AORN library offers wide variety of services, information

AORN Journal, Dec, 2002

Do you have a paper or presentation to prepare for school, for publication, or for a professional meeting? Are you trying to stay abreast of new literature on a specific topic? The AORN Center for Library Services and Archives houses a unique collection of approximately 5,500 books, 400 audiovisuals, and 450 journal titles, as well as archival materials covering a wide variety of topics, from nursing and surgery to OR management, infection control, health care technology, and nursing history. Experienced librarians use this collection, along with a vast array of online databases and other resources, to meet your information, research, and education needs.

Library services are available to AORN members, as well as other health care professionals, students, attorneys, business and industry personnel, and other libraries. Some necessarily involve a fee, with discounts offered to AORN members.

* Reference service. Library information specialists answer basic factual questions free of charge using readily available sources or provide referrals to other resources.

* Instruction in accessing information and on-line searching. Call the reference librarians for individualized instruction. They are happy to walk you through a search over the telephone.

* Literature search service. For more complex questions, a research service is available. A search printout--sent by mail, fax, or e-mail--provides a list of references.

* Journal article copy service. The library provides single copies of journal articles in compliance with copyright guidelines.

* LOANSOME DOC article ordering service. Those who search MEDLINE using the National Library of Medicine's PubMed or Gateway databases may use the LOANSOME DOC feature to order articles by registering with the AORN library. Librarians can teach you how to search these databases.

* CINAHLdirect service. The CINAHL database is the Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature, including indexing for SSM. Individuals may search the database by subscribing to CINAHLdirect through the AORN web site.

* Archives. The library maintains a unique and growing collection of archival materials related to the history of AORN. Donations are welcome and can include surgical equipment or instruments; nursing caps or pins; nursing books; old editions of AORN's Standards, Recommended Practices, and Guidelines or other AORN publications; labeled photographs; videotapes; and memorabilia.

* Thesis collection. The library maintains a collection of theses, dissertations, and research papers related to perioperative nursing. The complete list is available online at http://www.aorn.org/library. Donations to the collection are welcome.

* Online catalog. Visit IMPULSE at http://library .uchsc.edu to search the library's collection. If you find titles of interest, you may obtain them through your local library on interlibrary loan.

Make the AORN library your first choice for timely information. To contact the library, call (800) 755-2676 x 314 or (303) 755-6304 x 314; fax to (303) 368-4460; or send an e-mail to library@aorn.org.