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About GaIN
The Georgia Interactive Network (GaIN) for Medical Information is a non-profit,
university-based electronic health care information network. Centered
at the Mercer University School of Medicine (MUSM)
in Macon, Georgia, GaIN was established in 1983 with a National Library
of Medicine grant. It is an interactive network offering a wide range
of information services to member health care institutions.
GaIN is also a partner and collaborator in many statewide educational,
health care and information access programs.
For more information, you may download a brochure about GaIN services [Updated 3/07 - PDF format] or call 800-425-GaIN (4246), or e-mail your questions to: gain.info@gain.mercer.edu.
- Purpose. GaIN provides medical information via computer directly
to the health professional who needs the information. Members
may access the network through the website (http://gain.mercer.edu).
- Membership. GaIN membership is open to health care institutions in Georgia (e.g. hospitals, private practices, clinics, public health departments).
- Online Products & Services. Via the Web, GaIN members
can:
- access full-text textbooks and journals via MD Consult®,
STAT!Ref® and EBSCO databases;
- view full-text online medical journals;
- stay up to date with regularly-updated literature alerts in a
variety of specialty areas;
- view the collective online catalog of the member institutional
libraries; and
- request reference and document delivery services.
- Member & Network Services. GaIN members also have access
to the staff and services of Mercer University
School of Medicine Medical Library and Learning Resources Center.
Reference, document delivery, training, cataloging, journal listing,
library automation, computer support, publications, continuing education
credit, and other services are available to meet the needs of the individual
health care professional or the institution. Free educational programs aimed at
increasing computer literacy are available to all members, as well as
a toll-free help line.
- Regular meetings combined with educational
workshops directed at librarians and other information managers are
offered as well as help with library management activities. Site visits
are also provided. Note that GaIN's services satisfy many JCAHO
requirements for "knowledge-based information sources"
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SERVICES
GaIN offers a wide range of information services to health care institutions. In addition
to online network products and services, members also have access to
the staff and services of Mercer University
School of Medicine Medical Library and Learning Resources Center.
Online Products & Services
- Databases. Members may do their own searches on a
variety of databases. An electronic document delivery form makes requesting
materials an easy option.
- Current Literature Alerts. Quality-filtered alerts to the
current literature in a variety of disciplines are listed in a quickly
available format. Subject areas include general medicine, family practice,
nursing, complementary & alternative medicine, education, ethics & research, rural health, surgery, psychiatry,
healthcare standards and recommendations, emergency
medicine/critical care, geriatrics, marriage
& family therapy, oncology, OB/GYN, pediatrics, public health, and rural health.
- Online Catalog. Records for books, journals and other materials
housed in the MUSM collection and the GaIN institutional library collections
can be found in MEDCAT, an electronic catalog of resources available
within the GaIN network. Members may request loans electronically or
by fax.
Member & Network Services
- Reference. Library staff are available to answer both quick
and complex questions, verify citations or perform searches on over
300 computer databases. Requests for help may be made in person or by
phone, fax or e-mail. Standard fees are charged according to the user's
affiliation with MUSM and are billed quarterly.
- Document Delivery. Photocopies of materials owned by MUSM
or other libraries are available to GaIN members. This service is provided
within the guidelines of the copyright law. Standard fees are charged
according to the user's affiliation with MUSM and are billed quarterly.
Library staff can also help GaIN libraries locate materials not available
in the network through OCLC (the Online Computer Library Center), a
national database of book and journal holdings of major academic, public
and special libraries throughout the United States.
- Training & Educational Programs. Free classes
are offered at MUSM to teach all members how to use the GaIN system
and the Internet. Members may request classes through the GaIN web site.
Twice a year, workshops designed for the Institutional Site Contacts
are offered at the Spring and Fall GaIN Meetings in Macon. In addition,
computer technology and library management topics are periodically taught
around the state. Institutional members also receive an annual site
visit at which their specific GaIN training or library consultation
needs can be addressed. On-site GaIN demos are also available to current
or prospective institutional members. Library staff are available to
teach specific topics to groups on a cost recovery basis. Continuing
education credit for GaIN-sponsored training and educational programs
is available for GaIN participants.
- Cataloging. Centralized cataloging is available to Institutional
members to maintain the online catalog of holdings of the GaIN network
libraries, promote resource sharing, and enhance each collection's usage
by making it accessible to its borrowers through remote searching capabilities.
In addition to a searchable database, cataloging products (i.e., catalog
cards and book processing packets) are provided and a machine readable
archive is maintained of each library's holdings. Contact GaIN Program
office for quote: gain.info@gain.mercer.edu
or 800-425-GAIN (4246).
- Computer and Systems Support. Library staff are available
to help GaIN users with any access problems they may experience or
questions they may have. A toll-free number is available for users.
- Publications.
Fact Sheets addressing current issues of general interest are published
on an as needed basis. Syllabi for specific GaIN-sponsored computer
classes are provided for participants. The GaIN Union List of Serials
is published every year and copies are made available to GaIN libraries
for a nominal fee.
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MEMBERSHIP
GaIN membership is open to health care institutions in Georgia.
All members have 24-hour per day access
to GaIN electronic resources.
- Institutional Membership Benefits
- Online access to medical textbooks and journals
- Document delivery service*
- Literature searches and reference help*
- CE credit for site contacts and others through Mercer University
Office of Extended Education for all educational offerings, events,
workshops, on-site training
- Help with library management activities, i.e., cataloging, journal
listing, library automation
- Annual site visits and cost-benefit reports of using GaIN network
- Bi-annual site contact meetings, educational workshops and newsletters
* - additional fees may apply.
- Membership Fees
- Based on institutional profile including bed size, number of health
care professionals and other statistics. Contact GaIN Program office
for quote gain.info@gain.mercer.edu
or 800-425-GAIN (4246).
- Optional:
- Cataloging profile for OCLC $100
- Library Automation: Contact GaIN Program office for quote gain.info@gain.mercer.edu
or 800-425-GaIN (4246)
- Additional Services (Billed Quarterly)
- Computer literature searches performed by MUSM Reference
- Photocopies of journal articles or ILLs
- FAX charges
- Cataloging service through MUSM
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MUSM MEMBERSHIP APPLICATION
Faculty, staff, and students of Mercer University School of Medicine, please complete a membership application for your free GaIN access.
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