Locate Up-To-Date Information on Over
190 Nations With CountryWatch
The IU Northwest Library recently started a premium
subscription to CountryWatch Online. According to its
web site, "CountryWatch is a world leader in country
specific geopolitical intelligence on each of the 191 countries of
the world." Information can be accessed from Country Reviews from
a drop down menu on the top right side of the main menu or from a
world regions area located on the left side of the web site. Each
50-100 page Country Review report includes the following topics:
• Geographical Information
• Political Information
• Economic Information
• Corporate Information
• Environmental Information
This data is updated bi-annually but when major events occur (e.g. a
change in government), this information is automatically updated. This
web resource also profiles a featured country (e.g. Iraq) each month
as well as providing current news events through Country Wire. CountryWatch supplies
its users with a map gallery featuring both thematic and political/physical
maps for each nation.
To use CountryWatch from IU Northwest campus computers ONLY,
go to the
IU Northwest
Library's Electronic Information Page under the Library
Catalogs, Electronic Journals & Other Databases heading, click
the Other Databases link. At the next screen, select CountryWatch.
Favorite Web Sites: Health/Medical Information
The web sites featured this month have been critically evaluated and selected
by the IU Northwest librarians as well as a group of academic and public librarians
across the United States who compile a yearly Best
Free Reference Web Sites List for the American
Library Association. Here is a list of selection
criteria initially created by the MARS Best Free Websites Task Force
to choose these sites. The Library hopes our readers will find these web
sites useful for locating reliable, accurate and authoritative information
on the Internet.
The Healthfinder(r) web site is a service of the U.S. Department of Health and
Human Services. The authors describe the site as "a free gateway to reliable
consumer health and human services information". The site is clearly arranged
by categories: "Hot Topics," "News," "Smart Choices," "More Tools," "Just for
You," and "About Us". All of these sections have clearly defined sub-categories.
Healthfinder features a keyword search tool for the database that includes a
help button and an index button. The search results lead the user to selected
online publications, clearinghouses, databases, web sites, and support and self-help
groups, as well as to government agencies and not-for-profit organizations. (Summary
used by permission of the MARS Best Free Websites Committee)
InteliHealth's stated mission is to "promote good health" by their efforts to "consumerize
health information to make it accessible to the widest possible audience." More
than 150 health organizations contribute to the site, including the Harvard Medical
School, the University of Pennsylvania School of Dental Medicine, and the National
Institutes of Health. The site includes a medical dictionary, a database of medication
information, a database of disease/condition profiles, and other features, including
a "symptom scout." The disease/condition profiles are especially helpful, as
they include features like "When to call your doctor." There is also an A-Z index
to find topics. Daily tips appear, as well as featured "spotlight" topics. This
site holds a wealth of well-organized health information for the layperson. (Summary
used by permission of the MARS Best Free Websites Committee)
MayoClinic.com, formerly Mayo Health Oasis is a consumer-oriented online health
resource providing "access to the experience and knowledge of the more than 2,000
physicians and scientists of the Mayo Clinic."The well designed and very navigable
web site allows the user to search for information through a well placed search
engine where the term can be searched through the entire web site or limited
to specific sections like "Diseases and Conditions" or "Drugs." This resource
also features specific categories where users can access topics. These include
Diseases and Conditions A-Z, Drug Information, First Aid & Self-Care Guide,
Condition Centers and Healthy Living Centers. MayoClinic.com remains one of the
most respected web resources for disseminating accurate and easy to understand
health information to the general public.
This web site contains the full-text online version of The Merck Manual
Home Edition specifically written for the layperson by nearly 200 leading
medical experts. Users can select from two formats. First, the Interactive version
contains photos, animations, videos, sound-enhanced pronunciations and illustrations
along with a comprehensive search engine to locate specific terms. Links to free
downloads for RealPlayer(tm), Netscape and Internet Explorer are provided if
needed. Secondly, the original text-based version is available for those with
slower dial-up connections or web browsers that cannot support graphics. Both
versions of the Merck Manual Home Edition provide an easy to use,
detailed table of contents comprised of 24 sections plus an appendix which cover
topics ranging from medical fundamentals to accidents and injuries. Both formats
are updated frequently. The online Merck Manual Home Edition undoubtedly
is an excellent electronic resource for people seeking accurate, up-to-date,
yet understandable medical information.
Rxlist is a resource for in-depth drug information covering over 4,000 U.S. products.
Each drug entry will contain the following information: description, clinical
pharmacology, indications, usage, contraindications, warnings, precautions, drug
interactions, adverse reactions, drug abuse and dependence, dosage and administration,
and animal pharmacology. The fuzzy logic search engine allows for broad searching:
drug names, categories, actions, and misspellings.(Summary used by permission
of the MARS Best Free Websites Committee)
The IU Northwest Library Adds Investext Select, LegalTrac and F&S Index
Plus Text- US To Its Gale Group Subscription
The IU Northwest Library's Gale Group subscription now includes
the following electronic journal indexes:
This online resource contains forecasts and reports compiled
by leading Wall Street and international brokerage firms on over 11,000 U.S.
and international companies as well as 53 major industries. Coverage ranges from
1999 to the present.
This database includes articles on Federal and State cases, laws and regulations,
taxation , general legal practice and international law from all major law and
specialty law and bar association journals, law reviews and legal newspapers.
Coverage ranges from 1980 to the present.
- F&S Index Plus Full Text- US
This full-text index features information on companies, industries and products
from over 800 trade and business journals. Coverage ranges from 2000 to the present.
To access these indexes from IU Northwest campus computers ONLY, go to the
IU Northwest
Library's Electronic Information Page and under the Journal
and Newspaper Indexes heading, click the Humanities and Social Sciences link.
At the next screen, select, Investext Select, LegalTrac or F&S
Index Plus Full Text- US.
- At the second screen, click the Proceed button to enter the Gale
Group database system.
- At the main menu, select the appropriate index link.
- All three databases feature the same search interface menu where keywords
can be entered in the Subject Guide Search dialog box.
- Searches can also be limited by date, full-text articles only and by journal
title. A title list and a Help area is also available at the left
side of the screen if needed.
IU Northwest Library Staff Professional Accomplishments
Ellen Bosman, Associate Librarian and Head of Technical Services
has been selected to receive the 2002 Bogle-Pratt International Library Travel
Fund Award. In October 2002, Ms. Bosman will travel to Melbourne and address
the Australian Church Library Association, and conduct research about Australian
church libraries. The Bogle-Pratt International Library Travel Fund is sponsored
by the Bogle Memorial Fund and the Pratt Institute/School of Information and
Library Science. An award of $1,000 is given to an ALA member to attend their
first international library conference.
Ellen is also the first IU regional campus librarian to receive the Herbert
and Virginia White Professional Development Award. An award of $2,500 is given
annually by the IU Libraries to support the career growth of individuals who
have chosen librarianship as a profession. The Indiana University Librarian's
Association (InULA) also recently awarded her a $1,500 Research Incentive Grant
to partially fund her upcoming sabbatical leave during the Fall 2002 semester.
Carol Rusinek, Associate Librarian, Reference Services was a
member of the panel program, Virtual Research presented at the
Indiana University Libraries' Librarian's Day Meeting held at the IUPUI Library
on May 17.
, Library News Web Editor |
