ITM Library Newsletter September 2023
13/09/2023
A new academic year, a new librarian, a new newsletter
On July 1st, 2023, after 37 years (24 of which as head of the library), Dirk Schoonbaert retired as ITM librarian. The library landscape has changed dramatically over the past 40 years with the advent of new technologies, changing user expectations, increasing importance of digital over physical resources and the evolving role of the library in general. Under Dirk’s leadership and with his expertise, the ITM Library has successfully surmounted these challenges and solidified its reputation as a distinguished and widely recognised source of information in the field of biomedical sciences and tropical medicine.
We want to thank Dirk for all the accomplishments and contributions he has made during his tenure. It’s abundantly clear that Dirk’s dedication and hard work have left an indelible mark on the ITM library and ITM as a whole.
With Eva Nijs as the newly appointed librarian, the ITM Library remains committed to addressing the current and forthcoming challenges encountered by (medical) libraries. It will steadfastly uphold its mission to preserve and disseminate information, while consistently delivering high quality services, support and (remote) access to its extensive wealth of resources.
For the time being, access to the library collection and its institutional subscriptions remains unchanged: access continues to be facilitated through IP authentication and if you are attempting to access library resources from outside the ITM sites, a VPN connection to the ITM network is required. The library opening hours remain consistent, operating from 8:30 AM to 5:00 PM (Please note that temporary closures may occur in case of understaffing).
Help Shape ITM Library’s Future!
We are committed to providing the best possible library experience for everyone who walks through our doors. We believe one of the ways to achieve this lies in your feedback and insights. Therefore, we want to invite each and every one of you, whether you are a staff member, an external visitor or a student, to take a moment to share your thoughts, ideas and suggestions on how we can enhance our library services and our library website. Your experiences in the library, expectations and ideas for improvement are invaluable in helping us shape the future of our library!
How to share your feedback?: reach out to us via e-mail (bib@itg.be) or fill out a feedback form available at the library desk. Your input is much appreciated!
Did You Know?
- That ITM Library is a member of the VVBAD Flemish Libraries network? Our new librarian Eva will be attending the “Informatie Aan Zee” conference in October to gain valuable insights into the ever-evolving library landscape.
- That ITM Library is a key depository for 152 journal titles? This includes Bulletin de la Société de Pathologie Exotique, with holdings dating back to as early as 1908!
- That you can use the free browser extension Unpaywall to read full-text Open Access scholarly articles and research papers? The extension is available for Google Chrome and Mozilla Firefox and automatically checks webpages for open access versions of academic articles. So handy!
- That you can use BrowZine to create your own e-library of your favourite journals and receive alerts when new content is published? Through the integration with LibKey, you can also read full-text issues of the journals in your BrowZine e-library! A convenient way to stay up to date!
- That former ITM colleague Kristien Wynants is currently working as a volunteer helping to organise our library storage? Feel free to pop by the library on Wednesdays and Thursdays to come say hi 😊
- That you can make suggestions for the acquisition of new (e-)books to complete/enhance the library’s collection?
Thank you!
We hope to see you in the library soon.
ITM Library
Eva Nijs (enijs@itg.be) & Nic Peeters (docdel@itg.be)
