School of Medicine Library

University of South Carolina

Communications

March 2001


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From the Director's Desk

Renovation

I'm pleased to report that the newly renovated first floor of the Library is receiving good reviews from users. Students who have not studied in the Library in the past report that they are studying here all the time now. They like the new "rocking" chairs at the carrels and study tables. They enjoy using the new conference room for group study sessions. They say that it's like a "real" library now! We've received positive comments from faculty and staff as well.

Now that we've got the first floor looking so good, it's time to move ahead with work on the second floor. Planning is underway fro the second floor renovation. We are gathering input on the floor plans from Dr. Hoppmann, his assistant deans and the class presidents to ensure that the new design meets the school's needs. The latest version of the plans calls for the following changes to the second floor -- creation of four large group study rooms for problem-based learning sessions, addition of more study carrels and to page phones, new carpeting, ceiling and lights, refinished shelving, and a history of medicine/rare book room. Work will begin in early summer.

In response to student requests, the Library recently placed a computer workstation and printer in the third floor study carrel area.

New Information Resources

As noted in other articles in this issue, the Library has recently added several new information resources for users, including over 1,000 full text electronic Elsevier journals via Science Direct and 30 full text electronic textbooks in Stat!-Ref. The Library is also adding 35 new journal subscriptions which were either requested by faculty and graduate students in our fall survey, requested by cancer researchers last year, or frequently requested on interlibrary loan. We've also expanded our MD Consult licenses to accommodate more simultaneous users.

The Library is here to meet your information needs. Please let us know how we can serve you.

Ruth Riley, Director of Library Services
ruth@med.sc.edu - 733-3353

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New Library Classroom

A notable addition to the newly renovated first floor of the Library is the Electronic Classroom. The room has a number of features that will enhance interactive learning and teaching. There are ten computer workstations with sufficient space to seat two people at each computer if necessary. A ceiling-mounted video projector transmits clear, readable images from the computer or the video presenter onto an electronic screen that is easily raised and lowered. Lighting in the room can be set at any desired level.

The instruction program was discontinued during the period of renovation, but we are now ready to resume our scheduled classes. We offer training in a number of areas including PowerPoint, OVID Medline (web and windows), P-Mail, Electronic Publications, Biomedical Information on the Web, Web of Science/Current Contents, and PubMed. Each month dates and times for scheduled classes can be found on the Library's web page at:

http://uscm.med.sc.edu/LIBRARY/TRAIN.SHTML

To register, call the listed contact by 4:00 p.m. the day before the class is offered.

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Library Survey Results (Fall 2000)

Thanks to everyone who took the time to fill out and return our Fall 2000 survey concerning needed journals and electronic access issues. Your input is greatly appreciated.

Seventy-nine unique journal titles were requested by faculty and graduate students who returned the 2000 Fall Library Survey. From this list, 23 titles are already owned by the SOM Library, Thomas Cooper Library, or Palmetto Richland Library. 18 titles are now available via Science Direct. Of the remaining requests, 21 new subscriptions were added for 2001. Additionally, 14 other journals titles from previous requests and interlibrary loan requests were ordered. These 35 new journal subscriptions represent the first substantial addition of new journal titles to our collection since 1994. A number of the newly subscribed-to titles will also have online access.

In addition to suggested titles, the survey provided us with the following pieces of information:

Anyone who would like to see the survey results in their entirety, please contact Karen Rosati karen@med.sc.edu or 733-3355.

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New Journal Titles ordered for 2001
American Journal of Medical Genetics Anticancer Research
APMIS Biochimie
Breast Cancer Research and Treatment Cancer Causes and Control
Cancer Gene Therapy Cell Adhesion and Communications
Clinical Anatomy Clinics in Plastic Surgery
European Journal of Cancer Prevention European Journal of Neuroscience
Gynecologic Oncology Human Reproduction
Infectious Diseases in Clinical Practice Journal of Cerebral Blood Flow and Metabolism
Journal of Mammary Gland Biology and Neoplasia Journal of Neurocytology
Journal of Neuro-oncology Journal of Reconstructive Microsurgery
Leukemia Medical Problems of Performing Artists
Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities Research Reviews Molecular Carcinogenesis
Nature Immunology Nature Neuroscience
Nature Reviews Neuroreport
Placenta Rehabilitation Education
Retina Scandinavian Journal of Rheumatology
Seizure Seminars in Urologic Oncology
Tissue Antigens Visual Neuroscience

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Access to Library Electronic Resources from PRMH Campus

Due to licensing restrictions, access to the Library's numerous electronic books, journals, and databases is generally limited to USC School of Medicine (SOM) faculty, staff, and students who have a School of Medicine computer address (IP address).

Although this restriction isn't an obstacle for users on the SOM VA campus, it presents a major problem for SOM users located in buildings on the PRMH campus that aren't physically hooked into the SOM network. Our faculty, staff, and students in 15 Medical Park, 2 Medical Park, and 4 Medical Park are connected to the SOM network and experience no problems with accessing the Library's electronic resources. Faculty, Staff, and students located in the hospital, in 6 Medical Park (Family & Preventive Medicine), 7 Medical Park (Internal Medicine, Pediatrics, SCCC) and 14 Medical Park (SCCC), however, are not connected to the SOM network and unable to use the Library's electronic resources.

In an effort to remedy this problem, the Library has been working with the Computer and Communications Resources department and the PRMH Information Systems department to implement a virtual private network (VPN) software solution. The VPN software allows a SOM user to emulate a SOM network IP address regardless of their physical location. To date, this solution has been implemented in Family and Preventive Medicine (6 Medical Park) and is in the process of being implements in the SCCC (14 Medical Park) and in the medical student lounge in the hospital building. We are also investigating more long-term solutions to this access problem.

If you are located on the PRMH campus and are unable to access the Library's electronic resources, we need to hear about it. Please contact Ruth Riley, Director of Library Services, at 733-3353 or via email at ruth@med.sc.edu.

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Internet Use Policy

This month, the SOM Library adopted an Internet Use Policy which includes guidelines for use of the Internet on public workstations. S.C. law requires that all state-funded libraries have such policies in place. Please take a look at the policy on our home page at:

http://uscm.med.sc.edu/LIBRARY/INETUSE.SHTML

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Electronic Resources News

MD Consult

MD Consult access has been increased from three simultaneous users to five. This change was prompted by verified increased use.

STAT!Ref

The SOM Library has a five-simultaneous-user license to STAT!Ref Electronic Medical Library. This database contains medical information and drug information for physicians and allied health professionals. STAT!Ref lets you cross-search the full-text of more than 25 medical and drug texts including Stedman's Medical Dictionary and popular texts from McGraw-Hill, Mosby, Lippincott, Williams & Wilkins, and more. Available for School of Medicine users at:

http://host.statref.com/usc.

Links to E-Resources in Online Catalog

SCarlit, our online catalog, boasts numerous links to electronic books and journals. To browse these titles alphabetically, click on "Browse E-Journals and E-Textbooks" on the SCarlit welcome screen (http://muscls.musc.edu/search/).

To limit a search to electronic books or journals, follow the new instructions on the SCarlit help screens.

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Reference Desk

One of the most notable changes the library made during its recent renovation is the addition of a new service desk. Its angular alignment, hardwood construction, and stone top immediately strike your eye as you enter the library. Centered on a large garnet column, you will find the two arms of the library's public services. The short arm facing the entrance is the Circulation Desk. There you can check out materials, place interlibrary loan requests, and make most standard inquiries. At the end of the longer arm you will find the library's new Reference Desk.

If you require assistance with any of the library's varied resources, the reference staff will be happy to assist you. From the two-minute transaction to an extensive interview and bibliographic search, our experienced staff can help make your visit to the library both more productive and efficient. Call the reference desk at (803) 733-3361 or inquire in person. Reference services are offered Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. -6:00 p.m.

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"Auto Alerts" from Current Contents Delivered to your E-Mail Account

A new feature from ISI allows you to set up a search profile in Current Contents that will be executed automatically and delivered to your e-mail address once a week.

To set up an alert:

  1. Choose the editions you want to search and the file depth. Then click on "Submit Limit Changes."
  2. At the search screen select the fields to search and enter search terms or phrases.
  3. After inputting your search, scroll down to "Alert/Profile Management" and click on "Edit/Save Statements."
  4. At the next screen, scroll down to "Set Alert Options" and choose "Create Alert."
  5. Enter the alert name and your e-mail address, and select the desired format.
  6. Click the "Save Alert/Profile" button. Your browser displays a dialog box for you to specify where to save the file on your local drive. If you are using Internet Explorer, the "Alert/Profile Management" page may be redisplayed instead of a Save dialog box. If so, open the File menu and click "Save" or "Save As File" to save the profile.
There are a limited number (500) of auto-alerts for the entire USC community. Should you receive notification that there are no alerts available, contact Sarah Gable at 733-3351. Please call if you would like assistance in setting up the search.

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After Hours

For those of you with 24 hour access to the library, please notify the circulation staff of any books you remove from the premises. In the past, we have lost several required textbooks from the Reserve Collection behind the Circulation Desk. These textbooks are placed on reserve for the convenience of your classmates. If you need to take a reserve book or any library materials from the premises after hours, please leave us a note with your name and the book's title or barcode (barcodes are on the outside cover of all library bound editions and start with the numbers 1400).

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Journal Title Changes for 2001

Australian and New Zealand Journal of Medicine
to Internal Medicine Journal

Australian and New Zealand Journal of Surgery
toANZ Journal of Surgery

Electroencephalography and Clinical Neurophysiology. Supplement
to Clinical Neurophysiology. Supplement

Federal Research Report
merged into Federal Assistance Monitor

Federation Bulletin
to Journal of Medical Licensure and Discipline

Immunology Today
to Trends in Immunology

Journal of Reproduction and Fertility
merged with Reviews of Reproduction
to form Reproduction

Journal of the Royal College of Physicians of London
to Clinical Medicine

OAG Business Travel Planner
to Business Travel Planner

Proceedings of the Society for Experimental Biology and Medicine
to Experimental Biology and Medicine

Professional Counselor
to Counselor

Schweizerische Medizinische Wochenschrift
to Swiss Medical Weekly

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Executive Director, NN/LM SE/A Visits SOM Library

See the full story at:
http://uscm.med.sc.edu/LIBRARY/KELLY.SHTML

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E-Journal News

After much soul-searching concerning how to best outline the many new electronic journal developments, I've come up with a long list of briefly described items. Please read on for the highlights of electronic journal access for 2001. (For fast breaking news, check the "What's New" section on the Library's webpage.) By Karen Rosati
Serials Librarian

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Whither Publishing and E-journals?

by Karen Rosati

As librarians we mainly measure our effectiveness by the access provided to needed materials. But we are also responsible for alerting our patrons of the latest innovations that will eventually affect the "universe" of information. Everybody's talking about it (e-publishing) and, contrary to the old dictum "but nobody's doing anything about it," there are numerous initiatives happening right now.

The first four inititaives below are discussed in a Brain Research article by Floyd E. Bloom. "Publishing (whatever that means): neuroscience in the new millenium." The article is available online through ScienceDirect (click on "Group-wide Login," select journals, and go to Brain Research, volume 886 issue 1, pp. 1-4, December 15, 2000). Explanations following sites are taken from the sites' statements of purpose.

http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov
PubMed Central is a web-based archive of journal literature for all of the life sciences. It is being developed by the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) at the U.S. National Library of Medicine (NLM). With PubMed Central, NCBI is taking the lead in preserving and maintaining open access to the literature in electronic form, just as NLM has done for decades with the printed biomedical literature.

http://www.biomedcentral.com
BioMed Central offers fast, efficient online publishing of research articles in all areas of biomedical research with full peer review and no barriers to access of any kind. Submission is online and authors retain copyright. All original articles are published on one of the BioMed Central journals - see Biology and Medicine - as well as being posted without delay on PubMed Central and indexed in PubMed.

http://www.BioOne.org
In early 2001, www.BioOne.org will provide Internet access, for the first time, to a common database of leading journals in their fields -- at prices and under usage terms sensitive to the interests of society publishers, institutional subscribers, and users. The project will be launched with a broad selection of the journals and bulletins published by the 59 AIBS (American Institute of Biological Sciences) member societies. Ultimately, the BioOne aggregation could include nearly 200 science titles, including those from non-AIBS members.

http://www.crossref.org
The world's leading scientific, technical, and medical publishers have collaborated to form CrossRef, an innovative service which enables them to link reference citations to the online content cited by those references, typically located on a different server and published by a different publisher.

By the end of this year, more than three million articles from thousands of journals will be linked through CrossRef, and more than half a million more articles will be linked each year thereafter. Such linking will enhance the efficiency of browsing and reading the primary scientific and scholarly literature. It will enable readers to gain access to logically related articles with one or two clicks -- an objective widely accepted among researchers as a natural and necessary part of scientific and scholarly publishing in the digital age. CrossRef's wider goals are to use new technologies to speed and facilitate scientific and other scholarly research.

Additional Noteworthy and very recent publishing endeavors:

Wiley Publishers has launched an "EarlyView" feature which publishes online individual articles as soon as they are ready -- before the release of the compiled journals. SOM patrons have access to 81 of this publisher's titles (although not all are biomedical titles). Look for the "EarlyView" link on each title you are accessing.

The Chronicle of Higher Education has reported in its March 9, 2001 issue (page A39) that Manfredi La Manna, an economist at St. Andrews College in Scotland, is lining up support for an online venture that would challenge the market dominance of traditional academic publishers, and is proposing the creation of a publishing template that would be free to all. This model would support compensation for authors and reviewers, and could decrease the cost of journal literature production. (Stay tuned....)

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Staff News