MLA 2008: Greetings from Chicago

Greetings from Chicago MLA readers! I’ll be back soon with updates from the conference.

MLA 2008: free wifi sites

If you’re going to MLA in Chicago and need some free wifi, here’s a list a free places near the conference hotel.

And for those of us back home, JiWire is a great resource to search for over 200,000 Wi-Fi hotspots in 135 countries.

Thanks to Meredith Solomon for the tip!

Ische Library Closed on Saturday

The Isché Library will be closed this Saturday, May 17th due to necessary A/C repairs to the building. The Library will re-open on Sunday, May 18th at 1:30 p.m.

Dynamed now available for iPhone & BlackBerry

Finally!

Dynamed, the point-of-care reference designed to provide the best available evidence to support clinical decision-making, is now available for iPhone and BlackBerry. Interested LSUHSC users with these mobile devices should contact MKNAPP@LSUHSC.EDU for a Dynamed serial number & detailed directions.

Here’s the press release from EbscoHost:

We are pleased to announce that accessing DynaMed is more convenient than ever, now that we have expanded the list of PDAs supported by DynaMed, to include:

Palms
Pocket PC
Windows Smartphone
BlackBerry
iPhone

For details on the compatible PDAs, such as models and technical specifications, please review this information:

http://www.ebscohost.com/dynamed/technical.php.

Yay!

New Ovid Tutorials

Need a little training on the new Ovid SP interface? Head on over to the OvidSP Resource Center and check out their brand new tutorials – all under two minutes and presented on targeted topics, so it’s fast and easy to get a little more training on the new layout.

Tutorial Topics
# Select a Database
# Search Page Overview
# Basic Search Overview
# Advanced Search Overview
# Search Fields Overview
# Find Citation Overview
# Search Tools Overview

Link to Ovid Tutorials: http://resourcecenter.ovidsp.com/onlineTraining.html
Scroll to the bottom for the tutorials. Requires Flash.
DON’T FORGET! The LSUHSC LIbrarians are always happy to give face-to-face training on Ovid SP. Contact a Reference Librarian for details.

MLA 2008: Chicago here we come!

At this time next week, I’ll be writing to you from Chicago, where the 2008 Medical LIbrary Association’s annual meeting is taking place. Several members of the library are attending, including: Kathy Kerdolff, Hanna Kwasik, Wilba Swearingen, and me, Maureen “Molly” Knapp, your ever faithful Reference Librarian and blogger.

What exactly do librarians do at these conferences? All kinds of things, from presenting papers and poster sessions, to continuing education, to networking with vendors and other colleagues across the country that we may only see once a year. Trust me, since I’m an official MLA conference blogger this year, you’ll be sure to get the inside scoop on what we get up to. Stay tuned!

Bouquets for the School of Dentistry

The School of Dentistry received a “Bouquet” in this week’s Gambit Weekly for distributing sealants to prevent tooth decay to 60 elementary school students. The article is not online yet, but you can read about it in the print copy here in the library. Way to geaux, Tigers!

Blogging & Professional Library Conferences

Reference Librarian, Molly Knapp has been selected as one of the official MLA bloggers for the 2008 Annual Meeting in Chicago. What this means for this blog is that starting next week, posts will appear with the subject line of MLA2008 and that the official meeting website will be linking to our little part of the blogosphere.

MLA is the Medical Library Association; this organization is the primary National professional group for medical/health sciences librarians. Molly was one of only 15 librarians to receive this invitation.

Multilingual Feature Debuts on MedlinePlus.gov

MedlinePlus.gov debuted a multilingual feature, providing access to high quality health information in languages other than English and Spanish today (Wednesday, May 7th).

“The new collection contains over 2,500 links to information in more than 40 languages and covers nearly 250 Health Topics. Continuous growth is expected.”

MedlinePlus.gov is a consumer-oriented, free website from the National Library of Medicine and the National Institutes of Health.

Library Commons – Floor Plans on View

The renovation project for the new Library Commons will start this Summer. The plans for the area are now on view in the Isché Library. Come check them out.

A Picture is Worth 1000 Words on Nursing Consult

Mosby’s Nursing Consult updated over 8,000 patient handouts over the weekend. These handouts are written at between a 6th & 8th grade reading level and LSUHSC “Authorized Users have permission to print copies of patient education handouts for personal, non-commercial use in educating patients.”

Burning the Midnight Oil

Examination time is here again and the Isché Library will be open until midnight every night of the week through May 15th. Come get your study on this weekend.

Natural Standard now available for PDA

Natural Standard provides evidence-based information on herbs & supplements, health & wellness, allergies & immunology, interactions, and conditions. Now LSUHSC members can access this database on their mobile device!

To get your free download & serial number, send an email Maureen “Molly” Knapp at the LSUHSC Library. Please use your LSUHSC account if you can, so we can verify your eligibility.

If you want more information on Natural Standard read this review from the Journal of the Medical Library Association.

Screen shots of Natural Standard:

Ische Library Exam Hours

Extended Exam hours at the Isché Library begin today (Monday, April 28th). The Isché Library will remain open until 12 midnight each night through Thurday, May 15th. Come get your study on!

More Movie News

Information Services released an announcement today about filming which will affect the downtown campus:
I have just been made aware that there will be filming that will affect our campus beginning today. It?óÔé¼Ôäós an action adventure film called ?óÔé¼?ôTwelve Rounds?óÔé¼?Ø. The memo University Police received this morning from LSU Interim Hospital states that the film company will be preparing University Hospital from Friday, April 25 – Monday, April 28. The film company will be shooting nightly from Tuesday April 29 – Friday May 2. They say there will be intermittent traffic flow used around the hospital. Most of the work at the hospital will be done inside and on the helipad, but there will be some exterior work on Tuesday during the day and evening. There will be a simulated explosion done outside on Tuesday in the late afternoon.

No parking signs will be posted by the City from Friday, April 25 at 5:00 a.m. – Friday, May 2 at 7:00 p.m. in the following locations:
1900, 2000 and 2100 blocks of Perdido Street
400, 500, and 600 blocks of Bolivar Street
1900, 2000, and 2100 blocks of Gravier Street (with street closures overseen by NOPD)
500 block of S. Prieur Street
400 and 500 blocks of S. Johnson Street (with street closures overseen by NOPD)

Which means no street parking this weekend in front of the Library’s building. Can’t wait for that explosion on Tuesday!