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Category: Technology

Posts in this category include topics such as computer assistance, software, and wireless access.

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Picture of a person meditating in lotus pose on a yoga mat with a Virtual Reality headset nearby.
Photo by Eren Li

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! 

Picture of a jigsaw puzzle on a wooden table.

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. 

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Picture of multiple 3D printed items.

Himmelfarb Library has excellent technology tools to help enhance your learning and research! As the Fall 2023 semester begins, set aside some time to explore our 3D printing program and try out our BodyViz and virtual reality software.

3D Printing

Thanks to a generous grant from the GW Hospital Women’s Board, Himmelfarb is able to offer free 3D printing to faculty, staff, and students of the School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Nursing, the School of Public Health, Medical Faculty Associates, and the GW Hospital. Himmelfarb has two 3D printers (a Zortrax M200 and M200+) and is currently accepting print requests! 

While there are no limits to the number of 3D printing requests you can submit, priority will be given to requests that support teaching, learning, and research. Recreational requests will be placed at the end of the queue and may be limited to one per month per user when we are experiencing a high demand for 3D printing. Learn more about how 3D printing works, where to find 3D models, and how to submit a 3D print job on our 3D Printing at Himmelfarb Guide!

Quest Virtual Reality Headsets

Thanks to a generous grant from the Bloedorn Foundation, Himmelfarb has two Quest virtual reality (VR) headsets available for checkout. Each headset is preloaded with the Medicalholodeck Medical VR platform. This platform includes Anatomy Master XR, Medical Imaging XR, and Dissection Master XR. Anatomy Master XR features anatomy models similar to those found in textbooks but in a three-dimensional interactive format. Medical Imaging XR is a system for rendering and manipulating objects based on medical imaging such as MRI and CT scans. 

Dissection Master XR showcases high-resolution images of human dissections created specifically for learning and teaching anatomy layer by layer. Check out the video below for a brief demonstration of Dissection Master XR:

VR headsets are available to check out for 4-hour loan periods from the Himmelarb Circulation Desk and can be used in Himmelfarb Library and Ross Hall. Check out our VR Headsets Guide to learn more about this amazing technology. If you’d like a one-on-one tutorial to learn how to use the headsets, email himmelfarb@gwu.edu to make an appointment. 

BodyViz

BodyViz is an interactive anatomy visualization tool that lets users view, study, and manipulate 3D anatomical structures. 3D models allow users to zoom in and rotate models to view different angles. You can also adjust brightness, contrast, and color based on tissue density, and highlight or filter by bone, muscle, organ, or vasculature. The clipping mode allows you to slice into the models to digitally dissect the models in order to isolate areas of interest or to expose internal structures.

The BodyViz suite is on Himmelfarb’s third floor in Himmelfarb 305A, adjacent to the Bloedorn Technology Center. Be sure to reserve the BodyViz suite (available for one to four-hour sessions) prior to using BodyViz! Stop by the Circulation Desk to check out the wireless keyboard, game controller, and remote control equipment before heading up to the third floor. To learn more, explore our BodyViz Guide.

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RefWorks Logo

Proquest will discontinue RefWorks Classic in June 2023. All users should move to the new and improved RefWorks interface. The upgraded version of the software has new functions, such as drag-and-drop functionality, enhanced sharing features, project management, and a PDF annotation function. 

Instructions on how to upgrade your existing account to the new RefWorks interface can be found at RefWorks: Access. Also, Himmelfarb Library offers valuable information to assist users who are new to RefWorks. Review the library’s libguide RefWorks New to get started.

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A person prepares to put a virtual reality headset on. Across from the person is an open laptop on a desk.

Did you know that Himmelfarb Library has two tools that allow you to interact with 3D anatomical models? Would you like to manipulate virtual anatomical models? Are you interested in performing ‘dissections’ with anatomical models?  BodyViz and the new Quest VR Headsets are two resources available to you!

BodyViz is an interactive anatomy visualization tool that allows you to view, study and manipulate 3D anatomical models. The BodyViz suite  is located on the 3rd floor near the Bloedorn Technology Center. Along with the large screen, the BodyViz toolkit includes a wireless mouse, keyboard, remote control and game controller. These tools will assist you in navigating the software and models. To use the BodyViz suite, you must reserve a time slot. You may reserve the suite for up to four hours and time slots are available in hour long increments. When using the BodyViz suite, please visit the Circulation Desk to check out the wireless keyboard and additional equipment. Make sure all items are returned at the end of your session. The BodyViz Research Guide provides additional information including a Quick Start Guide which provides step-by-step instruction on how to use the software and wireless devices. There is also a Troubleshooting guide in case you encounter issues with the software or devices. 

Himmelfarb Library recently acquired two Quest VR devices which are equipped with Medicalholodeck, a medical virtual reality platform. Medicalholodeck comes with three different educational features: Anatomy Master XR, Dissection Master XR and Medical Imaging XR. With Anatomy Master and Medical Imaging XR, you can view models with another Quest VR headset user. There is a new VR Headsets Research Guide that provides additional information about the capabilities of the headsets, information on how to use the headsets and the accompanying software and an overview on how to navigate the user interface in Medicalholodeck. Visit the Circulation Desk on the library’s first floor if you’re interested in checking out the VR headsets. Also, be sure to reserve a study room so you’re able to use the headsets without obstruction. 
BodyViz and Quest VR headsets with Medicalholodeck are two excellent educational tools available for use. If you encounter any issues while using one of these resources, please contact Brian McDonald at bmcdonald@gwu.edu, Ian Roberts at imroberts@gwu.edu or the library at himmelfarb@gwu.edu.

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The staff at Himmelfarb Library are committed to providing the academic and research support you need throughout your time at George Washington University. This post provides information on downloadable applications and features that will help you stay organized, maintain focus while studying or help you take high quality notes. If there’s a study app or feature you’d like to highlight, let us know in the comments! 

Box- Box is an online storage management system that protects your documents and allows you to access them through the Box website or app. Save your lecture notes, essays or research notes on the platform and download them onto a new device, such as your phone or tablet, at any time. Box also allows for collaboration. Simply share the file or folder link with a colleague and assign them editing privileges. Any changes made to a file will be automatically saved to your Box drive, so you never have to worry that you may lose information. Your GWU user ID grants you access to Box and many of its features including Box for Office Online and Box for Google Workspace. Let Box help you stay organized this academic year. 

Focus Mode for Smart Devices- It can be difficult concentrating on an assignment or studying for a test when your phone, laptop or tablet is sending constant alerts for new messages or app notifications. The focus mode is an integrated feature for many current smart devices and is easy to activate. When this mode is in use, it will automatically silence unwanted phone calls, text messages, app notifications or other distracting alerts. During set up, you can allow notifications from certain apps or listings in your contacts so you can receive emergency notifications from friends or relatives. Depending on your device, you can create a schedule so your phone will automatically enter and exit focus mode during certain times. If you’d like to develop a consistent sleeping schedule, then many devices include a Sleep Mode that works similar to the Focus Mode. For Android users, this feature is located in the ‘Digital Wellbeing and Parental Controls’ section under your settings. For Apple users, this feature is located in the ‘Focus’ section under your settings. 

Note taking Apps- There are an assortment of note taking apps available for smart devices. One of the most popular note taking apps for the iPad is GoodNotes 5 which allows you to take unique and detailed notes, mark up PDF files and store your notes in one location for later reference. The app is free to download, though after your first three notebooks you will need to pay a one time fee of $7.99. Another popular note taking app is Notability which includes many of the same features as GoodNotes. Notability is free to download, but you must pay a fee to access all of the features and tools. CollaNote is a free note taking app that is regularly updated by the developers and offers a similar experience as both GoodNotes and Notability. 

Interested in more resources to help you prepare for the new semester? Read our previous posts ‘Back to School Tips & Tricks’ and ‘Cool Tools: Back to School Edition’ for more resources and tips from Himmelfarb staff on how to succeed this academic year. Be sure to subscribe to Himmelfarb Library News to receive notifications for newly published articles on library resources, health sciences history, research support and more. 

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Whether you’re a new Himmelfarb Library user, or have been using the library for years, chances are there are things you don’t know about us. We’d like to take this opportunity to help you get to know us, or get reacquainted with us and all that we have to offer!

Getting Help is Easy! Just Ask Us!

Whether you need help finding a specific full-text article, identifying a resource for your research, formatting a citation, or have a more in-depth question about conducting a literature review, a systematic review or managing your data, our reference librarians have the knowledge and know-how to help! Stop by our reference desk, chat with us using the “Ask Us” button on our website, call us (202-994-2850), email us (himmelfarb@gwu.edu), or text us (202-601-3525) for help. We look forward to answering your questions, large or small!

Our Collections

Himmelfarb has extensive collections that include 125+ databases, 6,700+ ebooks, and 6,500+ electronic journals that are available 24/7 from on and off-campus! We also have thousands of print books in our basement level stacks that are available for check out. Most books can be borrowed for three weeks. But don’t worry - if you need more time, you can renew most items twice by stopping by or calling our Circulation Desk (202-994-2962), or logging into your library account. 

In the event that we don’t have an article or book that you need, we can get it for you through our Docs2Go (ILL) or Consortium Loan Service (CLS) programs. Check out our Borrowing From Other Libraries page to learn which option is best for you!

On-Site Access & Use

Masking is a Must!

Remember that masking is still required in the library in accordance with GW’s current mask protocols. Please wear a mask while spending time in Himmelfarb for your own safety, and for the safety of those around you. Hand sanitizer is also available throughout Himmelfarb.

Himmelfarb Tour

Take a quick virtual tour of Himmelfarb to help you get acquainted with our space! 

Study Rooms & IT Support

We have plenty of study rooms available on our second and third floors. Study rooms must be reserved and can be booked up to seven days in advance. The SMHS Technology Support Center is located on the third floor in the Bloedorn AV Study Center for all of your IT support needs.

Technology Resources

Himmelfarb’s Bloedorn Technology Center, located on our third floor, offers statistical software, including SPSS, Stata, SAS, NVivo, MATLAB, and Atlas.ti on select computers. We also have equipment such as digital camcorders and digital voice recorders for loan to support curricular development and activities, but these items must be reserved in advance.

3D Printing

Thanks to a generous grant from the GW Hospital Women’s Board, we are proud to offer free 3D printing! To learn more, check out our 3D Printing at Himmelfarb Guide.

Picture of a gray 3D printed heart.

Off-Campus Access

All of Himmelfarb’s electronic resources are available 24/7 from anywhere! Just login with your GW UserID and password, or via the GW VPN. If you have trouble accessing any of our resources, reach out to us (himmelfarb@gwu.edu) so we can help troubleshoot, resolve issues and restore access as soon as possible.

Services and Support

Instruction:

We have services to help faculty and instructors use and connect Himmelfarb’s resources in the classroom. Our Durable Links Service will check, fix, or create new links to our resources that work from both on and off campus so your students will be able to access materials from anywhere. Our Course Reserves service provides access to electronic, print, and streaming course materials. Do you use a book in a course that Himmelfarb doesn’t currently own? Contact Acquisitions Librarian, Ian Roberts, and we will consider purchasing items for use in your courses.

Research Support:

Whether you are a faculty member, researcher, or student, Himmelfarb can help you be successful in your research! Are you working on your Culminating Experience project? Himmelfarb librarians provide individual consultations to help get your project started - and keep it going. 

Are you working on a systematic review and could use some support? Check out our Systematic Reviews Guide for in-depth information on the process. Himmelfarb also provides access to Covidence, an online tool that streamlines parts of the systematic review process such as screening references, and creating and populating data extraction forms. You can also use our Systematic Review Service for additional librarian support!

Check out our tutorials for help with navigating databases, using specific software such as ArcGix, MATLAB, RefWorks, SPSS, or Camtasia, and for help with a wide array of research topics. Our Resources for Early Career Researchers Guide can help new researchers understand and navigate the research and publishing landscape. Check out our Scholarly Publishing Guide for information and resources related to publishing, researcher profiles, author rights, and measuring the impact of your research. Scholarly communications webinars and short tutorials are also available on this guide!

Himmelfarb Library Can Help!

Whether you are a student, faculty, or staff member, Himmelfarb Library has the resources and knowledge to help make your studies and research successful. From study space, extensive collections of resources, to expertise in systematic reviews and publishing, we have something for everyone! 

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Image of a login screen with a hand on a keyboard in the background.
Image retrieved from https://www.pxfuel.com/en/free-photo-qqdhk

As you may have heard, GW is now using the term “UserID” in place of what was formerly known as “NetID.” When logging into your GW email account, Blackboard, GW Box, web conference and other GW systems, you are now asked to use your UserID. This includes how you access your Himmelfarb Library account and off-campus access to electronic resources.

If you claimed your GW identity prior to May 22, 2022, there will be no changes in how you access your GW accounts. You should continue to login using the first part of your GW email address (i.e. userID@gwu.edu) as your UserID. 

For new students, faculty and staff who claim their GW identity after May 22, 2022, a new identity claiming process is now in place. GW users who claim their GW identity after May 22, 2022 will use their GWID (an alpha-numeric value used to identify you within GW’s systems, the letter G followed by an 8-digit number - example: G12345678) as their UserID. 

So how do you know which user ID is the correct one to use? Remember that it’s dependent on when you claimed your GW identity. If your GW Identity was claimed:

  • After May 22, 2022: UserID is your GWID (G12345678).
  • Before May 22, 2022: UserID is the first part of your GW email address.

For more information, please visit the GW Information Technology Identity and Access Management website. If you have questions about GW’s One Identity Manager, check out the frequently asked questions page.

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Photo of SMHS Technology Support Center staff
James Kim, Wesley Baker, Trace Horger, Ben Deem, and Lakshmi Indla (not pictured: Darcy Taig and Kenzie Walters)

The moving van has left, and Ross Hall’s 3rd floor IT Department is settling into its new location in Himmelfarb Library’s Bloedorn Technology Center (BTC). Computer Application and Support Services (CASS) is now The SMHS Technology Support Center, but they offer the same range of technology services and assistance as before.

Directions, please!

Do you need IT staff to take a look at your laptop or iPad, but don’t know exactly where to find the Help Desk? You may ask for directions at Himmelfarb’s first floor Circulation Desk. Or you can follow these instructions:

  • Take the elevator or courtyard-side stairwell to the 3rd floor. 
  • If the door to the right of the 3rd floor stairwell/elevator is open, 
    • Walk through it and then turn left when you reach the wall. 
    • The IT Help Desk will be straight ahead of you in the adjoining room. 
  • If that door is closed,
    • Walk along the wall of portraits just beyond the 3rd floor stairwell door and then make a right.
    • You’ll see a glass door entrance to the BTC ahead on the right. 
    • Enter there and walk straight ahead until you see the IT Help Desk on your left.

Other ways to get IT support:

In addition to an in-person consultation, you may email casshelp@gwu.edu, or you may reach the Help Desk by phone at (202) 994-9400.

Who are the current staff members of the SMHS Technology Support Center?

James Kim (Supervisor, Technology Support Center)

Ben Deem (Senior Technology Support Associate)

Wesley Baker (Technology Support Associate)

Trace Horger (Technology Support Associate)

Lakshmi Indla (Student Support Technical Assistant)

Darcy Taig (Student Support Technical Assistant)

Kenzie Walters (Student Support Technical Assistant)

What are the Help Desk’s hours of operation?

You may visit the IT Help Desk weekdays between 8am - 5pm.

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NCBI (National Center for Biotechnology Information) logo

Do you login to PubMed via NCBI to use MyNCBI to save searches and alerts, or SciENcv to create and maintain an NIH Biosketch, or MyBibliography to save citations? In January, 2021 the NIH released a Technical Bulletin informing PubMed users that NCBI-managed account credentials are going away, and after June 1, 2021 users should sign into NCBI via PubMed using a federated account such as your NetID, eRA Commons, or ORCiD account login credentials.

Watch this short video by Himmelfarb Librarian Paul Levett that explains how to link an NCBI account with federated account credentials.

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(All images courtesy: of Aalap Herur-Raman, MSI)

First-year medical students: we invite you to take your study of renal, GI, and liver anatomy to the third dimension! 

BodyViz software, now available at Himmelfarb Library, combines digitized MRIs and CT scans to create 3D renderings of human anatomy. Enhance your learning experience during the CPR and GI/Liver blocks by exploring 360° anatomical views of kidney, gastrointestinal, and liver tissue. 

Where and How?

The workstation is located at the Bloedorn Technology Center, on the third floor of the library. To use BodyViz, reserve the workstation online, and then check out the BodyViz accessories kit at the Circulation Desk on your way to the third floor.(We even include a game controller that allows you to rotate, pan, and zoom effortlessly!

Program Features

Not sure what you are looking at? Annotation mode displays labels that identify and explain anatomical structures. Want to examine deeper layers? Clipping mode allows you to peel away tissue. Want to enhance the visual display of an organ? Turn on active coloring.

For more information

To learn more about the program, visit Himmelfarb’s BodyViz Resource Guide. Here, we offer a Quick Start Guide for new users, along with information on how to reserve and access the workstation. Need assistance navigating the program? Schedule an in-person consultation with our staff.

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