New UX Blog Posts, and at least someone's enjoying the snow (Pets of WHSLA)!

MLA's User Experience (UX) Caucus has two new blog posts that I recommend checking out, especially if you happen to be a user of APA PsycInfo in the EBSCOhost interface:

• Controlled vocabular field codes and their discontents in EBSCOhost APA PsycInfo: This post discusses the frustrating limitations of controlled vocabulary field codes in EBSCOhost's APA PsycInfo (such as the fact that "there are zero field codes that search exclusively in the Subjects field associated with the APA Thesaurus"!). 

• Mismatched MeSH in EBSCOhost APA PsycInfo: This post explains and provides examples of how MeSH terms associated with records in EBSCOhost PsycInfo don't always match those in MEDLINE.

For those that celebrate, I hope everyone had a safe holiday last week! We received quite a bit of snow over in Madison, Wisconsin. While my husband and I weren't thrilled, our Irish wolfy, Hazel, took some enjoyment from the blizzard. Below is her sitting atop her throne.

Thanks for reading, and I hope everyone has a great week!

Attend the MLA UX Caucus' FREE event: EBSCOhost Idea Exchange!

 Many (if not most) libraries have moved to the new EBSCOhost user interface. Now that you and your patrons are using it regularly for both novice and expert searching …

• Do you have questions about which features have vanished and which are just hiding from you
• Have you found solutions or workarounds for things you thought the new UI couldn’t do?
• Are you running into system errors or missing functionality?

All are welcome at the EBSCOhost Idea Exchange! Join this open forum to share your challenges and strategies. Help us compile a crowd-sourced resource matching problems to solutions, listing outstanding issues, and brainstorming enhancement requests.

Save the date: Wednesday, November 19, 2025, from 12:00 – 1:30 pm Central Time, hosted by the MLA User Experience (UX) Caucus. Zoom information is included below.

 

Topic: EBSCOhost Idea Exchange

Time: Nov 19, 2025 12:00 PM Central Time (US and Canada)

Join Zoom Meeting

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/88632776538?pwd=eDkb6o1M5MqsZnQMu5Losr30OkZ0OK.1

Meeting ID: 886 3277 6538

Passcode: uxc2025

Badgerlink Update with Jennifer Champoux: WHSLA Web Conference 23 Summary

Badgerlink is Wisconsin's online library, serving ALL citizens of Wisconsin, from school kids to college students to professionals in the workforce.   With over 60 databases in the Badgerlink collection, there's something for everyone!

At the WHSLA Web Conference 2023, Jennifer Champoux gave an overview of the health & medical databases in Badgerlink, including the following:

• AltHealth Watch (Ebsco)
• Consumer Health Complete (Ebsco)
• HealthSource Consumer (Ebsco)
• HealthSource Nursing / Academic (Ebsco)
• Medline (Ebsco)

Other general purpose databases useful for health science libraries are:

• Academic Search Premier (Ebsco)
• Business Source Premier (Ebsco)

The Learning Express Career Preparation Library was also mentioned as providing study materials for professional certification exams in the following areas (among others):

• GED
• Nursing

Check under the Allied Health Tab for:

• Dental Assisting
• Medical Assistant
• Occupational Therapy Assistant
• Pharmacy Technician Assistant
• Physical Therapy Assistant
• Physicians Assistant
• Radiologic Technologist
• Respiratory Therapy Assistant
• Social Worker
• Surgical Technologists
• Veterinary Technologist

Badgerlink Resources for Library Staff page offers links to the following:

• The Bulletin Newsletter (Subscribe to stay informed)
• Contact Badgerlink Staff
• Request FREE Training

• Getting Started
• Direct links to Badgerlink Resources that can be integrated into your own WI Library websites
• Setup Guide, along with an IP Reporting Form
• Resource Guides
• Spanish Language Resource Guide
• Health Resources Guide
• Marketing resources - Posters and bookmarks
• Training Materials - Videos, Info Sheets

Badgerlink is 25 years old!  

Watch the intro video (about 2 min.)