Spotlight on: STAT!Ref

Have your heard the latest on ACP PIER? It's the American College of Physicians Physicians' Information and Education Resource and it's the #1 rated evidence-based point of care tool according to a recent study.

Did you know that the library provides you with access to the latest editions of Davis's Drug Guide for Nurses, DSM-IV-TR and Taber's Cyclopedic Medical Dictionary - all online?

Have you ever wanted to find a unit/dose converter, equations, multicalcs, decisions trees or clinical criteria? Well, it's all there and much more when you log on to MedCalc 3000, a computerized medical reference and tool set.

These and other resources can be found in a cross-searchable, healthcare reference that integrates over 70 core titles with evidence-based resources and innovative tools in one site.

It's called STAT!Ref and it's available to you right now!

Go to Pipeline and click on the Libraries tab. Then choose Databases and look for STAT!Ref under Nursing and Health Sciences.

Spotlight on: CQ Researcher

What is CQ Researcher?

The CQ Researcher report offers in-depth, non-biased coverage of political and social issues, with regular reports on topics in health, international affairs, education, the environment, technology and the U.S. economy. Each report can be read in its entirety or by section, which include a background and chronology; an assessment of the current situation; tables and maps; pro/con statements from representatives of opposing positions; and bibliographies of key sources.

Some recent reports include:

• Medication Abuse (10/9/09)
• Nuclear Disarmament (10/2/09)
• Gays in the Military (9/18/09)
• State Budget Crisis (9/11/09)
• Health Care Reform (8/28/09)

When to use the CQ Researcher?

• When you're unsure about a topic you've selected and what to learn more.
• When you're ready to start your research and want a comprehensive overview of the topic or issue you've chosen.
• If you're in need of additional sources. You'll find a bibliography in each report.
• If you want to include statistics or color charts and tables, each report is sure to include several of each.
• If you want to explore an issue from two opposing viewpoints. Each report includes pro/con statements from opposite sides of the argument. This is probably the most important feature of this resource.

How do I access the CQ Researcher?

Log on to Pipeline and select the Libraries tab. Click Databases in the upper right hand corner and look for CQ Researcher.

Call the Reference Desk at 236-5803 if you have any questions about this or any other library resource.

Wikipedia is fast food for your mind

A loaded double cheeseburger with bacon and a pile of french fries can be a delicious and filling meal with some nutritional value. However, it's also loaded with fat, sodium, calories, and lots of chemicals. A fast food meal is fine if it's an occasional guilty pleasure but it's not something to eat everyday if your aim is a healthy body. Wikipedia is like a fast food chain of the Internet - a place for quick, easy, and conveniently packaged information. But this information often comes with a lot of junk mixed in like speculation, incorrect facts, libelous statements, and other misinformation. Is Wikipedia the kind of resource you want to be risking your grade, or your college education, on?

So where do you go? Well, your library has over eighty databases which contain credible, authoritative information published by reputable publishers and vendors. Our databases contain information that you cannot readily access on the Internet. Free is not necessarily better when it comes to your education.

One of the databases to turn to when you're first starting your research is the Gale Virtual Reference Library (GVRL). This database gives you access to 157 encyclopedias and almanacs. These are specialized encyclopedias with lengthy articles covering a wide range of disciplines and topics written by established authors and academics in their fields.

Let's say your topic is on an issue dealing with the environment. The following are GVRL titles you can choose from:

• Encyclopedia of Environmental Ethics and Philosophy , 2009
• Encyclopedia of Global Warming and Climate Change , 2008
• Climate Change: In Context , 2008
• Environmental Encyclopedia , 2003
• Environmental Science: In Context , 2009
• Managing Biodiversity in Agricultural Ecosystems , 2007
• UXL Encyclopedia of Water Science , 2005
• Water: Science and Issues , 2003

You can search within a specific title or search the entire collection of 157 titles at the same time. Articles can be downloaded, printed, or e-mailed as a PDF file. There are features which allow you to download an audio MP3 file or even translate the entire written article into your choice of 10 languages. GVRL has titles covering many other subject areas.

Quit your junk info habit today. Your library's databases are the best source for credible, authoritative information - nutrition for your mind! Log on to Pipeline today and click the Libraries tab to get started.

Learn about St. Damien

Father Damien

The Road to Sainthood

Did you know that this Sunday October 11, 2009, Blessed Father Damien de Veuster will be canonized into Sainthood by Pope Benedict XVI at the Vatican City in Rome?! Come and check out our Father Damien display over at Atherton Library! It's once in a lifetime that we get to witness the canonizing of a Saint; Father Damien's ties to Hawaii make this event even more amazing. His self-less dedication and service to the patients of Hansen's disease at Kalaupapa make him truly worthy of this great honor. In fact, one of the miracles attributed to Father Damien took place right here in Honolulu!

We have some great materials right here in the library about Father Damien; some titles include:

• Holy Man: Father Damien of Molokai by Gavan Daws
• The Lands of Father Damien: Kalaupapa, Molokai, Hawaii by James Brocker
• Damien by Aldyth Morris
• Kalaupapa National Historical Park and the Legacy of Father Damien: a pictorial history by Anwei Skinsnes
  

For more information come in and check out our display!

The Honolulu Advertiser also has a great timeline of Father Damien's journey to Sainthood. You can check it out here: Father Damien's Journey to Sainthood

H1N1 Flu Information

Due to the global outbreak of Pandemic H1N1 Influenza (formerly known as Swine Flu) and concerns about the 2009/2010 flu season, EBSCO Publishing (EBSCO) and our medical and nursing editors have made the pertinent influenza information from our resources available for free to health care providers worldwide. This site includes more than 50 evidence-based topics including patient education information in 17 languages.

The information provided For Clinicians and For Nurses consolidates the best-available evidence from hundreds of medical and nursing journals and systematic evidence review databases. Each publication is reviewed cover-to-cover, and each article is evaluated for clinical relevance and scientific validity. The new evidence is then integrated with existing content, and overall conclusions are changed as appropriate representing a synthesis of the best available evidence and ensuring that health care providers stay current with recommendations for monitoring, diagnosing, and treating patients with flu-like illnesses.

The For Patients section includes the latest information on Pandemic H1N1 and Seasonal Influenza. These patient topics take advantage of the same evidence-based methodology and literature surveillance process as the topics written for healthcare providers. The resources are written specifically for patients, their families, co-workers, parents and teachers—anyone interested in learning more about the various strains of the flu or what to do it they or someone they know is diagnosed.

The patient education information provides non-medical professionals with current, easy to understand articles about Pandemic H1N1 and Seasonal Flu. The information may also be used by physicians and nurses as patient handouts.

The EBSCO editorial teams will continue to monitor information and update these resources as needed throughout the upcoming flu season.