MeSHmas is Here!

It's that merry time of year when good little medical librarians everywhere get shiny new MeSH terms to enjoy.

Among my favorite of the things we can now search for directly are the more specific forms of Prejudice: Ageism, Homophobia, Racism and Sexism.

Also exciting additions: the specific Meals of Breakfast, Lunch, and Snacks.

Not Dinner or Supper, which still map back to Meals, possibly reflecting insoluble regional disagreement over which of these means "the last major meal of the day." Not Dessert either, which is a sad omission for those of us who always try to save room for pie.

You could probably get at those articles before by using Prejudice or Meals plus the relevant keyword, but it could be useful to be able to search directly for the attitude or meal in which you're particularly interested.

All those articles on Ageist Breakfasts will no longer elude me.

Always Use Correct Terminology

MeSH updates for 2012 have been out for a while, so it's time to correct all the subject headings in our OPAC records. Yes! New terms!

We've heard rumors that there may be some way, in some system, to make this happen automatically, but we don't know what it is, in my library, so what this really means is that it's time for me to ask someone else to search for all the old, changed or deleted descriptors (like Indigotindisulfonate Sodium) one by one, and replace them with the shiny new descriptors (like Indigo Carmine).

Someone else will really enjoy that project.

While we're not sure about the existence of a way to have our OPAC talk to MeSH and update the 650 x2 fields automatically, we know there is actually a way to do a sort of 'find and replace' within the catalog that would at least correct multiple records at once, but to be honest we're kind of afraid of it.

What if we changed something in 50 records and then it was the wrong thing? And what if we couldn't just change it back? We could conceivably spend hours disentangling things. And we'd have to figure this out ourselves, because no one else knows how to do it either.

So it's kind of easier to have someone else do it the long way. Sometimes the thing that's technically more efficient is not actually the thing that makes the best use of available resources, that's what I tell myself.

Besides, we're getting a whole new ILS next year, so figuring out the cool tricks in Millennium at this late date isn't really going to help us in the long term. Therefore, heck with 'em.

Spring Cleaning

Today I have been keeping busy updating MeSH terms in our OPAC, which apparently has not been done since the turn of the century. No, OK, more like the turn of the decade.

I don't know why not, because it's totally awesome. It's like there's a party in my office, and only me and a few hundred new and old MeSH terms were invited. I get to pass down the ruling on all of them.

So long, Hermaphroditism. You had a good long run. Now get the heck out and make way for Disorders of Sex Development!

The term change affecting the largest number of records so far has been Biological Evolution, replacing Evolution.

My personal favorite, however, is Siphonaptera, replacing Fleas. I like it because it has 'siphon' in it, and it makes me think of a flea with a tiny siphoning mouth.

And then, having done that for a second, I shudder and decide I need a new favorite. The word is a lot cuter than the reality.

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Anything is Possible Again!

I would certainly be remiss in my duties as a medical librarian if I neglected to properly hail the appearance of the long-awaited* MeSH 2011.

Because we really get excited about this.

It's here! It's here! It's like a party in my computer and every current Medical Subject Heading is invited!

I would be in favor of some sort of official holiday. Or at least a big feast in the library. We could bake the traditional MeSH Tree pastries and drink the ceremonial Subheading wine.


*Since MeSH 2009! I never cared for MeSH 2010. It was too standoffish.

Available Vocabulary

Ooh! Ooh!

PubMed New and Noteworthy posts the worthy note that "MEDLINE citations and the MeSH database have been updated with 2010 MeSH vocabulary"!

[Swoons]

Yes, I can mock teenagers for swooning over New Moon (although I didn't, particularly), but are my own faint-inducing-situations any less peculiar? Many would say not.

A peculiar thing I notice is that while my RSS aggregator shows the quoted line above, when I actually click though to the post, it's different. So PubMed New and Noteworthy is like a citation to another page, with a brief commentary attached. Like a normal blog post, but visible only in a feed aggregator. Weird.

I'm probably the last person to notice this and think it's interesting. Fine, everyone else, move along.

But first, swoon with me over the fact that new vocabulary is now in the database.

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Shiny New MeSH

I had heard that 2010 MeSH is available for review, but I am not as cool as The Krafty Librarian, who was inspired to write this entertaining review looking at it from a fashion standpoint.

I was only inspired to think "good thing I haven't gotten around to assigning MeSH to anything lately--I probably would have picked last year's terms!"

Fashion is an ongoing challenge for me.

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Expanding the Vocabulary

For those MeSH-users among us, Rachel at Women's Health News proposes that we suggest the addition of 'doula' to the vocabulary. (See a definition of doula at DONA International.)

A doula is not necessarily trained as a nurse or a midwife, and does not serve the same purpose while attending labor and birth, so it makes sense to have a specific term for this role, if there's enough literature on the topic. I get 114 results for a keyword search, so there's not a huge body of incompletely defined work out there, but it could also be an idea that's still gaining strength and will be of more interest to researchers as time goes on.

The concept is at least a called by a straightforward and easily searchable keyword, unlike some other ideas one might try to find, but as good MeSH-users, we always like to take advantage of a controlled vocabulary when one is available.

Do it, MeSH! Bring us doula!

You too can suggest this or other terms, using this handy form. I assure you, it's a thrill. I feel all engaged in the process now.

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Update 8/13/09: I am informed from NLM that "More suggestions doesn't affect what is done," so if you're going to use the form, pick an exciting new term to suggest rather than this one.

Apparently there is not strength in numbers in this particular issue. Now we know! One idea could be all it takes!

Agreeing on Terms

As I learn Tech Services sorts of things, I am finding new love for the MeSH Browser. It's so user friendly. And subject headings mean so much more to me if I get to stick them on books myself!

Yes, it is pretty much all about me.

I look forward with gleeful anticipation to a possible future project assigning MeSH to a collection of graduate theses that are currently searchable only by title keyword. I'm somewhat saddened by the thought that this will probably not happen for some time because there are enormous teetering piles of more immediate priorities, but one can dream.

Mmm, New MeSH Vocabulary

The NLM Technical Bulletin reports that PubMed's MeSH Browser has been updated with the 2009 MeSH vocabulary. 

This is the kind of thing that just makes my heart go pit-a-pat. 

Check out this Introduction to MeSH 2009 for details, including new, changed and deleted descriptors. They added Telenursing! And Wilderness Medicine! But not Medical Professionalism, which is what I'm writing a tutorial on. Oh well.

In other news, apparently it's a good time to be a librarian, as U.S. News and World Report has declared that it's a Best Career for 2009.

The Annoyed Librarian is annoyed about the story, feeling that it casts an overly optimistic light on a grim and dreary field, while Stephen's Lighthouse has a more upbeat take but notes that everytime he posts a positive story, people comment, "saying it's not true and their lives are awful and the world is ending." 

My initial snarky instinct was to remark that I'm certainly pleased that my decision to move to a lower-paying job right before the economy collapsed has been validated by the national media...but overall, I'm basically on the upbeat side. 

After all, I get to care about the 2009 MeSH vocabulary! Woooo! 

Clearly, I need to be in this job.