Do you need help finding information on a specific topic? In addition to using our face-to-face, online and phone Ask A Librarian options, you may call or email me to set up an appointment or to explain what you need (I can often help you via email). Please remember that while I can assist you in finding information and can educate you about locating and citing quality health resources, I cannot diagnose or recommend treatment for specific conditions or diseases. I also cannot interpret assignments--ask your instructor! I will always refer specific medical and assignment-related questions back to your health care provider or instructor. Your questions will be kept in confidence and your privacy will be respected.
- Books & Videos
- Databases
- Websites
Use the Library catalog to search the COD Library's collection of books, videos, and streaming media. Use your MyAccess username and password to access online eBooks, streaming videos and database contents (including journal articles).
Why You Need to Get a Library Card
Get a C.O.D. Library Card
- 24/7 access to our full-text electronic books and article databases
- Check out videos, books, software, anatomical models
- reserve small group study rooms
- FREE book and article Interlibrary Loans (ILL) if we don't have the resources that you need
- Cards are FREE for C.O.D. students and 502 community members
- Learn more...
Browsing the Collection
An easy way to start searching the Library catalog is to do a keyword search for words that describe your topic. You may need to experiment with keywords to find ones that work for your topic. Try a keyword search for ekg OR ecg. Once you find some items, you can use subject headings to find other items that cover the same topic.
Use this subject to browse the General Collection and the Reference Collection.
Another strategy is to search by call number. Health-related materials are shelved in the "R" section of libraries that use the Library of Congress classification system. EKG books are located in the call number range RC683.5.E5. Do you like to physically stand in front of a shelf of books and browse for the right one(s)? If so, go to the RC683.5.E5 section of the stacks in our Library and see what we have to offer! There are two locations for "print" or physical material (videos or software) in the C.O.D. Library: the reference collection (items don't leave the Library) and the general stacks (items that you can take home). Library staff members will be happy to help you find books in either section--just ask!
Reference Materials
Reference materials are well indexed, up-to-date, concise, and highly credible. They provide overviews, definitions, specific information (such as causes & symptoms, diagnosis, treatments, prognosis, etc) or addresses. Types of reference books include: directories, dictionaries and encyclopedias, basic health books (describing diseases and conditions), and drug resources. Since you cannot normally take these materials home, remember that you will have to photocopy, or write down the information that you need. Some reference materials are available full text, online via our databases. Below are some examples of the types of reference books found in the C.O.D. reference collection.
Some of these resources are designed for consumers (MedlinePlus and Gale Encyclopedias), some for health students and consumers (the Gale Encyclopedia series), and some for health professionals (Medscape Reference), so the type and level of information differs to suit each audience. Some reference works are available in Spanish language versions.
Reference Best Bets
Dorland's Illustrated Medical Dictionary
REF R 121.D73 2012 (Ready Reference--located at our reference desks)
Gale eBooks*
* This link will allow you to simultaneously search all of the specialized Gale Encyclopedias available in the Gale eBooks database
Gale Encyclopedia of Nursing & Allied Health Ebook
MedlinePlus
MedlinePlus has extensive information from the National Institutes of Health and other trusted sources on over 900 diseases and conditions. There are also lists of hospitals and physicians, a medical encyclopedia and a medical dictionary, health information in Spanish, extensive information on prescription and nonprescription drugs, health information from the media, and links to thousands of clinical trials.
MedScape Reference
An online clinical reference providing in-depth drug & disease information and tools to support clinical decision making. Content is designed for practicing medical professionals and includes diagnostic medical images. Free Registration to MedScape is required. To go straight to an entry in this resource, try Googling the word emedicine and your disease/condition (i.e. emedicine Paget's Disease).
Merriam-Webster Online Medical Dictionary (select medical reference, includes audio pronunciations)
Located in the GENERAL stacks is another useful book containing illustrations and text pertaining to various heart conditions:
The Ciba collection of medical illustrations: Volume 5, The Heart
GENERAL QM25 .N472 v.5
Use databases to locate journal, magazine, newspaper or specialized articles. You can use your COD Library card to download articles from off-campus.
What are databases?
Databases are organized collections of information that you can search by a variety of fields, like title, author's name, subject or keyword. iTunes is a database and so is Amazon. The Library has databases of articles from newspapers, magazines and journals. We also have databases of streaming videos, music and e-books. The difference between our databases and iTunes or Amazon is that our databases are free for you to use. You can browse the library's databases here: Article Databases by Subject
Best Bets
Academic Search Complete
Academic Search Complete contains indexing and full text for 9,100 journals. 7,100 of these journals are peer-reviewed scholarly titles. This collection provides both popular and scholarly journal coverage for nearly all academic areas of study - including social sciences, humanities, education, computer sciences, engineering, physics, chemistry, language and linguistics, arts & literature, medical sciences and ethnic studies.
Care Notes
Care Notes helps medical professionals educate patients about certain conditions. Contains 2500 English and 2500 Spanish documents that address patient condition, treatment, follow-up care, psychosocial issues, continuing health, and the most frequently administered drugs.
CINAHL
The online version of Cumulative Index to Nursing & Allied Health Literature, CINAHL Complete covers nursing, allied health, biomedical and consumer health journals, publications of the American Nursing Association, and the National League for Nursing. It now includes the CINAHL Thesaurus and full text of over 1300 important nursing and clinical journals as well as over 130 Evidence-based Care Sheets; nearly 170 Quick Lessons providing Overviews of Disease and Conditions; 170 Continuing Education Modules; and full text for 360 Research Instrument Records.
Flipster
Flipster is a digital magazine platform offering dozens of popular and educational titles covering a wide variety of subjects and interests. COD Students, Faculty, and Staff may access Flipster titles through the Library website or by downloading the Flipster app and choosing College of DuPage.
Gale Ebooks (GVRL)
Gale eBooks (formerly Gale Virtual Reference Library) is a collection of online reference books on a variety of topics including Business, History, Literature, Medicine, Social Science, Technology and many more. Pages and chapters from this collection can be printed and emailed.
Health Source: Consumer Edition
This resource provides access to nearly 300 full text, consumer health periodicals. This database also includes searchable full text for more than 1,000 health-related pamphlets and more than 140 health reference books. Also contains 7,000 Clinical Reference Systems reports (in English and Spanish); Clinical Pharmacology, which provides access to 1,100 drug monograph entries and 2,700 patient education fact sheets; and Stedman’s Medical Dictionary. This database covers topics such as AIDS, cancer, diabetes, drugs & alcohol, aging, fitness, nutrition & dietetics, children’s health, women’s health, etc. The magazine and journal articles in this database range from "popular" or recreational reading to scholarly, peer-reviewed publications.
Health Source: Nursing/Academic Edition
This resource provides 600 scholarly full text journals focusing on many medical disciplines. Coverage of nursing and allied health is particularly strong. In addition, this database includes the Clinical Pharmacology database, providing access to up-to-date, concise and clinically relevant drug monographs for all U.S. prescription drugs, hard-to-find herbal and nutritional supplements, over-the-counter products and new drugs.
Journal of the American Medical Association Online (JAMA)
JAMA, the Journal of the American Medical Association, is an internationally peer-reviewed journal and is the most widely-circulated medical journal in the world.
MedlinePlus
MedlinePlus has extensive information from the National Institutes of Health and other trusted sources on over 900 diseases and conditions. There are also lists of hospitals and physicians, a medical encyclopedia and a medical dictionary, health information in Spanish, extensive information on prescription and nonprescription drugs, health information from the media, and links to thousands of clinical trials.
New England Journal of Medicine
The New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM) is a weekly general medical journal that publishes new medical research and review articles, and editorial opinion on a wide variety of topics of importance to biomedical science and clinical practice.
Browse all COD Library Health databases
ANYONE can put information on the Internet. ANYONE. As a health care provider, you must carefully select and evaluate medical/health information before using it to treat patients or letting it influence how you perform your duties. Use the evaluating sources section of this guide to help you determine the credibility of Web sites. A great final test is to ask yourself, "Would I want myself or someone that I care deeply about to be treated based on this information?" If the answer is "no," don't include such non-credible information in your academic projects either!
"Best Bet" General Medical Information Websites
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
CDC.gov provides users with credible, reliable health information on topics such as: data and statistics; diseases and conditions; emergencies and disasters; environmental health; healthy living; injury, violence and safety; life stages and populations; travelers' health; workplace safety and health; and much more. This site contains information appropriate for adults, teens and kids
MayoClinic.com
Easy-to-understand information on health and medical topics, all reviewed for accuracy by Mayo Clinic experts. Content includes interactive resources and tools, information on specific diseases and disorders, management of particular chronic conditions, suggestions for healthy lifestyles, consumer drug information, first aid, specialists' answers to frequently asked questions about diseases and health decision-making guides. (A service of Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
MEDLINEplus
Provides access to 900+ health topics, medical encyclopedias and dictionaries, and links to self-help groups, clinical trials, preformulated PubMed searches, lists of hospitals and physicians, health and information in Spanish and other languages. Includes listings of diseases & conditions by body system.
MedScape Reference
An online clinical reference providing in-depth drug & disease information and tools to support clinical decision making. Content is designed for practicing medical professionals and includes diagnostic medical images. Free Registration to MedScape is required. To quickly locate information on a disease or condition, try Googling the word emedicine and your disease/condition (i.e. emedicine teratoma). Once you access the article, login for full content.
"Best Bet" Heart-Related Information Websites
You can use a search engine like Google or Bing to search specific heart diseases/conditions and related ECG/EKG tracings by typing "DISEASE and (ECG or EKG)" or using the disease name and searching via the image interface. Examples of how to cite images in APA style can be found on the COD Citing Sources page.
The Alan E. Lindsay ECG Learning Center
An interactive ECG tutorial providing an introduction to clinical electrocardiography from the University of Utah School of Medicine. Take a look at the "Imaging Index" tab
American Heart Association
The American Heart Association aims to reduce disability and death from cardiovascular diseases and stroke. The website offers a wealth of information for heart patients and their families
Blaufuss Multimedia Heart Sounds and Cardiac Arrhythmias
Explore heart sounds, cardiac arrhythmias, and electrocardiograms with these free, interactive audio/visual tutorials
ECG Library
An electrocardiogram (ECG / EKG) is an electrical recording of the heart and is used in the investigation of heart disease. This library is a collection of realistic looking recordings which will help improve ECG reading skills
Below are some helpful "Best Bet" Diagnostic Medical Imaging Websites. The College of DuPage and the COD Library do not create or control any of these resources, and they will not be held responsible for misuse of information or any adverse effects of recommendations stated in these resources. Health Information should always be discussed with your health care provider, who can interpret it for you and apply it to your individual case. 
*The DMI Reserve Collection is UNAVAILABLE during the physical Library closure due to COVID-19* 
![MP900185147[1].jpg](https://www.codlrc.org/sites/default/files/resize/u29/MP900185147%5B1%5D-240x156.jpg "Dental Hygiene Guide")
This guide is a starting point for locating Dental Hygiene books, videos, journal articles, CEUs, images and credible websites.
