When the Medical Library Association identified questions critical for the future of the profession, it assigned groups to use systematic reviews to find the answers to these questions. Group 6, whose question was on emerging technologies, recognized early on that the systematic review process would not work well for this question, which looks…

The National Medical Library of Cuba is currently developing an information literacy program to train users in the use of biomedical databases. This paper describes the experience with the course "Cochrane Library: Evidence-Based Medicine," which aims to teach users how to make the best use of this database, as well as the evidence-based…

Purpose: This study aims to examine the accessibility and use of web-based electronic databases on the Health InterNetwork Access to Research Initiative (HINARI) portal by physicians in the Neuropsychiatric Hospital, Aro--a psychiatry health institution in Nigeria. Design/methodology/approach: Collection of data was through the use of a three-part…

With wireless connectivity and small laptop computers, people are no longer tied to the desktop for online searching. Handheld personal digital assistants (PDAs) offer even greater portability. So far, the most common uses of PDAs are as calendars and address books, or to interface with a laptop or desktop machine. More advanced PDAs, like…

Faculty publication databases or author bibliographies offer libraries an opportunity to provide services to users. Initially, these databases remained initiatives of special libraries in the health-sciences fields. Librarians used the publication information derived from these databases to compile lists for annual reports. However, the advent of…

Describes storing of "hedges"--lists of terms on specific subjects--for use in responding to repeated search requests which cannot be retrieved via existing controlled vocabulary. Use of hedges at National Library of Medicine and National Institutes of Health Library, frequently used examples, and Excerpta Medica hedges are highlighted.…

Describes the dual service philosophy at McGoogan Library, University of Nebraska Medical Center, which includes fee-based online search services and free use of online databases for reference purposes. The position of the American Library Association, viewpoints from the field, and record-keeping and accounting procedures are reviewed. Seven…

Discusses evidence-based medicine (EBM) and the need for systematic use of databases like MEDLINE with more sophisticated search strategies to optimize the retrieval of relevant papers. Describes an empirical study of hospital libraries that examined requests for information and search strategies using both structured and unstructured forms.…

Describes BIBTOOLS, a system of programs for microcomputers that accomplish many of the manual tasks involved in compiling bibliographies. Highlights of the system, which is designed for use with medical databases, include input and output functions, combining the software with online literature searches, parsing, and programs that function as…

Presents a brief description of 10 current videodisc projects being conducted in the United States as examples of educational applications of this technology. Issues and problems associated with the videodisc are discussed as they relate to various projects. (JEG)

Describes an automated interlibrary loan request routing and referral system made available to U.S. biomedical libraries by the National Library of Medicine. The description covers the databases used and the systems modules that support various functions. The current status of the system and possible future developments are discussed. (six…

Discusses rationale for the conversion of a card catalog to an online system in a special library owning approximately 4,000 titles. Equipment, software, and procedures are described, and pros and cons, costs, and personnel needs involved in use of microcomputer for such a project are outlined. Nine references are cited. (EJS)

Issues related to end-user training for scientific and technical online databases are discussed in five articles. Topics covered include instruction in the use of controlled and natural language vocabularies; a planning assessment for end-user searching; the role of the information center in industrial research; training for health care…

Describes a study of the MEDLINE and SCISEARCH databases conducted in health sciences libraries that investigated the efficacy of searching by terms and by citations. Recall and precision are examined, relevance odds and search modes are discussed, and overlap retrieval from the two databases is studied. (26 references) (LRW)

Describes a project at the Ministry of Health Library and Documentation Centre in Malawi, funded by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), that changed the role of the library from information collector to producer of information through the use of desktop publishing and the creation of CD-ROM databases. (LRW)