Medical Library Forum

Reports on the Wrocław Medical University (WMU) Library staff's Erasmus+ trips in the academic year 2021/2022 (Faro - Portugal, Sassari - Italy)

2023-11-25T07:51:01+00:00

The Authors presented accounts of two trips under the international Erasmus+ programme. One was a Staff Week for librarians organized at the libraries of the University of Algarve in Faro, Portugal, held on 20-24 June 2022. The other was a study trip to selected units of the university library system at Sassari, Italy. Both events provided an excellent opportunity for librarians from Europe, representing libraries of different types and with different characteristics, to share their experiences. In addition, they made it possible to network and get inspired by solutions used in other libraries. The accounts were supplemented with the Authors' observations and conclusions about participation in the programme.

Edinburgh Diamond: growing a library-based Open Access hosting service

2023-11-24T10:45:22+00:00

University libraries are becoming increasingly involved in Open Access (OA) publishing. Edinburgh Diamond, a service situated within Edinburgh University Library, supports the publication of academic and student-led Diamond OA journals and books. This article outlines the development of Edinburgh Diamond, from concept to development, from launching a journal hosting service to launching a book hosting service, and from policy-making to rebranding. It addresses the three main challenges – sustainable growth, accessibility and quality – and considers solutions before reviewing Edinburgh Diamond’s plans for the future.

Implementation of the open access concept in medical libraries as exemplified by the UMedical Reports series

2023-11-24T10:55:48+00:00

One of the initiatives at the Medical University of Łódź promoting the open access concept is publishing the UMedical Reports (UMR) series of monographs. This project stands out on a national scale due to the series’ unique profile. Three Information and Library Centre (CIB) librarians are actively involved in the publishing process. This study aims to explore the publishing activity of medical libraries in the context of Open Access and to compare the UMR publishing initiative with similar projects in Poland and worldwide. The comparative method was used to examine the activities of medical libraries and the UMR publishing series in the context of Open Access policy. A diagnostic interview was conducted to thoroughly analyse the genesis and current activities of UMR. UMR publishing activities to date were also evaluated using SWOT heuristic analysis, taking into account findings from the interview with the editor’s secretary. Analysis of activities conducted by medical academic libraries worldwide and in Poland showed that many foreign institutions conduct similar activities, but materials on biomedical topics are not often published by libraries, which underscores the unique character of the UMR series. A detailed analysis of UMR activities to date facilitated identification of areas requiring improvement, as well as highlighting valuable aspects of the project.

The problem of visibility of equal authorship in biomedical journals. A literature review and own research

2023-11-25T07:09:21+00:00

The paper is a narrative literature review - an introduction to the increasingly popular practice of declaring equal contributions to a publication by two or more authors. It discusses the problem of insufficient visibility of equal author designations in the context of a scientist’s career development, reputation building and name recognition in the community. The review has been supplemented by the authors’ own research and reflection.

Integrated ecosystem of university information systems – a case study of the University of Łódź

2023-11-25T07:31:11+00:00

Public universities are institutions whose scale and peculiar characteristics pose numerous difficulties for individuals and teams that implement broadly understood digitalisation. Building a fully integrated information system that provides convenient and efficient support for all key processes is a special challenge. Experience from the work carried out at the University of Łódź demonstrates that this goal can be achieved by creating an integrated IT ecosystem, which is a hybrid solution comprising interoperating domain-specific IT systems and services. This article describes the underlying assumptions and certain aspects of the work on the fully customised, secure and convenient solution developed at the University of Łódź.

Online self-learning opportunities for librarians

2023-11-25T07:43:57+00:00

Today, it is necessary to constantly improve one’s competence and broaden one’s knowledge due to the dynamic changes occurring in almost all areas of life. It is well illustrated by the growing popularity of the concept of lifelong learning. This article aims to indicate the development opportunities offered to librarians by new technologies. The websites which enable self-learning have been presented on the basis of the author’s experience with e-learning. The sources presented are available in Polish or English, mostly free of charge, and allow participants to obtain a certificate. The article focuses on websites which offer remote courses and, in particular, platforms with massive open online courses (MOOC). What is emphasised in the text’s conclusions is the role of strong motivation and time managements skills being the factors necessary for effective online self-learning.