The document summarizes the presentation given by Niamh O'Sullivan on managing and promoting free e-resources in a small specialist library. It introduces recessionistas as people who can remain stylish on a limited budget. It then provides an overview of the Irish Blood Transfusion Service and its library services, highlighting resources like PubMed, Google Scholar, and Google Alerts that are used for medical research and staying up-to-date. Groups are asked to share free websites and tools they use at work.

1. Recessionista Research Managing and promoting e-Resources in a small specialist library with an emphasis on free resources. Niamh O’Sullivan, [email_address] Research Officer/Librarian with the Irish Blood Transfusion Service (IBTS)

2. What is a Recessionista? Definition A person who is able to remain stylish during times of economic hardship, who can shop on a limited budget and still be up to date. A recessionista does not let a bad economy, inflation, or a strong recession damage his or her wardrobe. Etimology: Blend of recession and fashionista. Definition from Wiktionary, a free dictionary From http:// en.wiktionary.org/wiki/recessionista

3. Alternative Titles "Doing More with Less": “ You're going to have to do more with less , Best of luck.” Economist and Bord Snip chairman Colm McCarthy at the launch of An Bord Snip Nua’s Report, 10/09/09 “ Neccessity: the mother of invention?” "A need or problem encourages creative efforts to meet the need or solve the problem. This saying appears in the dialogue “Republic” by the ancient Greek philosopher Plato.

4. Quick introduction to the IBTS and our Library Services Our Research Service and websites used (PubMed, Google Advanced Search, Google Scholar, Invisible Web) Our Current Awareness Service and web tools used (“My NCBI” from PubMed, Google Alerts, Newsletters, RSS, Watch that page) Keeping up to date with current Library and searching trends using sites like About.com, Blogs and Feeds. What’s on the Menu today?

5. “ I’m just here for the tips” Some fun with iGoogle Knowledge sharing session Groups will share free web sites and tools that they use at work and at play.

6. Irish Blood Transfusion Service The Irish Blood Transfusion Service (IBTS) is the State Body under the aegis of the Dept. of Health and Children with responsibility for the collection, processing, testing and distribution of blood and blood products in Ireland. www.giveblood.ie

7. We need over 3,000 donations every week 1 in 4 of us will need a transfusion at some point in our lives One donation can help the recovery of up to three patients in hospital.

8. What does the Library Do? The Library supports the research and information needs of all IBTS staff countrywide. Staff may use us for both work and study purposes. The Library holds both medical and non-medical material. The Library provides access and support to visitors from outside the IBTS on request. Library also has responsibility for the IBTS Intranet .

9. Staff of the IBTS Approx 650 staff spread over 8 different locations in Ireland. HQ is the National Blood Centre (NBC) in Dublin on the grounds of James’s Hospital. Blood Clinic staff Laboratory staff, QC, QA Medical staff, including consultant haematologists Nursing staff and therapuetic apheresis Donor Services and Marketing Administration e.g. HR, Health and Safety, Finance, IT.

10. Search Engines for Research PubMed and MedlinePlus Google Advanced Search Google Scholar Invisible Web

11. Medical Research PubMed is at www.pubmed.gov and comprises more than 19 million citations and abstracts for biomedical articles from MEDLINE and life science journals. MedlinePlus at www.medlineplus.gov also comes from the world's largest medical library, the National Library of Medicine in the US. – medical encyclopaedia.

12. Advanced Google Search Tips Limit sites searched to specific sites or types of sites using site: (site:.org OR site:.gov) Use Google to search a database which is difficult to search e.g. EUROPA is the official web site of the European Union Http:// europa . eu In the normal Google box type site: europa.eu and your topic e.g. blood directive Use options at the left of Google screen to limit your search by date, visited pages, images etc.

14. Use define: to get a definition

15. Use type: to get a certain file type

16. Google Scholar I tend to use Google Scholar for non-medical research e.g. management topics Use operators intitle: and author: Avail of Library Links Under Google Scholar preferences, enter a Library you’re a member of e.g. the IMI in “Library links” box. If that Library has signed up and uploaded it’s holding to Google Scholar- you can see what articles that Library holds. Free articles in GS often have a link on the right.

18. The Invisible Web The Contents of Searchable Databases can often be missed by basic search engines like Google. To search the invisible web use specific search engines such as http:// infomine.ucr.edu / or http:// www.ipl.org / Use Google and other basic search engines to locate searchable databases by searching for your subject term and the word "database".

19. Current Awareness Sevice The Library maintains nearly 40 different email distribution lists on a range of subjects from transfusion, donor recruitment, blood bourne disease updates to management and marketing information. 237 staff members avail of the Library’s Current Awareness Service and are signed up to one or more of the 39 subject lists. 172 members of staff avail of the Table of Contents Service and receive one or more electronic journal contents by email.

20. Tools used for Current Awareness Service MS Outlook – set up separate distribution lists and signatures for each subject list “ My NCBI” from PubMed Google Alerts E-Newsletters and RSS Feeds Watch That Page

21. My NCBI at PubMed at http:// www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/myncbi / My NCBI from the National Center for Biotechnology and National Library of Medicine is a tool that retains user information and preferences to provide customized services and alerts. 􀂄 Sign up for a “My NCBI” account though PubMed: Receive alerts about new articles published in your area of expertise on a daily, weekly or monthly basis. Receive table of contents of your favorite journals (if indexed in PubMed) Save selected abstracts of articles into your collections. Set filters which will be applied to all your searches e.g. english, human, last 5 years.

22. Google Alerts http:// www.google.com /alerts Google Alerts notifies you (by email or RSS) about the latest web pages which answer your search criteria. You need to have a Google account first, set one up at www.google.com/accounts/NewAccount It is easy to edit and sharpen your alerts account by simply editing your search. Yahoo is another alerts service, providing similar free alerts http:// help.yahoo.com/l/us/yahoo/alerts /

23. Do an advanced search in Google and copy and paste the search string into google alerts. Choose daily or weekly alerts to your email or to a feed. Choice of comprehensive coverage, news, web, blogs etc.

24. Examples of Google Alerts

27. E-Newsletters & RSS Feeds Subsribe to e-newsletters in your area of interest by feed or email. Email may still be the best option if it’s a newsletter you forward on. Feeds can be put into a feed reader and kept separate. You can direct feeds in Google Reader to appear on your igoogle pages.

28. Sites with no RSS Feeds Many sites now have an RSS feed to alert you to new content, but what if the site you like doesn’t have a feed? Feed43 and Page2RSS are free online services that convert any webpage to an RSS feed. Or use “Watch that Page” to get changes emailed to you.

29. Watch That Page http:// www.watchthatpage.com / Open a free account with Watchthatpage and tell it which webpages to monitor. Or when you find a site you wish to track, use a special bookmark “add to watch that page” Changes to that page are emailed to you. I use it to track changes to press release pages of other blood services or newsletters with no sign-up or feed.

30. Google Toolbar Download the google toolbar for some handy web tools such as: AutoFill for web forms Highlighter to highlight your search terms in web documents and pages. Translation tool Spell checker

31. Web Toubleshooting Tips When printing from a website – use the Print Preview option to ensure text is not getting cut off at the right. If it is, highlight the text, and use the print selection option. If this still doesn’t work, best to copy the text and paste into Word. If a website is blocked by your firewall, go to another version of the site e.g.cached or HTML. If you’re blocked from opening a web file e.g. a .ppt – saving the file to your PC may allow you to open it.

32. Copying and pasting from the Web When copying and pasting text from a web page, it’s best to clear formatting from the web text. To paste unformatted text, copy web text as you would normally, Ctrl-C; in Word choose Edit, Paste Special ; and double-click on Unformatted Text If there’s no Paste Special option e.g. in Outlook, select the text again after it’s been pasted into an email and press Ctrl key followed by space bar . The selection is converted into plain text without requiring any macros.

33. http:// www.freepint.com /

34. www.about.com About.com is an online neighborhood of experts on everything from health care and parenting issues to advice on travel, cooking, technology, hobbies and more. Founded in 1996, today About.com is recognized as a top 15 content site and one of the largest producers of original content on the Web. http:// netforbeginners.about.com http:// websearch.about.com http:// google.about.com http:// humanresources.about.com http:// management.about.com

41. More Sites I like http:// tinyurl.com / creates a tiny URL that will not break in email postings and never expires. http:// www.answers.com / for answers to almost everything. http:// www.ehow.com for how to do just about everything. http:// www.fixya.com / for Technical Support, Manuals, Troubleshooting and Product Recommendations

45. Knowledge Sharing Session Please split into groups and compile a list of free web sites / web tools you use at work and at play. Give brief description of each site or tool. A&SL committee will type up and circulate the list at a later date.

46. Go raibh mile maith agaibh Thanks to the A&SL committee for inviting me to speak. Thanks to all of you for listening and for sharing your knowledge. Feel free to contact me at [email_address]