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MedlinePlus Redesign Preview
May 22nd, 2010 | Permalink | Comment?

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
Medical, Uncategorized
Public Service Health Announcements in English and Spanish
March 16th, 2009 | Permalink | Comment?

The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) has 30-second and 60-second public service announcements on health topics in English and Spanish. You can link to the announcements or you can download them and post them to your web site. Transcripts are included at: http://www.ahrq.gov/news/psas.htm

They include:
• Deje de fumar (Quit Smoking)
• Diabetes Tipo 2 (Type 2 Diabetes)
• Diabetes y Los Examenes de la Vista (Diabetes and Eye Exams)
• Taking Medication Safely
• Questions to Ask Before Surgery

Rebecca Brown, MLS
Dykes Health Sciences Library
University of Kansas Medical Center
Uncategorized
November 25th, 2008 | Permalink | Comment?

Just a reminder!

Homework Kansas recently expanded their range of help to adult learners who may be seeking assistance with research, earning their GED, or resume writing. This service is free to students, and provided by the State Library of Kansas.

Homework Kansas automatically connects students via the internet with a professional tutor from 4 p.m. to 11 p.m., 7-days a week. Log into www.homeworkkansas.org. You are connected automatically. (Some users may be asked for a Kansas Library Card number which can be obtained right on the website.) At the Homework Help link, users select a grade level and pick from a list of subjects. Tutor assignments are made in the on-line classroom and help begins.

Although the program for adults has been in place only a few months, it is receiving excellent reviews through user-surveys. A couple of comments, include: “A wonderful source!!!!! Thank you for providing this to us.” And “Awesome site!”

Please encourage your students to get help at Homework Kansas.
Uncategorized
Academic Library Statistics and More New Stuff
August 7th, 2008 | Permalink | Comment?

I have posted the academic library statistics datasheet to the State Data Center website. The school media centers datasheet will follow soon.

I have also added some basic stats from the Census to the front page, including Kansas population, median age and median household income.

The Census Bureau released demographic details for counties today. I have compiled two spreadsheets, one that summarizes those statistics (total population, population by age, single race, and Hispanic origin) by county and another that ranks counties by the percentage of citizens 65 and over. These can be found on the County data page.

Beginning in the next few weeks, I will begin posting a “tour” of the website, highlighting various bits of data available there.

As always, if you have any questions or comments, please let me know phaxton@kslib.info.

Peter Haxton, State Data Center Coordinator
News, State Data Center, Uncategorized
State Data Center
July 15th, 2008 | Permalink | Comment?

Many of you already know what the State Data Center is, so I won’t go into that again. (If you don’t know, check out www.kslib.info/sdc) .

What I do want to talk about is some of the new data available from the Census. Last week, the “sub-county” population estimates for July 1, 2007 were released. Sub-county simply means any area of geography below the county, which in Kansas includes cities and townships.

These numbers have been certified by the State Budget Office, and will be the official numbers used in collecting library statistics.

Interesting things to note include: the seven largest percent losses in population came from cities surrounding Fort Riley, and Olathe was listed as one of the 25 fastest growing cities in America.

If you have any questions about these or any other statistics, email me at sdc@kslib.info.

Peter Haxton, State Data Center Coordinator
Uncategorized
Catharsis and Serendipity
May 21st, 2008 | Permalink | 1 Comment

The best time in graduate school is between semesters. This allows the brain to cool down, the body to get a little rest, and for you to become reacquainted with family and welcome any new additions to the family group.

For me, this time is usually spent trying to find something to take my mind off school. Unfortunately, this library science thing has me hooked and I find it incredibly hard to disconnect. Thankfully I have a couple of life tools that keep me going and help me to relax: Catharsis and Serendipity.

The Value of Catharsis
For me, I love catharsis! Whether it be rolling on the floor laughing to “Blazing Saddles” or my face in my hands crying at the end of “Rudy”, having a way to let it all go is great for the spirit. So if you find yourself in need of a good cathartic moment check out these videos (caution: tears may flow):

Lou Gehrig speech

Jim Valvano speech

The Value of Serendipity

Serendipity rules! Embrace it. Let it happen to you.

I am sure we are all the beneficiaries of serendipity in one way or another. You can’t really create moments of serendipity like you can cathartic moments, but you can start to open your mind to the idea of letting serendipitous moments occur. Relax, smile, take a deep breath, go for a walk, let the mind wander, go “left” instead of “right”, etc.

Discovery Channel article “Top Ten Accidental Discoveries”
2.0, News, Tech, Uncategorized
Tour the State Library – Virtually!
March 5th, 2008 | Permalink | Comment?

One of the new features of the State Library of Kansas website is a virtual tour. The tour walks you through the State Library and describes some of its history.

The tour script was written by Cindy Roupe, Director of Public Services; the voice recording is provided by Rhonda Machlan, Resource Sharing Specialist. Josh Motsinger, web developer from KU Medical Center, provided the digital photos. You’ll also find Josh’s photos sprinkled throughout the pages of our new website. They include not only the State Library, but also the Capitol Building.

For those techies out there: the original recording was done using Camtasia [http://www.techsmith.com/camtasia.asp] software; it was then saved in QuickTime movie format.

To find the virtual tour, click on the “Visit Us” link: http://www.kslib.info/visit.html. At the bottom of the page is a link to the Virtual Tour. Note: You will need QuickTime Player in order to view the tour.
We hope to upload the tour to YouTube and increase its viewing audience. Our next project is a Virtual Tour of the Talking Books Library on the ESU campus. Stay tuned for further developments!
Management, News, Tech, Uncategorized
Z39.50 and what it means to Kansas libraries
March 5th, 2008 | Permalink | Comment?

Question: Other than serving as the last letter of the alphabet, why would a Kansas library care about Z targets?

Answer: Because it will completely change the way library holdings in the KLC will be handled – beginning next month!

The State Library is changing the Kansas Library Catalog (KLC) from the current model to a hybrid catalog that includes real-time access to local library catalogs.

The KLC will continue to reflect the bulk of Kansas library holdings – but in many cases the information retrieved as part of a search will include not only the library holdings, but also actual shelf status.

What is the plan?

We will move libraries in groups, according to their ILS, beginning this spring with: AGent VERSO libraries, ExLibris Voyager, SirsiDynix Unicorn, and SirsiDynix Horizon. The next group will include KOHA libraries and Innovative Interface (III).

As libraries migrate, they will stop adding holdings to the KLC database; their local ILS will “become” part of the KLC. Searching the KLC will search the database AND all the Z target libraries at the same time.

This plan will allow the State Library to purchase fewer duplicate records from OCLC. Currently, Kansas libraries add their holdings to WorldCat. The State Library then pays OCLC for a copy of each record to put into the KLC.

This plan will also streamline the interlibrary loan process, as Z target libraries will only receive ILL requests from the AGent system for items on the shelf and available. The KLC will more quickly reflect updates to local catalogs.

Libraries that have questions about their ILS’s compliance with Z39.50 standards, or specific questions about their library’s status, may contact Jeff Hixon (e-mail: jeffh@kslib.info, or phone 785/296-3154) or Rhonda Machlan (e-mail: rmachlan@kslib.info, or phone 785/296-5110).
Management, Rural & Small Libraries, Uncategorized
Spring comes in like a Lion….
March 3rd, 2008 | Permalink | 1 Comment

(and if you live in Kansas)…..goes out like a phoenix. Well this past Sunday was something wasn’t it? 70 degrees at noon, and 40 by the early afternoon. And I can’t remember, but it sure seems like this might have been one of the first thunderstorms of the year in my area.

And with storms come damaging rains, hail, winds, and lightening. In Kansas we also get our share of tornadoes, flash floods, ice storms, droughts…..well you name it we get it. As librarians we have a duty to make sure that our libraries are prepared, but we also have the added duty of being a place that people come for help in times of emergency.

Which brings me to my point. (and yes I have one)

The time for emergency preparedness is now! There is so much to figure out and so many things to plan for that it can make a librarian’s head spin, melt, and/or explode. The good news is that the folks at webjunction have been talking about this topic for awhile now, and there are plenty of good resources to choose from and use.

One way to find this information is to do a search on the WebJunction site for “emergency preparedness” or “disaster planning”, you will find many good search results.

Try the discussion boards as well.

So whether your decision is to run for the hills, or to head for the basement, make sure you have a plan when disaster strikes.

photo courtesy of millicent bystander at flickr.com
2.0, Uncategorized
Music makes the wwworld go wrong
February 14th, 2008 | Permalink | Comment?

I am sure we are all familiar with the phrase “Music makes the world go round.” This is true in real life, and our other real life: the online world.

As a big music junkie I would like to pass along the following recommendations to those of you needing a boost of new tunage.

LastFm

Users can create custom radio stations and playlists from any of the audio tracks in Last.fm’s music library, and are able to listen to some individual tracks on demand, and in some cases download tracks if the creator has given permission.

Pandora

Users enter a song or artist that they enjoy, and the service responds by playing selections that are musically similar. Users provide feedback on the individual song choices — approval or disapproval — which Pandora takes into account for future selections.

Project Playlist

Project Playlist is an information location tool similar to Google but devoted entirely to the world of music. The purpose is to help you find and enjoy music legally throughout the web in the same way that other search engines help you find webpages, images, and other media.

See good things really do come in threes.

Happy Valentine’s Day!