NLM Newsline 1997 September-December; Vol. 52, No. 5/6
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
- NLM Director, Donald A.B. Lindberg, M.D.
- Chief, Office of Public Information, Robert B. Mehnert
- Editor, Melanie Modlin, Office of Public Information
- Fran Beckwith, Writer
- Karlton Jackson, Photographer
Contents:
Exhibit Examines Monster's Many Dimensions, Relationship to Modern
Medicine
On Halloween eve, fittingly, with eerie music, ghostly lighting,
strangely costumed guests, and fog spilling over the mezzanine, NLM held a
masquerade to celebrate the opening of a new exhibition, "Frankenstein:
Penetrating the Secrets of Nature."
Special guest Sara Karloff, daughter of actor Boris, added star power
to the opening night reception, which attracted national and local press
attention. Families from NIH's Children's Inn, an on- campus residence for
relatives of children being treated at the Clinical Center, were special
guests. They toured the exhibit with Frankenstein himself, enjoying a
magician and savoring Halloween goodies.
The exhibit, organized by the Library's History of Medicine Division,
explores not only the popularization of the Frankenstein myth but broader
questions about the public's fear of science and its powers. It examines
scientific developments that likely influenced Mary Shelley, author of
Frankenstein, as she wrote her celebrated novel in 1818: attempts to
resuscitate the nearly dead, early efforts at blood transfusion, and
experiments conducted with "animal electricity." The wide- ranging
collection runs the gamut from an original edition of Shelley's 1818
masterpiece, to a look at Hollywood's take on the Frankenstein legend
(including a video kiosk showing segments from several films), to an
examination of modern-day scientific phenomena that have been compared to
Frankenstein, such as cloning and genetic engineering. Other elements of
the exhibition are posters and pacemakers, masks and monsters, comics and
cartoons, and a human brain, all illustrating the ways in which people
have coped with their desires, hopes and fears of medical science.
"This thought-provoking exhibit is both timely and timeless," explained
NLM Director Dr. Donald A.B. Lindberg. "On Halloween eve, its theme is
entirely appropriate, of course. But this exhibit explores some of the
fundamental questions of all time," he continued. "Why has the public at
times feared science? Have changes in communication technology made the
public feel close to the center of decision-making regarding science
policy? If so, has this allayed their fear of science?"
"Frankenstein, the tale of a young man of science who creates a monster
by animating human flesh, represents an enduring myth that has gripped our
imaginations for almost 200 years," noted Elizabeth Fee, Ph.D., Chief of
NLM's History of Medicine Division.
Susan E. Lederer, associate professor of humanities at the Pennsylvania
State University's College of Medicine and visiting curator of the
exhibition, observed, "Unlike in Mary Shelley's day, when access to
medical and scientific knowledge was limited to a wealthy and educated
elite, today we have unparalleled access to such information through
institutions like the National Library of Medicine, through the popular
media, and through the World Wide Web. The challenge is how to navigate
this ocean of information to educate ourselves about new developments in
biomedical science, in order to make responsible decisions."
"Frankenstein: Penetrating the Secrets of Nature" is open until August
15, 1998 during regular Library hours: M-W, 8:30 a.m.-5 p.m.; Th 8:30
a.m.-9 p.m.; F 8:30 a.m.-5 p.m.; Sat. 8:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
Families from NIH's Children's Inn get a personal tour of
the
"Frankenstein" exhibit from the monster himself. Here they
behold the
human brain that is the centerpiece of the exhibit.
A festive foursome: Frankenstein, Sara Karloff, Mary "Marie
Antoinette" Lindberg and her husband, NLM Director, Dr. Donald A.B.
"Thomas Jefferson" Lindberg.
Dr. Elizabeth Fee, exhibit co-curator and Chief, NLM History of
Medicine
Division, demonstrates a Bride of Frankenstein move for Pat
Carson, Special
Assistant to the Director, NLM.
Just another day at the office for NLM employees (l. to r.)
Sally
Burke, Veronica Shaffer, Dr. Mel Spann, Sarah Ward,
Candee Dillow,
Nadgy Roey and Pandoria King.
Even the Visible Humans dropped by for the "Frankenstein"
opening. (They bore a striking resemblance to NLM Graphics Specialist
Joe Fitzgerald and his wife, Jean.)
NLM Graphics Specialist Becky Cagle clowns with Anita
"Mother
Nature" Tannenbaum of the Office of the Director.
In the background
are Mel Brdlik, editor of Gratefully Yours,
and Dilbert (Reference
Librarian Adam Glazer).
"ER" Showcases MEDLINE
TV Drama Conducts Search in November Episode
When free MEDLINE was launched at a Capitol Hill press conference last
June, Sen. Tom Harkin (D-IA) observed, "Today, `ER' meets the Internet,"
referring to the vast MEDLINE database's capacity for solving medical
dilemmas instantly, as the staff does on the highly- rated television
program.
On November 20th, "ER" did meet the Internet, when the NBC drama about
a Chicago emergency room featured a MEDLINE search, to solve the riddle of
a mysterious ailment.
NLM cooperated with the producers of "ER" to include MEDLINE in the
episode in which nurse Carol Hathaway (Julianna Margulies) examines a
child who complains of a numb chin. Using MEDLINE via the Internet,
Hathaway discovers that this rare condition can be a symptom of acute
lymphocytic leukemia.
"It was gratifying to see Nurse Carol Hathaway show how easily and
promptly useful, and sometimes lifesaving, information can be accessed
through NLM's MEDLINE via the Internet," observed Dr. Lois DeBakey,
Professor of Scientific Communication, Baylor College of Medicine,
Houston, and Consultant to the NLM Board of Regents. "The wide viewing
audience of `ER' should now be aware of the user-friendly availability of
the latest and most accurate health information. The decision by NLM to
provide all Americans with free access to valid health information not
only is a boon to physicians, especially when faced with a puzzling case,
but also encourages the general public to learn more about medicine and
take greater responsibility for personal health," she continued. "Once
again, NLM has demonstrated its leadership and preeminence in the
dissemination of health information and its invaluable service as a public
institution."
Dr. DeBakey played a key role in educating "ER" producers about
MEDLINE, as did Dr. Tenley Albright, NLM Board of Regents member, who
attended Harvard Medical School with one of the show's producers.
The storyline was based on the true story of an Atlanta physician who
had never before treated a boy complaining of the "numb chin" condition.
During the examination, the physician performed a quick MEDLINE search on
his office computer, and was directed to an article with a lengthy
description of the subject. The information provided the vital clue the
doctor needed to diagnose the rare form of cancer.
NBC News also produced a segment about MEDLINE, featuring an interview
with NLM Director Dr. Donald A.B. Lindberg, and several NBC stations added
to the piece interviews with local medical librarians. The NBC News story
was distributed to more than 200 affiliates, and reached an audience of
more than 24 million.
MEDLINE contains more than 8.8 million references dating back to 1966
and provides abstracts of most of those articles. MEDLINE also allows the
public to establish direct web links to a growing number of publishers so
full text can be retrieved. This new full-text retrieval service is the
result of a collaboration between the NLM and major science information
publishers, including The New England Journal of Medicine, The Journal of
Biological Chemistry, and The Proceedings of the National Academy of
Sciences.
Free MEDLINE can be accessed from the NLM web site,
www.nlm.nih.gov . Click on the "FREE MEDLINE" button at the top
left of the screen.
Editor's note: We have advance word that the February 4th episode of
the CBS hospital drama "Chicago Hope" will feature a MEDLINE search in the
storyline.
NLM Awarded Generous '98 Budget 1998
Looks Like Happy New Year for All of NIH
President Clinton signed another record budget for NIH on November
13th, totaling $13.648 billion, or a 7.1 percent increase over fiscal year
1997, and $570.0 million more than he had originally requested in his
spending plan for fiscal 1998.
NLM's share will be $161.185 million, $5.217 million (3.3 percent) more
than the President's request and $10.809 million (7.2 percent) over the FY
1997 appropriation.
The new appropriation provides earmarked increases of $5.0 million to
be utilized for the Next Generation Internet initiative, $2.0 million for
Genetics of Medicine, and $6,000 for AIDS. The remaining $3.803 million
will be utilized to restore FY 1997 reductions, provide for built-in
inflationary needs and to supplement funding of basic library services
across NLM activities.
In addition, the FY 1998 appropriation provides the continuation of FY
1997 language in support of NLM's reinvention activities. The language
continues NLM's authorization to use personal service contracts and
provides for the availability of $4.0 million without fiscal limitations.
Dr. Jordan Baruch,
Michele Klein Named to Board
of Regents
The Library's Board of Regents welcomes two new members: Michele S.
Klein, AHIP, Manager of Library Services at Children's Hospital of
Michigan, Detroit, and Jordan J. Baruch, Sc.D., President of Jordan Baruch
Associates, Washington, DC, a consulting firm to industry and governments
on the planning, management and integration of strategy and technology.
Ms. Klein will bring to the Board a special interest in how NLM can assist
hospital and medical librarians who provide information to health care
professionals and patients on a local, institutional level. Dr. Baruch, a
former Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Science and Technology
(1977-81), has wide experience in the areas of business administration,
electrical engineering and international development. Baruch and Klein
replace members whose terms expired in August, and will serve until August
3, 2001.
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. The Board also serves as the National Medical Libraries
Assistance Advisory Board, which advises and assists in the preparation of
general regulations with respect to policy matters arising in the
administration and review of applications for grants and contracts to
support projects designed to develop and facilitate the dissemination and
utilization of widely expanded knowledge in health sciences and biomedical
information. Michael E. DeBakey, M.D., Chancellor Emeritus and
Distinguished Service Professor, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX,
chairs the Board of Regents.
NLM Wins Government Technology Leadership Award
Visible Human Project Cited for Contribution to Health and
Welfare
The National Library of Medicine's Visible Human Project has received a
1997 Government Technology Leadership Award. Created six years ago, the
awards recognize innovation and leadership in information technology among
federal agencies.
Programs were judged on their degree of difficulty, innovative use of
technology, real cost savings and cross-agency impact. The awards were
presented by Government Executive magazine, with winners selected by a
panel of experts from the public and private sectors. The 22 winners were
chosen from a field of 187 nominations submitted by government and
industry.
The Visible Human Project created extensive computer datasets of one
male and one female cadaver, which have been the basis of hundreds of
innovations in the teaching and practice of medicine. The datasets have
also been put to work in medical illustration, automobile crash testing,
and in the production of feature films, among other purposes.
Dr. Michael J. Ackerman, NLM Assistant Director for High Performance
Computing and Communications, directs the Visible Human Project.
Lindberg, Lipman Testify Before House Commerce
Subcommittee on Health and Environment
On September 30th, NLM Director Dr. Donald A.B. Lindberg and Dr. David
J. Lipman, Director of NLM's National Center for Biotechnology
Information, appeared before the U.S. House Commerce Subcommittee on
Health and Environment. The Subcommittee chair, Congressman Michael
Bilirakis (R-FL), invited Drs. Lindberg and Lipman and five other NIH
representatives to give an overview of research programs and to
demonstrate new research tools. The Subcommittee holds such fact-finding
hearings in preparation for the budget reauthorization process.
After briefly recounting the history of the Visible Human Project, Dr.
Lindberg narrated a videotape with segments showing diverse applications
of the VHP datasets: for example, the development of a "virtual
colonoscopy," which may eliminate the need for costly, uncomfortable,
invasive colon cancer screening; surgical simulators that allow physicians
to practice operations in a virtual environment, where mistakes do not
adversely affect patients; and CD-ROMs (such as "The Recyclable Cadaver")
and other products that are revolutionizing medical education.
Dr. Lipman conducted a computer demonstration of PubMed, GenBank, the
Gene Map, and other NCBI research tools. He noted the remarkable return on
the investment of resources used to create and maintain these databases,
which make the fruits of genetic research available to the scientist,
clinician and student, and ultimately speed medical progress. Similarly,
Dr. Lindberg pointed out to the Subcommittee that the relatively modest
investment in the Visible Human Project -- $1.4 million -- has resulted in
more than 900 licensing agreements worldwide, yielding a host of
fascinating applications to improve the practice and teaching of medicine.
NAMES IN THE NEWS
NLM Director Dr. Donald A.B. Lindberg has received an award of
appreciation from the District of Columbia Government. The certificate,
presented by Leonard Upson, Principal of DC's Calvin Coolidge Senior High
School, bears the citation, "In recognition of your dedication,
outstanding and invaluable service rendered to the District of Columbia,
Calvin Coolidge High School, through the donation of Internet-connected
computers and technical support in the Coolidge Media Center." In 1994,
NLM signed a Declaration of Partnership with Coolidge under the national
"Adopt-A-School" program. The Library has assisted the school in
establishing an Internet node and has provided training in the use of
Internet-accessible resources. For the past four years, NLM has also hired
Coolidge students and teachers as summer interns, giving them a unique
opportunity to learn about biotechnology, computer science and the
workings of the Library.
Coolidge Senior High School principal Leonard Upson
presents Dr.
Donald Lindberg with an award of appreciation for
his leadership of
outreach efforts to the school.
Michael E. DeBakey, M.D., Chair, NLM Board of Regents, recently
received a Sesquicentennial Medal from his alma mater, Tulane College, New
Orleans, LA. The award, presented as part of the school's 150th
anniversary celebration, was conferred upon a small number of the
college's most distinguished graduates and most involved students. Dr.
DeBakey is Chancellor Emeritus and Distinguished Service Professor, Baylor
College of Medicine, Houston, TX.
Dr. DeBakey has also been chosen to receive the 1997 Lifetime
Achievement Award from the Board of Directors of Research!America, a
public education and advocacy organization in Alexandria, VA.
Dr. Elizabeth Fee, Chief of NLM's History of Medicine Division, has
received the Arthur Viseltear Prize for the History of Public Health in
America. The prize, established in 1989 and awarded by the American Public
Health Association, was created to honor Viseltear, former professor of
the history of medicine at Yale University and former chair of the medical
care section, APHA. Fee was cited for her outstanding contribution to the
history of public health, in particular the scope and importance of her
books and articles.
Dorothy L. Moore, MS, RN, a Technical Information Specialist in
NLM's Division of Specialized Information Services, has edited a new book,
Guide for the Development and Management of Nursing Libraries and
Information Resources (National League for Nursing Press, New York, 356
pages, $19.95). The work consists of ten chapters covering various aspects
of resources development and information management contributed by 18
authors, including Moore and other NLM staff members: Craig Locatis, PhD,
Education Research Specialist, Learning Center for Interactive Technology,
Lister Hill National Center for Biomedical Communications; Karen Sinkule,
AMLS, Preservation Information Librarian, Preservation and Collection
Management Section, Public Services Division; Michael Weisberg, EdD,
Program Manager, Learning Center for Interactive Technology, LHNCBC; and
Sharon R. Willis, MLS, Cataloger, Cataloging Section, Division of Library
Operations.
NLM Senior Systems Analyst Jesse Brown was featured in an
article in the November 30th New York Times Sunday magazine section.
Brown, a former Marine sergeant, heads a group of Macintosh computer users
called the "Mac Marines." Their goal, according to the Times, is "to
protect Apple Computer's market share against `Wintel boxes,' the
Intel-chip-equipped computers that run the industry gorilla, Microsoft
Windows." The 1,800 Mac Marines have their own Web page (http://www.macmarines.com/ -- not
affiliated with NLM), and the major "weapon" in their crusade is the
Internet.
Helen Garton, a Computer Specialist in NLM's Office of Computer and
Communications Systems, proudly served in the U.S. Air Force and the New
Hampshire Air National Guard. And there was no question that she'd attend
the dedication of the new Women In Military Service For America Memorial,
at Arlington National Cemetery, Virginia. "I feel I owe the success of my
life to the military," says Garton. She attended many of the dedication
festivities, from a candlelight memorial service to a gala dinner
celebrating women veterans' contributions. And, ever mindful of the
computer aspects of any situation, Garton wants to encourage her fellow
women vets to add their names to a national registry of those who have
served. For more information, contact the Women In Military Service For
America Web site, http://www.womensmemorial.org/ .
Stanley Jablonski, the retired head of NLM's Indexing Section
who still has a carrel in the Library's stacks, has just published a new
edition of a book that is of interest to the medical library community. It
is the Dictionary of Medical Acronyms & Abbreviations, Third Edition,
published by Hanley & Belfus, Inc., Philadelphia, PA (413 pages). This
edition adds 5,000 entries to the second edition. To order, phone
(800-962-1892) or fax (215-790-9330) the publisher, or consult the website
(www.hanleyandbelfus.com). Price is $19.95.
Dr. Russ B. Altman, Assistant Professor of Medicine at Stanford
University and an NLM grantee, was honored with a Presidential Early
Career Award for Scientists and Engineers at a White House ceremony
November 3rd. Altman has a leadership role on NIH's National Biomedical
Computation Resource Advisory Board and was nominated for the Presidential
Award by NLM. His primary work is in bioinformatics, and the Award cites
his "outstanding leadership and accomplishment at the intersection of
research in the medical computer sciences and biotechnology."
Victor A. McKusick, M.D., University Professor of Medical
Genetics at the Johns Hopkins University, has received the prestigious
1997 Albert Lasker Award for Special Achievement in Medical Science.
McKusick, one of the pioneers in human genetics, worked directly with
NLM's National Center for Biotechnology Information to develop a World
Wide Web version of his textbook, Mendelian Inheritance in Man, now in its
12th edition. The result, "Online Mendelian Inheritance in Man" or OMIM,
like the book catalogs all known human genes and genetics disorders. The
database, which contains text and bibliographic information as well as
links to other genetics resources, is continuously updated by Dr. McKusick
and his colleagues at Johns Hopkins, and maintained by the NCBI. The OMIM
Web address: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/Omim/
.
1997-98 Associate Fellows Come on Board
In September, the Library welcomed its new class of participants in the
Associate Fellowship Program. These four outstanding library school
graduates will spend one year in a postgraduate training 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, Associates Fellows gain an
in-depth understanding of the NLM and explore the need for and application
of research and development activities in providing biomedical information
services to the health professions.
This year for the first time, the NLM Associate Fellowship program
includes an optional second year at a library or information center in an
academic health sciences center, hospital, or other health-related
organization.
Biographical sketches of the 1997-98 NLM Associate Fellows follow.
Kristine Markovich comes to NLM from Indiana University, where
she received her BA in Spanish and history of art, with a minor in Italian
(1995), Certificate in Business Foundations (1996), and MLS with emphasis
on health sciences librarianship (1996). As a break between degrees, she
interned at the Peggy Guggenheim Collection of Modern Art in Venice,
Italy. While at IU, Kris worked for several libraries, including Research
Collections Reference and the Medical Sciences Library. She also designed
the information-seeking components of two courses, "Introduction to
Nursing Research" and an intensive freshman seminar, "AIDS, Genes, and
Cancer." An internship at the Community Hospitals Library Network and a
full-time post as Librarian/Search Analyst (and library Webmaster) at
Wishard Health Services gave her experience with the information needs of
health care practitioners and consumers. An active member of MLA, Kris
presented a paper on career development activities of students in health
sciences librarianship in the "New Perspectives" section of the 1996
Annual Meeting. Her professional interests include research and evaluation
in medical informatics, problem-based learning and evidence- based
practice in biomedical and information science.
Tammy Mays received her BA in biology from Fisk University
(1994), and attended library school at the University of Wisconsin,
Milwaukee, where she completed the MLIS program this past August. At UWM,
Tammy had as her advisor and professor Dr. Alexandra Dimitroff, a former
NLM Associate who played a significant role in Tammy's decision to apply
for an NLM Associate Fellowship. Dr. Dimitroff's course, "Information
Sources and Services in the Health Sciences," which incorporated
problem-based learning (PBL) with the traditional reference exercise, was
a pivotal class for Tammy. As the first library students to be exposed to
a PBL course, Tammy and her classmates co-authored a paper describing
their experiences. The paper, "Problem-Based Learning in a Health Sciences
Librarianship Course," has been accepted for publication by the Bulletin
of the Medical Library Association. Realizing the importance of practical
experience in libraries, Tammy became an active volunteer and an on-call
library assistant at St. Michael's Hospital, Milwaukee. During her second
semester, she interned in the preservation department at the UWM Golda
Meir Library. Finally, during her last year of library school, Tammy was a
student intern at St. Joseph's Medical Library, also in Milwaukee. Health
science librarianship is Tammy's career choice because it allows her to
combine her interest and training in library and information science, and
biology.
Roxanne Nelson began her career as a registered nurse,
graduating from the Johns Hopkins Hospital School of Nursing with a
diploma in nursing. After spending a number of years in critical care
settings, she left the field, working for a time in the travel industry.
Later, Roxanne returned to college to seek a liberal arts degree,
graduating with a BA in history and a minor in geography from Auburn
University at Montgomery (1994). Roxanne went on to graduate school at
Florida State University and received her MLS in 1996. As a graduate
student, she was the recipient of a University Fellowship and an H.W.
Wilson Scholarship, and served as a student intern and volunteer at
Florida State's Dirac Science Library. She was secretary of the FSU
student chapter of the American Library Association and has recently been
appointed to the Scholarship Committee of ALA's New Members Round Table.
Roxanne is also a member of ASIS and MLA, and looks forward to becoming
active in those associations as well. Her professional interests include
reference and user services, the history of medicine, and medical
informatics.
Rebecca Smith comes to NLM from Albany, Oregon. In 1993, she
graduated from Appalachian State University in Boone, NC, with a BA in
biology. Following graduation, Becky worked for Texasgulf, Inc. in
Kinston, NC, as a laboratory assistant in their process control
laboratory. She then went on to East Carolina University's graduate
program in molecular biology/biotechnology. While at ECU, Becky taught a
microbiology laboratory course to undergraduates. She left the graduate
program to move to Oregon in 1995. In January of 1996, she entered the
School of Library and Information Science at Louisiana State University.
While Becky is still exploring the many career options medical
librarianship has to offer, she is interested in biotechnology and
molecular biology information, and medical informatics.
To learn more about the NLM Associate Fellowship Program, visit the web
site at http://www.orau.gov/nlm/nlmassoc.htm
Applications for next year's class (due February 2, 1998) can be
downloaded from the Web. Questions about the program may be directed to P.
Zoe Stavri, Ph.D., Coordinator, NLM Associate Program, 301-435-4083, or
stavri@nlm.nih.gov.
Photograph: NLM Fellows: (standing, left to right)
Kristine
Markovich, Roxanne Nelson, Rebecca Smith, (seated) Tammy
Mays.
Milestone Reflects Explosive Progress of DNA Research
The National Center for Biotechnology Information, an arm of NLM, has
announced the achievement of a major milestone in molecular biology and
the Human Genome Project: the addition of the one billionth base to the
NIH's GenBank DNA sequence database. This achievement reflects the
explosive progress of molecular biology in understanding the genetic
blueprint and paving the way for exciting breakthroughs for science and
medicine in the 21st century.
Said Donald A.B. Lindberg, M.D., Director of NLM, "The future time of
fully understanding human genetics is fast approaching. This work is
greatly speeded by such contributions from around the world, and by the
study of genetic observations from plants, microorganisms, and animals.
Congratulations to all who have shared these priceless genetic
discoveries."
The GenBank database now contains nearly ten percent of the human
genome, as well as gene sequences from more than 25,000 other species.
GenBank is accessed by some 40,000 researchers every day at the Web site,
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/Web/Genbank/index.html.
GenBank is built and supported by the National Center for Biotechnology
Information.
"As GenBank grows and becomes ever more comprehensive," said David J.
Lipman, M.D., the Center's director, "its value to the research community
grows as well. And this deeper understanding of biology will lead to new
opportunities in biotechnology and breakthroughs in health care."
History of Medicine Division Exhibit Reveals Different Side of William
Blake
Although most people know William Blake (1757-1827) as an author and
illustrator of the poems Songs of Innocence and Songs of Experience, they
might not guess that his work-for-hire included illustrating medical
texts, or that the NLM holds several Blake illustrations in its
collection.
Throughout the latter part of 1997, NLM has exhibited William Blake at the
National Library of Medicine in display cases outside the entrance to the
History of Medicine Division, just off the NLM lobby. The exhibit focuses
on Blake's work both as a portraitist and book illustrator. On display are
digital reproductions of the original illustrations done by Blake. This
format allows for closer examination of selected illustrations by means of
details of particular portions of them. The reason for illuminating the
details is to demonstrate different techniques of book illustration that
Blake used.
Highlighted in this exhibit are Blake's engravings for Johann Kaspar
Lavater's Essays on Physiognomy, published in 1789, the same year that
Blake published his Songs of Innocence. Contained therein are a number of
portraits engraved by Blake, among them one believed to have been intended
by Blake to illustrate his own physiognomy. Indeed, Lavater's textual
description of this physiognomic head reads "a thinker who embraces a vast
field."
If you were not able to view the Blake exhibit while it was on display
at the NLM but would like a flyer containing the exhibit contents sent to
you, contact David Vecchioli, History of Medicine Division, NLM, by phone
(301-496- 5405) or e-mail (david_vecchioli@occshost.nlm.nih.gov).
For further information about William Blake, contact Marcia Zorn,
Bibliographic Services Division, by phone (301-496-7639) or by e-mail (marcia_zorn@occshost.nlm.nih.gov).
Photograph: William Blake, [Gall bladder and urethra stones],
engraving for surgeon James Earle's Practical Observations on the
Operation for the Stone, printed for Joseph Johnson, St. Paul's Church-
Yard, 1793. Stones that have been extracted by Earle are shown. The
texture of these stones is stressed by Blake's careful work. In the text
of his book, Earle describes both hard and irregularly shaped, and soft
and smooth stones. The technique used for this plate was a combination of
etching and engraving on copper, typical of Blake's work and also of
engraving in Europe during this time. Earle was senior surgeon at St.
Bartholomew's Hospital in London and also surgeon extraordinary to
England's King George III at the time of his book's publication.
Honoring Quality and Length of Service, and Special Achievements
On November 19, 1997, in a crowded Lister Hill Auditorium, NLM staff
gathered to pay tribute to those receiving awards this year.
Individual and group awards for sustained superior performance or
special acts of service went to 120 employees. Forty-nine NLM staffers
were given length-of- service awards and, for the first time, a group of
employees could claim 40 years of service at the Library, which was
established in 1956. These pioneering individuals are: Harold M.
Schoolman, M.D., Deputy Director for Research and Education; Peter A.
Clepper, Program Officer, Division of Extramural Programs; and Walter B.
Dudley, Library Technician, Public Services Division.
Other staff members who had received prizes from prestigious
organizations outside the Library were also acknowledged for their
achievements.
NLM Director Dr. Donald A.B. Lindberg, offered greetings to the
audience and sized up 1997 as "a new era for us," citing the launching of
PubMed, the availability of free Internet Grateful Med, and the kickoff of
the Cancer Genome Anatomy Project (CGAP), in conjunction with the National
Cancer Institute. He also discussed the bigger picture, commenting that
these breakthroughs in information technology were an important way of
improving the quality of health care in the United States.
Donald C. Poppke, Director of the Office of Administration, which
organizes the annual event, made welcoming remarks, observing, "This is
one of the days I most look forward to each year." Poppke, NLM Personnel
Officer Nadgy P. Roey, and Dr. Lindberg shared award presentation duties
with NLM's Associate Directors.
The following employees received awards in 1997:
National Institutes of Health Merit Awards
Margaret M. Byrnes, Public Services Division, for exceptional
leadership and achievement in developing and managing the Preservation and
Collection Management Program at NLM.
Marjorie A. Cahn, Public Services Division, for establishing and
leading NLM's Health Services Research Information Program.
William T. Hole, M.D., Lister Hill National Center for
Biomedical Communications, for exemplary creativity, persistence and
sustained achievement in the development, enhancement and annual release
of the Unified Medical Language System Metathesaurus.
Mina W. Smith, Bibliographic Services Division, for her
contributions to the accurate and timely production of the MEDLINE
database.
Donald C. Poppke, Office of Administration, for his exceptional
leadership in the enhancement and streamlining of the Library's
administrative services and his strong commitment to customer- responsive
administrative support.
Phillip C. Coleman Award
Michael P. Bumbray, Office of Computer and Communications
Systems, for leadership in mentoring and supervising staff toward
achieving their professional goals and fostering diversity objectives of
the National Library of Medicine.
EEO Special Achievement Award
Kristine M. Scannell, Public Services Division, for coordinating
the effort to provide diversity training that delivered the diversity
message without alienating participants and successfully advanced the
concepts of diversity among the staff at the National Library of
Medicine.
NIH Director's Awards
Alexa T. McCray, Ph.D., Lister Hill National Center for
Biomedical Communications, for innovative research in medical language
processing and leadership in conceptualization of the Unified Medical
Language System's Semantic Network and Knowledge Sources Server.
Eve-Marie Lacroix, Public Services Division, for outstanding
leadership and initiative in using information technology to increase the
speed of NLM's document delivery service, to enhance access to information
about NLM's programs and services, and to improve communication among the
Library's employees.
Board of Regents Award
Frank L. Walker, M.S.E.E., Lister Hill National Center for
Biomedical Communications, for his design and development of DocView, an
original engineering accomplishment and significant advance in
facilitating access to biomedical literature over the Internet.
Frank B. Rogers Award
Lou Wave S. Knecht, Bibliographic Services Division, for notable
intellectual contributions to improving the systems by which NLM creates
and maintains the quality of the MEDLARS databases.
Ancient World, Computer Age Meet
Greek Orthodox Monk Visits NLM to Talk Technology
How best to tap the latest technological developments in order to
digitize thousands of centuries- old manuscripts for preservation and to
provide widespread access? That was the question on the mind of Father
Justin of St. Catherine's Monastery, at the foot of Mount Sinai, Egypt,
who on October 6th visited with computer and communications experts,
librarians and others at NLM.
The affable American-born Father Justin is traveling to various U.S.
institutions to observe digitizing projects and to discuss technical
issues. At the Library, he gave an illustrated talk about St. Catherine's,
its collection of paper, papyrus and parchment manuscripts, and the
monastery's objectives for digitizing and filming the collection. The
Council on Library and Information Resources asked the NLM to host Father
Justin, whose visit here was coordinated by Dr. George R. Thoma, Chief,
Communications Engineering Branch.
Photographs: This 1839 lithograph by David Roberts shows St.
Catherine's Monastery in Egypt, built at the traditional site of God's
revelation to Moses at the Burning Bush. The monastery houses many
religious treasures from antiquity, including this 1612 icon of St.
Catherine by Ieremias.
Seniors Enter Medical Cyberspace
NLM Collaborates on Program to Bring Older Americans Online for Better
Health
NLM is cosponsoring a project to bring the vast world of health
information on the Internet to a group that could greatly benefit from it:
senior citizens.
On November 3rd and 4th, the Library hosted a program to "train
trainers" of senior citizens from around the country in how to use the
Internet to find information about health and medicine. NLM is
coordinating the joint project with two other NIH components -- the
National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute and the Office of Research on
Women's Health -- and the Department of Health and Human Services' Health
Care Financing Administration, and Office of Disease Prevention and Health
Promotion. The project is administered by the SPRY (Setting Priorities for
Retirement Years) Foundation is Washington, DC. SPRY is a national
nonprofit organization devoted to research and education efforts on senior
citizens health and retirement issues.
The November training session gave special emphasis to trainers from
public libraries, senior centers and subsidized housing who work with
low-income and minority seniors. After participating in the course at NLM,
the trainers returned home, each pledging to train a minimum of 10 seniors
per site. As those seniors start training others, a multiplier effect is
expected, with the result that a large group of older Americans will have
the capability of searching for and finding reliable health
information.
"This is an especially timely project, " said NLM Director Donald A.B.
Lindberg, M.D. "The Library recently announced that access to its immense
MEDLINE database would be free to all users of the World Wide Web, and we
believe that consumers can benefit from access."
Photograph: Richard Streaty of Iona Senior
Services,
Washington, DC, compares notes
with Lillian Colavecchio of the
Massachusetts
Association of Older Americans, Boston, during a
"train the trainer" session at NLM.
Save the Dates
MLA Annual Meeting Celebrates Centennial
Founded in 1898 by four librarians and four physicians, with the
purpose of increasing the number of medical libraries, the Medical Library
Association, now almost 4,000 members strong, launches its year-long
centennial celebration in May.
The anniversary festivities kick off with MLA `98, the association's
98th annual meeting, May 22-27, in Philadelphia, PA, site of MLA's first
annual meeting in 1898. Several special activities and innovations are in
the works. They include: publication of a history of MLA, special issues
of the Bulletin (the association's scholarly journal), centennial- related
awards, a time capsule, centennial mementos, and more.
For more information, contact Carla Funk by phone at 312-419-9094, x14,
or via e-mail (funk@mlahq.org).
First "National Medical Librarians Month" Observed
Expanded NLM Associate Fellowship Program Announced as Part of
Commemoration
October 1997 marked the first National Medical Librarians Month and the
fortieth anniversary of the NLM Associate Fellowship Program.
In conjunction with National Medical Librarians Month, sponsored by the
Medical Library Association, NLM Director Dr. Donald A.B. Lindberg
announced a major expansion of the NLM Associate Fellowship Program, a
challenging and enriching experience for graduate library and information
science professionals bound for leadership positions. (See related article
on 1997-98 Associate Fellows, above.) Beginning with the 1998-99 program,
the number of Associate Fellows will increase and an optional second year
at another health sciences library or information center will be added to
the fellowship program. This second year will provide Fellows with an
opportunity to work with multidisciplinary teams in designing,
implementing and integrating information services into the clinical and
educational programs of their library or center's parent institution.
In making the announcement, NLM Director Lindberg said, "At a time when
the delivery of health care is undergoing massive changes, it is critical
that we acknowledge and support the contributions of those professionals
who are mapping and navigating the health information superhighway --
medical librarians."
The expansion of the NLM Associate Fellowship Program is one outgrowth
of a long-range planning report on the education and training of health
sciences librarians, commissioned by the Library's Board of Regents. Dr.
Michael E. DeBakey, pioneering heart surgeon and Chairman of NLM's
Regents, stated, "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."
Applauding NLM's decision to expand the Associate Fellowship Program,
Rachael Anderson, current MLA President and former Chair of the NLM Board
of Regents, remarked, "I perceive a growing demand for librarians who are
well prepared to exercise a more expansive view of their roles and
responsibilities. Health care's evolutionary reform and the growth of
managed care call for knowledge-based information and open up
opportunities for library linkages to programs that are crucial to the
success of health care institutions."
NLM Associate Fellows are recruited nationally and competitively.
Former Fellows have gone on to a range of leadership positions in academic
health sciences centers, hospitals, information service companies, drug
companies, graduate schools of library and information science, and
national libraries.
Accolades for APDB
Film on Medical Illustration Wins National Awards
The Lister Hill Center's Audiovisual Program Development Branch (APDB)
has received two prestigious national awards for its videotape, "Making
Medical Science Visible." The videotape is the culmination of a two-year
project that involved the videotaping of graduate students in the
Department of Art as Applied to Medicine at the Johns Hopkins University
School of Medicine in Baltimore, Maryland. More than 100 hours of
videotape were shot and edited to produce the 28-minute tape, which
covered all aspects of the graduate program. Project footage included the
students working on various medical art techniques, and joining medical
students in anatomy and pathology courses. Members of the world- renowned
faculty of the Hopkins Medical Institutions, who worked with the medical
illustration students, were also included in the video.
Earlier this year, "Making Medical Science Visible" received the
Cinematography Awards' Award of Excellence and the Telly Awards' Silver
Medal, their highest honor. The program was carefully scrutinized and
graded by two independent panels of prize-winning professionals. The
awards recognize individuals and companies in the non-network TV field
whose talent and creativity achieves a high standard of excellence. In
giving the awards, they seek works that represent the very best in the
field and serve as a standard for the industry. The project officer for
"Making Medical Science Visible" was Joe Fitzgerald, Chief of Graphics at
NLM. Anne Altemus, NLM Medical Illustrator, was the producer and content
expert, and NLM Audiovisual Production Specialist Mike Detweiler directed
and edited the videotape.
The 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, Public Information Office, National Library
of Medicine, Bethesda, MD 20894, or e-mail to mm354i@nih.gov. (Note: Some of the
articles below may be from publications that are outside the scope of the
NLM collection and therefore are not available from the Library on
interlibrary loan.)
- Net Results: To sum up our position to date. CBE Views, 20 (5):168.
1998
- Telemedicine Sourcebook, New York:Faulkner & Gray, Inc., 1997.
- PubMed -- Getting into your doctor's bookshelf, Searcher: The
Magazine for Database Professionals, Sept 1997: 5.
- U.S. Library of Medicine database opened to the public. Eur Health
Telematics Observatory Journal, Sept 97; 1(5): 9-10.
- Ahern K. Webspinning... Genetic Engineering News, Oct 15 97: 43.
- Ehrenstein D. Your complete web guide to tumors. Science 1997 Aug
8;277(762).
- Foote RH. Need: a special MEDLINE--for prior to 1966 [letter;
comment]. Comment on: Fertil Steril 1997 Feb;67(2):348-54. Fertil Steril
1997 Jul;68(1):180-1.
- Greenhalgh T. How to read a paper. The MEDLINE database. BMJ 1997
Jul 19;315(7101):180-3.
- Kleijn B. [A lot in Alconline is missing in MEDLINE (letter)].
Lakartidningen 1997 Jul 9;94(28-29):2531.
- Kurkul, D. Free MEDLINE shakes up content providers: What it means
for you. Medicine on the Net, Sept 1997:9-15.
- Loven B; Eades BL; Just ML. Free Web MEDLINE Services Review. MLA
News, Oct 1997, No. 300:7-11.
- Maxwell A. Online to efficiency: The six annual Government
Technology Leadership Awards program honors cutting-edge projects. Govt
Exec, Dec 1997;29 (12):35-44.
- Mehnert R; Ruffin, A. Web site: The National Library of Medicine. Am
J Pub Health, Nov 1997; 87 (11-12).
- Modlin M. Knowledge is power: improving women's health with
technology. NIH News & Features, Fall 1997:71-72.
Thanks to Jacque-Lynne Schulman, Technical Information Specialist,
Medical Subject Headings, for preparation of this list.
NLM regularly seeks the help of the medical library community in
filling gaps in its monograph and serial collections. If you can provide
any of these items, we would be most grateful.
Kindly send to:
National Library of Medicine
TSD -
Monographs
ATTN: Cheryl Fields
Bethesda, MD 20894
- AABB Weekly Report 2:7, 1996
- Academic Medicine 71:9, 1996
- Age 18:2-3, 1995
- Aging Today 16:5, 1995
- AIDS Abstracts 10:7-10, 1994
- AIDS/STD News Report 95:13, 1995
- Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences 701, 1993
- Bulletin of the New York Academy of Medicine 69:2, 1993: 70:2, 1993
- CAP Today 2:10, 1988; 3:4, 1989; 3:9, 1989; 4:1-2, 1990; 4:4, 1990;
9:1-3, 1995; 9:5-6, 1995; 9:9, 1995; 9:11, 1995; 9:8, 1996; 10:7, 1996;
10:9, 1996
- Chronobiology International 12:3, 1995
- Clinical Laboratory Science 8:3, 1995
- Clinical Neuropharmacology 16:6, 1993; 17:2-5, 1995
- Clinical Symposia 42-4, 1990; 44:6, 1992; 47:4, 1993
- Cytometry 23:1, 1996
- International Journal of Radiation Oncology, Biology, Physics 22:6,
1992; 34:1, 1996
- Journal of Biomaterials Applications 10:4, 1995
- Journal of Environmental Pathology, Toxicology and Oncology 14:2,
1995
- Journal of Exposure Analysis and Environmental Epidemiology 4:3-4,
1994
- Journal of the Florida Medical Association 49:4, 1962; 79:5-6, 1992;
83:4, 1996; 59:1-2, 1972
- New Directions for Child Development 13, 1981; 15, 1982; 16, 1982;
20, 198?, :69, Fall 1995
- Statistical Bulletin/Metropolitan Insurance Companies 76:3
(Jul-Sep), 1995
- Thrombosis Research 78:6, 1995
NLM Accepts Donation of Oil Painting of Dr. Schweitzer
At a brief ceremony in the NLM Board Room, Dr. Donald A.B. Lindberg,
NLM Director, accepted the donation of an oil portrait of Albert
Schweitzer, M.D., painted in 1958 by German artist Erich Voigt
(1891-1963).
At the November 7th presentation, the late artist's daughter, Mrs.
Johanna Kluger, explained that she wanted to donate the portrait to the
National Library of Medicine "so that it would be enjoyed by all those who
are aware of Dr. Albert Schweitzer, and his work as a philosopher,
theologian, musician, mission doctor and winner of the Nobel Peace Prize
in 1952." One of Erich Voigt's most prominent oil portraits is of
President Dwight Eisenhower, seated at his desk, writing. It hangs at the
Army Distaff Foundation Founders Hall for Generals, Washington,
DC. 
Photograph: Mrs. Johanna Kruger presents her father's
Schweitzer portrait to NLM Director Dr. Donald A.B. Lindberg.
Last updated: 29 August 2001
First published: 01 September 1997
Permanence level: Permanent: Stable Content
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