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How Do I... (FAQ, Guides, and Tutorials)

Tutorials and Users' Guides

Links to online tutorials and users' guides for several major health sciences resources, including Ovid MEDLINE and PubMed.

FAQ: How Do I...

Find Articles on a Specific Topic? Find a Journal or E-Journal?
Photocopying and Print in the Library? Find a Book?
Find an Electronic Book? Find Audiovisuals and Multimedia?
Borrow/Return/Renew Library Materials? Access Internet/World Wide Web?
Check E-mail? Find Course Related Reserve Material?
Find Computer Based Curriculum Material? Obtain Materials Not Owned by the Upstate Library?
Prepare Papers/Presentations? Find Historical Information?
Find Information for Patients & Consumers? Use Article Linker?
Sign-Up for LEAP? Find Impact Factors?
Find Legal Publications or Bioethics Information?

Find Articles on a Specific Topic - 464-4581

If you know the name of the database you want, go to the Library Home Page and choose it from Biomedical Databases in the Quick Links column. If you are not sure which database to use, choose All Databases, select the appropriate database category, e.g., Health Care, or Social Sciences, and review the list of databases and descriptions. For research assistance, use the computers on the first floor. Reference librarians are ready to help with database selection and search formulation. Librarians will perform literature searches on in-house databases at no charge for Upstate faculty and staff, or VA faculty with dual appointments.

Find a Journal or E-Journal - 464-4581

To find out if the Library owns a journal, consult the E-Journals A-Z list, available from the Library home page. Type in the journal name to retrieve information on both print and electronic holdings; electronic journals are hot linked. Print journals for the current year are shelved in the Current Periodicals Room on the first floor. Previous years are shelved in the basement; pre-1900 journals are held in the Special Collections vault. All journals are shelved in alphabetical order by title.

Photocopying and Printing in the Library

Self Service Photocopying - 464-7112
To copy in the Library you must use an Upstate vendacard; no coin machines are available. Vendacards for students are available, at no cost, at the Library Services desk by presenting a valid Upstate student ID. Cost for student copying is set at 7 cents per page. Vendacards may also be obtained with cash at the vendacard dispenser across from the Circulation Desk or purchased with departmental charge cards. Cash cards are charged at 10 cents per copy. Self-service copiers are located in the basement and in the 1st floor Current Periodicals Room. The Library also has a Xerox color copier located on the 1st floor. Color copies are 70 cents per frame.

Library Laser Printing - 464-7112
Printing on the Library's networked laser printers, located in the 2nd floor computer lab and the Reference area on the 1st floor, are priced at 7 cents per page for students and 10 cents per page for others using an Upstate vendacard. The cost for a color print (2nd floor only) is 70 cents per copy.

Photocopy Services - 464-5116
The Library will photocopy articles for you, from journals that we own. The results will be available within 24 hours from the time the request is received. Your copy can be sent through interdepartmental mail or picked up at the Library Circulation desk on the following day. The Library can also convert print articles to electronic format and deliver the results via email. Requests may be placed through the Photocopy Services form, by email to request@upstate.edu, by fax to 464-7199, or by mail to Copy Services, Health Sciences Library. For any questions please call the Document Delivery/Interlibrary Loan office at 464-5116.

The cost is a modest $5.00 per article for students, staff and faculty of Upstate and VA Medical Center faculty with dual appointment. For non- affiliated customers the cost is $11.00 per article. Departments will be invoiced monthly for this service. Individuals who are paying with a check or cash will be required to make payment when they pick up material. Payment can be by departmental charge card, check or cash.

Find a Book - 464-7087

To find out if the Library owns a book and if the book is currently available, use the Upstate Catalog to search by author, title, or subject. The Upstate Catalog can also be conveniently accessed through the Library home page. For each book, note the call number, collection (e.g. Reserve, Reference, History), and floor.

Find an Electronic Book - 464-4581

To find out if the Library provides access to an electronic book, go to the Library Home Page and select Electronic Books from the Quick Links column. If you know the title of the book, choose the correct letter from the A-Z list. If you want to check availability by subject, choose Browse by Subject. Note: Harrison's Online is also available at the top of the Home Page.

Find Audiovisuals and Multimedia - 464-7091

To find out if the Library owns videos, slides, audiotapes, or CD-ROMs, use the Upstate Catalog to search by author, title, or subject, or go directly to Media Services.

Borrow / Return / Renew Library Materials - 464-7087

Present your Upstate ID at the 1st floor Library Services Desk. Books are loaned for 3 weeks, audiovisuals for 1 week, bound journals for 4 days, and unbound journals for 2 hours. Use the return slot at the Circulation Desk to return materials (or the Book Return located just outside the orange elevators at the 7th floor level).

Access Internet / World Wide Web - 464-4581

For access to the World Wide Web or Internet resources, Upstate faculty, staff and students may use the computers available on the 1st floor or in the John Bernard Henry MD Computer Learning Center. Non-Upstate users are eligible to use the computers on the 1st floor only.

Check E-mail - 464-4581

GroupWise Web Access is available at any of the computers on the 1st floor or in the John Bernard Henry MD Computer Learning Center by opening a browser and connecting to: https://webmail.upstate.edu/gw/webacc.

Find Course Related Reserve Materials - 464-7087

To obtain books, audiovisual and CD-ROM materials placed on reserve for students, go to the Library Services Desk on the 1st floor and sign out the item. Photocopied materials on reserve are located in the well at the far end of the Library Services Desk and are available for photocopying on a self-service basis. Electronic Reserves are available from the Library home Page and can be accessed from off-campus via LEAP.

Find Computer Based Curriculum Materials - 464-7091

To find course related materials available on the Upstate computer network, students may use the computer lab in the John Bernard Henry MD Computer Learning Center.

Prepare Papers/ Presentations - 464-7091

To use Microsoft Office and other software applications, Upstate staff and students may use the the John Bernard Henry MD Computer Learning Center on the 2nd floor.

Obtain Materials Not Owned by the Upstate Library - 464-5116

To request articles or books not available at this Library, fill out a request form for each item and return it to the Interlibrary Loan office or Library Services Desk on the 1st floor. Alternatively, online requests may be submitted from the Library Home Page. Only Upstate faculty, students, and staff, or VA faculty with dual appointment are eligible. There is no charge for regular service; for rush service please inquire about fees.

Find Information for Patients and Consumers - 464-4410

To obtain patient education materials and information geared to the lay person, contact the Library’s Health Information Center on the 1st floor. Requests may be made in person, telephone or email to hic@upstate.edu. Information is also available at the HIC home page at www.upstate.edu/library/healthinfo.

Find Historical Information - 464-4585

For help with questions relating to the history of medicine or to inquire about the Library's collections of rare books and artifacts, visit or call the History of Medicine department on the 2nd floor. Information is also available at the Historical Collections home page at www.upstate.edu/library/history.

Use Article Linker

Look for the search for article icon or for a "Search for full-text" link that will be part of your database search results; activating the link will open a web page providing links to full text if available. If an article is not available in full-text, you may order the article via the link to Interlibrary Loan which is located on the same page.

Because new browser windows will be generated when using Article Linker, be sure to set pop-up blocking applications to allow the opening of new windows when using the service.

Article Linker has been integrated into most of the databases to which we subscribe including Ovid, ScienceDirect, Heath Reference Center, ProQuest, and EbscoHost.

Off-campus users will be required to log in to LEAP when prompted to do so in order to gain access to full-text.

Please direct any questions or concerns to us at Ask-a-Librarian or call us at 315.464.4581.

Find Impact Factors

The Journal Citation Reports (JCR) tracks citation information to formulate a journal impact factor. The JCR is located behind the Library Services Desk in the closed reserve section. Contact a reference librarian at 464-4581 or at Ask-a-Librarian to find out a journal impact factor or for further assistance.

Find Legal Publications or Bioethics Information

Bioethics related articles can be located within OVID Medline or PubMed, and bioethics related books and other materials can be located in LocatorPlus from the National Library of Medicine (NLM). Please refer to the Bioethics User Guide for an introduction to locating bioethics materials, or contact a reference librarian at 464-4581.

There are additional legal databases and publications available through Syracuse University Law Libary and other local libraries. Please refer to the Legal Research User Guide for an introduction to the Syracuse University Law Library and conducting legal research. For further assistance with legal research, please contact Reference Librarian Virginia Young at 464-7084, during normal Reference Hours on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Saturdays. Or, contact a reference librarian at 464-4581 or at Ask-a-Librarian for assistance.

 
 
Health Sciences Library
SUNY Upstate Medical University
766 Irving Avenue
Syracuse, N.Y. 13210
Phone: 315 464-7091