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.
Are you looking for a quiet study room at Himmelfarb Library? Before you pull out your books and laptop, please make sure you reserve the room. In order to comply with the GW’s COVID-19 regulations, we now require that any study room you occupy must be reserved online. This helps the library to gauge when we are nearing seating capacity (which is currently less than half of our normal capacity), and it assists GW with contact tracing.
Look around the library for signs with a QR code that will take you directly to our Study Rooms Reservation page. Or scan the QR code below to reserve a room now!
As we begin the Fall 2020 semester, we know that this semester is going to be different than other semesters. With most classes moving online, and a very few operating via a hybrid model, we all have to adapt to a new way of learning, teaching, studying, and conducting research. While we’re all doing things a little bit differently these days, Himmelfarb Library wants you to know that we are still here for you!
If you’re a first year medical student, you may wonder how a medical and health sciences library differs from other academic libraries. While academic libraries as a whole work tirelessly to support students, faculty and staff during their time at a college or university, medical library professionals seek out services and resources that are specifically targeted towards medical and health professionals.
It is not necessary for a medical librarian or other library professional to go through medical school or have a prior background in the medical or health sciences career field. Through constant training and professional development, medical library professionals build a foundational knowledge of common medical terms. The staff at Himmelfarb library frequently attend training sessions to broaden our scope of knowledge to better serve our patrons. Some of our staff members are also embedded in various classes and act as an extra source of support within that environment. With this knowledge we are able to tailor our services to the needs of our unique patrons.
Medical research can be a daunting undertaking, but medical libraries provide access to print and electronic book, online databases and academic journals that are instrumental during the research, drafting and publishing process. Himmelfarb’s reference desk is available to answer any questions you may have. Through the use of our Ask A Librarian service, it’s possible to connect with someone in a matter of seconds. If you’re interested in learning more about the various ins-and-outs of scholarly publishing, our Scholarly Communications Committee recently completed a webinar series that touches on various publishing topics. The webinars are located under our Scholarly Publishing libguide. Once you’ve published a peer-reviewed article, we’re able to archive it within our institutional repository--the Health Science Research Commons, also known as the HSRC. With the use of Plumx metrics, it’s easy to track the level of engagement a published article receives. No matter what questions you may have, Himmelfarb is ready to assist.
Medical libraries also strive to provide access to new medical technology. Himmelfarb has several pieces of equipment that can be checked out from the circulation desk. We also house a 3D printer that students, staff and faculty members can use to print various 3D models. This service is by request only. For more information, read the ‘3D Printing at Himmelfarb’ libguide. We’re constantly searching for new and innovative technology that can be used by our patrons and we hope to provide additional technological services in the near future.
Medical librarianship is a dynamic career field that often changes to address the needs of medical and health science professionals. The COVID-19 pandemic has forced library professionals to develop and maintain a virtual learning environment. Though many staff members of Himmelfarb library continue to work remotely, we’re available to answer any questions you may have. We’re thrilled to be an extra source of support during your time at the George Washington University and we look forward to working with you!
We want your visit to Himmelfarb to be a safe one. To promote social distancing, we have changed how you navigate the library.
New to Himmelfarb: Reserve Any Study Room!
For your convenience and safety, Himmelfarb Library has transitioned away from first-come, first-served study room use. All study rooms are now available via advance online reservation! Because of reduced seating capacity in all our study rooms, you can guarantee that you will have a place to study before venturing over to Himmelfarb by reserving a study room.
To comply with social distancing requirements, most study rooms only accommodate one user. Several rooms can accommodate 2 people, and one allows for 4 occupants at a time.
Signs near the room entrances remind you of the occupancy limits, and floor decals in the study rooms will indicate where you should sit.
Currently, seating at study tables, computer labs, and individual carrels remain available on a first-come, first-served basis.
Please stop by the Circulation Desk, or call (202) 994-2962, if you have any questions or issues.
As Himmelfarb Library begins the transition into Our New Normal, you may have questions about where to access certain services and resources we provide. Here’s a guide on what you’ll find available online and in-person.
Online
All of our e-journals, e-databases, and e-books remain available online. We also provide our Documents2Go service entirely online, where you can request articles unavailable in our collection.
We offer instructions on downloading and installing our mobile apps to your device.
Himmelfarb’s Reference team is also available online. Our chat service is monitored by reference staff 8:30AM-8PM EST Monday through Thursday and 8:30AM-5PM EST Friday. Have a question a little too involved for chat? We can also schedule individual meetings with a reference librarian via WebEx. Email us at himmelfarb@gwu.edu to start the process!
In-Person
In addition to our print collection available in our book stacks, you can also find our multimedia collection, audiovisual collection, and software resources on the third floor, in the Bloedorn Technology Center.
Our special collections, the Humanities & Health collection, Historical collection, and Healthy Living collection, are all accessible in-person.
Some of our older journals are kept in on-site storage as bound volumes. You can request a specific volume for perusal by following the instructions on our Borrowing and Requesting page.
Anatomy models are available in various places throughout the library. Our skeletal models and bone boxes are up on the third floor. Heart and brain models can be checked out at the Circulation desk.
If you have any questions about access as we move forward with Our New Normal, reach out to us at himmelfarb@gwu.edu or call the Circulation Desk at 202-994-2962.
The Himmelfarb Library will open on Monday, June 15 to patrons that have been approved to be on campus during phase 1 of reopening and to students currently enrolled in classes or on clinical rotations. Our summer hours (subject to change) are:
Mondays – Thursdays: 8am – 8pm
Fridays: 8am – 6pm
Saturday – Sunday: 12n – 8pm
We are implementing a number of safety measures to promote social distancing and safeguard your health.
Masks
Users are required to wear a mask at all times inside the library.
Getting around
Directional signs will be posted throughout the library to indicate proper distancing and traffic flow.
Only one person at a time may use the elevator; priority goes to handicapped users.
Our stairwells will be one-directional:
To go up, use the stairwell on the Courtyard side of the building next to the elevator.
To go down, use the stairs on the 23rd Street side of the Library.
Using study spaces
We have arranged study tables and chairs in a way that ensures 6 ft. of space between users. Floor decals will be used as markers for each and every approved seat to make sure that the patrons are social distancing
Please do not move furniture.
Keep chairs stationed over their floor decals.
All study rooms at Himmelfarb Library MUST be reserved in advance on our web page.
To ensure that all students have access to our limited spaces, rooms may only be reserved for a maximum of 4 hours per day.
Only 1 user is permitted in a study room at a time, except in the following rooms:
2 users are permitted in: B100B, B100A, 201, 203G, 204H, 203C, 204C, 304I, 304C, and 305H.
4 users are permitted in: 303.
Please limit the amount of food and drink you bring into the library (You can only eat in a library carrel or study room.). Please clean up your space before you leave.
Hand sanitizer and wipes will be available throughout Himmelfarb.
Handling library materials
If you pull a book off the shelf that you don’t plan to check out, please return it to a shelving cart.
Library staff will quarantine all books on carts for 3 days after usage.
Library staff will quarantine all borrowed books for 3 days upon check-in.
Borrowed equipment will be cleaned upon return and prior to checkout.
Restrooms
Restrooms will have a one-person occupancy limit.
Please announce yourself before entering to make sure the restroom is unoccupied.
To open the door without using your hands, use the “foot puller” .
Please let us know if you have any questions or concerns. You may text a librarian at 202-601-3525, or send an email to: himmelfarb@gwu.edu. You may also contact the Circulation Desk at 202-994-2962.
Himmelfarb Library would like to welcome all of our new users! Whether you are a new resident, fellow, physician assistant or public health student, we welcome you to the GW community! Himmelfarb is ready to serve you and help make your experience here a positive one. You may be curious about what Himmelfarb has to offer and how you can make the most of our resources and services. Here are the top five things we’d like you to know about Himmelfarb:
1) Getting Research Help is Easy!
Our reference librarians are available to answer your questions and provide research support when and where you need help. Get your research and library-related questions answered right from your computer by using the Ask a Librarian service! Reference librarians are available to answer your texts and instant message questions Monday-Thursday from 8:30am-8:00pm, and Friday from 8:30am-5:00pm.
2) Himmelfarb Resources are Available Anytime, Anywhere.
Himmelfarb’s 100 databases, 4,100 journals, and 4,500 e-books are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Our e-book collection includes most major textbooks from most fields. Install the LibKey Nomad Google Chrome browser extension for seamless and speedy 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 all set. For more information about accessing Himmelfarb’s online resources including tips for navigating articles, check out our E-Resources FAQs page.
To access our electronic resources from off-campus, we recommend connecting to the GW VPN. The Himmelfarb off-campus access page provides additional information about installing the VPN and accessing electronic resources with your GW NetID. Many of our resources are also available as mobile apps for download on your mobile devices.
3) 3D Printing is Available!
Himmelfarb has a 3D printer available for use by faculty, staff and students in SMHS, SON, GWSPH, the GW Hospital and the MFA. 3D printing will be available once the library opens its doors again. For more information about 3D printing at Himmelfarb, check out our 3D Printing Guide.
4) If We Don’t Have It, We’ll Do Our Best To Get It For You.
While we attempt to make our collection as robust as possible, we don’t have access to everything. In the event that we don’t have access to a resource that you need, you can place a request through our Interlibrary Loan/Documents2Go service. Through this service, we are able to work with a nationwide network of libraries to obtain a copy of a needed resource on your behalf. Articles are normally delivered within 24-72 hours. Interested in learning more about this service? Check our in-depth Interlibrary Loan and Document Delivery guide.
5) The Health Sciences Research Commons Can Expand the Reach of Your Research!
Health Sciences Research Commons (HSRC) is Himmelfarb’s institutional repository, and is a perfect place for you to share your research output during your time at GW. All faculty, researchers, students (with the sponsorship of a faculty member), and staff affiliated with SMHS, SON, GWSPH at GW are eligible to submit their scholarly works to HSRC. By placing your work in HSRC, your work will be easily shareable and discoverable via Google Scholar and other search engines. If you have questions about the HSRC, take a look at the FAQ page or contact Sara Hoover (shoover@gwu.edu), Metadata and Scholarly Publishing Librarian, for more information.
This top five list is just a glimpse into all that Himmelfarb has to offer! In addition to the resources mentioned above, we have numerous research guides on a wide variety of topics. Tutorials are also available on a variety of topics. Himmelfarb welcomes you to the GW community!
Automatic Loan Extensions: All due dates for books/items out on loan have been extended until May 22nd, 2020. If you are continuing at GW, you don’t need to take any action. We will continue to extend due dates as needed until we reopen.
Graduating Students and Residents
Items Currently on Loan: If you have books/items out on loan, please mail them to Himmelfarb Library using the United States Postal Service (USPS). We are not able to accept UPS/FedEx/DHL, because no one will be available to sign off on deliveries.
All books/items should be mailed to:
George Washington University
Himmelfarb Library
c/o Kathy Lyons
2300 I (Eye) St, NW
Washington, DC 20037
Check your Account Status: Check the status of your library account for loans and fees. To check the status of your library account, visit himmelfarb.gwu.edu. Under Services, click on My Library Account, and login using your GW NetID and password.
Graduating Students: If you have outstanding library fees and/or library-related Banner account blocks, please send an email to Kathy Lyons (klyons2@gwu.edu) and Catherine Sluder (crharris@gwu.edu).
Graduating Residents: Library sign-out instructions will be forthcoming from the GME office.
Questions?
Please direct any questions to Kathy Lyons (klyons2@gwu.edu) and Catherine Sluder (crharris@gwu.edu).
AccessMedicine has added an exciting new interactive anatomy study tool for medical and allied health students: Complete Human Anatomy Modules. (If this link does not work, click on the AccessMedicine link from our library homepage, choose the Multimedia tab, and then select Human Anatomy Modules.)
You can choose between a male and female module. Once you’ve selected either, the module offers controls that allow you to pan, zoom, rotate in 3D, and strip away layers of anatomy. Clicking on the magnifying glass enables you to focus on a body system, such as respiratory or cardiovascular. Or you can use the search window to bring into view any part of the human anatomy.
