Volume 4, Number 10 July-August 1992
Books & Bytes is produced by the HSLIC Library Staff for Health Sciences Center personnel. Copyright University of Washington.
- WILLOW Available in Test Version for Online Database Access
- Microlab Now Part of TLC
- Poster Exhibit Well Received by Library Visitors
- Symposium: A Decade of IAIMS
- Electronic Resources Provide Grantsmanship Information
- Social Work Library User Education
- Too Good to Pass Up
- New Serial Titles Added, May 1992 - June 1992
- Recent Gifts and Contributions to the Collections
WILLOW Available in Test Version for Online Database Access
by Debbie Ketchell, Associate Director, Resource Management and Systems Development andLeilani St. Anna, Information Services/Fee Based Services Librarian
Many of you may have been attracted to color pictures of Washington appearing on computer monitors in the Health Sciences Library. Those pictures are the screen-savers on the Libraries' new X-terminals, which provide access through WILLOW (Washington Information Looker-Upper Layered Over Windows) to all of the Libraries' locally available databases, including files such as MEDLINE, ERIC, and the Online Catalog. Also being tested is a new character interface to access these local databases.
During May, HSLIC served as one of five UW Libraries sites for the beta test of WILLOW. WILLOW provides a single, easy-to-use graphical interface to any number of text-based bibliographic databases. It is a UNIX application, built with the Motif toolkit which is layered over X-Windows.
Users filled out surveys evaluating the interface during the test period. More than 70% of HSLIC users found exactly what they wanted using WILLOW. Half of those who did not find exactly what they were seeking did locate some useful information. Most users considered interacting with the computer to be easy or very easy. User comments frequently mention the speed of the system and its graphics features. The most frequently mentioned problem was the lack of printing capability. That problem has since been solved with the addition of printers. Evaluation forms from all five beta-test sites are currently being compiled.
During the summer you will see a changing "look" on these X-terminals as the system continues to evolve. Improvements are being tested and evaluated in the Libraries before being released campus-wide. Please come into the library for a "test drive".
You can use WILLOW in your office if you have a higher end workstation running X-Windows or X-emulation software (e.g., Macintosh MacX with Co-Xist, NeXT, or Unix work stations.) If you are interested in accessing WILLOW in your office, contact Debbie Ketchell at ketchell@u.washington.edu or 543-3409.
Microlab Now Part of TLC
On May 1, 1992, administrative responsibility for the Health Sciences Microcomputer Lab in the Library was transferred from Computing & Communications to the Health Sciences Library and Information Center. The Microlab is now functionally a part of the Teaching Learning Center (TLC).
Philip Arny is overall coordinator for the TLC, and Paul Ludecke is the Microlab manager. We will be working on several fronts to integrate the lab into the TLC to provide maximum services with limited staff and equipment.
Over the summer the Microlab will be undergoing rewiring and renovation as part of the transition. During this time (approximately July 27- September 11), computers will be moved into the east end of the TLC. Classes already scheduled to use the lab will be accommodated in temporary facilities. Individual drop-in use (for reserve software or productivity software) will be limited during this period. Call Philip Arny (685-3125) or Paul Ludecke (543-1784) for more information.
We are interested in hearing any of your suggestions about the Microlab or the TLC in general. Please contact Philip Arny (parny@u.washington.edu) or Debbie Ketchell (ketchell@u.washington.edu or 543- 3409) with any of your concerns.
Poster Exhibit Well Received by Library Visitors
by Carolyn Weaver, Associate Director for AdministrationMore than 50,000 library users recently had the opportunity to view "To Your Health: An Exhibition of Posters for Contemporary Public Health Issues", a unique display of 75 public health posters drawn from the extensive collection of the National Library of Medicine which was exhibited in the Health Sciences Library during April and May 1992.
Visitors' comments about the exhibit were almost universally favorable, ranging from "Excellent! Should go to public libraries, too!" to "It's amazing what graphics can say with few words!" to "Interesting to see how posters from mid-1900's are still relevant today." Phone inquiries about the exhibit came from Olympia and Vancouver, B.C., in response to press releases, and several referrals were made to the booking agency (Association of Science-Technology Centers, Washington, D.C.) for individuals who were interested in showing the exhibit at other locations throughout the country. We were frequently complimented on the content and diversity of the exhibit, and had to modestly remind viewers that HSLIC was host for the exhibit -- not its creator.
The most common question from exhibit viewers was, "How can I get copies of the posters?" Since the archival collection belongs to the National Library of Medicine, our suggestion for obtaining relatively recent posters is to contact the agency which produced the item, on the chance that copies may still be available. Due to their ephemeral nature, copies of older posters are probably unavailable except through antique dealers or collectors.
Single copies of the exhibit catalog, bearing the same title as the exhibit, are available without charge by writing to the Chief, History of Medicine Division, National Library of Medicine, Bethesda, MD 20894. Please include a self-addressed label. Inquiries about individual posters should also be addressed to the National Library of Medicine.
Because of the enthusiastic reaction to the exhibit, HSLIC has now started its own poster collection. We welcome your donations of posters on any topic of interest to the health sciences. The first donations are now on display at various locations throughout the Library.
Symposium: A Decade of IAIMS
The July 1992 issue of Bulletin of the Medical Library Association features a symposium on IAIMS developments throughout the country during the past ten years. The University of Washington's IAIMS project, unique in its structure within a public institution, is described in Sherrilynne Fuller's paper, "Creating the Future: IAIMS planning premises at the University of Washington." Please contact the IAIMS office, 685-2166, to request a reprint.
Other papers focus on IAIMS projects at Baylor College of Medicine, Columbia-Presbyterian Medical Center, Georgetown University, and Yale University, as well as a model project being developed by the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists for patient care providers. The papers emphasize the diversity of IAIMS program development, showing how each has to be designed to fit the unique institutional development.
Electronic Resources Provide Grantsmanship Information
by Diana Hall, Research Funding Service LibrarianElectronic grants information is increasingly accessible to UW investigators with computers linked to the campus network and the Internet. Here is a sampler of such resources.
To locate books on grantsmanship in the Online Catalog, use subject headings such as Proposal writing in medicine or Research Support. On MEDLINE, enter Research Support and Writing to retrieve references on grant writing. The textword "grantsmanship" will pick up more citations. MEDLINE can also identify recent UW-performed research or potential collaborators. Search for any biomedical topic, then 'and' the results with 'Seattle.IN.' (institutional address).
The National Institutes of Health offers electronic versions of several printed publications. The E-Guide edition of the weekly NIH Guide for Grants and Contracts is transmitted by email from UW Grant and Contract Services to campus subscribers. To receive the E-Guide, send an email message to LISTSERV@uwavm.u.washington.edu and type subscribe NIHGUIDE your full name.
The NIH Grant Line bulletin board includes both the E-Guide and guidelines for extramural programs such as the FIRST (R29) award, and a telephone directory. For details on modem-only access and file downloading, see the NIH Guide for March 27, 1992 (Reference Books WA 22 AA1 N18) or contact John C. James, Ph.D., at NIH at 301-496-7554.
Although NIH's electronic grant application development (EGAD) project is still under development, RFS can provide UW investigators with a copy of an unofficial electronic template of the recently revised Application for Public Health Service Grant form (PHS 398). It is available for Microsoft WORD for the Macintosh and for Word for Windows version 2.0 for the PC.
The National Science Foundation (NSF) disseminates electronic versions of funding program descriptions and deadlines via its Science & Technology Information System (STIS). These files are available via the Internet or modem. For details, contact RFS. Or receive STIS updates by email from UW Grant and Contract Services. Address email to LISTSERV@uwavm.u.washington.edu and type subscribe uwnsf-l your full name.
Other Federal agencies provide information on funding opportunities for research and higher education through the online service FEDIX (Federal Information Exchange, Inc., 301-975-0103). Included are the Department of Energy (DOE), the Office of Naval Research (ONR), and the Air Force Office of Scientific Research (AFOSR). NSF and the Department of Education provide only minority assistance information. Access is via the Internet (fedix.fie.com or 192.11.228.1; fedix, new) or modem.
For more information on these and other resources or their print counterparts, call the Research Funding Service at 685-8036 or send email to RFS@u.washington.edu. RFS is located in HSLIC T-311 and is open 1:00-5:00 pm Monday through Friday.
Social Work Library User Education
Training sessions for Silver Platter systems and locally-mounted databases are now being held at the Social Work Library as well as at HSLIC.
Too Good to Pass Up
by Sherrilynne Fuller, DirectorHanna, Kathi E., ed. Biomedical Politics. Washington, DC: National Academy Press, 1991. WA 540 AA1 B52 1991.
"Should scientists be allowed to pursue research on treatment of Parkinson's disease using fetal tissue from induced abortions? Should women be denied access to a non-surgical abortifacient because some groups in the society feel its use is immoral? Should the US Congress make decisions about large-scale biomedical research projects that might affect the availability of funds for research in other areas? . . . At one time it was accepted that the answers to these questions lay in the domains of science and medicine, and they would have been largely debated in those arenas. Today, biological and medical research have become a focus of public scrutiny. For each of the above questions, any public opinion poll would probably show a multitude of responses including a healthy degree of uncertainty. Even among those questions for which a majority in the US Society can agree on the proper, moral response, organized vocal minorities can have considerable influence on how the debate is resolved." (From the Introduction.)
The decision making process is the focus of this work. It attempts to shed light on how decisions are made in the biomedical policy debate arena. Using the historical case study methodology, hindsight is applied in order to identify ways to improve future decision making performance. This collection of reports is different from other "technology transfer" reports in that there is a deliberate intent to include the impact of values and the role of the public in the discussion.
New Serial Titles Added, May 1992 - June 1992
Acta medica Croatica, v.45:n.4/5(1991) v.46(1992)--.
Developmental dynamics, v.193(1992)--.
Directory of genetic services, 1991--.
Reference Book Stacks: QZ 22 AA1 D5982; earlier in Book Stacks.
Homeostasis in health and disease, v.33(1992)--.
Journal of AHIMA, v.62:n.11-12(1991) v.63(1992)--.
Journal of intellectual disability research, v.36(1992)--.
Journal of vascular research, v.29(1992)--.
Molecular biology of the cell, v.3(1992)--.
National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. Fact book, 1991--.
Book Stacks: W22 AA1 N274.
National medical expenditure survey. Data summary, n.4(1991)--.
Reference Serials.
National medical expenditure survey. Research findings, v.12(1991)--.
Reference Serials.
Nucleic acids symposium series, n.6(1979)--.
Physician assistant programs directory, 10th(1990)--.
Book Stacks: W22 AA1 P577.
Romanian journal of morphology and embryology, v.36:n.2-4(1990:Apr/Jun- Oct/Dec)--.
Recent Gifts and Contributions to the Collections
Acknowledgment and appreciation are extended to the following individuals and departments who have recently donated materials to the Library:
Contributors to Collections:
Dr. George Aagaard; Dr. Frederick Ackerman; Dr. Thomas J. Benedetti; Dr. Robert A. Bruce; Dr. Frank D. Cartwright; Dr. Eugene Choy; Dr. Roy D. Clark, Jr.; Dr. Glen W. Davidson; Dr. William E. Fassett; Dr. Philip J. Fialkow; Dr. Hjordis M. Foy; Dr. John P. Geyman; Dr. Sherrie Godbolt; Dr. King Holmes; Dr. Melanie S. Ito; Mr. Tao Sheng Kwan-Gett; Dr. John D. Loeser; Dr. George M. Martin; Mr. Tom Morgan; Dr. Gilbert S. Omenn; Dr. C.E. Pippenger; Mr. Paul Seeman; Dr. Thomas H. Shepard; Dr. Mika N. Sinanan; Dr. Mark H. Wener; Ms. Dorothy Whitcom; Dr. Loren C. Winterscheid; American Medical Association; Department of Anesthesiology; Department of Epidemiology; Department of Health Services; Department of Medicine - Division of Metabolism; Department of Ophthalmology; U.S. Department of Health & Health Services, National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute.
Contributors to Gift Funds:
Mr. and Mrs. Thomas J. Corbett; Dr. Barbara Sue Innes.
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