By Any Other Name

The Krafty Librarian highlights an NLM Technical Bulletin announcing that PubMed Central is changing its name to PMC (which is what we all called it for short anyway).

I agree with her that I don't think this is really going to solve the problem of people confusing PubMed Central with PubMed, to whatever extent this is a problem, since PMC on its own is unlikely to really mean anything to most people, but whatever.

The problem of me continuing to call it PubMed Central when talking about it in classes will also be a tough one to solve. Sorry, NLM. Old habits and all.

Vids These Days

The Krafty Librarian notes that NLM now has a YouTube channel. It features health information, contest-winning videos like "Fastest Librarian in the West," and information on events and exhibits.

I'm not especially well connected to the online video world, because I usually can't be bothered to stop reading long enough to watch something. I usually have blog posts and stuff I'm reading when I'm puttering around online, and if I click a video link, I'll have to stop!

It usually takes Felicia Day and The Guild to get me to play video.

But I know a lot of people are very fond of these moving pictures, so good on NLM for providing no-doubt-valuable information in this popular format.

Usefulness Applies

The Krafty Librarian points out that the winners of NLM's app contest have been announced. They help with gene lists, anatomy study, data visualization, searching the NLM collection, and searching biomedical literature.

I'll have to check them out! As soon as I get a smartphone.

NLM: So With It

From the NLM Announces listserv, I learn that NLM can now be followed and fanned on both Twitter and Facebook.

I'm naturally all over that. I shall frolic in the 21st century with the nation's medical library! It's bound to be super nifty.

I see also that this evening's episode of House is about a sick blogger who may be sharing too much with her legions of followers, thus jeopardizing her relationship with her real-life partner. 

Drama! 

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Chirps of Health Info

News from NLM's New Files email that MedlinePlus is now on Twitter, providing links to consumer health information to the info-hungry masses.

Mmm...delicious information.

That makes me wonder: do you normally hunger or thirst for information? Maybe it's different for different kinds of information.

Let's say you hunger for hearty, detailed information, such as might be located by ongoing research, while you thirst for more self-contained gulps of knowledge. Ready-reference questions and such.

So have I stated it, and so it shall be.

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Aww, Shucks

We get a whole month?

Well, I for one am deeply moved. In fact, I move we have a giant month-long party to celebrate this National Medical Librarians Month.

I'm late getting on this bandwagon since already an entire day has passed without me ringing any bells, tooting any horns, unleashing any enthusiastic shouts from within the hushed stacks, or popping any champagne corks, but I'm confident I can make up for lost time.

Join me! 

Just a minute here while I finish the latest round of hacking coughs.