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.
Could you benefit from peer-to-peer guidance and feedback on your writing assignments? If so, help is coming to Himmelfarb! The GW Writing Center is offering weekly, one-on-one consultations at the library throughout the spring semester.
Schedule an appointment to meet with Kamiah, a Public Health major with expertise in scientific writing and APA/MLA citation styles. She will be onsite Wednesdays from 7pm – 9pm. Her consultation services begin Wednesday, January 26th. The Writing Center table will be located on the first floor by the emergency exit near the Circulation Desk. If you prefer, you may also schedule a virtual appointment.
For questions, or for more information, please visit the GW Writing Center website.
We hope you all had a safe and relaxing Winter Break. We look forward to seeing you in the spring semester. Our current access policy and hours of operation are the same as Fall 2021. Please see below for more information and also for descriptions of and links to our core resources and services.
Onsite Access
We look forward to seeing you if you plan to visit Himmelfarb onsite! But first, please check that you are in compliance with the library’s entry requirements:
All affiliates must present a valid GWorld card upon Himmelfarb Library entry.
Visit the Himmelfarb Library website for our current hours of operation. Our daily hours are always posted and updated on the Himmelfarb Library website. Presently we are open:
Mondays - Thursdays: 8am - 11pm
Fridays: 8am - 8pm
Saturdays: 12pm - 8pm
Sundays: 12pm - 11pm
We hope to return to 24/7 hours of operation on Wednesday, January 19. Please continue to check our website for updated information.
Circulation Desk
Can’t find the book you need on the shelf? Do you want to know if we own a particular book title? The staff at the first floor Circulation Desk are here to help! The Circulation Desk is staffed during all hours of operation. For questions about our services, please email mlbcir@gwu.edu or call us at (202) 994-2962.
Reference Services
Need help with formatting citations, searching databases, or finding information? Himmelfarb Library provides reference assistance Mondays – Fridays from 8am to 5pm. Stop by the first floor Reference Desk for a consultation, use our Chat service to message with Reference staff, or visit our web page to discover the additional ways you can reach a Reference librarian, whether you are on- or off-campus.
Classes
We can demystify APA citation format for you! We’ll introduce you to the systematic review process! Explore Himmelfarb’s listing of online classes that can help you with your research — and, registration is free!
Consortium Loan Service and Interlibrary Loan
Would you like to borrow books or order articles that we don’t have in our collection? No problem! We offer two ways to bring those items to you.
Through our Consortium Loan Service, you may request books from other academic libraries in the DC Metro area, including Gelman Library. All requested books are delivered to Himmelfarb within a few days. You will be notified when books have been delivered, and then you can come to our Circulation Desk to check them out. (We will also return the books for you when you bring them back.) If you live out-of-town and require shipping, we can accommodate you.
If no local consortium libraries have what you’re looking for, or you need a journal article that's not in our collections, then our Interlibrary Loan (ILL) service will find it for you! Students receive up to 15 free ILL requests (books or articles) per semester. Requested articles usually take 2-3 days to arrive in your inbox, and books usually take 7-10 days to be shipped to Himmelfarb for checkout.
GW Writing Center
Great news for you if you’d like a little help with the papers you’re writing. GW’s Writing Center will begin offering weekly in-person consultations at Himmelfarb later this month. You’ll soon be able to schedule appointments to meet with a member of the Writing Center team. Stay tuned for further details!
Study Room Reservations
We have plenty of study rooms on the 2nd and 3rd floors (and a few on the B1 level!). Remember to make an online reservation prior to using a study room.
3D Printing
We invite you to explore our 3D printing services, Find a model you’d like and we’ll print it for you at a cost of ten cents per gram, with a $1 minimum charge. (If you’re interested in printing scientific models, the NID 3D Print Exchange is a great place to explore.)
Himmelfarb welcomes new staff: Ashford Lanquist (bottom left) and Max Close (top right).
If you’ve been to Himmelfarb Library recently, you may have noticed some new faces at the Reference and Circulation Desks! Two new staff members joined us in the month of November: Max Close is our new Reference Specialist, and Leland Ashford Lanquist (Ashford or Ash) is our new Evening/Weekend Circulation Supervisor. We are thrilled to have them both as part of the Himmelfarb team!
Max can often be found at the Himmelfarb Reference Desk ready to answer your reference and library related questions. In addition to his reference duties, Max will also be an integral part of planning Himmelfarb’s annual art show, which will be returning Spring 2022 after a hiatus last year due to the pandemic. Max is originally from Concord, Massachusetts, but moved to the DC area (Silver Spring) just over two years ago to attend graduate school at American University. Max completed his M.A. in Public History at American University in May 2021, and brings experience in archives, museum collections, library resources, and research to his position.
Ashford can often be found at the Himmelfarb Circulation Desk helping patrons, assisting student employees, or processing 3D printing requests. Ashford will be an integral part of hiring, training, scheduling and supervising new student employees and keeping things running smoothly at the Circulation Desk in the evenings and weekends. Since Ashford’s normal working hours include times when the reference desk is closed, he will be available to provide basic reference assistance to users as needed in the evening and late night hours. Ashford grew up in Nashville, Tennessee, and recently moved from Seattle, Washington where he was attending graduate school, to the DC area in November to join the Himmelfarb team. He recently completed his Master of Library and Information Science degree at the University of Washington in June 2021, and brings experience in libraries, community engagement, research, and technology to his position.
In addition to Max and Ashford joining the Himmelfarb team, a number of other Himmelfarb staff are celebrating career milestones this year, ranging from five years to thirty-five years of service with GW! Congratulations to the following Himmelfarbians on your service to GW and to Himmelfarb Library! Himmelfarb is proud of each of you for your dedication, commitment, and accomplishments during your time at GW and at Himmelfarb Library!
Do you need to get or create citations, but aren’t sure how to get them quickly? Himmelfarb Library has resources that can help you get and create the citations you need for your resources.
Citations are a means of giving proper credit to the sources you use, allow your audience to look up the sources you use, and add credibility and transparency to your work. In addition, failing to cite your sources is plagiarism, and can have serious consequences to your academic and professional career. Himmelfarb Librarian Tom Harrod provides an excellent explanation about why it’s important to cite your sources in this Why Cite video.
Many of Himmelfarb’s resources provide citations with the click of a button! Himmelfarb’s library catalog, which can be searched by using the search bar on the library’s homepage, provides citations for most of our resources by simply clicking the citation button. You can then select your desired citation style, and copy and paste the citation to your document.
Many Himmelfarb databases including PubMed, Scopus, CINAHL, and AccessMedicine also provide citations for resources. While these automatically generated citations are extremely convenient and can be a great time-saver, it’s important to double check citations before including them in your work. You may find that the formatting is slightly off and corrections may be necessary.
Do you need an easy place to gather, manage, store and share your citations and bibliography? RefWorks may be the tool for you! It’s easy to upload documents and bibliographic information to your RefWorks library. The Reference Citation Manager allows you to import citations and format your paper. If you are new to RefWorks and want to learn more about using this tool, be sure to watch our Introduction to RefWorks video taught by Himmelfarb Librarian Paul Levett.
Are you ready to tackle creating your own citations from scratch? Or perhaps you need to check to make sure those automatically generated citations are formatted correctly. Himmelfarb’s APA, AMA, Harvard citation style guides are excellent tools for creating citations or checking formatting of existing citations. We also have citation tutorials available to provide additional help.
Himmelfarb even has resources to help with more complicated citation needs. Do you have a list of citations in one format, but need to convert them into a different format? Learn how to change between citation styles with Himmelfarb Librarian Stacy Brody in our From AMA to APA: Quickly Changing Citation Styles video. Do you want to learn how to use citations to find related articles, identify influential articles, or track the impact of your own work? Learn how to use citations to accomplish these goals with Himmelfarb Librarian Tom Harrod in this Tracking Citations with Scopus video.
Whether you just need a quick citation to a journal article or book, need to create a citation from scratch, need a tool like RefWorks to help you organize your resources and format your paper, or want to watch a short tutorial on one of many different citation related topics, Himmelfarb is here to help! Still have questions about citations? Contact us through the Ask Us feature on our website, or email us at himmelfarb@gwu.edu.
Do you need to find a quiet space? Somewhere with an extra strong WiFi signal? We’ll take you floor by floor through Himmelfarb Library to help you find what you’re looking for.
B1 Level
One floor below the library’s first floor, the B1 Level is a haven for those seeking peace and quiet. Study tables are located in the book stacks. Additionally, group study rooms, classrooms, and the B103 computer lab are available as long as classes aren’t scheduled. (Daily class schedules are posted by the entrance to each room.)
First Floor
If you and your friends would like to study together in an area where you can talk (library voices, please!), our first floor has plenty of study tables to accommodate you. If you need a public computer, we have plenty of workstations here, as well as three WEPA printers. And, if you just want to chill with friends after an exam, we have couches and other furniture designed for relaxation on both sides of the floor.
Second Floor
Shhhh! You are on the quiet floor. Choose from study tables with a window view and both open and closed study carrels. If you’d like to reserve a group study room through Himmelfarb Library, the second floor has two wings of rooms, each of which can accommodate small groups. (Library voices only in these rooms, please!) The 203 wing of study rooms is located on the 23rd St side of the library, and the 204 wing of study rooms overlooks the Ross Hall courtyard.
Third Floor
Peace and quiet extends to half of the third floor. The area in front of the elevator is reserved for quiet study. Choose from group study tables and open/closed study carrels. Beyond this study commons is a wing of group study rooms that you are welcome to reserve online. The 304 wing of study rooms overlooks 23rd St. (Again, library voices are appreciated.)
To the right of the study commons as you exit the elevator or main stairwell is the Bloedorn Technology Center (BTC). The BTC is home to the bulk of our public computer workstations. The BTC also houses all but one of the library’s public flatbed scanners. We have two WEPA printers on the floor, one by the elevator and the other just inside our Middle Computer Lab.
If you need technology assistance, you are in the right place! The SMHS IT Help Desk is located at the BTC, and they welcome walk-up questions!
A few larger rooms for study are available to use as long as classes aren’t scheduled. (Check the daily class schedules that are posted by the door.)
Additionally, you will find a large group study table, located near the IT Help Desk, as well as bistro-style study tables in the BTC’s Levine Lounge (directly behind the Help Desk). BodyViz for interactive anatomy study is also located in that room.
For the best WiFi
Are you looking for a room with a strong WiFi signal for your next WebEx or Zoom meeting? We have robust WiFi throughout the library, but for an extra boost, you’ll find ceiling-mounted WiFi access points located just outside of the 203, 204, and 304 wings of study rooms.
Questions?
If you have any questions about study spaces at Himmelfarb, please stop by the first floor Circulation Desk or Reference Desk and ask for assistance.
Want to test a new technology? Practice using an otoscope? Explore the inner you via the portable ultrasound machine?
Himmelfarb Library encourages you to check out its Emerging Technologies Black Bag Collection.
The collection includes:
Portable blood pressure cuffs
Otoscopes
Portable EKG readers
Fitness trackers
Portable ultrasound machine
Most of these devices are designed to work with your iPhone or Android phone.
Come to the first floor Circulation Desk to borrow any of these items. We keep them behind the desk on our Reserves shelf, and each piece of equipment circulates for 1 week. See our Equipment for Checkout Collection for a complete list of circulating equipment.
For more information contact Circulation at mlbcir@gwu.edu or (202) 994-2962.
Welcome and welcome back to all of our students, faculty and staff! We are excited to meet students who are on-campus for the first time, as well as see some familiar faces. It is so great to have all of you here with us at GW!
Regardless of whether you are new to campus or returning, we wanted to provide information about navigating Himmelfarb Library onsite. Perhaps you've been wondering....where are printers located at Himmelfarb? Are there study rooms available to use? How do I find Room B103? For those of you who don’t know all of Himmelfarb’s nooks and crannies, we offer you a guide to navigating the library. Read on...
Library hours
Visit the Himmelfarb Library website for our current hours of operation. Our daily hours are always posted and updated on the Himmelfarb Library website. Presently we are open:
Mondays - Thursdays: 8am - 10pm
Fridays: 8am - 6pm
Saturdays: 12pm - 8pm
Sundays: 12pm - 10pm
We plan to return to 24/7 hours of operation in September.
Getting in and out
Entry gate
The entry gate is located just beyond the library lobby. A current GWorld card is required in order to get in.
Exit gate
The exit gate is to the right of the entry gate as you are leaving.
The exit gate opens automatically as you approach it.
No need to use your GWorld card when leaving Himmelfarb.
Getting around
Library floors and room numbers
Himmelfarb Library has four floors:
Room numbers starting with 1 (for instance, Room 107), are located on our 1st floor.
Room numbers starting with 2 (for instance, Room 202), are located on our 2nd floor.
Room numbers starting with 3 (for instance, Room 305H), are located on our 3rd floor.
Room numbers starting with B1 (for instance, Room B103), are located on the B1 level (one level down from the first floor).
Stairwells and elevator
Himmelfarb has two stairwells, one on the library’s courtyard side (west) and one of the 23rd St. side (east)
Staff at the Circulation Desk (located just beyond the entry gate on the right) can direct you to either.
Only the courtyard-side stairwell takes you to the B1 level.
Himmelfarb has one elevator, located to the right of the courtyard stairwell.
It goes to all floors.
Places to study
Study rooms to reserve
We have small rooms that you may reserve for individual or group study on our 2nd and 3rd floors. Please make a room reservation (for up to four hours) prior to occupying the room.
Book and AV item locations
Books available for 3-week loan are housed on the B1 level. Reference books (in-house use only) are located on the 1st floor next to the Reference Desk. A smaller Reference collection is housed at the Bloedorn Technology Center on the 3rd floor. DVDs and audio CDs available for 3-week loan are also kept at the Bloedorn Technology Center.
Service desks
Circulation Desk
The Circulation Desk is located ahead to the right as you pass through the library’s security gate. The Desk is staffed during all open hours. Here, you can check out everything from books to iPhone/iPad chargers to dry-erase markers and erasers to use in our study rooms. This is also where you can check out items on reserve. Circulation’s phone number is (202) 994-2962, and their email address is mlbcir@gwu.edu.
Reference Desk
Himmelfarb’s Reference Desk is staffed Monday - Thursday from 8:30am - 8pm, and Friday from 8:30am - 5pm. You can reach a Reference Librarian via text, email, or chat. Or you can stop by the Reference Desk (located next to the Circulation Desk) to speak in-person with a Reference Librarian. Reference’s phone number is (202) 994-2850. They can help you with literature searches, citation resources, and much more!
IT Help Desk
The School of Medicine’s IT department is conveniently located at the Bloedorn Technology Center on Himmelfarb’s 3rd floor. IT offers assistance weekdays from 8am - 5pm, and they welcome walk-up questions. You may also call them at (202) 994-9400, or email them at casshelp@gwu.edu.
Technology
Computer workstations
Computers are available for use on the 1st and 3rd floors, as well as on the B1 level in Classroom B103 (depending on room availability). Just log in with your NetID and password.
Computer labs
Our largest computer lab is in Room B103 (on the B1 level). It is available to use except when reserved by departments for classes and exams. Our other computer lab is the Women’s Board Teaching Classroom (WBTC), located in the Bloedorn Technology Center on the 3rd floor. It is also free to use as long as a class or exam has not been scheduled.
Printing
Public printing is available on the 1st and 3rd floors of Himmelfarb. Three WEPA printing stations are located directly across from the Circulation Desk. An additional WEPA printer is located at the Bloedorn Technology Center’s middle computer lab. GW’s Colonial Printing website tells you how to print from various devices, and lists the cost of printing as well as how to pay.
Scanning
Flatbed scanners are available to library users on the 1st and 3rd floors. The 1st-floor scanner is located near the Circulation Desk. Scanners on the 3rd floor are located in the Bloedorn Technology Center.
Free writing consultations
GW Writing Center
The GW Writing Center offers one-on-one consultations for all types of writing assignments. Their main location is at the Gelman Library (Suite 221 on the entrance floor). The Center offers face-to-face appointments at Gelman throughout the week (hours listed below). Zoom appointments are also available, which is useful for those living off campus.
The Writing Center’s hours of operation are:
Monday - Thursday: 9am - 9pm
Friday: 9am - 3pm
Sunday, 5pm - 10pm
Visit WCOnline to schedule appointments. Once registered, you can sign up for up to three appointments per week, up to two weeks in advance.
If you are working on a long-term project, take advantage of the Writing Center’s Long-Term Project Program. This program allows you to partner with a single consultant on a major project for up to a full semester.
Restrooms
Restrooms for men and women are located on the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd floors of the library in the southeast corner (23rd Street side of building). A restroom for women is also located on the library’s B1 Level, as well as a Lactation Room. Ross Hall offers a nearby gender-inclusive restroom, located next to Room 101.
Restroom foot pull door openers
All restroom doors are equipped with no-touch foot-operated door openers.
Hand sanitizing stations
Two hand sanitizer dispensers are currently located at Himmelfarb Library: one in the library lobby and the other near the first floor, courtyard-side stairwell.
Himmelfarb Library offers a variety of studying environments, from individual to group and collaborative spaces. Study space in the library is frequently in high demand. If you want a study room you’ll need to plan in advance. Here’s some tips for finding the right space.
Different floors = different noise levels
The first floor has mostly open, shared tables and allows quiet conversations. The areas around service desks on the first floor and third floor in the Bloedorn Technology Center (BTC) will also have activity and some associated noise. If you’re looking for a very quiet space for high concentration, we recommend going upstairs to the 2nd floor, or the 3rd floor outside the BTC, which are designated quiet zones.
While in the library, electronic devices should be set to quiet mode and cell phone conversations should be taken outside or into a closed stairwell. If listening to music or other audio materials, wear headphones with sound set to a level that will not disturb those around you.
Third floor study options, including open and closed carrels and study tables
What kind of study spaces are on the different floors?
While the first floor has mostly tables and couches, there are some open carrels by the windows. The second floor has open table seating, cubicles, closed carrels, and study rooms, while the third floor has individual open and closed carrels, tables, and study rooms. Himmelfarb's 2nd floor is reserved for use by graduate students. The B1 level (downstairs) also has some desk seating in the stacks and study rooms. To see what is available where, check the library floor maps.
Want a study room? Reserve in advance!
All Himmelfarb Study rooms must be reserved prior to use and you can make reservations up to seven days in advance using the form here. Most study rooms can accommodate up to 4 individuals. All are equipped with a large screen and white board. Check out markers and erasers at the first floor Circulation Desk.
Reservations cannot be made for more than 4 hours at a time. If you leave a room for more than 15 minutes, you may forfeit it. Occupants are strongly discouraged from leaving belongings unattended.
Study room at Himmelfarb Library
Study rooms allow for group collaboration, but groups should be mindful of not disturbing those in neighboring rooms.
Can we have a pizza in the study room?
Food allowed in Himmelfarb is limited to small quantities only and food deliveries are also not allowed. Snacks and drinks are permitted in study carrels. Drinks must be contained with a lid. Please be respectful of others and clean up after eating.
It’s so peaceful here and there are comfy couches - can I take a short nap?
We understand that long days and intense study can sometimes send our users into a nod. Unfortunately, GW University policy does not allow sleeping in public places on campus. And your fellow students may not appreciate your snores!
Need to borrow a copy of Emergency Medicine PreTest for your upcoming clerkship? Has your professor assigned you materials on Course Reserve? Or would you just like to check out an iPhone/iPad charger? Himmelfarb Library’s Circulation Desk handles it all! We are located on the first floor, just beyond the security gate entrance, and are staffed during all open hours. Read on to learn about our basic loan periods and policies.
Circulating Books and DVDs/CDs
Books from our B1 level stacks, as well as from our Humanities and Healthy Living Collections on the main floor, circulate for 3 weeks. As long as no one has placed a hold request on an item currently checked out to you, you may renew materials twice for a maximum total loan period of 9 weeks. DVDs and audio CDs, housed at the 3rd floor’s Bloedorn Technology Center, carry the same loan rules as circulating books.
We do not charge daily overdue fines for circulating books, DVDs, and audio CDs. At 41 days past the due date, however, we will assess overdue, item replacement, and processing fees totaling $120 for most borrowed items.
Books and Equipment on Reserve
Reserve materials, which are kept behind the Circulation Desk, are available for hourly use. Books placed on Course Reserves by professors have a 3-hour loan period. Most equipment on our Reserves shelves, including HDMI cables, headphones, and iPhone/iPad chargers, have a 4-hour loan period.
May I renew Reserve materials?
Due to their high demand, we are unable to offer renewals of items on Reserve.
Overdue fines
Because of high demand, overdue fines for most Reserve items accrue at $1.00/hour, with no grace period.
For more information
Want to learn more about the kinds of items available to borrow and their loan periods/policies? Check out our Loan Periods and Fines guide. You are also welcome to contact our Circulation Desk staff in person or by phone for more information. Our phone number is (202) 994-2962.
Welcome and welcome back to all of our medical students! We especially want to extend a warm welcome to our second years, as you are finally stepping foot on campus after a difficult year. It is so great to have all of you here with us at GW!
Regardless of whether you are a new or returning student, we want to help you get started by introducing some of the resources we have available at Himmelfarb Library. For an overview, check out our Himmelfarb At-A-Glance Guide.
On-Site Access
Himmelfarb recently expanded our on-site access protocols. All medical students are welcome in the library! You must have a valid GWorld card and have uploaded your proof of vaccination to GW’s Vaccine Portal. Our study rooms are available as well. You must make a reservation in advance via our Study Room Reservation system. You can find policies and requirements on our Study Room Reservation Guide. Finally, masks are again required in Ross Hall and Himmelfarb Library unless you're studying alone in a private study room.
MS Research Guides
We have Research Guides containing all sorts of information and resources available for our MS1s and MS2s, MS3 Clerkships, and MS4 Clerkships. These Research Guides include links to required texts, study tools for Steps 1 and 2, and information on accessing the electronic health record (EHR) systems. If you have questions about your iPad, you can find instructions on setup and maintenance on our iPads for Medical Students Guide.
Research Help Made Easy
Getting research help is easy! Our reference librarians are available to answer your questions in-person or remotely. Use ourAsk a Librarian service right from your computer and you’ll be connected directly to our reference and research staff. If you’re in Himmelfarb Library, please stop by the library’s help desk on the first floor!
Himmelfarb’s Resources are Available from Anywhere
Himmelfarb’s 100+databases, 4,800+journals, and 6,400+ebooks are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week from anywhere! Install theLibKey Nomad Google Chrome browser extension for seamless access to full-text articles available through Himmelfarb. After installing the extension, choose ‘George Washington University - Himmelfarb Library’ as your institution, and you’ll be ready to quickly download full-text articles! When accessing our resources remotely, we recommend using the GW VPN. For directions on how to install the GW VPN, visit Himmelfarb’soff-campus access page.
Get to Know Us
Learn more about Himmelfarb and our resources by visiting ourtutorials page. You can also check out ourresearch guides on a wide variety of topics. We are also active on social media, so be sure to connect with us onTwitter,Instagram,Facebook, andYouTube to get the most updated information about all things Himmelfarb!
We’re looking forward to working with you during your time at GW!
