We are running a trial on Athens, and had firewall issues with the Athens website! I wondered if it was because they were UK. Anyway, we were lucky enough to have a visit from an Athens person, and that was sufficiently interesting to get our IT security guy out of his office, and once he got the big picture, he was very cooperative. Ann M. Holman Systems Librarian Stitt Library: Information is Our Lifeblood. National Naval Medical Center 301-319-8411 (voice) 269-8411 (DSN) 295-6001 (fax) [log in to unmask] https://www.bethesda.med.navy.mil/professional/stitt_library/index.aspx -----Original Message----- From: Medical Libraries Discussion List [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Library Sent: Thursday, February 08, 2007 4:22 PM To: [log in to unmask] Subject: FW: CHAT: Have You Been Blocked from Websites on the Job? I have had frequent blocks. IT tries ( unsuccessfully ) to block gaming sites, public e-mail services , e-bay etc. When a favourite site is blocked I call them up and request _sometimes not very politely -- that they give me back access so I can do my job. They believe they are filtering spam and junk and they likely are but sometimes makes it hard for us. Elyse Pike Health Sciences Librarian Grey Bruce Health Services 1800 8th Street E Owen Sound, Ont, Canada N4K 6M9 519-376-2121 ext 2943 fax 519 372-3947 [log in to unmask] -----Original Message----- From: Medical Libraries Discussion List [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Donna Beales Sent: February 8, 2007 15:19 To: [log in to unmask] Subject: CHAT: Have You Been Blocked from Websites on the Job? I have been reading with interest the recent deluge of emails regarding ILLs on Medlib-l. I particularly remember a new librarian's comments that he hoped Medlib would give insights on serious library topics. In that spirit, here comes one of the most serious things I've experienced in my eight years of doing this job. I was asked for information on LSA. We only knew that someone had taken it in some form and was now experiencing an adverse reaction. We also had the initials "HBWR." That was all. Not knowing anything more than that, I first turned to Google using "LSA" as the search term. As it turns out, LSA is a readily available herbal product (Hawaiian Baby Woodrose). In this case, when I tried to access a few sites to learn more, perhaps a chemical name, I was blocked by the organization's filtering software. Fortunately, I got lucky for in the site descriptors Google provides I located a Latin plant name & could take it from there using the Natural Medicines Database. I understand my employer's need to control access to the Internet, and certainly a usual search of this nature by an employee is likely to be suspect, but in this case time was of the essence in determining treatment. Has anyone else experienced this issue? I would appreciate hearing more from all sides of this concern. Take care, all-- Donna L. Beales, MLIS Lowell General Hospital Health Science Library 295 Varnum Ave. Lowell, MA 01854 978-937-6247 Fax: 978-937-6855 [log in to unmask] <mailto:[log in to unmask]> www.lowellgeneral.org/library <http://www.lowellgeneral.org/library> ----------------------------------------- Private and confidential, intended only for named recipient. If otherwise received, please destroy immediately.