Library News - April 2009 Archives

Drug Information Online Library Workshop
Monday, April 6
Noon - 12:15 p.m.

Do you have trouble finding drug information? In this class, we hope to demystify it by highlighting resources to obtain drug information such as Micromedex, Medlineplus, and MDConsult.

Online Instructions: This library workshop will take place online via the Wimba Live classroom found within Blackboard. As you register for this course you will be added to the Health Sciences Resources Blackboard course which will appear under the My Courses heading when you log into Blackboard. This course contains tutorials and other information pertaining to the various databases used at Tompkins-McCaw Library and is a useful tool for you to consult after the online class to help you in further understanding databases such as PubMed. To participate in the online class you will need to check your computer to make sure you have all the necessary software to participate in the class. You will need a pair of headphones or speakers that are connected to your computer. You may also use a microphone to communicate with the instructor, but that is not required. We will have someone monitoring any questions you may have via the classroom chat. Access http://www.screencast-o-matic.com/watch/cQVr6Vn7p for all online instructions to prepare your computer for the class. To listen to the instructions on screencast you will need your headphones or speakers.

This tenth in the 15X15X15 series of online library workshops takes place Monday, April 6, from noon to 12:15 p.m. For more information and to register, visit http://www.pubinfo.vcu.edu/training/course_detail.asp?ID=6549.

RefWorks Workshop
Tompkins-McCaw Library, Room 2-012
Tuesday, April 7
1 p.m. - 1:30 p.m.

Tompkins-McCaw Library is offering a workshop on RefWorks, an online citation management database, on Tuesday, April 7, from 1 p.m. to 1:30 p.m. in Room 2-012.

RefWorks is an extremely useful tool that allows you to easily create and manage your own personal research database. With a personalized account, you can quickly add citations to your database as you are searching the literature. When you are ready, RefWorks will automatically generate your bibliography to finalize your grant, thesis, dissertation, or manuscript. With all the needed styles contained within RefWorks, your bibliography can easily be generated in APA, MLA, or most any other style. RefWorks now includes the added module, RefShare, which allows users to share their RefWorks references with both members of their own institution and globally with any researchers via the Internet, further enhancing collaborative projects.

For more information and to register, visit http://www.pubinfo.vcu.edu/training/course_detail.asp?ID=6457.

The VCU Libraries announces the release of a new addition to the VCU Libraries Digital Collections. A Proud Heritage: 100 Years of Nursing Education is a digitization of the book of that name, originally published in 1992.

In the late 1980s, nursing alumni, faculty, and students began planning for the one hundredth anniversary observance of the founding of the Virginia Commonwealth University School of Nursing. The school traces its rich heritage back to the organization of the Virginia Hospital Training School for Nurses, which opened in 1893. Betsy A. Bampton (MCV Class of 1960) undertook the writing of a school history published as the centennial celebration was set to begin. In this abundantly illustrated work, Bampton and her collaborators chronicle the development and growth of the eight diverse schools and programs that formed the foundation of the VCU School of Nursing. The stories unveiled in A Proud Heritage are integral to a full understanding of the VCU School of Nursing today.

The original publication was distributed widely within the VCU community and beyond, but few copies remain to circulate among new students and friends of the school. The VCU Libraries, working in cooperation with the School of Nursing, is pleased to make available an electronic version of this useful book. A Proud Heritage is just one of several electronic resources available for those interested in the study of the history of nursing in Virginia.

Visit the VCU Libraries Digital Collections at http://dig.library.vcu.edu/

Library 101
Tompkins-McCaw Library
Friday, April 10, 2 - 3 p.m

Learn about the variety of resources and services available at the Tompkins-McCaw Library during the Library 101 workshop on Friday, April 10, from 2 p.m. to 3 p.m. The orientation includes a tour, introduction to the library's services and effective ways to find information. Tours begin at the first-floor Service Desk. Register online and find more information.

'The Truth About Cancer: Why Does Anyone Still Die of Cancer?'
Tompkins-McCaw Library
Room 20-010
April 15, from 2 - 4 p.m.

Tompkins-McCaw Library is screening the "The Truth About Cancer: Why Does Anyone Still Die of Cancer?" on Wednesday, April 15, from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. in Room 2-010. A combination of science, personal catharsis and character-driven storytelling, this powerful documentary uncovers the truth about cancer and reveals where we stand in fighting this decades-old war. For more information and to register, visit http://www.pubinfo.vcu.edu/training/course_detail.asp?ID=6186.

Instructional Media Workshop Orientation
Tuesday, April 14, 11 a.m. - noon

Tompkins-McCaw Library is holding an orientation on the Instructional Media Workshop, a self-service facility, on Tuesday, April 14, from 11 a.m. to noon. Equipment and supplies are available in the workshop to produce posters, signs and digital images, and to edit audio and video files. Participants will meet at the first-floor service desk. For more information and to register, visit http://www.pubinfo.vcu.edu/training/course_detail.asp?ID=6505.

Cabell Life Forum
James Branch Cabell Library
Fourth Floor Conference Room
Thursday, April 16, 5:00 p.m.

Students are invited to attend the second Cabell Life Forum, Thursday, April 16, at 5:00 p.m. in the fourth floor conference room of James Branch Cabell Library. Come hear about public space and equipment, electronic books, and more. Your input is needed. Bring your questions and ideas about these and other topics. Free food and drink provided!

Just in time for final semester projects and exams, the number of laptops available for loan to students, faculty, and staff has doubled. Laptops can be borrowed for use within the libraries from the James Branch Cabell Library Media and Reserves Services (third floor) or the Tompkins-McCaw Library for the Health Sciences (first floor) service desks. Laptops allow individuals or groups the freedom to combine library research with academic tools any place within the library.

Technology Services and the VCU Libraries continue to partner in providing laptops, battery charging equipment, and staff for this pilot service. Funding for the Student Laptop Loan Pilot laptops and support equipment is also supported by your Student Technology Fee.

Evidence-Based Research Workshop
Sanger B1-020
Thursday, April 16, noon - 1 p.m.

Tompkins-McCaw Library presents a workshop on Evidence-Based Research on Thursday, April 16, from noon to 1 p.m. in Sanger B1-020. This workshop will describe what evidence-based health care is and how to find the evidence. Bibliographic and full-text resources for locating evidence-based literature also will be highlighted. For more information and to register, visit http://www.pubinfo.vcu.edu/training/course_detail.asp?ID=6462.

VCU Libraries is offering four one-hour thesis and dissertation sessions regarding requirements for submitting spring 2009 theses and dissertations and the Electronic Thesis and Dissertation (ETD) submission process.

• Thursday, April 16, 4 p.m. Cabell Library third floor conference room
• Tuesday, April 21, 2 p.m. Tompkins-McCaw Library second floor classroom
• Wednesday, April 29, 3 p.m. Cabell Library third floor conference room
• Thursday, April 30, at 3 p.m. Tompkins-McCaw Library second floor classroom

More information is available on the VCU Libraries Website.

Library 101 Workshop
Tompkins-McCaw Library April 20, noon - 1 p.m.

Tompkins-McCaw Library presents Library 101 on Monday, April 20, from noon to 1 p.m. beginning at the first floor service desk. This orientation workshop includes the most effective ways to find information, an introduction to services, and a tour of the facility. For more information and to register, visit http://www.pubinfo.vcu.edu/training/course_detail.asp?ID=6510.

Seminar on Transitioning to the Professional Work Environment
by J. A. Rodriguez, Jr.
April 21, 2009, 7:15 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.
University Student Commons, Virginia Rooms C/D
A School of World Studies Passport Event

La Unidad Latina, Lambda Upsilon Lambda Fraternity, Inc., is hosting a free professional seminar by J. A. Rodriquez, Jr., author of Not Intuitively Obvious-- Transition to the Professional Work Environment. Rodriguez is an experienced Fortune 200 senior manager and an inspiring speaker who mentors students on the successful transition to the professional work environment. This free seminar will include a question and answer session and book signing. This event is co-sponsored by La Unidad Latina Lambda Upsilon Lambda Fraternity, Inc., VCU Libraries, and the VCU Career Center.

The U.S. Congressional Serial Set and the American State Papers are two Readex digital resources supporting American Studies now available from the VCU Libraries. Both resources contain in-depth information about the history of the U.S. Congress, with extensive collections of primary source material on the people, issues, and events of American history, law, and politics.

The U.S. Congressional Serial Set, 1817-1994, includes every publication from the 15th through the 103rd Congress, comprising over 415,000 individual documents. Designed for legislative and historical research, it features comprehensive search strategies to locate unique information on the cultural, economic, ethnic, military, political, and scientific concerns of American government. Additionally, enhanced digital images of congressional publications, including approximately 56,000 maps of the changing nation and more than 8,000 illustrations in high-resolution color, allow for detailed online research.

American State Papers, cross-searchable with the digital U.S. U.S. Congressional Serial Set, 1817-1994, and all other Readex Archive of Americana collections, is a retrospective survey of largely Congressional, but also Executive, materials originating from 1789 through 1838. The collection illuminates key moments in early American history as they occurred and influential decisions as they were made. It covers such important historical events as the Lewis and Clark Expedition, Burr's Conspiracy, the Treaty of the Creek Indians negotiated by Andrew Jackson, and much more. American State Papers also includes speeches and messages during the presidencies of Washington, Adams, Jefferson, and Madison. Other documents address battles with the Seminole Indians, exploration of the Pacific Ocean, the status of free blacks in North Carolina, granting public land for female academies, protection of the western frontier, trade with China, and other fascinating topics.

The Research and Instructional Services Department at Cabell Library will provide any assistance researchers may need with exploring these crucial digital collections.

RefWorks has a new interface, RefMobile, specifically for Web-enabled mobile phones, smart phones, and personal data assistants (PDAs). To access your RefWorks account using RefMobile:

1. Navigate to http://www.refworks.com/mobile
2. Enter the VCU Libraries Group Code and your Login Name and Password.
3. Select the Remember Login option if desired. Your login information will be remembered for 14 days from the date you check this box.
4. Click the Login button.

To see the current Group Code, log into this eID-protected page.

Instructional Media Workshop Orientation
Tompkins-McCaw Library
509 N. 12th St.
April 29, 2 - 3 p.m.

Tompkins-McCaw Library is offering on orientation about the resources available in the Instructional Media Workshop, a self-service facility, on Wednesday, April 29, from 2 p.m. to 3 p.m., starting at the first-floor service desk. The IMW computers include a variety of software, including Adobe software used to convert MS Word documents into .pdf files. Equipment and supplies are available in the Workshop to produce posters, signs, digital images, and edit audio and video files. Use of the Workshop is done independently. For more information and to register, visit http://www.pubinfo.vcu.edu/training/course_detail.asp?ID=6563.

The U.S. Government Printing Office has announced the release of Hard Lessons: The Iraq Reconstruction Experience, a report from the Special Inspector General for Iraq Reconstruction (SIGIR). The report addresses important questions about Iraqi relief and reconstruction efforts by presenting a comprehensive history of the U.S. program, chiefly derived from SIGIR's body of extensive oversight work in Iraq, hundreds of interviews with key figures involved with the reconstruction program, and thousands of documents. The report examines the pre-war planning for reconstruction, the shift from a large infrastructure program to a more community-based one, and the success of the “Surge” in 2007 and beyond. The report provides thirteen lessons applicable to contingency relief and reconstruction operations, which should create a basis for reviewing and reforming the U.S. approach to these activities.

Learn more about VCU Libraries' government documents collections. For assistance, call the Cabell Library reference desk at 828-1101.

VCU Libraries has collected a Swine Flu Resource Guide of Internet resources to help you find reliable information about the current outbreak of swine flu. This page includes links to:

• Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and other national agencies
• World Health Organization (WHO) and other international sites
• Virginia Department of Health
• News sites
• RSS feeds
• Twitter feeds
• Blogs
• Maps

The guide may also be found linked from the Resource Guides by Subject page.