012 with a kick-off celebration at the Library. Project SHARE has a new intern on board, Junaed Siddiqui, who is a Masters of Sciences in Health Sciences student at Towson University with a concentration in Public Health.

More information about Project SHARE is available on our website.

After you have place a book or article request in ILLiad, you can return to ILLiad later to check its status.

• Awaiting Copyright Clearance – This is the first step in processing article requests.
• Awaiting Patron Response -The request is pending, waiting on your response to questions from Library staff. Please respond promptly to expedite the process.
• Awaiting DD Stack Searching (or Request in Processing) – This means Library staff are locating and scanning your article request from the Library’s collection. Expect delivery in less than 2 days.
• Request Sent – The request has been sent to other libraries for fulfillment because the item is not available in the Library. It may take 2-14 days to deliver the item.
• Delivered to Web – The article is in your ILLiad account now and will stay there for 14 days before it is deleted. Please retrieve it promptly.

Several months ago the HS/HSL’s Historical Librarian/Preservation Officer, Rich Behles, received a request for information from Dr. Chris Strakosch, Associate Professor in the Department of Medicine, University of Queensland, Greenslopes Private Hospital. Dr. Strakosch was researching the historic partnership that occurred between the University of Maryland (UM) and his counterparts during World War II. He contacted Behles seeking any available documentation the HS/HSL might have describing the University of Maryland’s participation in the War in the Pacific.

A lavish photographic book, The 42nd General Hospital in World War II, housed in the HS/HSL’s Historical Collections, filled the need. It traced the story of the establishment, in October 1940, of the 42nd General Hospital Unit mobilized by the University of Maryland. UM’s Professor of Medicine, Dr. Maurice C. Pincoffs, delivered the official announcement to his colleagues, and by early 1941 the University had assembled a cadre of officers commissioned in the surgical, medical, and dental services. Recruitment of nurses began in late December 1941, and within a few months all personnel were rostered and activated. They assembled for the first time at Fort Custer, Michigan, and in early May 1942, Maryland’s new unit boarded a train bound for San Francisco to set sail for their ultimate destination in Australia. After initial stops in Melbourne and Canberra, the personnel of the 42nd General Hospital settled into 16 months of duty at Stuartholme, on a hilltop overlooking Brisbane.

In response to the request from Dr. Strakosch, we digitized the entire contents of the book and uploaded it into the UM Digital Archive, facilitating an effective outreach effort to our colleagues on the opposite side of the globe.

Visit the UM Digital Archive to read The 42nd General Hospital in World War II.