Origin of PICO

There was a question at the info desk about when the first time the term PICO was coined, so the author could use the reference in a systematic review footnote. The usual reference for the birth of PICO seems to be this:

Sackett DL, Richardson WS, Rosenberg W, Haynes RB (1997). Evidence-based medicine: How to practice and teach EBM. New York: Churchill Livingston.

However, see http://jama.ama-assn.org/cgi/reprint/270/17/2093 for the first discussion of the ideas. The terms were then solidified in Richardson WS, Wilson MC, Nishikawa J, Hayward RS. "The Well Built Clinical question" ACP J Club. 1995 Nov-Dec;123(3):A12-3. The authors don't coin the acronym PICO but use all the words. (We don't have an online copy at U of T but someone on the web put up a scan here: http://www.mclibrary.duke.edu/subject/ebm/richardson.pdf )

Alternatives to UpToDate

Q: Which alternatives should we recommend when students/faculty come in looking for UpToDate?

A: ACP PIER and Clinical Evidence are two great tools which are actually updated more frequently than UpToDate. They are useful diagnostic and point-of-care tools, providing evidence-based guidance for practitioners.

MLA citations no longer require URLS to be included.

MLA citations no longer require URLS to be included.
http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2009/03/11/mla

"...the MLA has ceased to recommend inclusion of URLs in citing Web-based works – unless the instructor requires it or a reader would likely be unable to locate the source otherwise. “Inclusion of URLs has proved to have limited value… for they often change, can be specific to a subscriber or a session of use, and can be so long and complex that typing them into a browser is cumbersome and prone to transcription errors. Readers are now more likely to find resources on the Web by searching for titles and authors' names than by typing URLs,” states the handbook."

Astronomy Library Services

A reminder that the Astronomy library doesn't serve undergraduate students, so they should not be referred over to them. They serve their department faculty and researchers, as well as graduate students from other faculties by appointment only.

FYI
The Astronomy library does not use SIRSI, all of their materials are signed out using cards!

Bill Changer Claim Forms

If the Bill changer eats a users' money or gives incorrect change, patrons should fill out the 'Bill Changer Claim Form' held at the Loan Services Desk. Contact Peter Gurney for information or to locate the forms.

T-Card Claim Forms

T-Card Claim Forms are issued from the Loan Services Desk when a Visitor Card is not dispensed by the Cash to Card machine or when a patron has deposited funds that are not added to card.

Patrons fill in the form and leave it with staff at the Loan Services desk. The Library's Business Office at Robarts Library follows up on the claim.

Staff Pre-loaded Print Card

The staff print card is located in the printer cabinet behind the information desk. It is preloaded with money by the library. This card is never given to patrons; staff must accompany the patron and use the card to print their materials for them. Remember to return the card to the printer cabinet when finished with it. If the balance is low, please report to Jeff Heeney.

Vouchers

Vouchers aka “Gerstein Public Printer Voucher for Missing/Defective Print Jobs”

Vouchers are issued when a patron uses their T-card or a Visitor card to print, and payment is subtracted from the chip on their card but the machine does not print/photocopy, or does so but the print/photocopy is damaged or illegible.

Vouchers are filled out at the Information Desk by desk staff, indicating the number of pages lost. Having a voucher allows a patron to approach the Information Desk at a later date and ask that a print/photocopy job be printed at a public printer by a staff member using the staff print card in the printer cabinet. When issuing a voucher, please inform the patron that are only to be claimed at Gerstein (i.e. patrons cannot take these to the Info Commons or Robarts to get print jobs). This is purely an internal Gerstein procedure.

Card Flagged Error Message

If a users’ card is showing the error message ‘Card Flagged’ when they try to print or photocopy, they should be instructed to go to the last machine where the card worked, and reinsert the card into that machine. This should remove the flag.

If they cannot remember which machine to go to, or if this does not remove the ‘flag’ they should be instructed to go to the T Card office (2nd Floor Robarts) to have the card unflagged.

Courtesy Printing Cards

Courtesy cards, vouchers and the Gerstein Staff Print card are all stored in the locked black printer cabinet behind the Information desk.

‘Courtesy cards’ are visitor cards which are held at the desk for the use of one-time visitors to the library when they have only a few pages to print. If the user is photocopying, they can be directed to the coin-operated machine and the change machine if they do not have coins.

If someone comes to the desk and asks for one of these ‘Courtesy cards’ they are likely not a one-time user and should be instructed to purchase a visitor card. Desk staff should use their discretion as to when the card can be borrowed by a patron.

When the courtesy cards are loaned out, the staff member must request a piece of identification from the person borrowing the card, which will be returned when the card is brought back to the desk. Staff should lock the ID into the black printer cabinet to keep it secure for the patron. If your desk shift is ending, let the next person who comes out know that the ID is being held in the cabinet for a visitor.

When lending these cards, the staff member should tell the patron that any funds left on the card will not be refunded, and to only load the card with the amount needed to cover the cost of printing.

2009 Toronto Notes

2 copies of the 2009 Toronto notes are on their way to Gerstein, to the STL room.
If a patron needs them immediately, they can be purchased at the Bookstore.