MedlinePlus and MedlinePlus en Espanol will debut a new design in summer 2010. Many of the changes are based on feedback received from users such as you.

To get a sneak peek at what’s coming, please go to http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/preview/overview.html to start your tour. There is a feedback form on the bottom of every page so you can send your comments and feedback to the National Library of Medicine.

Rebecca Brown, MLS
Kansas Outreach & Technology Liaison
National Network of Libraries of Medicine, MidContinental Region
University of Kansas Medical Center
A.R. Dykes Library of Health Sciences

The National Library of Medicine has created a widget that you can place on your web site that connects to information compiled by the Disaster Information Management Research Center at the National Institutes of Health.

Here is the link to the widget http://sis.nlm.nih.gov/dimrc/widgetdimrc.html#oil

Alternatively, you can link directly to the page of resources (and not use the widget). The resources can be found at: http://sis.nlm.nih.gov/dimrc/oilspills.html

Rebecca Brown, MLS
Kansas Outreach & Technology Liaison
National Network of Libraries of Medicine, MidContinental Region

University of Kansas Medical Center
A.R. Dykes Library of Health Sciences
2100 W. 39th Avenue
Kansas City, KS 66160
913-588-7307
1-800-338-7657

The National Library of Medicine is pleased to announce that MedlinePlus now offers an e-mail subscription service to make it easier for you to stay up to date on the health topics that matter most to you. With this new service, you can subscribe to any topic in MedlinePlus or MedlinePlus en Español.  Each health topic page has a box in which you can enter your email address (see image below). Whenever the topic is updated, you will receive an email alerting you of the change.

Questions? Contact Rebecca Brown at rbrown3@kumc.edu

Dear Kansas Librarians,

Please join us for the Wednesday, September 30th National Network of Libraries of Medicine webinar class that will cover Racial and Ethnic resources, presented by the Community Outreach Liaison, Siobhan Champ Blackwell.

Tune in on Wednesday, September 30th at 2:00 CT.

This online training is FREE, and requires no registration. All you need is a computer with Internet access and a phone (the call is toll free). Just sign in as a guest using your name, enter your phone number when prompted and the system will call you!

Access it by going to:  https://webmeeting.nih.gov/mcr

Have a good day!

Rebecca Brown

Check out the August issue of NIH News in Health http://newsinhealth.nih.gov/, the monthly newsletter bringing you practical health news and tips based on the latest NIH research.

In this edition:

    * Concerned About Coffee? It May Actually Be Good for You
    * You’ve Got Rhythm – Your Internal Clock Affects Your Health
    * Health Capsules:
                  * * Questions Raised About “Depression Gene”
                  * * Tasty Recipes for People with Diabetes
                  * * Featured Web Site: NIH Education and Awareness Campaigns

Do you want to understand the structure and depth of MedlinePlus.gov?

Do you want to increase your knowledge of health topics and specialized content within the site?

Do you want to be able to apply advanced search techniques for better results?

If you answered “yes” to any of the above, then this FREE one hour online class is for you! All you need to participate is a computer with Internet access and a telephone.

CHOOSE FROM TWO SESSIONS:

Monday, August 24^th

9:30-10:30 AM (Central Daylight Time)

OR 

Wednesday, September 2^nd

1:00-2:00 PM (Central Daylight Time)

Covered in this one hour session:

1. Overview of content areas MedlinePlus.gov
2. Health Topics in detail
3. Different users – different needs
4. Maximizing search results
5. Special content and “hidden” nuggets
6. Tools and resources for librarians

RSVP today! Just email Dana Abbey at Dana.Abbey@ucdenver.edu with the date you want to reserve your virtual seat.  Dana is the Colorado liaison for the National Network of Libraries of Medicine.

The Department of Health & Human Service’s (HHS) Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) has announced Consejos de Salud Para Tí (Health Advice for You), a new monthly online health advice column for Spanish-speaking consumers. The column is part of AHRQ’s Información en Espanol Web site (http://www.ahrq.gov/consumer/espanoix.htm), which has been enhanced and now includes audio and video in Spanish on a wide range of health care issues.

AHRQ’s enhanced Spanish-language Web site includes more than 35 consumer guides (titles are in English as well) on health care quality, surgery, health conditions and diseases, quitting smoking, safe use of medicines, understanding health insurance options and prevention and wellness. The 30 and 60 second audio spots on the Web site focus on comparisons of pills for type 2 diabetes, pain medicines for osteoarthritis, tips for preventing blood clots, safe and effective use of blood thinner pills, tips for quitting smoking, preventive health and more. 

Just posted today on WebJunction: 100 Children’s Books That Belong in Every Library Elizabeth Bird’s list of children’s titles that will stand the test of time and taken from her book, Children’s Literature Gems: Choosing and Using Them in Your Library Career by Elizabeth Bird, ALA Editions, item number 978-0-8389-0995-9.

Download the PDF version from WebJunction Kansas and find your old friends and quite possibly some new friends.

YALSA (Young Adult Library Services Association) has released their list of must have teen materials – a recommended collection for small spaces. The “Ultimate YA Bookshelf” includes 50 books, 5 magazines and 5 audio books. You can get more information about the list and how it was formulated at the yalsa web page, “The Ultimate YA Bookshelf” and/or download the full list in PDF format.

To find other great resources to help you plan and deliver services to young adults, visit the YALSA wiki for general and programming resources like:

• free downloadables - bookmarks, reading lists and reference guidelines (and more)
• calendar of teen programming ideas
• gaming lists and activities

Emily Sitz, Director, Southwest Kansas Library System recapped Derby City Manager, Kathy Sexton’s presentation, “Advocacy from a City Manager’s View” for the SWKLS Spring Assembly in the May-June 2009 issue of System Scene.  For those of us who couldn’t attend Kathy Sexton’s presentation, Emily’s article hits the highlights and can serve as a road map for anyone thinking about building an advocacy plan for their library.  Take a few minutes to read Emily’s article (it’s on the front page) – it will give you ideas for getting started.

Here are some additional library advocacy resources:

• The Small is Powerful Toolkit for Winning Support for Your Rural Library  (ALA OLOS)
• Advocacy & Outreach (WebJunction)