Hello all! Here is this month's reference challenge, based on what Martha showed us about Google U.S. Government Search and Google Patents at today's meeting:
1. What is the name of the bill recently introduced in Congress to address shortages of resident physicians in the U. S. due to Medicare caps? What are the House and Senate bill numbers?
2. What is the name of the device for which Samuel M. Kellum filed a patent in 1895? What it the patent number?
Give your answers to Del, and let Martha know if you have any questions about either of these resources. We'll go over these at our next meeting.
Enjoy!
Liz
Greetings-
I have finished tinkering with a Wufoo form for logging consultations, so far as I am concerned you can start using it now and abandon reporting them manually. If you want to receive an email confirmation of your submission, please enter your email address. Here is the url for the form (you might want to bookmark this): https://hsllibs.wufoo.com/forms/consultations-log/ I have also added the consultation log form to the HSL Wiki.
By the way, I contacted the Wufoo folks to find out if there would be a way to avoid you having to manually enter your email address each time and, apparently, there isn't an easy way to do this. We have perhaps discovered a limitation of Wufoo.
I hope that you will find this an easier method for recording your consultations. Please let me or Del know if you have any questions or suggestions.
Regards,
Martha
I sometimes get questions from people who want to print out a list of citations and abstracts from their RefWorks account. It's easy to print a list of citations in various styles, but more difficult to get the abstracts to appear in the list (because it's not something that would show up in a bibliography).
I recently discovered an output style that does this quite nicely. When creating the bibliography, scroll down into the "other" section and choose "APA, annotated with abstracts." This creates a bibliography with the citation and the abstract. Since people are usually doing this for their own use, the citation style (APA) shouldn't matter too much.
However, if people need the cites in a different style (AMA, Chicago, etc.), any output style can be modified (keep this in mind if patrons want a custom output style to include RefID, notes, etc.). So, people can choose the style they want, and follow these instructions to add an abstract to the list: http://www.refworks.com/Refworks/help/Creating_an_Annotated_Output_Style.pdf
Also, here's a PDF with general instructions for creating custom output styles: http://www.refworks.com/Refworks/help/Modifying_an_Output_Style_User_Guide.pdf
Creating a custom style is a bit cumbersome, so I recommend using the APA annotated style if it works for the patron's purposes.
Let me know if you have any questions. Thanks!
Liz
Greetings-
Well, the Instant Messaging Reference Service pilot has been up and running for a couple of weeks now. Thus far, there haven't been many transactions, so we are still looking for additional ways to publicize this service. We have added information about the service to the Web site (http://www.biomed.lib.umn.edu/services/reference/im), included it on the stall flyers, and I just made some table tents for the library. Here are some things you can do to help:
- Post about the IM Reference Service on your liaison blog.
- Mention it when working with students or faculty.
- Point out the availability of the IM reference service to affiliated patrons when working with them at the reference desk.
Secondly, every once in a while, the Gaim IM application installed on the ref-b workstation at the reference desk wipes out all the accounts and settings. I had this happen the other day when I switched from my personal network login to the regular ref-b login. If it happens to you when you are at the reference desk, you can do one of two things:
1) Add the accounts and settings back into Gaim. All the screen names & passwords are available in this directory: O:\Reference\IM\Medref IM Account Information.doc. I've updated this document so that it hopefully includes all the necessary information to reestablish the Gaim accounts.
2) Switch to Meebo (a Web client for IM). The Meebo username and password are also in this same document.
Either way, please also let Lisa or me know that about the problem. Once those IMs start coming in from patrons, we want to be sure that they can reach us!
Finally, I encourage you to create an IM account (if you haven't already) and to log into it while at work. Some of us have already found IM quite useful for communicating with each other.
If you have any questions, please see me or Lisa.
Cheers,
Martha
From Phil White in the US BMJ office.
A policy was implemented incorrectly which caused registered users to be prompted for registration each time they tried to access an archival issue. The problem has now been corrected and you should be able to access without registration now.
JOURNAL ARCHIVE ACCESS CHANGES
ALL BMJ Publishing Group Institutional Subscribers:
RE: Response to questions posted on the listserv.
With the recent effort to release what BMJPG refers to as the first installment of the "Journals Archival Legacy" project, (meaning that BMJPG is now digitizing and loading all archival content for the "specialty journals" from Volume 1 Issue 1) we have found that some communication/technical errors have occurred, and unintended policies were implemented for Institutional subscribers and staff.
Quite simply, as BMJPG implement the full loading of the archival information, there may be a mechanism in place for NON INSTITUTIONAL. NON-SUBSCRIBING users of the information to register in order to gain access to all archival information. BMJPG have not released the time frame of this new policy, but may request that user information be given in order to obtain access. Again, this is for persons without a subscription, or unaffiliated with a subscribing institution.
Please read below for BMJPG's correction. I'll will also quickly "bullet"
some points that will hopefully address some questions that I have seen and received.
ALL BMJ Archival Information older than 12 months is still free. As more
archival information is loaded over the course of the year per the
"legacy project", the free archival information will increase
exponentially!
Current subscribers are licensed to, and pay only for the last 12 months
of information, "Ahead of Print" information, and supplements. Archival
access is currently free for all!
BMJPG are happy to extend free archival access, and understand it's
value in giving you complete information.
BMJPG are aware of the complexity in accessing electronic information in
today's library, so Institutional and IP authenticated customers will
not be (and should not at this point) required to register at the time
of accessing archives/backfiles.
BMJPG's official time frame to have the technical aspect of the
registration completely taken down is Monday, April 9th. This may
happen sooner, but I will refrain from deviating from the date promised
by BMJ Publishing Group.
This is an exciting time for BMJ Publishing Group, licensed customers, and anyone needing premier content. The addition of more free information is a continuation of BMJPGs commitment to excellence. It is unfortunate that the "message" was delivered in a manner that missed the intended value, and apparently caused confusion and the perception of unwanted change and restriction.
Statement below.
Kind Regards,
Phil White
Amy Claussen
Dear Reference Folk,
Using Wufoo, I've created a prototype of an online form for logging reference consultations. The idea is that you could fill out one of these instead of having to report your consultations to Del. Please take a look at this and let me know what you think: https://hsllibs.wufoo.com/forms/reference-consultations-log/. Is it easy to fill out? Does it include the information you need? Is it clear? Do you think an online form is a good idea? Feel free to enter some test entries (just put a note in the notes field letting me know it is a test and I can delete the entry later). Please let me know what you think.
Cheers,
Martha
Hi -
FYI, I got this email from Amy Claussen this morning regarding access to Blood:
"I have submitted a help desk ticket for this e-journal. Currently, patrons cannot access Blood off-campus. If you get any questions about this journal, just let them know we are working to correct the problem. Thanks!
Amy"
Martha
Hello,
I was just notified today, via a Listserv, that BMJ will be releasing the full back archive of all 23 journals. This will mean that users can access all content older than 12 months. However, BMJ is also requiring users to register in order to access content and users will not be able to access this content via IP authentification. The first title to undergo this change is Journal of Clinical Pathology, which changed as of April 2. Users are verified via IP authentification when they access pdfs that are published within the most recent 12 months; however, they are routed to a sign in page if they try to access anything older than 12 months. I am anticipating that we will be receiving calls at the reference desk or through MedRef regarding access to the BMJ titles and will keep you posted as I find out more information.
Nicole
Howdy -
Per the Bio-Med Access Services Blog, the procedures for reserving group study rooms have changed.
Cheers,
Martha
Greetings-
I have typed up a revised version of the opening and closing procedures for the reference desk. Only a couple significant things have changed:
- During the IM Reference Pilot, please remember to log into Gaim on ref-b.
- During the 2007 Print Use Study, please do not reshelve any print reference books until they have been scanned.
Directions pertaining to both of these items are included in the procedures found here: O:\Reference\Ref Desk Opening & Closing Procedures.doc or here: Download file
Thanks,
Martha