HSLS Update

Director's Reflections... Check Out HSLS Services and Resources!

August is always an exciting time on a university campus.  After vacations and relaxation, faculty and students head back to work with renewed energy.  HSLS librarians spent the summer orienting new UPMC residents, adding new resources, expanding our collection of circulating laptops, and planning orientations and workshops for the fall.

I wish I could personally introduce every new faculty member and student to HSLS, but time does not permit.  Instead I’ve listed below some of the services we offer to make your life easier. 

HSLS’ intuitive Web site <www.hsls.pitt.edu> with an easy-to-use search.HSLS box helps you to quickly find journal articles, point-of-care information, and textbook chapters.  Are you unsure about how to use our wireless network or get a password for off-campus access to electronic resources?  Then click on the How Do I? button and enter your question.  If you’re still stumped, send us a message through Ask a Librarian, or just call the reference desk at 412-648-8796.

Do you need something we don’t have?  Order books or copies of published articles through our Document Delivery service <www.hsls.pitt.edu/services/documentdelivery>.  Once the order is processed, requested articles can be viewed in electronic format and books can be picked up at a HSLS library’s circulation desk to be checked out.  A message will be sent to your e-mail account when items are ready for online viewing or pickup.

Are you a researcher in the basic sciences struggling to keep up with fast-changing information resources in bioinformatics?  Plan to attend a specialized workshop offered by the HSLS Molecular Biology Information Service, consult with one of our information specialists, or search the HSLS Online Bioinformatics Information Resources Collection (OBRC) that includes 1,746 indexed databases and software tools.  You can find the OBRC by clicking on Molecular Biology on the right-hand side of the HSLS home page.

Want to learn more?  Attend one of our workshops on database searching or software training.  Bring a sandwich to a “Lunch with a Librarian” session to find out about the nuts and bolts of publishing, developing dynamic presentations and posters, or staying current with new information.  Click on HSLS Classes under the News and Announcements section of our home page for a complete listing of the classes HSLS has to offer. If a skill you’re looking for isn’t offered in a scheduled class, a librarian will consult with you individually or in a small group.  Contact your school’s liaison librarian to schedule workshops for your students or work group.

In this new academic year, resolve to learn more about how HSLS can help enhance your research and teaching productivity.

-- Barbara Epstein