Director's Desk - Welcome Address

On behalf of the entire Himmelfarb Library staff, I would like to extend a warm welcome to all new Medical Center faculty, staff, and students. I would also like to extend greetings to all returning faculty and students on the start of a new academic year. The Library staff looks forward to meeting your information needs in the upcoming months. We also welcome your input! Contact me at 202-994-1826 or mlbaml@gwumc.edu with suggestions. The Library’s e-mail address is library@gwumc.edu. The telephone number for the reference desk is 202-994-2850.

We not only welcome your input; we also try to implement your suggestions whenever possible. Last spring, the Library conducted a survey to determine how patrons use our electronic resources and how we might tailor our selection of resources to better meet your needs. In upcoming months, you will see detailed responses to the survey in this newsletter. We have already reorganized our resources in international health to include many more materials covering Africa, the Caribbean, and South America. Thanks to the generosity of a local foundation, the Library has the opportunity to explore the use of alternate delivery methods for information as third-year medical students use and evaluate clinical textbooks in PDA format while on rotation. Another area identified in the survey as key to users is training. Many patrons would like additional instruction in using electronic resources. Please call Patricia Wilson, Associate Director, at 202-994-2853 to schedule sessions in the Library or on location in your department! Instructional librarians are happy to design brief programs that highlight topics of special interest to your department or specialty area and provide you with tips for using these resources from your desktop.

Best wishes for a successful year!
Anne Linton, Director, Library Services