RACGP Library Services for COCA Members

COCA members have access to a package of electronic information services through the Library of the RACGP. Services include an electronic current awareness service and access to the Library’s on-line journals and eBooks. Other services such as literature searches, document delivery and distance borrowing are available to COCA members on a discounted fee for service basis.

The monthly current awareness service, also known as the electronic Table of Contents or eTOC service, is available to all COCA members who choose this option when registering for access to the Library and who provide a current email address. The contents pages of specially selected journal titles, currently available to the Library online, are emailed each month. The titles currently included are:

• American Family Physician
• Annals of Internal Medicine
• Chiropractic Journal
• Journal of Hand Surgery
• Journal of Nutrition
• Journal of Rehabilitation
• Journal of Rehabilitation Research and Development
• Journal of the American Chiropractic Association
• Journal of the Canadian Chiropractic Association
• JAMA
• Lancet
• Nutrition in Clinical Practice
• Occupational and Environmental Medicine
• Occupational Health & Safety
• Occupational Medicine
• Pediatrics
• Physician and Sports Medicine
• Physiotherapy Research International
• Topics in Clinical Chiropractic

COCA members can then access the full text of any articles in which they are interested by going to the Library’s online journal database. This requires a login using the username and password allocated at registration. COCA members are requested to access the database through a specially designated portal (each Library user group has its own portal). A “Publication Search” can be performed by entering the journal title in the search box, selecting the appropriate issue, scrolling through the articles and choosing a suitable format from the options given. Articles can then be either printed or emailed to user’s email address.

COCA members can also search over 1000 leading health and medical journals contained in the online journal database for articles on particular subjects. Subject searches can be performed using the database’s search facility or the customised version of PubMed which links through to the Library’s online full text journal content. Guidance on how to do this can be found in powerpoint format at: http://www.racgp.org.au/document.asp?id=11020, which is one of our short guides to using the online library services “Using the members only database section”.

COCA members can also access the Library’s new collection of electronic books, or eBooks. In order to fully access the eBook collection users need to be registered to use the College website and then create their own personal netLibrary account. Details of how to register, create accounts and use netLibrary can be found on the RACGP website at http://www.racgp.org.au/folder.asp?id=962. Initially 100 titles have been selected including titles such as Statistics at Square Two: Understanding Modern Statistical Applications by MJ Campbell; Bone and Joint Future edited by Anthony Woolf and Evidence Based Sports Medicine edited by D MacAuley and Tom M Best. A full list of titles can be found on the website and all titles have been added to the Library’s web based catalogue.

Because an eBook is a digital file each is fully text searchable users are able to search for words or phrases within one eBook or across all the eBooks in the collection to locate quickly the information needed. Additional features include an embedded dictionary which includes colour graphics and audio pronunciation; an eBookshelf which allows users to return to favourite titles; and a notes area which enables text specific notes to be saved for future use. Pages may be copied or printed within limits set by the copyright protection software.

Users have a number of options for viewing the eBooks:

• Browsing: The full text of an eBook may be browsed for approximately 15 minutes without logging on or checking out the eBook; if a period of inactivity is detected the system’s software withdraws access, otherwise a further session is allowed.
  
  
• Borrowing (Checkout): eBooks can be borrowed or checked out and read online. When the check out time expires the eBook is automatically ‘returned’ to the Library. The checkout period is currently twelve hours across the entire collection but this may change in the future to respond to continuously monitored of usage levels and user feedback.
  
  
• Downloading: Some of the eBooks can be downloaded for offline reading on PCs and PDAs. Those which offer this feature list this option alongside the Checkout for 12 hours option in the “econtent” list of viewing choices. To set up the offline reader the software for version 6 of the Adobe Acrobat reader needs to be installed and the digital rights management software activated. Once done this process does not need to be repeated. Full instructions on how to do this can be found at: http://www.racgp.org.au/document.asp?id=12842 or the library staff will be happy to assist users to access the eBook collection, the offline reader or any of our other resources. Contact the Library on (03) 8699 0519 or library@racgp.org.au and the library staff will be happy to assist you.

If any COCA members experience any difficulties accessing the Library’s resources please contact the library staff and we’ll be happy to assist. Phone us on (03) 8699 0519 or email us at library@racgp.org.au.