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NLM Newsline 1998 July-December; Vol. 53, No. 3 & 4Contents:
"MEDLINEplus" Website LaunchedNew Database is Geared to Consumers' Health Information NeedsIf you've visited NLM's home page recently (http://www.nlm.nih.gov/), you've noticed that it has a new look. That's because it now trumpets the existence of MEDLINEplus, NLM's newest electronic information source. And, as the website proclaims, MEDLINEplus is all about "health information for consumers." To dive into its vast resources, the user need only click on the periwinkle blue button marked "MEDLINEplus" at the top of the home page. Suddenly, a world of consumer-friendly, up- to-date health information opens up. As NLM has gradually expanded its mandate beyond serving health professionals to serving the general public, it has worked to improve or expand its research tools. A major milestone was the announcement of free access to the vast MEDLINE database via the World Wide Web in June of 1997. In many ways, that development paved the way for MEDLINEplus, which features information from the National Institutes of Health, other U.S. government agencies and private organizations. "When MEDLINE became free to all," recalls NLM Systems Librarian Naomi Miller, who works on website development for the Public Services Division, "we discovered that consumers were searching it for health information. No big surprise." "But MEDLINE is largely a database of articles by researchers for researchers, and people often had difficulty understanding the technical language. They wanted definitions of medical terms," Miller continued. "They were curious about treatment options, but wanted the information in language they could understand. They also wanted to know about doctors and hospitals, and about drugs. Our standard search screen on the NLM home page wasn't set up to handle these requests, but we were getting them anyway. We knew we had to come up with a different approach. With the new public library initiative underway, the timing was perfect. Now, public librarians could be trained to use MEDLINE and this new resource." The MEDLINEplus development team designed a site to bring together the growing amount of high quality medical information being published on the web by Federal government health agencies, professional associations, health libraries, research organizations and universities. NLM's Office of Computer and Communications Services (OCCS) created a system for managing a large and growing number of links which allows daily updating to keep information current and accurate. It also allows remote maintenance and potential collaboration with other libraries. Major sections include links to dictionaries and glossaries for finding definitions of medical terms, links to major associations and clearinghouses, publications and news items, directories of health professionals and health organizations, and libraries that provide health information services for the public. The goal of the new website is to provide quality information, and not to make it exhaustive ("We're not Yahoo!" Naomi Miller says with a smile, referring to a popular commercial search engine) but to tailor it to consumers' general health information needs. Medlineplus can be directly accessed on the World Wide Web at http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/. As the online disclaimer states, its information pages "are designed to direct you to resources containing information that will help you research your health questions. They are designed for educational use only and are not intended to replace advice from a health professional." If you consult the MEDLINEplus site, you can click on "selection criteria" from the front page to read how information is selected for inclusion. In the few weeks since MEDLINEplus was introduced, more than 100,000 individual users have come to the site and used nearly a half million pages. "The breadth of quality, authoritative health information becoming available on the Internet is increasing daily, says [Public Services Division Chief] Eve-Marie Lacroix. "NLM's challenge is to continue to select and organize this wealth of information to help all those who are seeking answers to their medical questions." 
The Learning Center for Interactive Technology: Remodeled, RevitalizedTucked away at the end of a long string of offices in the Lister Hill National Center for Biomedical Communications is one of the NLM's great resources: The Learning Center for Interactive Technology. Since its creation in 1984 as a "hands on" laboratory for exploring information and learning technology applications in health professions education, approximately 11,000 individuals, including many from other countries, have visited the Center. These include health professional clinicians and educators, computer experts, business people, and students from high schools and professional schools, among others. This diversity is a source of pride, explains Michael Weisberg, EdD, Acting Chief of the NLM's Cognitive Science Branch (CgSB), which coordinates The Learning Center. "We'll see people with almost no computer experience," Dr. Weisberg continued, "then we'll have a visitor like the former head of NIH's computer operations." In all cases, Learning Center staff strives to provide resources and assistance appropriate to the visitor's interests and level of knowledge. To keep abreast of the incessant change in computer and communication technologies and to provide an environment for small group collaborative learning, The Learning Center recently underwent a complete renovation that transformed both its technology and its mission. Its updated furniture configuration and arrangement of computers enhances individual technology demonstrations and facilitates interaction among visitors. Newly created Web-based courseware and acquired software support demonstrations of distributed learning, telemedicine, Internet/Web-based multimedia, CD-ROM, and virtual reality applications. National Library of Medicine programs such as UMLS, Grateful Med, PubMed, and Visible Human are also prominently demonstrated. The Learning Center also serves as a venue for invited individuals and institutions to demonstrate innovative technologies. A recent example involved a trial test of an innovative multi-point video and audio teleconferencing system for collaborative learning. Cognitive Science Branch staff are currently developing a series of prototype workshops to be offered in The Learning Center and then made available on the World Wide Web. The intent, Dr. Weisberg explained, is "to use the creativity of the staff and the Learning Center environment to develop and try out workshops with health professional faculty, revise them based on faculty feedback and then make them universally available online. They're very staff- intensive to create, but I think they hold out great promise," Weisberg concluded. These workshops, it is hoped, will establish NLM as a major gateway to distance learning in medicine. In the future, Learning Center staff will continue to conduct consultations with outside groups and organizations and to create model curricula, tutorials or other learning tools for groups such as the Radiological Society of North America. Dr. Weisberg is clearly excited about the potential of the newly transformed Learning Center to reach increasing numbers of health sciences professionals and students. He credits Dr. Alexa McCray, former CgSB Chief and now Director of NLM's Lister Hill National Center for Biomedical Communications, for her vision of what The Learning Center could be and the entire staff for their creativity and contributions. To learn more about Learning Center programs, access the home page at http://tlc.nlm.nih.gov/.
New "Gene Map" Doubles Number of GenesMore Accurate and Comprehensive Map Will Speed Pace of Research A team of 64 scientists from government, university and commercial laboratories around the world achieved a new milestone in the Human Genome Project by collaborating to produce a new "gene map" pinpointing the chromosomal locations of almost half of all genes. The GeneMap'98 compilation, released in October, is available on the Internet and will greatly expedite the discovery of human disease genes, which can result in advances in detection and treatment of common illnesses. It will also complement human genome sequencing by highlighting "gene-rich" regions of the chromosomes. Construction of GeneMap'98 was spearheaded by scientists at NLM's National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI), together with the Sanger Centre, a British genome center funded by the Wellcome Trust. This new map charts the chromosomal locations of 30,181 human genes, about twice the number that had previously been localized. In addition, the mapping accuracy has been improved by 2-3 times compared to the earlier version of the map, released in October 1996. The map provides an important scientific infrastructure for understanding how genes interact with one other to maintain normal health and how defects in those genes can lead to common illnesses such as diabetes, heart disease and cancer. Researchers around the world can tap into the GeneMap'98 data through a web site developed at the NCBI, which may be viewed at http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/genemap. "It has been estimated that the human genome contains between 60,000 and 80,000 genes, so the new Gene Map brings us nearly to the halfway point," observed Dr. Gregory Schuler, an NCBI scientist who worked closely with his counterparts at the Sanger Centre to create the new gene map and the accompanying web site. "However, for most genes, we have relatively little understanding of the role they play in the body. Knowing where these genes fall on the map provides a starting point for further research." Although gene mapping is one component of the Human Genome Project, it differs from the task of determining the complete DNA sequence of the human genome, which has been much in the news recently. The U.S. government, working with institutions in other nations of the world, has accelerated efforts to produce a "working draft" of the genomic sequence by the year 2001 and a highly accurate and comprehensive "finished product" by 2003. "Only about 3% of the DNA in our bodies corresponds to genes," continued Dr. Schuler, "so knowing where each gene begins and ends will be essential for making sense of the genomic sequence. But even before the sequence is completed, the new Gene Map should contribute substantially to the advancement of our understanding of human biology and to the isolation of disease genes." Schuler's colleague at the National Center for Biotechnology Information, scientist Dr. Mark Boguski, who has also been instrumental in the compilation of the Gene Map, concurs. "GeneMap'98 is an important resource and tool for the study of complex genetic traits and for our understanding of disease mechanisms and potential prevention and treatments. It will teach us a lot. In fact, in the 21st century library of medicine, the books are our genes. The Gene Map will function like the card catalog, leading researchers to volumes of information that are sitting on the shelf, just waiting to be discovered." "Many talented biologists and computer specialists worked together to assemble the Gene Map," noted Dr. David J. Lipman, NCBI director, "and putting it on the web extends the collaboration to the entire worldwide biomedical research community. The Gene Map is for everybody." The online version of the 1996 Gene Map has been a popular attraction; the NCBI estimates that as many as 3 million web hits have been made on this site since it was launched in October of 1996. Furthermore, as Dr, Lipman pointed out, "beyond its use by researchers, the web site has unexpectedly proved to be a valuable educational resource for high school and even middle school students learning about human biology, medicine and genetics." The updated version is likewise expected to attract numerous scientists, physicians and others interested in genetics. A special section for the public, entitled "Genes and Disease," is featured on the web site. Private industry has also played a key role in the development of the new map. "GeneMap'98 is a fine example of the excellent products that are resulting from the Human Genome Project through extensive, open, international cooperation," noted Alan R. Williamson, Ph.D., Former Vice President for Research Strategy, Merck & Company, Inc. and current member of the National Human Genome Research Institute Advisory Council. "Everyone involved in GeneMap'98 is to be congratulated." Among NCBI's key partners in the creation of GeneMap'98 are: the Sanger Centre, Cambridge UK; the Whitehead Institute, Cambridge, MA and the Stanford University Genome Center, Palo Alto, CA (both funded by the U.S. National Human Genome Research Institute, NIH), Genethon, Evry, France, and the Wellcome Trust Center for Human Genetics, Oxford, UK. Peruse the Papers of Prominent Pioneers in Biomedical ScienceNew "Profiles in Science" Website Makes it Possible Curiosity can be a compelling human emotion and NLM hopes it will serve as a powerful motivator in prompting the public to examine the behind- the-scenes history of key biomedical discoveries. Towards this end, NLM staff has assembled many of the papers of one of the early DNA researchers, Dr. Oswald Theodore Avery, in a website entitled "Profiles in Science" (www.profiles.nlm.nih.gov). Dr. Avery is the first in what will be a series of noted scientists whose careers will be portrayed in this new NLM resource. "Profiles in Science" focuses on the major scientific achievements of the twentieth century. The project is making the archival collections of prominent biomedical scientists available to the public through modern digital technology. The collections have been donated to the NLM and contain published and unpublished materials, including books, journals, diaries, letters, photographs and audiotapes. "I want scientists, scholars, and students to appreciate the history, and share some of the excitement of these early scientific discoveries in molecular biology," said project director Dr. Alexa McCray, Director of the Lister Hill National Center for Biomedical Communications. "After all, current public curiosity about genetic screening and cloning is based on those early findings." Dr. Donald Lindberg, who unveiled the new site, said it "would allow the public to peek behind the scenes of scientific findings and read the unpublished writings, letters, and lab notes that led to important discoveries." While Oswald Theodore Avery is not a scientific household name, his research laid the groundwork for modern genetics and molecular biology. Prior to Avery's work, genetic material was assumed to be protein. Avery proved conclusively in 1944, in a groundbreaking scientific paper, that DNA from the nucleus of the cell is the genetic material.
The new site features the lab notebooks that led up to Avery's 1944 paper. Some of his notations are barely legible -- uneven script, scribbled on graph paper. Other notations are cleanly printed on lined paper. The site also features interviews, personal letters, and photographs -- one of which shows Avery dressed in his lab coat wearing a black top hat in front of a Christmas tree in 1940. Despite this seminal work, Avery's research has been overshadowed by better-known scientists such as Francis Crick, James Watson, and Maurice Wilkins, who elucidated the structure of DNA for which they won the Nobel Prize in 1962. Crick, Watson, and Wilkins showed the three-dimensional structure of the DNA and its sequential encoding of the genes. Avery spent most of his research life at Rockefeller Institute where he also made important contributions to the understanding of the pneumococcus organism -- a particularly virulent bacterium that caused lobar pneumonia. In the early part of this century more than 50,000 people a year died from this disease.
At age 67, Avery made his most important discovery, when he identified DNA as the substance of the genes, in a seminal 1944 paper co-authored by Colin MacLeod and Maclyn McCarty, published in the Journal of Experimental Medicine. Avery's finding was truly revolutionary in the scientific world at that time -- in part, because it was so unexpected. Despite Avery's noteworthy scientific contributions, he failed to win the Nobel Prize. It's an oversight that still puzzles. While various theories have been advanced, including the Nobel Committee's reluctance to recognize the contribution of genetics to the field of medicine at that time, Dr. Lindberg hopes that NLM's new site will allow future generations to appreciate not only the genius of Avery, but also the other great scientific discoveries of this century. Thanks to Judith Folkenberg of the Office of Communications and Public Liaison for contributing this article. The Legend of Library Operations, Lois Ann Colaianni, Puts Her Career on the ShelfNLM Associate Director Retires After Nearly 18 Distinguished YearsLois Ann Colaianni, Associate Director for Library Operations since 1984, retired in December 1998. At the September meeting of the NLM Board of Regents, NLM Director Dr. Donald A.B. Lindberg presented the NLM Director's Award to Mrs. Colaianni "for exceptional leadership and innovative contributions to the Library's programs and services during her highly successful tenure as Associate Director for Library Operations, National Library of Medicine." On the same occasion the Board passed by acclamation a resolution of appreciation acknowledging "...on behalf of the U.S. medical and health communities a debt of gratitude for seventeen years of outstanding service to the National Library of Medicine and its users." (Full text of the resolution follows.)
During her tenure at NLM, Mrs. Colaianni strengthened basic services and improved the flow of medical information to the user community, while also improving the working environment for NLM staff. She led programs to expand NLM's preservation program, establish an NIH-chartered committee to advise NLM on the selection of literature to be indexed, improve the currency and coverage of Index Medicus and MEDLINE, increase international MEDLARS accessibility, encourage end-user searching, implement DOCLINE throughout the U.S. and Canada, improve outreach to health professionals through the National Network of Libraries of Medicine, re- engineer customer services, and expand the NLM associate program. Most recently she initiated the development of MEDLINEplus, NLM's consumer health information webpages. Mrs. Colaianni also maintained a strong presence outside of NLM. She represented the Library on the Advisory Committee to the NIH Office of Women's Health, was a member of the Library of Congress Network Advisory Committee, served on the Board of Directors of the National Information Standards Organization, chaired the Section of Biological and Medical Science Libraries of the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA), and edited the third volume of the Handbook of Medical Library Practice, 1989. Sherrilynne Fuller, Ph.D., a member of the NLM Board of Regents and director of the Health Science Libraries, University of Washington, views her as "an inspiration to health sciences librarians through her entire career. Her outstanding achievements in a variety of settings from academic to hospital to NLM are a tribute to her breadth of knowledge, dedication and hard work. She will be remembered as a superb role model, mentor and valued friend to hundreds of health sciences librarians in the United States and the world." Mrs. Colaianni's contributions to biomedical librarianship have been recognized with the highest professional awards in her field. In 1995 the Medical Library Association (MLA) presented her with the Marcia C. Noyes Award, which recognizes an individual whose career has resulted in lasting, prominent contributions to health sciences librarianship. In 1976-77, she chaired MLA's Hospital Libraries Interest Group and was instrumental in its transformation into the Hospital Libraries Section. In 1979-80, she served as president of MLA. Other honors conferred on her include appointment as a Fellow, the Janet Doe Lectureship, the MLA President's Award, the NIH Director's Award, the NIH Merit Award and the UCLA Graduate School of Library and Information Science's first Distinguished Alumnus award. In recognition of her career-long interest in international cooperation among medical libraries, Mrs. Colaianni was named winner of the 1995 Award of Honour of the European Association for Health Information and Libraries (EAHIL) -- the first time this award was presented to a non-European. The same year she served as chair of the International Organizing Committee of the 7th International Congress on Medical Librarianship held in Washington. In 1996 she was named an honorary fellow of the Library Association of the United Kingdom. Commenting on her retirement, Tony McSean of the British Medical Association called Mrs. Colaianni "the most respected figure in the world of health librarianship, as her international honors testify, and through IFLA and elsewhere her contribution to the wider profession has also been both broad and deep." McSean characterizes her as "an incomparably dynamic and reliable collaborator." Mrs. Colaianni received a BA in biology from the University of Rochester and an MLS from UCLA. After completing the UCLA biomedical library internship program, she participated in one of NLM's first classes to train MEDLARS searchers. She returned to UCLA to pioneer in implementing decentralized searching of NLM databases and providing health professions with faster turnaround for computer-based health information. As head of Medical Information Communication Services at UCLA from 1968-72, she also pioneered in expanding information services to rural areas. Traveling extensively in southern California, she worked to establish information services in hospitals, develop cooperative networks, and train hospital librarians. This outreach effort was the model on which many subsequent regional medical library programs were based. In 1972 Mrs. Colaianni moved to Cedars-Sinai Medical Center where she served over 6,000 health professionals and provided a model hospital library information service before coming to NLM in 1981. She and her husband, Edmund Colaianni, have now returned to southern California. Recruitment is underway for a successor. Thanks to Duane Arenales, Chief, Technical Services Division, and Betsy Humphreys, Acting Associate Director, Division of Library Operations, for contributing this article. Adopted by the Board of Regents of the National Library of Medicine September 24, 1998 WHEREAS Lois Ann Colaianni has outstanding talents as a leader, manager, and strategic thinker which have enabled the National Library of Medicine's Library Operations Division to meet the challenge of rising service demands, new programs in AIDS, molecular biology, health services research, and outreach to individual health professionals and recently the general public; and WHEREAS Lois Ann Colaianni has directed the improvement and expansion of the National Library of Medicine's basic services in such critical areas as selection of the literature for MEDLINE and Index Medicus, online bibliographic information, use of the Internet as a dissemination and access mechanism, preservation of the biomedical literature, improved systems for national and international interlibrary lending, management of the National Network of Libraries of Medicine, and education and training of health sciences librarians; and WHEREAS Lois Ann Colaianni has improved the working environment and professional development opportunities for her staff and colleagues; and WHEREAS Lois Ann Colaianni has played an important role in the development of health sciences librarianship and biomedical information services in the U.S. and around the world and has been recognized by the highest honors conferred by the Medical Library Association, international library organizations, and the National Institutes of Health; and WHEREAS Lois Ann Colaianni has dedicated herself to enhancing biomedical information services for the benefit of health care, education, and research; BE IT RESOLVED that the Board of Regents acknowledges on behalf of the U.S. medical and health communities a debt of gratitude to Lois Ann Colaianni for seventeen years of outstanding service to the National Library of Medicine and to the Nation. Public Health Officials to Get New Communications Tools"Partners in Information Access" Awards Announced Helping public health officials hook up to the Internet and making it easier for them to access health information is the goal of "Partners in Information Access," a joint project of NLM, NLM's National Network of Libraries of Medicine (NN/LM), the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the Health Resources and Services Administration, the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials, and the National Association of County and City Health Officials. On October 1, 1998, NLM and the NN/LM jointly announced the award of 13 contracts totaling $650,000 as an important step toward this goal. "Public health officials, as a group, have inadequate access to information services and technology," said Dr. Donald Lindberg, Director of NLM. "This new initiative will allow them to get training and the latest health information in order to respond more effectively to disease outbreaks and environmental health risks that affect the health and well-being of entire communities. Surgeon General David Satcher, MD, praised the new initiative and noted that helping our public health work force will lead to improved health for the American public. "The public health work force seeks to prevent health hazards and contain the spread of disease through efforts that often are as basic as teaching food preparers to wash their hands before handling food, while at other times they are as complex as our work to map the human genome. The 13 programs being announced today will improve access to information and advanced telecommunications in a way that will better equip public health officials to deal with the many challenges they face." "Partners in Information Access" aims to:
The 13 projects are scattered around the United States in rural and other underserved areas, from Alaska to Vermont, and involve information services for public health professionals of all kinds who are addressing a variety of community health problems and special populations. A list of recipients follows and summaries of all projects are available online at www.nlm.nih.gov/news/press_releases/pubhthpr.html.
Budget for Fiscal Year '99 Looks HealthyNLM Granted 12.5% Increase A record $181 million has been appropriated by the U.S. Congress to fund the National Library of Medicine in fiscal year 1999. The figure represents a 12.5 percent increase over the FY 1998 appropriation of $161 million. The increased funding reflects Congress's high regard for the Library's programs and services, which were presented at appropriations hearings earlier this year by NLM Director Dr. Donald A.B. Lindberg and staff. Dr. Lindberg told the Congress that NLM's priorities fell into four areas: basic library services; Next Generation Internet; genetics of medicine; and outreach. The first of these, on which the success of all depends, is the integrity of the collection and the health of the National Network of Libraries of Medicine (NN/LM). As for the National Institutes of Health as a whole, a $2.03 billion addition the FY 1998 level signed by President Clinton on October 21st is by far the largest dollar increase in agency history. The 14.9 percent hike brings NIH's FY 1999 appropriation to $15.652 billion, a figure received with understandable warmth in all corners of the agency. Said NIH deputy director for management Tony Itteilag, "This degree of confidence in NIH by the Congress, the Administration and the American people brings with it a special responsibility to continue the high quality research traditions at NIH and among our grantees, and to ensure the highest quality of administration of these funds." Names In The NewsDr. Tenley Albright, Chair of the Library's Board of Regents, has been selected to receive an Advocacy Award from Research!America, a not-for- profit advocacy organization that works to make medical research a higher national priority. Dr. Albright's outstanding career in medicine, and in advocacy through service on the Boards of Directors of the American Cancer Society and the Whitehead Institute, and on the Board of Regents of NLM, earned her the award for "Exceptional Contributions As a Volunteer Advocate for Medical Research." Her nomination was spearheaded by the Friends of the NLM, where she is a member of the Executive Committee. Thomas E. Bryant, MD, JD, President of the Friends, said, "We are thrilled that Research!America has chosen to honor Dr. Albright with this prestigious award which she so rightly deserves! She has been an outstanding proponent of more and better medical research and, for us, an equally outstanding voice for better communication of medical information." ScienceWatch, a bimonthly publication of the Institute for Scientific Information, selected a paper by Dr. Stephen Altschul, Senior Investigator, National Center for Biotechnology Information, and NCBI colleagues (David Lipman, Tom Madden and Alejandro Schäffer) as the most frequently cited paper in biology among all publications on that topic between 1993 and 1997. The paper, "Gapped BLAST and PSI-BLAST: a new generation of protein database search programs" (Nucleic Acids Res, 25(17):3389-3402, Sep 1 1997), discusses details of a new computer program that has eased the life of the gene sequencer. Interestingly, Altschul and his colleagues' previous offering, "Basic local alignment search tool" (J Mol Biol, 215:403-10, 1990) is the most highly cited paper published in the field of biology this decade, now with more than 7,800 citations to its credit.
NLM's Cognitive Science Branch, and specifically Dr. James Woods, Education Research Specialist, has received an Editor's Choice Award from OncoLink, an online cancer research network created by the University of Pennsylvania Cancer Center. Woods was commended for reformatting for the web a "virtual lecture" entitled "Neoplasia I: Benign and Malignant States." In its citation for the award, given to the top providers of cancer-related information over the Internet, OncoLink noted, "It is an excellent synchronized presentation that explains neoplasia, and the differences between the benign and malignant types as well as the classification and nomenclature of neoplasms."
Photo: Dr. Lindberg (left) and Michael DeBakey (right) Former NLM Board of Regents member (1971- 75) Bernice Hetzner died October 9, 1998. Mrs. Hetzner also helped establish and was the first director of the Midcontinental Regional Medical Library. She was active with the Medical Library Association, serving as its President from 1971 to 1972. She served at the library of the University of Nebraska Medical Center for 26 years and was one of the few nonphysicians to receive UNMC's Distinguished Service to Medicine Award. Former NLM Board of Regents member (1987- 91) Don E. Detmer, MD, has accepted the Dennis Gillings Professorship in Health Management in the Judge Institute of Management Studies at Cambridge University, effective April 1999. Making Those Critical Moments CountNLM Supports Projects to Speed Lifesaving Treatment for Heart Attacks Heart attack! The very name brings thoughts of tension and urgency. Each year 1.1 million Americans suffer a heart attack and many prove fatal. Now NLM, with support from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute's National Heart Attack Alert Program, is working to improve the odds that heart attack victims will survive and thrive. The two agencies have teamed to fund 14 projects that will apply medical informatics techniques to the treatment of heart attacks. Medical informatics is the discipline that applies computer and information technologies to the problems of health care. "It would be difficult to imagine a more striking example of how information can save lives and I am pleased that the NLM is helping in what is essentially a life and death matter," said Dr. Donald A.B. Lindberg, NLM Director, in announcing the awards. "We will be measuring both the effectiveness of the methods devised and their practicality in real-life situations." Heart specialists talk about a so-called "golden hour" immediately after a heart attack. This "eternity in an hour" is the crucial time when a clot-dissolving agent can significantly improve the victim's chances for survival. Although the efficacy of these agents has been known for years, only a fraction of those suffering a heart attack receive this treatment. The reasons for the slow adoption of known methods for dramatically improving the chance of surviving a heart attack include delayed recognition by patients and bystanders that a person is having a heart attack, issues related to emergency transportation, and decisions and procedures within hospital emergency departments. Milton Corn, MD, NLM Associate Director for Extramural Programs, said that the NLM-NHLBI initiative is unusual because "it is uncommon in the U.S. to face the program of gross underutilization of a treatment known to be effective in solving a major clinical problem. Another unusual aspect is that we are attempting to apply modern information technology to the notoriously difficult problems of mass health education and behavior change." The contracts, which total $1.4 million, are for planning projects that can compete in the future for modeling and full-scale implementation grants. A list of organizations receiving funding follows, and summaries of the projects can be found online at www.nlm.nih.gov/news/press_releases/haalert.html, or by calling the Extramural Program Division at 301-496- 4621. Nancy Roderer to Take the Helm of Associate ProgramYale Librarian No Stranger to NLM Nancy K. Roderer has accepted the position of Associate Program Coordinator and Library Operations Research Advisor, and will join the NLM staff in January 1999. NLM's Associate Fellowship program is a post-graduate training program designed to prepare recent library school graduates for leadership roles in health information science. Roderer is currently the Director of the Cushing/Whitney Medical Library of Yale University. She is actively involved in Yale's Integrated Advanced Information Management Systems (IAIMS) project, and works closely with computing and medical informatics units throughout the Yale New Haven Medical Center to bring a broad array of medical information to the desktop and bedside. Roderer previously held several positions at Columbia University's Health Sciences Library, including that of IAIMS coordinator. Prior to her employment at Columbia, she spent 12 years as a library and information services consultant for several Washington, DC firms, including Westat, Inc. and King Research, Inc. Nancy Roderer has a BS degree in Mathematics and Computer Science from the University of Dayton and an MLS degree in Information Retrieval from the University of Maryland. She is active professionally in the American Medical Informatics Association, the American Society for Information Science (ASIS), the Medical Library Association, and the American Library Association. Roderer is a past chair of MLA's Medical Informatics Section and a past President of ALA's Library and Information Technology Association. She played an important role in the establishment of ALA's Office of Information Technology Policy. She is the author of numerous articles and technical reports. Roderer is well known to many NLM staff members. She wrote an NLM-funded study of biomedical research expenditures in the 1970s, has participated in the Unified Medical Language System (UMLS) project as well as IAIMS, and has served as a consultant to NLM's Office of Health Information Programs Development. NLM looks forward to taking advantage of her expertise and experience as it inaugurates the second- year field placements in the newly expanded Associate program. Roderer assumes the position vacated in July 1998 when P. Zoe Stavri, Ph.D. accepted a faculty appointment at the School of Library and Information Science, University of Arizona, Tucson. Karen Hajarian, Director of MEDLARS Promotion, has served as Acting Associate Program Coordinator since that time. Thanks to Betsy Humphreys, Acting Associate Director for Library Operations, for contributing this article. New Regents NamedFoster, Lederberg and Pardes Bring Richness of Experience, Interests At its September meeting, the NLM Board of Regents welcomed three outstanding new members, who will serve until 2002.
The NLM Board of Regents advises, consults with, and makes recommendations to the Secretary of Health and Human Services and the Director, NLM, on matters related to the activities and policies of the Library. Office of Public Information (OPI) Becomes "Office of Communications and Public Liaison"Name Change Reflects Policy Shift at NIH NLM's Office of Public Information has been rechristened the "Office of Communications and Public Liaison." The change was made in response to a National Academy of Sciences (NAS), Institute of Medicine Report, "Scientific Opportunities and Public Needs: Improving Priority Setting and Public Input at the National Institutes of Health." (The full text is available online at http://www.nap.edu/info/browse.htm). After the release of the report, NIH Director Dr. Harold Varmus announced the decision to formalize public liaison activities at NIH, and to establish a Director's Council of Public Representatives. The Council will serve as a forum for discussing issues and concerns and for exchanging viewpoints of importance to NIH policies, programs, and research priorities. Dr. Varmus also requested that all Institutes and Centers (IC's) at NIH designate a Public Liaison Officer, establish an office for the coordination of public input, and include the term "Public Liaison" in the name of its public information office. The Office of Communications and Public Liaison retains the same telephone number and e-mail address as it did in its former life as OPI: 301-496-6308 and publicinfo@nlm.nih.gov. The mailing address is OCPL, National Library of Medicine, 8600 Rockville Pike, Bethesda, MD 20894. "Milestone Molecules in Medicine" Adorns Lister Hill CenterNew Ceramic Work Combines Education and Aesthetics A new artwork that is as educational as it is beautiful has been installed on a wall outside the Lister Hill Auditorium. Called "Milestone Molecules in Medicine," it portrays a "top ten list" of molecules including DNA, ether, insulin and ADP/ATP. The large ceramic piece also bears impressions of various flora, including the signature pink crab apple blossoms that many associate with the Library in springtime. Other plants are medicinal herbs - obviously appropriate for a work displayed at NLM. The artist, Jane W. Larson, 76, has been working in clay since the 1950s and has had solo exhibitions in galleries every few years since 1973. But science is also in her background. Years ago, the Bethesda resident worked as a science reporter and technical information director on the Manhattan Project, which produced the atomic bomb. These days, her aim is to preserve the beauty of plants and flowers, and to teach some lessons about science along the way. She calls her current ceramic technique "making modern- day fossils," which is what she has done in the NLM work. "So much of our knowledge is vanishing - card catalogs are gone and CD-ROMs only have a 100-year lifetime. Many species of plants are vanishing too. Through a technique I refer to as making `bedding planes' - actually a paleontologist's term - I make a sunken relief of plants and other images. By being sunk, they are protected from erosion and wear and are very durable." To the images of plants, she adds ceramic disks that show the structure of the molecules themselves and images that suggest their meaning or purpose. Larson enjoyed conferring with researchers and physicians (including NLM's Director, Dr. Donald A.B. Lindberg) on what the top 10 medical molecules should be. Her work includes homage to Dolly the cloned sheep, and to Austrian botanist Gregor Mendel. "And you should see my kissing couple, next to the testosterone and estrogen," Larson laughs. "It's pretty hot stuff." Fittingly, given the Library's mission, a computer terminal has also been immortalized in the clay stone. Jane Larson has already completed commissions for ceramic works at the chemistry department of the University of Maryland, College Park, and the Residence Inn on Wisconsin Avenue in Bethesda. She is currently negotiating with a Silver Spring, MD high school to produce a ceramic mural with the aid of its art students. Larson had several helpers on this ambitious work - most notably, Mary Lindberg, the wife of NLM's Director. "Milestone Molecules in Medicine" is a gift of Dr. Morris F. Collen of Walnut Creek, CA, a respected authority on medical informatics.
Updated Version of Internet Grateful Med ReleasedNew Features Added, and New Databases A new version of NLM's Internet Grateful Med (IGM) retrieval system was released in early September. Because IGM is now searching MEDLINE using the retrieval engine of NLM's PubMed database, several of the same features available in PubMed are now available in IGM, including links to the full text of participating online journals and the ability to see related articles. The major changes in Version 2.6 of IGM include:
Visit the IGM web site at http://igm.nlm.nih.gov/ and test out the new Internet Grateful Med for yourself. NLM Teams Up With Public Libraries to Help Consumers Find Answers to Medical QuestionPilot Program Will Operate in More Than 200 Libraries Nationwide Pointing out that "carefully used, the Internet offers the public a wonderful opportunity for accessing timely and critical health information," NLM Director Dr. Donald A.B. Lindberg on October 22nd announced that 39 public library organizations with over 200 locations in nine states and DC will take part in a pilot project designed to increase public awareness of and access to health information via the Internet. The states are Alabama, Georgia, Maryland, New York, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas and Virginia. The project, titled "Medical Questions? MEDLINE Has Answers," will evaluate the degree to which public libraries and the Internet can help meet the information needs of the public. "This project will help us to determine the feasibility of mounting these programs in public libraries nationwide," Dr. Lindberg noted. NLM's partners in the "Medical Questions" campaign are the National Network of Libraries of Medicine, the Kellogg Foundation, the Medical Library Association, the Public Library Association (a part of the American Library Association), and the Friends of the NLM. "This pilot project was prompted in part by growing public enthusiasm and thirst for medical information," Dr. Lindberg commented. "For more than 25 years, MEDLINE has been one way in which health professionals have kept up with what's new in their field. Last year, Vice President Al Gore extended this same ability to all when he conducted the first free MEDLINE search on the Internet. Since then, public interest in MEDLINE has skyrocketed. The number of MEDLINE searches has increased amazingly, from 7 million a year to over 120 million," he continued. "And, about one-third of the searches are being done by consumers, indicating the increasing public appetite for health information." A complete list of participating libraries is available at www.nlm.nih.gov/news/press_releases/medplus.html.
Gratefully Yours Gracefully ExitsThe Library's popular bimonthly newsletter Gratefully Yours will cease publication with its November-December 1998 issue. However, several of its key features will continue in other NLM newsletters. Created in 1990 to provide searching tips and interesting anecdotes to users of NLM's computerized information retrieval system, Grateful Med, Gratefully Yours earned a large and loyal following through the years. In the days when Grateful Med use required registration with the Library, NLM was able to keep a mailing list of all users and send them Gratefully Yours. With the advent of free MEDLINE on the World Wide Web in June of 1997, the Library gained millions of new users worldwide but has the mailing address for next to none. After careful consideration, NLM finally elected to close out Gratefully Yours. Beginning in January 1999, the most popular features of Gratefully Yours will be picked up in other NLM organs. The front-page feature article, which described the successful use of NLM databases, will move to this publication, a quarterly newsletter about current events concerning the Library. The Hands-On column from Gratefully Yours will now be found in the NLM Technical Bulletin, a bimonthly newsletter published only on the Web, for online searchers. Through the Technical Bulletin, NLM keeps searchers apprised of changes and enhancements to NLM retrieval systems (e.g., Pub Med and Internet Grateful Med). Both the Technical Bulletin and NLM NEWSLINE can be viewed online from the NLM web site at http://www.nlm.nih.gov/, under the heading "Our Publications." Select "Newsletters" and then click on Technical Bulletin or NLM NEWSLINE. You may want to bookmark the URLs for quick and easy use. The specific URL address for the electronic Technical Bulletin is http://www.nlm.nih.gov/pubs/techbull/tb.html; NLM NEWSLINE is at http://www.nlm.nih.gov/pubs/nlmnews/nlmnews.html. NLM Mourns Loss of Mel BrdlikGratefully Yours Editor Had Just Filed Final Issue With great sadness, the National Library of Medicine announces the death of Gratefully Yours editor Mel Brdlik. He was 71 years old when he succumbed to pancreatic cancer at his Florida home on December 10, 1998. "Mel was the only editor that the highly successful Gratefully Yours ever had," noted Robert Mehnert, Director of NLM's Office of Communications and Public Liaison. "He was an enthusiastic booster of NLM and a good friend of many of us." "Mel was a successful journalist because he always wrote about the `human' side of every story," recalled Sheldon Kotzin, Chief of Bibliographic Services for NLM. "He also had a way of making technical issues understandable. He recognized the role of the librarian and information specialist in conveying NLM programs and services to the users. He was fascinated by the valuable work performed at medical libraries," Kotzin continued. "And he felt that telling our users about this work and the excellent use of our databases by health professionals was the highlight of his professional career." In an October letter commending Brdlik for his work as Gratefully Yours editor, NLM Director Dr. Donald A.B. Lindberg wrote, "Thank you for the marvelous job you have done as the brains (and pen) behind Gratefully Yours. Our little bimonthly grew from almost nothing to being a newsletter eagerly devoured by scores of thousands of MEDLINE users. [Editor's note: At its zenith, Gratefully Yours boasted nearly 75,000 subscribers.] Your skill in ferreting out anecdotes and describing the human side of MEDLINE has been amazing, and we all owe you a debt of gratitude." Brdlik was a graduate of Wheaton College in Illinois and Florida State University. In addition to his NLM duties, he was a long-time employee in communications and public relations at Vicar's Landing, a residential community in Ponte Vedra, Florida. He was also previously associated with William Cook Advertising and Flowers Industries. He is survived by two sons, two daughters, and seven grandchildren. All of NLM and the thousands of readers of Gratefully Yours are very, very grateful to Mel Brdlik. What Have Those Visible Humans Been Up To Lately?Second Visible Human Conference Looks at Advances in Surgical Planning, Education and Clinical Procedures Five years after an executed Texas murderer and a Maryland housewife donated their bodies to NLM's Visible Human Project, researchers gathered for a second time to discuss some of the medical advances made possible by these computerized cadavers. Over 1,000 companies and institutions in 41 countries have been granted licenses to access the data and thanks to their research efforts, innovative medical techniques that sound futuristic will soon become routine in medical schools and operating rooms. Many of these gathered at the Second Visible Human Project Conference, held on the NIH campus October 1-2, 1998. "The federal investment in the Visible Male and Visible Female -- $1.4 million -- has turned out to be minuscule in comparison to the health benefits we have derived from the project," said Dr. Donald A.B. Lindberg, NLM Director, at an October 1st press event that demonstrated some of the latest applications of the data. "We never imagined the many uses that would result from these databases: crash dummies and holographic museum exhibits, educational curriculum and new clinical procedures, medical devices and surgical simulators. And all made possible because of the Visible Human Project." Indeed, attendees had many exciting developments to discuss. Dissecting virtual cadavers and practicing surgery or diagnostic procedures on the computer will soon become commonly accepted medical practices. And time-consuming, uncomfortable medical procedures may also become less common. For example, within the next year, patients will be able to choose a "virtual colonoscopy" rather than endure a rectal probe under anesthesia. A software package that lets physicians explore the colon for lesions or polyps helps make a colonoscopy easier, more efficient and less expensive. "This technique could revolutionize colonoscopy screening so that it will be as simple and as cost- effective as a mammogram," says Dr. Michael Ackerman, NLM's Assistant Director for High Performance Computing and Communications and director of the Visible Human Project. The challenge that now faces scientists, says Ackerman, is to take the data generated from the Visible Humans and make it easier for anyone -- even individuals with a desktop computer -- to process and manipulate. "Right now, the data has to be manipulated manually -- that's time-consuming, cumbersome, and requires large computers," says Ackerman. "The task for scientists over the next two years will be to make the data easier to access -- or in the language of the cyberworld, to do automated `segmentation and alignment'," says Ackerman. Think of this in terms of three- dimensional "cut and paste." With segmentation, someone can cut out all the cross sections of the heart, for example, and "paste" those parts together in a three-dimensional heart. The Visible Human Male was frozen and imaged in 1 millimeter slices, each about 1/20th of an inch. So the heart is made up of dozens of tiny slices or cross-sections. (The Visible Human Female was sliced into even thinner segments, each about .33 mm or 1/60 of an inch.) In practical terms this means that as soon as processing the Visible Humans' data become automated, anatomy lessons will become more visibly accurate. The heart, or any part of the body, will be studied in three dimensions, rather than two as seen on an anatomy textbook page. Anatomy students will be able to dissect a "cyber cadaver" over and over again as they study the body in its finer details. On the crash-test front, scientists will continue to refine and test "cyber dummies," simulating the impact of a crash on the cyber body. The benefit of this kind of crash testing is that it allows the researcher to stage repeated crash scenarios and still keep costs at a minimum. The Visible Human data has also furthered the progress of scientists interested in testing 3- dimensional algorithms on a 2-dimensional dataset. And, as NLM Director Lindberg points out, "We have been amazed to discover literally hundreds of innovative uses of the Visible Human Project. The excitement is wondering what's around the bend." (To learn more about the Visible Human Project, visit the web site at www.nlm.nih.gov/research/visible/visible_human.html .) Thanks to Judith Folkenberg, Office of Communications and Public Liaison, for contributing this article.
NLM Honor Awards Salute Quality and Creativity, Longevity and LeadershipEach year just before Thanksgiving, the National Library of Medicine takes a couple of hours to give thanks for its many outstanding employees and to give special recognition for the work they do. On November 24, 1998, a capacity crowd attended the NLM Honor Awards ceremony in Lister Hill Auditorium. Director Dr. Donald A.B. Lindberg welcomed the group and commended them for an especially productive year. He mentioned several milestones for 1998: the dramatic rise in MEDLINE searches, an outreach initiative with public libraries, the launch of a new Gene Map, and SIS's release of a system of web-based toxicology databases. Individual and group awards for sustained superior performance or special acts of service went to 85 employees. Forty-nine NLM staffers were given length-of-service awards, including Frances Humphrey Howard (Extramural Programs), Louella Thomas (Library Operations), who each had 40 years of federal service. The following employees received special awards in 1998: NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH MERIT AWARDSRhonda J. Allard, Bibliographic Services Division, for her instrumental role in the development of new customer service tolls needed to support free Web access to MEDLINE. Ione C. Auston, Public Services Division, for enhancing NLM's bibliographic services in the field of health services research and improving the Library's ability to serve health services researchers. Esther S. Baldinger, Technical Services Division, for her significant leadership and technical expertise in coordinating and controlling the flow of journal information needed to support MEDLINE and other NLM online files. Kathi A. Canese, Bibliographic Services Division, for substantial contributions to the successful implementation of PubMed as NLM's primary MEDLINE retrieval system. Gale A. Dutcher, Specialized Information Services, for exceptional leadership and creativity in establishing programs to optimize the level of awareness and availability of NLM HIV/AIDS information services. Mary M. Smith, Office of Acquisitions Management, for exceptional management and effective administration of the contracting function at NLM. George R. Thoma, PhD, Communications Engineering Branch, for his exceptional leadership in conceiving, designing and implementing advanced digital imaging systems, document management systems and information processing systems for biomedical applications. EEO SPECIAL ACHIEVEMENT AWARDSPhillip C. Coleman Award EEO Special Achievement Award HONORARY AWARDSCommendation Medals Richard P. Rodgers, MD, LHNCBC, for advanced demonstration of network- based information contributions in the promotion of research and health care application and Internet-based teleconferencing technology. NIH Director's Awards Patricia R. Carson, Office of the Director, in recognition of her resourcefulness and superb leadership in organizing major national and international events. Mark S. Boguski, MD, PhD, Kenneth S. Katz, PhD, Gregory D. Schuler, PhD, and Carolyn Toltoshev, PhD, National Center for Biotechnology Information. As members of the NCI Tumor Gene Index Project Team: in recognition of their scientific leadership in guiding the development of the Tumor Gene Index. NIH Harvey J. Bullock, Jr. AwardMichael P. Bumbray, Office of Computer and Communications Systems, for his outstanding supervisory efforts in affording staff all possible opportunities to grow professionally and to work in a discrimination-free workplace. Frank B. Rogers AwardKaren L. Sinkule, Public Services Division, for her foresight in the planning and implementation of a conservation and book repair lab in the NLM, thus enabling scholars to use more items in the collection today and for many years to come. Board of Regents AwardsStephen H. Bryant, PhD, National Center for Biotechnology Information, in recognition of outstanding work in designing the Molecular Modeling Database and for developing innovative approaches for protein structural comparisons. George R. Thoma, PhD, Communications Engineering Branch, for his outstanding leadership in designing and implementing an automated data entry system for producing MEDLINE citation records.
New NLM Associate Fellows Begin Postgraduate Training Class of 1998-99 Is Largest EverIn September, the Library welcomed its newest group of participants in the Associate Fellowship Program. And, thanks to a major expansion of the program last year, in conjunction with its 40th anniversary, this year's class is also the largest ever. Eight gifted library school graduates will spend one year in a postgraduate program that will expose them to the concepts, skills and technologies that are shaping the future of the library and information fields. Through intensive training modules and independent research projects, Associate Fellows gain an in-depth understanding of NLM, and explore the need for and application of research and development activities in providing biomedical information services to health professionals and the public. The program now includes an optional second year at a library or information center in an academic health sciences center, hospital, or other health-related organization. (See related story, below.) Biographical sketches of the 1998-99 NLM Associate Fellows follow. Nancy Bladen received her BA in English from Mary Washington College in 1988 and MSLS from The Catholic University of America in December 1997. While earning her master's degree, Nancy worked full-time as a librarian in the technical library of an engineering consulting firm, where she was involved in implementing a web-based OPAC and document management system and developing the library's internal web pages. Her other responsibilities included: reference, interlibrary loan, cataloging, and records management. Prior to entering the library field, Nancy worked in marketing, sales, and publishing in the corporate sector. Her interest in medical librarianship stems from volunteer experience at the INOVA Fairfax Hospital Health Sciences Library, where she provided reference service to the clinical staff and consumers. Nancy's professional interests include consumer health, database systems and digital libraries. She is a member of SLA, MLA, and AMIA. A native of the Washington, DC area, Nancy enjoys swing dancing, eating steamed crabs, and biking along the Potomac River. Liza Chan has always enjoyed dealing with health sciences information. She finds knowledge about the human body fascinating, from anatomy to physiology to biochemistry. That was one of the reasons why she entered the profession of physical therapy. She received her BScPT from University of Alberta (UA), Canada in 1996. Realizing the emphasis on research in the medical field, the rapid growth of computer applications and the emergence of information highways and networks, Liza decided to pursue formal training in the management of information right after her undergraduate education. While Liza was taking the MLIS program at UA, she worked as a part- time physical therapist in the cardiothoracic surgery ward at the UA Hospital for the past two years. She is excited about the Associate Fellowship program, because she can explore the field of medical librarianship in depth and in breadth. Her professional goal is to be able to access, analyze and organize health information in a manner that its utilization will be easy, efficient and ethical. Joanne T. Correllus began her college career as a biology/pre-med major at the College of the Holy Cross, Worcester, Massachusetts, but later changed majors and received her BA in classics in 1996. Her interest in medicine did not wane as she continued to volunteer at the University of Massachusetts Medical Center in the Pediatric Ward during the school year, and at the Falmouth (Massachusetts) Hospital Emergency Room summers. A desire to bring together her varied interests, as well as encouragement from her undergraduate library supervisor, Tony Stankus, led her to enroll in library school at The Catholic University of America, where she finished her coursework in August 1998. While at Catholic, she served as treasurer and then president of the Association of Graduate Library and Information Science Students (AGLISS), and as the treasurer of the student chapter of the Special Libraries Association. She has worked in science and technology libraries for five years, three years as a part-time student assistant at Holy Cross and two years as a full-time employee under scholarship at Catholic University. She recently collaborated with Tony Stankus on an article entitled "A Librarian's Guide to Lupus" which will be published in Reference and User Services Quarterly. She hopes her year as an Associate Fellow will help refine her professional interests, which include evidence-based medicine, Web technologies, and the history of medicine. Outside of work, she is an avid college basketball fan and enjoys hiking, playing tennis, and spending time with her fiance'. Rebecca Marni Dittmar received her MLIS in May of 1997 from Louisiana State University, and enjoyed her time in Cajun country, for the food and music as well as for her library education. A highlight of library school was an internship at the two libraries of the National Public Radio organization in Washington, DC. Marni worked in the field of information provision as a researcher and a document specialist before obtaining her degree. Previously, she obtained a master's degree in rehabilitation counseling, and spent two years in Malaysia working with adolescent heroin addicts. She continued to research addiction treatment at the Universiti Sains Malaysia in Penang for a year, and then traveled in southeast Asia and India before returning to the United States. Before coming to NLM, she worked in the EPA Headquarters library on the Internet Librarian team. She is interested in the Internet as a medium for the dissemination of information, and has taught Internet search techniques to students and professional people. She is also interested in the provision of medical information to people in remote and rural areas. Marni is active in the Washington DC dance community, including contra, cajun and swing dance, and also spends a lot of time outside, canoeing, hiking, and wildlife watching. Paula M. Kitendaugh received her undergraduate degrees in economics and international studies from the University of Washington, Seattle, in 1991. During her service as a Peace Corps volunteer in Belize, Central America, she gained a new appreciation for both traditional and folk medicine. After moving east to experience the "other" Washington, Paula worked in various special libraries, including those in an investment company, the Special Libraries Association, and the Voice of America television news department. Paula received her MSLS from The Catholic University of America in 1997. She is a member of the SLA and MLA. Professional interests include clinical librarianship, knowledge management, and international initiatives in health information dissemination. Personal aspirations include hiking and/or kayaking on all the continents, mastering the hockey stop in ice skating, and becoming a syndicated cartoonist. Susan Rondon received her BA in foreign affairs from the University of Virginia (1991). She then worked as a legal assistant in Washington, DC before moving to Ann Arbor to attend the University of Michigan. She completed the MSI program at the School of Information this past August. Susan took coursework in medical informatics and information sources in the health sciences and worked at Taubman Medical Library as part of a field experience. At Michigan, Susan was a University Library Associate, which included a scholarship and placement at one of the libraries on campus. She worked at the Media Union Library, where collections in engineering, art, and architecture were combined. Susan is looking forward to being exposed to and developing interests in many areas of medical librarianship. Currently she is particularly interested in medical informatics, digital library initiatives, educational technology, and evidence- based practice and teaching in medicine. In her free time, Susan enjoys going to museums, especially art museums. She likes to travel and is interested in animals and outdoor activities such as hiking, biking, and skiing. Susan spent much of her childhood overseas, living in Madagascar, Peru, Honduras and Ecuador. Mary Beth Schell has been working in Duke University's library for the past seven years. She began her service in the interlibrary loan office and later moved to the public documents and maps department. During that time she began working on her MLS at North Carolina Central University, and received her degree in May 1998. While working at Duke, Mary Beth assumed many leadership positions including heading a task force dealing with document delivery issues, creating a task force pertaining to customer service training, and serving on the library's strategic planning team. Prior to working at Duke, Mary Beth received a BS in secondary social studies education in 1988 from Miami University. She then attended United Theological Seminary, where she received an MA in religious education in 1992. Mary Beth holds a variety of professional interests ranging from the provision of government information to consumer health to issues surrounding intellectual freedom. Mary Beth's other interests include pop culture, which is another way of saying that she enjoys television, movies, and music. A native of Michigan, Elizabeth M. Smigielski received a BA in biology and a BA in Spanish from Wayne State University in 1994. While an undergraduate, she served as a volunteer assistant wildlife biologist, banding northern spotted owls with the Bureau of Land Management in Medford, Oregon. Following graduation, she attended an immersion language study program at the Instituto de Lengua y Cultura Costarricense in Alajuela, Costa Rica. After returning to the US, she worked as a laboratory technician researching pre-mRNA splicing at the University of Kentucky (UK) Department of Molecular Cell Biology. While at UK, she received an MA in secondary education, specializing in foreign language education. This was followed by an MSLS, awarded in August 1998. In addition to working in public libraries as an undergraduate, Elizabeth was a graduate assistant in the bibliographic control department at UK's King Library, as well as in reference and original cataloging at the UK Agricultural Information Center. She credits former Associate Jane Bryant for encouraging and assisting her in applying for the Fellowship. Elizabeth is interested in preservation, biological and medical information use, and research and development of information technology. Her outside interests include camping, canoeing, travel, and low-stakes poker.
Proposals Sought for Second-Year Sites for NLM's Associate Fellowship ProgramIs your organization seeking the services of a talented, well-trained medical librarian for one year, all expenses paid? The National Library of Medicine is pleased to announce a request for proposals from academic health science centers, hospital research facilities, corporations, or other organizations interested in serving as second-year sites for NLM's Associate Fellowship program. Requirements and application procedures are outlined in the Statement of Work and Request For Proposal (RFP) available on NLM's Web site at: www.nlm.nih.gov under General Information, Training Opportunities, NLM Second Year Associate Fellowship (www.nlm.nih.gov/about/training/nlmassocrfp.html). The primary purpose of NLM's Associate Fellowship program is to prepare librarians for future leadership roles in health science libraries. The emphasis of the optional second year of the program is on the Fellow developing skills and gaining experience working on teams of librarians, administrators, health professionals, system developers, and/or educators in a multi-disciplinary Host Institution. As pioneering heart surgeon and NLM Board of Regents member Dr. Michael E. DeBakey has noted, "Health sciences librarians play a vital role in making medical information accessible to health professionals and, increasingly, to the general public. Society benefits when these librarians are well equipped to participate in the design, development, and delivery of health information systems." By having an NLM Associate Fellow on site, an organization will help that Fellow develop professionally and will reap the rewards of the Fellow's education, and on-the-job skills honed during his or her year of training at NLM. Everyone wins, including your clients. Proposals are due no later than close of business on Friday, January 15, 1999. Questions can be directed to the Acting Associate Fellowship Program Coordinator, Karen Hajarian, at hajarian@nlm.nih.gov or (301) 435-4083. OLDMEDLINE Moves Back in TimeDatabase Now Features Citations From 1960-63 OLDMEDLINE was first made available in December 1996, with over 307,000 citations originally published in the 1964 and 1965 Cumulated Index Medicus (CIM) (see NLM Technical Bulletin, 1996 Nov.-Dec; (293): 1, 4-6). In completion of the next phase of NLM's goal to provide online access to citations published in Index Medicus before 1966, over 400,000 citations published in the 1960 through 1963 CIM were added to OLDMED in November 1998. The file now contains 771,287 citations. OLDMEDLINE is available free to searchers on the Web via Internet Grateful Med (http://igm.nlm.nih.gov) as well as to ELHILL command language searchers for a fee. To access OLDMED via ELHILL, enter the command: FILE OLDMEDLINE, or FILE OLDMED, at any USER: prompt. Differences Within OLDMEDLINE and With MEDLINEData Quality The 1964 and 1965 CIM data were converted from the data tapes provided by the Deutsches Institut für Medizinische Dokumentation und Information (DIMDI), the International MEDLARS Center in Germany, with minimal data cleanup and validation. NLM was able to provide limited data validation for the 1964 and 1965 data based on the Journal Title Codes (JC) that are present in the citation data. These JCs were matched to SERLINE records to provide current Title Abbreviation (TA), ISSN (IS), and Country (CY) data for the old OLDMED citations. However, the 1960 through 1963 citations keyed from the printed indexes did not include JC information, and could not be matched against current SERLINE information for TA, IS, or CY data. Citations in OLDMEDLINE lack the individual and accumulated changes and improvements that have been made to data in other ELHILL files during annual file maintenance, and certain fields may contain outdated or erroneous data. MeSH Headings (MH), Subheadings (SH), and Keywords (KW): Subject Retrieval The original Medical Subject Headings (MeSH) have not been updated, and may not match current MeSH vocabulary. Also, there are no Subheadings in citations published in the 1963 through 1965 CIM. The citations from the 1960 through 1962 CIM were indexed with MeSHHeading/Subheading combinations. To distinguish these older MeSH Headings from current MeSH in other ELHILL files, all MeSH terms and MeSH Headings/Subheading combinations in OLDMEDLINE records have been placed in the Keyword (KW) field. As a result, the MeSH terms in OLDMEDLINE do not relate to current MeSH Tree numbers, and the NLM ELHILL "explode" and "pre- explode" capabilities are not functional for this file. There are no data in the MeSH Heading (MH) field. The NLM plans to map old MeSH Headings and MeSH Headings/Subheading combinations presently residing in the Keyword (KW) field to current MeSH in the future. Be aware that the absence of abstracts in OLDMED, and the fact that fewer MeSH Headings were assigned per article (approximately 6 per citation), will affect subject retrieval. Updating Frequency and File Maintenance At this time, no additional updates to OLDMEDLINE are firmly scheduled. NLM expects to continue converting its older publications that predate CIM to machine-readable form as time and resources permit. Typographical errors, or erroneous or outdated data, cannot be corrected at this time. Thanks to Sue Vonbraunsberg, Librarian, Bibliographic Services Division, for contributing this article. Older Americans Don't Want to Be Left Behind on Information SuperhighwayNLM Releases Study on Seniors' Use of Internet to Obtain Health InformationOn December 4th, NLM joined the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, the Office of Research on Women's Health, and the Department of Health and Human Services' Health Care Financing Administration in releasing the findings of a jointly sponsored project to "train trainers" of senior citizens from around the country in how to access health information on the Internet. "Results of the project indicate that training had a positive impact on seniors' confidence in using computers and the Internet, in conducting consumer health information searches online, and in sharing health care information with doctors, family members and friends," said NLM Director Dr. Donald A.B. Lindberg. "Most importantly, we found that seniors can learn to use the Internet and don't want to be left behind on the information superhighway. Two- thirds of those who searched for health information on the Internet talked about it with their doctors, and more than half indicated they were more satisfied with their treatment as a result of their search." NLM sponsored this project in part because of growing public enthusiasm for searching MEDLINE on the web. The "Train the Trainer" project was developed and implemented by the SPRY (Setting Priorities for Retirement Years) Foundation, to give older adults access to valuable health care information on the Internet, teach them how to evaluate the quality of that information, and enable them to exchange this information with family, friends, their community and health care providers. To request a free copy of the SPRY project report, contact NLM's Office of Communications and Public Liaison at publicinfo@nlm.nih.gov, or call 301-496-6308. Woods Hole Program on Medical Informatics ExpandsApplications Now Being Accepted for Spring and Fall Sessions The very popular week-long survey course on medical informatics, sponsored by NLM and conducted at the Woods Hole Marine Biological Laboratory, Woods Hole, Massachusetts, will be offered twice in 1999: May 30-June 5 and October 3-9. The course is designed to familiarize individuals with the application of computer technologies and information science in medicine. Through a combination of lectures and hands-on computer exercises, participants will be introduced to the conceptual and technical components of medical informatics. Application deadline for both courses is March 15, 1999. For application forms and further information, please contact Carol Hamel, Admissions Coordinator, Marine Biological Laboratory, 7 MBL Street, Woods Hole, MA 02543-1015, phone 508-289- 7401, or e-mail admissions@mbl.edu. The Woods Hole web address is http://www.mbl.edu/. Products and PublicationsA Global Vision for the National Library of Medicine: National Library of Medicine Long Range Plan. This free 44-page report, release in September 1998, includes the recommendations of the NLM Long Range Planning Panel on International Programs. To order, e-mail publicinfo@nlm.nih.gov, or call the Office of Communications and Public Liaison at 301-496-6308. Two popular NLM publications, Health Hotlines, a listing of some 16,000 U.S. health and disease organizations, and Guide to NIH HIV Resources, have recently been revised. To obtain free copies, e-mail publicinfo@nlm.nih.gov, or call the Office of Communications and Public Liaison at 301-496-6308. Information on ordering the following publications is available from the NLM web site (www.nlm.nih.gov/pubs/pubcat.html). Index Medicus, 1999 Edition. Price for a one-year subscription is $460 domestic, $575 foreign. Published monthly as a bibliographic listing of references to current articles from 3,300 of the world's biomedical journals. Included are subject and author sections and a separate Bibliography of Medical Reviews. Medical Subject Headings and List of Journals Indexed are also furnished as part of the subscription and may be ordered separately (see below). Monthly issues are in two volumes: Part 1, Subject Section (A-Q), and Part 2, Subject Section (R-Z), Author Section and Bibliography of Medical Reviews. Annual subscription (1999): $460 ($575 foreign). GPO Subscription Code: IM99 List of Journals Indexed in Index Medicus, 1999: An annual listing of 3,300 journals indexed in Index Medicus. Contains four sections: abbreviation, full title, subject, and geographical. (Included with subscription to Index Medicus?.) Price for individual copies: $23 ($28.75 foreign). GPO Code: IM99 (List of Journals Indexed in Index Medicus) Medical Subject Headings, 1999-Supplement to Index Medicus: An alphabetical and categorized list of all of the subject descriptors used to analyze the biomedical literature in the NLM. Subscribers to Index Medicus? receive this publication as Part 2 of the January issue, also available separately for $65 ($81.25 foreign). GPO Code: IM99 (Medical Subject Headings) Medical Subject Headings, Annotated Alphabetic List, 1999: Alphabetic list of all subject descriptors used by indexers and catalogers at NLM. Includes subject headings, cross- references, geographic headings, check tags, tree numbers, and notes for indexers, catalogers and online searchers. Data are also available for download as a text file from NLM's MeSH web site (www.nlm.nih.gov/mesh/). $49.95 ($99.90 foreign). Medical Subject Headings, Permuted, 1999: Computer-generated display of words contained in NLM subject headings, cross-references, check tags, and geographic descriptors appearing in MeSH Annotated Alphabetic List. Lists each signifcant word in any MeSH term and lists all MeSH terms in which that word appears. $40.95 ($81.90 foreign). Medical Subject Headings, Tree Structures, 1999: Also available at no cost via NLM anonymous ftp server, at www.nlmpubs.nlm.nih.gov. The file is in the directory /online/mesh as MTREES95.EXE. Contains all MeSH headings currently in use by NLM's indexers, catalogers and searchers. Headings are arranged in hierarchical manner showing relationships between broader and narrower terms. $44.95 ($89.90 foreign). "Next Generation Internet" Medical Awards AnnouncedNLM Supports 24 Projects to Improve Tomorrow's Health Care On October 14th, NLM announced 24 contract awards totaling $2.3 million to medical institutions and companies to develop innovative medical projects that demonstrate the use of the capabilities of the Next Generation Internet (NGI). The NGI program, announced in the fall of 1996, combines the resources of such government entities as the National Science Foundation, the Department of Defense, NASA and NLM. According to NLM Director Dr. Donald A.B. Lindberg, "If we are to benefit from the fruits of modern medical science, we must be able to transfer massive amounts of data - instantaneously, accurately and securely. These projects are an important step in that direction." Among the NGI capabilities widely expected to be available are virtually error-free service, security and medical data privacy, "nomadic" computing, network management, and infrastructure technology for "collaboratories." Michael J. Ackerman, Ph.D., NLM Assistant Director for High Performance Computing and Communications, and coordinator of the projects, said that "The availability of the NGI will lead to a whole new set of applications that are based on the ability to control, feel and manipulate devices at a distance. To get an idea of what we foresee, one need only read the terms used in the descriptions of the projects: telepresence, tele-immersion, telemammography, internetworking, and nomadic computing." NLM is funding these demonstration projects with the goal of improving our understanding of how the Next Generation Internet can affect health care, health education, and health research systems in such areas as cost, quality, usability, efficacy and security. There is a link to more information about the NGI and telemedicine on the NLM home page at www.nlm.nih.gov, along with descriptions of the NGI projects being conducted by the following institutions:
Monograph and Serial GapsNLM regularly seeks the help of the medical library community in filling gaps in its monograph and serial collections. If you are able to provide a copy of any of the monographs listed below, please send to: National Library of Medicine TSD-MONOGRAPHS Attn: L. Turnage Bethesda, MD 20894 MonographsFrey, Allan H. On the nature of electromagnetic field interactions with biological systems. Austin (TX): R. G. Landes; 1994. GDCH-Advisory Committee on Existing Chemicals of Environmental Relevance, editor. 1-chloro-2,4- dinitrobenzene. New York: VCH Publishers; 1991. (BUA report; 42). ISSN: 0938-9393. Geert, Paul Van. Dynamic systems of development: change between complexity and chaos. New York: Harvester Wheatsheaf; 1994. Harris, James Arthur. A biometric study of basal metabolism in man. Washington: Carnegie Institution of Washington; 1919. (Carnegie Institution of Washington publication; no. 279). Hill, David. Movement disturbance: a clue to hidden competencies in persons diagnosed with autism and other developmental disabilities. Madison (WI): DRI Press; 1993. Kurtz, Ron. Body reveals: an illustrated guide to the psychology of the body. New York: Harper and Row; 1976. Lauper, P. Medical-economic aspects of hormone replacement therapy: the proceedings of a workshop: 1993 Mar 9; CIBA-GEIGY, Basel, Switzerland. Pearl River (NY): Parthenon Pub. Group; 1993. (The International Congress, Symposium, and Seminar Series; vol. 6). ISSN: 0969-2622. Lewis, Jefferson. Something hidden: a biography of Wilder Penfield. Garden City (NY): Doubleday and Company, Inc.; 1981. Mutiny and medicine: an international conference of the history of medicine: programme and abstracts. Brisbane (Queensland, Australia): Amphion Press; 1995. Oliver, Wade. Stalkers of pestilence: the story of man's ideas of infection. College Park (MD): McGrath Pub. Co.; 1970, c1930. Prusiner, Stanley B. Prion diseases of humans and animals. New York: Ellis Horwood; 1993. Roder, Thomas. Psychiatrists--the men behind Hitler: the architects of horror. Los Angeles: Freedom Pub.; 1995. SerialsIf you are able to provide a copy of any of the serials below, please send to: TSD - GAPS Annals of Surgical Oncology, 1:4-6, 1994 Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis, and Vascular Biology, 16:3-4, 1996 Biochimie, 76:1-12, 1994 Bulletin de l'Association des Anatomistes, 75:230-231, 1991 Cardiologia, 40:7-9, 1995 HPB Surgery, 3:1-4, 1990/91 Journal of Laryngology and Otology, 110:5-6, 1996 Journal of Magnetic Resonance, Series B, 102:1-3, 1993; 109:1-3, 1995 Journal of Neurophysiology, 76:2, 1996 Journal of the American Geriatric Society, 44:5-8, 1996 Neurosurgery, 39:1-3, 1996 Pharmacogenetics, 2:1-6, 1992 Plant Physiology, 104:1-2, 1994; 105, 1- 2, 1994 Schweizer Archiv für Tierheilkunde, 138:7-12, 1996 Tanpakushitsu Kakusan Koso. Protein, Nucleic Acid, Enzyme, 14:16, 1996 Zentralblatt für Hygiene und Umweltmedizin, 194:1-6, 1995 Thanks to Karen Patrias, Senior Resource Specialist, Public Services Division, for invaluable help in compiling this list. NLM In PrintThe following references cite works that discuss the products and services of the National Library of Medicine. If you know of other appropriate citations for this column, please send reprints or references to the Editor, NLM NEWSLINE, Office of Communications and Public Liaison, National Library of Medicine, Bethesda, MD 20894, or e- mail to mm354i@nih.gov. (Note: Some of the articles listed may be from publications that are outside the scope of the NLM collection and therefore are not available from the Library on interlibrary loan.)
Thanks to Jacque-Lynne Schulman, Technical Information Specialist, Medical Subject Headings, and Karen Patrias, Senior Resource Specialist, Public Services Division, for invaluable help in compiling this list. Digital Libraries Deadline ExtendedLetters of Intent for Support Now Due February 15th The deadline for letters of intent requesting support under the Digital Libraries Initiative, Phase 2, has been extended to February 15, 1999. Full proposals are due by May 17, 1999. Information about the program and procedures for applying can be viewed on the web at http://dli2.nlm.nih.gov/. For more information, contact Dr. Susan Sparks with the Office of Extramural Programs, 301-496-4621. February 1, 1999 is Deadline for '99-'00 Associate Fellowship Program ApplicationsThe NLM Associate Fellowship Program is seeking applicants for its Class of 1999-2000. The program is open to library/information professionals as well as graduate students completing their degrees. The qualifications are:
Work experience is desirable, but not essential. The application can be downloaded in a variety of file formats from www.nlm.nih.gov/about/training/nlmassoc.html. If the formats do not meet your needs, or if you have questions about the application, contact Project Manager Elizabeth Kittrell at 423-241-3319 or kittrell@orau.gov. Questions about program content may be directed to the Program Coordinator, at 301-594-2899, or associates@mail.nlm.nih.gov. How Times Have ChangedFormer PSD Head Reflects on Progress of Interlibrary Loan Technology After reading in this publication about the new Relais system for interlibrary loan, NLM's retired Chief of the Public Services Division Al Berkowitz couldn't help reflecting on less high-tech days. In a letter to Robert Mehnert, NLM's Director of the Office of Communications and Public Liaison, he recalled, "It took me back over the years to my arrival in the old Loan and Stack Section in 1966 and the cameras devised by Tom Bagg and the team at the National Bureau of Standards and the old Copyflo machine, which were marvels of their day. And then trying to use copiers on wheels in the stacks which had liquid toner and spilled all over the place." Berkowitz also recalled "the experiment with U of Michigan in Ann Arbor, transmitting ILL requests over a phone line and seeing if they could fill them faster from their film copies than we could." "I guess it won't be long before George Thoma [head of the Library's Communications Engineering Branch] has scanned the entire collection, put it on discs, distributed them to all the medical librarians in the country, and NLM can go out of the ILL business." Stay tuned! DOCLINE Reaches Milestone3,000 th Participant Registered DOCLINE, the National Library of Medicine's automated interlibrary loan request and referral system, attained a milestone in July when its 3,000 participant was registered. Cassandra R. Allen, head of NLM's Collection Access Section, reports that this distinction was earned by the Shenandoah University Health Sciences Library in Winchester, Virginia. The NLM Newsline is published 6 times a year by the National Library of Medicine (National Institutes of Health, Department of Health and Human Services). In addition to electronic access, the printed NLM Newsline is mailed without charge to institutions and individuals interested in health sciences communications. For further information, contact the NLM Newsline Editor, Melanie Modlin; e-mail address: mm354i@nih.gov
Last updated: 08 June 1999 First published: 01 July 1998 Permanence level: Permanent: Stable Content
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U.S. National Library of Medicine, 8600 Rockville Pike, Bethesda, MD 20894 National Institutes of Health, Department of Health & Human Services Copyright, Privacy, Accessibility Last updated: 8 June 1999 |
Photo: The Learning Center staff in their new digs.
(Standing, l. to r.) Michael Weisberg, EdD, Charles Sneiderman, MD, PhD,
Quang Le, Jim Woods, Ph.D. (Seated, l. to r.) Eldon Ullmer, PhD, Craig
Locatis, PhD, Victor Carr, EdD, Lillian Scanlon.
Photo:This lighthearted shot from December 1940
catches Dr. Avery in a holiday mood.
Photos: A page from the lab notebook of Dr. Oswald
T. Avery, "Extract #24, Overnight Incubation [without] Added Glucose. Dec.
2, 1941"
Mrs. Colaianni came to NLM in January 1981
as Deputy Associate Director for Library Operations after serving as the
director of libraries for Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles. She
became acting associate director in 1982 and was named Associate Director
two years later. Library Operations, the oldest and largest of NLM's
components, is responsible for building and preserving the NLM collection;
developing the Medical Subject Headings; indexing and cataloging
biomedical literature; disseminating NLM's authoritative bibliographic
information online and in machine-readable and printed products; providing
reference assistance, customer service, and document delivery; maintaining
an active History of Medicine program; managing NLM's health services
research information services; and directing the National Network of
Libraries of Medicine. 
NLM Reference Librarian Adam Glazer was
featured in the October issue of American Libraries as one of the nation's
most influential young librarians ("20 in their 20s."). According to the
article, this group of "promising young practitioners" has "shown
leadership and energy." Glazer, who earned an MSLS at Catholic University,
Washington, DC, has worked at NLM since 1995.
Former NLM Board of Regents chair Dr. Michael E.
DeBakey, Chancellor Emeritus and Distinguished Service Professor,
Baylor College of Medicine, was treated to a 90th birthday celebration at
the Library October 7, 1998. NLM Director Dr. Donald A.B. Lindberg
presented DeBakey, one of the most effective advocates for the Library's
move to NIH in 1962, with a brick from our previous headquarters on
Independence Avenue in Washington, DC. DeBakey's actual birthday is
September 7th.
Henry W. Foster, Jr., MD, is a respected
physician and health policy advocate. He has served since 1996 as a Senior
Advisor to President Clinton on Teen Pregnancy Reduction and Youth Issues.
Dr. Foster is also Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Meharry
Medical College, Nashville, Tennessee, and Clinical Professor of
Obstetrics and Gynecology at Vanderbilt University, Nashville.
Joshua Lederberg, PhD, is a Nobel Prize-
winning scientist (1958, for studies on organization of the genetic
material in bacteria). He is currently University Professor and Raymond
& Beverly Sackler Foundation Scholar at Rockefeller University, New
York, NY. Dr. Lederberg has served on numerous federal and private
advisory panels, on topics as diverse as space biology, mental
retardation, cancer and genetics.
Herbert Pardes, MD, is Vice President for
Health Sciences and Dean of the Faculty of Medicine and Chairman of the
Department of Psychiatry at the College of Physicians and Surgeons,
Columbia University, New York, NY. He has an extensive background in
psychiatry, academic medicine and government leadership in mental health.
Photo: Bethesda artist Jane W. Larson with her
latest ceramic commission, "Milestone Molecules in Medicine." NLM's
celebrated crab apple blossoms frame the upper part of the work.
Photo: At a July planning meeting, librarians and
other information specialists participating in the "Medical Questions"
project met for training and orientation at NLM. NLM Director Dr. Donald
A.B. Lindberg is pictured front row, center.
Photo: Dr. Joe Tasto and Monica Giffhorn of HT
Medical Systems, Rockville, MD, demonstrate the PreOp Endoscopy Simulator
at NLM's Second Visible Human Conference. The device brings the Visible
Human Male back to life. He breathes, his heart beats, he even coughs.
Using the Visible Human data, the Simulator provides a realistic surgical
environment where physicians can learn without putting patients at risk.
Photo:Dr. Stephen H. Bryant and Dr. George R.
Thoma receive their respective Board of Regents Awards from Board chair
Dr. Tenley Albright. 
Photo: NLM Associate Fellows (back row, l. to r.)
Elizabeth M. Smigielski, Susan Rondon, Liza Chan, (front row, l. to r.)
Nancy Bladen, Rebecca Marni Dittmar, Mary Beth Schell, Paula M.
Kitendaugh, Joanne T. Correllus.