Clinical Pharmacology: A Comprehensive Drug Reference

Abstract

This column discusses the point-of-care tool Clinical Pharmacology. This review is primarily intended for newer health sciences librarians who are learning about drug references and clinical decision-making support systems or health sciences librarians making collection development decisions, although any librarian will find this review useful. A sample search will be provided to highlight the database’s unique features as well as a comparison to other resources.     

ClinicalKey 2.0: Upgrades in a Point-of-Care Search Engine

ClinicalKey 2.0, launched September 23, 2014, offers a mobile-friendly design with a search history feature for targeting point-of-care resources for health care professionals. Browsing is improved with searchable, filterable listings of sources highlighting new resources. ClinicalKey 2.0 improvements include more than 1,400 new Topic Pages for quick access to point-of-care content. A sample search details some of the upgrades and content options.     

Statistical Insight: A Review

Statistical Insight is a database that offers the ability to search across multiple sources of data, including the federal government, private organizations, research centers, and international intergovernmental organizations in one search. Two sample searches on the same topic, a basic and an advanced, were conducted to evaluate the database.     

WormBase: A Model Organism Database

WormBase is an open-access model-organism database that provides current and accurate genetic information of C. elegans and related nematodes. Users can search WormBase by several fields, including a gene or human disease. A special feature of the database is the inclusion of micropublications, peer-reviewed data that may go unpublished in traditional venues.     

A Survey of the Reference Sources for Holistic Medicine

Holistic medicine and therapeutic systems are increasingly popular health care alternatives. Reference librarians, when asked about subjects pertaining to the vast field of holistic health, have found the bibliographic resources to be obscure, confusing, and inconsistent. The first two sections of this article discuss the subject access that is provided by Library of Congress and National Library of Medicine subject headings. In the final section there is an annotated bibliography of the chief reference sources for the field. Reference librarians are encouraged to work through the difficulties of finding answers in this field and to treat such queries as typical consumer health care questions.     

A Virtual Reference Shelf for Nursing Students and Faculty

SUMMARY

A virtual shelf for nursing that closely mirrors what previously was found on a physical reference shelf is now a reasonable goal. Advantages of doing this for nursing students and faculty in an academic setting are enumerated. Overviews of relevant vendor and publisher interfaces and models are included. The authors present a selected list of appropriate electronic reference sources that demonstrate how e-books and Internet sites can be combined to build a virtual reference shelf in this subject area.     

Genetics Home Reference: A Review

Genetics Home Reference is a free, online resource created and maintained by the National Library of Medicine. It is designed to provide genetic information to a wide variety of audiences, particularly the general public. The site consists of original information and links to other curated resources.     

Library LAWLINE: Collaborative Virtual Reference in a Special Library Consortium

SUMMARY

This article details the planning, design, and implementation of a collaborative virtual reference project undertaken by a group of law libraries. Service design, scheduling, and software selection are addressed. Outcomes and changes to the service after its first year are outlined, and recommendations are made to those considering implementing similar services.     

网上参考咨询服务中心发展研究

网上参考咨询服务中心是目前国内图书馆界较具影响力的一个网上参考咨询服务机构,文章详尽分析了该服务中心的发展现状、存在的问题与对策,以及未来的发展前景。     

Reference on the Go: A Model for Mobile Reference Services in Libraries

The following article is the first in an ongoing series entitled “Perspectives from the Developing World,” giving voice to authors beyond Europe and North America.

The concept of reference has greatly changed because of the increasing digital presence of reference material. The advent of mobile communication systems and the need for getting correct reference on the move has prompted many libraries to offer mobile related services. Most of the reference sources are now available as mobile-specific products, but there is no comprehensive single mobile interface that can be called as an alternative to the traditional reference desks. This article looks at the evolution of reference services over the years with special reference to creating a mobile reference application for an academic library taking the University of Swaziland Library as a case study.     

A Graphic Interface to Online Reference Sources

Librarians at the Arnold Bernhard Library of Quinnipiac University were at a crossroads with electronic reference books. At first they had added the titles to the library's web page, generated records to individual titles in the online catalog, and even established links to their content using the link resolver in the online catalog. It was still felt that the collection was not living up to its potential. In 2007, the automation librarian began a project to add one more level of access to these titles – a graphic interface that simulated the process of walking into a reference room and picking out a title – all of this done with no programming beyond basic HTML. Early usage reports beginning in the Fall of 2007 prove that the concept has found an audience.     

A Resource Center for Developmental Disabilities

ABSTRACT

The Missouri Developmental Disabilities Resource Center (MDDRC) is an information and referral service located within the Institute for Human Development (IHD) at the University of Missouri-Kansas City. Through its varied informational services, including its website, the Missouri Developmental Disabilities Resource Center is helping to support the independence, productivity, integration and community inclusion of individuals with developmental disabilities and their families.     

宁波市护理信息数字参考咨询服务建设构想

从实际需求、基础条件、护理资源等方面论述了建设宁波市护理信息区域性联合参考咨询服务的必要性与可行性,并对宁波市护理信息区域性联合参考咨询服务建设方案作了探讨。     

Interactive Reference at a Distance: A Corporate Model for Academic Libraries

Summary

Distance education's steady evolution from correspondence courses to virtual classrooms poses a significant challenge to the delivery of library services. Success in achieving widespread electronic access to library catalogs and online databases serves only as the foundation for meeting this challenge. Full evolution to virtual library services demands the addition of dynamic and interactive electronic reference services. The Telebase Help Desk service is one model of an Internet-based interactive reference service.     

对师范大学图书馆网上参考咨询服务的调查与分析

网上参考咨询服务已成为图书馆满足读者对信息需求多样化的一项重要服务内容。通过对38所师范大学图书馆网上参考咨询服务情况的调查分析,揭示了服务的项目、方式和特点,并提出了注重栏目建设、加强合作数字参考咨询、强化教师教育信息服务等建议。     

ClinicalAccess: A Clinical Decision Support Tool

ClinicalAccess is a new clinical decision support tool that uses a question-and-answer format to mirror clinical decision-making strategies. The unique format of ClinicalAccess delivers concise, authoritative answers to more than 120,000 clinical questions. This column presents a review of the product, a sample search, and a comparison with other point-of-care search engines.     

Answering Copyright Questions at the Reference Desk: A Guide for Academic Librarians

Copyright compliance is a major issue in higher education, and academic librarians are being approached more frequently by students and instructors with questions as to how copyrighted works can be legally used for teaching and research. This article provides a brief orientation to U.S. Copyright Law and introduces print and online resources librarians can refer patrons to in order to make informed decisions regarding the use of copyrighted works.     

The Information Explosion and the Adult Learner: Implications for Reference Librarians

Summary

In looking for answers to their learning and information needs, adult learners face an information explosion as one component of their complex world. While adult learners represent a wide variety of developmental stages, for information literacy, for a successful search for electronic information, each one must learn to cope with the burgeoning explosion of information. This paper explores the challenges of information gathering and examines the specific needs and characteristics of the adult learner in relation to information gathering. It presents strategies to assist the reference librarian in developing the necessary skills as well as methods to assist the adult learner.     

Focus on nursing point-of-care tools: application of a new evaluation rubric

Objective:Point-of-care tools (PoCTs) provide evidence-based information on patient care and procedures at the time of need. Registered nurses have unique practice needs, and many PoCTs are marketed to support their practice. However, there is little reported evidence in the literature about evaluating nursing-focused PoCTsCase Presentation:The investigators developed a rubric containing evaluation criteria based on content, coverage of nursing topics, transparency of the evidence, user perception, and customization of PoCTs for supporting nursing practice. The investigators selected five PoCTs cited in the literature and of interest to local nursing leadership: ClinicalKey for Nursing, DynaMed, Lippincott''s Advisor and Procedures, Nursing Reference Center Plus, and UpToDate. Application of the rubric found Lippincott had the highest coverage of diagnoses, while ClinicalKey for Nursing had strong content focused on interventions and outcomes. Nursing Reference Center Plus provided the most well-rounded coverage of nursing terminology and topics. DynaMed and UpToDate were more transparent with indicating conflict of interest, but both had lower coverage of nursing terminology, content, and care processes.Conclusion:None of the five PoCTs strongly met all of the evaluated criteria. The rubric developed for this study highlights each PoCT''s strengths and weaknesses that can then be used to inform the decision-making process based on priorities and budget. The investigators recommend licensing a nursing PoCT and a PoCT like DynaMed or UpToDate to provide comprehensive, evidence-based, patient care coverage and to meet the diverse information needs of nurses.     

Telephone Calls Received at an Academic Library's Reference Desk: A New Analysis

ABSTRACT

It has been established that much of the assistance provided to library patrons at reference desks does not require the knowledge and expertise of a professional librarian. Is the same thing true of the telephone calls received at reference desks in academic libraries? This article reports the results of one academic librarian's reference desk transaction log analysis which focuses on the categories of assistance provided to patrons who called the library's reference desk.