Current News
- BU WorldCat Local
- Graduate Student Library Survey
- Boston University Libraries Millennium Library Catalog To Be Replaced
- STAT!REF Additional Dental E-books
- Scheduled Outage and Platform Improvements on Elsevier's ScienceDirect
- Library Network Upgrade August 10 and 17, 2012
- STUDENT ALERT: IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT COMPUTER OPERATING SYSTEMS COMPLIANCE
- New Titles Added to Library's Dental E-Book Collection
- AccessSurgery E-Books Resource Now Available
- 3D Anatomical Models Now Available at the Reserve Desk
- LRC Rooms L-1109 and L-1109b Closed from Saturday, July 9 - Sunday, July 31 for Renovations
- New scanners available
- More E-Books for Studying for the Boards
- Scheduled Library Catalog Downtime: Early Friday, March 18th
- New Study Room on 11th Floor
- Library Renovation Update
- BU's Digital Common Launched
- PubMed Replacing Ovid for Medline Access
- New Full-Text Linking Now Available with PubMed
- New AML Website Launched: July 1, 2009
- New Resource: Exam Master OnLine- Study tool for the USMLE and more!
- NIH Public Access Policy took effect April 7, 2008
- Attention Students: Copy Card Distribution Reminder
- Go to News Archives for news from previous semesters
BU WorldCat Local allows current BU students, faculty,
and staff to borrow books directly from libraries in the
Boston Library Consortium free of charge. Please note: Interlibrary Loan is
still required for requesting copies of journal articles. Turnaround time is
approximately three to five working days.
If you need help placing a request, please call the Circulation Desk: (617) 638-4244.
If you need additional information about BU WorldCat Local, contact
Konstnatin Starikov, Head of Circulation & Interlibrary Loan Services, or 617-638-4224.
During the Spring of 2012 the Boston University Libraries surveyed Boston University graduate students on both campuses to determine use and satisfaction with library services and resources. Please read the 2012 Graduate Student Library Survey Report .
The Boston University Libraries Millennium Library Catalog is planned to be discontinued as of late November, 2012. The new Ex Libris system will be accessible via the Boston University Libraries Search box, with basic and advanced search options available. Please feel free to contact the Reference Desk at refquest@bu.edu or (617) 638-4228 with any questions.
The Alumni Medical Library recently added these e-books to its STAT!REF dental collection. The titles are linked on the Medical Library's e-books site and the Library's Dental Medicine Subject page. The titles may be accessed from on-campus computers, and remotely through BU EZproxy. If you have questions, please contact a reference librarian at refquest@bu.edu
ScienceDirect is expected to be offline and unavailable for approximately 19 hours beginning Saturday, August 25th, 2012 for scheduled maintenance for a new release. The downtime by region is expected as follows:
New York Time: 7:30 AM EDT Saturday, August 25th until 2:30 AM EDT, Sunday, August 26th
Corresponding UTC (GMT): Saturday, August 25, 2012 at 11:30 PM until Sunday, August 26, 2012 at 6:30 AM
Users connecting remotely to electronic resources may experience service disruptions between 10pm and 6am on Friday August 10 and 17 because of library network upgrade work.
Please do NOT upgrade or purchase Mac Mountain Lion or Windows 8 Operating systems when they become available (expected in July and late fall of 2012 respectively). The Computer Based Exam program (ExamSoft) you will use for many of your course exams will not support those operating systems until SPRING 2013.
Macs must run MAC OS X 10.6 or 10.7 (Snow Leopard or Lion respectively), and PCs must run the English version of Windows 7 (preferred), Windows XP (32-bit), or Windows Vista. Note: Macs running 10.5 (Leopard) need to upgrade to 10.6 or 10.7 prior to fall exams (10.5 will no longer be supported).
Please be advised that the specifications listed are required for laptops to run ExamSoft properly. iPads cannot be used for exams. Netbooks do not meet ExamSoft specifications, so using them for exams could be problematic.
Thank you for your attention to this matter.
The Alumni Medical Library recently purchased 40 additional electronic books as part of its dental collection. The most current edition of each textbook is available including all illustrations, pictures, and graphics that are produced in the print version.
The dental titles are linked on the Medical Library's e-Books site. These titles are also linked on the Library's Dental Medicine Subject page. The titles may be accessed from on-campus computers, and remotely through BU EZproxy. If you have questions, please contact a reference librarian at refquest@bu.edu
The AccessSurgery E-Books resource has been added to the Medical Library's electronic collections.
Organized around the ACGME's (Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education) Core Curriculum, AccessSurgery from McGraw-Hill is an integrated online resource that provides medical students, surgical residents, and practicing surgeons with answers to surgical questions.
AccessSurgery also offers a "Clerkship Corner" to provide clerks with text resources, case scenarios, and question and answers for surgery rotations with content organized both by Core Topics as well as Organ Systems.
AccessSurgery is linked on the Medical Library's e-Books site. This resource has also been linked to the Library's Surgery Subject page. AccessSurgery may be accessed from on-campus computers, and remotely through BU EZproxy. If you have questions, please contact a reference librarian at refquest@bu.edu
The following 3D anatomical models are available at the reserve desk for in-library use only.
- Brain with arteries
- Female pelvis with ligaments, vessels, nerves, pelvic floor, organs
- Foot skeleton model with ligaments and muscles
- Functional shoulder joint
- Hand skeleton model with ligaments and muscles
- Neuro-anatomical brain
- Nose with paranasal sinuses
- Magnetic osteological teaching skull
- Shoulder joint with rotator cuff
- Superior maxilla and mandible of adult
Due to a construction project designed to improve student laptop support service space, L-1109 and L-1109b will be closed from Saturday, July 9 - Sunday, July 31. Public computers are available on L-12 and in L-1112 (14-seat room across from L-1109). During this period, computing assistance is available 8:30 am - 5:00 pm on the 11th floor in Rooms L-1114 and L-1116.
New scanners are now available in the library that allow you to scan books, images, and documents and save the images to a variety of formats (pdf, word, jpg, tiff). These files can be sent to the library printers, an email address, or saved to a USB drive.
Scanners are located by photocopiers on each floor of the library. No charge is involved except for the print option (the charge is the standard $.12/page charge for printing, paid via copy card by the printers on the 12th floor or in 1109).
The Medical Library has increased its collection of certification and board study guide e-books. Specifically, more First Aid and ACCP review books are available. A comprehensive list can be found on the credentialing subject guide, which also includes the review practice site, ExamMaster.
The BU Library catalog will be down early Friday, March 18th, between 12:30am and 2:30am, due to a power disruption on the Charles River campus. Access to E-journals and databases will not be affected. For e-journals and database access, please follow the links from this medical library website. A complete collection of e-resource links are available here. To see whether BU owns a print book or journal during this downtime, please search WorldCat.
The computer lab L1112 will now be open to students as a study room. Like the two study rooms on the 13th floor, the room is available on a first-come, first-served basis. Audio visual equipment (projector, SmartBoard) is available for group study purposes. Please see these guidelines for more information.
Library restrooms are currently being renovated. The 13th floor restrooms will be renovated the week of August 12 - August 19, and the 11th floor restrooms will be renovated from August 20 - August 27. Renovations will include new ceilings, flooring, painted walls, countertops, and lighting.
The Library information infrastructure has been expanded to include 366 power connections, 124 ethernet connections and wireless access throughout the Library and Learning Resources Center (LRC). Power is available from floor outlets to support comfortable seating, and power is available from wall outlets to support the bistro tables.
Two former staff offices on the 13th floor have been converted to study rooms, and glass doors have recently been installed. New study tables and chairs have been purchased for these rooms, and power is available.
Twenty-nine new computers have been purchased for the LRC public computing room L-1109a. Twelve thin-client computers will be relocated to the L-12 basement public computing location and in the L-1102 Coffee/Vending lounge as a continued pilot for this technology on the medical campus. New computers were purchased for the LRC classroom L-1105 during the Summer.
The stairwell carpeting has been completed. The Library has installed water filtration units on the 11th and 12th floor which provide improved quality drinking water as well as support BU sustainability efforts by allowing students to re-fill water bottles.
During 2009-2010, the initial 12th floor construction phase consisted of the removal of a wall to expand Library space, disassembly of shelving ranges, installation of a new ceiling with improved energy-efficient lighting, installation of a new entryway, painting, and HVAC work.
The next phase included replacement of the carpet, and installation of new flooring, new fixed computer tables and laptop/study tables and chairs, comfortable seating, cubed tables with casters, and cafe tables and chairs. The Circulation and Reference Desks were reconfigured and combined as a single-service Desk.
The entryway to the Library was modified to comply with building safety codes, and the front doors to the Library no longer lock. Instead, the elevator doors have been programmed to open on the 12th floor only during Library Hours of Operation as follows:
Library & Computer Lab Fall/Spring Hours
| Library | Computing Help Desk | Public Computing L-1109 | Public Computing L-1112 | |
| Monday - Thursday | 7:30 am - Midnight | 8:00 am - 5:00 pm | 8:00 am - 11:00 pm | 7:30 am - Midnight** |
| Friday | 7:30 am - 10:00 pm | 8:00 am - 5:00 pm | 8:00 - 5:00 pm | 7:30 am - 10:00 pm** |
| Saturday | 10:00 am - 10:00 pm | 12:00 pm - 5:00 pm | 10:00 am - 10:00 pm** | |
| Sunday | 10:00 am - Midnight | 12:00 pm - 11:00 pm | 10:00 am - Midnight** |
| **Unless meeting or class scheduled |
Summer Library Hours: Saturday, June 1 - Sunday, August 4, 2013
| Library | Public Computing L-1112 | Public Computing L-1109 | |
| Monday - Thursday | 7:30 am - 10:00 pm | 7:30 am - 10:00 pm | 8:00 am - 9:30 pm |
| Friday | 7:30 am - 6:00 pm | 7:30 am - 6:00 pm | 8:00 am - 5:00 pm |
| Saturday | 10:00 am - 6:00 pm | 10:00 am - 6:00 pm | CLOSED |
| Sunday | 10:00 am - 6:00 pm | 10:00 am - 6:00 pm | CLOSED |
Regular hours resume on Monday, August 5, 2013
Upon completion, the new space will offer significantly more seating on the 12th floor, collaborative learning/study space, comfortable seating on casters that can be easily rearranged, and additional computer stations. You can view the plans for the library renovation here.
We will work to minimize noise as much as possible during this time and apologize for any disruption that the renovation work may cause. If you need quite study space, please use the study areas on the 13th floor. If you have questions regarding the renovation, please contact the Reference Desk at refquest@bu.edu or 638-4228.
Coinciding with Open Access Week, Boston University recently launched Digital Common, the University's new Institutional Repository. Digital Common provides free and open access to scholarly materials, research, and learning objects produced by BU faculty, students and staff. To learn more about Digital Common, please visit our FAQ. You can also visit our Open Access Portal to learn more about the Open Access Movement and open access at BU. Please feel free to contact the Reference Desk at refquest@bu.edu or (617) 638-4228 with questions.
As of November 1, 2009, the BUMC Alumni Medical Library will no longer subscribe to Ovid for accessing Medline and a collection of Evidence-based Medicine databases. Ovid is an expensive resource, and during difficult financial times we have made the decision that it is more important to retain e-journal subscriptions than to provide access to two versions of the same database.
Our decision was made after the following considerations:
- Access to the Medline database will continue via the National Library of Medicine's (NLM) free-of-charge PubMed.
- The NLM produces the Medline database, and PubMed provides the most updated access to journal article citations and abstracts, and links to licensed full-text articles.
- Most students/residents will not have access to Ovid in the future, while PubMed will always be available free-of-charge on the Web. In this sense, Library Education providing advanced Medline skills instruction using PubMed is more effective towards teaching lifelong information skills.
- Library technology has improved with the introduction of SFX at BU, and the more recent integration with PubMed. Prior to this, Ovid had provided access to all of our Library licensed journals while PubMed had been providing access to approximately 65% of the Library's full-text licensed journals due to technical issues; this is no longer the case.
- The single platform for Medline and EBM databases is no longer essential since EBM databases are easily located on the Medical Library's website due to the development and integration of
resources on Library Subject A - Z pages:
- Finally, there have always been disadvantages to subscribing to the Ovid EBM databases due to limited concurrent user licensing restrictions, which resulted in 'licenses exceeded'
messages to users. We will retain access to all of the EBM databases previously delivered on Ovid, but via different vendors with the advantage of unlimited concurrent users as follows
(links also available from above Subject Guides or via the E-Resources 'Databases' link at http://www.medlib.bu.edu/indexes/):
An NLM update to PubMed is imminent, and once completed BUMC librarians will either link to NLM-developed online tutorials or we will develop our own instructional modules. BUMC librarians will offer PubMed workshops or individual by-appointment instructional sessions upon request during this transition period.
** Important note for Ovid users currently using the 'Saved Searches/Alerts' function: Ovid saved searches will not be accessible after December 30. This function is available in PubMed, but you will need to manually replicate these searches.
Please contact the BUMC Library's Reference Desk at (617) 638-4228 or refquest@bu.edu for assistance, questions about PubMed or to provide feedback.
The SFX linking service is now available with PubMed. This feature allows users to link directly from PubMed to full-text journal articles available through the Alumni Medical Library from on and off-campus. To access the new services, visit PubMed at http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov.ezproxy.bu.edu/sites/entrez?otool=mabummlib. If you have questions about linking to full text from PubMed, please contact the Reference Desk at refquest@bu.edu or (617) 638-4228.
The Alumni Medical Library is pleased to announce the launch of its new website at http://medlib.bu.edu. Along with an updated look and feel designed to comply with new university branding standards, the site has been reorganized to offer users more clear and direct access to electronic resources and information about the library.
Features of the new site include:
- A new Quick Search feature at the top of every page. The search box allows users to link into the BU Library catalog or conduct a title search for e-journals, e-books, or content listed on the Library's website.
- Reorganized resource boxes that offer quick and easy access to major databases, catalogs, and information on the library services.
- An updated look that will allow for more seamless integration with other BUMC websites.
Exam Master (http://www.exammaster2.com.ezproxy.bu.edu/wdsentry/bumc.htm) is a study tool for the USMLE, board certification exams, NBDE and to review medical subjects. This resource is available for use with Internet Explorer only. Using Exam Master, you can create customized exams that are presented in both a "Test" simulation mode and a "Study" review mode with correct answers and explanations accessible. Score reporting utilities provide immediate feedback and allow for targeted learning based on your test results. For more information about using Exam Master, please contact Library's Reference Desk at refquest@bu.edu or (617) 638-4228.
Any peer-reviewed publications arising from NIH-funded research on or after April 7, 2008 must be submitted to the National Library of Medicine's public access repository, PubMed Central. As mandated by the federal government, manuscripts from NIH-funded research will be made publicly available no later than 12 months after publication. Researchers should submit their manuscripts electronically through the NIH Manuscript Submission System if their articles are not automatically submitted by the publishing journal (see "How do I comply with the Policy" below).
Additionally, researchers are responsible for notifying publishers that a manuscript is subject to the NIH policy. For more information on this process, please visit the NIH Public Access page or the BU Office of Sponsored Programs page on NIH policy. The NIH also hosts a 'PMID : PMCID Converter tool' as well as additional useful resources and tools.
If you have additional questions, please contact Kate Mellouk, Executive Director of Research Integrity and Assurance (kateski@bu.edu, 617-638-7198); A'Llyn Ettien, Head of Technical Services (aettien3@bu.edu, 617-638-4236); or the Medical Library Reference Desk (refquest@bu.edu, 617-638-4228).
BUSM, BUGMS, BUSDM and BUSPH students are eligible to receive 100 free pages (equivalent of 200 images if you use double-sided printing) during EACH of the following two time periods:
- January 1 – June 30, and
- July 1 – December 31.
The 100 free pages can be picked up on any date during each of the two periods. Students must show a valid Boston University ID in order to receive their copies/prints. Copies/prints may be picked up at the Library Circulation Desk, Monday – Friday, 8:00 am – 6:00 pm.
