Frequently Asked Questions
1. Where is the Medical Center Library?
The Duke University Medical Center Library (DUMCL) is located in the Seeley G. Mudd Building, above the Searle Center.
The building is about halfway along the walkway between Duke Hospital (North) and the Duke Clinics (South Hospital).
2. What are the Library's hours?
Normal hours are Mon-Thurs 8am to 11pm; Fri 8am to 6pm; Sat 10am to 6pm; Sun 2pm to 10pm
3. What resources and services are available through the Medical Center Library?
The Library's resources include books and journals (paper and electronic formats), audiovisuals,
multimedia programs, databases, "Subject Guides" with links to Websites, online tutorials, and more.
The Library also offers a broad range of services, from document delivery and interlibrary loan to customized
classes and consultations.
4. How can I find out if the Library owns a book, journal, audiovisual (AV), or multimedia program I need?
The Duke University Libraries Online Catalog gives the
location of materials and holdings owned by all the Duke Libraries and provides links to electronic resources.
5. What do I need to check out books or audiovisuals?
Your barcoded Duke photo ID allows you to check out materials from the Duke Libraries. Books and AVs may
be renewed via the online catalog, by telephone (660-1100), or in person. For more information about borrowing,
consult the resources below.
6. How can I find out about electronic journals and whether the complete text of a journal is
available online?
- Most of DUMCL's electronic journals are listed on the Library's Full Text Electronic
Journals Web page.
- The Online Catalog is the comprehensive source for
identifying electronic journals held at DUMCL and the other Duke libraries.
7. How can I access electronic resources from off campus?
Off-campus access to the Library's electronic resources requires authentication
by connecting to the Library's Website via one of the following routes:
- VPN Duke Health System - Provides remote secure access from home or other non-Duke locations to restricted health system information and IP-restricted databases, electronic journals, textbooks, and other resources.
- VPN Duke University - Provides remote secure access from home or other non-Duke locations to IP-restricted databases, electronic journals, textbooks, and other resources.
- You may be able to access some of our resources via EZProxy, which allows you to use your Duke NetID from off-campus without having to download any software. If a resource is available via EZProxy, a pop-up window will ask for your Duke NetID and password when you click on the resource. If not, you will need to download the appropriate VPN client for access.
8. What electronic resources require an individual account?
- MD Consult allows for creation of a personal profile, but it is not required.
- The Ovid system also allows for creation of an individual personal account, though it is not required.
For more information, see FAQ #9.
9. What is Ovid and if I need an Ovid account, how do I get one?
Ovid is a company that provides searching software and access to databases
(MEDLINE, CINAHL, PsycINFO, EBM Reviews, Journals@Ovid Full Text,
and others). A personal account is not required to use the Ovid databases.
- Generic access is available (no password required) from Duke computers or by using the Duke proxy server or VPN connection.
Any of these connections will allow the user to link to all of Duke's full-text articles. Users connecting
via this route can also save a search strategy for 24 hours.
- Personal Ovid accounts (username and password) allow users to connect to Ovid databases from any computer, without a direct connection or the proxy server. However, links to all of Duke's full-text articles will only work through the Duke proxy server or VPN connection. A personal account allows users to save search strategies indefinitely, use the AutoAlert update feature to be notified by email of recent articles added to the databases on specific topics or by specific authors. Duke faculty, graduate students, and DUMC staff and students may
apply for a personal Ovid account.
- NOTE: Access to MEDLINE is also available free to anyone through the national Library of Medicine's PubMed system.
(See FAQ #10 and FAQ #11 for more information.)
10. What is the difference between Ovid MEDLINE and PubMed?
- Ovid MEDLINE offers:
- more sophisticated mapping system to help identify appropriate subject headings (MeSH terms)
- more control over the "explode" function and selecting subject terms or textwords
- the ability to connect to the Online Catalog to see complete library holdings
- the ability to save complex search strategies using search statement numbers
- PubMed MEDLINE offers:
- a more current database with citations added directly by journal publishers
- a search engine that simultaneously searches for subject headings and textwords
and automatically explodes subject headings
- more direct links to full-text journal articles
- a "related articles" feature
- free access to everyone
11. How do I get full-text access to an article I find during a PubMed or Ovid search session?
- Connect to PubMed from the Library's Website (under Databases or
Clinical Tools) in order to access links for DUMCL's journal subscriptions. Click on the citation
to see the article links:
- DUMCL Online will open the full-text article in a separate browser window.
- DUMCL Stacks provides Library holdings information for the paper version of the journal.
- Ovid records may have one or more links to full-text articles:
- OpenLink Full Text will take you to the publisher's Website, where you can display the full text, often in PDF format.
- Ovid Full Text will take you to an Ovid (usually HTML) version of the article. Select "Full Text (PDF)"
from the Output box (if available). Otherwise, before printing the article, reformat the page from the Output box
to eliminate the Ovid buttons and enlarge the tables. If you select "Print Preview" you must specify the size in which you want
to display the graphics and click on "Continue." You can then use the browser's print function to print the article.
- Library Holdings will connect you to the Online Catalog entry for the particular journal title and provide
information about print and electronic access.
12. How can I get a copy of an article or book that the Library doesn't own?
The Library can order photocopies of articles and borrow books from other libraries through interlibrary
loan or document delivery for DUMC faculty, staff, and students only.
13. How can I verify that a citation or reference is correct?
To verify a reference for a biomedical journal article, use the
Single Citation Matcher on the PubMed system. This fill-in-the-blank form allows you
to enter partial journal citation information to locate a specific single citation. If the Single
Citation Matcher doesn't give you the information you need, contact the Library Service Desk at 660-1100 for help.
14. How can I learn to use the Library's databases and where can I get help?
There are several ways to learn to use the Library's databases and resources:
- Use a Web-based tutorial to learn at your own pace. Tutorials are available on Ovid MEDLINE,
Ovid CINAHL, PubMed, Clinical Pharmacology, MICROMEDEX, EndNote, Web of Science, and other electronic resources.
- Contact a librarian by phone or email to make an appointment for a class or individual session.
- Call the Library Service Desk at 660-1100 with your specific question.
