Topics covered: Introduction to Gyankosh; How Elsevier’s Green teams nurture nature; Research supports UN millennium development goals; Interview: In conversation with Mr Amit Arora, Librarian Genesis Institute of Dental Sciences and Research, Ferozepour.

1. Gyankosh Communique Issue 1 : January, 2010
Message from the Chief Custodian Presenting Gyankosh:
Elsevier's focus on Librarians of Medical
As a 21st century librarian
you deal with information in and Dental Colleges
many formats, including
At Elsevier, the world's leading publisher of science and health
books, magazines,
information, we have absolutely no doubt that you play an extremely
newspapers, audio and
video recordings, significant role in advancing and enhancing the education of the
manuscripts, photographs students in your college. It is your assessment and understanding of the
and other graphic material, students and teachers needs for text books and other reading material
databases, web and digital that ensures that they both get easy and relevant access to the knowledge
resources. they need to take their education, and teaching skills, forward.
An information professional, you are trained in library To help you do this, you need to be able to source the right reference
and information science and experienced in the materials for teachers and faculty; the facilities to impact training,
organization and management of information services conduct research and build a storehouse of knowledge in the form of
and materials for those with information needs. a comprehensive, up-to-date library. By delivering to you, world-class
Your focus is on meeting the educational and teaching information and innovative tools, we aim to increase the efficiency and
needs of students and faculty respectively. Which is effectiveness of your library - and now would like go further to help you
why our focus at Gyankosh is on helping you deliver. fulfill your crucial mission.
Gyankosh is an initiative brought to you by Elsevier, An initiative with the focus on librarians,
designed specifically to put world class information Gyankosh is designed to help you deal
and tools right into your hands. Thus, helping you and with the plethora of information you
your community to become increasingly more effective receive about printed and online
and productive in your work. publications, and ensure that your
We will be doing so via this regular newsletter which students and faculty have access to the
will arrive on your desk every quarter. Our aim will be most relevant sources, in the shortest
to provide you with information that is relevant, up to time, at the least cost.
date and comprehensive so you can ensure quality
You may have already joined the
care for all, while maintaining your profession's
credentials, code of ethics, standards, and Gyankosh initiative, but just in case you
competencies, and continuing education. At Gyankosh haven't, we would really appreciate it
we are proud to be part of your community and to if you could please fill in the Gyankosh
participate in the advancement of your field of Acceptance Form to enable us to take
specialization. your suggestions and preferences on
board. This will ensure that we meet the
We would also greatly appreciate your feedback on We express our heartfelt gratitude...
this first issue of Gyankosh: Did you find it interesting needs and requirements of the widest
and informative? How can we improve it? What more cross section of teaching professionals
can we add by way of topics and subjects relevant to and their students.
you? We would like to get your opinions and inputs on It would also give us the opportunity to send you a personalised
how to value-add to it, to make it more involving and welcome gift - our way of welcoming you to Gyankosh. By sending us
knowledgeable for you. Please email us at:
the filled in Acceptance Form, you would be part of the fast growing
contactus@elsevier.com
ranks of librarians, from Dental and Medical colleges, who have
already been welcomed into the Gyankosh family… 300 to date and
still growing...
Please complete Gyankosh Acceptance Form
Ajit K Sharma
as soon as possible and fax it back to us at 011-41664558
Chief Custodian, Gyankosh
Elsevier Health Sciences, India or e-mail us at contactus@elsevier.com.

2. Around the World: Science & Health News...
How Reed Elsevier's gREen Teams Nurture Nature
By Marcia Balisciano, Director of Corporate Responsibility, Reed Elsevier, London, UK
this was transport and our Hollywood The change saved approximately
magazine, Variety, produced a poster US$2,700 annually, eliminated the
encouraging employees to consider problem of bottle storage and avoided
environmental friendly travel options. environmental impact (like petrol and
Also during the year, gREen Teams ran emissions) associated with transported
environmental fairs, providing advice bottled water.
on commuting alternatives, ran bike
weeks and hosted presentations from Reed Business Information office in
external consultants and government New York, organized a day for
bodies. Further, on World Environment colleagues to clean up St. Nicholas
In 2006, a Reed Business Information Park in Harlem.
Day in June, Reed Elsevier CEO
gREen Teams helped clean up Harlem's
Crispin Davis sent a special message Using paid volunteer days available
St. Nicholas Park. to all staff. to all RE staff, the group painted and
To help carry forward Reed Elsevier's Throughout each year, conference spread mulch in the park under the
environmental objectives, we've set up calls bring together gREen Teams to guidance of the New York City Parks
gREen Teams covering 75% of our key share best practices and ideas. For Department.
facilities and involving some 400 example, the gREen Team at Elsevier's gREen Teams help us reduce our
employees. gREen Teams focus on office in Chevy Chase, Maryland, environmental footprint on a local basis.
environmental improvements at the recognized the environmental impact of They engage colleagues throughout
local level. using bottled water and worked with our company on environmental issues
Each year we focus on one of our core their facilities department to switch to a and empower all Reed Elsevier staff to
environmental impact areas. In 2006, filtered water system. make a difference.
Research supports UN millennium development goals -Sarah Huggett
TB is expected to be halted and Malaria death rates and research high
begin to decline before the target in Thailand, Kenya and India
date of 2015. The bulk of recent research on the
UN Millennium Declaration also stands disease comes from the USA, Europe
as a moral imperative for wealthier and Australia, where disease burden is
countries to assist in relieving the burden low; however, Thailand, Kenya and
of disease in the most-afflicted countries. India do suffer significant malaria
death rates.
Millennium Goals : Tuberculosis death rates high in Sub-
Saharan Africa and Eurasia. The USA
In September 2000, the United Nations • End poverty and hunger
and Europe publish a large proportion
(UN) gathered at the Millennium • Universal education of the research on tuberculosis, but
Summit in New York to discuss their • Gender equality other countries such as Brazil, China,
role at the beginning of the 21st South Africa, Japan and India also
• Child health
century. make it into the top-10 most-prolific
• Maternal health
• The meeting culminated in the countries.
adoption of the UN Millennium • Combat HIV/AIDS
“India's focus on tuberculosis research
Declaration. • Environmental sustainability
right now is phenomenal – and this is
• The Millennium Development matched by the volume of publication
Goals (MDGs) were derived from emerging from the country,” observes
this declaration, and include targets Deaths from HIV/AIDS are highest in Dr Brian D. Robertson, Deputy Director
that were adopted in 2001. Sub-Saharan Africa of the Centre for Integrative Systems
Targeting the biggest killers The burden of HIV/AIDS is heaviest in Biology at Imperial College, London.
The eight MDGs represent a global sub-Saharan Africa. Although research Alan D. Lopez, University of
commitment to improve the most basic on HIV is concentrated in the Western Queensland, Australia, adds: “The five-
indicators of standard of living for all world, it is interesting to note that fold variation in HIV/AIDS papers
(see box). Large increases in funding China and South Africa are exceptions compared with malaria and
and attention to malaria have to this generalisation, ranking second tuberculosis from the USA is interesting,
accelerated malaria-control activities and fifth respectively, in terms of article given that there is at most a two-fold
in many countries. The incidence of output on the subject. variation in death rates.”

3. In conversation with...
A: We should keep a feedback form in approach Elsevier for their books
the library so the students and and journals requirement.
faculty can write down their Q: Do you feel that students are losing
requirements and then the librarian interest in books? Or is the book
can add to the collection on the reading habit still going strong?
basis of their requirements.
A: I strongly believe that students are
Q: How can the librarian and teachers losing interest in books and they
help each other when it comes to look for the short cut to success by
enhancing the education of the reading some help books rather
students? than the prescribed text books.
Mr Amit Arora, Librarian
A: To start with, close co-operation Q: Are students still using text books for
Genesis Institute of Dental Sciences and
between teachers and librarians will reference? Or are they doing all
Research, Moga Road, GT Road, Ferozpur
ensure that the library is always well their reading on the Internet?
stocked with the relevant reference
A: Students nowadays are looking for
Q: Does your vision of a college library material that will make for more
the easier help books or reading
fall within your philosophy of effective and easy learning by
material from Internet.
education? the students.
Q: Do you find that your budget is
A: Education should be combined with Also, holding conferences or
being stretched between finding
extra curricular activities like seminars on the importance of
resources for computerization and
seminar, conferences and having a good library would help.
getting the relevant text books?
workshops and my college In such forums, librarians and
definitely follows this philosophy. teachers can give their views on A: No, so far this method of increasing
which books to be kept, what the budget to find new resources is
Q: What according to you, is the role
should be the environment of the helping the students and faculty.
of the librarian in a college setting?
And what changes do you hope to library, the disciplinary norms to be I don't think it's bad.
bring to the library? maintained in the library. All these Q: Do you find that students come to
A: The role of librarian is to ensure should help to enhance the you with suggestions for books that
easier access to all the reading and education of the students. they want to read?
reference material, by arranging the A: Yes, students come to me regularly
books and journals in the library The library should not only and I take down their requirements,
subject-wise. Plus, the librarian bring them to the notice of the
include the text books but management and try to fulfill them.
should constantly be sensitive to the
requirements of the library users. also a comprehensive collection Q: Do you do a lot of research on the
As far as the changes are of fiction, books on politics kind of books the library should
concerned, I would make sure that I and autobiographies of famous have? Do you get a lot of
improve the arrangement of the materials/mailers from various
personalities.
material available in the library on sources selling you books?
a continuous basis. A: Yes, I have links with the publishers
Q: What kind of library attracts the Q: How do you encourage students as well as the distributors of books,
students and faculty? to read? and also I remain continuously in
A: The library should not only include A: By asking the students about their touch with other college librarians.
the course/text books but also a requirements for the new text Q: When it comes to deciding how to
comprehensive collection of books, reference books or any spend the budget you have, what
fiction, books on politics and fiction books; and stocking them, are the factors that come into play?
autobiographies of famous they are encouraged to read. A: Whenever the budget is being
personalities. Q: How did you find the program and decided, we take the view of faculty
Q: How do you develop and maintain your feedback on it? and student representatives, and
a library collection that will meet A: This program is really useful and it their requirements are then
the needs of the students and has created a common platform forwarded to the management,
faculty? through which colleges can directly who decide on the budget.
Innovation at Elsevier
How to stop worrying and love the budget
It is important for library administrators to have a thorough understanding of how their budgets function. Understanding their
budgets well can help library administrators guide their staff, services and organizations to success in good times and in bad.
Understanding their budgets can also help library administrators lobby more effectively for funding, no matter what the
economic climate. Understanding the budget is essential for any library administrator focused on developing a stronger
budget. Learning how to stop worrying and love the library budget is relatively simple.

4. Our Mission Gyankosh Help Desk: A Contact Point
To build a Librarian community Meet Dr. Jasneet,
Gyankosh - Relationship Manager
To build a community
of Librarians who can We would like to introduce
interact & share Dr. Jasneet, who will be your
knowledge and first line of contact at Gyankosh.
expertise amongst Dr. Jasneet will be happy to answer
themselves. your queries, provide touch points,
help to gather relevant information
- in short, facilitate interaction between Gyankosh
and your community of professionals.
We would like to hear from you. We look forward to your feedback on your spheres of
To enable Gyankosh to better serve your needs and activity and interest, as well as your suggestions on what
requirements, it is imperative that we get feedback from we can do to enhance and improve Gyankosh. And as
you: we are keen to collaborate with your institute by helping
your faculty publish with us, we will be happy to receive
1 Your opinions on the subjects we feature
articles to be published in this newsletter.
2 Your suggestions on how to keep enhancing and
improving the look and feel of every issue To contact us, please call Dr. Jasneet at:
3 Your take on new and innovative thinking and 011-46074929
theories in the education and information
management space 011-41664558
All these are of great importance to us, so please email
contactus@elsevier.com
or call us at the contact points given.
Brain Teasers! The Gyankosh Quiz.
Take this quick and snappy quiz on health related subjects. Have some fun with friends and colleagues and win a reward.
Fax or email us the answers and a lucky draw will decide the winner.
1. Where in the body is the labyrinth? 6. How many calories does water contain?
Ear 50
Throat 100
Eye None
2. The tongue has more than 7. When is the World Diabetes Day observed?
2000 tastebuds May 1st
1000 tastebuds November 14th
8000 tastebuds June 15th
3. White blood cells are also known as : 8. What is the human trachea also called?
Erthyrocytes Windpipe
Melanocytes Lungs
Leucocytes Small Intestine
4. To which part of the body does the term 'brachial' refer? 9. What is the H1N1 virus popularly known as?
To the stomach Dog Fever
To the heart Swine Flu
To the arms Cat’s Nip
5. Oncology is the diagnosis and treatment of which disease? 10. What is the definition of Bi-Polar Disorder?
Tuberculosis Manic depressive disorder
Kidney Failure Bipolar affective disorder
Cancer All the above
Elsevier, a division of Reed Elsevier India Private Limited
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