As we evolve from the traditional model of separate reference and circulation desks, we are looking for a name to capture the combined functionality of these two areas. Please submit any suggestions by September 30, 2002 to
.
Due to renovations, the physical appearance and location of some of our resources have changed. For more details, connect to our
.
 The former Reserve Reading Rm is now the Reference area |
The old Reference area (mezzanine level) now houses general computer,
multimedia, and audiovisual workstations |
Reference services has moved to the main level service desk |
Multimedia collection in MLEC has moved to the mezzanine level |
Multimedia Studio will be operational in the MLEC within the week |
June 24, 2002
ILL/Document Delivery Fees Going Up!
Starting July 1, 2002, the cost for obtaining an article from another library, as well as the fees for photocopying articles by library staff, will rise from $3.00 to $5.00 per article. Even though our costs have continually risen, we have not raised our fees in over five years. However, rising costs, compounded by the current and expected tight financial situation, have forced us to raise our fees. The $5.00 fee, which is more in line with what our peers charge, is still a bargain since it is less than the actual cost of the article.
We will continue to subsidize the real costs of obtaining materials for you. If copyright fees must be added to your charge, staff will follow the current process of calling and obtaining authorization before proceeding with the order.
June 5, 2002
Budget Cuts Pt. II: Rethinking Services
In the April newsletter, Pat Thibodeau, Associate Dean for Library Services, wrote about the issues facing the Library due to budget cuts over the next two years. The discussion continues in this month's newsletter cover article as decreased levels of funding will lead to some significant reductions in our resources.
June 5, 2002
An Alternative to Current Contents
Due to budget cuts, Current Contents® Search via Ovid will be canceled this summer, but you will still have access to multidisciplinary journal indexing from the Institute for Scientific Information (ISI) through its Web of Science (WOS) database. See this month's newsletter article for more information on using this resource as an alternative.
May 10, 2002
New Library Hours for Summer!
Effective Monday, May 13, 2002, our new hours will be:
| Monday-Thursday | 8:00 am to Midnight |
| Friday | 8:00 am to 6:00 pm |
| Saturday | 10:00 am to 6:00 pm |
| Sunday | 2:00 pm to 10:00 pm |
May 10, 2002
The Medical Garden
 |
Twenty-four years ago, Susan C. Smith and former curator, G.S.T. Cavanagh, produced an informal guide to the Duke University Medical Center Library's medicinal garden. Responding to the recent increased interest in herbal remedies and alternative therapies, Christine Davis, a graduate botany student, has researched and written a more formal catalog, The Medical Garden. While the handy format of the original guide has been retained, the new catalog has expanded entries, scholarly citations, and additional indexes. Woodcuts from the Trent copies of the 1597 and 1636 editions of Gerarde's Herball have been selected to serve as illustrations. |
The medical garden, located on the History of Medicine terrace at the west side of the Seeley G. Mudd Building, is always open to visitors. The garden is presently contained in eight tubs of varying sizes, but all the plants listed in the catalog will not always be present in the garden. Due to space constraints, some will be consistently represented while others will rotate. Each herb in the garden is clearly identified so it will be easy to refer to in the pamphlet. A reception to view the garden and to celebrate the publication of the catalog will be held on May 30, 2002.
Financial support from The Josiah Charles Trent Memorial Foundation, Inc. and the Trent Associates made the publication of the revised catalog possible. For more information or to obtain copies of the catalog, contact Suzanne Porter, Curator, History of Medicine Collections at 919-660-1143 or porte004@mc.duke.edu.
May 10, 2002
Announcing: The Four Seasons of Human Life
This scholarly study of the four anonymous 17th century engravings from the Trent Collection, History of Medicine, are now available for purchase through Balogh International.
April 18, 2002
Budget Cuts: Rethinking Priorities
Like many DUMC departments, the Library is facing substantial decreases in its funding. In this month's newsletter cover article, Pat Thibodeau, Associate Dean for Library Services, outlines the effects that these reductions will have on our collections, services, and staff.
April 18, 2002
EBM Update
The Medical Center Library has discontinued its separate subscription to the Cochrane Library Website since most of the databases are now also available from Ovid. To get an update on EBM resources, see this month's newsletter article, Keeping Up With EBM
April 18, 2002
Multimedia Studio - What's In It For You?
Do you know about the Medical Center Library's Multimedia Studio? Well, if you are a DUMC faculty, staff, or student who needs to create educational materials, this service is for you.
April 1, 2002
New PDA Tutorial
Designed to teach the basics of using personal digital assistants (PDAs), this tutorial reveals some tips and tricks for improving efficiency when using your device. Included are definitions of terms commonly used when discussing PDAs, as well as links to sites that give detailed instructions on how to do common PDA-related tasks, such as beaming a business card and installing software. This tutorial is no longer available. Please see the PDA Subject Guide.
April 1, 2002
Virtual Reference Revisited
The Medical Center Library now offers Virtual Reference, a service which enables you to have an interactive online chat with a library staff member in "real time." Access Virtual Reference from the Services & Facilities menu on the main Web page by choosing Ask a question-Live! For more information on how the system works and the benefits of this service, connect to our newsletter article in the February, 2002 issue. This service has been discontinued.
April 1, 2002
Irwin A. Brody Essay Award
To stimulate interest in the history of medicine, the Irwin A. Brody Fund for the History of Neuroscience and the Medical History Society, Duke University Medical Center, are sponsoring a competition for the best unpublished paper on a topic in medical history by a North Carolina medical student, house officer, or fellow. Essays are not to exceed 5000 words (exclusive of references, tables, and figures).
The winner will receive a certificate and $500 and will be invited to make a presentation at a meeting of the Medical History Society. The winning paper will also be submitted to the North Carolina Medical Journal to be considered for publication.
All materials should be submitted by May 1, 2002 to Dr. Albert Heyman, Brody Award for Medical History Essay, Box 3203, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC 27710.
For further information, contact Mary Strickland (919-286-6406; stric007@mc.duke.edu).
March 15, 2002
LibQUAL Survey - We Need Your Help! 
LibQUAL, a quality assessment survey instrument, is being administered to Duke faculty, staff, and students during March. Please take time to respond to the survey invitation you received in your email. As an added incentive, those completing the survey will have the option to be included in random drawings for a PDA and other prizes. If you have had problems lauching the survey, please see the note below. For more information, see LibQUAL+ Survey Coming Soon in the February 2002 issue of our newsletter. An FAQ may also be found at http://www.mclibrary.duke.edu/temp/libqual.pdf
Please note: Since initiating the survey, we have received reports of problems possibly due to the Web survey link launching the Lotus Notes Web Browser. To launch the survey using one of the preferred browsers (Netscape or Internet Explorer), manually start Netscape or Explorer, then either type or copy and paste the survey link into the URL window.
If you have any difficulty in accessing or taking the survey, please
contact Rick Peterson at 919-660-1150 or mclsurvey@mc.duke.edu.
March 4, 2002
Tibetan Medicine on Exhibit
 | A new Tibetan Medicine exhibit has been mounted on the lower level of the Library, which showcases our recently acquired Tibetan medical paintings or thangkas (pronounced tong'kas). The three thangkas on display (Human Embryology, Herbal Medications, and Medical Instruments) are based on original paintings from the 17th century Blue Beryll, a commentary on the 9th century fundamental treatise of Tibetan medicine commonly known as the Four Tantras. This 2500 year old traditional sytem of medicine is still being taught and practiced. The basic theory of Tibetan medicine is connected with Buddhist philosophy and strives to achieve a balance of Nyipa sum. Many of the medical thangkas deal with topics that have parallels in western medical practice or history. |
February 22, 2002
History of Medicine New Hours
Effective immediately, the History of Medicine Reading Room's hours will be as follows:
| Monday | Closed |
| Tuesday-Friday | 9:30 am to 4:00 pm |
| Saturday-Sunday | Closed |
|
February 11, 2002
UNC/Duke Mobile Technology Fair Coming in March
The Health Sciences Library at UNC-Chapel Hill and the Duke University Medical Center Library are sponsoring a joint Mobile Technology Fair at the Friday Center in Chapel Hill on March 18, 2002, from 4-8 pm. This fair is geared towards medical students, health care providers, librarians, informaticians, and others interested in supporting mobile technologies in health care. The goals of the event are to raise awareness about software and products, and highlight particular projects or applications in use across the state, especially in the four medical schools.
In addition to vendor booths, the Mobile Technology Fair will offer two rooms with simultaneous, 30-minute presentations featuring vendor demonstrations and institution-specific projects.
Please make plans to join us for this free event!
February 5, 2002
Journal Review Makes Last Round
The lists of proposed journal cuts are now available for review at http://www.mclibrary.duke.edu/temp/j_cancel.html. Please send any comments to Judy Woodburn, Head, Journals Dept.
February 5, 2002
Nature Has Returned!
Full text access to Nature and its monthly specialty journals is now available. We are happy to be able to provide access to this important resource.
January 25, 2002
Pat Thibodeau Elected MLA President
 | Pat Thibodeau, Associate Dean for Library Services, is the new President-Elect of the Medical Library Association. Pat's term will begin in May, 2002, and in this position, she will lead and shape the association through 2005, the important first years of the 21st century. Please join us in congratulating her on this honor. Congratulations!
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January 25, 2002
Black History Month: A Medical Perspective
In honor of Black History Month, the Medical Center Library revisits "Black History Month: A Medical Perspective," a popular display first exhibited in 1999. This virtual exhibit contains a wealth of information including a chronology of achievements of African Americans in medicine, a section on folk medicine, and a selective bibliography.
