Member Resource Spotlight: Animal Welfare Information Center

Dear Readers, 
This month's member resource spotlight is brought to you by FHSLA president and Borland Librarian, Susan Harnett. If you have a favorite resource that you would like to share on the FHSLA blog, please email us at [email protected]

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​      Susan Harnett, Medical Information Services Librarian at Borland Library, University of Florida is an active Institutional Animal Care and Use committee member; and works closely with investigators to fulfill the literature search for animal alternatives mandated by the Animal Welfare Act.  Investigators are required to perform a literature search for the 3Rs: Replacement or alternatives to animal models in research; Reduction of the number of animals needed to obtain significance; and Refinement of experimental procedures to cause the least physical pain or psychological distress to research animals. For librarians who may be new to 3R searching or who want a better understanding of this controversial issue, she recommends visiting the Animal Welfare Information Center (AWIC) at the National Agricultural Library.   nal.usda.gov/legacy/awic

    AWIC contains information and resources on all aspects of experimental animal welfare.  One section presents the various federal, state, local and international laws that pertain to the use of animals in research.  These are essential in understanding the evolution of animal protection laws.  Of particular interest to librarians is the section on Alternatives Literature Searching. This section discusses the rationale behind the 3R literature search, developing a search strategy and suggests appropriate databases for specialized searching.  A worksheet, animal alternative thesaurus and other resources are provided for guidance with developing searches. AWIC also contains international information and database resources as well.
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      For librarians who may want additional information and training. AWIC offers a popular workshop, “Meeting the Requirements of the Animal Welfare Act,” several times a year, with the next workshop scheduled for March 9, 2022.  Other valuable and informative workshops and tutorials are available on topics ranging from IACUCs to proper rodent restraint techniques.
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     AWIC is an invaluable resource for librarians who work with animal researchers and investigators; who might be interested in ways to expand services to the research institution; or who might be interested in pursuing a deeper relationship with their institution by becoming an IACUC member.