ABOUT THE LIBRARY

The AIMC Berkeley Library is here to serve your needs for further information. Under normal operating conditions, it is a place to read, study, access resources and computers, as well as relax between classes. Our Library Director and Reference Librarian is Patricia Ward, and she can be reached at pward@aimc.edu with any questions. The librarian is available to offer specialized group and individual assistance and instruction in research using both online and print resources.

Library Open Hours

Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday 10am-4pm

AIMC Library online catalog (OPAC): http://opac.libraryworld.com/opac/home
User ID: AIMC LIBRARY (Password not necessary)

To borrow books from the library, you can browse the open shelves or search our collection in the online catalog. You do not need to bring your student ID to check out books in person. You may also request materials for pick-up, even outside Library hours, if the campus is open. Email the titles of such requests to the Library Director, Patricia Ward, with your check-out requests: pward@aimc.edu. Please allow at least 24 hours turnaround.

LIBRARY RESOURCES

PRINTING & SCANNING

The AIMC Library has a self-service printer/copier/scanner available for student use. Library staff can also print out documents or class materials for pick-up. There is a ten cent per page fee for printing and copying, to be paid with exact change. Limited scan-to-email service by staff is available, which can be useful to distance students at the beginning of term for reading assignments while you are awaiting the delivery of your purchased textbooks. There is no fee for this service. Email your printing and scanning requests to Patricia Ward: pward@aimc.edu

Online Resources

• Alt HealthWatch database: This alternative health research database focuses on the many perspectives of complementary, holistic and integrated approaches to health care and wellness.AIMC subscribes to this database, which is a good place to start your research. Contact Patricia for login information. .
• TRIP Pro Database AIMC subscribes to the pro level of the TRIP database (Turning Research into Practice). This database of medical research will support your evidence informed clinical practice. The pro level provides greater access to research than the free level. Contact librarian Patricia Ward for information on setting up your individual account.
• PubMedCentral: A free, full-text database of millions of articles which is the archive of the National Library of Medicine. There is a PMC Help manual on the website to help you learn to navigate this database.

There are many internet websites that students can use to access current and authoritative information about their research topics. An example of a commonly used website is Medline.
MEDLINEPLUS is the U.S. National Library of Medicine (NLM) premier bibliographic database that contains more than 22 million references to journal articles in life sciences with a concentration on biomedicine. The librarian is available to offer specialized group and individual assistance and instruction in research and information seeking using both online and print resources. Please do not hesitate to contact the librarian.

ABOUT THE COLLECTION

AIMC Berkeley Library currently houses four book collections, about 2800 books total, spanning material in East Asian, Western, and Integrative medicine. English language titles are cataloged according to the National Library of Medicine classification system.

The Reference Collection consists of 500 non-circulating general reference materials such as dictionaries and encyclopedias, as well as medicine‐specific reference texts. Also included in this section are copies of required textbooks for student use in the Library.

The Circulating (English language) Collection consists of roughly 2,000 titles including an array of titles in acupuncture, general Chinese medicine, herbology, science, biomedicine, and alternative medicine.

AIMC Berkeley Library also provides a Japanese language collection, containing about 250 titles, and a Chinese language collection, containing approximately 260 titles containing classical and contemporary works on East Asian and Biomedicine.

AIMC Berkeley maintains a yearly budget for continued growth of the library facility and collection. The goal is to expand the scope and depth of all of the collections of interest to the AIMC community, such as acupuncture, herbology, alternative medicine, and biomedicine. Please submit suggestions for Library purchases to Patricia for consideration.

BOOK LENDING, DUE DATES, AND FINES

All circulating books may be borrowed for two weeks at a time. Library Staff must check out all outgoing books. Patrons may not take books out of the library without the knowledge of the Library Staff. Reference books are for Library or Clinic use only and must be returned the same day. Overdue fines accrue at 25 cents per day, not counting days the Library is closed. Lost books must be paid for or replaced. There is a $20 processing and cataloging fee, in addition to cost of book, for books the Library has to order for replacement.

By special permission some Reference books may be borrowed on a very limited time basis over a weekend. Email requests to the Librarian by Wednesday afternoon and you can pick up on Thursday and return by Tuesday AM. Such requests will be honored on a- case-by-case basis.

Book Pick-up During Off-hours

Students may request books for pick-up, including during hours that the Library is closed but campus is open, by emailing the Librarian, Patricia Ward, at pward@aimc.edu by the Wednesday afternoon before a Friday or Monday pick-up. Requester is notified after books are pulled by campus staff on Thursday. These books can be picked up (or returned) during hours the Front Desk is staffed 8-4:00 Monday and Friday.

MEDIA SERVICES

The Library currently holds a small audio/video collection with about 60 CDs and DVDs on acupuncture, pain management and bodywork. These may be checked out for two weeks.

COMPUTER SERVICES

The Library currently has two computers available for student use when the campus is open, along with a wireless DSL Internet connection. See Library staff for wireless security code.

Please note that the Library and AIMC Berkeley will not be responsible for files left on the computer. Abandoned files are regularly discarded.

REFERENCE ASSISTANCE

AIMC currently subscribes to the Alt HealthWatch database for research needs (see librarian for password). This alternative health research database focuses on the many perspectives of complementary, holistic and integrated approaches to health care and wellness. Students have campus and remote access to this database. This database contains over 200 searchable journals, about 10 of which are specifically for acupuncture, oriental medicine, or integrative medicine. These also can be read online as current issues become available.

Chinese Medicine Journal’s Accessible through AIMC’s Alt HealthWatch database:

• Acupuncture & Electro-Therapeutic Research
• American Acupuncturist
• Australian Journal of Acupuncture & Chinese Medicine
• Better Nutrition
• California Journal of Oriental Medicine
• Chinese Medicine and Culture
• Evidence-based Complementary & Alternative Medicine (eCAM)
• Guideposts: Acupuncture in Recovery
• Journal of Asian Natural Products Research (18 month delay)
• Oriental Medicine Journal
• Townsend Letter

Journals in hard copy available in the AIMC Library:

• North American Journal of Oriental Medicine
• Acupuncture Today
• JAIM: Journal of Acupuncture & Integrative Medicine
• JASA: Journal of the American Society of Acupuncturists
• The Lantern: A Journal for Practitioners of Chinese Medicine

USER GUIDES AND RESEARCH ASSISTANCE

The librarian can provide assistance in using campus resources and resources available online and at other local libraries.

The librarian has created these user guides for resources available on campus and/or remotely. These include:

• User guide to the AIMC Berkeley OPAC (online public access catalog)
• User Guide to AIMC Berkeley Library’s Classification System
• AIMC Berkeley Library & Computer Services
• Understanding Call Numbers guide
• Open Access General Resources for Acupuncture and Integrative Medicine
• Open Access Resources for Evidence Based Research
• Free Remote Access via Local Public Libraries (to databases)
• Research Tips
• Exam Preparation Bibliography –AIMC Library Materials (plus some useful links)
• The librarian has also created user guides for:
• Fee-based Internet Resources
• Walk-in Access at Local Libraries (for databases). (This includes information about two large medical libraries in the area.) When local libraries and campuses re-open, students and faculty can access extensive appropriate electronic resources locally at UCSF (medical library), UC Berkeley, Samuel Merritt University (medical library), San Francisco State University, and several community college campuses, all of which provide public access. These state universities, community colleges, and institutional libraries offer databases with health and alternative/complementary medicine resources, but one must use those databases on their respective campuses (not remotely).

The librarian can email any of these user guides to AIMC Library patrons upon request.

Healing Intergeneration Trauma Pathfinder

In alignment with our AIMC values of diversity and inclusion and our commitment to fighting injustice, linked here is a bibliography of some the AIMC Library resources that focus on Healing Intergenerational Trauma. Also included are some online resources that promote understanding and the mind/body/spirit medicine we embrace that addresses discrimination.

CITATION GUIDES

Instructors at AIMC usually require that research papers be formatted in either APA (American Psychological Association) or AMA (American Medical Association) style. Librarians at The Oregon College of Oriental Medicine have created a useful guide to the AMA format for Reference citations when required for your class research papers. (Note to instructors: The OCOM Guide is licensed under Creative
Commons and can be distributed with attribution to OCOM.) Purdue University has a Guide to APA format (This document is copyrighted and subject to fair use conditions.)

Updated 6/1/2022