University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center

current issue	archive	subscribe	about	contact us

Current Issue  Volume 31, Number 2, March/April 2008
  [PDF Version]

• From the Desk of the Director
• HSLIC Brings Health Information to the Public at the News 4 Health Fair
• New Color Copier for Student Use
• New Version of Learning Central
• Second Life—A Popular and Affordable Virtual Environment for Educators, Librarians, and Researchers
• Distance Services Program: Meeting the Health Information Needs of New Mexico
• Graduate Medical Education – Online Modules
• Domenici Center Student Lounge Now Available 24x7
• UNM Moodle Designers Group
• HSLIC and the Native American Research Centers for Health (NARCH)
• Web 2.0 Technology: MASHUPS
• SGID Marks
• Movin’ In and Movin’ Up

[top]

HSLIC Brings Health Information to the Public at the News 4 Health Fair

For its second year, HSLIC participated as an exhibitor at the KOBTV Eyewitness News 4 Health Fair under the pavilion of the University of New Mexico Hospitals on January 26 and 27. Five HSLIC library services staff members - Dick Carr, Henry Guenther, Cory Meyer, Sarah Morley, and Barbara Nail-Chiwetalu - worked shifts to bring free, authoritative consumer health information to the general public through demonstrations of online resources via live Internet, and a wide range of brochures and giveaways providing direction to reputable health information.

Over the course of two days, approximately 144 people visited the HSLIC booth, most of whom were members of the public, with a few exhibitors and health care professionals stopping by to make specific inquiries as well. The majority of the demonstrations were of online databases available for free through the National Library of Medicine (NLM). Booth staff talked with members of the public about their interest in health information and customized live searches to meet the needs of individuals.

With the multitude of health information so readily available through the Internet from a search engine, such as Google, there is a critical need for people to be aware of how to evaluate health information for its authoritativeness, currency, readability, and applicability to their needs. Visitors to the booth who said that they used the Internet to find health information often referenced WebMD as their source or used Google and did their best to sift through the multitude of Web sites of varying quality. Staff highlighted MedlinePlus®, a free consumer health database from NLM that provides health topics, some for persons with low literacy. A Spanish version is also readily available by the click of a button in the corner of the screen. NLM's relatively new consumer health publication, NIH MedlinePlus Magazine, available both in print and online, was also well-received. Visitors interested in finding health-related services in New Mexico were introduced to the online directories, New Mexico Health Connection and Tribal Connections Four Corners, which are part of NLM's Go Local® project and maintained by HSLIC's Distance Services Program.

The NLM provides numerous free online resources for health consumers which include general health, toxicology, and resources for special populations such as American Indian, Spanish-speaking, and senior populations. For consumer health information, visit NLM online.

Barbara Nail-Chiwetalu, PhD, MLS
Coordinator
Distance Services

[top]

[top]

New Version of Learning Central

In April 2008, UNM began using an upgraded version of Learning Central. Learning Central is UNM's learning management system that schedules and delivers training for UNM faculty and staff and maintains records of that training in one central system integrated with the Banner HR system.

As a learner, you will notice two changes. First, the name of your role changes. Learning Central will refer to you as a "user" rather than a "learner." This name change reflects the many activities that you do in Learning Central—browse the Catalog, review your learning history, register for training, complete evaluations and online training modules. Second, as a user, you will be able to filter your learning plan. This means that you can group items on your learning plan by type (e.g. all online training together, all classroom training together), by assignment type (i.e. all required together), by due date (i.e. all due within next 30 days together), or by status (i.e. group all items that you have started but not completed). You can also sort your Learning History by item type, completion status, or by completion date.

As a supervisor, you will be able to use the new dashboard view that allows you to quickly view your employees and their learning plans. You can sort employees' training by due date. You can use the new Organization Chart to find and navigate to any of your employees to check their learning plans, check required training, and approve requests. NOTE: This chart is only used in and by Learning Central. This is not tied to Banner. It is populated when an employee selects you as their supervisor. If you note any incorrect employees, please contact that person and ask them to remove you as their supervisor in Learning Central.

As an administrative user, including instructors, report specialists, and administrators, you will notice many enhancements. Instructors and report specialists will see new icons and Quick Links on the left side of the screen, which will help you look up scheduled offerings, record learning, and view employee training histories. Administrative users may select frequently used search criteria and make them "stick" so that you do not have to use the advanced search options. Users can save reports and automatically look for employees who fit their initial search criteria. Sending email to all employees enrolled in a scheduled offering or to all employees who have completed an online course is another new feature of the new version of Learning Central.

You will find information, tipsheets, and tutorials in Learning Central. Help is always available. If you are a UNM employee, check FastInfo, UNM's knowledge base at fastinfo.unm.edu. HSC employees can also call the HSC Help Desk at 272-1694. If you are a UNMH employee, contact the UNMH HelpDesk at 272-3282.

Deb LaPointe, PhD
Assistant Director Education Development
Learning Design Center

[top]

[top]

Distance Services Program: Meeting the Health Information Needs of New Mexico

The Health Sciences Library and Informatics Center (HSLIC) has served as a Resource Library for the state of New Mexico for over 20 years. The Distance Services Program, coordinated by Barbara Nail-Chiwetalu, extends the reach of HSLIC throughout the state of New Mexico by providing access to health information, training on how to use health-related resources, and consultations to persons unaffiliated with the University of New Mexico. Typically, these persons include health care professionals, librarians, and health consumers. The Native American Health Information Services (NAHIS), managed by Patricia Bradley, is a part of the Distance Services Program which specifically extends services to the Native American populations within New Mexico.

While HSLIC's journals, books, and databases are readily available to visitors of the library, health care professionals, government agencies, and members of the public throughout the state of New Mexico may use HSLIC's fee-based interlibrary loan (ILL) and document delivery services. Eligible persons can register with ILL services to have journal articles, books, and book chapters delivered to them upon request. In addition, those who search the free biomedical database, MEDLINE (PubMed®), can order articles that are not freely-available on the Web through the fee-based Loansome Doc service by registering with a designated "ordering library" such as HSLIC. To register and create an account with HSLIC, call Lisa Romero at 272-8052.

The Distance Services Program provides health information training to health care professionals and community groups. Classes may be customized to meet particular needs of participants and may be taught at HSLIC or in another part of the state. Employees of HSLIC also present at conferences and events in the community highlighting free health information and resources through demonstrations, classes, and exhibits.

HSLIC participates in the National Library of Medicine's Go Local project with two freely-available products managed by the Distance Services Program. New Mexico Health Connection is an online directory of health services covering the entire state of New Mexico, organized by health topic and region. The Tribal Connections Four Corners Go Local directory concentrates specifically on the Native American populations in the Four Corners region.

In order to better meet the diverse and extensive health information needs of New Mexico, the Distance Services Program looks to establish partnerships with other organizations involved in community health outreach in order to share expertise and resources. For further information about the Distance Services Program, contact Barbara Nail-Chiwetalu, Distance Services Coordinator at 272-0757 or via email or Patricia Bradley, Native Services Librarian at 272-0664 or via email.

Barbara Nail-Chiwetalu, PhD, MLS
Coordinator
Distance Services

[top]

[top]

Domenici Center Student Lounge Now Available 24x7

HSC students now have weekend and after-hours proximity card access to the Domenici Center student lounge. A March 10th inaugural gathering celebrated this expansion of student resources. The celebration was hosted by the Health Sciences Library and Informatics Center and emceed by Library Deputy Director Janis Teal.

College of Pharmacy student Harmony Bowles and School of Medicine student Robert Dietz expressed their appreciation of having round the clock access to the lounge. They spoke of the usefulness to students of gathering places, such as the Domenici Center student lounge, where students could talk together to work on projects, study, and socialize.

Speakers HSC Deputy Executive Vice President John Trotter, College of Pharmacy Dean John Pieper, College of Pharmacy Associate Dean Don Godwin, College of Nursing Interim Dean Karen Carlson, and College of Nursing Acting Senior Associate Dean Jean Giddens all spoke of the lounge 24x7 access as a step towards needed additional student activity space at the HSC.

Dick Carr, MLS, AHIP
Coordinator
Reference & User Support Services

[top]

[top]

HSLIC and the Native American Research Centers for Health (NARCH)

The development of the Southern Colorado New Mexico (SoCoNM) NARCH in 2005 was the beginning of an extraordinary opportunity for HSLIC to provide health information services to a specific population through a unique partnership. A NARCH is a partnership between a research intensive university and an American Indian tribe or tribal organization. NARCH is funded by the National Institutes of Health's agencies, centers and offices in collaboration with the US Indian Health Service (IHS). HSLIC is part of the University of New Mexico's Administrative Core of the Southern Colorado New Mexico NARCH or SoCoNM NARCH in partnership with the Albuquerque Area Indian Health Board (AAIHB).

The SoCoNM NARCH is one of 16 NARCH's in the country. HSLIC is the only library that is known to be part of a NARCH. Patricia Bradley, Native Services Librarian works closely with the HSC's Center for Native American Health (CNAH), also a NARCH core member, towards the goals of the SoCoNM NARCH. She also holds the only dedicated native services position in an academic health sciences library in the United States.

The goals of the NARCH's are to encourage research on health disparities affecting Native Americans, increase the number of Native American scientists, health professionals and health researchers, and work to reduce distrust by Native communities towards health research.

HSLIC's Native Health Database (NHD) is the focus of this partnership. It provides a clearinghouse function as a high-quality, single source of information focused on historical and contemporary American Indian, Alaska Native, and Canadian First Nations health and medical issues.

In partnership with the CNAH and the AAIHB, Ms. Bradley made seven presentations in 2006-2007. The NHD has been used as a training tool for students and community members to show them the end product of research, as a tool for teaching the basics of online searching, and to demonstrate the important issues in Native health. Other activities have included leading library tours for Native high school students and presenting the NHD at monthly Native HSC student events. HSLIC also provides a CNAH graduate research assistant with a chance to work for four hours per week on special projects to enhance and improve the NHD.

In the third year of the NARCH projected activities include training prospective Native researchers in preparing professional oral and visual presentations, including how to write a structured abstract. The NARCH ends in September 2009.

Patricia Bradley, MLS
Native Services Librarian
Distance Services

[top]

[top]

SGID Marks

Faculty members, Ingrid Hendrix and Sarah Morley recently took part in the Third Annual UNM Community conference for Faculty. The day-long conference "Success in the Classroom: Sharing Practices That Work" was held at the UNM SUB on February 21, 2008.

Presenting a paper entitled "SGID Marks: Instructional Assessment," Ingrid and Sarah shared their experience using a classroom assessment technique known as small group instructional design (SGID). Typically performed mid-point in the semester by a facilitator not connected to the class, this interactive assessment tool is used to gather information about a course. Small groups come to consensus on key issues related to the course and present the results to the entire class. Every student then has the opportunity to vote on whether they agree, disagree, or are neutral for each issue.

Using the data gathered the facilitator gives the course instructor relevant feedback that can be incorporated before the course ends. In class voting ensures greater participation in the process while collecting topics with the broadest appeal for inclusion in the assessment.

For additional information about the SGID process, feel free to contact Sarah Morley or Ingrid Hendrix.

Sarah Morley, MLS
Clinical Services Librarian
Reference & User Support Services

Ingrid Hendrix, MILS
Nursing Services Librarian
Reference & User Support Services

[top]

[top]

about adobe medicus

Library Director: Holly Shipp Buchanan, EdD, MBA, MLn
Design & Layout: Catherine Brandenburg

What do you think of this publication? Please send us your feedback: CBrandenburg@salud.unm.edu

 

This document is protected by the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-Sharealike 2.5 License