Best Bytes – SlideSpeech
Posted on | November 1, 2012 | No Comments
Contributed by Louisa Verma, MLIS, Medical Librarian & Electronic Content Specialist, Huntington Memorial Hospital, Pasadena
SlideSpeech.com puts an interesting twist to your PowerPoint slides by utilizing text-to-speech technology to automatically read the speaker notes of each slide. With SlideSpeech, a simple slide presentation can become a video or screen capture tutorial with the ease of typing out what you want to say.
Because Internet Explorer does not support HTML5, use the latest versions of Firefox or Chrome to utilize SlideSpeech’s text-to-speech technology (IE10, out in October, plans to support HTML5). A workaround is to download your SlideSpeech presentation as a video (.avi) file and upload to YouTube. Downloading the presentation as a video can be accomplished under the [Share] options for each presentation. A share URL and embed code for each presentation is also available.
In the examples below, both YouTube and SlideSpeech versions are made available so that you can see an example of how both work. Remember to use Firefox or Google Chrome to access the SlideSpeech URLs.
While SlideSpeech automatically interprets the pronunciation of the text, one quickly realizes what non-native speakers of English already know: how inconsistent English pronunciation can be! Consider the pronunciation of the present and past tense of “to read.” In some sentences, SlideSpeech will handle the pronunciation incorrectly (see Example 1) and may require some creative phonetic spelling (see Example 2).
Speech Synthesis Markup Language (http://www.w3.org/TR/speech-synthesis/#S3.1.1) can be used to create breaks in the text, adjust the speech speed, pitch and word emphasis among other elements, however, not every “voice” will recognize the markup. There is a Moodle presentation by John Graves, the founder of SlideSpeech, on best practices for SlideSpeech presentations and some tips for using SSML at: http://slidespeech.site11.com (click the [Login as guest] button to get into the module.) I tried some of the SSML markup suggested in the module but not knowing enough about SSML, or perhaps due to other factors, I wasn’t able to get it to work on my presentations.
I should also note that SlideSpeech is still in its prototype, beta phase. It delivers about 70% of what it promises and can be a bit buggy. Future developments will hopefully fix some of the awkwardness. For instance, any slide for which there is no text in the notes field is skipped in the presentation. That said, I think it can still be a useful alternative, especially if you find yourself tongue-tied or tongue-twisted during screen capture recordings!
Even without using SSML, one can alter the text-to-speech inaccuracies by adding spaces within words, spelling phonetically or rewriting text to phrases that the technology can pronounce better. For example, MDConsult is read more precisely by the system when typed with spaces, e.g. M D Con sult. I’ve also found that adding quotes around words or phrases makes the system pause and emphasize a bit before reading. It may take several renditions before getting to a presentation that is read to your satisfaction.
Nonetheless, I can think of a variety of ways SlideSpeech might be useful: presenting to special populations such as the visually impaired or young children, promoting library services (see Example 3), providing longer tutorials (see Example 4) or simply as an alternative or co-existing option to a text brochure. Since no special equipment (e.g. microphones, audio/video recorders) or software is needed, it is an inexpensive way to create tutorials for your users, and, one that even the librarian who is shy about hearing his or her own voice might be willing to use. With mobile devices on the rise, the SlideSpeech app (available for Apple, Android and Windows devices) will make your presentation viewable on a mobile device as well.
Example 1: Read/Read Mispronunciation
SlideSpeech URL: http://slidespeech.com/s/eXEXJ1nken/ (press play/pause button at top to start)
YouTube URL: http://youtu.be/8uH-QkrHTHs
Example 2: Read/Read Corrected Pronunciation
SlideSpeech URL: http://slidespeech.com/s/aONk9THven/ (press play/pause button at top to start)
YouTube URL: http://youtu.be/hwMzmMDHxVg
Example 3: Library Promotion
SlideSpeech URL: http://slidespeech.com/s/hwOwHY04en/ (press play/pause button at top to start)
YouTube URL: http://youtu.be/_ILjnh1B1_0
Example 4: MDConsult/FirstConsult presentation (6 min)
SlideSpeech URL: http://slidespeech.com/s/pqMdBMGhen/ (press play/pause button at top to start)
YouTube URL: http://youtu.be/9-SdbOYidmg
Register for MLGSCA Fall CE!
Posted on | October 1, 2012 | No Comments
MLGSCA Fall CE: Monday, October 15, 2012
Clinical & Translational Science at Your Institution
Presented by: Kristi L. Holmes (Bioinformaticist) and Cathy Sarli (Scholarly Communications Specialist) from the Becker Medical Library at Washington University in St. Louis, MO
View Event Summary
RSVP by Friday, October 5, 2012
Questions? Contact CE Chair, Zoe Pettway Unno at zoe.y.pettway-unno@kp.org
Following the CE, there will be a Business Meeting from 1:45-3:00pm (PDT). Attend the Business Meeting via MegaMeeting (URL will be emailed to listserv several days before meeting). You need not register for the CE to attend the Business Meeting.
Scholarship Opportunity – Medical Library Association (MLA) Scholarship
Posted on | September 24, 2012 | No Comments
The MLA Scholarship provides up to $5,000 to a student who shows excellence in scholarship and potential for accomplishment in health sciences librarianship. The scholarship will be granted to a student who is entering a Masters’ program at an ALA-accredited library school or who has yet to finish at least one half of the program’s requirements in the year following the granting of the scholarship. Applicants must be citizens of or have permanent residence in either the United States or Canada.
The deadline for applications is December 1. See http://www.mlanet.org/awards/grants for the application and additional information. If you have questions, contact Sharon Leslie, AHIP, jury chair, at sleslie@gsu.edu.
Best Bytes: Automate your online life (and maybe your research) with IFTTT
Posted on | September 14, 2012 | No Comments
Contributed by Janet A. Crum, Director, Library Services, City of Hope
Have you ever wished that you could make one online system talk to another? Wouldn’t it be great if the pictures you posted to Facebook automatically appeared in Flickr? If someone’s tweets could be saved automatically in a Google document? Or wouldn’t it be great if you could have a personal assistant text you the weather, tell you when someone posts something in the free section on Craigslist, or call you to remind you to take out the trash? Or give you a massage every afternoon? OK, forget that last one, but IFTTT can do the rest—and a whole lot more.
IFTTT, pronounced like “Lift” without the “L,” is an acronym for, “If this, then that.” It allows you to connect different online services (called “channels” in IFTTT lingo) using “recipes,” a set of instructions that boil down to If this (something happens in one channel), then that (do something in another channel).
With 51 channels and thousands of recipes, the possibilities are nearly endless. Here are a few examples of things you can have IFTTT do:
- Tweet your Facebook status updates
- Text you today’s weather forecast and current conditions
- Give you a wakeup call at a certain time on certain days of the week
- Email you if tomorrow’s weather forecast calls for rain
- Email you when Amazon announces free books
- Save your tweets, LinkedIn posts, or Facebook status updates to Google Drive or Evernote
- Save favorites (tweets, YouTube videos, etc.) to Google Drive
- Save each new item in an RSS feed to a spreadsheet in Google Drive
Channels are available for most commonly-used sites, including Blogger, Craigslist, Delicious, Dropbox, Evernote, Facebook, Flickr, Foursquare, Google apps (GMail, Calendar, Google Drive, Google Reader, etc.), Instagram, LinkedIn, Twitter, WordPress, and YouTube. There are also channels for commonly-used services like SMS, phone calls, email, RSS feeds, and stock prices.
Sound complicated? It isn’t. IFTTT’s simple web interface makes the process easy–no programming skills required. Plus, in most cases, someone will have created a recipe you can either use as is or modify slightly. Let’s walk through an example:
Problem: I share lots of links on Facebook, but it’s a pain to browse through my Timeline to find them again. So, I want any link I share on Facebook to be saved in Delicious, which is where I keep track of my bookmarks.
Solution:
1. Type “delicious facebook” in the search box to get a list of all saved recipes that use these two services.
2. Click on the recipe you’re interested in, and you will see a screen like this:
If you haven’t already done so, you’ll be prompted to activate the Facebook and Delicious triggers by entering your account information and authorizing IFTTT to use the services on your behalf.
3. Scroll down to review/edit the action:
In the example above, you can edit the tags and notes, and you can also insert “ingredients” associated with Facebook (a/k/a data IFTTT can grab from Facebook) by selecting them from the dropdown menu to the right.
4. When you have everything the way you want it, click Use Recipe.
That’s it! Now whenever I share a link on Facebook, it will be added to Delicious with the tags ifttt and facebook attached and a note that includes the message I posted on Facebook and the date I posted it.
OK, that’s clever, but do you really care about saving stuff from Facebook to Delicious? Maybe not, but IFTTT could be a useful research tool too, both for us librarians and for our users. For example, it can compile information from any RSS feed into a file on Dropbox or Evernote or enter it into a spreadsheet on Google Drive. Since most Web 2.0 sites offer a variety of RSS feeds, you could log all sorts of activity: news headlines, search results, the contents of someone’s Twitter feed, all tweets associated with a particular hashtag, etc. You (or your researcher) could search or browse this information later—a convenient way to keep up with the latest developments in a field or industry or track and save Twitter conversations at a conference (just grab the feed for the conference hashtag).
So, go play with IFTTT! And after you do that, please leave a comment with your ideas for how librarians can use IFTTT in their work. Let’s learn from each other!
For more information
Ekart, D.F. (2012, May). ifttt: If This, Then What? Computers in Libraries 32, 36-37.
Green, G. (2012, April 11). Using “if this then that” (ifttt) for information sharing [blog post]. Retrieved from http://web.freepint.com/go/features/68221
New to MLGSCA: Jill Crussemeyer
Posted on | September 3, 2012 | 1 Comment
New to MLGSCA
Welcome Jill Crussemeyer! A new member to MLGSCA. I have known Jill since 2006 when we worked together at a competitive intelligence company. She recently joined MLGSCA and I interviewed her to introduce everyone to our new member.
What was your first professional position?
My first paid professional position was working in competitive intelligence. It was a challenging position as it required not only knowing medical terms but also understanding how to search business and general information databases.
What is your current position?
I just finished a 6 month temporary part-time position as a Medical Librarian at Long Beach Memorial Hospital. Since the school year has started, I’m back in the classroom at CSULB teaching biomechanics related courses and still searching for a library position.
What is your education?
I have a B.S. degree in Biology, a M.S. degree in exercise science (biomechanics/exercise physiology), and a Ph.D. in exercise science (biomechanics/sports medicine) to go along with my MLIS degree.
What do you Find Most Interesting about your current position?
In my heart, I am an educator and I enjoy helping others learn how to take information and then use it to generate knowledge. I believe librarians are in a unique position to be the ones that can show students how to find information, assess the credibility of that information, and then show how to use that information in the student’s given field of study.
What has been your biggest professional challenge?
My biggest professional challenge has been finding the right library position that fits my skillset and goals. I’m hoping as the profession continues to emphasize education there will be an opportunity.
How did you become interested in medical librarianship?
I’ve always been interested in medical information and it was during my Ph.D. program that I noticed the other doctoral students and my advisors asking me to find research articles because they couldn’t figure out how to use the old MEDLINE (dummy terminal timeframe). Years later a colleague asked me to find some information for him. I became so absorbed in the task that I completely lost track of time and it made me remember how much I enjoyed searching for information. I started my application for the San Jose State Library program the next day.
What was your background before becoming a medical librarian?
Educator/researcher. I did do some bench science research as an undergraduate working with radioactive iodine and cancer cells. I was responsible for finding all the literature for those projects too.
What do you think is the most interesting issue in librarianship today?
For me there are 2 interesting issues/challenges. One is the rapid development of technology and trying to stay ahead (or afloat). It is important for librarians to understand what technologies are available and maybe even more importantly which technologies are being used by their students/clients. The second issue is the “information overload” that everyone is subjected to and trying to help people figure out what information is important and credible.
What advice would you give to new MLA members/new librarians?
Hang in there and continue to develop your skills. I finished my MLIS degree in 2005 and I’m still looking for that elusive job. I consistently attend local meetings and participate in educational workshops.
What are your future goals/plans?
I know what I want to do but the challenge is finding the correct path to get me there. I know I want to educate health professionals so that they can make the best clinical decision based on the best evidence using the best technology available. Unfortunately this position may not be in a library setting so I am searching to see what other paths may lead to the same outcome.
Symposium on Emerging Roles in Libraries
Posted on | August 28, 2012 | No Comments
A Symposium on Emerging Roles in Libraries will be held at the Ecotrust Building in Portland on Friday, October 12, 2012. It will include a variety of speakers, including Stephen Bell, president of the Association of College and Research Libraries (ACRL) , and Jerry Perry, past president of the Medical Library Association (MLA). Topics included will be e-science, distance education, the electronic medical record, data management, and content management.
More information is available at http://pnc-mla.cloverpad.org/emergingrolessymposium. The Symposium is free to all members of the Pacific Northwest Chapter of the Medical Library Association (PNC/MLA) and MLA. There will be a charge of $50 for registrants who are not members of PNC or MLA. You can register for the Symposium and continuing education (CE) at http://pnc-mla.cloverpad.org/emergingrolessymposium .
The Symposium is funded by the National Library of Medicine under Contract No. HHS-N-276-2011-00008-C with the University of Washington.
A reception, sponsored by PNC/MLA, will follow the Symposium.
There will be CE opportunities on Saturday, October 13th. Information about the classes is available at http://pnc-mla.cloverpad.org/continuingeducation2012.
There is not a conference hotel, but hotel information is available at http://pnc-mla.cloverpad.org/emergingroles_hotels. Note that a number of the hotels have an Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU) rate. There is also a link to a Google map with the hotels and the Ecotrust building listed.
If you have questions, feel free to contact any one of the organizers listed at http://pnc-mla.cloverpad.org/symposium_and_ce .
Job Opportunity: Health Sciences Librarian, Arizona State University
Posted on | August 24, 2012 | No Comments
Arizona State University Libraries, Downtown Phoenix Campus Library has a position open for a Health Sciences Librarian. For more information, please see the announcement and ASU Libraries website link below.
Health Sciences Librarian
Downtown Phoenix Campus Library
Arizona State University Libraries
The Arizona State University Libraries seeks applicant for a Health Sciences Librarian assigned to the Downtown Phoenix campus Library. This is a full-time continuing appointment track Academic Professional position, Assistant or Associate rank, depending on experience. For complete application and qualification requirements, please visit the ASU Libraries website at: http://lib.asu.edu/Employment/acadprof
Application deadline is September 14, 2012; if not filled, applications will be reviewed weekly thereafter until the search is closed.
Hiring is contingent upon eligibility to work in the United States. A background check is required for employment.
ASU is an EO/AA employer and actively seeks diversity among applicants and promotes a diverse workforce. See the Statement at https://www.asu.edu/titleIX/
Feedback for MLA Roundtables Committee
Posted on | August 16, 2012 | No Comments
The MLA Roundtables Committee needs your help to ensure that the topics for next year are again pertinent and interesting. Please take a few minutes to complete an online survey regarding possible topics for the Roundtables event at MLA ’13 in Boston, MA. Your feedback is important, and remember we will have an international attendance with a theme of One Health. Please complete the survey by September 17, 2012.
For further information, please contact Becky McKay (rlmckay@library.tamu.edu ) or Tim Mason (tim.mason@unthsc.edu).
Job Opportunity: Information Specialist, USC Norris Medical Library
Posted on | August 15, 2012 | No Comments
USC Norris Medical Library is seeking applicants for the following position:
The Information Specialist position engages actively with the faculty and staff of the medical school to develop and evaluate curriculum-based instruction and assignments in medical information retrieval and evidence-based medicine. The librarian must be experienced in the use of emerging technologies and will instruct faculty and students on the use of devices and software. This position collaborates with other Information Specialists in the Education and Research Services Division of the library to provide reference and consultation services and workshop instruction to the USC Health Sciences community.
Responsibilities:
- – Oversee library’s educational program for the Keck School of Medicine including the development and evaluation of course content, support materials and assignments. Works closely with faculty to integrate relevant library instruction at all appropriate points in the curriculum.
- – Participate in Keck School of Medicine Curriculum Committee meetings and provide faculty workshops on the use of new and emerging technologies.
- – Provide reference and consultation services to faculty, staff and students of the Health Sciences Campus.
- – Serve on library and campus-wide committees in support of innovation and improvement of services.
- – Participate in scholarly, professional, and service activities that enhance education and library programs.
Minimum Qualifications:
- – Masters from an ALA-accredited program or equivalent degree
- – Minimum 1 year of professional library experience in an academic health sciences library
- – Knowledge of adult learning principles and experience in providing in-person or online instruction.
- – Experience using health science information resources and conducting literature searches.
- – Experience and facility with using current and emerging technologies.
- – Excellent oral and written communication skills
- – Ability to work collaboratively in a team environment.
- – Demonstrated initiative and ability to manage multiple projects.
Preferred Qualifications:
- – Three or more years of professional library experience providing reference and education services in an academic health sciences library
For more information, visit http://jobs.usc.edu/applicants/Central?quickFind=65953.
2013 MLGSCA/NCNLMG Joint Meeting Update
Posted on | August 9, 2012 | No Comments
Submitted by Robert Johnson, USC Norris Medical Library
I can’t believe it’s already August! In just under 1 year, many of us will be in La Jolla enjoying the 2013 MLGSCA/NCNMLG Joint Meeting! The theme for this meeting is “Waves of Change, Oceans of Opportunity!” The only way this meeting will be any better is if you decide to get involved! Volunteer to help by contacting one of the committee chairs below! With your expertise and energy, our July meeting in La Jolla is sure to be great!
See you in La Jolla!
Posters: Rebecca Birr/Kathy Zeblisky
Papers: Annie Hughes
Speakers: Lisa Federer
Continuing Education: Kathleen Carlson/Lisa Marks
Web site: Jin Wu
Publicity/Printing: Amy Chatfield
Finance: Ellen Aaronson
Facilities: Mary Wickline & Meeting Co-Chairs
Evaluation: Sue Espe/Yamila El-Khayat
Round Table Sharing: Marsha Kmec
Hospitality: Naomi Broering/Paul Bielman
Exhibits (vendors): Mike Kronenfeld
Registration: Andrea Harrow/Belen Thornfield
Co-Chairs for the meeting are Danielle Linden, Nita Mailander, and Robert Johnson
The 2013 Joint Meeting will be held on the University of California, San Diego Price Center from July 24-27, 2013! See you there!
Best Bytes – PDF Converters
Posted on | August 1, 2012 | 1 Comment
Contributed by Andrea Harrow, MLS, Medical Librarian/CME & IRB Coordinator, Good Samaritan Hospital, Los Angeles
Many of you savvy librarians are probably already using a PDF converter. Just in case you are not, I wanted to share this recommendation with you. Rather than cutting and pasting information into a Word doc, I convert text into a PDF. This is best achieved when there is an option to print as the formatting has been optimized.
There are numerous free programs out there if you search on “converting to PDF”. I had my IS Dept download cutePDF.com on all the library computers. You can also get converter programs to convert PDFs to Word. Now when the content my subscribed database delivers has full-text but does not supply a PDF, I can click the print option and save it as a PDF myself.
My other favorite use for this tool is when saving Pubmed search results to send to a patron. Everyone has their preferred method of sending Pubmed search results. Since I get most of my search requests by email, I like to reply to those and attach what I can find including a list of Pubmed search results. Cutting and pasting from Pubmed into a Word doc can make for an unevenly formatted mess. I get the best formatting results by using the Pubmed Display Settings and selecting Abstract(text). I then save as a PDF in the print options. And, because you are sending a PDF, your patron will most likely be able to open it.
Welcome to the new MLGSCA Leadership!
Posted on | July 31, 2012 | No Comments
Welcome to the new leadership of MLGSCA for 2012-2013, and a big thank you to all who volunteered! Your MLGSCA committee chairs and officers are:
Officers:
- President: Emily Brennan (to be succeeded by Mary White)
- Past President: Rebecca Birr
- Secretary: April Aquinaga
- Treasurer: Elisa Cortez
Committee Chairs:
- Awards Committee: Laura Stubblefield
- Blog Committee: Lisa Federer
- President-Elect, CE/Program Committee: Mary White (successor to be determined)
- Connections Committee: Wendy Yoshioka and Kathleen Smith
- Electronic Information Resources Committee: Janet Crum
- Exchange Committee: Monique Liston
- Finance Committee: Kathy Zeblisky and Ellen Aaronson
- Government Relations/By-Laws Committee: Judy Kraemer
- Membership Committee: Lori Tagawa and Sondhaya Sritongsook
- Professional Issues Committee: Lisa Marks
- Public Relations Committee: Sherrill Olsen
- Research Committee: Debra Schneider
- Web Committee: Jin Wu and Andrea Lynch
- Archivist: Marsha Kmec
- NN/LM PSR Advisory Committee Representative: Irene Lovas
- Internal Auditor: Deborah Klein
- MLA Chapter Council Representative: Alan Carr
- MLA Chapter Council Representative Alternate: Kathleen Carlson
- MLA Credentialing Committee Liaison (AHIP): Kathy Zeblisky
- Nominating Committee: Janet Crum, Kay Deeney, Molly Harrington, Andrea Harrow, and Rebecca Birr
Editor’s note: The version of this list as originally posted contained some errors that were corrected on July 31, 2012. Apologies for any confusion this may have caused.