|
Sue Skoglund, Editor
Valerie Reid, Webmaster
For a text-only version of this newsletter, see http://www.mdmlg.org/members/v28no2-text-only.htm
Table of Contents
PubMed LinkOut Feature
Remember When...
Long-Term MDMLG Members
Highlights of the MHSLA Conference
When the Hospital
Administration Has to Make Cuts
Bioterrorism:
Responding to the New Reality
November MDMLG Meeting with Special Luncheon
Announcements
E-journals hook up with LinkOut
By Bridget Faricy
LinkOut is a feature of
PubMed that is designed to provide users with links to full text sources.
Although this feature was initially not well publicized, many were happy
to trip across its functionality. One day the tempting publisher icon at
the top of a citation was boldly clicked and, believe it or not, the link
actually worked!
As exciting as that was, the
glow quickly faded as the functionality proved to be a mixed bag. While
many links worked, many more did not. It became clear that only when an
institution had already established IP access with a publisher did the
links really work. Librarians could not recommend that users waste their
time endlessly clicking and clicking only to find that the journal wasn’t
one of ours. The question quickly became, what good does a link do if a
user cannot have a reasonable expectation that the link will take him or
her to the desired text?
NLM now has the answer to
that question! Libraries can now submit their IP identity and their
electronic holdings to NCBI using a free software utility from NLM. Once
that information is in place, a special web address (specific to your
institution) is created. When PubMed is accessed from that special
address, only your institution’s publisher icon links are displayed!
You can learn all
about the new LinkOut functionality for libraries and the complete setup
process at the NLM web site or you can call your RML LinkOut Representative at 1 800 338-7657.
BACK TO THE TOP
By Sue Skoglund, reminiscing with Audrey
Bondar
Remember when …
… we had SLOBS, then ULOSSOM – printed union lists of
journal holdings of MDMLG libraries? You had to find the journal title,
then look down a long list of libraries to see who had the volume/year you
needed. Do you remember what the acronyms meant? (Selected List of
Biomedical Serials and Union List of Selected Serials in Michigan)
… we used to call Shiffman Medical Library and ask them
to check the union list card file they maintained of several (but not all)
MDMLG libraries’ monograph holdings? Limit of 3 at a time, please.
Beyond that, we had to call around blindly to see if anyone held a needed
book.
… we used Texas Instruments dumb terminals for Medline
searches, putting our phones into the acoustical coupling device? These
babies had a speed of 300 baud and printed on thermal paper that curled up
like scrolls. Medline would print about 25 lines and then give a
"continue printing yes/no?" message to which you needed to reply
"y" every time.
… we didn’t even have computers at all? OR fax
machines OR word processing OR a photocopier located in the library?
… broad term Medline searches yielded the GEN TERM
OVERFLOW error message?
… we picked up or delivered STAT interlibrary loans by
car?
… we had sufficient staffing and budgets for our
libraries?
… we could all attend MDMLG meetings four times per
year, where we would form warm associations with colleagues and swap
photocopied interloan requests?
If you remember any of these, you are a "long-termer."
You can attest to the fact that technology has certainly changed the way
we do our jobs. You can also confirm that the relationships formed with
MDMLG colleagues have remained a constant and valuable asset through
everything.
BACK TO THE
TOP
By Carol Attar
In the last issue of the MDMLG News, we
introduced new members of MDMLG. This, the second article in our
series on MDMLG members, focuses on the opposite end of the
spectrum...our, shall we say, "long-term" members. It is
surprising how many long-term members there are in MDMLG, including the
author of this article. It is also evidence of the value we accord to our
professional organization. If you are one of those who have been a member
for 20 years or more, but have not been interviewed for this issue, please
be patient. We may be "saving" you for a future column. In the
meantime, we can all learn from the experience and advice of these
colleagues:
| Ellen O'Donnell, Director of Medical
Library, St. John Hospital & Medical Center, has been a member
of MDMLG since 1977. Asked what changes she has seen in the
organization during that time, Ellen notes a significant reduction
in both the size of the organization and the attendance at
meetings. She remembers that, in her early years with MDMLG,
meetings were often attended by 60 or more people. By contrast,
she says, today's meetings are considered well attended if 30
librarians are present. In the 1960's, Ellen explains, grant money
was made available for the education of medical librarians,
placing more professionals and larger staffs in the |
 |
| medical libraries of the
larger hospitals at that time. By the 70's, however, a cycle of
budget reduction had already begun. Through the years, she also
notes, there has been a shift in resource sharing from the local
level, early on, to the national level with the advent of Docline. |
Asked how she believes our profession has
changed during that time, Ellen cites a major difference in how she spends
her day. Where she used to spend most of her time doing reference work
(especially searches), she is now educating end-users and dealing with the
headaches of technology. Her patrons today expect instant access to
electronic journals, creating a host of new issues like licensing and
archiving of electronic resources. Ellen also notes that she has
additional responsibility - for the patient TV system - and is operating
with fewer staff positions than in the past.
From the perspective of her 20+ years of
experience, what would Ellen recommend to her colleagues who are just
beginning their careers? On the positive side, she says, medical
librarians enjoy autonomy and the opportunity to be involved in patient
care. However, she adds, medical librarians in hospitals have fewer
opportunities for interaction with colleagues than those in academic or
public libraries. Since career ladders are generally lacking for hospital
librarians, learning different skills in a variety of positions is
particularly valuable. "Take opportunities for varied experiences in
jobs," she says, "and realize that a lot of what you will do is
managing people and projects, not reference work."
 |
Daria Drobny joined MDMLG almost 32
years ago, at about the same time she accepted her position as
Director of Medical Library at the Rehabilitation Institute of
Michigan in the Detroit Medical Center. Daria remembers being told
she would have responsibility for the library's budget, and
thinking, "I don't even have a check
book!" She moved beyond budget management, however, and
in 1982, with funds she acquired from a Skillman Foundation grant,
she expanded the Rehabilitation Institute's library into a
Learning Resources Center, which now encompasses a Patient
Education Library and Media Center, in |
| addition to the Medical
Library. The Learning Resources Center continues to serve the
needs of both patients and caregivers, providing information
resources and Internet and Health Literacy courses upon request.
It also houses the archives of the Rehabilitation Institute.
The Media Center supports all audiovisual services, including
teleconferencing and outreach to satellite facilities. |
Daria feels that the last five years have
been the most challenging for her, in dealing with the impact of managed
care on our libraries, as well as on healthcare in general. She notes
shrinking FTE's in hospital library departments along with diminished
budgets for training and conferences. She says that, "What has
sustained me for so long is working in an environment where you are
reminded everyday how fortunate you are and how life can change in an
instant. Witnessing the determination of patients and the dedication of
the staff still serves as a constant inspiration." Another
constant, Daria notes, is the "fervor and dedication" of the
members of the Metropolitan Detroit Medical Library Group throughout the
years.
Asked about "lessons learned"
through her years as a medical librarian, Daria cites the importance of
networking with other people. She says, "It is important to look for
opportunity to provide additional services, change your services and be
customer oriented...and look to promote services at every appropriate
opportunity." She would also advise those just beginning their
careers to get involved in making presentations. "Start with poster
presentations to get your feet wet, and then get involved in speaking
engagements. Becoming members of hospital committees and working on
administrative projects are extremely beneficial in promoting your
skills. Take risks and accept challenges."
| Sandra I. Martin, Assistant Director,
Shiffman Medical Library at Wayne State University, has major
responsibility for reference and circulation service, monograph
acquisitions and library instruction programs. She also provides
back up, as needed, for the reference desk. Sandra has been a
member of MDMLG for about 24 years. |
 |
As Sandra looks back at her years as a
medical librarian, she notes a cyclical pattern of activity in our local
professional organization. Early on, she remembers hearing that the focus
in MDMLG was on networking with fellow librarians to share skills and
experiences. Later, MDMLG began tackling major projects. Members hosted
regional meetings and worked together on large cooperative projects such
as creating a union catalog to facilitate the sharing of resources.
Education and professional development of members became a major goal.
These projects, she observes, served as a training ground for later
committee work. In those early years, there was a somewhat adversarial
relationship between MDMLG and MHSLA, and little cooperation between the
two organizations. Now, however, the responsibility for major projects and
meetings has shifted to MHSLA and the MLA chapters, and MDMLG, Sandra
feels, has returned to its earlier emphasis on networking among
colleagues. Agreeing with Ellen, Sandra attributes much of this change to
the advent of Docline, which shifted resource sharing away from the local
level.
Technology has resulted in a major change
in the profession of medical librarianship, as well. Sandra notes that
librarians used to control all the information resources -- acquiring
them, organizing them, and using them to find needed information. Now, the
"end-user" has control over a great deal of that process,
changing the role of the librarian from gatekeeper to that of
instructor/facilitator.
Sandra's experience in different positions
during her career has taught her that medical librarians, although they
face many challenges today, have a very useful set of skills which equip
them for many new opportunities in today's world. To medical librarians
beginning their careers, she advises, "Be a
communicator. There are many different styles of communication, so
communicate in whatever way you are comfortable -- but get your thought
and views out!"
"Think out of the box. Be flexible.
You may need to learn new skills or be asked to assume new
responsibilities. With today's increasing rate of change, you must be
flexible to adapt. Also, keep on learning." Sandra recalls a
longevity study, which cited the "lifelong learner" trait as a
factor in a long life. Beyond that, Sandra says wryly, " passion for
learning may also be a factor in the longevity of your career!"
 |
Sharon Phillips is an example of
someone whose skills and flexibility have taken her into one of
those "new opportunities." After spending many
years as a hospital librarian, Sharon became the Director of Media
Services at Wayne State, and now has moved to a position at WSU so
new that she does not yet have a title. She explains that this
move is part of a reorganization and strategic planning effort
within the WSU library system, so her job duties will be evolving
over the next few months. Her probable title will be Director of
Training and |
| Development. In this
position, she will be responsible for planning and coordinating
training and development for librarians and support staff across
the Wayne State campus. She also will be involved in developing
faculty skills in using technology for instruction and research. |
Sharon has been a member of MDMLG since
1977, and through the years, she notes that the membership has become
smaller. "That is not surprising," she adds, "since there
are fewer hospitals now!" She compares the change in our organization
to the changes in healthcare - notably constraints in both time and money
- that prevent MDMLG members from the degree of participation in the
organization that was possible in prior years. Also, Sharon sees a
reduction in support from members' institutions. This creates a challenge
for MDMLG to find smarter ways to manage finances. A great example of
this, she says, is moving the directory and newsletter to the web, saving
both time and money for the organization and its members.
Sharon has also observed a change in
MDMLG's role in recent years, as MHSLA has taken on more responsibility.
She links this to a change in demographics, resulting in more librarians
in out state hospitals, where once they were concentrated in the
metro-Detroit area. As to changes in our profession over 20+ years,
Sharon, too, points to the changes in technology. She remembers the time
when searches were done on terminals connected to remote computers.
Libraries had to pay, by the citation, for their printouts, and search
strategies were always carefully prepared in advance, so you could get on
and off quickly. She says, "We thought that when, later, we got our
own Medline on CD's, we had gotten rid of modem and connection problems
forever! Now, however, we have come full circle and are again paying for
use times and again subject to being bumped offline... The
Internet has changed all libraries and we need to reexamine the role of
libraries and librarians. We have become more facilitators, and less
mediators in the search for information." She feels, however, that
medical librarians have a stronger grasp of this situation than librarians
in other types of libraries.
To colleagues, Sharon echoes the need for
flexibility. She acknowledges that hospital jobs are less predictable than
in the past, but she believes that hospitals provide a good environment
for medical librarians to develop a broad range of skills and experiences
that are transferable. She would like to see medical librarians play a
stronger role in developing the Internet as an effective information
resource, citing the current difficulty in retrieving good, specific
information using Internet interfaces. She is concerned that information
technology development is taking place in medicine without involvement of
medical librarians. "We need," she says, "to
do a better job of promoting our unique skills to assess the quality
of information and match information with user needs."
Finally, Sharon says to those beginning
their career, "Pursue as many opportunities for learning as possible.
Choose the work because you love it, and success will follow!"
BACK TO THE TOP
By Marilyn Kostrzewski
The Michigan Health Sciences Libraries Association held
its 28th annual conference on October 10-12, hosted by the
Mid-Michigan Health Sciences Libraries Group, at the beautiful Soaring
Eagle Resort. The conference, entitled Soaring to New Heights: Weaving
Tradition and Technology, provided opportunities to investigate the
electronic, physical and multicultural challenges of healthcare
information needs.
Three distinct continuing education classes were offered
on Wednesday. The full day course dealing with the management and
licensing of electronic resources was taught by Laurie Thompson, Director
of the Health Sciences Library, SUNY Upstate Medical University in
Syracuse, New York. In the morning, she guided the class through multiple
facets of digital licensing, including explanations of terminology,
contract process and how the Copyright laws apply to this type of
licensing. The afternoon was spent analyzing an actual contract, assessing
needs, negotiating strategies and tips on working with your company’s
legal department. It provided a very relevant and systematic guide for
tackling the challenges of electronic resource management.
Stephanie Weldon from the GMR, taught the "Consumer
Health Information Course", a useful class for librarians developing
strategic plans for their consumer health libraries. Covered topics
included needs assessment, mission statements, funding, disclaimer
statements, marketing, library volunteers, collection development, and
benchmarking. As is so often true when librarians get together, the shared
insights and experiences of attendees contributed to the success of this
class.
The lively course entitled "Using the Basic Tool of
the Information Age - Your Brain", taught by Dr. Barbara Herrin of
Dominican University’s Graduate School of Library and Information
Science, was both informative and entertaining. Attendees learned how
their individual personalities, as determined by the Myers-Briggs tool,
influence how they solve problems and work with others. Barbara used a
variety of visual aids and role-playing techniques to illustrate concepts
and stimulate discussion. Ask Diane O’Keefe how this class augmented her
enjoyment of the conference.
Thursday launched the transcultural aspect of the
conference, with the keynote speakers, husband and wife team Duncan
Sings-Alone (Dr. C.W. Duncan, PhD and Dr. Priscilla Cogan, PhD),
presenting a very enlightening and engaging presentation of storytelling
and personal anecdotes. They contrasted Western and Native American
medicine’s role in the healing process of mind, body and spirit.
A variety of vendors were present, on Thursday, to present
product demonstrations and answer questions. Breakfast and breaks were
supported in part by a few of them.
The business meeting was conducted by President, Doris
Blauet. State librarian Christie Pearson Brandau addressed the audience
concerning the NetLibrary, the state library cooperative ventures, her
cabinet position role in Governor Engler’s Department of History, Arts
and Libraries and stated how impressed she was by our group’s
camaraderie. Mike Simmons, Sparrow Hospital, incoming president accepted
the gavel for the upcoming year. He provided the group with a very
inspiring slide presentation. Judy Barnes, Ingham Medical Center, was
introduced as the incoming secretary. The following scholarship winners
were introduced: Pat Vinson from Wayne State, Barbara Few from U of M, and
Jill Werdel Spretzer, University of Detroit Mercy, a new MHSLA member. The
MHSLA poster session was enjoyed on Thursday with 6 presentations.
At the conclusion of the program, Joanie Emahiser,
Beaumont-Royal Oak and Doreen Bradley, Taubman Medical Library, Ann Arbor
invited the assembly to the 29th Conference to be held in Ann
Arbor, October 16 - 18, 2002, hosted by MDMLG region.
Following lunch, the Barbara Coe Johnson and Jeanne
Brennan Memorial Speaker, Felita Wilson, from Wayne State University,
highlighted the consequences of inadequate patient literacy levels in
relation to the types of health information available, and discussed
current research being done in this arena.
Later in the afternoon, Duncan Sings-Alone presented an
enlightening interactive program on Reiki Healing. Participants
experienced how the energy flow within themselves, channeled in the proper
way, can provide relaxation and comfort for themselves and others.
The special event featured the Saginaw Chippewa Indian
Tribe providing entertainment following a delicious meal prepared by the
resort chefs. Singers, dancers and musicians, of all ages, outfitted in a
variety of native costumes, provided entertainment and insight into the
Native American culture and customs.
Concurrent sessions were the order of the day on Friday.
Our own Alexia Estabrook, Providence Hospital, presented two sessions
concerning the MHSLA electronic journal club. She explained the Web
Crossings software, topic choices, responsibility of the convener, and
receiving MLA credit that can be used to apply for or renew AHIP
memberships.
Jeanne Drews, Michigan State University, presented a very
practical course on preparing for a library disaster. At the conclusion we
all had the materials to create a complete disaster plan.
The Multicultural Challenges of Healthcare was the
topic of the program presented by Rose Alcodray-Kalifa, RN, Oakwood
Healthcare Systems. Her session addressed the impact of cultural and
ethnic traditions and beliefs on the delivery of healthcare services.
Concepts of cultural competency were explained.
Stephanie John, Saginaw Cooperative Hospitals, presented
an authoritative program on Using Personal Digital Assistants. She
discussed how information professionals are supporting PDAs in their
resource centers. A demonstration of a variety of devices and their uses
complemented the program.
I found this conference to be very instructional and
invigorating. It presented aspects and items affecting the delivery of
healthcare information that are not traditionally considered. Entertaining
presenters, enthusiastic participants, attractive facilities, and
delicious cuisine provided a very enjoyable and educational event.
BACK TO THE TOP
By Christine Miller
When a hospital administration has to make
cutbacks, the medical library and positions in the library are always in a
precarious position. The medical library itself does not provide direct
patient care nor does it generate income, which makes the medical library appear
quite expendable.
As a solo librarian in a
community hospital medical library, my job was recently in jeopardy, as
was the status of the medical library itself. The entire (tiny) library
budget was going to be cut. The new administration was not
aware of the many services offered by the medical library. In addition to
providing reference, research and article ordering for all employees in
the hospital, I order all publications for the entire hospital. I also
provide reference help to patients, their families and the community -
when they can find my little library! We do not have a community health
library. Fortunately for me, and for the hospital, a large number of
physicians objected to the cutback plan.
My library may be somewhat unique in that
it is situated immediately adjacent to the Doctors Lounge, and near the
doctor's dictation area, which is attached to the Medical Records
department. As a solo librarian, my work is quite visible to the doctors.
In no particular order, I think that some of the following points may have
been somewhat instrumental in influencing physician support:
-
I love my job, and it probably shows.
-
I put the physician’s research
requests at the top of the priority list.
-
I interact with all library
patrons in a professional manner, everyday.
-
I try to help everyone to be
comfortable with computers and not to feel "challenged" by
technology. (The doctors seem to be impressed with my computer
ability, knowledge of medical terminology, and my ability to do
quality medical information research.)
-
Working with an incredibly small
budget, I manage to purchase core reference materials and highly
recommended texts.
Perhaps it boils down to doing a
professional job, enjoying it, and having a great staff of doctors who
know that "Information is your best medicine. " (Michael E.
DeBakey MD – as quoted on the MEDLINEplus.gov Health Information pencil
holder on my desk!)
BACK TO THE TOP
By Elena V. Koustova
In the aftermath of the tragic events of
the past September all of us share in grief and anger, as we struggle to
understand the causes of the recent past and worry about the future. As
librarians, we face a daunting yet urgent task of finding effective ways
of helping our country and the communities we serve to deal with the
present and potential threats. This article will address some of the
issues concerning one of such threats: bioterrorism.
The first of these issues that begs notice
is the necessity of differentiating between "biological
terrorism" and "biological warfare (weapons)". These terms
are sometimes used interchangeably in publications geared towards the
general public as well as some professional writings. However, they are
not one and the same thing. Their differences are important for the
understanding of our current situation and planning response to any future
events involving biological threats.
Biological warfare defined as employment in
war (i.e., in the context of a military confrontation) of microorganisms
to injure or destroy people, animals, or crops [1] is probably almost as
ancient as war itself [2, 5]. The use of biological weapons was outlawed
by the 1925 Geneva Protocol, but the concerns over the possibility
remained. In 1972 these concerns were addressed by the 1972 Biological
Weapons Convention which outlawed development, production, and stockpiling
of biological weapons including the ones based on naturally occurring
toxins [3].
In the period between 1945 and,
approximately, 1979, the threat of biological warfare was viewed almost
exclusively in the context of hostile actions between states as evidenced
by this quote from a 1946 US government study: "…only a nation with
sizable resources in specially-trained scientific personnel and industrial
facilities can produce the means to wage open, large-scale biological
warfare. In order to utilize successfully the biological warfare
potentialities of any nation, a favorable national policy and the support
of high governmental agencies are prerequisites" [4].
This view of state-supported programs as
the only potential source of development and use of biological weapons was
about to be challenged by two important developments: proliferation of
terrorism, particularly terrorism of religious extremists, and rapid
advances in molecular genetics and biotechnology. The first of those
trends was about to supply motives and the second one the means for
bioterrorism - the use, or threatened use, of biological agents to promote
or spread fear or intimidation upon an individual, a specific group, or
the population as a whole for religious, political, ideological,
financial, or personal purposes.
In 1984 the Rajneesh group in The Dalles,
Oregon, contaminated food with salmonella in an attempt to disrupt and
influence the outcome of local elections. This event is considered to be
the first known instance of intentional use of a biological agent with
terrorist purposes on US territory. More than 700 people became seriously
ill; luckily, the terrorists' choice of pathogen did not intend to cause
deaths and none occurred [3]. Despite this ominous event, during the next
ten years the potential use of biological weapons continued to be viewed
almost exclusively in connection with state-supported programs [5].
The turning point in the perception of
bioterrorism as a real threat came in 1995 after the members of a Japanese
religious cult "Aum Shinrikyo" released Sarin in the Tokyo
subway, killing thirteen and injuring several hundred people. The
subsequent investigation revealed multiple prior attempts by this group to
produce and disperse biological agents (Clostridium botulinum and
anthrax). These findings and the resulting surge of public interest in
bioterrorism [6] prompted several research projects attempting to provide
global overview of any events concerning the actual use or attempts to use
biological agents, attempts to purchase materials, hoaxes, threats,
consideration or discussion of use, etc. [3, 7]. The studies produced
several interesting conclusions, which were proved to be true by recent
events:
-
"Since 1985, the number of
terrorist incidents involving the threatened or actual use of
chemical, biological, radiological, or nuclear materials has risen
sharply…"
-
"… two types of targets have
increased in frequency: the general civilian population (with the
apparent intent of inflicting indiscriminate casualties) and a
symbolic building or organization."
-
"… the technical barriers to
mass-casualty terrorism are eroding." [7].
The implications of these statements become
even more poignant if one recollects the ruling paradigm of the previous
decades: only states [nations] are capable of using and producing
biological weapons on a large scale. Consequently, the U.S. bio-defense
programs designed by the latter half of the 1990's were predominantly
intended to protect the armed forces against biological warfare [9] and
did not address the fact that terrorists attacking civilian population had
become a threat of equal importance.
The growing probability of such attacks
prompted the federal government and some non-government organizations to
conduct a review of the existing US programs of dealing with biological
assaults. Examples of such reviews can be found in the reports on
bioterrorism published by the United States General Accounting Office
(http://www.gao.gov/) and the Chemical
and Biological Weapons Nonproliferation Project of the Henry L. Stimson Center.
According to the GAO reports, the major
flaws in the plans of response to bioterrorism are:
-
Lack of coordination between various
agencies responsible for federal terrorism research, preparedness, and
response programs (see the "Organizational chart for terrorism
response", http://www.cns.miis.edu/research/cbw/domestic.htm#wmdchart)
-
Insufficient state and local planning
and a lack of hospital participation in training on terrorism and
emergency response planning
-
Need of better management of federal
medical stockpiles that can be used to treat civilian and military
victims in the event of a biological attack
The Stimson Center Report "Ataxia: The
Chemical and Biological Terrorism Threat and the US Response" further detailed the "pitfalls in front-line readiness" to
Biological attacks:
-
Disease surveillance system is not
prepared for early detection of a covert bioterrorist attack
-
Lack of awareness of the symptoms and
epidemiological patterns of biowarfare diseases by the majority of
primary care and emergency department physicians, which would compound
the difficulty of telling a covert biological attack from a natural
outbreak and organizing a response in a timely manner
-
The current cost-cutting practices of
just-in-time stocking of supplies by hospitals would be
counter-productive in case of a mass disease outbreak caused by an act
of terrorism
-
Mass psychogenic effects of a
biological attack would further complicate the work of hospitals; the
staff is likely to be affected as well
Numerous changes addressing these and other
shortcomings of the US disaster response plans occurred since the
publication of the reports cited above, including the National
Pharmaceutical Stockpile Program (http://www.bt.cdc.gov/stockpile)
and the establishment of the CDC Bioterrorism Preparedness and Response
Program. However, the ability of primary and emergency care physicians to
recognize and report the onset of a biological attack remains crucial for
the success of all the renewed plans and programs. It also continues to
remain unsatisfactory [13].
How are we as medical librarians responding
to this situation?
Building specialized collections of
web-based materials on bioterrorism seems to be the unanimous first
response of the library community. Webliographies and bibliographies on
bioterrorism were created almost overnight by MEL,
MLA (http://www.mlanet.org/resources/caring/resources.html),
NLM,
on the sites of various other libraries and organizations.
Some of the benefits of this approach
include:
-
Assembling materials compiled by
different agencies in one collection helps to remedy the insufficient
coordination of effort between agencies noted in the GAO reports
-
Such collection is "instant",
easily (or "self") updated, remotely accessible by patrons
The main drawbacks of such solution are the
inevitable duplication of efforts and its total dependence on the
communication technology. While we can tolerate the former, the latter
becomes dangerous in the event of any disruption of communication systems.
This issue has been raised on MEDLIB-L by Jeannine Gluck (http://listserv.acsu.buffalo.edu/cgi-bin/wa?A2=ind0109c&L=medlib-l&F=&S=&P=12846)
who suggested a possible solution: keeping printouts of reputable
resources on diagnosis and treatment of illnesses caused by biological
agents most likely to be used.
This approach solves the problem of
dependence on communications but creates some challenges of its own:
keeping the printout collection sufficiently updated and deciding which
agents have higher priority. Nevertheless, creating a collection of
printed materials at least on the Category A agents appears to be an
excellent idea. Adding printouts of local information such as state/county
bioterrorism preparedness and response plans
[11] and contact information for local emergency management programs
might be another way to enhance such a collection.
Some of the other possible approaches to
the situation might be:
-
Tailoring routine bibliographic
instruction to cover more of the terminology and resources specific to
bioterrorism and infectious diseases
-
Developing partnerships with local
first response organizations as well as public libraries in order to
educate the public on issues related to potential biological attacks
Active professional communication is still
another way to contribute to thwarting the threat of bioterrorism. The
discussion and recommendations on MEDLIB-L (http://listserv.acsu.buffalo.edu/cgi-bin/wa?A0=medlib-l&D=0)
that followed the initial terrorist attacks and their aftermath have
already provided a wealth of resources and ideas. Let us hope that our
professional community will continue to be a source of strength and wisdom
to all of us in those difficult times.
REFERENCES
-
Biological warfare: Infoplease.com
http://www.infoplease.com/ce6/history/A0807621.html
-
R. E. Hurlbert. Chapter XV,
Addendum: Biological weapons. In: Malignant Biology. Microbiology
101 Internet Text, 1997.
-
M. Leitenberg. Biological Weapons in the
Twentieth Century: A Review and Analysis*
-
Biological Warfare, Activities and
Capabilities of Foreign Nations, A Military Intelligence Service Special
Study, War Department, Washington, DC, March 31, 1946, p. 18,
Declassified.
-
Medical Management of Biological
Casualties. U.S. Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases,
1998.
-
D.E.Kaplan. Terrorism's next wave, Nerve
gas and germs are the new weapons of choice. U.S. News Online, November
17, 1997.
-
J. B. Tucker. Historical Trends Related
to Bioterrorism: An Empirical Analysis. Emerging Infectious Diseases.
5(4):498-504, 1999 Jul-Aug. http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/eid/vol5no4/tucker.htm
-
T.J. Torok, et al. A large community
outbreak of salmonellosis caused by intentional contamination of
restaurant salad bars. JAMA 1997;278:389-95.
-
B.Rosenberg. A way to prevent
bioterrorism. San Francisco Chronicle, 18 September 2001, A17. http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/chronicle/archive/2001/09/18/ED180411.DTL
-
J.R. Baker Jr., G.S. Omenn. Practical
plan can deter bioterrorism. Detroit News, 10 October 2001.
-
A.E. Smithson, L.A. Levy. Ataxia: The
Chemical and Biological Terrorism Threat and the US Response. Henry L.
Stimson Center, Washington, D.C. October 2000.
-
A.Goldstein. Anti-Terror Campaign Turns
to Doctors :Physicians Scramble to Learn About Bio-Weapons; Some Urge
Mandated Training. Washington Post , October 14, 2001; Page A12.
http://www.stimson.org/pub.cfm?ID=12
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By Sue Skoglund
The next MDMLG meeting will be held at Genesys Regional
Medical Center in their new Athletic Sports Center on Thursday, November
15, 2001. Denise Forro, head of interlibrary loan services for Michigan
State University, will discuss ARIEL – how to do it, problems and
concerns.
In keeping with the Sports Center location, there will be
a "Take Me Out to the Ballgame" light luncheon (hot dogs,
nachos, etc.) provided before the meeting. Jill VanBuskirk will present an
overview of the upcoming MLA survey on benchmarking with tips on how to
complete the survey form during this brown bag luncheon without the brown
bag.
The luncheon begins at 12:00 noon. The business meeting
will begin at 1:00 p.m., followed by a break and the program. Further
information, along with a map, can be found on the MDMLG
Meetings web page.
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Misa Mi is looking for two people to join her Public
Relations Committee. E-mail her at mmi@dmc.org
or call her at Children’s Hospital 313/745-0252 if you are interested.
Jill VanBuskirk wants to encourage MDMLG members to
participate in the upcoming MLA survey on benchmarking. Jill is the
Benchmarking Chapter Educator for MC/MLA. More information should be
available on the MDMLG and MLA web sites later in November. The survey
itself should be coming out by the end of the year.
The location of the February 21st MDMLG meeting
has been changed. It will be at the Ford Community and Performing Arts
Center in Dearborn.
Mark you calendar for June 10-11, 2002. The Professional
Development Committee is working on a National Library of Medicine
workshop similar to the ones held in Ann Arbor (Pubmed, Toxnet). The date
and place are set: June 10-11, 2002 at Shiffman Medical Library.
More details to come.
Providence Hospital Helen L. DeRoy Medical Library has
hired a new LTA, Donell Decenzo. Don was a teacher in Detroit for 30 years
and had been a volunteer in the library for the past 4 years. His
developing interest in libraries led him to take LTA courses at Oakland
Community College. Don is also a new member of MDMLG.
Congratulations to Gina Hug on the birth of her son.
Alexander Paul Hug was born September 18th, weighing five pounds, one
ounce.
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Communications Committee 2001-2002
Carol Attar………………….. carolattar@home.com
Gay Byrnes…………………. Gaybyrnes@yahoo.com
Bridget Faricy………………. bfaricy@beaumont.edu
Helen Koustova…………….. hkousto1@sladen.hfhs.org
Maureen LeLacheur………… mlelach1@sladen.hfhs.org
Valerie Reid, Webmaster…… vreid1@sladen.hfhs.org
Sue Skoglund, Chair………… rohlibrary@hotmail.com
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