Those who are regular readers of the Executive Director’s column in Connective Issues know I am a self-described trend geek. I love to read reports and articles that cause me to think in new ways and to find connections between disparate disciplines. For example, about three years ago, I started to read extensively in very different places (Fast Company, newspapers, and even the Smithsonian) about the penetration of mobile devices and wireless communication into all aspects of life – particularly, how this could solve information dissemination problems in developing countries. And at about the same time, articles about the potential impact of e-books and e-book readers started to appear in some small trade publications. Then the Kindle arrived, followed swiftly by all sorts of eReaders, and then the iPad. Mario Armstrong of the Digital Café feature on WYPR reported from the 2011 International Consumer Electronics Show that we can expect a rush of new tablet computers from all the major manufacturers.

And, earlier this month, what is arguably my favorite annual trend report came out – The Horizon Report, 2011 Edition. This report, a collaboration between The New Media Consortium and the EDUCAUSE Learning Initiative, investigates key trends at the intersection of education and technology. I encourage you to take a look at their key trends and technologies to watch and imagine what that might mean in our environment.

• The key trends focus on the abundance of resources; the ability to work, learn, study wherever and whenever; collaboration; and technologies increasingly existing in “the cloud” with decentralized technology support.
• The critical challenges focus on digital media literacy, evaluation metrics, economic pressures and new models for education, and keeping pace with rapidly increasing information, software, and devices.
• The two technologies to watch on the near-term horizon include e-books and mobile devices.

When coupled together with other reports from projects like the Pew Internet and American Life Project, commonalities and directions can be seen that have implications for, and relevance to our university’s strategic plan and library support for teaching and learning, discovery, and service. The concept of skating to where the puck will be is a good one, and following and thinking about trends is a good way for us to navigate the ice ahead.

The wonderful world of Harry Potter arrives at the HS/HSL from September 18, 2011 through November 5, 2011 as the Library hosts Harry Potter’s World: Renaissance Science, Magic, and Medicine. This exhibit, co-developed by the National Library of Medicine and the American Library Association, has been traveling all around the country. We would like to make the visit here as memorable as possible. Please take a few minutes to give us some suggestions for events by taking this short survey or by dashing off a quick email with your ideas. Unfortunately we are unable to accept an owl post. Hope to hear from you soon!

The HS/HSL is pleased to announce that we are now able to offer late night study in the Library during final exams. We’ve added an extra security guard to patrol the building while another remains at the guard’s desk. You may be asked to show your campus ID badge while inside the Library as we are trying to ensure that only UMB faculty, staff, students, and our affiliates are inside during the late night hours. Visitors will be asked to leave at 10:00 p.m.

The Library’s Circulation Desk will remain open until midnight. After this time, we will not be able to provide services such as book checkouts or help with photocopiers, printing, etc. The hallway leading to the Southern Management Corporation Campus Center will close at 10:00 p.m. Shuttles will be available every half hour to take you safely to your destination.

Extended Study Hours
Monday, May 2, 2011 – Wednesday, May 18, 2011

*Saturday extended hours represent a pilot during finals

Medical Subject Headings (MeSH) is the National Library of Medicine (NLM) controlled vocabulary for indexing articles for PubMed. A PubMed search using MeSH can yield more targeted results than a standard keyword search. The NLM recently redesigned the MeSH database with a more streamlined interface that makes searching easier. Updates include a new autocomplete feature and the ability to launch searches directly in PubMed once subject terms are selected. Complete details are available in the January – February 2011 NLM Technical Bulletin.

There are also newly updated tutorials to help you search with MeSH. If you need further assistance, you can always Ask Us!

The HS/HSL has created a new Guide highlighting RefWorks. This guide will allow you to log in to your RefWorks account, create an account, and learn how to use features like Write-N-Cite and RefShare more effectively. The guide also provides new RefWorks tutorials showing how to export references into your RefWorks account from Ovid and EBSCO databases and Google Scholar. You can access the new guide directly from the Library’s homepage by clicking on the RefWorks link located under the Resources tab.

M.J. Tooey, Associate Vice President, Academic Affairs and Executive Director, Health Sciences and Human Services Library, has been selected by the University of Pittsburgh, School of Information Sciences as the recipient of its 2011 Distinguished Alumni Award. Pitt School of Information Sciences Dean Ronald L. Larsen, in the letter announcing the award stated, “As one of our most successful and distinguished graduates, we are incredibly excited to honor you and your exceptional professional accomplishments in the field of health sciences librarianship. From your prominent professional appointments, including Medical Library Association President (2005-2006) and Fellow (2009), to your outstanding publications and current research, your impact on the field is tremendous.”

Tooey, a 1982 graduate of the program, will receive the award on Friday, April 1, 2011 during a reception at the Pittsburgh Athletic Association.

From March 22nd through March 24th, the HS/HSL will be offering a special series of workshops highlighting resources and tools you may find useful. Want to get quick and easy access to full-text PDFs from the HS/HSL? Then sign up for the PubGet in 30 workshop. Learn about 20 new technologies in our 20 in 30 workshop. Better organize and manage your citations online with our RefWorks workshop, and learn how to save and retrieve your searches in the Saved Searches in 30 workshop.

Registration is free to all UMB faculty, staff, and students, and UMMC employees. For full course descriptions and registration, visit our Spring 2011 Workshops page.

Are you an investigator preparing a research protocol submission to the IRB? This new service may be of interest!

HS/HSL librarians serving on the UMB Institutional Review Board have noticed that many research consent forms are written above the recommended reading level for patients and are often confusing and difficult to understand. The Reference Department is now offering a pilot service to review your consent form before it is submitted with your protocol. We will offer suggestions for simplified language and note key sections that need revision or are likely to be confusing for patients. We will return the form to you with these suggestions within three business days. You can submit your consent forms on the HS/HSL website (in the Assistance section).

If you have any questions, please email Debra Berlanstein or phone 410.706.8862.

Interested in learning what grants your peers have received from NIH? These results can be easily found in Novoseek! Novoseek is a free search engine that indexes PubMed abstracts and U.S. Grants for over 75 institutions, including the National Institutes of Health, National Science Foundation, U.S. Department of Agriculture, and Centers for Disease Control. NovoSeek features convenient filters that separate the results into categories such as signs and symptoms, organisms, chemical substances, and more. Users can identify their peers’ research in a single search. Search by keywords, author, title, journal, subject, and more.

Novoseek includes free full-text to open-access articles. However, it does not link to the HS/HSL, so you will miss full-text articles available via HS/HSL subscriptions.