Originally founded in 1876 as a department of Central Tennessee College, Meharry Medical College was granted a separate charter of incorporation in 1915. The college was named to honor five Irish brothers, Samuel, Hugh, Alexander, Jesse, and David Meharry. They gave more than $30,000 in cash and real estate to fund an institution that would educate medical professionals to serve the black community. By the mid-20th century, Meharry Medical College graduated approximately half the black doctors in the United States. The evolution of Meharry Medical College is a compelling story that occurs during succeeding eras. In many ways, its evolution reflects the changing tides of race relations in America. Nearly 150 years later, Meharry continues to be a significant medical institution that holds true to its motto: Dedicated to the worship of God through service to man.

The University of Illinois College of Medicine has its origins in the 1882 opening of the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Chicago. In 1897 the College of Physicians and Surgeons became affiliated with the University of Illinois and began a relationship that endured its fair share of trials, successes, and even a few bitter fights. In this fact-filled volume, Winton U. Solberg places the early history of the University of Illinois College of Medicine in a national and international context, tracing its origins, crises, and reforms through its first tumultuous decades. Solberg discusses the role of the College of Medicine and the city of Chicago in the historic transformation from the late nineteenth century, when Germany was the acknowledged world center of medicine and the germ theory of disease was not yet widely accepted, to 1920, by which time the United States had emerged as the leader in modern medical research and education. With meticulous scholarship and attention to detail, this volume chronicles the long and difficult struggle to achieve that goal.

Here is a complete guide for librarians seeking to launch or refine their systematic review services. Conducting searches for systematic reviews goes beyond expert searching and requires an understanding of the entire process of the systematic review. Just as expert searching is not fully mastered by the end of a library degree, mastering the systematic review process takes a great deal of time and practice. Attending workshops and webinars can introduce the topic, but application of the knowledge through practice is required. Running a systematic review service is complicated and requires constant updating and evaluation with new standards, more efficient methods, and improved reporting guidelines. After a brief introduction to systematic reviews, the book guides librarians in defining and marketing their services, covering topics such as when it is appropriate to ask for co-authorship and how to reach out to stakeholders. Next, it addresses developing documentation and conducting the reference interview. Standards specific to systematic reviews, including PRISMA, Institute of Medicine, and Cochrane Collaboration, are discussed. Search strategy techniques, including choosing databases, harvesting search terms, selecting filters, and searching for grey literature are detailed. Data management and critical appraisal are covered in detail. Finally, the best practices for reporting the findings of systematic reviews are highlighted. Experts with experience in both systematic reviews and librarianship, including the editors of the book, contributed to the chapters. Each step (or piece) of the review process (Planning the review, Identifying the studies, Evaluating studies, Collecting and combining data, Explaining the results, and Summarizing the review into a report), are covered with emphasis on information roles. The book is for any librarian interested in conducting reviews or assisting others with reviews. It has several applications: for training librarians new to systematic reviews, for those developing a new systematic review service, for those wanting to establish protocols for a current service, and as a reference for those conducting reviews or running a service. Participating in systematic reviews is a new frontier of librarianship, in which librarians can truly become research partners with our patrons, instead of merely providing access to resources and services.