The Search Principle blog http://blogs.ubc.ca/dean Wed, 08 Feb 2012 18:06:13 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 Key sources on ‘integrative medical care’ http://blogs.ubc.ca/dean/2012/02/key-sources-on-integrative-care/ http://blogs.ubc.ca/dean/2012/02/key-sources-on-integrative-care/#comments Wed, 08 Feb 2012 18:01:35 +0000 Dean Giustini http://blogs.ubc.ca/dean/?p=5483 Continue reading →]]> What is integrative medical care?

“… Integrative medicine emphasizes relationship-centered care, develops an understanding of the patient’s culture and beliefs to help facilitate the healing response, focuses on the unique characteristics of the individual person based on the interaction of mind, body, spirit, and community …and regards the patient as an active partner who takes personal responsibility for health”
~ Rakel’s Integrative Medicine
  • Rakel: Integrative Medicine, 2ed draws on solid scientific evidence as well as extensive first-hand experience. It provides practical information to integrate complementary and alternative treatment modalities into medical practice. Rakel also explains how alternative therapies help to remedy conditions that have not responded to traditional allopathic treatments. The text presents integrative treatments for a range of diseases including autism, stroke, chronic fatigue syndrome and cancer and offers advice on topics such as meditation, diet and exercises for back pain. Twenty-four new chapters and new organization make this landmark text more useful than ever.
  • Natural Standard: the authority on integrative medicine is an international research collaboration that synthesizes data on complementary and alternative therapies. It uses comprehensive methods and reproducible grading scales, and all of the information presented is evidence-based, consensus-based, and peer-reviewed, tapping into the considerable expertise of the editorial board.

Key websites:

see also:

]]> http://blogs.ubc.ca/dean/2012/02/key-sources-on-integrative-care/feed/ 2 UBC Biomed Library Newsletter Feb 2012 http://blogs.ubc.ca/dean/2012/02/ubc-biomed-library-newsletter-feb-2012/ http://blogs.ubc.ca/dean/2012/02/ubc-biomed-library-newsletter-feb-2012/#comments Thu, 02 Feb 2012 18:25:15 +0000 Dean Giustini http://blogs.ubc.ca/dean/?p=5474 The newsletter I compile monthly for faculty on my library advisory. ~Dean

UBC BMB Library Newsletter, Feb 2012
View more presentations from Dean Giustini

]]> http://blogs.ubc.ca/dean/2012/02/ubc-biomed-library-newsletter-feb-2012/feed/ 1 The Health Librarian’s Art: Answering Questions http://blogs.ubc.ca/dean/2012/01/the-health-librarians-art-answering-questions/ http://blogs.ubc.ca/dean/2012/01/the-health-librarians-art-answering-questions/#comments Fri, 27 Jan 2012 20:08:42 +0000 Dean Giustini http://blogs.ubc.ca/dean/?p=5463 Continue reading →]]> This term, I am teaching LIBR 534 – Health information sources and services at SLAIS. It was always my intention to teach with a second health librarian, but unfortunately Greg Rowell, Devon Greyson and Sheba Muturi were unavailable. But the independence has allowed me to reflect on the health librarian’s art of answering reference questions.

During the last class a number of questions arose about the purpose of reference sources:

  • what is a reference source?
  • how does its format & purpose differ from generic monographs?
  • what does it mean to say that a reference source is “authoritative”?
  • has the notion of authority diminished in the digital age due to Wikipedia & crowdsourcing?

These were some of the epistemological questions we explored during last class. Next week, we move into week II of core textbooks,  Top Information Sources in Biomedicine, 2012 and those in complementary & alternative medicine (CAM). Stay tuned for a discussion here about the importance of providing reliable information in the form of empirical studies for this type of reference work.

References

]]> http://blogs.ubc.ca/dean/2012/01/the-health-librarians-art-answering-questions/feed/ 0 A Social Media Portal for Canadian Health Librarians http://blogs.ubc.ca/dean/2012/01/a-social-media-portal-for-canadian-health-librarians/ http://blogs.ubc.ca/dean/2012/01/a-social-media-portal-for-canadian-health-librarians/#comments Tue, 24 Jan 2012 15:39:04 +0000 Dean Giustini http://blogs.ubc.ca/dean/?p=5456 Continue reading →]]>
Social Media Portal for Canadian Health Librarians: 
Call for Participation in 2012
Proposal authors
  • Laurie Blanchard, Dean Giustini, Judy Inglis
Are you interested in how Canadian health librarians are using social media?
  • Do you find it difficult to stay on top of new developments in social media?
  • Have you ever wondered what other health librarians in Canada are doing with social media – or thought of sharing your own ideas and initiatives with colleagues?
We are looking at creating a portal of best practices in social media use for CHLA/ABSC members 
We would like to gather examples of current social media use to develop a prototype portal. If you are using social media in your library and would like to participate, send an e-mail to:  laurie_blanchard@umanitoba.ca with the following information:
  • Setting: (e.g. Hospital, academic, etc.)
  • Type of social media: (e.g. Facebook, Twitter, etc.)
  • What it is being used for: (e.g. library promotion, current awareness)
  • Evaluation: (e.g. statistics, user feedback)
  • Documentation: (e.g. manuals, presentations, reports)
If you are interested in participating in portal design and development, we would also welcome your input and assistance.
Background
The use of social media within CHLA/ABSC has risen over the past few years, notably, the use of blogs, Twitter and other media on the Association website as well as Twitter during the 2011 annual conference.  We know there are many health librarians who are using social media in new and innovative ways.
Social media portal
The proposed social media portal is a first step in developing a useful way to share this work and benefit from these experiences. The portal will help health librarians examine the possibilities and the issues associated with using social media in their settings, and provide an opportunity to network and share ideas, initiatives, evaluation tools and techniques.  Depending on interest shown by members, the portal could evolve into a true “best practices” portal.
Issues & next steps
  • Is there enough interest from members to move this initiative forward?
  • If you think this would be of value to you please let us know by sending an email message tolaurie_blanchard@umanitoba.ca
  • If you are interested in participating there are a couple of possibilities:
    • send us sample best or innovative practices that we could include in the development and testing of the prototype portal (keeping in mind that a best or innovative practice can also include the testing and evaluation of an initiative in which there was little or no interest/uptake)
    • let us know if you would like to help in the design, development and evaluation of the prototype portal; we welcome your input and assistance
    • In addition, we will be doing an environmental scan to identify how other associations and organizations are sharing and using information regarding the use of social media applications to enhance practice.
Prototype for a Social Media Best Practices Portal

The types of information an entry in a social media portal-prototype might include are:
  • The settings where social media is used in Canadian health care (i.e. academic, hospital, pharmaceutical, special library etc.)
  • Types of social media commonly used (i.e. Twitter, Facebook, Mendeley, etc.)
  • Why is social media used? (i.e. library promotion, marketing, current awareness, social networking, information management)
  • Measuring impact (i.e. positive feedback, ‘tweets’, usage statistics, surveys)
  • Relevant manuals, presentations, courses and other knowledge, etc.
  • You tell us – what kinds of information would you like to see captured and shared?  What would help you in developing, implementing and evaluating social media based services and resources in your library?
For more information, to become involved, or to send in examples on the use of social media in y our setting, please contact:
Laurie Blanchard
___________________________________________________________________________________________
Portail de médias sociaux pour les bibliothécaires en santé du Canada
Appel à la participation en 2012
Auteurs de la proposition
  • Laurie Blanchard, Dean Giustini, Judy Inglis
Vous intéressez-vous à la façon dont les bibliothécaires en santé du Canada utilisent les médias sociaux ?

  • Trouvez-vous difficile de vous maintenir à jour relativement aux nouveaux développements des médias sociaux ?
  • Vous êtes-vous déjà demandé ce que font d’autres bibliothécaires en santé du Canada avec les médias sociaux – ou avez-vous déjà pensé à faire part de vos idées et de vos initiatives à vos collègues ?
Nous réfléchissons actuellement à la création d’un portail de pratiques exemplaires d’utilisation des médias sociaux particulièrement pour les membres de l’ABSC / CHLA.
Nous aimerions pouvoir colliger des exemples fonctionnels d’utilisation des médias sociaux dans le but de développer un prototype de portail. Si vous utilisez les médias sociaux au sein de votre bibliothèque et si participer vous intéresse, faites parvenir un courriel à l’adresse suivante :  laurie_blanchard@umanitoba.ca en y décrivant les éléments suivants :
Établissement : (exemples : centre hospitalier, milieu d’enseignement, etc.)
Type de média social :  (exemples : Facebook, Twitter, etc.)
L’utilisation qui en est faite : (exemples : promotion de la bibliothèque, sensibilisation, etc.)
Évaluation : (exemples : statistiques, commentaires des utilisateurs)
Documentation : (exemples : manuels, présentations, rapports)
Si la conception et le d&# 233;veloppement d’un portail vous intéressent, nous accueillerons avec grand plaisir vos commentaires et votre aide à cet effet.
Information de base
L’utilisation des médias sociaux au sein de l’ABSC / CHLA s’est accrue au cours des dernières années, notamment l’utilisation de blogues, de Twitter et d’autres médias sur le site Internet de l’Association, de même que de Twitter durant le congrès annuel de 2011. Nous sommes conscients que plusieurs bibliothécaires en santé utilisent les médias sociaux de façon originale et novatrice.
Portail de médias sociaux
Le portail de médias sociaux proposé constitue une première étape de développement d’une façon utile de partager ce travail et de tirer avantage de ces expériences. Le portail aidera les bibliothécaires en santé à examiner les possibilités et les difficultés associées à l’utilisation des médias sociaux dans leur établissement respectif, tout en leur offrant une occasion de réseautage et de partage d’idées, d’initiatives, d’outils d’évaluation et de techniques. Dépendant de l’intérêt qu’y démontreront les membres, le portail pourrait évoluer en un véritable portail de « pratiques exemplaires ».
Préoccupations et prochaines étapes
  • L’intérêt de la part des membres est-il suffisant pour justifier que cette initiative aille de l’avant ?
  • Si vous croyez que cette initiative pourrait avoir de la valeur pour vous, veuillez nous en informer en faisant parvenir un courriel à l’adresse suivante: laurie_blanchard@umanitoba.ca  Si participer vous intéresse, quelques possibilités s’offrent à vous :
    • Faites-nous parvenir un échantillon de pratique exemplaire ou novatrice que nous pourrions inclure au développement et à l’essai d’un prototype de portail (tenant compte du fait qu’une pratique exemplaire peut comporter l’essai et l’évaluation d’une initiative ne suscitant que peu ou pas d’intérêt)
    • Faites-nous savoir si vous souhaiteriez aider à la conception, au développement ou à l’évaluation du prototype de portail. Vos comment aires et votre aide seront accueillis avec intérêt.
    • De plus, nous procéderons à un balayage environnemental dans le but d’identifier la façon dont d’autres associations et organismes partagent et utilisent l’information relative à l’utilisation des applications de médias sociaux pour améliorer leurs pratiques.
Prototype de portail sur les pratiques exemplaires d’utilisation des médias sociaux 
Les types d’information et d’articles destinés à un prototype de portail de médias sociaux peuvent être comme suit :
  • Les établissements au sein desquels le média social est utilisé en soins de santé au Canada (c.-à-d. milieu d’enseignement, milieu hospitalier, milieu pharmaceutique, bibliothèque spécialisée, etc.)
  • Les types de médias sociaux utilisés (c.-à-d. Twitter, Facebook, Mendeley, etc.)
  • Pourquoi un média social est-il utilisé ? (c.-à-d. promotion de la bibliothèque,  marketing, sensibilisation aux événements courants, réseautage social, gestion de l’information)
  • Pour mesurer la pénétration (c.-à-d. commentaires et « tweets » positifs, statistiques d’utilisation, sondages)
  • Manuels, présentations, cours et autres connaissances pertinentes, etc.
  • Faites-le-nous savoir – quels types d’information souhaiteriez-vous voir colligés et partagés ? Qu’est-ce qui pourrait vous être utile au développement, à la mise en œuvre et à l’évaluation de services basés sur les ressources et les médias sociaux dans votre bibliothèque ?
Po ur obtenir plus de détails, pour participer ou pour faire parvenir des exemples d’utilisation de médias sociaux au sein de votre établissement, veuillez communiquer avec:
Laurie Blanchard
]]> http://blogs.ubc.ca/dean/2012/01/a-social-media-portal-for-canadian-health-librarians/feed/ 0 A return to basics in medical reference services, 2012 http://blogs.ubc.ca/dean/2012/01/a-return-to-basics-in-medical-reference-services-2012/ http://blogs.ubc.ca/dean/2012/01/a-return-to-basics-in-medical-reference-services-2012/#comments Sun, 22 Jan 2012 09:46:43 +0000 Dean Giustini http://blogs.ubc.ca/dean/?p=5450 Continue reading →]]> see the wiki version: http://hlwiki.slais.ubc.ca/index.php/Top_Ten_Competencies_in_Medical_Reference,_2012

With the rise of search engines and Twitter, information appears to be more findable and accessible in 2012 than any point in history. However, how many times have health librarians heard lately that their users are overwhelmed? Or that they can’t find authoritative health information? During periods of information overload, health librarians must advocate for the return to some of the basic competencies in medical reference discussed on this entry.

In the last decade, the MLA – Medical Library Association (U.S.) articulated The role of expert searching in health sciences libraries — a document that defines the main roles that health librarians assume “in expert retrieval and evaluation of information in the support of knowledge and evidence-based clinical, scientific, and administrative decision making” (MLA, 2003). Health librarians provide reference services using a range of information sources and tools but also demonstrate and teach end-users – physicians, nurses, pharmacists, students etc. – how to search effectively. Before assuming teaching and expert search roles in health, however, reference librarians must first develop basic competencies in information retrieval.

Medical librarians provide reference services in the library, in-person outside the library, on the phone, virtually (using chat, instant messaging, social media) and over e-mail. Instruction – “one-on-one”, small group or large workshops – is central to providing reference services in medical libraries. In using digital and web 2.0 tools of various kinds, end-users are able to communicate with their peers and health librarians without having to visit health libraries. However, health librarians must consider poor access and broadband where end-users are concerned because of authentication issues, licensing, “free vs. fee” based content, distributed libraries services and hospital networks. Proxy servers, firewalls and VPN settings affect reference service in that librarians are often called upon to lead users across technical barriers before the information itself can be accessed.

Ten Competencies in Medical Reference 2012

1. Help users locate words, terms, phrases and syndromes. Decode abbreviations. Provide abbreviations/ acronyms for journals. Locate biographical information in directories.

2. Help users verify, complete and/or correct citations. Locate supplementary materials.

3. Demonstrate and teach users how to access major biomedical databases (print & online) using multiple interfaces, vocabularies and gateways. Use document delivery and interlibrary loan services.

4. Help users locate authoritative information on diagnosis & therapy for diseases, disorders & treatments.

5. Help users locate drug information by brand, trademark or generic name. Locate therapeutic class, contraindications, synonyms & adverse effects. Overdosing/poison control & drug question referral.

6. Help locate reference values (or ranges) used in interpreting diagnostic procedures & laboratory tests.

7. Help users identify location of psychological tests/measurements. Mental Measurements Yearbook, Tests

8. Teach users how to navigate search engines, websites, open access repositories, blogs, podcasts, web 2.0 media.

9. Help users find and interpret local, provincial and national data & statistics in health and other major sources.

10. Locate periodic table, chemical names, structures, formulas, elements, common properties (molecular weight or melting point). Conversion tables. Health & safety. Use indexes and appendices.

References

]]> http://blogs.ubc.ca/dean/2012/01/a-return-to-basics-in-medical-reference-services-2012/feed/ 0 Here are some “Core Ready Reference Titles” in medicine http://blogs.ubc.ca/dean/2012/01/here-are-some-core-ready-reference-titles-in-medicine/ http://blogs.ubc.ca/dean/2012/01/here-are-some-core-ready-reference-titles-in-medicine/#comments Sat, 14 Jan 2012 17:16:21 +0000 Dean Giustini http://blogs.ubc.ca/dean/?p=5444 Continue reading →]]> The core medical titles listed here (~25 in total) may not always be accessible to consumers in public, hospital and health libraries. However, the principle of answering basic reference questions in health using simple authoritative print tools is important and a first step in the reference interview — and in educating patients how to use medical information properly and effectively. As such, these medical sources are extremely useful for many types of health questions, important in understanding the medical bibliography and in how information services are provided to various user groups. With so much health information on the web, it might seem that these tools are not needed but I disagree. In fact, they are needed more than ever in an era of so much information overload and fragmentation.

Abbreviations, acronyms, symbols

Lists medical abbreviations and provides brief definitions of medical eponyms, table of elements, short list of symbols, etc.

A listing of online and print sources.

20,000+ clinically relevant abbreviations, acronyms, symbols, associations and organizations.

 

Drugs – Canada & United States

More than 2,000 medications are available in Canada. This guide outlines the main classes by prescription and over-the-counter, correct uses, how they work in the body, and how to manage treatment.

3,000 drugs, cross-referencing generic and brand names. New & discontinued drugs. Colour pictures of selected drugs. Includes pharmaceutical manufacturers’ directory.

Canadian. Features 750 drug profiles in an alphabetic arrangement.

American. Useful for adverse reactions, metabolism information and impact on body organs.

Eponyms

Defines eponyms used in most English-speaking countries. Includes descriptions of medical persons whose names are used eponymously.”

  • Whonamedit.com File:4-star.gif – the world’s most comprehensive dictionary of eponyms

Over 15,000 eponyms and more than 6.000 persons described in 5000 main entries. Eponyms are linked to 3409 persons, 130 female and 3279 male.

Foreign Language

In online catalogues, see subject heading(s) such as Medical dictionaries – Chinese.

 

Dictionaries – General

A classic medical dictionary. 1000+ illustrations, 13 appendices with anatomy, muscle groups, phobias & reference values for lab tests.

Key dictionary. Appendices: lab values, abbreviations, symbols, weights & measures.

An impressive visual source, Melloni’s contains clear definitions, common abbreviations and pronunciation guide. Helpful are “prefixes/suffixes” and “how to use” sections.

Long entries. 2000+ colour anatomical illustrations, appendices with normal lab values for adults/children, nutrition guidelines, symbols and abbreviations and (U.S.) disease statistics.

1903 classic, Stedman’s provides definitions, pronunciation, colour illustrations & anatomical plates, word and genus finders. A complement to Dorland’s, used by NLM for MeSH terms.

Illustrated. Causes, symptoms, poisoning, first aid, prognosis, treatment. Among twenty-five appendices: lab values, daily dietary allowances, phobias, Models & Theories of Nursing.

Directories – B.C. & Canada

Five sections: alphabetic listing of members; members by geographical region; members by specialties; “temporary” members and those involved in medical education and finally a directory of BC hospitals.

Directory of certified Canadian physicians, specialists & family doctors. University faculties of medicine, provincial ministries of health, Canadian hospitals and Canadian healthcare associations. Languages spoken by doctors and helpful medicine “Year in Review” included.

A list of Canadian healthcare facilities, hospitals, long term care, arranged by province/city. Lists key personnel, healthcare associations and regional health organizations. Contains manufacturers and distributors of health products and services and overview to health care by province.

Handbooks & manuals

A key text for chemistry and physics; used in basic research. Compounds, molecular weight, boiling point, melting point, density, molecular formula, and molecular structure are listed. Formulas, basic units, conversion factors, tables of elements, derivatives and hundreds of integrals help with calculus.

Current insight into symptoms, signs, epidemiology, and treatment for more than 1,000 diseases and disorders. For each topic, concise, evidence-based answers to questions about hospital and ambulatory medicine. This clinical companion is the fastest and easiest way to keep abreast of medical advances, prevention strategies, and cost-effective treatments.

Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders – 4th ed – Text Revision (TR) by the American Psychiatric Association. Includes diagnostic criteria, descriptions and classification and diagnosis (using ICD – International Classification of Diseases). It provides information about features, culture, age, gender, prevalence, and familial pattern of mental disorders.

Covers molecular biology, new drugs and clinical studies which have contributed to drug therapeutics. Provides basic science and clinical application, guiding practitioners in understanding drugs useful in preventing, diagnosing and treating disease. Describes how and why drugs affect body systems, chemical properties of drugs, dosage information, drug interactions and toxic effects.

Represents 50+ years of expert guidance for pediatric residents and those who treat children. This everyday reference is for fast, accurate bedside consultation; its formulary is regularly updated online. New or revised chapters on palliative care, toxicology, dermatology, and growth and nutrition help you streamline diagnosis and treatment.

Covers pediatrics, psychiatry, obstetrics, gynaecology, dermatology, pharmacology, ophthalmology; hand disorders, prion diseases, death and dying, chronic fatigue syndrome, rehabilitation, smoking cessation, and drug therapy. Language is technical. Other Merck manuals are available including Geriatrics and Consumer Home Editions.

Lab tests

Up-to-date information on lab tests, with descriptions of tests, conditions, screening guide and advances (news)

Syndromes

Arranged by eponym or scientific name. Includes synonym(s), symptoms and signs, etiology, pathology, diagnostic procedures, therapy, prognosis. Extensive appendices.

Includes “syndromes and eponymous diseases which occur in the literature with reasonable frequency.” Systematic analysis of 95,000 journal articles over twenty year period helped locate entries. Syndrome is traced to its original description.

Over 7700+ eponyms described in 3781 main entries. These eponyms are linked to 3069 persons: 105 female and 2964 male.

]]> http://blogs.ubc.ca/dean/2012/01/here-are-some-core-ready-reference-titles-in-medicine/feed/ 0 Top Fifty (50) or so, social media sites in academia http://blogs.ubc.ca/dean/2012/01/top-fifty-50-or-so-social-media-sites-in-academia/ http://blogs.ubc.ca/dean/2012/01/top-fifty-50-or-so-social-media-sites-in-academia/#comments Fri, 06 Jan 2012 20:34:42 +0000 Dean Giustini http://blogs.ubc.ca/dean/?p=5435 Continue reading →]]> Top fifty (~50) or so web 2.0 services for possible use by academics and scholars. Not necessarily by importance, influence, utility or value (just a ‘start-here’ page).

  1. Academia.edu – http://www.academia.edu/
  2. BioCrowd – http://www.biocrowd.com/
  3. BioMedExperts – http://www.biomedexperts.com/
  4. Brainify – http://www.brainify.com/About/
  5. CiteULike – http://citeulike.com/
  6. Connotea – http://connotea.org/
  7. CrowdVine – http://www.crowdvine.com/home
  8. Delicious – http://delicious.com
  9. Digital Research Tools wiki – http://digitalresearchtools.pbwiki.com/
  10. Elgg – http://elgg.com AND http://elgg.org/
  11. Epernicus – http://www.epernicus.com/
  12. EthicShare – https://www.ethicshare.org/
  13. Facebook – http://facebook.com
  14. Flickr – http://flickr.com (Images)
  15. GoogleDocs – http://google.com/docs
  16. Graduate Junction – http://www.graduatejunction.net
  17. JournalFire – http://journalfire.com/
  18. JusCollege – http://juscollege.com/
  19. JoinDiaspora – https://joindiaspora.com/
  20. Lab Guru – http://www.labguru.com/
  21. Labome.org – http://www.labome.org/
  22. LabRoots – http://www.labroots.com/
  23. LabSpaces – http://www.labspaces.net/
  24. LibraryThing – http://www.librarything.com/
  25. LinkedIn – http://www.linkedin.com/nhome/
  26. Meducation – http://www.meducation.net/
  27. Mendeley – http://www.mendeley.com/
  28. MethodSpace – http://www.methodspace.com
  29. MyExperiment – http://www.myexperiment.org/
  30. NatureNetwork – http://network.nature.com/
  31. NetVibes – http://netvibes.com
  32. Ning – http://ning.com (Build networks)
  33. PBWorks – http://pbworks.com/
  34. Research CrossRoads – http://www.researchcrossroads.org/
  35. Sakai Project – http://sakaiproject.org/portal
  36. ResearchGATE – https://www.researchgate.net/
  37. Second life – http://secondlife.com
  38. SciBlog – http://www.scientificblogging.com/
  39. SciPlore MindMapping – http://sciplore.org/software/sciplore_mindmapping/
  40. SciSpace – http://www.scispace.com/
  41. SciWeavers – http://sciweavers.org/
  42. Scholar – http://www.scholar.com/
  43. Scribd – http://www.scribd.com/
  44. SlideShare – https://www.slideshare.net/
  45. TeacherTube – http://www.teachertube.com/
  46. Wikipedia – http://wikipedia.org
  47. WizFolio – https://www.wizfolio.com/
  48. Yammer – http://www.yammer.com/
  49. YouTube – http://youtube.com
  50. Zoho – http://www.zoho.com/
  51. Zotero – http://www.zotero.org/

For more information:

]]> http://blogs.ubc.ca/dean/2012/01/top-fifty-50-or-so-social-media-sites-in-academia/feed/ 4 Health info expertise starts in LIBR534 http://blogs.ubc.ca/dean/2012/01/health-info-expertise-starts-in-libr534/ http://blogs.ubc.ca/dean/2012/01/health-info-expertise-starts-in-libr534/#comments Wed, 04 Jan 2012 16:09:59 +0000 Dean Giustini http://blogs.ubc.ca/dean/?p=5433 LIBR 534 Health information sources services 2012
View more presentations from Dean Giustini

]]> http://blogs.ubc.ca/dean/2012/01/health-info-expertise-starts-in-libr534/feed/ 0 Back to basics for student librarians in LIBR534 http://blogs.ubc.ca/dean/2012/01/back-to-basics-for-student-librarians-in-libr534/ http://blogs.ubc.ca/dean/2012/01/back-to-basics-for-student-librarians-in-libr534/#comments Tue, 03 Jan 2012 17:59:10 +0000 Dean Giustini http://blogs.ubc.ca/dean/?p=5431 Answering health and medical reference questions
View more documents from Dean Giustini

]]> http://blogs.ubc.ca/dean/2012/01/back-to-basics-for-student-librarians-in-libr534/feed/ 0 Making Time For Quiet Contemplation in 2012 http://blogs.ubc.ca/dean/2011/12/making-time-for-quiet-contemplation-in-2012/ http://blogs.ubc.ca/dean/2011/12/making-time-for-quiet-contemplation-in-2012/#comments Mon, 26 Dec 2011 17:15:58 +0000 Dean Giustini http://blogs.ubc.ca/dean/?p=5426 Continue reading →]]> The holidays are a time fraught with over-commitment. The holidays should be used for slowing down. As I write this blogpost, I’m taking time to reflect back on the busy fall term (aren’t they all?). I’d like to reaffirm my commitment to make more time for my academic projects in 2012, and the people I serve at the university.

One of my favorite stories about making time and its benefits involves the Italian renaissance man, Michelangelo.  As legend would have it, a member of the Italian nobility went to visit Il Divino (“the divine one”) in his studio in 1500. The prince found Michelangelo staring at an 18 by 3-foot block of marble. The massive stone had been quarried from Carrara as Michelangelo had been commissioned to sculpt a symbol of Florentine freedom.

Many Florentines had heard of the project but rumours were that Michelangelo was making little progress. Friends found him staring at the slab of marble for hours at a time. Many months later during a visit, a friend asked the artist what he was doing. So as not to break the mood of quiet contemplation he had created, Michelangelo whispered “sto lavorando” or “I am working”. Three years later, that block of Carrara marble had become the great statue of David.

As academics, scholars and yes, librarians, we lose something when we forget about the importance of quiet contemplation. Slowing down should be a part of the cycle of regeneration of life at this time – but it seldom is. Some of our most important work comes after reflection and making time to be quiet. Making more time for these activities is my new year’s resolution for 2012.

I hope more of us bring that sense of quiet determination to our work at the university in the coming year.

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