Welcome to the inaugural issue of the library’s quarterly newsletter. With this newsletter, we hope to better inform the campus community of library events, accomplishments, and news on our collections, services, and programs. The McGoogan Library is undergoing many changes, especially as we prepare for a major renovation of all three floors of the library space. We are continuing to grow our programs and collections through increased engagement with faculty, staff, students, and community members. As we start 2018, the library is halfway through the first year of a three-year strategic plan. All library staff and faculty contributed to our plan, which corresponds to UNMC’s strategic initiatives. Our initiatives encompass:

In this issue, you will hear more about a key partnership between McGoogan Library and the Fred and Pamela Buffett Cancer Center, one piece of our strategic plan to help UNMC and Nebraska Medicine lead the world in transforming lives to create a healthy future for all individuals and communities through premier educational programs, innovative research and extraordinary patient care.

Please forward this newsletter to anyone you think would be interested in learning more about the library’s mission. If you do not wish to receive this newsletter, you can unsubscribe below.

Emily McElroy

Director and Assistant Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs, McGoogan Library

It can be overwhelming to navigate health information during a new diagnosis or decision-making process. While a Google search may result in basic information, it often contains information that has not been vetted by medical professionals or researchers. Since the 1980’s, the McGoogan Library has provided the Consumer Health Information Resource Service (CHIRS) to assist patients, families, and Nebraska residents in navigating the world of health information. The expertise that the library provides in finding quality, reliable information adds value not available through Google.

 

In June of 2017, the library launched a 1-year pilot partnership with the Resource and Wellness Center of the Fred and Pamela Buffett Cancer Center. Our goals are to make library services more accessible to patients and their families, to assist them with finding quality health information to support all aspects of cancer care and survivorship, and to enhance their ability to become more confident and informed health consumers. Library faculty and staff in the Resource and Wellness Center answer research requests in person, and provide guidance in evaluating and selecting appropriate print materials to include in the Resource and Wellness Center Center's collection.

 

Some of the most frequently requested information so far has included resources to help caregivers with coping and self-care, and materials on pancreatic cancer, lymphoma, and breast cancer. Some of the comments we have received include:

 

 

Patients and families can stop by the Resource and Wellness Center, Room 21201 of the Fred and Pamela Buffett Cancer Center, and ask a librarian for help on Monday-Thursday, 1:00-4:30 pm, and Friday, 9:00 am-1:00 pm. Requests can also be made by calling 402-559-6221 or emailing askus@unmc.edu. Visit our website for more details at www.unmc.edu/library.

Libraries are a hub for communities. They bring people together to connect the past, inform the present, and build the future. With the growing importance of medical humanities, the McGoogan Library embarked on author reading events that would showcase UNMC and other University of Nebraska authors’ works which fall outside the familiar scientific scholarship.

Held in the intimate setting of the library’s Rare Book Room, works from the past surround attendees as they are transported into the author’s world. 

Since the Fall of 2015, the library has held six author events. Authors read from their works, which have ranged from memoir to young adult science fiction. Featured authors have included:

Working with the campus bookstore, the library has also been able to hold author book signings and sell copies of the authors’ publications to audience members. Due to the success of this program, the library will continue to advance the author book-reading series.

The McGoogan Library’s Special Collections department houses a treasure trove of artifacts, rare books, and historic documents. As we look to the future of the health sciences, we can look back and ponder its origins and progression. History is an important aspect of medical humanities and the library’s collection can bring that history alive. In each issue of this newsletter, we will feature one of the many treasures you can find at the library. 

 

3D technology helps bring life to ordinary images. Now imagine 3D technology existing over 100 years ago. The library has such a device and materials in its collection.

 

Stereoscope cards are two nearly identical photographs joined to create the illusion of a single three-dimensional image when viewed through the stereoscope. Stereoscopes were popular in the mid-nineteenth century through the early twentieth century, generally for families to view exotic locations, celebrities, or expositions. However, stereoscope cards allowed educators, even in medical colleges, to provide students with an experiential education. 

 

The stereoscope cards collection in the Special Collections department consists of dermatology, ophthalmology, gynecology, and anatomy cards. The cards display photographs of surgeries, anatomical specimens, and real patients presenting visible diseases. In an era before slide projectors, computers, or PowerPoint, stereoscopes provided students with an opportunity to view extraordinary diseases or unique anatomical presentations. On the back of each card is a detailed description of the card subject. The dermatology cards even provide treatment information.

 

The Special Collections and Archives owns several viewers and staff have shared the stereoscope experience at science fairs and library events. Participants can examine up-close views of hand-painted dermatological diseases, eyeballs, or the inside of a skull. To view these or other artifacts of the Special Collections department, contact history@unmc.edu or 402-559-7097.

A 2016 survey revealed that 93% of student respondents used the library as a quiet place to study. Library data also showed a 12% increase in people visiting the library in 2016-2017. Students are heavy users of the library, and their opinions on the library environment is of paramount importance.

In anticipation of an upcoming major renovation, the library started testing new furniture beginning in the spring of 2016. Since that time, approximately 28 furniture pieces have been brought in for library users to try out and to provide feedback. 

The Brody WorkLounges, above, garnered positive feedback, with comments such as, “If we got these I'd never study anywhere else.” One person commented that the Brody was comfortable and “feels like home.” In response to their overwhelming popularity, the library has already purchased nine Brody WorkLounges, which can become part of the post-renovation furniture collection. The Brody WorkLounges were funded through library endowments and much appreciated donations from Alpha Omega Alpha and the College of Medicine class of 2017.

Sometimes, feedback is not in the form of comments. Rolling chairs currently in use in the Writing Center are often moved around and used in other areas of the library. In recent years, staff have also noticed students use available furniture to construct makeshift standing desks. During the furniture testing period, standing desks, including a treadmill desk, were heavily used during their time in the library.

Once the renovation is complete, the library will provide a variety of space and furniture settings for individual or group work in a comfortable and vibrant environment.

McGoogan Library of Medicine

Email - askus@unmc.edu

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