New Laptops
The Library recently acquired 10 new Dell laptops which are available for in-house library use by Samuel Merritt College students and staff. Each laptop has a DVD-ROM drive, a USB port to which you can connect a flash drive, Microsoft Office, SecureExam, Inspiration and wireless access to the Internet. Printing a document from a laptop requires using either a flash drive or email to transfer the document to a Graziano Library desktop computer. [April 2008]
New Online Resources
The Library added these new online resources to its collection of Online Article Indexes and Databases:
- Joanna Briggs Institute. Established in 1996 in Adelaide, Australia, the Institute now coordinates 40 centers around the world working to promote evidence-based health care, conducting systematic reviews and developing Best Practice Information Sheets. ProQuest is making available evidence-based nursing content. More information about the Institute is available at Joanna Briggs Institute. [April 2008]
- GreenFILE is a new database from EBSCOhost covering all aspects of human impact on the environment. Its collection of scholarly, government and general-interest titles includes content on global warming, green building, pollution, sustainable agriculture, renewable energy, recycling, and more. [April 2008]
- UpToDate is a database of evidence-based reviews covering 13 medical specialties that are written by 3600 expert clinicians and updated quarterly. Currently the database is available on one computer only in the Library’s Computer Lab – the one closest to the GoPrint station. [April 2008]
The APA Style Guide to Electronic References is a revised and updated (2007) version of section 4.16 of the fifth edition of the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (2001, pp. 268-281). [March 2008]
Electronic Books
The Library now has an alphabetical list of 170+ electronic books on its website (under Collections & Resources). Some of the books are from purchased subscriptions (MD Consult, Mosby’s Nursing Consult, Books@Ovid) and others are from free collections (PubMed Bookshelf, Bartleby.com, Martindale’s Health Science Guide, and Merck). The purchased titles are also linked to in SAMMY, the Library’s online catalog. [March 2008]
NIH Public Access Policy
The NIH Public Access Policy requires scientists to submit journal articles that arise from NIH funds to the digital archive, PubMed Central. Effective April 7, 2008, all NIH-funded investigators must upload an electronic version of any final, peer-reviewed manuscripts arising from NIH funds into PubMed Central upon acceptance for publication. Investigators have 12 months to make articles publicly available. Starting May 25, 2008, all NIH applications, proposals, and progress reports must cite one of two numbers: the PubMed Central reference number (PMCID) or the NIH Manuscript Submission number (NIHMS ID). [March 2008]
Full NIH information
List of journals that submit articles to PubMed Central
More information on the submission process
To determine if an article falls under the NIH policy
100 Years of Clinical Diagnostics
This display in a glass case in the front of the Library presents a snapshot view of instruments and memorabilia from three different periods between the 1890’s to the 1990’s. Objects from the late 19th century include a brass monocular microscope from 1899, a nurse’s diary, a urinalysis lab report from 1903 and other objects that reflect simple colorimetric tests for urine sugar and protein.
The major technological advances of the mid 20th century are reflected in the devices and instruments in the 1960’s section of the display. Rapid urine dipsticks for colorimetric sugar and protein enter into routine use. Included are vacuum blood collection tubes and a handheld device for the measurement of blood hemoglobin.
The late 20th century section reflects the introduction of computers and consumer electronics into laboratory medicine. On display are battery operated credit card sized blood glucose meters along with a handheld computer for WiFi downloads of patient data. In the 1990’s clinical diagnostic devices and test kits moved from the hospital laboratory into the home. Over the counter test kits sold directly to consumers and on display include tests for pregnancy detection, blood cholesterol, drugs of abuse in urine and H. pylori infection. Representative textbooks from each period accompany the equipment on display.
The Library invites you to stop by and examine this historical display of medical laboratory technology, which was prepared by Richard M. Rocco and Anna Barnard. [March 2008]
JANE (Journal/Author Name Estimator)
Jane (Journal/Author Name Estimator) is a freely available web-based application that, given a sample text (e.g., the title and abstract of a manuscript), can suggest journals and experts who have published similar articles. [March 2008]
Database Trials
Database publishers occasionally offer free, limited-time access to selected databases to enable potential users to explore and provide feedback on the databases. The following databases are currently available to Samuel Merritt College:
- none
New Additions to the Collections
Here are items recently added to the library collections: In the Oakland library, newly received books (except those designated Reserve, Reference or Certification/Review) are shelved in the New Books bookcase until the end of the month in which they arrive.
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