HSLIC News

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) celebrates its 34th anniversary on July 26, 2024. This landmark and transformative legislation guarantees that people with disabilities have the same opportunities regarding employment, access to public services, public telecommunications, and accommodations as everyone else.

Signed into law on July 26, 1990, by President George H.W. Bush, the ADA protects people with disabilities from discrimination and advances equality for all.

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) is composed of five major titles--each title addresses different areas of public life where discrimination against individuals with disabilities can occur. Here are the major areas or titles of the ADA:

 I.  Employment

 II.  Public Services

III.  Public Accommodations and Services Offered by Private Entities

IV.  Telecommunications 

V.  Miscellaneous Provisions

For more information on the Americans with Disabilities Act, visit https://www.ada.gov

For information about the disability laws in New Mexico:  https://www.gcd.nm.gov/disability-laws/

If you have questions about the ADA, or need information about an ADA issue, see:  https://www.ada.gov/infoline/

Happy 34th Birthday Americans with Disabilities Act!!!!!!

Moses Moya, MLIS was promoted to Division Head for Public Services in May 2024 after more than three years as our Metadata Specialist. With over 20 years of experience at UNM, Moses has developed extensive knowledge in library operations, specializing in metadata management, cataloging, and public services. His expertise and commitment to excellence have significantly contributed to enhancing library services and user experience at HSLIC. In his new role, he continues to drive the library's mission forward, focusing on improving public service operations and fostering a collaborative environment. His dedication to advancing library services and his visionary leadership make him an invaluable asset to the organization and the community it serves.

Moses is also a softball coach, an avid basketball player, and a father of three. He brings great humor, insight, and kindness to HSLIC, and we are delighted he took on his new role.

The Special Collections webpage was recently updated to highlight new online content and make locating resources easier.

Split into three main sections (Learn About Our Collections, Digital Collections, and Using Special Collections), the webpage offers quick links to our A-Z subject guide, Special Collections research guide, access policies and procedures, FAQs, and online resources. These changes make for a more streamlined page that is easier to navigate. 

The webpage also has a direct link to contribute to the New Mexico Health Historical Fund. This fund supports Special Collections by providing money for preservation supplies, such as acid-free folders and boxes, as well as additional department needs.

Postcard, early 20th century, Valmora Industrial Sanatorium records, HHC 239

The Health Sciences Library and Informatics Center (HSLIC) is excited to be the recipient of $9,234.00 in grant funding from the Network of the National Libraries of Medicine (NNLM) Region 4 to further HSLIC's work in New Mexico Public Libraries. 

HSLIC is the state’s only public academic health sciences library and strives to improve health and health equity for all New Mexicans.  HSLIC seeks to engage with diverse underserved populations through rural public libraries and connect library staff with the appropriate NLM/NNLM resources and training.

The project goal is as follows:

The University of New Mexico Health Sciences Library and Informatics Center seeks to improve underserved communities’ access to health information by working with rural libraries to broaden knowledge of NNLM resources.  The following two objectives will be supported:

• Engage with rural libraries interested in supporting their communities’ health information needs and provide library staff with the information and possible training needed to maximize use of MedlinePlus resources.
• Provide rural library staff with information on earning MLA’s Consumer Health Information Specialization (CHIS) certification on demand so that they can be better prepared to help library patrons access and interpret quality health information.

HSLIC is looking forward to working with both State and UNM agencies as part of this project and is grateful for the support provided by NNLM Region 4.

At HSLIC we are committed to providing you with the best tools to streamline and accelerate your research, which is exactly what the LibKey Nomad browser extension does. Here’s why you should download it today:

• Seamless Access to Full Text Articles: LibKey Nomad simplifies your research by providing one-click access to full-text articles. When you search for articles on PubMed and other publisher websites, LibKey Nomad instantly connects you to the full text available through HSLIC’s subscriptions and to articles available through Open Access. No more wasting time navigating through multiple links and logins.
• Enhanced Research Productivity: Using the extension will you save you time, so that you can focus more on your research and less on searching.
• Instant Access to PDFs: Are you tired of looking for the link to download a PDF? As shown in the image below:

1. The LibKey Nomad Extension provides a button to immediately download the PDF if available.
2. If the PDF is not available, a link to view the article in another format or request it via InterLibrary Loan will be provided.
3. If you would like to view the article in context along with other articles in the journal issue, a link to BrowZine is available.

How to install? Go to HSLIC’s Guide on How to Install LibKey Nomad. The extension is compatible with popular browsers like Chrome, Firefox, Edge, and Safari. Simply add the extension, select "University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center" as your institution, and you’re all set.  Please note that the extension currently only works on desktops and laptops.

Once installed, look for the Nomad teardrop icon and simply click to see your download options.

If you have any questions, please reach out to us via Ask A Librarian.

UNM’s Research Opportunities for Science Educators (ROSE) Program offers science educators from all over New Mexico the chance to work with lab researchers in discovery-based research. One of this summer’s ROSE Scholars, Margaret Lewis, a 30-year teaching veteran from Las Vegas, NM, designed a 3D model to help UNM researchers on their project. The researchers, Jarek Maleszka, Ifigeneia Tsironi Tzinious, and Elvis Attah, work under Dr. Jean-Hubert Olivier in UNM’s Department of Chemistry & Chemical Biology.  

Maleszka describes their project as follows: “We want to develop more robust brain-machine interface coatings that can withstand the foreign body response when implanted into the brain. Since electrodes tend to be hard and stiff, there is a mechanical mismatch at the brain interface, causing the degradation of the brain electrodes to be quickened. Our strategy involves applying a hydrogel coating that can soften the material and make it closer in mechanical properties to the brain tissue surrounding it. Our coating also contains a drug that is also used to slow down the foreign body response. It does this by binding iron around the implant site to slow the reactions that cause the degradation of the wires. This is done by sustaining the release of the drug on the order of weeks, and overall prolonging the lifetime of the implant (so people don't need to get a brain surgery every week!).” 

Lewis, who had previously brought her experience with 3D printing into her work as a Chemistry and Physics teacher, designed a new scaffold for loading the microwires in a way that makes the coating of them far easier. Lewis created a 3D model for this scaffold and Maleszka prepared it for printing on HSLIC’s 3D printer. Typically, users of HSLIC’s 3D Printer choose PLA filament for their models, but in this case the acetone from the production of the hydrogel would end up degrading the scaffold. As part of HSLIC’s 3D Printing services, we offer nylon filament as an option, but this was the first time since we got the 3D Printer that we had an occasion to use it. The model required support material, which we printed in water soluble PVA.  

After coating the microwires on this nylon scaffold, the microwires then get sent to Dr. Abishek Prasad, of The Miami Project to Cure Paralysis at the Miller School of Medicine at the University of Miami. Dr. Prasad will then implant the electrodes into rat models to test the efficacy of the treatment. For more information about this type of brain electrode research, see this recent paper:  Implantable brain–computer interface for neuroprosthetic-enabled volitional hand grasp restoration in spinal cord injury. 

HSLIC staff welcomed this opportunity to participate in a project that featured so many connections: between health sciences and chemistry, secondary education and laboratory research, Albuquerque and Miami, as well as the HSC Campus and the UNM Main Campus. 

HSLIC is thrilled to announce that Dr. Danielle Maurici-Pollock has been honored with the prestigious Beta Phi Mu Award by the American Library Association. This recognition celebrates her exceptional contributions to library and information science education.

HSLIC welcomed Danielle as our Research Data Specialist in December 2023. Prior to joining UNM, she was at Simmons University School of Library and Information Science. Her dedication to advancing the field, innovative teaching methods, and commitment to student success have set her apart as a leader and mentor.

Through her leadership in the field, Danielle has inspired the next generation of information professionals to consider the needs of research, the bias of data, and the possibilities of ethical information use.

Danielle’s scholarship focuses on the role of data in publishing and research, as noted in her recent co-authored articles “What if Academic Publishing Worked Like Fan Publishing,” and “The Role of Scientific Data in Emerging Research Community.”

Reflecting on the honor, Danielle said, "I am humbled and honored to be this year's recipient of the Beta Phi Mu Award and join a distinguished list of winners. What made this award particularly special was reading about the positive experiences of my former students. I look forward to continuing my teaching and research here at UNM and the contributions I'll be able to make to HSLIC."

This fall, Danielle will be teaching in the UNM School of Medicine, focusing on the importance of data management. Her teaching will emphasize the critical role that data management plays in healthcare, benefiting our students and enhancing their educational experience.

"We are fortunate to have such a talented and nationally respected library sciences educator and researcher on our faculty," said HSLIC’s Executive Director Melissa L. Rethlefsen.  "We are so proud of her for receiving this well-deserved award. I encourage our graduate students to take her upcoming class on data management for a great learning experience."

Danielle’s achievements reflect the high standards of excellence we strive for at UNM and highlight the significant contributions our faculty make to their respective fields.

Please join us in congratulating Danielle on this well-deserved accolade!

Photos:
Danielle Maurici-Pollock with Beta Phi Mu Award. (Photo by Laura Hall, 2024).
Danielle Maurici-Pollock receiving the Beta Phi Mu Award with ALA President Emily Drabinski. EPNAC.com/American Library Association (2024).

This week the new UNM medical students begin their journey toward becoming physicians. Our state urgently needs new physicians to care for its diverse populations so students will begin their training immediately!

Education

Medical students quickly use the skills and resources that they learn from Health Sciences Library and Informatics Center (HSLIC) faculty for their Health of New Mexico Block. Within a few weeks, they will apply different skills and use resources for their series of Clinical Reasoning courses that they take during the first 18 months of their program. They will learn these skills and resources at a training session on Tuesday July 16^th.

Resources

Many of the resources that medical students will use for their Clinical Reasoning courses can be found in the HSLIC Clinical Reasoning Guide. 

Popular resources include:

• AccessMedicine
• ClinicalKey
• LWW Health Library
• LWW Health Library Board Review series

Throughout their time at UNM medical students will access reserve resources for their blocks and courses such as textbooks, manuals, models, and videos. Medical students can freely access the thousands of other texts, journals, test prep tools such as Board Vitals and other information sources to supplement the reserve resources placed by block or course faculty members.

Services

HSLIC faculty and staff can provide medical students assistance through the Ask a Librarian link on the HSLIC homepage or in-person. Contractors are renovating the main entrance Second-Floor area so simply climb the stairs or take the elevator to the Third Floor to find the HSLIC in-person service desk.

We look forward to working with you over the next four years!

The Health Sciences Library & Informatics Center (HSLIC) lost our very dear friend, colleague and mentor, Dr. Gale Hannigan on June 27th.  Gale was a kind and generous individual who gave her time, expertise and support to her colleagues here at HSLIC, our national organization and many friends all over the country and the world. She is, and will continue to be, greatly missed and remembered.

Gale began her career as a medical librarian at the Houston Academy of Medicine-Texas Medical Center Library in 1977 after obtaining her Masters of Library and Information Studies from University of California Berkeley. She received her Masters of Public Health degree from the University of Texas in May 1982 and her PhD in Information Science from the University of North Texas in 2000.   

Gale worked in many different settings, at Baylor College of Medicine’s Department of Family Medicine, the University of Minnesota's Bio-Medical Library, the Upjohn Pharmaceutical Company, and at the Texas A&M University Medical Sciences Library. While at Texas A&M, she taught courses in librarianship at the University of Texas School of Library and Information Sciences. She became a Medical Informatics Specialist and was appointed the Director of Informatics for Medical Education, a position she held until her retirement from Texas A&M in 2011.   Not to be deterred by something as minor as retirement, Dr. Hannigan took a new part-time faculty position here at HSLIC , where she was an active expert searcher, educator, researcher, and informatics leader.

Gale served as a leader in the Medical Library Association as well.   Her publications, library school teaching, CE courses, and her mentoring has brought her praise from all corners of the country. A special highlight was her role as the Co-Chair for the MLA Task Force to Review MLA’s Competencies for Lifelong Learning and Professional Success leading to the creation of the much-acclaimed and subsequently influential MLA Competencies.   Her career evolved to a greater focus on medical informatics and education for health sciences libraries. While at HSLIC, she was an active member of the planning group for the HSLIC’s BioMISS program, a seminar series devoted to providing the informatics community at the University of New Mexico and beyond information about recent research in the field. Her work in the medical informatics space in libraries was truly innovative and groundbreaking. After coming to New Mexico, she collaborated with informatics faculty to explore new areas of research and education in this field, ensuring that the fledging program here survived and thrived.

She was a Fellow of the Medical Library Association (FMLA) and a Distinguished Member of the Academy of Health Information Professionals and was given three of MLA's highest honors: the Lucretia W. McClure Excellence in Education Award, the Estelle Brodman Award for Academic Health Sciences Librarian of the Year, and the President's Award. She was also recognized by her colleagues at the Health Sciences Library & Informatics Center with an Exemplary Service Award and her alma mater, the University of North Texas' Department of Information Science, with its Outstanding Alumni Award.

Gale was not only an active member of our faculty, she was the lead expert searcher on our team. She continually provided quiet, thoughtful leadership and mentorship for our other faculty and staff, and she focused on being inclusive in every aspect of her work, whether bringing in others on her projects or requesting advice and peer review of her search strategies.  Her kindness and generosity impacted all of us.  One of her colleagues, Dr. Jon Eldredge, said "I spoke at a research conference in 1990 about my fear that our profession was going to be sidelined by the lack of rigorous or relevant research constituting our knowledge base.  After my talk, Gale approached me and we engaged in a long discussion. I will never forget how Gale encouraged me to continue to speak out on how to improve our research base.  In retrospect, it was her active intellectual engagement over the decades that defined my professional relationship with Gale, a legacy I treasure.”

HSLIC’s Executive Director Melissa Rethlefsen added, "Gale had a tremendous positive influence on the direction and climate within our library. Not only was she calm, thoughtful, and endlessly inclusive, she remained flush with exciting ideas that spurred us to think about bettering our library and our world… I cannot really remember a time when I didn't recognize her name as one of the greats in our field. But, it wasn't until I got to work with her that I truly understood how great she actually was. I feel honored to have worked with her."

“I will always remember Gale as a kind and encouraging colleague and mentor.   I valued her insights, expertise, support and enthusiasm.  But what I will miss most about Gale is her friendship.” Ingrid Hendrix, Division Head, Research, Education and Clinical Information Services.

“I had the privilege of working with Gale for a year.  She was unfailingly generous with her knowledge.  Her constant kindness and generosity will always inspire me.” Deirdre Caparoso, Outreach and Community Engagement Librarian.

“I will always be grateful to Gale for driving me to see a doctor when I had double vision and could not see to drive myself.  At the time, I did not know that I had multiple sclerosis, and Gale was there to help me in that dark time.” Deborah Rhue, Clinical Services Librarian.

"Working with Gale allowed me to witness a way of life that combines excellence, kindness, and self-care.  Gale prioritized people, and she went above and beyond to clarify and meet their needs. She cared deeply for people, volunteering her time to support and enable the success of others. Finally, Gale loved nature, and she made time to enjoy it. This allowed for a balanced way of life that I consistently noticed and admired." Lisa Acuff, former Education & Research Librarian & current volunteer faculty.

Next Wednesday July 24th from noon-1pm HSLIC will host a workshop on searching the literature for animal model research for IACUC Protocols . Are you struggling with your IACUC literature searches for duplication and alternatives? The workshop will cover:

• Advanced Searching in PubMed and AGRCOLA
• The USDA's requirements for IACUC protocol searching
• Searching for animal research duplication
• Searching for animal use alternatives

There will also be ample time for questions.

Register for this event in the HSLIC event calendar https://libcal.health.unm.edu/calendar/events/IACUCSearching

Presenter: Leah Everitt, MSLS

HSLIC is excited to welcome Evelyn Wang as our Clinical and Education Librarian. As our newest faculty member, Evelyn will be collaborating with and supporting the clinical enterprise. She will be primarily focused on assisting residents, physicians, nurses and allied health hospital staff with information requests and facilitating access to the most current medical information and research. 

Evelyn has worked at a number of libraries in Taiwan, such as the National Pingtung University of Science and Technology, the National Taichung University of Education and at the Medical Library of the National Cheng Kung University.  She has extensive experience in tailored resource promotion and education and providing literature searching and consultations to enhance clinical decision-making.  Evelyn received her Bachelors in Library and Information Science from the Fu Jen Catholic University and her Masters in Library and Information Science from the National Chung Hsing University. 

A native of Taiwan, Evelyn has been living in the U.S. for the past 10 years and raising her three young sons in New York and Rio Rancho, NM.  Please join me in welcoming Evelyn to the Health Sciences Center community!

This week the new UNM Physician Assistant (PA) Program students will begin their orientation.

Education

PA students spend most of their first 18 months learning alongside the medical students. PA students immediately use the skills and resources they learn from Health Sciences Library and Informatics Center (HSLIC) faculty in their Health of New Mexico Block. Within a few weeks, they will apply different skills and use resources for their series of Clinical Reasoning courses that they take during the first 18 months of their program. They will learn these skills and resources at a training session on Tuesday July 16^th.

Resources

Many of the resources that students will use for their Clinical Reasoning courses can be found in the HSLIC Clinical Reasoning Guide: https://libguides.health.unm.edu/clinical_reasoning

Popular resources include:

• AccessMedicine
• ClinicalKey
• LWW Health Library: PA Rotations/Specialties
• LWW Health Library Board Review series

Throughout their time at UNM PA students will access reserve resources for their blocks and courses such as textbooks, manuals, models, and videos. PA students can freely access the thousands of other texts, journals, and other information sources to supplement the reserve resources placed by block or course faculty members.

Services

HSLIC faculty and staff can provide PA students assistance through the HSLIC Ask a Librarian link on the HSLIC homepage or in-person. Contractors are renovating the main entrance Second-Floor area so simply climb the stairs or take the elevator to the Third Floor to find the HSLIC in-person service desk.

We look forward to working with you over the next 27 months!

Jon Eldredge and Robyn Gleasner

The benches in front of HSLIC offer a nice, shaded, spot to rest here on North Campus. The benches themselves are an original part of the HSLIC building construction. They have been here since 1977. In the photo above, you will see what the library looked like in 1977. The benches are surrounded by freshly planted trees, many of which have grown tall and mighty, and still stand in front of the library today!

These trusty benches have seen years of weather and were ready for some TLC. In July, the HSLIC administrative team worked with UNM Facilities Management to have them redone. The goal was to have them redone before the close of the 2023-2024 fiscal year. This left only 2 weeks for turnaround on the project. UNM Facilities Management was able to contract All Around Painting and get the job done before July 1^st.

During the last week of June, a crew from All Around Painting worked diligently to sand and refinish the benches. Our bench makeover is now complete! The benches are ready for visitors once again. Come have a seat, and enjoy the beautiful summer weather!

The Medical Library Association (MLA) published its first research agenda [1] in 2009 and its second research agenda [2] in 2012. During the past year, the MLA Research Agenda Committee developed the new research agenda. All three research agendas have intended to focus researchers’ efforts toward investigating the highest-priority research subjects.

The new MLA Research Agenda planning team began by asking 495 elected and appointed MLA leaders to identify what they viewed as the most important research question facing the profession. 130 leaders provided viable questions. MLA members who had published research articles within the past four years were asked to select up to five questions that they thought were both feasible and important. 200 researchers identified the top-ranked 36 questions that were in turn returned to the original 130 MLA members who submitted their questions to pick five top questions apiece.

The top 15 questions will be the focus of the new MLA Research Agenda. The questions pertain to a variety of subjects. Respondents focused on evidence based ways to educate health sciences students on their programmatic competencies, how to best measure the impact of information resources and services on institutional success, and how graduate schools of information should best prepare their graduates for the rigors of every day professional practice. Two questions, perhaps expectedly, sought guidance on how Artificial Intelligence (AI) might be best harnessed to serve health professionals’ information needs.

The applied research projects resulting from the Research Agenda will add to the growing body of evidence on how best to meet your needs.

Interested colleagues can learn more about the methods or results from this project by contacting Jon Eldredge at <jeldredge@salud.unm.edu>.

References

1.Eldredge JD, Harris MR, Ascher MT. Defining the Medical Library Association research agenda: methodology and final results from a consensus process. J Med Libr Assoc. 2009;97(3):178-185. doi:10.3163/1536-5050.97.3.006

2.Eldredge JD, Ascher MT, Holmes HN, Harris MR. The new Medical Library Association research agenda: final results from a three-phase Delphi study. J Med Libr Assoc. 2012;100(3):214-218. doi:10.3163/1536-5050.100.3.012

July 3rd is National Stay Out of the Sun Day. Staying out of the sun seems a difficult task in Albuquerque, where we experience around 310 days of sunshine every year! Luckily, there are ways to observe Stay Out of the Sun Day while still enjoying the beautiful outdoors that we are so lucky to have.

First celebrated in 2005, Stay Out of the Sun Day encourages sun safety and avoiding the harmful impacts of the sun’s UV rays. There are so many ways to protect yourself! One of the most important; sunscreen!

UNM SOM Dermatology has partnered with UNM HSC Wellness to install five sunscreen dispensers on the HSC Campus. They are located in:

• Domenici North Atrium
• Happy Heart Bistro
• HSLIC
• Colleges of Pharmacy and Nursing Building
• Fitz Hall

The best part? The are easily accessible, and totally free!

Here are some more tips for sun safety:

• Avoid being outdoors during midday hours; UV exposure is much higher during this time
• Seek shaded areas while spending time outdoors
• Utilize protective clothing and accessories; such as hats, sunglasses, and long sleeve tops
• Reapply sunscreen frequently
• Follow @UNMDermatology on Instagram to learn more about skin safety

Have a great Stay Out of the Sun Day, and stay cool!

We are thrilled to announce that HSLIC is getting a newly refreshed homepage. We have focused on making it easier to get to the resources and contacts you need. A few highlights:

• The image at the top of the home page is now smaller, so that you won't have to scroll to get to our search box on a laptop or desktop computer.
• New tabs to access our most popular tools (chat, our research guides, and study room reservations) are at the top of the page to help you get to them faster.

• Our hours are right below the search box, along with ways to contact us.

• Below the hours are new columns featuring our Top Resources (including our most popular, under Featured Resources), News from our blog, and our upcoming events.

• The new mobile-friendly version of the website shows the tabs with our chat, research guides, and study room reservation system right at the top

• The search box is newly designed for the mobile version to make it easier to use on your phone
• Use the dropdown arrow (blue arrow pointing to it above) to select alternate resources to search. The default is our library catalog and discovery tool, but you can also pick:
  • PubMed
  • UpToDate
  • and more!

We hope you like the new design as much as we do!