Resources, tools & health news from GW Himmelfarb Health Sciences Library
Category: Himmelfarb Info
Posts in this category include information about circulation, course reserves, reference and instruction services, building renovations, website updates, etc.
Himmelfarb has more than books and articles! This article will highlight some of the exciting options available to you as SMHS, GWSPH, or GW Nursing students.
If you’ve stopped by the circulation desk, you may have noticed a slight scenery change: Himmelfarb has a new Bambu Lab 3-D printer! The Bambu Lab X-1 Carbon prints significantly faster than our older printers, greatly increasing our turnaround time and ability to process more jobs. Plus, it can print in multi-colors, leading to festive and interesting options.
You can print as many curricular prints as the queue allows and one non-curricular print a month (full policy here).
The applications for med students are vast: from stethoscope holders to molecular diagrams to model organs.
Or fun friends, like this poseable turtle.
VR:
Himmelfarb has two Oculus Quest VR headsets for checkout.
[Oculus headset on display at the Himmelfarb library - available for 4hr checkouts]
These are great for taking a study break with guided meditations or nature walks (although make sure you have the appropriate space) or, if you want to get serious with studies, you can take advantage of the preloaded Medicalholodeck Medical VR platform (which includes Anatomy Master XR, Medical Imaging XR, and Dissection Master XR). Somewhere between a textbook and a cadaver lab, Medicalholodeck allows you to inspect high-resolution dissections layer-by-layer alongside your research.
Check out the video below for a brief demonstration:
BodyViz
Like Medicalholodeck, BodyViz is an interactive anatomy visualization tool that lets users view, study, and manipulate 3D anatomical structures. Although there's a bit of a learning curve, once you get a handle on it, the BodyViz slicing software allows you to digitally dissect models with great precision, allowing for intensive inspection.
Unlike the VR headsets - which can be used anywhere you find the space - BodyViz is best used in the Levine lounge (Himmelfarb 305A), adjacent to the Bloedorn Technology Center. All of these materials are available at our circulation desk. To learn more, explore our BodyViz Guide.
We hope these help take your studies to the next level.
Himmelfarb Library is a great place to study! Whether you’re looking for a silent study area where you can focus without distractions, a space for quiet conversations in group study rooms, or the creative buzz of collaborative spaces, Himmelfarb has a study space to suit your needs! And when it’s time to take a breather and rest your mind, we’ve got you covered with puzzles, hula hoops, yoga mats, and board games!
Different floors serve different purposes at Himmelfarb. Knowing where to go to find your preferred noise level will help you find a study space that matches your study preferences and needs.
1st Floor:The Not Quiet Floor
Himmelfarb’s first floor is not a designated quiet floor. Our first floor is a great space for group study, collaboration, or just hanging out with friends. Filled with 4-person tables, rolling whiteboards, and comfortable couches, the first floor is a great space for both productivity and leisure. You’ll also find our popular high-top tables that can double as standing desks near the windows where you can soak up plenty of natural light!
Photo of high-top tables on Himmelfarb's 1st floor.
Need a moment to unwind? Explore the Healthy Living Collection, located near the printers. Join the communal puzzle-solving tradition and add a piece or two to the current puzzle! Or dive into our selection of board games, hula hoops, yoga mats, and light hand weights - because a healthy mind thrives in a healthy body, especially after intense study sessions.
Himmelfarb's Healthy Living Collection on the 1st Floor.
2nd Floor: The Silent Floor!
Himmelfarb’s second floor is a silent floor for advanced degree students. This sanctuary for concentration and undisturbed focus will help you dive into your studies without distractions. No talking, whispering, phone calls, or other noise is allowed - just peaceful concentration! Take your pick from the ample open and closed study carrels, or choose from a study table near the window if you thrive in natural light.
Silent floor sign on the 2nd floor.
3rd Floor: The Quiet Study Floor
Himmelfarb’s third floor is mostly a quiet study space. You can choose from the many open study carrels, or a closed carrel near the windows for extra natural light. The Bloedorn Technology Center, also on the third floor, is a great space for quiet collaboration and the place where you’ll find computer software, anatomical models, skeletons, and bone boxes. The SMHS IT Helpdesk is also located on the third floor to help you troubleshoot any technical issues you may experience.
Individual study carrels on the 3rd floor.
Group Study Rooms
Himmelfarb’s group study rooms are available for advanced degree students and must be reserved in advance. Study rooms are designed for quiet conversation. While these study rooms are enclosed, they are still on silent or quiet floors, so please be respectful of others using the space around you. Occasionally, study rooms are used for exams, so please be particularly respectful of noise levels if you see signs indicating that exams are in progress. If you need a space where you can collaborate without worrying about your noise level, the first floor is your best bet!
Himmelfarb has more than books and eBooks! Make the most of your Himmelfarb access and check out our collection of tools and AV equipment that will help you along your medical journey: from chargers to VR to blood pressure kits. Items check out for 4 hours. Ask one of our staff at the circulation desk for more details.
Himmelfarb has more than articles and eBooks! Make the most of your Himmelfarb access and check out our collection of tools and AV equipment that will help you along your healthcare journey: from chargers to VR to blood pressure kits. Items check out for 4 hours. Ask one of our staff at the circulation desk for more details.
Himmelfarb Library would like to officially welcome the incoming MS1 class to George Washington University!
As part of your orientation, here is your quest:
Get into a group of four,
Pick a member of your group to lead the tour,
Visit all four floors of Himmelfarb if you dare,
Take photos of each accomplishment to prove you were there.
Complete each task in the order you choose,
You’ll finish them all if you follow the clues.
Task #1
You’ll be learning informatics with a librarian by your side.
In your POM small group, they'll serve as a guide.
Take a pic of the first-floor poster and hear the services they'll provide.
Have someone from the group take a picture of the poster with all of the librarian pictures, this will be shared as proof of completion for the raffle drawing.
Task #2
If ye climb to the crow’s nest and feel a gout in yer knee,
Hochberg and his mateys wrote a book ye should see.
RC927.R48215 2015
Follow the clue (and call number) to find the book listed above in the basementbook stacks and have one of your team members take a picture of the front cover. When you’re done, leave the book there for later groups to find.
Task #3
Himmelfarb Library’s third floor is a mix of quiet space, rooms for collaborative studying as well as software, instructional DVDs/CDs, and anatomical models/kits.
Though we might be pirates, we're no luddites.
(We're also no poets, as you may have noticed.)
As new crew members, we'll show you our finest new tech.
A merry band awaits you in the Levine Lounge
to show you our BodyViz 3D anatomy system
and how to 3D print a parrot.
We'll even swab the MedicalHoloDeck
to show you a skull and crossbones in Vee Arrrrrrr.
Take a picture of your group at this station as proof of completion for the raffle drawing
Go to chapter 126 in Harrison’s Principles of Internal Medicine (it’s a great book).
Search for ‘Pneumonia’; don’t be slow!
Take a picture of the screen so we can take a look.
Log on to a computer in the library using your UserID/Password. Go to https://guides.himmelfarb.gwu.edu/md and look for the textbook, ‘Harrison’s Principles of Internal Medicine’ Locate chapter 126 (Pneumonia), and take a photo or screenshot.
Plus windows on the two walls make this room complete.
Find this legendary room of library lore,
203C is the number outside the door
Take a pic to prove ye visited the floor.
Go to the second floor (this is a silent floor, so please be mindful of others who may be using the library!) and go to study room 203C. Take a picture of the room number sign.
Task #6
Starting on Himmelfarb's website,
Find our blog in the What's New spotlight.
Click on the blog, then use the box to search,
And find a comic with a parrot on a perch.
When searching for sources for papers and presentations,
Excluding predatory journals should be among your aspirations.
Grab a photo or a screenshot of Ponzi the Shark,
And don't forget about our blog as on your journey you embark.
Go to the Himmelfarb website (himmelfarb.gwu.edu) and click on the top image in the What's New section in the upper right. On the subsequent page, use the search bar to look for 'parrot', and click on 'Comic: Predatory Publishing'. Look for the image of Ponzi the Shark in the comic and take a photo or screenshot.
GW IT has scheduled network maintenance on the Foggy Bottom Campus on Saturday, July 13th from 8:00 am until 4:00 pm. Impacts to Himmelfarb Library, Ross Hall, and the Milken Institute School of Public Health include disruption of Wifi, network connections, and anything relying on network services will be unavailable. More information can be found at GW IT's Network Maintenance Schedule & Impacts.
Despite the loss of Wifi and network connections at Himmelfarb Library, the Library's website (https://himmelfarb.gwu.edu/) should remain accessible from other locations.
From all of us at Himmelfarb Library, we’d like to welcome all of the new residents, fellows, students, faculty, and staff who joined the GW SMHS, GWSPH, and GW Nursing community this month! We are thrilled that you’re here and we look forward to serving you during your time at GW! We know that the start of any new endeavor can be daunting, so we’d like to make it easier for you to get to know Himmelfarb Library.
To help you get the lay of the land, watch this short, video tour of the library with Himmelfarb’s Library Director, Laura Abate:
Himmelfarb Hours
Our physical space, accessible through Ross Hall, is open the following hours:
Monday - Thursday: 7:30 am - Midnight
Friday: 7:30 am - 10:00 pm
Saturday: 8:00 am - 10:00 pm
Sunday: 8:00 am - Midnight
Our current hours of operation are available on our website and include exceptions to normal hours (i.e. holiday closures). If you can’t make it to the library in person, you can get help from our librarians and staff via chat or phone (202-994-2850), or email himmelfarb@gwu.edu. Our databases, journals, and e-books are available 24/7, so even when our building is closed, you can access our electronic resources from anywhere.
Himmelfarb Resources and Collections
Himmelfarb’s collection is much larger than just the books in our stacks. We have 125 databases to search, including PubMed, Scopus, and CINAHL. The search bar towards the top of our library homepage, known as Health Information @ Himmelfarb, can be used to search for physical and electronic books, journals, articles, dissertations, and more all in just a single search box!
You can also browse and access our collection of journals from our e-journals page, or by using BrowZine. You can use BrowZine directly from your internet browser, or download the app to your IOS or Android device. BrowZine allows you to create a personalized bookshelf of journal titles, follow your favorite journals, and create alerts for new issues and tables of contents.
Here’s another pro tip: installing the LibKey Nomad browser extension on your favorite browser will provide easy access to full text when searching PubMed, Scopus, EBSCO databases, Google Scholar, Amazon, publisher sites, and more. With LibKey Nomad, you’ll be alerted when the full-text articles and e-books are available from Himmelfarb, and be able to get the PDF with a single click in most cases.
Himmelfarb provides specialized apps and information services to support those of you who provide patient care. DynaMed and Lexidrug are our go-to resources for easy access to clinical care resources. If you want resources available on your smartphone or other mobile device, check out our App Shelf to download apps to selected resources. Learn more about resources available to residents on our Residents and Fellows Guide!
Research Support
Himmelfarb is more than just a physical space with lots of study space and great databases, journals, books, and e-books! Our librarians and staff can support you in your research by helping with literature searches, conducting systematic reviews, and organizing sources with RefWorks or Covidence. We can also help guide you through the constantly evolving scholarly publishing landscape through our author services.
Get help with your research from our knowledgeable reference librarians and staff. Stop by our circulation desk to get your questions answered in person, or use our Ask a Librarian service to chat with a reference librarian virtually. Our Ask a Librarian service is staffed by real Himmelfarb librarians and staff so you can be sure you’re getting the help you need! We also have a wealth of research guides that can connect you with resources on a variety of topics.
Himmelfarb is closed today for Memorial Day. We will open again tomorrow, May 28th, at 07:30am. We hope you have a good weekend with family and friends!
On Monday, May 20, 2024, Himmelfarb Library, in partnership with GW Libraries and Academic Innovation (GW LAI), will change the underlying system that provides access to our online collections including our ebooks, databases, and journals. This change will be seamless for most users as the new system (OpenAthens) uses the same GW Single Sign-On login method used by our current system (EZproxy).
Changes you can expect to see when accessing Himmelfarb’s e-resources include:
When accessing a subscription resource through the library, you may be prompted to log in with your GW UserID and password, even if you are on campus or connected to the VPN.
If you’ve recently logged in to another resource via GW’s Single Sign On, you may be able to access resources without logging in again.
Many publishers offer direct OpenAthens login from their resources by providing an interface that allows users to choose their institution and select a Single Sign On option for access (for example: JAMA’s OpenAthens access)
For GW faculty, instructional designers, and staff who maintain links to course materials in Blackboard and other course management systems, links that use the older EZproxy system will need to be updated. However, additional time is available to make this transition.
Here are some key points to know:
EZproxy links continue to work and users will be forwarded directly to the linked resource.
Link forwarding will remain in place for one year to allow for time to update links to OpenAthens.
Most Blackboard links will be updated automatically via a GW LAI project.
Links embedded in PDF documents will need to be updated manually.
April is Stress Awareness Month. Himmelfarb Library’s Oculus Virtual Reality (VR) headsets now include healthy living apps that can help you manage your stress! These new apps help users meditate, alleviate anxiety, and generally relax. Take a few minutes to unwind and get recentered in virtual reality so you’ll feel refreshed and rejuvenated in actual reality!
Our Oculus headsets can be checked out from the circulation desk on Himmelfarb’s first floor for four hours at a time. You’ll need some unobstructed space to use the headset since the apps allow you to move around within a virtual space. Our VR Headset Overview page includes recommended spaces within Himmelfarb to use the headsets that can accommodate the space needed to use these apps comfortably.
Guided Meditation VR
The Guided Meditation VR app helps users detach and relax with guided or unguided meditation sessions with calming music and ambient noises from more than 40 digitally-generated environments. This app has over 30 hours of meditations geared toward alleviating anxiety, finding resilience, improving sleep, and even maternity meditations. If you’re unsure about VR but want to experience some of the sessions, you can try them out for free online! This app is available on both of Himmelfarb’s Oculus headsets.
Nature Treks VR
The Nature Treks VR app lets users choose between nine different natural environments and lets them explore and play. You can choose to explore forests, beaches, or even outer space! You even get to choose your preferred weather and time of day and can summon animals. These individually designed spaces can be used as places to meditate or perform breathing exercises. This app is available on Himmelfarb’s “Walter” headset so that you can ask for it by name at the Circulation Desk.
National Geographic Explore VR
The National Geographic Explore VR app lets users choose between two different ecosystems to explore: Machu Picchu and Antarctica! In Antarctica, you’ll get to navigate around icebergs in a kayak, climb a massive ice shelf, and survive a raging snowstorm while searching for a lost emperor penguin colony. Or you can visit Machu Picchu, Peru, and explore digital reconstructions of the ancient Inca citadel, raise a cup of sacred chicha, and encounter alpacas while you match Hiram Bingham’s photographs from when he rediscovered the Inca citadel. Not only can you experience the landscape, but you’ll get to take photographs as well. This app is a bit more physically strenuous and can need some additional room to navigate. This app is available on Himmelfarb’s “Paul” headset.
While the noises generated by all three of these apps are gentle and soothing, they are audible outside of the Oculus headset, so it’s best to use these apps in a quiet space away from others who may be studying or trying to concentrate. Himmelfarb study rooms are a great option for using this app and can be reserved in advance!
Other Stress Relief Resources at Himmelfarb
If Virtual Reality isn’t of interest to you, Himmelfarb’s healthy living collection has other stress relief resources that may suit your style. Take a look at our Healthy Living @ Himmelfarb Guide for a full list of resources. Check out the Wellness Apps page of this guide to find useful meditation and stress relief apps. Our healthy living collection also includes books on stress reduction including Stress, Cognition, and Health by Tony Cassidy, The Psychology of Meditation by Peter Sedlmeier, and Managing Stress by Brian Luke Seaward. As always, feel free to stop by the healthy living collection on Himmelfarb’s first floor to make use of our exercise equipment if you’d prefer to manage your stress with some physical activity and use our exercise balls, hand weights, hula hoops, or yoga mats. We also have plenty of games including chess, Sorry, Scrabble, Blokus, and Pandemic. As always, a jigsaw puzzle is in progress on our puzzle table, and we are waiting for your contributions!
Want more resources to help you manage your stress? Check out the GW Resiliency and Well-Being Center’s Stress Management page for resources related to mindfulness practice, well-being, physical activity, healthy lifestyle tips, and student resources related to stress management.
This Thursday, the Himmelfarb Library is proud to host a Basketball Toss event! This joint fundraiser will take place Thursday 3/14 from Noon to 4:00 pm. All proceeds will go to the GW Healing Clinic.
Methods of payment will be cash and VENMO. The VENMO link will be provided onsite.
Each paid participant will receive one free practice shot. We will be setting up a two-level scoring opportunity, with two different lines to toss from. The first line will be closest to the basket, generating two (2) points for each shot made. The second line, which will be further away from the basket, will generate three (3) points for each shot made.
Participants may start and leave the event without losing their score. In the event of a tie, there will be a showdown to determine the winner. The two tied participants will receive three (3) tosses from the second line. This will continue until a winner is determined. There will be only one winner!
The winner will be determined at the end of the event day. The player with the highest cumulative score will be the winner! The 1st place prize will be a $75 gift card to Tonic and will have bragging rights for an entire year! Other prizes will be presented to the 2nd and 3rd place winners.
