Each month we provide an overview of University of Missouri authored articles in medicine and related fields as well as a featured article from a School of Medicine author with the highest journal impact factor.
This month’s featured article is:
“Self-renewing endometrial epithelial organoids of the human uterus” was co-authored by Dr. Danny J. Schust and Dr. Thomas E. Spencer of the Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology & Women’s Health. The article was published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America (impact factor of 9.58 in 2018).
Deb Ward has been appointed interim vice provost for libraries and university librarian, effective Nov. 28, 2019. Ward has been the director of the MU health sciences libraries, which includes the J. Otto Lottes Health Sciences Library and the Zalk Veterinary Medical Library, for over 20 years. In 2016, she also became the associate university librarian for specialized libraries. Ward has been active in local, regional and national library organizations. Ward was a co-creator of the Missouri AHEC Digital Library, an information service for health care providers in the state of Missouri, created in partnership with the Mid-Missouri Area Health Education Center. In addition, she has been the principal investigator for the Missouri coordinator for the National Network of Libraries of Medicine since 2002. She is a partner with three other campus collaborators in the three-year project “Librarians as Catalysts for Healthy Communities,” funded by the Institute of Library and Museum Services. Previously, Ward held a number of administrative appointments at three other academic health sciences libraries. She earned a bachelor of arts in German and a master of arts in education from Eastern Kentucky University. She also earned a master of library science from the University of Kentucky.
Other interim assignments:
Kate Anderson, veterinary medical librarian, Health Sciences and Specialized Libraries Division, assigned oversight for three additional specialized libraries
Corrie Hutchinson, associate university librarian, Acquisitions, Collections and Technical Services Division, assigned oversight for technical services functions of the Health Sciences Library
Jeannette Pierce, associate university librarian, Research and Instruction Services Division, assigned oversight for the division currently assigned to Ann Riley
Chris Pryor, NNLM coordinator, Health Sciences and Specialized Libraries Division, assigned oversight for the Health Sciences Library Circulation Department and responsibility for facility and administrative aspects of the Health Sciences and Specialized Libraries divisional operation
Diane Johnson, assistant director for the Health Sciences Library Information Services and Resources, will take on additional temporary duties including serving on the Collection Steering Committee
Dr. Lindberg was a pioneer in using computer technology to improve health care. Beginning his career in 1960 at the University of Missouri as a professor of information science and pathology, he was named Director of the National Library of Medicine (NLM) in 1984 and served until 2015.
Each month we provide an overview of University of Missouri authored articles in medicine and related fields as well as a featured article from a School of Medicine author with the highest journal impact factor.
The University Libraries Undergraduate Research Contest recognizes and rewards outstanding research conducted by undergraduate students at the University of Missouri. Undergraduates in any discipline are invited to enter the contest, which will be judged by a cross-disciplinary panel of librarians.
One $500 scholarship, and one $250 scholarship will be awarded to an individual or group project. The winners will have their projects archived in MOspace, MU’s digital repository.
The research project can be a traditional research paper, a musical composition, a work of art, a video, a web page, or other creative work. It has to have been researched using the resources of the MU Libraries. The project will be judged primarily on sophistication of the research process and the materials used (as documented in the Research Process Statement).
Examples of projects:
A set design for theater where the student researched period-appropriate furniture, lighting, and architecture to create the perfect backdrop
A documentary film for class that researches the history of race relations at MU using library and archive materials
Composition of a piece of music created in the style of a famous composer informed by research into their style, skills, etc. through library materials
A business plan for a new company or product showing market need, demographics of customers, patents, design, etc. informed by research using library materials
A political science paper comparing the rise of fascism today with that in the early 20th century
A parody of a famous piece of literature or any original piece of fiction for which the author did library research for their setting, criticisms, etc.
For over 23 years, Tami Day has worked for the University of Missouri’s Health Care system receiving all her education from the MU’s Sinclair School of Nursing and utilizing the library a lot over the years.
Tami appreciates how helpful the librarians have been throughout her nursing education. Back when Tami first started nursing school, she’d find journals and make copies of the articles; now she can find articles online and email them out. “That has been a huge game changer in the 25 years I’ve been at the university,” she said. “Back then I’d physically go to the library and find the books, now you’re just a few clicks away from the information you want.”
A few years ago, Tami went back to school to work on her master’s degree. This program focused on evidence-based practice with an emphasis on approaches to clinical care and taking clinical problems to design improvement projects. Tami relies heavily on the librarians and their research skills. For Tami, Taira Meadowcroft, information services librarian at the Health Sciences Library, became an invaluable resource. Tami first met Taira when Taira was assigned to the Positive Individual Proactive Support (PIPS) program. Taira provided research support to the PIPs to help improve the quality of health in the hospital.
Taira Meadowcroft
Since Taira was providing support to the PIPS, Tami asked Taira for help in her master’s program as most of those projects would help Tami’s work in the hospital. For example, Tami said she can email Taira the topic of a project and ask for the highest level of evidence. In one instance, Taira sent Tami 23 articles within one hour. It would have taken Tami several hours to find the same information.
When Taira receives a request to find literature, she spends a good amount of time educating herself on the topic in order find the best evidence. ”A librarian should be one of the first steps before starting a project. Seeing what information is out there is important when deciding if and how to pursue that project,” said Taira. “It’s easier and more efficient to have a librarian do a search and it frees up your time.”
Tami and Taira’s working relationship continues to evolve and now Taira is supporting Tami with her doctoral program and in her new role as coordinator of Nursing Research and Evidence-Based Practice. As coordinator, she’s working to make University Hospital a Magnet designated hospital through the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC). Achieving this designation would place MU Health Care in an elite group of hospitals, resulting in better patient outcomes and less nursing turn over through evidence-based practice.
”Nurses are busy people and searching for literature is just one more thing you are asked to do, but it’s important for the overall health of the patients,” said Taira. “My favorite part of my job is that I can help contribute to the health of patients, working behind the scenes to find the best evidence, while nurses tend to a patient’s bed side.” Taira’s searches are also assisting in the goal of the Magnet designation.
