Health Sciences Libraries

The Veterinary Medical Library has closed, yet its resources and Librarian André Nault continue to meet the needs of students and faculty. “André embodies the spirit of service,” says CVM Associate Dean of Education Peggy Root Kustritz. 

Undergraduate student Darby Ronning discovered the Wangensteen Library, which led to her creating an online exhibit related to a physician's experience on the North Pacific Exploration Expedition in the 1850s. Her research project was awarded the 2021 U-Spatial Mapping Prize for Undergraduate Student — Best Representation of Research.

A behind-the-scenes look at how historical artifacts from the Wangensteen Historical Library of Biology and Medicine are prepared for a physical move into a newly-built space that will ensure preservation and access for decades to come.

Terrestrial and celestial globes created in 1696 arrived at the University Libraries the day after the shutdown for COVID-19 last year, destined for the James Ford Bell Library. Curator Marguerite Ragnow wanted to figure out how to put them on the web but initially she was stymied. Then a breakthrough appeared in January 2021, when she learned of the 3D scanning capabilities in the Health Sciences Library.

Occupational therapy students learn how 3D printing found in HSL's Makerspace can be used to create customized adaptive technology devices to help people complete routine daily tasks.

Moving can be disruptive, but it also can be an opportunity to make a fresh start. The Wangensteen Historical Library of Biology and Medicine has taken advantage of its move into the Health Sciences Education Center to improve protection and access for the collection of books and artifacts.

To her internship in the Data + Visualization Lab in the Health Sciences Library, Claire Winters brought a lot of experience with Excel. Winters transformed her knowledge and experience into two workshops on creating compelling data visualizations with Excel. “Excel is one of the more common tools and can do more than many people realize,” she says.

Library student John Cole is scanning artifacts from the Wangensteen Historical Library in 3D, offering an advantage for very fragile items — as well as for virtual instruction.

Dealing with the threat of COVID was one of the biggest challenges in re-opening four of our libraries last year. Those four operations managers — Desrosiers, Julie Dinger, Jackie Gulbranson, and Emily Reimer — talk about what they faced and, with their staffs, how they came through this transitional time.

In the ancient Greek play "The Bacchae," a group of women called the Maenads worship Dionysus, the god of wine and theater. Discussing the play in a Rarig classroom, with some students in-person and some on Zoom, they talked about the Maenads’ joy in being in a sisterhood. Librarians Sarah Brown and Deb Ultan worked with theater faculty and pharmacy faculty in creating a class that explores the intersection of pharmacy and theater.

In January 2021, Erinn Aspinall was named interim Director of the Health Sciences Libraries. In this Q&A, Aspinall discusses the opportunities and challenges in front of her and her work on the Libraries Strategic Planning Team. Prior to becoming interim Director, she served as HSL’s Associate Director for Program Development and Strategy. Aspinall’s career reflects a commitment to the health sciences, with previous positions at the University of Michigan, the National Institutes of Health, and the University of New Mexico.

Three librarians joined together to develop the research guide "Conducting research through an anti-racism lens," which has just been published on the Libraries website.

Alexa Oswald came to the Health Sciences Library through serendipity — she saw a summer job listed and had enough hours to take it — and has been working there ever since. After she graduates in chemistry, she plans to enter a master’s degree program in nursing and, ultimately, become a nurse-midwife.

Coping with COVID was the challenge of the year. COVID closed our buildings during spring semester. Dealing with it by working from home forced us to find new ways to do things. And our new circumstances fostered an appreciation for an application with a zany name — Zoom. (For some, it’s more a love-hate relationship.) From student workers to the Dean of Libraries, everyone felt the impact of changes as they tried to stay healthy and to adapt. Here are some of their stories.

The Libraries' Policy & News Media Impact Service recently helped researchers in the Medical School understand the impact of its Coventor ventilator. “I had no idea that the Libraries could do that," said one researcher. Yes, it can.

The students in Sally Kohlstedt’s honors course this fall, “Campus Obscura: Cabinets of Curiosity at UMN,” are visiting several U collections and museums as they explore the reasons for why they are an intimate part of the U. And at one site, they felt the experience was close to hands-on.