At the recent Association of American Medical Colleges Annual Meeting in Boston, as you can imagine, much of the discussion centered upon healthcare reform. Whether it was at the keynote addresses, at the breakouts, or in the hallways, healthcare reform was a hot topic. And while there were many versions of solutions for reform discussed, one of the themes I heard over and over again was that healthcare in America could save millions, even billions of dollars by applying the best evidence to solve health issues. Then, as I was flying back to Baltimore, I read an article in one of the airline magazines about how Utah’s Intermountain Health System actually is cutting costs through efforts to monitor and support evidence-based medicine. The topic was everywhere!

It occurs to me the best evidence is found in the health literature and that staff at the HS/HSL have an important role to play. A quick and dirty search of MEDLINE, CINAHL, Social Work Abstracts, and other relevant databases showed that there are articles focused on evidence-based practice in all of the disciplines at UMB. In addition to licensing the resources providing access to this important literature, faculty liaisons at the Library are experts in finding the best evidence and in training others in our community to find the best evidence as well. Clearly, library staff can be important partners in these efforts. Add us to the team making healthcare reform a reality.

With exams around the corner, the SMC Campus Center is opening its doors for late night study Sunday – Thursday until 2:00 a.m. The late hours will be offered December 6th – December 21st with the additional perks of snacks and massages provided by the University Student Government Association (USGA). Your OneCard will provide access to the SMC Campus Center, so be certain to have it with you. HS/HSL hours will remain the same with midnight closing Sunday – Thursday.

The Food for Fines program is back! The Library will collect canned food items at the Circulation Desk during HS/HSL’s open hours from Monday, November 30th to Friday, December 18th. We will waive $1 in HS/HSL overdue fines when you donate one canned food item, $2 for two items, etc. This offer does not apply to lost book charges. The goods collected will be donated to the Maryland Food Bank. Note: only unexpired canned food items will be accepted.

Recently two separate groups of individuals on our campus donated money to the Library to honor former co-workers and departed friends. Thank you for thinking of the Library. We feel privileged to be involved in helping to honor or remember your loved ones.

Ways to Honor Someone at the Library
Honoring someone can be accomplished by naming places and things in the Library, such as study rooms, tables, conference rooms, or even a classroom. If you are looking for a way to permanently remember someone, think about a tax deductible gift to the Library naming something special in their honor.

For more information, visit our website or call 410.706.7545.

The National Library of Medicine recently launched a redesign of the PubMed interface in an effort to simplify and streamline searching for their many users. Here is a summary of some of the changes you may have noticed:

• The Go button is now a Search button
• Access to popular tools like the Single Citation Matcher and Clinical Queries, previously on the sidebar, are now found under PubMed Tools
• The Limits, Preview, History and Details have been consolidated into Advanced Search. This option is found on the top right above the search box.
• Linkout buttons for full text from HS/HSL now appear on the top right
• Filters for review articles and journals owned by HS/HSL are found in a box on the right side of the results screen

For a complete description of all the recent changes you can read the NLM Technical Bulletin. For assistance with searching PubMed, please visit the Reference Desk or contact the Reference Department or your Library Liaison.

On November 19th, staff of the Health Sciences and Human Services Library honored Dr. William J. Kinnard, Jr. with its highest honor – The Theodore E. Woodward Award at a reception in the Gladhill Board Room at the HS/HSL. Over 30 friends and colleagues gathered to join in the celebration.

Named for Dr. Theodore "Ted" Woodward, this award is given to someone who has made outstanding contributions to the advancement of the mission of the Health Sciences and Human Services Library. And it is not just about monetary donations. It is about contributing, as is said in fund raising, "time, talents, and treasures." Past winners of the award have included Dr. Woodward himself, Dr. Joseph Lakowicz, Jim and Sylvia Earl of the Helena Foundation, and Dr. Charlotte Ferencz. All of these award recipients have shown a devotion to the library far exceeding the "treasures" aspect. Dr. Kinnard surely fits this description to a "T."

When I first met Bill Kinnard, he was one of the "thespians" of the early nineties, a series of "acting" administrators that seemed to inhabit UMB in those days. In his case, he was the acting president! It is due primarily to his skill, support for, and belief in a new home for the Library that it moved up the capital projects list both on campus and in Annapolis and opened in 1998. He re-entered the life of the Library when he joined the HS/HSL Board of Visitors. And it was his belief that our faculty, staff and students needed a way to relax their brains that led him to found the Kinnard Leisure Reading Collection in 2003. This collection of over 30 popular magazines and popular literature is one of the well-used areas of the Library. The dog-eared copies of People magazine or the circulation statistics for the latest Grisham novel are testimony to the popularity of the collection.

Dr. Kinnard continues to serve on the Board of Visitors and continues to advocate, some would say harass, on the Library’s behalf. It is a joy to know him and an honor to work with him.

Have you written a book lately? Would you like a little free publicity? Then do what Dr. Richard Colgan did. For the last few weeks, a slide on the Library’s digital display has been promoting his book, Advice to the Young Physician: On the Art of Medicine.

Contact the Library via our web site and we will develop a slide to exhibit on the digital display. Visit the Digital Sign Submissions page of our web site and provide us with information about your book and yourself. Pictures of yourself and the book jacket are great for adding a little visual interest.

Over 300,000 people come through the library’s doors every year. What a great way to get the word out about your latest accomplishments!

During the 2009-2010 holiday season, the Library will close from December 23rd through January 3rd. Regular hours will resume on January 4, 2010.

For more details about the Library’s holiday hours, please visit our web site.

In participation with the Campus Police, the HS/HSL is collecting used wireless phones, batteries, and accessories through the end of the year. The donations will go to the Verizon Wireless HopeLine program, which will use them to support victims of domestic violence. Our donation drop-off point is at the Circulation desk in the front of the Library.

Have you received a question via email or telephone and wished you could just show your desktop to the person on the other end? Explaining how to search a database, use software, or access an online resource would be much simpler to explain if you could. A new tool, Screencast-O-Matic, makes it all possible.

"Screencast-O-Matic is the original free and easy way to create a video recording of your screen (aka screencast) and upload it for free hosting all from your browser with no install!"

If you are new to the term, "screencast", it is a recording of your desktop. It’s a simple, easy way to demonstrate something. All you do is start your recording, perform the activity one step at a time (narrating along the way if you wish), then stop the recording. The end result is a video which you can email to others, post to YouTube, and so on.

For questions about Screencast-O-Matic, please email Anna Tatro, Liaison to the School of Social Work, or call 410.706.7374.

C. Steven Douglas, Acquisitions Librarian, assumed the responsibilities of Acting Head of Collection Oversight in the Resources Division of the library, on December 1, 2009.

In this capacity, Steve is responsible for leading and overseeing the selection, acquisition/access, processing, and budget oversight for the HS/HSL collection in all formats. Steve continues to lead the Collection Development Committee and support collection initiatives for the library.

Congratulations, Steve!

Raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens… "These Are a Few of My Favorite Things" is the 5th annual HS/HSL holiday door decorating contest theme. Please come by to tour the doors throughout the building anytime after Wednesday, December 9th. Judges from across the UMB campus will cast their votes with the winning door announced on Monday, December 14th. Check our website after December 14th to cast your vote for the Campus Choice Award.