Staff Portal

The Laptop Librarian Program started in 2008 as a way for librarians to help members of the NCIF/FNL community where they work.  During each Laptop Librarian session, the Librarian brings a laptop to specified buildings, on and off base, to answer questions about Library resources and services.  As a result of the pandemic, this service transitioned temporarily to a virtual format with Librarians sending weekly or monthly e-mails tailored to the research of a particular lab or directorate.

Alan Doss, Chemical Sciences Informationist, is the most experienced Laptop Librarian, as he has continued to serve specific groups from the beginning of the service. Before the pandemic, he visited Building 539 and provided information services on site every Tuesday afternoon.  He has stayed in contact with staff from the Molecular Histopathology Laboratory and Center for Advanced Preclinical Research (CAPR) in their new location in Building 469 each week via email since March 2020.

Matt Stirling, Biosciences Informationist, has served as the Laptop Librarian for the Clinical Monitoring Research Program Directorate (CMRPD) since July 2021.  He compiles a monthly e-mail communication for this group containing links to literature and key industry articles which correspond to clinical research topics and their various project and study needs.  Since establishing the service, users in CMRPD have told Matt how helpful it is to have access to such articles from multiple publications in one place, and how convenient it has been that the communications often point towards other Scientific Library services such as the upcoming agenda of training classes which can also be heard on-demand via the Library’s channel on Microsoft Stream. Matt has also presented to CMRPD’s management team and to medical writers on how they can effectively leverage the Library’s resources and services.    

Tracie Frederick, Library Director, is the Laptop Librarian for the Vaccine, Immunity, and Cancer Directorate (VICD), connecting with them in June 2021. She sends monthly e-mail messages with links to recent relevant research items and highlights of Library services and classes. The group has also given her time in two of their monthly all team meetings to present an overview of Library resources.  As a result of these communications, VICD staff have contacted Tracie to assist with specific information needs.

If your group would like to see what a Laptop Librarian can do for you, please contact the Library, and we will work with you to provide timely information and training relevant to your research needs.

LIBRARY ORIENTATION

Library Orientation sessions are held monthly via Webex.  We invite all employees to attend these sessions to learn about the many services and resources offered by the Library.  Registration is not required.

If you are not able to make it to our scheduled webinars, our librarians can work with your schedule to provide one-on-one training at your convenience via Webex or Microsoft Teams.  For questions, or if you have a suggestion for a class offering, please contact us with your thoughts.

UPCOMING DATES AND TIMES:

Wednesday, April 13, 11:00 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.

Tuesday, May 10, 10:00 a.m. – 10:30 a.m.

Thursday, June 16, 2:30 p.m. – 3:00 p.m.          

RESOURCE TRAINING

The Library’s instruction team is pleased to announce that the Spring 2022 Resource Training Schedule is available on the Library’s Orientations and Classes website.  Class dates and descriptions are also linked on the Events Calendar.  Announcements & Webex meeting links will be sent on the NCIF community listservs. 

CLINICALTRIALS.GOV: SEARCHING FOR CLINICAL STUDIES

Thursday, May 26, 11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.

NOTE: All Library Instruction during Spring 2022 will be given via Webex webinars. 

Natural Medicines is a database of curated peer-reviewed sources about dietary supplements and alternative therapies. It includes an interaction checker and safety ratings, as well as information about commercial supplements.  To access Natural Medicines off-site, visit the Library’s website, click the Off-Site Access link at the top of the page to log in and find Natural Medicines on the Library’s Databases List. 

RESOURCE OF THE MONTH WEBINARS

Each month the Library will feature a different resource and offer a 30-minute webinar to provide more information.  Watch for announcements about the resources highlighted in 2022 or contact the Library for more information:

APRIL – DICTIONARY OF NATURAL PRODUCTS

The Dictionary of Natural Products contains exhaustive natural products information abstracted from the scientific literature.  Search this database by structure, chemical name, or other identifier to learn more about a specific product, or search by type of compound, biological use, development status or other concept to explore a relevant list of natural products and access useful information for each, such as physical and chemical properties, biological source, synthesis, derivatives, toxicity and more.

Thursday, April 28, 3:00 p.m. – 3:30 p.m.

MAY – SCOPUS

Scopus helps you find relevant and authoritative research from 240 disciplines.  This resource allows you to identify experts and access reliable data, metrics, and analytical tools.

Tuesday, May 24, 10:00 a.m. – 10:30 a.m.

JUNE – PUBMED CENTRAL AND NIH PUBLIC ACCESS

PubMed Central (PMC) is a free full-text archive of biomedical and life sciences journal literature at the NIH’s National Library of Medicine.  Learn about requirements and guidelines for submitting peer-reviewed journal manuscripts to PMC and how the Public Access Policy helps the NIH to oversee the effective dissemination of taxpayer funded research.

Thursday, June 23, 11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.

The American Library Association has declared April 3-9, 2022 as National Library Week with the theme “Connect with Your Library.” The Scientific Library offers many ways to get connected to books, databases, journals, and other resources. And of course, libraries also connect communities to helpful library staff, and to each other. Here are just a few ways you can connect with the Scientific Library.

Chat with Us
You can reach out to Library staff via chat from the comfort of your workspace. Have a question? Message a Librarian! Simply open a new chat window in Microsoft Teams and type a staff member’s name to get started chatting (find our staff directory here).  You can also contact the Library via email at NCIFredLibrary@mail.nih.gov or by phone at 301-846-1093.

Visit Our Pop-Up Library Cart

Although our annual Book Swap is on hiatus, we don’t want to leave you empty-handed! The Pop-Up Library Cart is stationed outside of the Library in Building 549 and is loaded with a variety of books from past Book Swaps for your leisure reading. Drop by the cart to see if there is anything that piques your interest, and feel free to leave a book for the next visiting reader.  There is no need to return these items, and they are free of charge.

Leave Us Feedback
The work you do carries on the mission of NCI at Frederick and helps the community move forward. Library staff are grateful to be a part of that work, and we want to know how we can best support you.

What is your experience with the Library so far? How can we make your experience with us even better? If you can take a moment and give us some feedback, we would appreciate the opportunity to learn what works, what you would like us to have, or what we can do differently. Please find our suggestion form on our homepage, and linked here.

Please visit the Library’s homepage or contact us to find out more about how we can connect with and help you.  

It is part of the Scientific Library’s mission to provide a collection that is relevant to your research and work. Your recommendations are welcome for books or journals that would be helpful to have available.  Please submit information about suggested titles using our online form, and they will be considered for purchase as funds are available in the Library’s budget.

The Scientific Library is eager to assist in your research needs – no matter how big or small the request, we are here to support you.

Contacting us is easy and can be done at the comfort of your workspace. Whether you use Microsoft Teams, the Webex app or prefer to just call on the phone, we are ready to service you in the format you are most comfortable using. 

Not sure which staff member to contact?  Check out our Staff Directory for email addresses and phone numbers for all staff. 

Or if you prefer, simply send an email to the main Scientific Library email and provide us with a brief description of your needs.  One of our expert staff will be in touch to assist you.

We are happy to help and look forward to hearing from you soon!