ABOUT THIS COLLECTION

The mission of the Network of the National Library of Medicine (NNLM) Region 7 is to advance the progress of medicine and improve the public health by providing access to biomedical information and by improving the public's access to information to enable them to make informed decisions about their health. NNLM Region 7 (formerly known as the New England Region or NER) covers CT, MA, ME, NH, NY, RI, and VT. The Lamar Soutter Library at UMass Chan Medical School administers the work in program areas that strengthen the capacity of knowledge workers and health care providers to find, disseminate, and use quality health information resources. Under contract with the National Library of Medicine, NNLM Region 7 works with a variety of intermediaries, including health care providers, public health professionals, public librarians, educators, and community organizations. Articles, presentations, posters, reports and other works in this collection represent internal program initiatives or funded projects conducted by other institutions.

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Recently Published

  • Presentation: History of Medical Librarianship at NAHSL

    Malachowski, Margot G. (2023-11-15)
    In 2023, Network of the National Library of Medicine, Region 7 (NNLM R7) hosted a webinar on the History of the Rochester Study: Literature Discussion. We identified the Rochester Study topic by watching discussions on the Medical Library Association’s Hospital Libraries Caucus listserv. On the listserv, librarians expressed curiosity about this historic research. During the webinar, the chat discussion was lively, creating 16 pages of commentary that was saved, anonymized, and distributed to the registrants and on the Hospital Libraries Caucus listserv. ​In 2024, we will deepen our conversation on this history of medical librarianship by taking three months to read A History of Medical Libraries and Medical Librarianship by Michael and Jennie Kronenfeld. The Moodle course starts in February and closes at the end of April. Participants can choose to join discussion forums and Zoom meetings to share ideas with their peers. This presentation will hit the highlights of the Rochester Study literature discussion. This includes participant remarks about the historic changes in federal requirements, information access, aspects of care as well as commentary on future research directions. The presentation will conclude with a synopsis of the Kronenfeld book, with surprising details about the history of medical librarianship. The NNLM training program had 162 registrants for the History of the Rochester Study: Literature Discussion. Judging from these counts, health sciences librarians are interested in the history of their profession. NNLM supports the work of health sciences librarians and looks forward to providing a learning opportunity for this population.
  • Presentation: History of Medical Librarianship at UNYOC

    Malachowski, Margot G. (2023-10-26)
    In 2023, Network of the National Library of Medicine, Region 7 (NNLM R7) hosted a webinar on the History of the Rochester Study: Literature Discussion. We identified the Rochester Study topic by watching discussions on the Medical Library Association’s Hospital Libraries Caucus listserv. On the listserv, librarians expressed curiosity about this historic research. During the webinar, the chat discussion was lively, creating 16 pages of commentary that was saved, anonymized, and distributed to the registrants and on the Hospital Libraries Caucus listserv. ​In 2024, we will deepen our conversation on this history of medical librarianship by taking three months to read A History of Medical Libraries and Medical Librarianship by Michael and Jennie Kronenfeld. The Moodle course starts in February and closes at the end of April. Participants can choose to join discussion forums and Zoom meetings to share ideas with their peers. This presentation will hit the highlights of the Rochester Study literature discussion. This includes participant remarks about the historic changes in federal requirements, information access, aspects of care as well as commentary on future research directions. The presentation will conclude with a synopsis of the Kronenfeld book, with surprising details about the history of medical librarianship. The NNLM training program had 162 registrants for the History of the Rochester Study: Literature Discussion. Judging from these counts, health sciences librarians are interested in the history of their profession. NNLM supports the work of health sciences librarians and looks forward to providing a learning opportunity for this population.
  • National Public Health Coordination Office (NPHCO) Annual Report 2022-2023

    Crespo, Javier (2023-08-02)
    This annual report is presented under NNLM format guidelines. The National Public Health Coordination Office facilitates NNLM's response to the information needs of the public health workforce through two program areas: Public Health Digital Library and National Public Health Engagement.
  • DOCLINE Spring Cleaning for Librarians

    Daby, Jill; Malachowski, Margot G. (2023-05-16)
    The National Library of Medicine developed DOCLINE in 1985 to increase the speed of interlibrary loan for biomedical literature. Each year, libraries face multiple factors that impact their participation in DOCLINE such as changes in journal holdings, alterations in embargo and license agreements, and fluctuations in staffing and operating hours. This poster suggests that library staff do an annual "spring cleaning" of their DOCLINE accounts. The poster includes a checklist of necessary tasks. Maintaining accurate library accounts will contribute to the timely delivery of biomedical literature to the end user.
  • NNLM Discovery Podcast on Medical Librarians: A Story from Region 7

    Malachowski, Margot G. (2023-04-05)
    Very few people know what a medical librarian is or does. On this episode of the NNLM Discovery Podcast, Region 7 Education and Outreach Coordinator, Margot Malachowski interviews four medical librarians from her region. Their stories remind us that even in a world of instantly accessible information these information navigators serve an important role that allows clinicians to focus their time on caring for patients rather than refining searches of medical literature. The NNLM is the outreach arm of the National Library of Medicine with the mission to advance the progress of medicine and improve the public health by providing all U.S. health professionals with equal access to biomedical information and improving the public's access to information to enable them to make informed decisions about their health. The seven Health Sciences Libraries function as the Regional Medical Library (RML) for their respective region, with Region 7 consisting of: Connecticut, Massachusetts, Maine, New Hampshire, New York, Rhode Island and Vermont. Recording and transcript are available at: https://www.nnlm.gov/podcast/medical-librarians-a-story-from-region-7
  • Lamar Soutter Library Annual Report Fiscal Year 2022

    Lamar Soutter Library (2022-11-04)
    Annual report of the Lamar Soutter Library at UMass Chan Medical School, covering fiscal year July 1, 2021-June 30, 2022.
  • Top trends in academic libraries: A review of the trends and issues

    2021–22 ACRL Research Planning and Review Committee; McAllister, Alex; Flierl, Michael; Caswell, Thomas R.; Costello, Laura; Hall, Anita; Li, Cindy; Maher, Monica; Piorun, Mary E; Prud’homme, Patrice-Andre; et al. (2022-06-03)
    This article summarizes trending topics in academic librarianship from the past two years–a time of tremendous upheaval and change, including a global pandemic, difficult reflections concerning racial justice, and war between nation states. Rapid changes and uncertainty from these events have created a significant amount of shifts to academic libraries, higher education, and society in general. Such shifts have yielded new perspectives and innovations in how librarians approach delivering services, supporting student success, managing staff and physical spaces, embracing new technology, and managing data. This report attempts to provide a snapshot of developments worth noting.
  • Presentation: Health Literacy for Rural Populations

    Malachowski, Margot G. (2022-01-27)
    Region 7 was asked to present the content from NNLM's Rural Health Resources webinar in the first session of a two-day professional development event co-hosted by the Central New York Library Resources Council and the State University of New York/Upstate Medical University Health Sciences Library. The session examined the marked health disparities between those living in rural areas versus their urban counterparts. Not only do rural residents suffer from higher incidence of chronic illness, they also have limited access to primary care services and are more likely to be uninsured or under-insured. This session described hallmarks of rural America, identify access challenges of living in rural communities, and equip participants with tools to service the health information needs of those living in rural communities. We will explore websites from the National Library of Medicine, U.S. Department of Agriculture Economic Research Service, Rural Health Information Hub and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The origins of each website was explained. Each of the websites contain consumer-level information and offers an opportunity for data downloads. The downloads will be demonstrated. These resources are relevant to nurses, librarians, public health workers, allied healthcare professionals, educators, faith- and community-based organizations.
  • Region 7 Hospital Librarians: What Medical Librarians Need to Know about Ransomware Attacks

    Malachowski, Margot G.; Stokes, Alice (2021-12-09)
    Region 7 develops webinars for a hospital librarian audience. Topics are determined by the Hospital Libraries Advisory Group (HLAG). Each webinar highlights a topic of concern to hospital librarians. Region 7 will identify subject experts to provide instruction either through WebEx or on-site at UMass Chan Medical School. The sessions begin with introduction of topic and subject expert, include discussion on the impact on library management, and conclude with time for questions and answers. Whenever possible, the sessions will be recorded. On January 11, 2018, Hancock Health in Greenfield, Indiana experienced a ransomware attack on the hospital's information systems. The hackers used compromised account credentials to target a server located in the emergency IT backup facility. This caused havoc with critical information systems. The University of Vermont Health Network in Burlington, Vermont was attacked on October 8, 2020, with malware infecting hospital information systems. In this webinar, Steve Long, CEO of Hancock Health, talked about his experiences with mobilizing disaster response procedures. Alice Stokes, Research and Education Librarian at the University of Vermont, addressed ways that library services are impacted by ransomware attacks.
  • Rural Health: Beyond the Binary Workshop

    Malachowski, Margot G. (2021-07-16)
    Region 7 priority areas serve to focus and inform our outreach, services, and resources. These areas guide the implementation of local and regional programming. The Pioneer Library System in Canandaigua, NY contacted Region 7 after several area librarians completed the NNLM Moodle course "Beyond the Binary". They requested a workshop based on the course. The workshop would be offered as part of a standing training session for public librarians in rural New York. Coordinators Margot Malachowski and Bennie Finch attended the training session. Margot was the lead instructor and Bennie assisted with the chat discussion. After attending the session, public librarians would be able to: List four key points regarding the health information needs of the LGBTQIA+ community; List three concepts for providing a welcoming environment for sexual and gender minorities; and identify three resources for providing health information regarding sexual and gender minorities. During the "Beyond the Binary Workshop", we introduced the National Library of Medicine and the Network of the National Library of Medicine. We explained that we would be covering the highlights of the 4-week "Beyond the Binary" Moodle course. We encouraged participants to share what they were comfortable sharing and to ask what they wanted to ask. The LGBTQIA+ community faces many barriers in accessing healthcare. Consequently, some in the LGBTQIA+ community do not regularly access appropriate and timely care that they need. This workshop discussed cultural humility. Humility encourages self-reflection as we learn about the cultures of any community that is not our own. We covered four key points: delays in getting health care; insensitive health care providers; stress-related illnesses; and difficulty finding culturally sensitive materials. Three concepts for providing a welcoming environment for sexual and gender minorities are: to become comfortable with using they/them pronouns as singular; display LGBTQIA+ friendly symbols, such as rainbow flags and including your pronouns in announcements and email signatures; and use inclusive images in library materials, such as the images from the Gender Spectrum Collection. We did live searching for health information in these resources: MedlinePlus: LGBTQ+ Health Topics Page; Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC): Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Health, including Youth; and Fenway Health: National LGBT Health Education Center
  • Lightning Talk: Updating Nursing on the Net

    Malachowski, Margot G. (2021-06-30)
    From 2019-2021, the Network of the National Library of Medicine embarked on a process to update the course "Nursing on the Net". This lightning talk described a team-based process that resulted in a three-week asynchronous course designed for library staff who support, or who want to support, nursing and allied health professionals. The new course, "Building Reference Skills for Nursing and Allied Health Research", enables librarians to connect freely available resources to the needs of nursing and allied health professionals.
  • Presentation: NNLM Course Development for Building Nursing and Allied Health Research Skills

    Malachowski, Margot G.; Sheppard, Margie; Knapp, Molly; Majewski, Katherine; Waltman, Elizabeth; Hamstra, Emily (2021-05-24)
    In 2019, the Network of the National Library of Medicine embarked on a process to update a course that aimed to 1) teach participants how to evaluate quality health websites for nurses; 2) enable participants to describe and evaluate quality nursing resources available on the internet; and 3) demonstrate searches for nursing literature in PubMed. The curriculum development team further refined these objectives. The new course would enable participants to connect National Library of Medicine resources to the needs of nursing and allied health professionals. After taking the course, participants would be able to list the ways librarians can support the information needs of their nursing and allied health audiences. The NNLM curriculum development team met from November 2019 through December 2020 to develop a course that would be launched in early 2021. In the kick-off meeting, the team agreed to investigate needs and best practices for librarians teaching nursing and allied health professionals. Members of the team divided up course development tasks. They reconvened bimonthly to share relevant information resources, sharpen the learning objectives, and share ideas for course activities such as readings, quizzes, and written assignments. The result is a three-week asynchronous course that is designed for library staff who support, or who want to support, nursing and allied health professionals. In Week One, participants learn about the information needs of nursing and allied health professionals. Week Two introduces participants to relevant information resources. Week Three asks participants to apply learning through creating and sharing a professional development plan. We gathered evaluation data after the pilot launch in December 2020 and the three sessions taught in early 2021. We will address participant needs for better navigation and more time to complete the professional development plan. We hope to offer the course again in Summer 2021.
  • NER Hospital Librarians: NH/VT Hospital Libraries Focus Group

    Malachowski, Margot G. (2021-02-09)
    NER Hospital Librarians is an educational series addressing the professional development needs of hospital librarians in the New England Region. Topics are determined by NNLM NER’s Hospital Libraries Advisory Group (HLAG). Example topics include: DOCLINE Update; Advanced PubMed; and Librarians Supporting Nursing Education and Scholarship. Webinars are schedule for one hour. In-person and virtual events are scheduled for one-five hours. Each session will highlight a topic of concern to hospital librarians. NNLM NER will identify subject experts to provide instruction either through WebEx or on-site at UMass Medical School. The sessions begin with introduction of topic and subject expert, include discussion on the impact on library management, and conclude with time for questions and answers. Whenever possible, the sessions will be recorded. For this virtual focus group, NER invited twelve people who are interested in the fate of hospital libraries in NH and VT. We asked three questions: How are librarians coping with the loss of their colleagues in NH and VT? How can NLM Public Services Division support the work of hospital librarians in NH and VT? How can NNLM support the work of hospital librarians in NH and VT? The goal was for the Network to gather perceptions, insights, and experiences of hospital librarians in New Hampshire and Vermont. We know that rural hospitals are economically stressed and that hospital libraries are closing. NER was interested in hearing how this is impacting the remaining hospital librarians.
  • Substance Use Disorder Treatment in the Time of COVID

    Shanahan, Christopher W; Halpin, Susan M. (2021-01-28)
    Primary care clinicians face many challenges when addressing the complex needs of patients with chronic pain, substance use disorders or both. Over the last 10 months, the SARS-CoVID-2 pandemic has both increased and changed the challenges that healthcare providers face. Massachusetts Consultation Service for the Treatment of Addiction and Pain (MCSTAP) is a free service that helps doctors and other clinicians meet these challenges by increasing their capacity for, and comfort in, using evidence-based practices to screen, diagnose, treat and manage the care of these patients. MCSTAP provides on-demand physician consultation on safe prescribing and managing the care of patients with chronic pain and/or SUD. Join us for a webinar to learn about the innovative services that MCSTAP provides. Christopher Shanahan MD MPH FACP will share his knowledge about why and experience about how MCSTAP was created. You will learn about how SARS-CoVID-2 pandemic has changed SUD treatment and prescribing protocols. Currently, the SARS-CoVID-2 pandemic has presented serious and life-threatening challenges to both patients and to their clinicians. After attending this webinar, participants will: Understand the bidirectional relationship of SARS-Cov-2 pandemic & the epidemic U.S. Substance Use on identification & treatment of physical, mental health & Substance Use Disorders (SUD) e.g. opioid crisis Describe components & impact of Social Determinants of Health (SDOH) on care of individuals with SUD & impact on the risk for & clinical outcomes of SARS-CoV-2 infection Employ Intersectionality to identify/analyze key areas of need & potential for high impact & then develop/implement evidence-based & innovative solutions.
  • Poster Session: Conducting Focused Outreach with Patient Populations

    Malachowski, Margot G. (2020-10-27)
    This poster offers an explanation of Focused Outreach techniques developed by the Network of the National Library of Medicine, New England Region. The poster includes a description of the techniques employed in community outreach projects, as well as suggestions for the application of these techniques for hospital librarians interested in working with patient populations.
  • Reaching the Hard to Reach: Empowering Community Members to Think Differently and Embrace Teens with Substance Use Disorder and Mental Health Challenges During the Time of COVID

    Briody, Stephanie J.; Muffett-Lipinski, Michelle D.; Halpin, Susan M (2020-08-25)
    Being a teenager is hard, and COVID-19 has made these difficult years even harder. Over the past decade, U.S. teens report feeling increased pressure and stress and those working with this population see the result -- young people with mental health conditions, lack of resiliency skills and many with substance use disorder. The healthy coping mechanisms that used to contribute to mental wellness, like community connection, physical activity and the pursuit of creative outlets has been declining. These trends were happening even before COVID! Teens with mental health issues often develop substance use disorder. It has been said that the opposite of addiction is not sobriety, it is connection. As the COVID19 pandemic continues, so does the nation’s opioid epidemic. The AMA has expressed concern over the increasing number of reports from national, state and local media suggesting increases in opioid-related overdose deaths. Young people, many of whom were already challenged with mental health conditions are seeking connection and are not finding it because of the social distancing and school closures necessary because of this contagious virus. Those who specialize in behavioral health are warning that a tsunami is about to hit our country in the form of mental health needs. This surge in mental health conditions is predicted to last for years. Join us for a webinar that will shed some light on teen mental health and substance use disorders. Presenters Stephanie Briody, CEO of Behavioral Health Innovators and Michelle Muffet - Lipinski, Principal of Northshore Recovery High School will share their innovative initiatives and programs that are filling in the gaps in services for teens with mental health and substance use disorders. Learn how you can prepare for this surge in mental health challenges with examples of practices and programs that can be replicated in your community, and that provide the needed connection with teens who are hard to reach. Learning Objectives: Learn about the PASS program and RecoveryBuild Alternative Peer Groups (APG’s) and how these positive discipline interventions are working to address and treat substance use disorder and other mental health conditions. Learn about recent legislative initiatives that address mental health and substance use disorder. Learn about some virtual connection tools and games you can use to provide expressive therapy using the arts.
  • Conducting Focused Outreach with Patient Populations

    Malachowski, Margot G. (2020-07-21)
    Hospital librarians working with patient populations will be encouraged by a recent publication that supports their involvement with the patient experience. The article, “Involvement of information professionals in patient- and family-centered care initiatives: a scoping review” published in the Journal of Medical Librarianship, states that burgeoning efforts in participatory care and the inclusion of patients in the decision-making process pose a unique opportunity for librarians and information professionals to offer more personalized information services. The authors collected data on patient- and family-centered care programs that included the direct participation of a consumer health librarian or other information professional. Librarians interested in increasing their services to patients will find Focused Outreach techniques useful. What follows is an explanation of Focused Outreach techniques developed by the National Network of Libraries of Medicine, New England Region. This includes a description of the techniques employed in community outreach projects, as well as suggestions as to the application of these techniques for hospital librarians interested in working with patient populations.
  • Health Sciences Libraries Webinar Series: Searching LactMed and LiverTox for Drug Effects

    Malachowski, Margot G. (2020-06-23)
    The Health Sciences Libraries Webinar Series is a collaborative series intended to explore products and services provided by the National Library of Medicine through case studies. The HSL series aims to support the work of health sciences and hospital librarians as they serve their institutional communities. The webinars will explore NLM resources through real world examples provided by experienced librarians. Each session includes unique learning objectives based on the featured webinar topic. An evaluation form will be sent to each participant following the presentation,. All sessions are offered as webcasts using WebEx, allowing for live participation through online chat. Sessions are recorded, closed captioned, and archived for later viewing. Objectives: Identify National Library of Medicine products and services. Integrate National Library of Medicine products and services into workflows. Assist institutional community members in the selection and use of National Library of Medicine products and services. For health sciences librarians looking for resources on the effects of drugs, the National Library of Medicine maintains two relevant databases: LactMed and LiverTox. Both of these databases are located in the NLM Bookshelf and are searchable through PubMed. This webinar will give a brief introduction to Bookshelf, LactMed and LiverTox. Using sample search requests from practicing health sciences librarians, we will explore these databases for information on: • Substance Use Disorder and the effects of harm reduction medications on lactation and the nursing infant. • Risk of acetaminophen toxicity and polypharmacy for the geriatric population.
  • Improving the Health, Safety, and Well-being of LGBTQ+ Populations

    Malachowski, Margot G. (2020-05-28)
    LGBTQ+ individuals face barriers in accessing healthcare as a result of discrimination, misunderstanding, and fear. Consequently, many LGBTQ+ individuals do not regularly access appropriate and timely care. Our goal is to create welcoming, safe and informed spaces for LGBTQ+ individuals to reliably access the information and the care that they need. This session explores the health information needs of the LGBTQ+ community and the benefits of LGBTQ+ focused cultural competency/humility. We will identify electronic, print, and other resources for building quality LGBTQ+ health information collections and reference materials. We will discuss ideas for outreach strategies to the LGBTQ+ community.
  • Strategies and Resources for Maintaining Sobriety During COVID-19

    Halpin, Susan; Pelletier, Scott; Monfredo, John; Nichols, Amy; Earielo, Michael; Tobin, Joseph; Aussem, Patricia; Haddon, Athena (2020-04-24)
    Did you know that the opposite of addiction is not sobriety, it is connection? Recovery is hard. It has become more challenging as we live with uncertainty, distancing, and other barriers to connection that have recently occurred because of COVID-19. The coronavirus epidemic and the stay-at-home safety measures we have been asked to implement create additional challenges that can have an effect on an individual’s ability to maintain sobriety. We invite you to a webinar presented by the National Network of Libraries of Medicine and several behavioral health and addiction support professionals from central Massachusetts as they share strategies, insight and practical ideas for accessing virtual resources, locating the most helpful support and sources of connection, as well as some tangible guidance for navigating the specific situations and circumstances COVID-19 is presenting to those pursuing recovery. Learning Objectives: Identify free or low cost sources for internet connectivity for those who do not have access to the internet. Understand how maintaining structure can help in uncertain and stressful times Learn how to anticipate and to develop a plan to address situations that may be on the horizon that could interfere with your sobriety. For example, loss of employment or receiving financial assistance from the government. Become familiar with national and local organizations that offer resources such as virtual meetings, telehealth services for physical and behavioral health and free resources for health and medical information. Learn about strategies that can help manage stress and aid in the acceptance of difficult circumstances.

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