YSU Library
The Lawrence J. Ryan Learning Resource Center plays an important role in your academic success. From copies of required course texts to scholarly journals to a quiet space to relax and study, the library is central to the academic planning of the University. Required texts are available for circulation and/or use in the library as reference copies. The Library Manager can be reached at library@yosan.edu or 310-577-3000, ext. 112, for research assistance or other library related inquiries.
Library Hours
Monday–Thursday:
8am-8pm (6-8pm are Group Study Hours)
Friday:
8am-6pm
Saturday:
10am-2pm (10am-4pm on DAOM Weekends)
Sunday:
Closed
Library Catalog
- “Add to Clipboard” to save item information
- Holdings/Available indicates status in collection
- Call Number identifies location on shelf
Yo San Library Collection
The Library carries a variety of resources related directly to the Yo San curriculum and in the general areas of Chinese and Western Medicine. It collects all texts used by the California Acupuncture Board, as well as all texts used in all courses. Many frequently used books have multiple copies. The library also houses a growing collection of audiovisual materials (CD, DVD, video), mostly related to meditation and spiritual areas, including QI and basic sciences, such as biology, anatomy, and physiology.
The reference collection includes handbooks, manuals, directories, encyclopedias, medical dictionaries, copies of the current Physicians Desk Reference (PDR), study guides for licensing examinations, as well as a selection of important publications. Overall, the collection provides students with information on diagnoses, treatment, etiology, supplement and therapeutic intervention for their research as well as their clinical experiences. The majority of all holdings are in English, with a small number of books in Chinese.
The YSU library currently collects thirteen print journals in the areas of Western and Integrative Medicine, as well as subscriptions to online journal databases and a comprehensive list of Internet resources relating to TCM, Herbal, and Allopathic Medicine that can be accessed onsite or remotely. The library also maintains a collection of journals that are no longer in publication, such as the American Journal of Acupuncture and Journal of Traditional Chinese Medicine on CD ROM for the years 1978-2000.
The primary cataloging system used is the National Library of Medicine. For holdings that are not included in that system the library uses the Library of Congress system.
Journal Holdings
Please visit or contact the library to get more specific information on our journals (dates/volumes owned, electronic access available, etc.)
Age
Alternative and Complementary Therapies
Chinese Journal of Integrative Medicine
Fertility & Sterility
The Journal of the American Medical Association
Journal of Acupuncture and Meridian Studies (JAMS)
Journal of Chinese Medicine
The Journal of Korean Oriental Medicine
Medical Acupuncture
Meridians: The Journal of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine
The New England Journal of Medicine
Pharmacopuncture
Scientific American
Seminars in Reproductive Medicine
*Additional content concerning complementary, holistic and integrated approaches to health care are and wellness are available through Alt HealthWatch
Library Policies
Borrowing Privileges
Yo San students, faculty and staff have full borrowing privileges of library materials. Alumni and the general public may enjoy library resources on a reference basis only.
Inter-library Loan Agreements
The YSU library can order materials on Interlibrary Loan through Worldshare, a network of libraries worldwide. This service is available to all students. Although free of charge, shipping and handling charges may apply at the cost of the student.
Loan Periods
Masters students may check out a maximum of five items at one time for a period of 14 days. Doctoral students may check out a maximum of 6 items at one time for a period of 30 days. Borrowed items may be renewed in person, by an email to library@yosan.edu, or by phone (310) 577-3000 ext. 112. Library items cannot be renewed if another patron has placed them on hold.
Placing a Hold
Borrowers may place a hold on materials in person, via email, or by phone. The patron will be contacted by student mailbox and/or email once the item becomes available. The item will be held for one week.
Late fees
Late fees will be assessed for items overdue at the following rate of $0.25 per day. The library requests that students pay all library fees prior to registering for the next term’s classes. Materials six weeks overdue will be treated as lost materials. Once a student has an outstanding fee of $25 or more, library privileges are suspended.
Lost and Damaged Materials
Lost/damaged materials will be charged the replacement cost of the item.
Computer Services
The YSU library contains seven Internet-enabled computer work stations with word processing and printing capabilities. There are three printers available: one has color capabilities and two have copier functions. Copies and prints are ten cents per page. Wireless access to the Internet is also provided.
Learning Resource Links
Subscription Databases
Passwords may be needed for off-campus access. Please contact librarian for details.
Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine
Chinese Journal of Integrative Medicine (SpringerLink)
An English-language journal that “reports on scientific developments, experiences and achievements in clinical practice, scientific research, education and healthcare.”
The foremost English language journal on all aspects of Chinese medicine including acupuncture, Chinese herbal medicine, dietary medicine, and Chinese medical history and philosophy.
A bibliographic database that focuses on complementary, holistic and integrated health care. Many articles are available full text.
Alternative and Complementary Therapies
Authoritative, evidence-based, and practical information for integrating alternative therapies and approaches into private practice or hospital integrative medicine programs.
Medical Acupuncture
Evidence-based clinical papers, case reports, and research findings that integrate concepts from traditional and modern forms of acupuncture with allopathic medicine.
Herbs, Supplements & Prescription Drugs
HerbalGram (American Botanical Council)
Access the archives of the peer-reviewed journal of the American Botanical Council.
HerbMedPro (American Botanical Council)
An interactive, electronic herbal database that provides hyperlinked access to the scientific data underlying the use of herbs for health.
Infertility & Reproductive Medicine
Fertility and Sterility
Search citations and abstracts from the official journal of the American Society of Reproductive Medicine (ASRM).
Human Reproduction (Oxford Journals)
Search citations and abstracts from the journal Human Reproduction. Includes work on the scientific and medical aspects of reproductive physiology and pathology, endocrinology, andrology, gonad function, gametogenesis, fertilization, embryo development, implantation, pregnancy, genetics, genetic diagnosis, oncology, infectious disease, surgery, contraception, infertility treatment, psychology, ethics and social issues.
Seminars in Reproductive Medicine (Thieme eJournals)
Offers an informed perspective on issues like male and female infertility, reproductive physiology, pharmacological hormonal manipulation, and state-of-the-art assisted reproductive technologies.
Healthy Aging & Longevity
Age
The official journal of the American Aging Association, Age is an international, peer-reviewed journal that publishes articles concerning research surrounding the biology of aging.
Free Internet Databases & Resources
Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine
ACUBriefs
Database covering subject of acupuncture and acupuncture research.
Acupuncture Today
Includes articles from current and past issues of Acupuncture Today, listings of Chinese herbs (by common name) with information about dosage, indications, and precautions, information on vitamins, minerals, and supplements, articles on using acupuncture to treat specific conditions, and many links to other informative websites. It also includes an acupuncturist locator searchable by name or city and general information on acupuncture.
Chinese Medicine Journal
An open access, online journal publishing evidence-based, scientifically justified, and ethical research into all aspects of Chinese medicine.
Evidence-based Complementary and Alternative Medicine
An international peer-reviewed journal by Oxford University Press with free full text articles available via this site as well as via the PubMed Central.
The Institute for Traditional Medicine
Contains articles from the ITM’s publications about Chinese medicine and herbal treatments, the history of Chinese medicine, general information about acupuncture and herbal therapies, and herb safety, interactions, and therapeutic uses.
The Meridians of Acupuncture
Contains maps of all the meridians of Chinese acupuncture, including the 12 main meridians plus their inner pathways and the 8 extra meridians.
National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine
The Federal Government’s lead agency for scientific research on the diverse medical and health care systems, practices, and products that are not generally considered part of conventional medicine.
Pubmed
Free access to Medline, the National Library of Medicine’s bibliographic database covering both clinical and research aspects of biomedicine, complementary and alternative medicine. Research articles on many herbs and supplements are included in the literature.
The Qigong Institute
A not-for-profit organization dedicated to promoting the scientific understanding of the basis of Qigong through research and education.
University of Western Sydney’s Library
The library’s website contains a research repository of useful open access articles. The University of Western Sydney hosts The National Institute of Complementary Medicine (www.nicm.edu.au). Access the site to find current news, research, and clinical trials.
Herbs, Supplements & Prescription Drugs
American Dietetic Association (ADA)
Includes abstracts of articles from Journal of the American Dietetic Association; ADA’s Nationwide Nutrition Network, and national registered dietitian referral service; and links to food and nutrition resources.
Dietary Supplements Labels Database
Offers information about ingredients in more than 6,000 selected brands of dietary supplements. Provides information on ingredients in specific brands of supplements and the health benefits claimed by manufacturers.
DrugDigest, Herb/Drug Interactions
A noncommercial, evidence-based, consumer health and drug information site dedicated to empowering consumers to make informed choices about drugs and treatment options.
Drug Information Portal
A gateway to drug information from the National Library of Medicine and other key government agencies. Covers 15,000+ drugs from entry into clinical trials through entry in the market place.
International Bibliographic Information on Dietary Supplements (IBIDS)/PubMed Dietary Supplement Subset
The Dietary Supplement Subset of NLM’s PubMed provides access to citations from the MEDLINE database and additional life science journals. It also includes links to many full-text articles at journal Web sites and other related Web resources.
RxList
An online medical resource dedicated to offering detailed and current pharmaceutical information on brand and generic drugs.
Traditional Chinese Medicine Information Databases (TCM-ID)
Provides information on all aspects of TCM including formulation, herbal composition, chemical composition, molecular structure and functional properties, therapeutic and toxicity effects, clinical indication and application, and related literature. Currently contains entries for 1197 formulae, 1098 medicinal herbs and 9852 herbal ingredients.
Infertility & Reproductive Medicine
American Board of Oriental Reproductive Medicine
A non-profit corporation devoted to teaching, research, and the practice of Oriental Medicine as it relates to the treatment of reproductive disorders. Includes extensive bibliographies on Acupuncture and Chinese Herbal Medicine research related to infertility and IVF/ART.
American Society for Reproductive Medicine
Contains news and resources relating to reproductive medicine.
Layyous
Award wining site provides simplified descriptions, pictures and video clips of medical topics relating to gynecology, pregnancy, female and male infertility, assisted reproductive technologies and ultrasonography.
OBGYN
Peer reviewed website for women’s health, Obstetrics, Gynecology and forums
WebMD – Infertility & Reproduction Health Center
Public oriented site that features information on drugs, tests, and current literature relating to infertility and reproduction.
Medicine (Allopathic or Biomedicine)
BioMed Central
Publishes 234 peer-reviewed open access journals. Journals cover subjects of medicine, life sciences, and some complementary and alternative medicine.
Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Data & Statistics
Statistical data about various diseases and conditions, compiled by the CDC.
ClinicalTrials.gov
Information on current clinical research studies: purpose, location and participants of trials.
Free Medical Journals
Search for articles in medical journals by specialty, title, or keyword. Only publications free on-line are available.
HighWire Press
A large archive of free full-text science and biomedical articles. Some restrictions apply. Searchable by keyword.
MedlinePlus
The premier consumer health information site from the National Library of Medicine. Contains extensive information from the National Institutes of Health and other trusted sources on over 750 diseases and conditions. Also has extensive information about drugs, an illustrated medical encyclopedia, and latest health news.
The Merck Manual
The complete Merck Manual is available on-line at this site. It is searchable by keyword of table of contents and gives the most recently updated information available (even newer than the last published book).
PubMed Central
The National Institutes of Health free digital archive of biomedical and life sciences journal literature. Some complementary and alternative medicine journals included. Searchable by keyword. This site provide free access to full text.
TOXNET Toxicology Data Network
Offered by National Library of Medicine, this site includes numerous databases covering toxicology, hazardous chemicals, environmental health and related areas.
Webpath – The Internet Pathology Laboratory for Medical Education
Created to assist medical students in the study of pathology. It has many images and text, tutorials, lab exercises, and examinations for self-assessment.
Healthy Aging
Geriatrics, National Institute on Aging
The web site of National Institute on Aging; contains links to other related sites and information on clinical trials for seniors as well as recent news related to seniors and their health.
NIH SeniorHealth
Easy-to-use website featuring health and wellness information for older adults from the National Institutes of Health.
Biology of Aging
Easy-to-use website featuring health and wellness information for older adults from the National Institutes of Health
General Reference
Acupuncture Products
Provides many free resources for professionals and students of acupuncture. Free meridian point locations, Chinese treatment formulas, articles and links to organizations and associations.
Bookshelf
Free books and documents in life sciences and healthcare
CAM Resources Project
A wiki maintained by the Medical Library Association with links to various CAM resources.
Networked Digital Library of Theses and Dissertations
The web site of the NDLDT, an international organization dedicated to promoting the adoption, creation, use, dissemination, and preservation of electronic theses and dissertations (ETDs).
TCM and Professional Licensing Organizations
Accreditation Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine (ACAOM)
ACAOM’s primary purposes are to establish comprehensive educational and institutional requirements for acupuncture and Oriental medicine programs, and to accredit programs and institutions that meet these requirements.
American Academy of Medical Acupuncture (AAMA)
Organization whose goal is to promote the integration of concepts from traditional and modern forms of acupuncture with Western medical training and thereby synthesize a more comprehensive approach to health care.
American Association of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine (AAAOM)
Dedicated to the promotion and advancement of high ethical, educational, and professional standards in the practice of acupuncture and Oriental medicine (AOM) in the U.S.
California Department of Consumer Affairs, Acupuncture Board
The mission of the Acupuncture Board is to benefit, educate and protect the public through regulation of licensure; development of education standards; provision of consumer information; and enforcement of the Acupuncture Licensure Act.
Council of Colleges of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine (CCAOM)
A voluntary membership association for acupuncture schools and programs in the U.S., whose primary mission is to advance AOM by promoting educational excellence in the field.
National Certification Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine (NCCAOM)
A non-profit organization whose mission is to promote nationally recognized standards of competency and safety in acupuncture, Chinese herbology and Oriental bodywork therapy for the purpose of protecting the public. Allows you to search for a certified practitioner and download their newsletter for diplomats.
Local Public and Medical Libraries
County of Los Angeles Public Library
Patrons with a current library card are able to borrow materials, access databases and download audio books, eBooks and music. Library cards are available for free to permanent and temporary residents of California.
East-West Medicine Resources (UCLA Library and Center for East-West Medicine)
This guide is designed to serve as a starting point for locating information on any topic in the field of East-West medicine or Complementary Medicine/Alternative Medicine at UCLA Library.
Los Angeles Public Library
Patrons with a current library card are able to borrow materials and access all of the LAPL databases. Library cards are free for residents of California.
UCLA Library Catalog
Search all of the UCLA libraries and collections for materials.
UCLA Louise M. Darling Biomedical Library
The primary focus of its services and collections is to support the health and life sciences research, educational, and patient-care responsibilities of UCLA faculty, students, and staff.
Library Research FAQs
Where are the books in the library?
The location represents the general area of the library. Reference indicates that the book will be in the reference section and may not circulate. Books located in the Stacks may circulate.
How do I find a DVD or CD?
Most are located next to the Reference books. A few sets are located behind the circulation desk.
What is the difference between a scholarly journal and a magazine?
Periodical indexes will often categorize journals as Scholarly, Professional/Trade or Popular. For academic research, scholarly journals are generally preferred but professional/trade (and, to a lesser extent, popular) sources can also be acceptable.
Scholarly journals are targeted to researchers and scholars; they contain articles that are usually peer-reviewed and present research findings. Information sources are always cited in a bibliography.
The audience for professional or trade journals is usually members of a profession or trade. They contain articles that address current topics and issues relevant to the profession or trade covered. Information sources are sometimes cited in bibliographic format.
Popular magazines are written for the general public; their purpose is to present general information or news and often to entertain. They are considered less reliable than scholarly or professional/trade journals and do not cite information sources in bibliographic format.
How do I find a book?
Search the library catalog to find books. If you know the name of the book you are searching for, select “Title” from the drop-down menu, type the book’s title in the empty box and click the “Search” button.
The catalog will display a list of matches for your search terms. Click on the title of the book that you are looking for. From the next page, write down the call number and location to help you locate the book.
You may also search by author, subject, etc.
If you would like to do a more general search, just enter a word or term in the search box and leave the drop-down menu as “All Words”. This will search all fields in the item records and produce a greater amount of results to choose from.
What is a citation?
A bibliographic citation contains information that identifies a larger work. It contains information about the work including title, author, publication date, etc. Citations for journal articles include the name of the publication that the article appeared in, as well as the volume, issue and relevant page numbers.
Citations are essential for crediting materials that are referenced in your work. Knowingly representing the work of others as your own is plagiarism; consequences are extremely serious and can include a failing grade or even expulsion.
There are several different types of citation styles, but the most commonly used are APA (American Psychology Association) and MLA (Modern Language Association). Confirm with your instructor which style they prefer you to employ before starting your research.
Examples of some citations in APA format are as follows:
Book
Author Last Name, Initial(s). (Year of Publication) Title of work: Capital letter also for subtitle. Location: Publisher.
Website
Author 1 Last Name, Initial(s)., & Author 2 Last Name, Initial(s). (Date of publication). Title of article. Title of Online Periodical, volume number(issue number if available)
Article
Author 1 Last Name, Initial(s)., Author 2 Last Name, Initial(s)., Author 3 Last Name, Initial(s). (Year). Title of article. Title of Periodical, volume number(issue number), pages.
Government Document
Government Agency. (Year). Title of publication (Report number/contract number/monograph number/other publication number). Place: Publication information.
A great resource that contains multiple examples of citations in both formats is the Purdue Online Writing Lab (OWL).
Where is the full-text of the article I found?
If the full-text is not available in the index you are using, write down all of the citation information and try to locate the full text version via one of the following methods:
- Check to see if the library has a subscription to the journal the article appears in. If so, you will either be able to find the material in a print copy or on the journal’s web site (you will need to get log in information from the library to access journals electronically)
- Search the internet to see if a PDF of the full-text of the article is available for free. (Do not purchase an article unless you have exhausted all other possibilities.)
- Consult with the Library Manager about retrieving the full-text version from another source such as a local library or ordering a copy through our inter-library loan service.
How do I find an article?
Use a periodical index (i.e., online database) to find articles. A list of subscription databases, as well as many other free resources, is available on our Research Resources page. Ask the Library Manager if you need help selecting the best database to search for your particular topic.
You can search for a periodical article by title, author, keyword, publication, etc. Each database has a unique vocabulary of subject headings or index terms that are used to index each article. These are usually listed in the records for each article and can be very helpful – incorporate them in your future searches to find related material.
Here are some links to directions on how to search some of the library’s most popular research resources:
What if the library doesn’t have the book or periodical that I need?
You can also search for books and other materials in tens of thousands of other libraries in OCLC’s WorldCat catalogs.
For books (and journal articles) the Yo San University Library does not own, we can often borrow them for you (or obtain copies) from other institutions. The service is free, but students are required to pay all postage and handling charges.