The NIH Public Access Policy is meant to ensure that the public has access to research that has been funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Under this policy, a paper must be submitted to the PubMed Central repository if it meets ALL of the following conditions:

1. is peer-reviewed AND
2. is accepted for publication in a journal on or after April 7, 2008 AND
3. arises from:
   1. Any direct funding (full or partial) from an NIH grant or cooperative agreement active in Fiscal Year 2008 (October 1, 2007 – September 30, 2008) or beyond, or;
   2. Any direct funding (full or partial) from an NIH contract signed on or after April 7, 2008, or;
   3. Any direct funding (full or partial) from the NIH Intramural Program, or;
   4. An NIH employee.

The policy does not apply to non-peer-reviewed materials such as correspondence, book chapters, and editorials.

Part of the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, the NIH is a major source of medical research funding in the United States. The NIH is made up of 27 institutes and centers. Authors must comply with the NIH Public Access Policy if research has been funded by any of these institutes or centers.

PubMed Central (PMC) is the NIH digital archive of free full-text biomedical and health sciences journal articles. This online repository, which offers free and unrestricted access to the public, was developed and is operated by the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI), a division of the National Library of Medicine (NLM) at the NIH. Most articles available in PubMed Central appear as citations in PubMed with direct links to the full-text article.

PubMed is a database that contains over 17 million citations and abstracts of articles from life science, medicine, veterinary medicine, and biotechnology journals. It includes some links to full text articles in PubMed Central and other locations.

PubMed Central (PMC) is an online archive of over 1 million full-text articles that are provided for free to the public. Most articles have a corresponding citation in PubMed. PMC contains additional material, such as book reviews, that are considered out of scope for PubMed.

To assist authors in securing permission for the deposit of articles into PubMed Central, Vanderbilt University provides an NIH Public Access Policy Amendment to Publication Agreement. VUMC authors funded by NIH should submit this form to journal publishers at the time of manuscript submission.

The Eskind Biomedical Library has developed an online search tool, the Journal Publisher Compliance Database, to aid researchers in finding information on a particular journal title’s compliance. A VUnetID and password are required to access the database. It is searchable by journal and or journal abbreviation.

Eskind's Journal Publisher Compliance Database covers journals in the health and biomedical sciences held by the university. The search tool will be updated on a regular basis to reflect any changes in a journal’s policy regarding NIH compliance. If a journal is not found by using the compliance search tool, use the AskELIS service on the library’s website for assistance in finding the information. The NIH website also lists journals that submit articles to PubMed Central.

The JPC database informs the user on the NIH policy compliance information for each title through one of 5 standardized messages:

1. The journal submits on behalf of authors and thus no further action is required by the author;
2. The journal publisher submits on behalf of authors to PubMed Central but the corresponding author will receive an email notification to log into the NIH Manuscript Submission System and approve the submission.
3. The journal publisher allows authors to submit their manuscript to PubMed Central but there may be special considerations and the author may need to check with the publisher directly;
4. The journal’s compliance with the NIH policy is unclear and the author may need to contact the publisher directly; and
5. The publication falls outside the scope of the NIH policy.

Use the library’s online search tool, the Journal Publisher Compliance Database to find out a particular journal’s compliance. The NIH website also lists journals that submit articles to PubMed Central.

Some publishers offer a fee-based service through which the publisher will deposit a copy of an article in PMC upon a journal’s publication. Authors who do not select this fee-based service are typically able to submit a copy of their manuscript to PMC themselves after an embargo period, often defined as 12 months after the print publication; see Eskind's list of fee options of major publishers for further details. If still unclear, the author should submit Vanderbilt’s NIH Public Access Policy Amendment to Publication Agreement at the time of their manuscript submission. Once signed by the publisher, this agreement secures the right to deposit the manuscript into PubMed Central.

The final, peer-reviewed manuscript must be deposited into PubMed Central no later than 12 months after the date of publication. Depending on the journal, the author may be required to submit the paper to PubMed Central, or the journal may submit the paper on the author’s behalf. The timing of submission may also be determined by the journal’s individual policy.

The policy requires submission of the final peer-reviewed manuscript, which is the final version of the peer-review article accepted for journal publication, including all modifications from the peer review process. This version may or may not be different from the final published article, which is the journal’s authoritative copy of the article, including all modifications from the publishing peer review process, copyediting and stylistic edits, and formatting changes. See the NIH FAQs for more information.

The NIH has a manuscript submission tool for authors, or third-party designees, to use to post a paper to PubMed Central (PMC). To deposit a manuscript, authors should follow the procedures provided on NIH’s site, consult the User's Guide (PDF format) and, if needed, use the tutorial to complete this process.

The NIH Manuscript Submission (NIHMS) process is as follows:

• Authors, or a representative, log on to the NIHMS to submit a copy of the accepted peer-reviewed manuscript and associated files (e.g., Microsoft Word document and figures).
• The submitter designates the NIH funding that supported the manuscript (use the grant number).
• The Principal Investigator (PI) of the designated funding approves the submission, and affirms that copyright allows deposit to PMC.
• The NIHMS will convert the deposited files into a standard PMC format, and will email the PI to review the PMC-formatted manuscript to make any necessary corrections and approve its release.
• The NIHMS will automatically send the article to PMC for public posting after the delay period specified during submission.

Some journals will deposit peer-reviewed manuscript files on behalf of authors, possibly charging an additional fee for this service. When this happens, authors still have to provide the associated award information, and review and approve the article. Authors will be contacted by email to complete the process.

Several log in options are available to authors to submit articles to PubMed Central through the NIH Manuscript Submission System (NIHMS):

• eRA Commons (for NIH extramural principal investigators, grantees or applicants)
• NIH Login (for intramural NIH scientists and staff)
• Wellcome Trust (for Wellcome Trust grantees and staff)
• Publishers that have registered for an NIHMS Publisher Login account
• HHMI Login (for HHMI-funded investigators)
• MyNCBI (for others)

On the NIHMS log in page, select the preferred log in method from the options listed. Each option requires a different username and password to log in. Authors or their representatives should note which option is used when adding a manuscript, and use the same one each time to avoid duplicating submissions. Once logged in, click on the green "submit new manuscript" button and click "Continue". Information needed during this process includes the journal publishing the article, the manuscript's title, the grantee's name, and the grant number. The NIHMS allows for searching by grantee name and also offers journal name completion.

Consult the User's Guide (PDF format) for more instructions in how to use the NIHMS.

PMCID, or the PubMed Central identification number, is located in the PubMed/Medline record of an article when using the abstract view. The PMCID is not the same as the PubMed Identification number (PMID). If a PubMed Central reference number is not yet available, include the NIH Manuscript Submission system reference number (NIHMS ID) instead. For more information, see the Public Access Training slide presentation (PowerPoint required).

The library’s information desk can answer questions by phone (936-1410) or by email through the AskELIS service. Please also consult the FAQs from the NIH regarding the public access policy for further assistance.

The Library does not have any Macs available to the public. Vanderbilt University has three computer labs.

Library workstations are locked down for security and safety; therefore loading of personal software is not allowed.

You can temporarily install educational software on library-provided laptops and multimedia workstation. When the computer restarts your installed programs and files will be erased.

You can temporarily save files to the workstation's desktop. These files can then be e-mailed to yourself. Files saved to the desktop will be deleted when the machine restarts.

If you are working with a library laptop, you can check out a flash drive for large files or ask for a laptop with CD burning capability. You will need to provide your own storage device: ie. floppy disk, CD, or flash drive. CDs and floppy disks are available for purchase at the Circulation Desk for $1.00 each.

You may use CDs in the library's laptops. If installation is required, the installed programs and files will be erased when the computer restarts or shuts down.

The library also offers many educational CD-ROMs that can be checked out from the Service Desk and viewed at the multimedia workstation. Ask the Library staff for assistance.

EBL's core mission includes supporting patient care, research, and education, rather than serving as a computer lab. The library provides access to Microsoft Office on laptops available for checkout and a row of four workstations located just before the study carrels on the first floor. These laptops and workstations are reserved for VUMC personnel.

The library has investigated the possibility of adding Microsoft Office applications to the public workstations (maintained by Network Computing Services (NCS)). At this time, though, adding such applications is not feasible as NCS does not provide support for the Office suite. Patrons can use an online programs with features similar to Microsoft Office, such as those offered by Google or Zoho.

Additionally, dedicated computer labs provide access to Microsoft Office suite applications. Light Hall also has a computer lab for medical student use.

Patrons may bring their own laptop and connect to the library's network. You will not have access to printing. You can access the network wirelessly or with an Ethernet cable. Vanderbilt students and staff can easily configure their computer for the wireless network by accessing the SSID site and entering their VUnet ID and password.

Yes. Ethernet jacks are located in all the study rooms and along the long study counters on the 2nd and 3rd floors.

The Library does not have a color copier. However, the library does have a Scanner Workstation located behind the Patient Information Desk. The scanner is available for VUMC primary clientele and may be scheduled using an online form. Ask the library staff for assistance.

Color copies can be made at the VUMC Copy Center, Rm. 112, Light Hall, and at Kinkos on West End Ave.

Files saved to the laptop desktops are erased at the next Restart or Shut Down. To save a file, e-mail it to yourself or use a storage device: ie. floppy disk, CD, or memory stick.

Vanderbilt alumni have access, reading, and borrowing privileges in all divisions of the Jean and Alexander Heard Library upon presentation of a valid University alumni card.

The Vanderbilt Card Office issues cards for Vanderbilt University alumni, and the Medical Center Card Office issues cards for Vanderbilt University Medical Center schools and program alumni. The Medical Center Card office is located in D-2107, Medical Center North, just inside the entrance opposite the Eskind Biomedical Library. Hours are Monday-Thursday, 8:30am-4:30pm; Friday, 10:00am-4:30pm. The office is closed for lunch from 1pm-2pm.

Alumni who come to the Library can access restricted electronic resources; no remote access is available due to licensing agreements. We have created the Alumni Digital Library to provide Vanderbilt University School of Medicine alumni access to relevant resources such as alumni services, continuing education opportunities, Vanderbilt publications, event calendars, professional associations, and library services. The Alumni Digital Library provides quick access to useful information on freely available online medical resources, such as websites on clinical trials, grants/funding, drug information, consumer health, and reference information. This site requires a user name and password. Details on obtaining a user name and password are available on the log-in screen.

The Library attempts to acquire missing journal issues in order to have a complete collection. If the library does not have the article or book that you need, it can be ordered through Document Delivery Service/InterLibrary Loan Service. You may complete a form at the Service Desk or complete the form online. If the article is determined to be missing, the requested article may be delivered to you free of charge. Be sure to indicate on the form that the article is missing or not owned by the Library.

The Eskind Biomedical Library subscribes to over 3700 electronic journals. Access to all EBL’s digital resources, including electronic journals, is available through the Eskind Digital Library . Through this portal, the quickest way to get to the title you seeking is to search the full title or the title abbreviation in the keyword search in the upper right side. Additionally, to view an alphabetic listing of electronic journals only, click the "Electronic Journals" button on the left sidebar; to view resources arranged by subject area select the "Resources by Subject" sidebar button. Other electronic journals are available through the Vanderbilt University Heard Library at their E-Journal page. All electronic journals are linked through ACORN, the library catalog.

Vanderbilt University faculty, students, and staff can access the Eskind Digital Library from any computer with an Internet connection. Most resources are available off campus as well as on campus to the current Vanderbilt community.

On campus users of the Digital Library are recognized as members of the Vanderbilt community by virtue of connecting to the Vanderbilt network. Off campus users have to "authenticate" themselves by supplying their VUNet ID and password. After completing this step, the Digital Library will recognize users as members of the Vanderbilt community.

There are two ways in which you can authenticate:

1. At the Digital Library page, click the link "Authenicate with your VUNet ID and Password" Enter your VUNet ID and password.
2. Click on any Digital Library title with a shield icon next to it and you will be prompted to supply your VUNet ID and password.

Your authentication (or log-in) lasts as long as you keep your web browser open.

Your VUnet ID and password are required to access restricted library resources from an off-campus location. Users can activate their VUnetID, change their password, or inquire about forgotten passwords on the VUnet page. If you need other assistance with your VUnetID, please contact the ITS Help Desk at 343-9999.

You may use the Eskind Library Document Delivery Service (DDS) to request a copy of any article you need. Simply request an article through the online order form which explains the procedure for ordering, the price, and the options for delivery. There is also contact information for DDS staff if you have questions regarding this service.

To avoid the purchase of low-usage journals, the Eskind Biomedical Library provides just-in-time delivery of information necessary for patient care, education, and research by subsidizing the purchase of articles not held by the VU libraries. For any material held by the VU libraries, there is a $4.00 charge. This charge is the basic amount necessary for cost recovery of staff retrieval and photocopying of these materials.

Please ensure that you have checked the following resources prior to submitting your Document Delivery Form request in order to avoid the $4.00 charge: the Eskind Digital Library, PubMed, the Heard Electronic Journals, and Acorn, the library catalog. If you need assistance searching these resources, please contact an information specialist at (936-1410).

Athena is the virtual catalog of a consortium of Nashville libraries. Patrons may search the Athena catalog in order to determine if any participating institutions have an item, and if so may set up an interlibrary loan request with their respective library.

Kudzu is very similar, only that it is a network comprised of southeastern research libraries which have agreed to share their collections with each other. Both catalogs allow Vanderbilt affiliated users access to a greater pool of resources.

An excellent resource for information about a medical condition is your primary care doctor, who can discuss your concerns and be very helpful in explaining to you and/or your family members your overall condition, treatment goals, and options. Your doctor can also be an excellent source for referrals to appropriate specialists in your area or for second opinions. As a Vanderbilt patient, your doctor can authorize a "Prescription for Information" form to be "filled" by the library. The Eskind Library's Consumer Health Digital Library is also a good place for information. It includes links to authoritative medical information from well-established organizations such as:

• MEDLINEplus
• HealthFinder
• The Merck Home Manual
• The American Academy of Family Physicians
• The American Medical Association

The Medical Library Association has a guide and a listing of the top 100 recommended consumer health websites and a list of the most useful top 10 websites.

Remote access to EBL's restricted resources requires you to authenticate yourself as currently affiliated with Vanderbilt. When connecting remotely to a restricted resource (such as Web of Science, Stat!-Ref, most electronic journals, etc.) from the Eskind Digital Library or through Acorn you will be prompted to supply your VUnet ID and password. For the rest of that browser session you will stay authenticated and be able to jump back and forth from EBL-restricted resources to Heard-restricted resources without getting prompted again for your VUnet ID and password. All you need is your VUnet ID and password -- no other special programs or configurations are needed.

However, some publishers require an additional level of security before providing access to their electronic journals. These journals may solicit users for an additional ID and password supplied to the library by the publisher or vendor (NOT your VUnet ID). In most cases, you will find these additional passwords available on the Eskind Digital Library page under the entry of the journal name.

The Library has a dedicated workstation with Horizon Expert Orders (formerly WizOrder) on it. This workstation is located on the counter of the Patient Information area across from the Service Desk.

The EBL Digital Library provides quick links to other clinical applications available at VUMC, including Starpanel, StarChart, and related e-documents. These resources can be accessed via the Clinical Applications button on the sidebar of the digital library. Library staff can assist users in locating these resources.

Within PubMed, current Vanderbilt faculty, students and staff have the ability to view many electronic journals to which the Eskind Biomedical Library subscribes. PubMed serves as a gateway to EBL online journal subscriptions, matching article citations to Vanderbilt's corresponding electronic journals.

In the example below, this journal article within Archives of General Psychiatry has three hyperlinked buttons below the citation. (This citation is shown in PubMed’s “Citation” display view.) The one at the left ("Full Text at Archives of General Psychiatry") is supplied by the journal publisher. Publisher-supplied links will not always recognize you as a Vanderbilt user.

You should chose the middle "Online Vanderbilt" icon, which links to EBL's online subscription. Selecting this link allows you to access the fulltext of the article via EBL's subscription. The button to the right, "Local Catalog" will indicate when paper versions of the journal are available.

As you know, EBL already provides a campus-wide subscription to UpToDate®. A license to enable the entire VUMC community to access this resource remotely would cost in excess of $450,000, an amount that comprises roughly 20% of the EBL's collection budget. Dedicating this much funding to a single resource would necessitate cancellation of other resources that users find equally valuable and would negatively impact the overall collection.

You can learn more about individual subscriptions at: http://www.uptodate.com/. EBL team members will continue to pressure UpToDate® to move to a more feasible financial model.

The library is always working toward purchasing electronic journal backfiles (accessibility to older volumes of journals). EBL's current backfiles include: Nature (1960-present); Lancet (1823-present); Science (1880-present); Annual Reviews (first volume of each title-present); the American Journal of Physiology (1898-present); Journal of Pathology (1982-present); Cell Press titles, Wiley Neuroscience & Medicine titles; the Clinics of North America; Blackwell titles; and Sage title. As funds at the end of the fiscal year allow, EBL always considers resource additions based on medical center priorities and user requests. As EBL’s journal subscriptions are continually being extended with the addition of backfiles, it’s best practice to search the EBL’s Digital Library for the journal title and consult the text which appears below the title indicating the coverage afforded by the subscription.

My NCBI is a service offered by PubMed. Using the free registration, the service allows you to customize your PubMed searching: saving searches, setting up e-mail alerts for new content, using the LinkOut feature, and filtering capabilities. A tutorial is also available. For more information, contact the Library at 936-1410.

The library has many opportunities for you to receive assistance. You may get brief assistance from library staff at the library service desks, or by calling 936-1410. The library offers training in MEDLINE searching as well as in other databases. See the Training Schedule linked through the Ask ELIS page.

You may also benefit from using the SearchDoc service linked from the Ask ELIS page. SearchDoc will assist you with your search strategy design as well as recommend additional, useful resources on your topic when applicable. Use of SearchDoc is restricted to current Vanderbilt faculty, students, and staff.

If you are a current Vanderbilt faculty, student, or staff, you are encouraged to see all the services available to you under the Programs button on the About Eskind page.

If you are not part of the Vanderbilt community, for research assistance please contact the Service Desk at 936-1410.

You can setup a monthly search yourself in some databases. PubMed allows you to retain search strategies and update searches through the My NCBI service. Other databases, although they may not allow saved search strategies, do allow for running searches on only the current update. Call the library, 6-1410, for more information if you wish to try setting up "current awareness searches" yourself. Please see the Ask ELIS page or the Request a Service page for all the services available to you from Eskind Biomedical Library.

When converting a medical journal abbreviation to full title or vice versa, a helpful tool to use is the Journals Database linked from the left sidebar of PubMed. The Journals database can be searched using the journal title or words from the title.

Another resource, available for download, is the List of Serials Indexed for Online Users. This list contains journals in MEDLINE as well as other serial titles.

EBL provides access to a variety of customized training materials and services through the digital library, including on-demand training classes in requestors' offices or the EBL; 24-hour Web-based instruction via the EBL Learning Site; and virtual assistance via Search Doc and BioSearch Doc.

The digital library also contains links to relevant online tutorials for major medical and bioscience resources, and library staff are currently compiling a more comprehensive list of tutorials. In addition, all library staff members are available to provide basic resource assistance during regular service hours.

There are two ways that you can recall library materials. You must have a current library record and know your social security number in order for the recall to be processed. On the Eskind Digital Library there is a box labeled If you click on this box, you will be taken to a forms page. Just look for "Recall Items."

Acorn - the library catalog will provide a direct link to "recall" an item. Go to "Request Forms" to request the recall. You can also come into the library and request the recall or call 936-1410.

There are two ways to renew a book. You must have a current library record and know your social security number in order for the renewal to be processed. On the Eskind Digital Library page you will see a box labeled Click on this box and you will be taken to a forms page. Click on the "Renew Items" link.

You also may use the "Request Forms" link on the top red bar in Acorn - the Library Catalog to access the Renewal Form. In addition, you can come into the library or call 936-1410 to request a renewal.

EBL's collection development philosophy focuses on enabling information use at the point of need. EBL provides an extensive digital library of electronic journals, books, databases and other resources, in addition to over 200,000 print volumes. To preserve biomedical history, EBL provides a unique collection of rare books, photographs and historical items in its Historical Collection, and the Medical Center Archives serves as a repository for manuscripts and institutional records that reflect the history of the medical center and the history of medicine. For more information about our collections go to the About Eskind Collections page.

The library has an online form available to make library purchase recommendations easier. The form accomodates any type of material, from books to journals to electronic resources. Complete the Suggest a Purchase form found in the Request a Service page. The library's Collection Development Team will then consider your request. If you are in the library and prefer to fill out a paper form, forms are available at any of the service desks.

Thank you for your interest in the library's collections. Contact Julia Strickland in Eskind's Technical Services area to find out about donating materials to the collection.

Yes, you are welcome to see the art exhibits in the library. Currently the library houses many Chihuly glass pieces and works by Red Grooms as well as other artists.

Your Acorn User ID usually is your Social Security Number without dashes. Your Acorn PIN is initially set as the first four digits of your Social Security Number unless you have previously changed it in Acorn.

For those in the Physician Liaison Program, your Acorn User ID is the number printed on the back of your PLP library card. Your PIN is the first four digits of your User ID.

Notes: Your password will be overwritten by your Acorn PIN periodically. Click here to retrieve your Acorn PIN. Email "document.delivery@vanderbilt.edu" or call 936-1410 for additional information.

The library's primary users are current faculty, students and staff of the Vanderbilt Medical Center, including persons involved in joint VU/VUMC programs. See Library Access and Use Policies and EBL Access Policies for access information.

To make EBL's Service Requests webpage more visible and easily accessible, the library has linked service request forms from the top portion of the Digital Library screens.

This will enable users to get to online forms more quickly for suggesting a resource purchase, placing a course reserve, renewing materials, requesting reference and searching assistance, and other services.

The administrative costs of handling cash have made providing coin-operated copy machines and accepting cash payments prohibitive.

EBL accepts credit cards, Commodore Cards, and departmental 1180s as payment. A link to the Commodore Card website is available from the Digital Library for users to add funds to their account.

We understand that users sometimes may need a quick copy of a few pages and may not have a credit or Commodore Card handy. User satisfaction is paramount to EBL staff. Staff will gladly accommodate requests to copy 2-3 pages on the staff copy machine.

EBL will continue to monitor options for copy card, printing, and document delivery payments in order to make such transactions as user friendly as possible.

First, make sure you have a browser which supports Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) connections. Both Microsoft Internet Explorer and Netscape Navigator support this protocol. Connect to: https://email.mc.vanderbilt.edu and follow the instructions. For more information, see the Questions about VUMC Email page.

VUMC Marketing is responsible for updating information in the Physician Referral Directory. Please contact the Vanderbilt University Medical Center Marketing Office at 936-0301.

Please contact the Office of Patient Affairs at (615) 322-6154.

Please contact Medical Center Communications at (615) 343-1659.

For questions about a patient bill, please call Vanderbilt Patient Accounting at (615) 936-0910. Questions about health insurance coverage should be directed to your health insurance provider first. Regarding your insurance coverage at Vanderbilt, you can call the Managed Care Services office at (615) 936-6030.

If you have an appointment with a specific physician or department, you may wish to contact them directly; the Department and Centers directory is available online.

For information about donating your body to science, contact Tennessee Donor Services at (615) 234-5265 (local) or 1-888-234-4440. For information about donating an organ to Vanderbilt, contact the Anatomical Donation Program at Vanderbilt at (615) 322-7948. Vanderbilt does not purchase organs.

Please call Patient Information at (615) 322-1000.

Look for information on the Vanderbilt University Medical Center website. On the left side of the screen, you will find a list of links for patients and visitors that lead to information on Vanderbilt clinics, services, and physicians.

To contact a particular department or center, use the information found in the alphabetical list of departments and centers.

Search for physicians by department or name through the Physician Referral Directory. If you need additional help finding a Vanderbilt physician, call the Vanderbilt Physician Referral Service directly at (615) 343-4444.

Current contact information for all Vanderbilt staff can be found using People Finder.

Current happenings at Vanderbilt Medical Center can be found in the VUMC Reporter medical calendar or the university calendar. You can also contact Vanderbilt News & Public Affairs directly.

You may also call the VUMC General Information line at (615) 322-5000 to have your call directed to the proper office.

The Vanderbilt University Medical Center is active in research and therefore supports many clinical trials. The Vanderbilt Clinical Trials Center is the site for comprehensive information on active trials at Vanderbilt. At this site, information can be selected for patients, investigators or sponsors.

Other information can be found on specific department or center sites, such as the Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center and the Department of Urologic Surgery.

For more information assistance, if you are a current Vanderbilt faculty, student, or staff, you are encouraged to see the Research Informatics Consult Service page for all the research services available to you. You may seek assistance with your topic by calling 936-1410.