This librarianship malarkey is such hard work!

Ok, so we have found time for a little fun here at the Medical Librarians' EAHIL conference here in Helsinki but rest assured medical students that I have been thinking about you all whilst here.



Now some might say that having a gobby type as your medical librarian is a bit of a liability but today I have used my high quality negotiating skills (aka gobbiness) and secured several very impressive prizes for you guys. These include an iPod Nano (top spec type where you can choose your own colour), several USB sticks and an OUP medical textbook. Many many thanks to Swets, Ovid, OUP, and Proquest. A competition to win these prizes will be launched next week. Keep logging in to find out more :-)

Vic

Are citrus fruits the answer?

Today in Helsinki, medical librarians from all over Europe had the opportunity to consider how we might deal with uncertainties.

Why, for example, did it take 40 years to acknowledge that the issue of lemon juice on ships would be beneficial in the treatment of scurvy?

Uncertanties? Are we all certain about what is uncertain? You know, it is ok to say that we are uncertain about what the effects of a treatment might be. In fact, if there is no systematic review of the evidence on a topic or if the only systematic reviews are inconclusive then we have no choice but to say “we are uncertain”. DUETs (the Database of Uncertainties about the Effects of Treatments) has recently been introduced under the aegis of the James Lind Alliance.

So, if you have a clinical question for which you cannot find an answer from the evidence base, that doesn’t necessarily mean that you are searching incorrectly or that you are asking the wrong question. It may be that your question constitutes an uncertainty and that further research is necessary. Find out about registering your question with DUETS by visiting the website at http://www.duets.nhs.uk .

This may help to get your question onto the research agenda and to ensure that research reflects the questions that appear at the cutting edge of medicine. Influence how research grants are allocated by registering gaps in the evidence base. In doing so you may make a real contribution to improving patient care.

Alison and Vic

Partying and conferencing in Helsinki. Don't tell our Director about the former ;-)

 

Blogging live from Helsinki

Tomorrow I'm off to Helsinki with the Health Sciences Librarian to present at the very prestigious EAHIL Medical Librarians Conference ;-) . I'd just like to say that the rumour insinuating that our main priority during this holiday (oops I mean conference) is to party in the midnight sun is absolute nonsense. To prove this point we will be blogging, live from the conference centre and reporting back on all the latest information resources for medicine.

Keep checking for posts. There may be freebies on offer :-)

Vic

Final year students: library accounts

Library procedures for final year students:

Please ensure that all Library items are returned, and outstanding
charges paid, by the end of serviced hours on Saturday 14 June.

In accordance with the University's debt management policy, if you do
not clear your debts you will not be eligible to either attend a Degree
Congregation or receive your degree certificate.  It is therefore
important you make sure that your account is clear before you leave the
University.

If you have any queries about your Library account please ask staff at
any Library site.

Good luck for your finals

Maggie

Health Sciences Library Services Manager

Revising for exams?

 

Looking for somewhere quiet to study? The Library at RHH has a quiet study room that you may find useful. It is located right at the end of the IT corridor (past the NHS IT Room). If you choose to work in this room please respect the silence code, ie no talking, whispering, laptops or iPods. If you are using this room and find that someone is disturbing you please tell the library staff as we just love the opportunity to screech shhhhhh at people ;-)

Good luck in your exams.

Vic

Are you doing research? Want to use the British Library?

 Did you know that the University Library runs a free minibus service to the British Library at Boston Spa? Find out more at: http://www.shef.ac.uk/library/services/illbus.html

or phone 0114 22 2 7245 or email lib-dsu@sheffield.ac.uk

Ten of the best: 3 myResource Lists

Ten of the best: 3 Star Resource Lists

Your course readings can be accessed via Star Resource Lists. These may include links to electronic resources such as full text journals and websites in addition to items in the Library.

 Access

There are three ways to access the Resource Lists:

1. Via the useful links listed at the right of this blog


2. Via Minerva. Click onto your appropriate Online Handbook and then click onto the Recommended Reading List. This will take you directly into the Resource List.


3. Via the library catalogue (Star). Clicking on the Star Resource Lists button will take you into the Resource List welcome page.

Search tips

To view all the lists for your department select from the drop down list on the Welcome page and click go. You can also use the search box in the header bar and from here you can search by keyword, module name or lecturer.

You will need to be logged into MUSE to view the lists with fulltext links.

If you want to print all or part of your list click on the printer icon and a printable version will load.

If you cannot find the list you are looking for please ask at the Library Enquiry Desk and we will investigate.

Frances

For further help and advice please contact me f.ludlow@sheffield.ac.uk