| 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
Editor:
Robert M. Joven, MLS Information & Education Services Ext. 8493 E-mail
- joven@uchc.edu
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 |
PDA
Support
by Evelyn
Morgen, MLS
Associate Director
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A major technological
challenge here at the UConn School of Medicine was successfully met this
year. Third year medical students were required to purchase their own
PDAs and download specific databases for use during their clinical experiences.
The library was charged with helping support the students by purchasing
the recommended databases for downloading, and then helping the students
learn how to use them.
To meet this challenge, the library updated its PDA Resources page with
specific information for our students http://library.uchc.edu/pda/
. We noted which resources are required, and provided links. All the links
on this comprehensive page were tested and updated. Our staff also created
some additional specialized “help” pages that were posted
by the Health Science Education Center on Blackboard. With our PDA page
and the Blackboard help sheets, students have 24 hour access to step-by-step
instructions so they can set up their own PDAs and install the required
databases. The library also provided a self-service PDA Syncing Station
in the library with a comprehensive notebook of detailed instructions
for those students who do not have high speed internet access at home,
or who preferred to set up their PDAs where there is staff to provide
assistance.
Finally, because many third year students cannot get to the library during
the day, we established a “PDA Clinic” on Tuesday evenings
from 4:30 to 6:30 that is voluntarily staffed on a rotating basis. This
has been very popular, and the librarians staffing it have helped dozens
of students who had run unto problems they couldn’t solve, or who
needed help getting started. We will be discontinuing this PDA Clinic
when the Computer Education Center is staffed during evening hours, but
it has served an important role.
It has been an exciting and rewarding project to provide PDA support,
and we are pleased that the implementation of handhelds at the School
of Medicine has been enhanced by our involvement. It is also encouraging
to note that our staff has the expertise to provide this support so that
we can all participate.
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