We shall overcome someday-

Listed are few of the academic library websites that I visited today. They are very good in terms of services, layout and accessibility

University of California Library San Diego

Texas A&M University Library

Oregon State University Libraries

Virginia Commonwealth University Library

University of Miami Libraries

Cornell University Library

Key Factors of Change to mainstream S&T evidence and insights related to innovation and Policy development

---Access to information that is useful and easy to understand. This relies on increasing awareness and visibility of information and providing an infrastructure that supports dissemination and access. 

---Analysis of research findings, including socioeconomic implications

--- Capacity to sustain and support uptake of research, where the key target audiences are policy stakeholders, academics/researchers

--- Creation of spaces and incentives that facilitate the type of relationship building that would help mainstream more evidence into policy-making and development programs, increasing influence of research.

Find more information at: SciDev Net 2012 report

Not a single Indian think tank has made it to the global top 50. Finds out why these institutions, which are essential for policymaking in a vibrant democracy, have failed to make an impact@TOI's Are we out of ideas?

Government for modernisation of libraries: Culture minister 

Excerpts from: News track India

New Delhi, Feb 18 (IANS) Union Culture Minister Chandresh Kumari Katoch Monday said the government was focussed on archiving for better documentation, cataloguing and accessibility to literature in libraries to ensure "better education" in the country.
"How can we ensure better education without libraries. In today's system of education, libraries are not paid importance. We are focusing on modernisation of libraries," Katoch said at an exhibition of text art she inaugurated at the Rabindranath Bhavan lawns of the Meghdoot cultural complex in the capital Monday.
She also announced the winners of this year's Sahitya Akademi awards at the exhibition that showcased literary careers of the 23 awardees.
"To carry Indian literature to the grassroots, we have to concentrate on housewives in the rural areas who make up the bulk of the vernacular readership," K. Srinivasa Rao, secretary of Sahitya Akademi, told IANS.
Library plays an important role to take books to villages, he said. "Till 30 years ago, libraries were in use for reading newspapers and to borrow books, especially in villages. But the motivation to use libraries has waned with the modern system of education and the arrival of the internet.
"Libraries will have to be developed with public-private partnerships to revive the culture of reading in archives," Rao said.

Waiting to see ---- Govt. for modernization of MEDICAL LIBRARIES

 MEDLINE versus PubMed (Journal citation databases of U.S. NLM )

MEDLINE is available since 1960 covering over 20 million citations from 5600 scholarly biomedical and life science  journals published  around the world. It  covers citations from 1946 onwards.

PubMed was launched in 1996 covers more than 22 million references include citations from PubMed Central (PMC), in process citations etc. AND MEDLINE is a subset of PubMed.

Searching to these databases is free of charge AND does not require any registration so just delve on to find citations and many FULL TEXT  articles on the NLM Databases.

Find more information about these on National Library of Medicine website

Health at a Glance: Asia/Pacific 2012

This second edition of Health at a Glance: Asia/Pacific presents key indicators on health and health systems for 27 Asia/Pacific countries. A joint report by the OECD, the World Health Organization (WHO) regional offices for the Western Pacific and South-East Asia, and the OECD/Korea Policy Centre, this 2012 edition of the report has chapters on indicators of health status, the determinants of health, health care resources and utilisation, health care expenditure and financing, and health care quality.

Drawing on a wide range of data sources, it gives readers a better understanding of the factors that affect the health of populations and the performance of health systems in these countries and economies.

Each of the indicators is presented in a user-friendly format, consisting of charts illustrating variations across countries and over time, a brief descriptive analysis highlighting the major findings conveyed by the data, and a methodological box on the definition of the indicator and any limitations in data comparability.

Source: OECD - Better policies for better lives

The Library with no members

What better place is there for a citizen to find books to read, to absorb, to act on, than in a well-stocked public library? In this bustling metropolis there is now a world-class public library that faces the spectre of being shut down, shunted out, subverted.

The Anna Centenary Library, established in 2010, has since been threatened by closure, by conversion into a hospital, and by use of its public space and auditorium for unrelated activities such as a wedding reception, a result of what is apparently a political and administrative tussle. That events have come to such a pass in Tamil Nadu is ironic, for it was here that the first Public Libraries Act of independent India was enacted in 1948.

Source: The Hindu

 Swine Flu

Swine Flu / Influenza virus is a common human pathogen that causes serious respiratory illness and death. Your efforts can stop it from spreading. More information about this disease is available in below link.
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/h1n1fluswineflu.html

At home with books: A library for underprivileged kids

 Excerpts from The THT:
The iconic India Gate will soon be witness to a quieter revolution. The New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) will soon open the first free municipal library called ‘At home with books’ at Children’s Park. The library will cater to children between six and 14 years, who do not have access to books.

One of the primary objectives is to dissuade underprivileged children from begging by giving them an alternative space to spend their day. “The idea is to promote the culture of reading among children. Even if some do not read books, we have installed computers and a television in the hall so that they can watch informative videos,” said Vidushi Chaturvedi, director (Education), NDMC.

Thank you NDMC's education department for recognizing libraries as essential center of learning for the underprivileged children

Medical self-help books: how reliable are they?
 
Many people spend lots of money each year purchasing so-called medical self-help books that often suggest extraordinary and unsubstantiated claims that are not supported by scientific studies. We find vendors selling books on certain stalls near railways, on buses.... selling 'Gherelu Nuska' (home remedies). They should not be adhered to as it may help you but , are not the right options.

Remember: Be careful before trusting such sources of information for your health problems

From NLM fb posting -“Of all the forms of inequality, injustice in health is the most shocking and the most inhumane.”-Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr

 Creaky state of medical libraries/librarians in many of the developing countries 

I read one of the article in  J Med Libr Assoc.' Applications of information and communication technologies in libraries in Pakistan'.  It conclude by stating that :
Librarians should be well informed about latest developments in their field for better patient care. This objective can be achieved using modern technologies in libraries. This study was conducted to investigate the status of ICT applications in medical libraries in Lahore and found a low level of ICT applications. Lack of hardware, partial automation, absence of ILSs for automation, absence of websites, inadequate funds, lack of cooperation from higher authorities, and few training opportunities for medical librarians were the main problems. However, medical libraries of Lahore were well connected and had good access to HEC Digital Library resources.

The provision of hardware, standardized library software, adequate financial resources, and proper training facilities for medical librarians will help to strengthen ICT application in medical libraries of Lahore. Cooperation from higher authorities is a key to success that is strongly needed in this case. It is recommended that library schools and professional associations in Pakistan arrange refresher courses, workshops, seminars, and continuing education programs for medical librarians. Consortiums of medical libraries at the regional and national level may be developed for resource sharing to overcome libraries' financial limitations. Medical librarians in Pakistan should join together to provide more applications of ICTs in libraries to serve health care professionals in an efficient way.

Notes:

No doubt medical librarians are an important part of health care organizations and serve one of the most important communities of a society, the health care professionals and beyond this librarians through their outreach services are helping health information deprived citizens with the valued information. ...lookn for a day when attention will be focused on medical librarians as they have uncanny abilities to improve health care but are ignored

I am reading College & Research Libraries News (C&RL News) established in 1966,that provides articles on the latest trends and practices affecting academic and research libraries and serves as the official news and publication of record of ACRL. Monthly columns include Internet Resources, Internet Reviews and lots more

Resources awareness

You know BMJ Group helps clinicians and organisations worldwide to improve patient outcomes with a wide range of products and services. From trainee to consultant, BMJ Group offers doctors around the world tailored information, special events, learning resources and recruitment services at every step along their career path.Some of their flagship products are:

BMJ  is an international weekly medical journal for doctors, which provides a thought-provoking and intelligent treatment of major health issues
BMJ Journals comprises of over 40 leading medical titles on specialist clinical areas, public health and evidence-based medicine. Journal articles are commissioned from world renowned medical experts
Best Health, brought to you by the BMJ Evidence Centre, is a health website for patients, which has in-depth information on all major chronic conditions..
Best Practice from the BMJ Evidence Centre is a completely new concept in information delivery at the point of care.  It combines the latest evidence with expert opinion and guidelines - presented in a step-by-step appraoch, covering prevention, diagnosis, treatment and prognosis.  Best Practice provides a second opinion in an instant.
Clinical Evidence, brought to you by the BMJ Evidence Centre, is an international source of the best available evidence on the effects of common clinical interventions. Continually updated, it includes evidence-based research sourced from over 10,000 peer-reviewed references and covers over 640 clinical questions and 3000+ interventions.
BMJ Case Reports is an excellent resource for all healthcare professionals and researchers alike, giving them all the chance to share their experiences.
Drug and Therapeutics Bulletin (DTB) is a short and easy-to-read monthly bulletin,
BMJ Learning is an interactive website designed for general practitioners, hospital doctors, nurses and healthcare professionals to support their personal development, learning and CME (Continuing Medical Education) needs.
MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THEIR QUALITY PRODUCTS CAN BE SEEN ON THEIR WEBSITE.

India has got talent, but is untapped.

There are many change makers in the country who have been awarded by toi + JP Morgan group congrats to all change makers
Excerpts from toi 
 In gloomy, depressing times, they serve as a beacon of hope. In a nation that too often abandons its underprivileged with a careless shrug, they roll up their sleeves and work to make a difference — selflessly and largely anonymously. Last year, in the first such exercise of its kind, 12 organizations and individuals were honoured with the inaugural Times of India Social Impact Awards in association with JP Morgan.