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News from the McGoogan Health Sciences Library
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It is hard to believe the library has been open for five months. Until November, when it was recommended that students avoid coming to campus to study, we were on track to surpass the library usage rate that occurred before we closed for renovation. The first month of reopening in August 2020 brought students into the library to study or check out the new features. It wasn’t uncommon to see students taking photos, shooting videos, and telling us how much they appreciated the renovated space. It validated the years of work in planning the renovated library with considerable student input.
With reduced numbers of students, we have spent the fall fine-tuning the space on levels 6 and 7, and new furniture continues to arrive. Level 8 is still under renovation, with the portion dedicated to the library scheduled for completion by the end of March. We are grateful for students’ patience as construction activities and noise have sometimes made it difficult to access the library or to concentrate while studying.
Library staff have shown remarkable flexibility in meeting campus needs even while working remotely and experiencing a reduced number of hours on campus. As you will read in this issue, the fall semester was a time of adjustment and hard work by all our faculty and staff.
Dean Emily McElroy
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On September 8, 2020, a ribbon cutting ceremony celebrated the opening of the newly renovated library. The event was broadcast online due to COVID-19 restrictions. The library is no longer a dark, less-than-inviting space, but one filled with natural light, about which UNMC Chancellor Jeffrey P. Gold, MD remarked, "[It] is not only filled with sunlight, but it enlightens all those who pass through it."
Other speakers at the ceremony were Emily McElroy, dean of the McGoogan Library; Dele Davies, MD, senior vice chancellor for academic affairs; Brandy Clarke, PhD, president of the UNMC Faculty Senate; Karen Honeycutt, PhD, chair of the Faculty Senate Library Advisory Committee; and Tom Schroeder, president of the Student Senate and UNMC's student regent.
Although completing a renovation and reopening during the COVID-19 pandemic was challenging, it never dampened the enthusiasm for the project. The transformed space includes a greater number of study rooms, reflection rooms, conference rooms, classrooms, the Jim and Karen Linder Maker Studio, the Rudolph F. Sievers, M.D. Technology Commons, and the Wendy Linder, M.D. Reading Room. Campus partners offer education and technology support within the new Faculty Commons, the expanded space for E-Learning and its EZ Studio, and newly dedicated space for the Writing Center, Ultrasound Lab, and the Virtual Environment Radiotherapy Training (VERT) program. Levels 6 and 7 are open, and level 8 will be completed in March 2021.
The library's reopening comes after more than a year of construction, as part of the Wittson Hall renovation, which was funded through LB 957 in the 2016 legislative session.
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Updated Space, Updated Name |
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When the library reopened its doors in August 2020, showcasing its newly renovated space, it did so with a new name. On June 26, 2020 the NU Board of Regents approved a name change to the Leon S. McGoogan Health Sciences Library. It had previously held the name of the Leon S. McGoogan Library of Medicine.
In 1978, the Board of Regents voted to name the library after Dr. Leon McGoogan (1900-93), the former chair of the UNMC Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, in recognition for his role in fundraising for the library and his extensive donation to the rare book collection. Although the name has been changed, the recognition of Dr. McGoogan’s support for the library has not.
This rebranding allows the library to better reflect the expanded scope of UNMC and aligns with the changes in academic health center libraries across the country. As UNMC has expanded its academic programs, the new name underscores that the library serves the entire UNMC community.
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Library Services Not Slowed by COVID-19 |
Even with COVID-19 limitations, all library services are still available, although with some slight modifications. The library space is now available 24/7, with staffed service hours of 8 am - 6 pm, Monday – Friday. Currently, the library is only accessible by ID badge to UNMC students, faculty, and staff and Nebraska Medicine staff.
Masks are mandatory in all open spaces of the library. Users must also complete the 1-Check UNMC app before entering the library. Numbers of study rooms in the library have increased, but are temporarily limited to one student per room due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Tables in open study areas are also temporarily limited to one person. Masks may be removed when a person is alone in a study room with the door closed. Study rooms must be used when eating or drinking in the library. Books and anatomical models may be requested for checkout via the library’s catalog or by emailing askus@unmc.edu. Library staff follow procedures that are based on industry guidelines for isolation of library materials between use in order to reduce the number of touchpoints for all materials. Because of this, users may see a short delay in the availability of items. Virtual consultations can be scheduled with an Education and Research Services librarian to discuss literature search strategies, answer questions about library-related resources, and assist with other information needs. |
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Wittson Hall 3rd Floor Exhibits
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At the end of May 2021, the UNMC campus will celebrate the much-anticipated opening of the Wigton Heritage Center. Designed to showcase the history and accomplishments of the colleges, researchers, students, faculty, and staff who have passed through these doors and halls for the last 140 years, the Center devotes space within it and on three floors of Wittson Hall to exhibitions highlighting these many achievements. The third-floor corridor starting at the 42nd Street entrance and progressing westward through Wittson Hall is one of these areas.
Walking westward toward University Tower, on the left will be a series of campus images highlighting the colleges, histories, and buildings of the Omaha and Lincoln NU campuses. On the right will be three sets of interactive screens that feature: a historic timeline of the university; many award-winning researchers, faculty, and prominent community members distinguished for their service to the university; and the immense impact that UNMC’s colleges have across the globe. We hope you’ll stop and explore the exhibits; these are but the first of many fascinating glimpses of UNMC’s historical impact.
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Heather Brown and Teri Hartman Recognized |
At the Fall 2020 Joint Midcontinental and Midwest Chapters of the Medical Library Association Annual Meeting, Heather Brown and Teri Hartman were honored for their achievements and contribution to health sciences librarianship. |
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Heather Brown, Scholarly Communications librarian and head of Interlibrary Loan, received the Bernice M. Hetzner Award for Excellence in Academic Health Science Librarianship. The award was established in honor of Bernice M. Hetzner, library director and professor emeritus at UNMC, and honors an academic health sciences librarian who demonstrates leadership and has achieved significant professional accomplishments.
Throughout her career, Heather has been very active and made significant contributions at the regional and national levels of the Medical Library Association.
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Teri Hartman, Education and Research Services librarian, was awarded the Midcontinental Chapter of the Medical Library Association (MCMLA) Outstanding Achievement Award. This award honors an MCMLA member for contributions to the profession, to the goals and objectives of the chapter, and to health sciences or hospital libraries.
Teri is known for her innovation and leadership in discovering new opportunities for library involvement. The breadth of her accomplishments is impressive and represents significant contributions to the profession and to health sciences libraries.
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DiAnna Hemsath presented a lightning talk at the Society of American Archivists annual conference on "Establishing Essential Intellectual Control and Collection Access for a Multiple Stage Move." She also gave a lightning talk, "Collecting COVID-19 Material at a Medical University" at the Society of American Archivists' Science, Technology and Healthcare section's annual meeting. Additionally, DiAnna authored an article, “Development and Implementation of a Phased Framework for Collecting the COVID-19 Virus Material at a Medical University.” in Collections: A Journal for Museum and Archive Professionals. December 2020. https://doi.org/10.1177/1550190620980406.
Emily McElroy started her term on the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) Library Advisory Board in July 2020. She published "University of Nebraska Medical Center: Collaborating with Campus Partners in Renovated Library," in Collaborative Librarianship: Vol. 12: Iss. 2, Article 4. https://digitalcommons.du.edu/collaborativelibrarianship/vol12/iss2/4
Erin Torell was appointed to the Membership and Professional Development Committee for the Rare Books and Manuscripts Section (RBMS) of the Association of College and Research Libraries, a division of the American Library Association.
Kelly Gonzalez earned the Level 2 Consumer Health Information Specialization (CHIS) from the Medical Library Association.
Christian Minter was invited to join the Health + Housing Coalition. This one-year project will focus on reviewing data and developing an action plan to address the challenges experienced by medically complex homeless individuals in the Omaha-Council Bluffs metro area. She was also a panelist on "Addressing Disparities in Health Literacy" at the 2020 Joint Midcontinental and Midwest Chapters of the Medical Library Association Annual Meeting.
Carrie Meyer was a panelist for "Documenting COVID-19: Gathering Materials at UNO and in Omaha" at the Nebraska Library Association College & University Section and Technical Services Roundtable fall meeting.
Heather Brown and Larissa Krayer presented a lightning talk, “Establishing a cross-departmental, team-based oral history program" at the 2020 Joint Midcontinental and Midwest Chapters of the Medical Library Association Annual Meeting.
Cindy Schmidt co-authored: Sanchez Palacios GM, Schmidt C, Wichman T. "Targeted therapy with phosphodiesterase 5 inhibitors in patients with pulmonary hypertension due to heart failure and elevated pulmonary vascular resistance: a systematic review". Pulmonary Circulation. 2020 Oct 7;10(3). https://doi.org/10.1177/2045894020948780.
Jess King presented the lightning talk, “Addressing Systemic Racism through Collection Development: Providing Social Justice Education Resources Pertaining to BIPOC Communities," at the 2020 Joint Midcontinental and Midwest Chapters of the Medical Library Association Annual Meeting.
Teri Hartman co-presented a poster: Fial, A., Wrench, J., Kowalik, E., & Hartman, T. “Working Too Hard: Lack of Partnerships in Nursing Information Literacy Instruction” at the Library Assessment Conference Virtual Meeting.
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Leon S. McGoogan Health Sciences Library
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