MDMLG News

Carla Caretto, Editor
Valerie Reid, Webmaster

Table of Contents

ROI / Return on Investment
Web Design for Librarians:  Reviewing the Possibilities
Searching for Medical Device Information
Access to Electronic Journals:  Why and How?
From Static to Dynamic:  Delivering Web Content From Databases
Medical Library Association Benchmarking Initiative -- Round Two
Announcements

ROI / Return on Investment

What is ROI - Return On Investment?  Every time you decide to spend your money, you make an ROI decision.  You evaluate the "return" (the value that you get back) from your "investment ".  Linking value to money is an essential part of human commerce.  

The same concept can be used to help justify the expense of running a library to hospital administration.  To find out how ROI can help you, what ROI technique you can use, please come to the next MDMLG meeting on April 22^nd, at Cottage Hospital.

Judith Field from Wayne State University will be our feature speaker.  She will discuss ROI in libraries and how to craft an effective ROI measurement for library.  

Jenny Wang
St. John Oakland Hospital

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Web Design for Librarians: Reviewing the Possibilities

This is a follow-up article to "Web Design for Non-Designers" from the last issue of the MDMLG Newsletter. Having had some enthusiastic feedback, and having come across a library website that was inspirational, I decided to write an article dedicated to examples of web design and function as a further example of how libraries can use their web pages to reach their customers. 

The Helen L. DeRoy Medical Library,
Providence Hospital

Designed and maintained by Alexia Estabrook, MSLS, AHIP, this site struck me as an excellent tool for both St. John Health users and librarians. The main page acts as a portal to other libraries and library resources. The "floating" navigation bar is a fixed feature on each page, allowing for easy navigation to essential resources provided by the medical library. The library even has a section for personal book orders. The "Web Site Evaluation" section is an excellent idea to help educate users. Enthusiastic about this well-organized site and amazed at the work put into it, I contacted Alexia Estabrook and conducted an e-mail interview.   ¹  

C: What do you see as "core" elements to your site and why?
A: The core elements of the library web site are the pages that act as a portal to library resources (i.e. -- links to databases, electronic journals, etc.)

C: What elements of the site came first, which are new developments, and which sections are in development?
A: The pages containing basic library information (staff, hours, services) came first. They were easy to create and got us a quick presence. I'm currently developing two new sections – one with citations to Clinical Trial reports and one on evidence-based medicine. The electronic journal portal page is always under development as our holdings change. The writing resources page is a newer development also.

C: Have you gotten feedback from health care professionals, and if so, what do they like?
A: They like that they can access all the electronic journals from a single page.

C: If possible, list your priorities for web-based access to information and how your site meets those priorities.
A: We don't really have official priorities for web-based access to information. The services we pay for (i.e. -- ejournals, STAT!Ref, etc.) are our unofficial priorities, and those are the pages I concentrate on when updating the site.

C: Offer any advice to librarians undertaking the task of designing their own library sites.
A:
1. Make friends with the hospital web master or web team.
2. Keep things simple.
3. Keep the site as updated as possible. Nothing will tarnish the reputation of your site as quickly as broken links and outdated information. I spend one afternoon per week updating a section of the site.

The Helen L. DeRoy Medical Library is just one library with an excellent site. The following is a quick sample of a few other libraries with well-organized, user-friendly sites. This is by no means a comprehensive overview. If you have a site that you would like featured, or if you know of another great resource online, please send suggestions to cwallace@wrh.on.ca for future features in the newsletter.

Basic Information Sites
These sites provide basic information about the library and its resources. There may be some links to consumer health information, but these sites are focussed on library resources and services, are concise and compact, with all the necessary information. 

Botsford Library and Internet Services
http://www.botsfordlibrary.org/ 
A simple, well organized site that offers a lot of information about library and health resources. The few sections are ones with great impact: About Us, Consumer Health, Databases, Links, Catalog, Request Forms.

Henry Ford Wyandotte Hospital Library
http://www.henryford.com/hfwhlibrary/ 
A lovely, simple site, packed full of information. Nice touches are the journal list, the other quick-find lists and the feedback page. Not a lot of scrolling to distract users -- compact and effective.

Detailed Information Sites and Information Portals
The following sites go beyond information about the library itself and act as “information portals” to online information and are more like resource guides that have gathered and collated information to help customers use information. Commonly referred to as simply a portal, an information portal is a web site or service that offers a broad array of resources and services, such as forums, search engines, and collections of links to resources on specific topics. 

Oakwood Medical Library
http://www.oakwood.org/MedicalLibrary/index.asp   
Neatly organized into "categories": Consumer Health Links, Healthcare Professional CE Links, PDA information, and Trial Online Services Available Now are nice added features. The Categories are at times broken up into subcategories for quicker navigation.

Sladen Library & Center for Health Information Resources
Henry Ford Health System
http://www.henryford.com/sladen/ 
A very detailed site clearly geared toward end users. Lots of extra features include troubleshooting instructions, Sladen Evidence-Based Medicine Resources, Web Picks/Site of the Week, and many other features that go beyond basic information.

Internet Gateways
Some of these sites are in the stages of moving beyond even the portal stage and are beginning to act as an Internet Gateway. Gateways are online services that provide references to selected, high-quality information resources on the Internet. However, in addition to providing links to networked resources, they also provide descriptions of those resources, including descriptive metadata, content descriptions, abstracts, subject keywords, and other controlled vocabulary (perhaps MeSH). A gateway allows users to quickly discover resources on a particular subject through searching resource descriptions or by browsing based on a classification system or taxonomy. Some gateways use additional criteria such as subjectivity and interactivity. ²

Some examples of Internet Gateways:

The Social Science Information Gateway
This site offers a guide to "the Best of the Web" in the field of Social Science. It is neatly organized and offers many options to search, including thesauri.

Healthfinder
http://www.healthfinder.gov/ 
A free gateway to reliable consumer health and human services information developed by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

Health Information -- National Institute of Health (NIH)
http://health.nih.gov/ 
The central point of access to all NIH consumer health information.

Canadian Library Gateway
http://www.collectionscanada.ca/gateway/index-e.html 
Information on Canadian library catalogues, Canadian library interlending and charging policies, the directory of special collections held in Canadian libraries, Canadian library websites, and more. The Canadian Library Gateway provides a centralized window to Canadian libraries of all types and sizes.

NLM Gateway
http://gateway.nlm.nih.gov/gw/Cmd 
The NLM Gateway allows users to search in multiple retrieval systems at the U.S. National Library of Medicine (NLM). The current Gateway searches MEDLINE/PubMed, TOXLINE Special, LOCATORplus, MedlinePlus, ClinicalTrials.gov, DIRLINE, Meeting Abstracts, HSRProj, OMIM, and HSDB.

 ¹  Many thanks to Alexia for her great responses and excellent advice.

Searching for Medical Device Information

From stethoscopes to endovascular coils, medical devices are a standard part of the healthcare setting.  A simple definition of a medical device is an "instrument that is used for diagnosis, treatment or prevention of disease, injury or other condition that is not a drug, biologic or food." (3)  Eventually a patron will request information regarding medical devices and depending on your patrons needs, you can search for medical device information in a variety of sources.  It is not my intent to provide an exhaustive list of medical device information sources, nor can I presume the information needs of every patron; rather I'll touch on common patron requests and resources to use in searching for answers. 

Some standard requests regarding medical device information can be: medical device manufacturers or suppliers, adverse event reports, product recalls, pre-market approvals, patents, and even emerging trends in medical device technologies.  When looking for information on medical device manufacturers or suppliers, the Medical Device Register (MDR) is a premier resource.  The MDR contains information for both U.S and International companies with medical devices registered with the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).  The MDR collects data through detailed annual surveys from medical device companies.  The MDR is available in a print version, a web version available at http://www.devicelink.com/ or in DIALOG's file 167.  Included in the print and DIALOG version are "...company profiles with e-mail and Web addresses, total sales figures, federal procurement eligibility, CE (Certificat European) status, ISO 9000 certification, operational information and executive profiles." (2) The web version is not as detailed, but still contains basic company and product information.  Thomas' Register of American Manufacturers http://www.thomasregister.com/ is another source when searching for device manufacturers.  However, unlike the MDR, Thomas’ Register covers only North American manufacturers and is not limited to medical device information.

When searching for adverse event reports the Food and Drug Administration Center for Devices and Radiological Health (CDRH) website contains two datasets.  The Manufacturer and User Facility Device Experience Database (MAUDE) database contains " ...all voluntary reports since June, 1993, user facility reports since 1991, distributor reports since 1993, and manufacturer reports since August, 1996." (4) The Device Experience Network Database (MDR) "…contains information from CDRH's former database, the device experience network (DEN). The reports include mandatory manufacturer reports on devices which may have malfunctioned or caused a death or serious injury. These reports were received under both the mandatory Medical Device Reporting Program (MDR) from 1984 - 1996, and voluntary reports up to June 1993." (5) The FDA also disseminates safety information to both health professionals and consumers on medical products through its MedWatch page http://www.fda.gov/medwatch/index.html and the MedWatch e-list, which is a Listserv devoted to safety alerts.  Product recalls may be found on the FDA's enforcement report page http://www.fda.gov/opacom/Enforce.html , however, keep in mind that MedWatch covers all products under the FDA auspices, not just medical devices. 

Pre-market approval (PMA) is the FDA's scientific and regulatory review process for class III medical devices.  Class III medical devices are " ...those that support or sustain human life, are of substantial importance in preventing impairment of human health, or which present a potential, unreasonable risk of illness or injury."  (6) The pre-market approval information may only be accessed upon the device’s approval or denial at the FDA's PMA database http://www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/cdrh/cfdocs/cfPMA/pma.cfm .  The database contains approval orders, summaries of safety and effectiveness, product labeling information, protocol for tests or studies, any adverse reactions, and correspondence relating to the PMA.  PMA information will not disclose any confidential personal or commercial information, trade secrets or manufacturing methods.

Looking for a patent on a medical device can yield a wealth of information. Basic information included in the patent is the inventor, patent assignee, and a complete description of the function and mechanism of the invention.  However, there is much more information to be found in patents that can indicate emerging trends in medical device technology.  "Patent applicants are required to cite any prior patents or publications upon which the patent in question builds."(1) Therefore you can examine the areas of medical device technologies in which companies or individuals are innovating and in turn who are building on those innovations by looking at citations to both patents and journal literature within a patent.  When looking for a patent, the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) website http://www.uspto.gov  contains full text patents from 1790 to the present. The USPTO's Patent and Trademark Depository Library Program (PTDLP) offers a seven step strategy when searching for patents http://www.uspto.gov/web/offices/ac/ido/ptdl/step7.htm.  In addition, there is a listing of libraries nationwide that are patent depository libraries, including the Detroit Public Library. "With over 6,500,000 patent documents, the US patent file is the most complete and compact collection of technological information in the world." (7)   It should not be overlooked when searching for information about emerging trends in device technology.

From trends in patenting to device manufacturers or product recalls, there are a variety of sources to use when looking for information about medical devices. Hopefully your next search for medical device information will take you to any one of these remarkable resources.

Bibliography

1.  Hoetker, Glenn; "Patterns in Patents: Searching the Forest Not the Trees".  EConent, 22:5; October-November 1999; p.37.

2.  Prasek, Margaret A.; "Another Side of Medicine – The Medical Device Register".  Medical Reference Quarterly; 18:2; Summer 1999; p.55.

3.  Rados, Carol; "FDA Works to Reduce Preventable Medical Device Injuries". FDA   Consumer; 37:4; July-August 2003; p.30.

4.  United States Food and Drug Administration Center for Device and Radiological Health Manufacturer and User Facility Device Experience Database website.

5.  United States Food and Drug Administration Center for Device and Radiological Health Adverse Event Reporting Data Files website.

6.  United States Food and Drug Administration Center for Device and Radiological Health Device Advice website .

7.  United States Patent and Trademark Office; Patents: The Collection for All Reasons website: http://www.fda.gov/cdrh/devadvice/pma/  accessed 03/24/2004 .

Jennifer Bowen
Children's Hospital of Michigan

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Access to Electronic Journals: Why and How?

The number of subscription journals available both in print and electronic format, or in electronic format only, is increasing as is the number of full text articles available in bibliographic databases. Patrons' expectations for electronic access are also on the rise. One of the new roles of librarians is to set up and manage the access to electronic journals.

Online subscriptions to individual journals may be available free of charge with print subscriptions or available at an additional cost. Open access journals allow free access without subscription. Directory of Open Access Journals (DOAJ) provide subject lists of "free, full text, quality controlled scientific and scholarly journals" (1)

Advantages
The advantages of electronic journals are numerous:

• fast access from desktop computers
• no missing issues
• electronic issues available before print issues
• seamless link to articles from citations in full text databases
•  download articles, no photocopying
• simultaneous access to the same articles
•  license may cover electronic reserves
• remote access

Access Providers

• Publishers' Web sites

• Subscription agents such as EbscoHost and SwetsWise

•  Aggregators such as Highwire, Ingenta, FirstSearch ECO, Ovid, Ideal

•  Fulltext Databases

Types of Access
Determined by providers.

• IP: license agreement may allow an IP range or individual workstations IPs, depending on the license restrictions

• ID/Password:  Used in most cases instead of IP; some providers may allow both. The number of simultaneous users may be restricted.

• Open Access: no restrictions.

Activating Access
Access to electronic journals from publishers’ websites must be activated before getting to the e-journals' contents.   Although some subscription agents offer an end-user portal such as EBSCO's EJS to facilitate e-journals set up and management, access to some titles must be activated directly with publishers.

The set up process is as follows:

•   Journal URL is needed to access the journal's website.  It can be found in the print journal, agent's subscription lists, or publishers' websites. 

• There is no uniform procedure to activate online subscriptions.  The link may appear either on the journal's main page, or after clicking on the full text article.

• Activation instructions differ for individual and institutional subscribers.

• PID is required to set up access.  This is the subscription number that appears on mailing labels and invoices.  It can also be obtained from subscription agents or publishers.

• E-journal manager will select an ID and Password different from that of the users.

• E-journal manager will need to create and maintain the following  lists:

-         e-journal titles with corresponding URL, access mode, user ID/Passwords for password protected access.   This list should be available to patrons.

-         E-journal titles with corresponding PID for future reference.  Update with annual renewals of subscriptions.

-         E-journal titles with corresponding manager's ID and Password.

Disadvantages  
Some of the pitfalls of electronic access:  

• PID not accepted, need to contact agent or publisher to provide prove of current subscription and obtain PID.  The hunt for this number can be challenging at times.

•  reactivate access with subscription renewals  

•  broken links or URL changes  

• IP changes for workstations  

•  remote access not available if license requires campus use only  

•  network problems  

• missing articles or supplements

• embargo  

• not all articles are in PDF, lack of images  

• license restrictions to single sites or sites within certain distance range, must negotiate for multiple sites  

• bundling of titles by publishers as for Elsevier's ScienceDirect collections.

What next?  

• Add e-journals to online catalog

• Provide list of e-journals

• Provide access and use instructions to patrons

• Explain access restrictions to patrons

• Advertise availability

REFERENCES

Directory of Open Access Journals: http://www.doaj.org 

Jewer, J.  Electronic Journals - WHAT ARE THEY? MDMLG News Vol. 26 No. 3 February 2000.

Prabhu, M. et al.  Electronic Journal Access in an Academic Library Revisited.  The Australian Library Journal Aug 2002 v51 i3 p.219.

Shelling, J.  Electronic journals: Practical Suggestions for Setting Up Access. The Australian Library Journal Nov 2000 v49 i4 p.363.

Marie-Lise Shams 
University of Detroit Mercy

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From Static to Dynamic: Delivering Web Content From Databases

Database connectivity is becoming an increasingly important part of Web site design. Data-driven sites collect data "on the fly" and then build pages from that data, thus providing users with dynamic, personalized pages consisting of real-time content. In addition to being more flexible and current (assuming that the database is kept current), data-driven sites are often less time-consuming to maintain than ones which deliver content through static pages. 

Static vs. Dynamic Pages

A static Web page has its content and display logic hard-coded into a Hypertext Markup Language (HTML) file. This means that someone must manually edit the page whenever a change is required. Since content and logic code are intermingled, some changes may necessitate getting both content and technical experts involved. Furthermore, if the desired changes need to be made on multiple pages, each page will have to be individually edited. As a result, Web sites that use static content are inflexible and can be expensive and time-consuming to maintain, particularly if the content requires frequent updating.

A dynamic Web page has its display logic stored separately from its content, with the latter maintained in a database instead of an HTML file. Each page consists of a template that provides the look and feel of the page, plus code that queries, retrieves, and displays appropriate content from the database. Because the template and content are maintained separately, content changes can be made as often as needed by content experts without necessarily involving technical experts. As a result, dynamic Web sites usually are less costly and time-consuming to maintain than static ones and can offer more flexibility and real-time content.

Components of Data-Driven Sites

Delivering Web content through static pages requires, at the very least, a Web server and some knowledge of HTML. Delivering dynamic pages via a database requires a few more components, including: 

• A database product that supports Structured Query Language (SQL). Examples: Access, Microsoft SQL, Oracle, mySQL.
• A populated database. 
• A scripting language and interpreter that stores and executes information on how to obtain and access the requested data and subsequently return and display it in a formatted Web page. Examples: Active Server Pages (ASP) technology, PHP Hypertext Preprocessor (PHP; originally derived from Personal Home Page Tools, the PHP in PHP Hypertext Processor now actually stands for PHP).

A variety of combinations of these basic components are currently being utilized to successfully deliver Web content from databases. An increasingly popular approach being taken by libraries is the "open source" software combination of mySQL and PHP, plus the open source Web server program, Apache.  

An Example

The Mulford Library at the Medical College of Ohio used the above open source combination to turn its static "Instructions to Authors" site into a dynamic one. 

Users accessing the static site (http://mulford.meduohio.edu/instr/) need to browse through hard-coded HTML pages containing alphabetic lists of thousands of journal titles and corresponding links to author instructions. The content of each page is static and only changes when the page is manually edited, which is about once a month.

Users accessing the database-driven site query a mySQL database that the Library created containing records for thousands of journal titles and corresponding links to author instructions. Query options include keyword, journal title, and the first letter of each title (the A-Z row at the top of the page). Using a PHP interface, queries are transmitted to the database and interpreted, and then the results are returned to the requestor and displayed within the context of a pre-established template. The results page has the extension .php, indicating that a PHP script is embedded in the page along with HTML. Since results will vary depending upon the query and when the database was last updated (which is typically every day), the .php pages generated by users accessing the site are thus "dynamic."

(Note: The static version of "Instructions to Authors" is only being maintained until the Library is able make the dynamic version available via a more standard Web port.)

Sheryl Stevens
Medical College of Ohio

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Medical Library Association Benchmarking Initiative -- Round Two

The Medical Library Association's Benchmarking Network Editorial Board is now accepting a new round of benchmarking data.  Data must be from either fiscal year 2002/2003 or from calendar year 2003 and can be entered from March 19, 2004 - June 30, 2004 .   Any MLA member may participate.  It does take a significant amount of time to gather the data, but the information is invaluable for justifying staffing levels and budgets.   

Participants who enter data have the ability to drill down to very specific categories, for example, you may look for data on comparable 600 bed teaching hospitals with an active medical staff of 800.  All members have access to the high level results, but only those who enter data can select specific categories to compare.

This year both institutional and individual members may participate in the survey and it has been broadened to include all types of medical libraries, not just in hospitals.  The data collection site is located in the Members-Only area of MLANET (you will need your MLANET username/ID and password to enter). You can also download a worksheet to aid in data entry.

I strongly urge all MDMLG members to participate.  I was able to use the data from the previous survey this summer to justify maintaining our current staffing levels.  Having concrete and specific national benchmark data had a significant impact in countering the recommendations of a consultant group.  Please take the time to participate in this important MLA initiative.

Ellen O'Donnell
St. John Hospital & Medical Center

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  The upcoming MDMLG meeting will be held at Cottage Hospital on April 22. 

Toni Janik will lead a discussion on ways to set up electronic access to journal collections for the Brown Bag session. Bring your ideas and questions to share.

Our speaker will be Judith Field, WSU faculty. She will be presenting information on Return on Investment (ROI). What is ROI? Can ROI really help me? This program will explain how the technique of ROI can be used to help justify the expense of running a library to hospital administration.

Also, Audrey Bondar will present the findings from the survey of the membership asking what aspects of MDMLG are important to you and how we can keep the support and participation alive despite the time constraints most of the members are under. This should be an important discussion and we hope as many of you can make the meeting as possible.

  ADVOCACY @ YOUR LIBRARY
Workshop sponsored by SOHLIN (Southwestern Ontario Health Libraries and Information Network)

Date: Friday, April 16, 2004
Time: 9 a.m. to 12 noon
Location: Katzman Lounge, Vanier Hall, University of Windsor
Presenter: Margaret Andrewes

Advocacy is an art and a skill. The art comes from you and your passion for libraries. You begin with knowing your own strengths and beliefs.  The skill comes from the application of identifiable marketing and public relations techniques to the development of support and understanding for libraries over an extended period of time.

This workshop uses the techniques and experience learned in the Canadian Library Association's Library Advocacy Now! program to help you focus your advocacy efforts. It is fully interactive and tailored to suit the interests of librarians working in the health sector.

Key Topics:

• Exploration of fundamental advocacy principles;
• Interpretation of issues and concerns affecting your library;
• Understanding the planning process for individual and collective advocacy programs;
• Identifying key decision-makers and their needs;
• Consideration of approaches and tools available to advocates and how they can be shaped;
• Evaluation of the continuity and success of your advocacy program.

Each person will receive the Library Advocacy Now! Participants' Guide published by the Canadian Library Association.

Workshop Presenter, Margaret Andrewes, has had much experience in advocacy, public relations and marketing techniques pertaining to libraries. In 1980 she was appointed to the library board in the Town of Lincoln in the Niagara Peninsula. She was elected Vice President/President-Elect of the Canadian Library Association in 1991 and is the only library trustee to serve as CLA President since CLA was founded in 1946. She has experience in volunteer library leadership positions at the local, regional, provincial and national levels.

As a library professional, Margaret has worked as a consultant for volunteer board development; was Coordinator of the Ontario Public Library Strategic Plan (1988-1991); and was Communications Coordinator, ISM Library Information Services from 1991 to 1995. In 1995, she was appointed Advocacy Coordinator, Canadian National Institute for the Blind (CNIB) Library for the Blind where she developed and implemented the first national program to secure equitable access to library and information services for blind and print disabled Canadians. From 1999 to 2003, she served as Chief Executive Officer of the Lincoln Public Library. And she has just been elected to a three-year term as Councillor for Ward 1 in the Town of Lincoln.

Margaret is one of 13 Canadians who initially committed themselves to the Library Advocacy Now! (LAN) program through the Canadian Library Association. She has coined the term, "Triple A Library Leadership", which she defines as a library advocate who is aware, active and accountable. Margaret believes that "grassroots advocacy training is the means for developing a nationwide network of library champions who can influence decision-makers at all levels of government to develop public policy that secures publicly funded libraries as fundamental access points for information and knowledge in upholding our democratic society."

Join the members of SOHLIN for a very stimulating, interesting and productive session from 9 a.m. to 12 noon in the Katzman Lounge, Vanier Hall at the University of Windsor on Friday, April 16th 2004.

Costs for the workshop and for the workshop and lunch are provided on the registration form. Lunch at the University Club entitles participants to the full buffet and one non-alcoholic beverage. Cost of lunch includes all taxes and gratuities. Workshop participants should indicate whether or not they will be staying for lunch on the registration form for the workshop, as space will be booked for workshop participants in advance at the University Club.

Registration is limited to 25 people, so please complete the registration form quickly if you are interested in attending.

We look forward to seeing you at:  ADVOCACY @your library T workshop on April 16th, 2004 in the Katzman Lounge, Vanier Hall at the University of Windsor.  Please contact Mary Ellen Bechard via e-mail at ebechard@wrh.on.ca for registration information.  The registration deadline is April 2nd.

    Mid-Michigan Health Sciences Libraries (MMHSL) regional group is sponsoring a 6.0 MLA CE course on "Successfully Presenting to the Adult & Professional Learner" on Friday, April 23, 2004, 8:30-4:30 at the MSU Library. 

All librarians need to be successful educators. While we have always acknowledged our mission in educating users about library collections and the intricacies of search engines, our educational role extends far beyond this.  We must also teach evidence-based medicine, copyright issues, software packages, the economics of scholarly publishing, and the importance of libraries in facilitating high-quality cost-effective health care.  Everything we do and know must be successfully presented to the health professionals whom we support, patients, administrators and even other librarians. How effectively we share our knowledge with others has a direct relationship on the present success, and future health, of our libraries.

This class will cover the skills necessary to give an excellent presentation, the special challenges of presenting to the adult health professional and answers to frequently-asked questions about PowerPoint. We have invited Corinne Stavish, renowned instructor and storyteller, to show us how to make dynamic presentations using public speaking techniques that will keep your audience engaged and interested. Dr. Stavish, a lecturer at Lawrence Technological University, received rave reviews at the 2003 Michigan Library Association conference for her presentation "Life After PowerPoint:  Dynamic Public Speaking".  

The schedule for this CE class is as follows:

The registration fee is $35.00 and includes lunch, snacks and refreshments at breaks, and parking on the MSU campus. Make checks payable to MMHSL. 

The registration deadline is April 1, 2004.

  MeSH ---from the Ground Up!

Ever wonder just what the heck this Mesh is that all those 'old timers' talk about?  Have you stumbled thru the 'trees' trying to find answers?  Have you been 'hedging' when asked for help with searches?  

Do we have a class for you! Join us May18th for MeSH from the ground up!  Led by Leslie Behm of Michigan State, you will finally find out what a tree is, what a hedge is and just what makes a MeSH term a MeSH term. The class also covers the Unified Medical Language System (UMLS) as well as the construction of searches using the MeSH browser especially in PubMed.  While this class is geared to the support staff, it is still perfect for new searchers or searchers who learned searching not using the paper copies of MeSH (the big green books) or anyone just wanting to review the organization of MeSH terminology. Leslie has nearly 30 years experience in medical libraries and presented at the Michigan Osteopathic Association Annual meeting and at numerous MHSLA conferences and workshops. This class has been approved for 4 MLA CE credits. Join us at CMU, May 18th!!!!

Date: May 18th
Place: Central Michigan University Park Library, Mt. Pleasant, MI
Time: 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. with a break for lunch

Contact Doris Blauet at dblauet@genesys.org to register.

  The MDMLG Nominating Committee is pleased to present the slate for the 2003-2004 election:

The slate is in compliance with the MDMLG Bylaws.

Nominations may be made from the membership-at-large by petitions signed by not fewer than 10 personal members providing they are submitted in writing to the Chair of the Nominating Committee by April 1, 2004.  Petitions must be accompanied by a written statement of acceptance from the candidate and a biographical sketch.

If no additional candidates step forward, the current slate may be approved by the President with no mailing of ballots as there is only one candidate per open position. 

You can read the candidates' Biographical Profiles on the Members-Only portion of this web site. 

Upcoming Dates:

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Communications Committee 2003-2004

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