MLA from the Inside Out

May, San Antonio, TX, USA

Medical librarians got a glimpse into the anatomy of book publishing, from the editor of the classic resource Gray’s Anatomy. Dr. Susan Standring from King’s College, London, addressed a crowd of 136 librarians at Elsevier’s annual Library Connect Luncheon at the Medical Library Association meeting in San Antonio, Texas in May. With considerable wit and wisdom, Dr. Standring inspired the audience with the wonders of human anatomy through words and pictures from the 39th edition of Gray’s Anatomy published this year by Elsevier Churchill Livingstone. Taking a practical clinical perspective, Standring explained how the book has been radically transformed to a ‘regional’ (region of the body, that is) rather than a systemic organizational structure, and how new surface, radiologic and micro-anatomy images have been added to complement the exquisite artwork for which the book is widely known. The print version now boasts 1,600 pages and is also available as an Elsevier E-dition™ online.

A Future for Print?

Always looking to the future, the audience of librarians was quick to pose questions about the evolution from print to electronic formats. One librarian asked “Is there a future for the print?” to which Standring lifted the 1,600-page book and quickly replied “Not if it gets any heavier!”

She went on to talk of the new opportunities electronic media pose such as anatomical animations; but counter-balanced these developments with the irreplaceable value of sitting down and “simply enjoying the printed book.” The E-dition, however, does open up options of portability. Publishers from Elsevier confirmed that some portions of the E-dition can even be downloaded onto physicians‘ PDAs.

A Future for Anatomists?

Dr. Standring lamented that there are fewer opportunities for medical students to get rigorous training in anatomy, yet the need for anatomical knowledge is unquestionable in medical practice. The result of faculty emphasis on research over teaching is that “Basic sciences teaching is slowly disappearing….You are now looking at a dying breed” she said in reference to herself as an anatomist. However, this phenomenon appears to have simply strengthened Standring’s commitment to excellence in the revision of Gray’s Anatomy, and she later noted that we should all “Watch this space” as electronic media opens new possibilities for learning. The librarians in the audience assuredly will watch with great anticipation.