An evaluation team representing the Commission on Higher Education of the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools visited the campus on April 25-28, 1999. Their report gave the Library overall a very positive review and mentioned it twice as an important asset to the operation of Upstate and the education of our students.

The team congratulated Upstate on the magnificent new Library building and praised the Library's consistently high quality of service: "The Team heard repeatedly in discussions with faculty, students and administrators of the campus-wide pride and appreciation for the new facility, confirming what we read in the self study. The faculty and students universally praise the library staff especially noting their strong customer service orientation. The faculty also commented on the library's willingness to purchase instructional materials to support their courses. The availability of digital resources in the form of databases, indexes, abstracts, and electronic journals is noteworthy."

The reviewers also identified two areas needing improvement, the budget and the insufficient staffing: "The ... budget process ... restricts all long term planning for the library. It is compounded by the fact that the Library acquisitions budget does not keep pace with the yearly 10-12% inflationary increases in the cost of materials. The Library Advisory Committee, library staff, and ... administration must address the shortfall ... to assess the collection's ability to meet the needs of current programs and those yet to be developed." The team recommended that Upstate "should develop a plan for appropriate and adequate staffing which assures the right mix of professional and support staff."

Thank You All!

The SUNY Upstate Health Sciences Library thanks all the thoughtful and generous people and organizations who made gifts to our collections in 1999:

Without such supporters our Library could not perform at its best. Gifts enlarge and enhance the services we can offer in this age of shrinking budgets. The Library deeply appreciates all sorts of donations to help its mission of supporting Upstate in teaching, research, and patient care.

• To donate recent books or journals, please contact the Collection Development Librarian, Rosemarie Bundy, 464-7109 or <bundyr@upstate.edu>.
• To donate rare, scarce, "old," or historical books, journals, instruments, or artifacts, please contact the Curator of Historical Collections, Eric Luft, 464-4585 or <lufte@upstate.edu>.
• To donate money, please contact the Director of the Library, Laurie Thompson, 464-4582 or <thompsol@upstate.edu>.

Your donation may be tax deductible. Check with your accountant or attorney.

STAT!Ref Adds 30 New Titles to Library's Full-Text Book Database

The Health Sciences Library recently added another full-text information resource to its already prodigious collection of books and journals available from the Library home page <www.upstate.edu/library/>. STAT!Ref is medical information and drug information designed exclusively for physicians. It can be accessed at <online.statref.com/default.asp?grpalias=suny>. STAT!Ref lets you cross-search more than 30 medical texts, 70,000 pages. You can keyword search all 30 titles at once or select from the list of individual reference resources:

When you add these 30 to the approximately 40 full-text titles already available from the Library home page <www.upstate.edu/library/> either through MD Consult or directly, you have a medical reference library on your desktop.

STAT!Ref may be accessed from any computer with an Upstate IP address. It can also be accessed from off campus by using your LEAP password, available to all affiliates of SUNY Upstate Medical University. To request a password, please call the Reference Desk at 464-4581 or e-mail <library@upstate.edu>.

The Top Ten New Titles

• Hospital Epidemiology and Infection Control, edited by C. Glen Mayhall -- 2nd edition -- (Philadelphia: Lippincott, Williams & Wilkins, 1999). WX 167 H8292 1999
• Pharmacotherapy: A Pathophysiologic Approach, edited by Joseph T. DiPiro ... [et al.] -- 4th edition -- (Stamford, Conn.: Appleton & Lange, 1999). WB 330 P536 1999
• Hunter's Tropical Medicine and Emerging Infectious Diseases, edited by G. Thomas Strickland ... [et al.] -- 8th edition -- (Philadelphia: Saunders, 2000). WC 680 H947 2000
• Joseph P. Winnick and Francis X. Short, The Brockport Physical Fitness Test Manual (Champaign, Ill.: Human Kinetics, 1999). QT 255 W776b 1999
• Brunner and Suddarth's Textbook of Medical-Surgical Nursing, edited by Suzanne C. Smeltzer and Brenda G. Bare -- 9th edition -- (Philadelphia: Lippincott, 2000). WY 150 T355 2000
• American Medical Association, Characteristics of Graduate Medical Education Programs and Resident Physicians by Specialty (Chicago: AMA, 1998-1999). Ref W 20 C469 1998-1999
• Neurobiology of Mental Illness, edited by Dennis S. Charney, Eric J. Nestler, and Benjamin S. Bunney (New York: Oxford University Press, 1999). Reserve WM 140 N4945 1999
• Neonatology: Pathophysiology and Management of the Newborn, edited by Gordon B. Avery, Mary Ann Fletcher, and Mhairi G. MacDonald -- 5th edition -- (Philadelphia: Lippincott, Williams & Wilkins, 1999). WS 420 N441 1999
• Walter W. Tunnessen, Jr. and Kenneth B. Roberts, Signs and Symptoms in Pediatrics -- 3rd edition -- (Philadelphia: Lippincott, Williams & Wilkins, 1999). WS 141 T926s 1999
• Arlene Fink, The Survey Kit [series]: v. 1, The Survey Handbook; v. 2, How to Ask Survey Questions; v. 5, How to Design Surveys; v. 6, How to Sample in Surveys; v. 8, How to Analyze Survey Data; v. 9, How to Report on Surveys (Thousand Oaks, Calif.: Sage, 1995). HN 29 S97 1995

Rosemarie Bundy
Head, Collection Development
464-7109 or <bundyr@upstate.edu>

News from the HIC

Grant Award

The Health Information Center thanks the Auxiliary of Upstate Medical University for its grant award of $2988. The award will be used to purchase models and videos which our clients have requested. The Auxiliary has made previous awards which the HIC used to purchase other models and a display case.

New Acquisitions

• John Link, The Breast Cancer Survival Manual: A Step-By-Step Guide for the Woman with Newly Diagnosed Breast Cancer (New York: Henry Holt, 2000). Consumer Health WP 870 L756b 2000
• Natalie Davis Spingarn, The New Cancer Survivors: Living With Grace, Fighting with Spirit (Baltimore: Johns Hopkins, 1999). Consumer Health QZ 201 S757n 1999
• Mayo Clinic on Prostate Health, edited by David M. Barrett (Rochester, Minn.: Mayo Clinic, 2000). Consumer Health WJ 752 M473 2000
• Janet Zand, Allan N. Spreen, and James B. LaValle, Smart Medicine for Healthier Living: A Practical A-to-Z Reference for Natural and Conventional Treatments for Adults (Garden City, N.Y.: Avery, 1999). Consumer Health WB 13 Z27 1999
• Clinica Mayo guia de autocuidados: Respuestas para los problemas diarios de la salud, edited by Philip T. Hagen (Rochester, Minn.: Mayo Clinic, 1999) Consumer Health Reference
• National Osteoporosis Foundation, Be Bone Wise: Exercise with Lisa Hoffman (1999). Consumer Health Video

Patient Education Web Site

A redesign of the Patient Education Web pages is now complete. Enhancement of the content of the pages is an ongoing project. Thanks to the cooperation of members of the Patient Education Advisory Council, a large number of resources previously available in hard copy only are now accessible on the Web site: <www.upstate.edu/library/hic/pated/>. Much of the work on this project was done by an intern from the School of Information Studies (IST) at Syracuse University, Kasama Kongsmak.

Many of these documents were produced by staff from University Hospital, the University Health Care Center (UHCC), the Joslin Center, and other campus departments. Topics covered include medical procedures, diseases, discharge instructions, and other health issues. These are designed to be printed on University Hospital letterhead for patients and families.

Other information at this Web site includes patient education TV listings, consumer health information databases, sources for purchasing materials, and links to consumer health sites in Central New York and other areas.

Exhibits and Presentations

• American Heart Association Health and Fitness Expo at Shoppingtown Mall.
• OASIS (Older Adult Service and Information System) grand opening, also at Shoppingtown. The Library's recent grant award to work with OASIS is mentioned in a news article in the April 5, 2000 issue of JAMA.
• Contemporary Health Issues for Today's Congregation, "Clergy Day" presentation at the Institute for Human Performance.
• Breast Cancer Support Group, sponsored by Breast Care Center of UHCC.

James A. Capodagli
Head, Health Information Center
464-4410 or <hic@upstate.edu>
<www.upstate.edu/library/healthinfo/>

Library Acquires Color Copier

The Health Sciences Library is pleased to announce that after a month-long trial it is keeping the Xerox DocuColor 5750 copier. The response to this service has been overwhelmingly positive. One of the most popular features is the ability to make color transparencies. The Xerox 5750 makes available world-class digital color performance right in our own Library. It is located across from the Circulation desk on the Library's first floor. You must use one of the Library's vendacards to operate this machine. It will subtract seven units for each copy made.

New Conference Room in Library Basement

Construction is expected to be completed by September 1 on a new conference room located in the Library basement. Situated behind the photocopy room in formerly open study space, the room will contain a moveable divider to create two smaller rooms when needed. The room will be furnished with four 8-foot oak library tables that are being refinished while the room is under construction. Each table seats six to eight. Data ports will be available. Anyone in the Upstate community may schedule the room in advance by calling the Department of Educational Communications at 464-7911.

Sixth Library Lecture a Huge Success!

A standing-room-only audience of physicians, basic sciences faculty, other health care professionals, librarians, and medical students, 43 people altogether, enjoyed the Sixth Health Sciences Library Lecture on April 26 in Weiskotten Hall. Conducted in the style of grand rounds, the session addressed the topic: "Evidence Based Medicine (EBM) Applied: Evidence in Clinical Practice."

The two presenters, both from the Department of Family Medicine, were Lorne A. Becker, M.D., Professor and Chair, and Cheryl Flynn, M.D., Assistant Professor. They used a "tag team" approach to their presentation, clearly and provocatively outlining what constitutes useful vs. non-useful information in clinical practice. Two kinds of evidence predominate in the medical literature: "Disease Oriented Evidence" (DOE) and "Patient Oriented Evidence that Matters" (POEM). From a clinical standpoint, the most useful articles have high POEM/DOE ratios.

Drs. Becker and Flynn discussed their experiences using EBM tools where they are most needed, at the bedside and in the doctor's office. One focus was on practical use of computers and hand-held devices to retrieve "pre-validated" information for patient care decisions. The presenters acknowledged that it is difficult to find time in a busy practice to locate and evaluate relevant information, but they provided a list of useful sources and demonstrated how to use them. Everyone who attended came away with a better understanding of available EBM tools and some suggested places to begin their searches.

Discussing EBM after the formal presentation were panelists Debra Buchan, M.D., Assistant Professor, Department of Medicine; Harold L. Husovsky, M.D., Assistant Professor, Department of Medicine; and Frank S. Szmalc, M.D., Associate Professor, Department of Surgery, Transplant Program. Questions from the audience followed the panel discussion.

The Library Lecture Series as a whole is coordinated by Eric v.d. Luft, Curator of Historical Collections, but this particular event was arranged by Bette Jean Ingui, Reference Services Librarian. Congratulations to Bette Jean for a job well done!

Anyone interested in evidence based medicine may find help by following the EBM links at the Library's Web site <www.upstate.edu/library/ebm.htm>. Also, copies of the presenters' handout of useful EBM links can be obtained in the Library at the Reference Desk.

Librarian Receives CLRC Grant to Attend Seminar on Knowledge Access Management

Godfrey Belleh, Head of Library Technical Services, attended the Seminar on Knowledge Access Management held on the campus of Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa, on April 10-12, 2000. The seminar exposed attendees to new concepts and tools needed to describe and catalog Internet resources -- electronic full-text resources -- in order to make the most relevant Internet resources directly available, with a click of the mouse, through a library's online public access catalog (OPAC). OPACs provide comprehensive access to both print and electronic resources and afford library users the facility for easy and time-saving one-stop shopping for information. Godfrey's attendance at the seminar was funded in part by the Central New York Library Resources Council (CLRC) through a training grant of $500.00.

Historical Collections Web Site Wins Award

Links2Go, a prominent online indexing service <www.links2go.com>, selected the Library Historical Collections Web page <www.upstate.edu/library/history/index.php> to receive one of its Key Resource Awards for Health Science Libraries. These awards are given each quarter to the top 50 Web sites in each of several research categories. Our page ranked 19th among the 50 most frequently referenced health science library Web sites worldwide in the second quarter of 2000.

New Treasures in Historical Collections

The gift of about 400 titles this spring from Wolf Wolfensberger, Ph.D., Professor of Education at Syracuse University, provides the Department of Historical Collections with a significant research collection of primary sources in the history of early twentieth century psychology and psychiatry. The founder of the "Social Role Valorization" movement, a leading advocate of the rights of socially undervalued people, and an expert on learning disabilities, Dr. Wolfensberger heads the Syracuse Training Institute for Human Service Planning, Leadership, and Change Agentry.

On September 15, 1834, Edward Cutbush, M.D. (1772-1843) founded Geneva Medical College, the progenitor of SUNY Upstate Medical University. Before becoming Professor of Chemistry at Geneva College (now Hobart and William Smith Colleges) in 1830, he was a career naval surgeon. After many years of determined searches through the rare book markets, the Curator of Historical Collections, Eric Luft, was finally able this spring to locate and purchase for the Geneva Collection a copy of Cutbush's greatest work: Observations on the Means of Preserving the Health of Soldiers and Sailors and on the Duties of the Medical Department of the Army and Navy, with Remarks on Hospitals and Their Internal Arrangement (Philadelphia: Thomas Dobson; Fry and Kammerer, 1808). Included in this volume is an 1808 reprint of Benjamin Rush's famous 1777 Directions for Preserving the Health of Soldiers, Addressed to the Officers of the Army of the United States.

Web Access to Toxicology Databases

The National Library of Medicine (NLM) has recently facilitated access to its Toxicology and Environmental Health Information Program. This collection of databases, several of which were were fee-based and available only through telnet connections, are now on the World Wide Web and free of charge.

The following are among the databases available to any Web user by visiting the NLM site <www.nlm.nih.gov> and selecting Health Information: MEDLINE & Other Resources. No passwords are necessary. The Library home page <www.upstate.edu/library/> also links to these resources in its list of databases.

• CCRIS - Chemical Carcinogenesis Research Information System. National Cancer Institute factual databank on nearly 8000 chemicals, relating to carcinogens, mutagens, tumor promoters, metabolites, and carcinogen inhibitors.
• GENE-TOX - EPA peer reviewed databank with genetic toxicology test results on over 3000 chemicals.
• HSDB - Hazardous Substances Databank. Factual, scientifically reviewed database on 4500 toxic chemicals, covering human exposure, waste disposal, emergency handling, and regulatory requirements.
• IRIS - Integrated Risk Information System. EPA consensus database containing carcinogenic and non-carcinogenic health risk assessment on over 500 chemicals.
• TOXLINE - a bibliographic database, linked to CAS registry numbers, covering the biochemical, pharmacological, physiological, and toxicological effects of drugs and other chemicals.

Interdepartmental Cooperation

Your Synapse editors, Head of Reference Services Diane K. Hawkins and Curator of Historical Collections Eric v.d. Luft, announce that they are engaged to be married in 2001.

Library Online Catalog Offers Hot-Link Access to Electronic Full-Text Journals

Online access to electronic full-text journals is now available through the Library Online Public Access Catalog (OPAC). The OPAC may be reached either via the Library home page or directly at the designated OPAC computers in the Library. When the full journal record is displayed in the OPAC, the live link appears after the related URL heading. Click on the URL link to go directly to the full-text journal on the Internet. URL links for over 120 journals have been entered since the beginning of the year in this ongoing project to allow seamless access to full-text electronic resources (books and journals).

Access to full-text electronic journals is also still available through the Library home page <www.upstate.edu/library/>.

Retirement Planning

For the benefit of all Upstate staff who are planning retirement, the Collection Development Department of the Library decided several months ago to find some easily attainable materials for planning financial security in retirement. The first is a set from TIAA-CREF called the Library Series. Other booklets and pamphlets have been added to aid in choosing the most advantageous investment strategies for comfortable retirement. These are samples only, but they can be read in the Library from the Open Reserve shelves.

The second set of materials consists of a few straightforward, easily read books on retirement investing and financial advising to enable a long and prosperous retirement (we hope).

• Lynn Brenner, Smart Questions to Ask Your Financial Advisers. HQ 1062 B838s 1997
• Mary Rowland, A Commonsense Guide to Your 401-K. HQ 1062 R883c 1998
• Margaret A. Malaspina, Don't Die Broke: How to Turn Your Retirement Savings into Lasting Income. HQ 1062 M238d 1999
• Lisa Ellis, Living Well in Retirement. HQ 1062 M742L 1999
• Paul B. Farrell, The Winning Portfolio: Choosing Your 10 Best Mutual Funds. HG 4530 F245w 1999

These books can be circulated and are generic enough to apply to all Upstate employees.

Happy Retirement!

Rosemarie Bundy
Head, Collection Development
464-7109 or <bundyr@upstate.edu>