BIOFEEDBACK: Biomedical Library Newsletter

New Series Winter 1996 Issue #30

BIOMEDICAL LIBRARY ANNOUNCES HOMEPAGE

The USA Biomedical Library now has a homepage on the World Wide Web. The temporary URL (Uniform Resource Locator) is http://www.usouthal.edu/usa/library/index.htm. It provides information about library hours, policies and links to other web sites around the world.

Under the WWW Information, are pointers to Major Medical Sites such as the CDC web site and the AMA site. There is a section called Electronic Publications and Instructions to Authors which links to online journals - a few full text, but mostly tables of contents and abstracts.

For beginners on the Internet, there are links to sites which explain how to find things or how to understand the terminology used! There's also a section of fun things to do and see on the Internet. Please send us suggestions, comments and feedback to medlib@jaguar1.usouthal.edu with suggestions or comments. For a demonstration of the USA Biomedical Library Homepage at a departmental or other meeting, please contact Sally Murray at 414-8210 or smurray@jaguar1.usouthal.edu.

SYSTEMS DEPARTMENT NEWS

The newly established Biomedical Library Systems Department is forging ahead toward the implementation of the Biomedical Library's expanded network. This network will include access to MEDLINE, CINAHL (Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature) and HLTH (Health Administration and Allied Health/Hospital Literature Index) on the new unix machine plus many applications on the new Novell server -- especially full text materials. Over the next few months, with the expanded network, the online capabilities of the Biomedical Library will be transformed with the aid of the new Head of Systems, Kim Deakins. Ms. Deakins formerly worked for the Computer Services Center in the Academic Computing department here at USA.

In addition to the databases mentioned above, the network will include the following journals, full-text, from 1993 to current:

The National Library of Medicine recently awarded USA a grant that will allow for hardwiring of several off-campus sites, allowing for further networking capabilities for departments in the Colleges of Medicine, Nursing and Allied Health Professionals. The principal investigator is Jim Kotis.

SOUTHNET

The SOUTHnet system is being developed to address the needs of providing health care information to non-affiliated individuals and institutions as a fee-based service. This service will provide the mechanisms to search health care databases and retrieve photocopies of articles. Further information on this system will be supplied in the coming months. If you have questions, please contact Judy Burnham, 471-7855, jburnham@jaguar1.usouthal.edu.

CIRCULATION POLICY CHANGES

Effective December 1, 1995, the former policy of extended loan periods for faculty was discontinued. The Biomedical Library has one of the smallest book collections of all medical school libraries nation-wide, and funds are not available for purchasing duplicate titles. Many of the most recent editions get checked out to faculty for up to six months. Although most faculty are very helpful in returning items when requested by another user, there is usually a delay of some days, or more. After discussions with the College of Medicine Administration, as well as members of the Biomedical Library Advisory Committee, this revised policy was implemented.

Several other circulation issues were discussed with the COM Administration and the BML Advisory Committee and will be implemented February 1, 1996. At that time, faculty will be subject to fines for overdue materials. In making this decision, it was agreed that all library users -- faculty, staff and students -- should take equal responsibility for overdue materials.

The Biomedical Library has a relatively small number of journal titles in its collection. Journals are currently checked out for three days and often users find the journals they need already checked out. Also, we often get requests from other libraries for copies of articles, which generates needed income. When we are unable to get the item back within a short period of time for one of our users, we must send a request to another library, which may involve a fee. The "heart" of any biomedical library collection is its journal collection. So it is very important that the journal volumes be on the shelves or at least in the library when needed. Effective February 1, 1996, circulation of journals will be limited to a maximum of 3 hours to afford an opportunity to use departmental photocopy machines. Please keep in mind that for all articles not located at your primary site, the Biomedical Library staff will pull and photocopy articles at no charge for COM faculty, students, residents and clinicians. The COM has provided some funding for this service. There is a $2.00 fee for all others. For articles located at your primary site a service fee of $3.00 will be assessed. Articles not owned by the Biomedical Library will be obtained from another library for a nominal fee of $3.00. In the coming months and years, increasing numbers of titles will be available online, making them just a keystroke away using a desktop computer. In the meantime, we will continue to provide the most efficient service possible, including the availability of materials to all users.

OTHER BIOMEDICAL LIBRARY CHANGES

A study of usage that was undertaken for the past several months indicated that the Medical Center site could be staffed for a shorter number of hours, without unduly effecting service. Effective January 1, 1996, the Medical Center Site will be staffed the following hours: As before, USA-affiliated users have 24-hour access to the Medical Center site. It is necessary to present a valid USA ID card to the security guard in the lobby to gain entrance after hours. A staff member at the campus site will be available Sun-Thurs from 8pm-midnight to assist via telephone.

The office of the Biomedical Library Director, Tom Williams, and his Secretary, Bonnie Siebert have been moved to the third floor of the Campus site. The office space vacated by the Director will be converted into a mini microcomputer lab.

Policies concerning use of study room have also been adjusted. An information sheet concerning the new policy can be picked up at the Campus Circulation desk.

Below are changes in fees charged for services in the Biomedical Library that will take effect February 1, 1996.

BIOMEDICAL LIBRARY FACULTY AND STAFF NEWS

Tom Williams and Judy Burnham attended the annual meeting of the Southern Chapter/Medical Library Association in November. During this meeting, Tom, assisted by Judy, presented a paper "Biomedical Homepages as Gateways to Information Resources."

"Information Management Education for Students in the Health Care Professions: A Coordinated, Integrated Plan", written by Judy Burnham and originally published in Medical Reference Services Quarterly has been reprinted in User Education in Health Sciences Libraries: A Reader, edited by Sandra Wood.

SPACELINE

SPACELINE, the newest database developed by the National Library of Medicine, consists of references to journal articles, technical reports, books, book chapters, conference proceedings, meeting abstracts, bibliographies and audiovisual materials. Sources consist of references from several NLM databases, including MEDLINE journal article references from 1966 to date, and thousands of citations from 1961 to the present contributed by NASA. SPACELINE covers such topics as effects of weightlessness on humans, and clinical applications that have come from space research. SPACELINE can be accessed in the same manner as other NLM databases, including Grateful Med (using the direct mode.)

INTERNET RESOURCES OF NOTE

The following list-servs are of interest to health care professionals: In addition to the USA Biomedical Library homepage, the following WWW sites are of interest: Remember when entering the URL, punctuation and capitalization must be exact.

Please contact the Biomedical Library at medlib@jaguar1.usouthal.edu if you need assistance in accessing any of these sources.

BIOMEDICAL LIBRARY ADVISORY COMMITTEE

The following are members of the Biomedical Library Advisory Committee

CINAHL ENHANCEMENTS

Several enhancements to the CINAHL database have been announced. If you have any questions about any of these enhancements, please contact a Reference Librarian.

BIOFEEDBACK, New Series, Issue #30, Fall 1995
The Biomedical Library Biofeedback, a publication of the University of South Alabama Biomedical Library, is published at irregular intervals. Editor: Judy Burnham. Contributors to this issue were Judy Burnham, Kim Deakins, Sally Murray, Sister Mary Giles Peresich and Tom Williams. Comments should be addressed to Judy Burnham, Biomedical Library, University of South Alabama, Mobile, AL 36688-0002


To make comments, suggestions, or get more information, send email to medlib@jaguar1.usouthal .edu or call (334)-414-8210.

University of South Alabama Biomedical Library

Revised: January 14, 1996 (updated 1/3/01)