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Karen Warren
Head of Serials
Since the advent of the Internet, there seems to be a growing overall belief that the Internet has it all. Libraries have been at the forefront of providing access to this new medium, but they are also bearing the brunt of the notion that the current print medium is obsolete and everything is available electronically. The assumption by some is that even if they cannot locate some particular information, it must be available on the Internet. This is not so. Scholarly information is not all on the Internet and, unfortunately, neither is it all free.
Scholarly communication, including medical and scientific literature, is accessible through a finely tuned structure of refereed journals, most provided by fee-for-service publishers who offer added value in the form of certification that the material is authentic and accurate, archiving of previously printed information, and marketing/physical publishing. When electronic publishing mushroomed, vocal proponents envisioned an information strucure free of the constraints of market forces, cost, and delayed distribution of findings. There is still a great torrent of discussion, but so far no one proposal has succeeded in providing a workable replacement of the necessary verification and archiving capacities currently in place.
The recognition associated with being published in prestigious journals has not bee diminished by the possibility of more rapid dissemination of findings in totally electronic journals. The few journals that have appeared only in electronic format have had problems obtaining articles to "print" because this new medium is as yet untired, and researchers are reluctant to submit their findings. This being the case, traditional publishers still receive the bulk of publishable articles. These publishers are not trying to make their journals available electronically. Print and electronic versions now exist side by side, but the new electronic version has not been-free for the publishers to produce, and in most instances, they will not be free for readers to access.
There is currently free access to a number fo scientific and technical ournals. However, that free access will end for many when the publishers feel confident that they have tested the new wlectronic versions sufficiently. Until a new model for scholarly publishing arises, users of technical information will continue to pay for the packaging and delivery of findings and communications.
The Library's homepage supports access to a number of scientific electronic publications, which can be found in the Electronic Journals page: http://uscm.med.sc.edu/JOURNAL.SHTML. Level of access to journals ranges from complete full-text, to only Table of Contents information, to publishers' information on how to subscribe and instructions for authors. We are attempting to provide access to all e-journals that parallel our print journal collection, which have at least Table of Contents available.
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Laura Townsend Kane
Head of Cataloging and Acquisitions
Ths School of Medicine Library is in the process of developing its own "Consumer Health Information" home page (http://uscm.med.sc.edu/CONSUMER.SHTML). Following are some of the resources that are included in this site. If you would like to recommend consumer health websites for inclusion in the home page, please contact Laura Kane at 733-3342.
http://www.sc.edu/library/science/consumer.html
Thomas Cooper Science Library's "Health Information Resources on the Internet." Topics include: guides to the Internet, medical Internet search engines, specialty areas such as AIDS and patient education, and health-related journals and news sources.
Home page of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Contains information on disease prevention and information for international travelers.
Health information from today's CNN headlines.
http://www.columbia.net/construction/bicent/docs/consumer/consumer.html
"Rx, Recent Prescriptions for Maintaining a Health Life" (Columbia Health Care). Full-text "prescriptions" promoting healthy living.
National Institutes of Health. A source for information on major research areas, important health-related topics, and diseases currently under investigation by the NIH.
"Healthtouch Online": information about prescription and over-the-counter medications.
http://wwwicic.nci.nih.gov/patient.htm
Cancer information for patients and the public from the National Cancer Institute.
http://kidshealth.org/index2.html
Health information for children and parents from Nemours Foundation.
http://www.uic.edu/depts/lib/health/hw/consumer/
"Healthweb" provides links to internet resouces regarding diseases, conditions, or health issues.
AHCPR: Agency for Health Care Policy and Research. Includes "Choosing and Using a Health Plan.
Sponsored by the American Academy of Family Physicians, American Academy of Pediatrics, the National Health Council, and Drug Information from U.S. Pharmacopeia. Offers comprehensive information regarding various health problems and symptoms.
http://www.familyinternet.com/mhc/main.htm
A "medical encyclopedia" which answers medical questions in plain language. Addresses diseases, symptoms, drug interactions, nutrition, surgeries, injuries, tests, etc.
http://www.mayo.ivi.com/ivi/mayo/common/htm/library.htm
The "Mayo Health O@sis Library." A collection of health information including articles, books, reports, and other resources at the Mayo clinic.
http://www.cancer.org/
The American Cancer Society page. Provides up-to-date information concerning the society, and includes a wealth of cancer-related resources.
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For USC Faculty, Staff, and Students and Health Care Practitioners:
OVID Medline Searches: no charge.
CD-ROM Databases through Thomas Cooper Library: no charge.
Other vendor-supplied databases: cost of the search itself (no minimum charge).
For commercial, for-profit concerns and Laypersons:
OVID Medline Searches: $10.00.
CD-ROM Databases through Thomas Cooper Library: $10.00.
Other vendor-supplied databases: search cost + $10.00.
Work will be prioritized. USC School of Medicine primary clientele (faculty, staff, students, and affiliated health care practitioners) will be given first priority.
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http://uscm.med.sc.edu/SUBSCRIB.SHTML
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http://uscm.med.sc.edu/SUBSCRIB.SHTML
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This page updated on 3 December 1997.