International Open Access (OA) Week starts today and ends on Friday, October 28, with events taking place all over the world to raise awareness of what open access means for research and researchers.

The MSKCC Library is committed to the principles of open access to scholarly peer-reviewed literature as a means to accelerate scientific discovery and improve patient care. This year, the MSKCC Library wants to bring attention to this initiative by sharing our Open Access LibGuide — highlighting resources and sites of interest. Continue reading →

I am delighted to present to our readers and Library users our first Library Progress Report highlighting our activities for 2010 and 2011. This report is a celebration of our accomplishments and marks our progress over the last two years.  We hope by sharing this information, it will spark interest for MSK staff to take a few moments to explore a new resource, service, or partner with us on a project where an information professional can help contribute to the team’s success. 

If you want to learn more about the MSKCC Library, don’t hesitate to contact me.

This July I attended the SLA annual conference in Chicago.  One of the many activities I tend to do while at this event,  is to drop by the SLA bookstore to browse what new books in librarianship and related topics are available.  There is always at least one good book worth adding to my collection.

The book that caught my attention this year is entitled “The Embedded Librarian: Innovative Strategies for Taking Knowledge Where it’s Needed“ by David Shumaker. Published in 2012, the text provides an excellent overview as the author has spent over three years studying embedded librarian programs to determine the qualities required for this role as well as the value this program can bring to an organization.

 I must confess that I haven’t finished the book yet but I did zero in on chapter four which covers “Embedded Librarians in the Health Sciences.”  Many Medical Libraries today host a Clinical Medical Librarian Program which has its roots dating as far back as the 1970’s and qualifies as a great and early example of embedded librarianship. 

Continue reading →