We’re Back to Regular Business Hours!

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We are delighted to announce that effective July 1, the MSK Library will be returning to regular business hours, Monday to Friday, 8:30 am to 7:00 pm.

MSK staff will no longer have to register to reserve a seat and seating availability will return to a first come, first serve scenario.

There are guidelines that will remain in place. While vaccinated staff are not required to wear a mask, social distancing should continue to be followed. Unvaccinated staff are still required to wear their mask in public areas which includes the Library’s physical space.

Our patients and their caregivers are also welcome to return to the MSK Library to use available resources and consult with librarians on-site. For the safety of our patients, visiting and research hours for them will be Monday, Wednesday, and Fridays from Noon to 2:00 pm where all individuals in the Library’s space will need to wear their masks. In addition, no food/beverages are permitted in the Library, with the exception of bottled water.

For our Tri-Institutional colleagues, we recommend they contact us to confirm seating availability by calling our info desk (212.639.7439) or sending an email to Ask a Librarian.

As a friendly reminder, MSK Staff can continue to access the majority of the Library’s services and collections remotely. Visit our Virtual Library Services page to learn more. 

Donna Gibson
Director, Library Services

MSK Data Catalog: We’ve Reached a Milestone!

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The Library’s Research Data Management team is happy to announce that thanks to the efforts of our cataloging crew, we’ve reached a milestone of 200+ datasets in the MSK Data Catalog!

The MSK Data Catalog employs enhanced metadata to help increase discoverability of MSK research data, connect researchers working on similar topics, and describe how one can access publicly available datasets. Some of the features include:

  • Application of taxonomies, such as OncoTree and MeSH (Medicine Subject Headings),
  • Identification of analytical tools and software used to create or manipulate data,
  • Filters by subject/repository/author/etc.,
  • Persistent links to datasets and, wherever possible, DOIs (Digital Object Identifiers),
  • Connections to Synapse for data authors and associated publications,
  • Technical info, such as size and format of datasets,
  • Instructions on how to access datasets.

Many of the records we’ve recently added describe MSK datasets in the cBioPortal, Gene Expression Ombinus, dbGap, and the Protein Databank. If you’d like to know what the Library can do to help you increase the discoverability of your research data, please reach out to us!

New Findings on Nutrition and Colon Cancer

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In a new study, researchers from the Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology demonstrated the health benefits of red seaweed. Two sugars contained in red seaweed manifested prebiotic activity in-vitro. Additionally, the authors found that one of those sugar, 3,6-anhydro-l-galactose, had properties able to fight colon cancer in-vitro. Those preliminary findings may help explain why Japan has the lowest incidence of colon cancer. The study was published in Marine Drugs. 

A recent study by oncologists from the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute identified how red meat consumption affects DNA.. From observational studies, it has been known that a correlation existed between consuming red meat and colon cancer, but the biological mechanisms were not understood. The authors discovered that some compounds found in red meat caused alkylation, a type of DNA damage. This study is a crucial step in understanding why high consumption of red meat increases the risk of colon cancer. The study was published in Cancer Discovery.