
Archive for the 'Academic Libraries' Category

Reflections on the 2015 Paralibrarian Division Annual Spring Workshop!

CSLLogo-CMYK-VPosted on behalf of Amanda Langdon, Colorado State Library 2015 Paralibrarian Division Annual Spring Workshop Scholarship Recipient

First, I wanted to thank the Colorado State Library for their generous scholarship, allowing me to attend the Paralibrarian Spring Workshop in Boulder. This was my second continuing education program since entering the field, and it was so much better than the first! At both, I was one of very few academic librarians, so a bit of effort had to be put into finding ways to apply the wealth of information provided to my specialized field. CAL’s workshops, however, were far more academic-friendly, and more universally applicable. The greatest challenge was deciding which of the sessions to attend: they all sounded interesting and useful!

The morning began with a tasty catered cold breakfast and registration, followed by three amazingly enthusiastic keynote speakers from Pine River Library. They talked about the challenges they’d faced, how they’d overcome them, and how they’d worked with hard-won grant monies to develop their community services beyond anyone’s expectations. Continue reading ‘Reflections on the 2015 Paralibrarian Division Annual Spring Workshop!’

Rethink. Reinvent. Rejuvenate. Library Makeovers – Registration is Open!

The Colorado State Library cordially invites you to attend a unique workshop on how to implement a library makeover within a wide range of budgets.

When was the last time your library had a makeover?  Do users find your physical space inviting? Are print usage statistics declining? Join international Retail and Library Consultant Kevin Hennah for an information rich workshop on update your library’s look. Continue reading ‘Rethink. Reinvent. Rejuvenate. Library Makeovers – Registration is Open!’

Precision Medicine: Finally, it’s all about YOU!

At the January 2015 State of the Union Address, President Obama announced his Precision Medicine Initiative. This initiative would put $215 million dollars toward understanding how to personalize an individual’s medical treatment based on his or her genes, environment and lifestyle. While the concept of precision (also referred to as personalized or individualized) medicine isn’t new – think eyeglasses and blood transfusions – advances in science and technology will allow for the exploration of novel treatments and prevention strategies for complex diseases like coronary artery disease, COPD, and hypertension. One million citizens will be asked to volunteer their health data and numerous public and private entities will be collaborating to explore effective disease prevention and treatment.

Why Now?

Developments in basic science, genomics, proteomics, metabolomics, and advances in technology supporting mHealth, electronic health records, and the storage of big data have created the perfect environment to greatly expand precision medicine. If the past ten years is any indication of rapid change, the sky’s the limit for the next decade:

  • Amount of time to sequence the human genome: 2004-2 years, 2014-2 days
  • Cost of human sequencing: 2004-$22,000,000, 2014-$1,000-$5,000
  • Number of smart phones: 2004-1,000,000, 2014-160,000,000
  • Computing power: 2004-n, 2014-n16

Precision Medicine in Action

The Veteran’s Administration (VA) Office of Research and Development has been working to identify genes linked to post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), high blood pressure, and heart disease. VA researchers have discovered that individuals with a certain form of the serotonin transporter gene 5-HTT are at a greater risk for PTSD and depression, information which helps individualize use and dosage of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRI). They have also found that people with certain forms of angiotensin II receptor type-1 (AGTR1) may have an increased risk for high blood pressure, heart disease, and diabetes. This information can help clinicians develop a personalized preventative care program. Find out more on VA research.

Precision medicine can not only impact an individual, it can address health prevention in an entire community. In 2008, an OB/GYN began mapping children born into poverty in Gainesville, Florida. She was put in contact with a sheriff who was also interested in mapping, but her focus was the community’s incidence of crime. When the two women met, they discovered the maps matched exactly to a one square-mile area and further investigation showed the area also had the highest rate of domestic violence, child abuse and neglect. But why? A ride around the area revealed a lot about the environment and lifestyles of community members. There was poorly maintained housing and a complete lack of access to services like child care, healthy food and medical care – with the closest clinic a 2-hour bus ride away. Find out more about what happened to this community.

Resources for Genetic and Environmental Health

Clinical

Community College and University

  • Environmental Health and Toxicology – portal links health professionals and consumers to many resources to understand the connection between the environment and human health and development.
  • GeneEd Web site – (Grades 9 -12+) Links to vetted genetic Web sites based on high school science curriculum. Includes lesson plans and current events.
  • Genetics Home Reference – Consumer-friendly information about genetic variation and human health.

Consumer and Patient Education

  • Environmental Health and Toxicology – portal links health professionals and consumers to many resources to understand the connection between the environment and human health and development.
  • Genetic Alliance – Nonprofit health advocacy organization committed to transforming health through genetics and promoting an environment of openness.
  • Genetics Home Reference – Consumer-friendly information about genetic variation and human health.
  • NHGRI Talking Glossary – Genetic terms, images and animation. (English/Spanish).
  • Office of Rare Diseases Research – Rare diseases information for patients, families, healthcare providers, researchers, educators and students.

Genetics Professionals

K-12

Public Health

  • Environmental Health and Toxicology – portal links health professionals and consumers to many resources to understand the connection between the environment and human health and development.
  • PHPartners – a collaboration of U.S. government agencies, public health organizations, and health sciences libraries which provides timely, convenient access to selected public health resources on the Internet.
  • Public Health Genomics – information on infectious diseases and noncommunicable diseases with a focus on human and pathogen genomics, genomic tests, family history, public health science, programs and practice, as well as policy and legislation.
  • National Information Center on Health Services Research and Heath Care Technology (NICHSR) – information and tools for the health services research community.

Researcher Tools from NIH

  • GenBank – an annotated collection of all publicly available DNA sequences.
  • Gene – integrates information from a wide range of species. A record may include nomenclature, Reference Sequences (RefSeqs), maps, pathways, variations, phenotypes, and links to genome-, phenotype-, and locus-specific resources worldwide.
  • Genes and Expressions – Tools to help users query and download experiments and curated gene expression profiles.
  • Human Genome Resources – integrated, one-stop, genomic information infrastructure for biomedical researchers from around the world so that they may use these data in their research efforts.
  • International HapMap Tool – partnership of scientists and funding agencies from Canada, China, Japan, Nigeria, the United Kingdom and the United States to develop a public resource that will help researchers find genes associated with human disease and response to pharmaceuticals.
  • NCBI Webinars and Courses – a series of webinars and courses led by NCBI staff who explain and demonstrate the use of various NCBI web resources with particular emphasis on recent changes and improvements.
  • OMIM – comprehensive, authoritative compendium of human genes and genetic phenotypes that is freely available and updated daily.

Other

-Dana Abbey, Colorado/Health Information Literacy Coordinator

2015 Kraemer Copyright Conference

Need to learn more about copyright and how to navigate it in the library world? Register for the 2015 UCCS Copyright Conference! The conference is FREE, and open to staff from public, academic, school, and special libraries!

When: June 1 & 2, 2015

Where: The University of Colorado Colorado Springs, 1420 Austin Bluffs Parkway, Colorado Springs, Colorado 80918

Learn more and register for the conference!

 

Health Insurance Literacy Tools, or “What good is it if I don’t know what I’m doing?!”

Navigating health insurance can be a difficult and confusing process for even the most experienced of us. For someone who has never had insurance before and never needed to navigate the health care system, it can be overwhelming. A patient cannot benefit from having insurance if they do not understand their benefits, or how to access services. This includes people who are unsure of where to go for services, how to make an appointment, or how to prepare for their visit with a health care provider.

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services oversees the From Coverage 2 Care initiative. This initiative aims to help people with new health care coverage to understand their benefits and connect with primary care and preventative services to improve their health. They offer an 8-step resource guide for patients including sections, “Know Where to go for Care,” with the companion consumer tool “Differences Between Your Provider’s Office and the Emergency Department, ” “Make an Appointment,” and “Next Steps After Your Appointment,” among others. These resources are all available in English and Spanish. They also offer an 11-part series of videos covering the same topics that are available to watch online or download. These are also offered in both English and Spanish. These From Coverage 2 Care resources and additional promotional materials, sample tweets, and badges are available at: https://marketplace.cms.gov/technical-assistance-resources/c2c.html.

Additionally, CMS has supplemental information for special populations, including glossaries in multiple languages, list of substance abuse and mental health services and providers, tools on enrollment for immigrants and refugees, multimedia resources and more. View the list of categories and select by topic here: https://marketplace.cms.gov/outreach-and-education/outreach-and-education.html.

CMS has more than just consumer health tools, they also offer a large collection of technical assistance resources on eligibility, enrollments, tax credits, exemptions, training materials for navigators and much more. Available at: https://marketplace.cms.gov/technical-assistance-resources/technical-assistance-resources.html.

The Internal Revenue Service also offers a guide on the tax provisions of the Affordable Care Act titled, “Health Care Law: What’s New for Individuals and Families.” It includes a list of forms and publications that can be used for preparing a tax return, as well as a glossary of terms, information about qualifying for an exemption and the new premium tax credit. It is available in several languages and can be found at: http://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/p5187.pdf.

Dana Abbey, MLS
Health Information Literacy Coordinator, National Network of Libraries of Medicine

Health Information Resources for Limited English Proficient Persons

Numerous studies over the past 25 years have demonstrated a strong connection between language and health. Language can affect the accuracy of patient histories, the ability to engage in treatment decision-making, understanding a medical diagnosis or treatment, patient trust level with care providers, underuse of primary and preventative care, and lower use or misuse of medications. Culture also plays a significant role in health, healing and wellness belief systems – impacting how illness, disease, and their causes are perceived by the patient and the care provider.

The story of Mohammad Kochi illustrates how language and culture can impact health outcomes.  Mr. Kochi, a 63-year-old from Afghanistan, is diagnosed with stomach cancer. While he agrees to surgery, he declines chemotherapy due to religious beliefs, language barriers, and family conflict. Mr. Kochi is a Limited English Proficient (LEP) person.

An LEP person is defined as an individual who does not speak English as their primary language and have a limited ability to read, speak, write, or understand English. An LEP person’s national origin is based on ancestry, not citizenship. There are an estimated 25.3 million LEP individuals in the United States – up 81% since 1990.[1]

These persons are protected under Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, and all organizations receiving Federal financial assistance have a responsibility to take “reasonable” steps to ensure meaningful access to their programs and activities by persons with LEP. Title VI applies to many types of organizations including schools, hospitals, public health clinics, police departments, and social services.

Libraries can play a key role in supporting an organization’s ability to provide meaningful access, especially in the area of health information. The National Library of Medicine (NLM) has developed many no-cost LEP-friendly health information resources for a variety of age and language groups. In addition, there are government agencies and authoritative non-profit organizations creating free health information content to address the linguistic diversity of the communities you serve. (Resources)

Spanish is the predominant language – other than English – spoken in the MidContinental Region (MCR) though you may see communities with strong German, French, Vietnamese, Chinese, Navajo, or Algonquian populations[1]. The following table shows the LEP populations ages 5 and over in the MCR[2]:

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Supporting LEP Person’s Access to Health Information

Public Libraries

Public libraries are highly focused on serving their local constituency, and continue to be an excellent conduit for transferring health information to community members with trained staff and technology infrastructure. For many citizens, the public library is the go-place for health information.

INVESTIGATE:

  1. What languages are represented in your community?
  2. What health information resources do you have access to in other languages?
  3. What organizations in your community might you work with to assist a non-English speaker with health information?

SHARE WITH:

  • Local health departments, emergency responders, police and fire departments, clinics, hospitals, schools, churches.

K-12, Colleges, and Universities

Students whose first language is not English require language supports in order to meaningfully participate in school. Schools must also adequately communicate with limited-English-speaking parents about important school-related information in their preferred language.[1]

If you work in a K-12 setting, educators can utilize these resources in the classroom to help introduce, reinforce, and supplement health and science curricula; and school nurses can use them to enhance communication with students and parents. Here are the percentages of school-aged children of immigrants in the MCR[2]:

  • Colorado        24.30%
  • Kansas            28.52%
  • Missouri         29.67%
  • Nebraska        30.29%
  • Utah                29.06%
  • Wyoming        dataset too small for percentage

If you work with colleges or universities offering allied health or health sciences degrees, students would benefit from knowledge of these resources as future healthcare workers.

INVESTIGATE:

  1. What languages are represented in your school district, college, or university?
  2. What health information resources do you have in other languages?
  3. Who in your institution or community would benefit from these resources?
  4. Do you have access to trained interpreters? If so, what languages?

SHARE WITH:

  • Teachers, faculty, school nurses, students, parents, administrators.

Medical Care and Public Health

Communication problems are the most common cause of serious adverse events with LEP patients and clients. They are at higher risk for longer hospital stays, readmission, misdiagnosis, and inappropriate treatment.

INVESTIGATE:

  1. What languages are represented in communities served by the medical care or public health staff?
  2. What health information resources do you have in other languages?
  3. Who in your institution or community would benefit from these resources?
  4. Do you have access to trained interpreters? If so, what languages?

SHARE WITH:

  • Clinical staff, compliance staff, volunteers, case workers, patient navigators.


[1] U.S. Department of Education, Office for Civil Rights. Title VI Enforcement Highlights, July 2012, p. 13. Accessed July 18, 2014. http://www2.ed.gov/documents/press-releases/title-vi-enforcement.pdf.

[2] Urban Institute, Children of Immigrants Data Tool, 2011. Accessed July 21, 2014. http://datatools.urban.org/features/childrenOfImmigrants/chart/coi.html


[1] See the Resources section for multi-language and language identification tools.

[2] Authors’ tabulations from the US Census Bureau’s 2010 American Community Survey (Table B16001. Language Spoken at Home by Ability to Speak English for the Population 5 Years and Over). Accessed July 18, 2014. http://www.census.gov/hhes/socdemo/language/data/census/table1.txt.


[1]Migration Policy Institute, Limited English Proficient Population of the United States. Accessed July 18, 2014. http://www.migrationpolicy.org/article/limited-english-proficient-population-united-states/.

Help Us (and help yourselves)!

SurveyDo it for the kids. Or the animals. Or as penance for sneaking the last chip from the party bowl.

Whatever makes you feel guilty, think about it RIGHT NOW, and then pay back some good karma by doing a good thing. How simple could that be?

Easy. Just fill out our survey (15 minutes if you’re a speed reader and a speed clicker, double that time if you’re being thoughtful). And then your conscience will be clear!

What survey you ask? Well, the State Library and CLiC want to learn more about your Continuing Education (CE) needs. “Hoo boy, that sounds exciting (not),” you think. Hey now, did we promise that this was going to be easy?!

Oops, guess we did. Ok, so we’ll stick with that story…

Listen, we REALLY do need you to give us your opinion, to help us better understand “learning needs” and “training gaps” and other jargon-y kinds of CE stuff. Any staff member from any library in Colorado (public, school, academic, or special) can respond! Multiple responses from each library are welcome. The survey should be completed by Friday October 3, 2014.

Still not motivated? Ok, then we’ll amp things up. We have additional incentives, and they don’t involve physical intimidation. We HAVE PRIZES!

Yup, we’ll bribe you. Respond by OCT 3, 2014 and YOU will be entered to win ANY NUMBER of incredible prize packages! No, we’re not lying about this. We HAVE PRIZES.

So, whether it’s out of the goodness or greediness of your heart, or out of straight-up-guilt, PLEASE fill out the survey. https://www.research.net/s/CEassess

 

K-12 School Partnership Funding

Call for Applications (CFAs):

The National Network of Libraries of Medicine, MidContinental Region (NN/LM MCR), under contract with the National Library of Medicine, announces the availability of K-12 School Partnership funding.

The MCR plans to fund four awards up to $1,500 in Option Year 3 (May 2014-April 2015):

  • Deadline for submissions is September 30, 2014.
  • Recipients will be notified by October 7, 2014.
  • Projects must be completed by April 30, 2015.

Purpose:

The purpose of this award is to support new projects or enhance existing collaborative projects between a library (public, community college, medical/hospital, or academic health sciences) and a K-12 school entity (school library, school nurse, health/science teacher) involving National Library of Medicine health and/or science information that can serve as a model for other partnerships.

Examples of projects include:

  • Partnerships to provide access to health information to support health and/or science curriculum.
  • Partnerships to conduct innovative health and/or science information outreach programs.
  • Partnerships to benefit community access to health information.
  • Partnerships to improve access to health information for underserved/vulnerable populations.

Eligibility:

Partners must be an NN/LM MCR Full or Affiliate member. Membership(s) may be confirmed by entering a zip code in the NN/LM Member Directory. Not a member, sign up today, it’s free.

Allocation of Funds

Reimbursements will be made to project leader upon receipt of invoice(s). Indirects and overhead are not allowable.

Reports:

Quarterly and final reports are required.

Application:

Apply online.

Questions:

If you have questions regarding this award, contact Dana Abbey or Monica Rogers, MCR Health Information Literacy Coordinators.

 

Funding Announcement: K-12 Partnership

Call for Applications (CFAs):

The National Network of Libraries of Medicine, MidContinental Region (NN/LM MCR), under contract with the National Library of Medicine, announces the availability of K-12 School Partnership funding.

The MCR plans to fund four awards up to $1,500 in Option Year 3 (May 2014-April 2015):

  • Deadline for submissions is September 30, 2014.
  • Recipients will be notified by October 7, 2014.
  • Projects must be completed by April 30, 2015.

Purpose:

The purpose of this award is to support new projects or enhance existing collaborative projects between a library (public, community college, or academic health sciences) and a K-12 school entity (school library, school nurse, health/science teacher) involving National Library of Medicine health and/or science information that can serve as a model for other partnerships.

Examples of projects include:

  • Partnerships to provide access to health information to support health and/or science curriculum.
  • Partnerships to conduct innovative health and/or science information outreach programs.
  • Partnerships to benefit community access to health information.
  • Partnerships to improve access to health information for underserved/vulnerable populations.

Eligibility:

Partners must be an NN/LM MCR Full or Affiliate member. Membership(s) may be confirmed by entering a zip code in the NN/LM Member Directory. Not a member, sign up today, it’s free.

Allocation of Funds

Reimbursements will be made to project leader upon receipt of invoice(s). Indirects and overhead are not allowable.

Reports:

Quarterly and final reports are required.

Application:

Apply online.

Questions:

If you have questions regarding this award, contact Dana Abbey or Monica Rogers, MCR Health Information Literacy Coordinators.

Who says you can’t learn from history?

Humors-mainThree great topics were recently presented at the Breezing Along with the Regional Medical Library session on July 16, 2014.

  • Judi Bergjord, Creighton Health Science Library, along with Chris Carmichael and Madonna Knutson presented their event featuring the National Library of Medicine’s (NLM) Traveling Exhibit – Shakespeare and the Four Humors.   They collaborated with other Creighton faculty/services to provide a lecture on the four humors, a Maypole dance, fortune telling, a soliloquy performance and Renaissance food.   Most inventive and a great way to give some attention to both the Health Science Library and the Reinert undergraduate library.
  • John Schleicher, Head of Special Collections from University of Nebraska Medical Center, presented a humor/cartoon collection covering more than 50 years of medical humor.   The times have changed and so have cartoons!
  • And as another tie-in to History of Medicine, Trenton Boyd presented a fascinating look back on Veterinary History of Medicine, and the collection at the University of Missouri – Columbia.

Any type of library – public, special, academic, medical – can participate. How do you get an NLM traveling exhibit at your library? Find out here.

The session is viewable at:  http://goo.gl/b4kBYj

 




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