BioMed Central Launches Biology Image Library

BioMed Central Launches Biology Image Library Online Resource for Biological Images will aid in Research and Education

BioMed Central today announced the launch of Biology Image Library, an online resource that provides access to over 11,000 carefully selected biology-related images. This is the latest service from BioMed Central, part of the Science Navigation Group of companies which was also responsible for the creation of images.MD, a popular medical image resource.

The Library is a new subscription-based service offering access to an annotated selection of high-quality biological images, movies, illustrations and animations. Subscribers may make royalty-free use of images in the collection for research and educational purposes, while commercial usage rights will be available for an additional fee.

"Biology Image Library will be an invaluable resource for biological researchers and educators" said Matthew Cockerill, Publisher, BioMed Central. "Researchers often maintain their own collections of useful images, but until now there has been no easy way for others to find them. By annotating the best images, making them searchable and accessible, and licensing them to allow convenient reuse, Biology Image Library will help academics and other biologists to illustrate their work and to create eye-catching presentations and course material."

Biology Image Library gives researchers, teachers and students an easy way to find and download high-quality visual material. All content comes from sources that are peer-reviewed by academic editors prior to publication online, so researchers can be sure that the images are scientifically reliable. Subjects covered include developmental biology, histology & pathology, immunology, microbiology & parasitology, molecular & cellular biology, neuroscience and plant biology.

The Biology Image Library is continuously working to expand its collection of images. Potential contributors should email:
info@biologyimagelibrary.com or see
http://www.biologyimagelibrary.com/contribute for more information.

To view Biology Image Library and register for a free trial, visit http://www.biologyimagelibrary.com.

New Open Access Journal

Open access publisher BioMed Central, US, has announced the launch of a new open access journal, Journal of Biological Engineering (JBE). Dr Mark Riley, Associate Professor at the University of Arizona’s Department of Agricultural & Biosystems Engineering, will serve as the journal’s Editor-in-Chief. He will be supported by an expert Editorial Board.

The official publication of the Institute of Biological Engineering, the Journal of Biological Engineering will cover all aspects of biological engineering. The journal seeks to provide a forum for topics that address the basic questions that unify all applications of biological engineering.

Articles in JBE are listed in PubMed and archived at PubMed Central. JBE manuscripts will integrate engineering with life sciences to generate new quantitative methods, models, and information. The journal invites manuscript submissions that address theoretical and applied approaches to design, optimise, and use biological systems ranging in scale from molecules, cells, organisms, to ecosystems.

WRS -- National Chemistry Week Blog

The National Chemistry Week Blog is live. Check it out for lots of chemistry-related information.

WRS: WorldWideScience.org

From GCN:

"A new portal that crosses both international and database boundaries was launched recently for people interested in scientific sources that are unavailable through commercial search engines such as Google.

WorldWideScience.org was developed by the Energy Department and the British Library, along with science and technology organizations in Australia, Brazil, Canada, Denmark, France, Germany, Japan and the Netherlands. It employs federated search technology — a search method that simultaneously executes a query against an array of databases, then aggregates and ranks the results — and gives users a single entry point for searching far-flung science portals in parallel with only one query.

“Scientific research results are archived globally in a plethora of sources, many unknown and unreachable through [the] usual search engines,” said Raymond Orbach, Energy’s undersecretary for science. “This international partnership will open up this vast reservoir of knowledge in a rapid and convenient manner, something that will add great value to our existing knowledge.”

WorldWideScience.org follows the model of Science.gov, the searchable portal for science databases of federal science agencies. WorldWideScience.org was developed and is maintained by Energy’s Office of Scientific and Technical Information, which also played a central role in the development of Science.gov. The participating countries contributed databases that can be searched through the portal."

WRS -- Nursing and Allied Health Source

LSU Libraries has just subscribed to a new database from ProQuest: Nursing and Allied Health Source.

ProQuest Nursing & Allied Health Source provides users with reliable healthcare information covering nursing, allied health, alternative and complementary medicine, and much more. This versatile database is designed to meet the needs of researchers at healthcare facilities as well as nursing and allied health programs at academic institutions. ProQuest Nursing & Allied Health Source provides abstracting and indexing for more than 650 titles, with over 580 titles in full-text.

WRS -- Science Resources from the University at Albany

The Science Library at the University at Albany publishes a blog similar to this one, with information on new and useful science resources online. Although some of the information is specific to Albany, much of it is not, and may be useful to you. Consider adding it to your RSS feeds.

Bioenergy Blog

"The Bioenergy Blog is devoted to the identification and promotion of key primary and secondary/tertiary literature relating to biorenewable fuels, most notably bioethanol and biodiesel.

It will focus on the technical aspects and technologies associated with the production of these fuels, as well as other bio-based fuels.

It will seek to identify significant monographs as well as conference proceedings, dissertations and theses, reports and other grey literature, as well as popular works and relevant digital sources, notably DVDs and significant Websites. Select major review articles will also be profiled.

With proper support, it is hoped that the major publications and presentations cited in The Bioenergy Blog will be compiled into a Web-based annotated bibliography."

WRS -- Encyclopedia of Earth

The Encyclopedia of Earth is an open-access encyclopedia of topics in the biological and earth sciences, with articles written by reliable professionals in their fields, but aimed at a non-technical audience. The Encyclopedia is free and fully searchable.

The homepage includes a featured article, as well as a biography on a featured contributor, country profile, featured ecosystem, and a featured "classic" paper in environmentalism. The content can be browsed as well as searched by title of article, author, or topic.

The Encyclopedia also offers RSS feeds which alert users to new articles, new featured articles, and new revisions of older articles.

WRS: arXiv

arXiv is an archive of full text journal articles in the areas of physics, mathematics, and computer science.

The mathematics arXiv was formed from a number of smaller mathematical archives, with some in the arXiv system and some elsewhere, at the beginning of 1998. The system as a whole has over 200,000 articles in physics, over 20,000 in mathematics, and over 2,000 in computer science. The ultimate goal is to distribute all new research literature in all three disciplines worldwide, to store it permanently, and to keep it freely available.

Avian Literature Database

This week's resource shows just how specified some of the bibliographic resources out there can get. The Avian Literature Database from the National Renewable Energy Laboratory provides access to information on the effect of wind energy development on birds.

WRS -- Know Your Copyrights

The Association of Research Libraries has launched a new site http://www.knowyourcopyrights.org/ to provide a concise guide to teaching faculty on exactly how copyright law affects the classroom. This is a great resource, so check it out.

WRS -- Macaulay Library Sound and Video Catalog

From http://www.animalbehaviorarchive.org/:


"The Macaulay Library is the world's largest archive of animal sounds.We have more than 160,000 recordings of 67 percent of the world's birds, and rapidly increasing holdings of insects, fish, frogs, and mammals."

These recordings, as well as selected video recordings of animal behavior, are available to be listened to or watched free on the site. Really great place to go if you've ever wondered just what a particular animal sounds like in the wild.

WRS -- CQ Researcher

CQ Researcher is a unique resource in that it presents material in a very different way from most databases. CQ Researcher profiles a single "issue" every week. While many of these issues are political in nature, quite a few are relevant to the sciences, including Global Warming, Stem Cell Research, Fishing Rights, Environmental Policy, Evolution vs. Creationism, and others.

For each issue profiled, CQ Researcher provides a historical overview of the topic, essays defending all sides of the issue written by experts in the field, an explanation of the current status of the issue in the US and worldwide, and links to related topics. Most profiles include useful information such as a chronology of events relating to the issue, maps (where appropriate), and statistical data in the form of charts or graphs.

But by far the most useful aspect of CQ Researcher is the footnotes and bibliography sections. For each issue profiled, a glance at the footnotes and bibliography attached will provide the researcher with plethora of sources from which to begin investigating the issue more deeply. CQ Researcher is particularly ideal as a starting point for lower-level students writing term papers.

WRS -- Plant Management Network

The LSU Libraries recently joined the Plant Management Network (please see the description below). In order to access this resource, visit the LSU Libraries home page, click on "Indexes and Databases" (listed under "Research Tools"), select "P" (listed under databases by title), and scroll down to the "Plant Management Network".

The Plant Management Network offers an online suite of applied science information, including four fully citable peer-reviewed journals, field trials, and databases, which contain an ever-growing collection of more than 5,000 applied plant and agricultural science documents and 2,800 images. A not-for-profit online resource supported by partners and subscribers, PMN provides an ideal medium for anyone interested in applied agricultural information.

Resources include access to: Crop Management Journal, Plant Health Progress Journal, Forage and Grazing Lands Journal, Applied Turfgrass Science Journal, PMN Image Collections, PMN Plant Science Database, PMN Education and Training Center, Fungacide and Nematicide, Arthropod Management Tests, and Biological and Cultural Tests for Control of Plant Diseases. Additional benefits include: Page Charge-Free Publication in PMN Peer-Reviewed Journals, Complimentary Personal Subscriptions for All Institutional Faculty, Students, and Staff, Inclusion of Institutional Web-Based Documents in PMN Searchable Database, and Representation through the PMN Advisory Council.

WRS -- Food Science and Technology Abstracts

Food Science and Technology Abstracts – FSTA - is the essential source of
information on food science, food technology, and human nutrition for
professionals working in the food sector at all stages of the food
manufacturing cycle.

Specialist scientists from the International Food Information Service
(IFIS) extract the food-relevant information from the original literature
to form concise, comprehensive summaries. This provides a quick and easy
way for busy food professionals to keep up with new developments and
research in the food community. Source publications include journals,
books, proceedings, reports, theses, standards, and legislation. FSTA
covers the Literature from 1969 to present, and includes over 700,000
records. FSTA is available as part of Web of Knowledge interface and the
LSU Libraries list of indexes and databases.

WRS -- Native Flora of Louisiana

This week's resource is our very own Native Flora of Louisiana -- Watercolor drawings by Margaret Stones from the LOUISiana Digital Library.

The collection consists of images of watercolor drawings by botanical artist Margaret Stones of the native plants of Louisiana. Each image includes common name, scientific name, taxonomy, description, and information on the specimen pictured.

WRS -- Scopus

We have trial access to Scopus scientific database through the end of September. Please give it a try and let me know if you think it is something the library should look into purchasing. Scopus is similar to Web of Science in coverage, and also contains a citation tracker.

WRS -- MedicalPhysicsWeb

MedicalPhysicsWeb is a collection of resources in medical physics, including opinion columns, information on current research, journal articles, industry news, and links to relevant corporations and associations. Some of the material requires registration to view, but registration is free. Also features a weekly "What's New" email newsletter.

WRS -- Ingenta

Ingenta is a document delivery service. For articles or papers that the library does not own but are contained in Ingenta, you can request a .pdf or fax of the material within 48 hours. LSU Libraries will subsidize the cost up to $40 per article.
For those of you who use Ingenta as a document delivery service, there is a new interface here: http://lsu.library.ingentaconnect.com/. You should find it a little easier to use than the last incarnation.

For those who need a refresher on accessing Ingenta here is a copy of the instruction sheet:

Accessing Ingenta: Instruction Sheet

(For any questions or additional information see the Interlibrary Borrowing web page (http://www.lib.lsu.edu/lib/ilb/ ) or call (225) 578-2138.

• Finding your way to the Louisiana State University Gateway Logon Screen:
• From the LSU Libraries homepage (http://www.lib.lsu.edu/), click on the Ingenta link under Services.
• Navigate through the subsequent connection/authentication pages - if you are connecting to the LSU Ingenta gateway from off campus, you are required to demonstrate your university affiliation by entering your 17-digit Tiger Card ID Number and your PIN.
• After authentication/connection to the gateway, you arrive at the Logon Screen
• Logging in to the Louisiana State University Ingenta Gateway:
• University Faculty, Research Staff, and Graduate Students are able to create User IDs and Passwords for use in logging into the Ingenta gateway. At any time after you create a User ID and Password and forget either, you can retrieve this information by clicking the "forgot your password?" link on the Logon Screen.
• New users have two options for creating User IDs and Passwords:
• Creating a User ID and Password by entering your 17-digit Tiger Card ID Number:
• Enter your 17-digit Tiger Card ID Number in the field on the Logon page that asks for it specifically.
• Once you are recognized as a Faculty member, Research Staff, or Graduate Student, you will be taken to a registration page where you can create a User ID and Password for using the LSU Ingenta Gateway.
• Now that you have a User ID and Password, you can login to the gateway from the Logon Page - your profile is saved and your User ID is now, already, connected to our Patrons Deposit Account, which is used to subsidize your Ingenta purchases (up to $40 per article).
• If your ID Number is not recognized by Ingenta, then you should register for a User ID and Password by clicking the Register button on the Logon Page. Some users' IDs are not recognized at the beginning of a semester, before new patron information is sent to Ingenta.
• Creating a User ID and Password by registering as a new user:
• Click the Register button on the Logon Page to complete the registration form; the only difference between registering by clicking the Register button and registering by entering your 17-digit Tiger Card ID number is that you will not be connected to the Patrons Deposit Account if you register by clicking the Register button.
• Therefore, after completing this form and selecting a User ID and Password, send an email to Gayle Campbell at libilb@lsu.edu with your User ID and Password, telling her that you are a new user and would like to be connected to the Patrons Deposit Account.
• She will connect your profile to the account, which is used to subsidize your Ingenta purchases (up to $40 per article).
• You can always use your User ID and Password, once you have them, to login to the LSU Ingenta Gateway, and you should always use your original User ID - if you create a second User ID, it will not be connected to the Patrons Deposit Account and your article purchases will not be subsidized by LSU Libraries.

WRS -- Middleton Library Subject Guides

Sorry for the break folks -- but we're back!

Today I'd like to draw your attention to the subject guides on the Middleton Library homepage (http://www.lib.lsu.edu/). Under "Research Tools", click on "Subject Guides", and then on "Science". There are subject guides for Biochemistry, Biology, Chemistry, Coastal Sciences, Entomology, and Pharmacology.

Each page is different, but contains information on reference books and web resources within the scope of the subject matter. If you have suggestions for improvements to the pages or resources for inclusion, please contact me at jryan1@lsu.edu.