In this issue:

The Director's Report: Computer Education Ctr and Renovation Update

PDA Support

New Proxy Service -
EZ Proxy

Library Classes on Demand

Pubmed Update

Open Access Update and UCONN's BiomedCentral Membership

Web Watcher:
Medical Entomology and Parasitology

New Drug Database: Epocrates Rx Online

Journal Cancellations for 2004

New Books in the Library

Books in Print Online and
Ulrich's Periodical's Directory Online

Update Archives

The Director’s Report by Ralph D. Arcari, Ph.D Director, Lyman Maynard Stowe Library

Computer Education Center

The computer classrooms and the independent computer study area in the Library, the CEC, has been renovated as part of the general renovation of the Library’s public service areas currently underway. The CEC is the first area to be completed in order to be accessible for the start of academic year. Previously, modular panels separated the Macintosh classroom, the PC classroom, and the area where both computer platforms were represented for individual student use. The new CEC has rooms with floor to ceiling walls that allow classes to be conducted without disturbing others. There is also a counter on which students can plug in their laptops for network access. The new lighting, rearrangement of rooms, color coordinated wall coverings and wooden cabinetry result in contemporary setting for the information technology used here. The classrooms now have ceiling mounted data projectors and, subsequently, two electronic smart white boards will be installed. Writing and diagrams placed on these boards can be saved to a computer file. Because of space considerations, CEC usage is limited to students enrolled at the University of Connecticut Health Center and to computer training courses for UCHC staff. The CEC is open during Library hours.

Renovation

The general renovation is proceeding on schedule. The next area to be opened will be the central part of the main floor. Here a single point of service desk for circulation and reference functions will be installed. There will also be comfortable seating, study tables and bathrooms. This stage of the renovation is to be completed by October.

The final stage of the renovation is that of the twenty-four hour study room which will be constructed where the present circulation desk and circulation staff offices are located. This study room is scheduled for completion by January 1, 2005.

PDAs

Third year medical students were required for the first time this year to have Personal Digital Assistants for use in conjunction with their clinical rotations. Library staff have provided weekly PDA clinics from 4:30 to 6:30 on Tuesday evenings to help students learn how to effectively download information from multiple databases. Information formats and access means may change from paper to librarian-mediated computer-assisted literature searching to handheld information technology. The Library remains central to information access and training.