Health Sciences Libraries

UMN Pediatrics residents Kate Policht and Heidi Moline wanted to find a way to provide meaningful, actionable information for busy medical residents at the University of Minnesota and beyond. This resulted in the creation of the MN TotDish podcast, with content developed in collaboration with Medical Librarian Caitlin Bakker and technology support from the Libraries.

Curators Lois Hendrickson and Emily Beck of the Wangensteen Historical Library of Biology of Medicine are always sharing their collection and expertise with historical materials with students, faculty, researchers, and scholars. And while no day is typical, it is not surprising that they are typically busy. In this post, we’re looking back fondly to March 2, 2020 when our buildings were open and bustling with people – detailing the events of a single hour during an “average” day in the Wangensteen Historical Library.

The University of Minnesota Libraries and the MLA Academic and Research Library Division (ARLD) are pleased to announce a free professional development activity on library assessment. Join us on Zoom Wednesday, July 8 from 1:00 p.m. — 3:00 p.m. to learn about the Project Outcome for Academic Libraries surveys and resources. Project Outcome is a free toolkit that provides academic libraries the means to easily measure outcomes and use data for improvements and advocacy. The survey covers instruction, events and programs, research, teaching support, digital and special collections, space, and library technology. Free. Registration required.

Shanda Hunt, Public Health Librarian and Data Curation Specialist, was recently promoted from assistant to associate librarian, while being awarded continuous appointment (similar to tenure). This is one of a series spotlighting the librarians who received promotions in 2020.

Please join Henry Buchwald on Wednesday, June 10 at 6:00 p.m. CDT for the launch of his new book, "Surgical Renaissance in the Heartland," moderated by the University of Minnesota Press's regional editor, Erik Anderson, and co-sponsored by the U of M's Wangensteen Historical Library of Biology and Medicine. Henry Buchwald’s account of the Wangensteen era brings to life a medical culture that thrived on debate and the expression of ideas, a clinical practice bound only by the limits of a surgeon’s inspiration and imagination.

COVID-19 has brought all of the bakers out of the woodwork. From sourdough to elaborately-decorated focaccia, many people are lifting their spirits with yeast, baking powder, and baking soda. The Wangensteen Historical Library of Biology and Medicine is following suit, testing a recipe for “Tunbridge Cakes” from the library’s late 18th-century manuscript recipe book.

The Libraries is sending you a virtual care package, with everything you need to finish the semester strong. Go ahead and color our collections, take a ten song study break, watch a relaxing video, travel the world, or find helpful resources to help you maintain focus and keep organized while studying.  

With just a couple of days warning prior to the shutdown of library buildings due to COVID-19, Emily Beck created a History of Contraceptives story map for 44 students enrolled in HMED 3055: Women, Health, and History. "It came as close as possible to replicating the in-person hands-on experience the students usually get with their time with artifacts from the Wangensteen.”

Public health librarian Shanda Hunt is locating and providing access to critical "gray literature" for health sciences researchers during COVID-19, while business librarian Mary Schoenborn and Libraries collections staff were able to open remote access to a key database for faculty and students in the Carlson School of Management.

Rosalind Chow, an instructor at the College of Veterinary Medicine, encountered a challenge when teaching an ultrasound technique called ultrasound-guided fine needle aspiration. After using makeshift protective ultrasound probe covers with mixed success, she collaborated with Makerspace staff to come up with the perfect solution that allowed students more realistic practice with less risk.

We've moved the Research Project Management Workshop online. Attend this workshop to gain project management skills while learning about time-saving tools and little-known resources that will streamline your work. Taught by expert trainers from the Libraries, this half-day workshop is designed for research coordinators and any research support staff who work closely with Principal Investigators.

As the global cases of COVID-19 virus climb past the 700,000 mark, the term “PPE” or personal protective equipment has been heard from governors, the president, health officials, and others as they address the nation in how we can all come together to battle the spread of this virus. This post defines PPE and offers guidance on what is acceptable to donate the health care community.

Handwashing is key to deterring the spread of disease. We all know this now in the face of fighting COVID-19. But it was not always so. It was only in the 19th century that a Hungarian obstetrician, Ignaz Semmelweis, studied and published on the importance of handwashing.

The first day flipping from in-person instruction to fully online was a good learning experience for University of Minnesota medical students because of preparation, collaboration, flexibility — and the help of two librarians from the Bio-Medical Library.

Coloring books are great to have on hand while you’re staying at home and practicing social distancing. Adults as well as younger people can exercise their creative sides. We’re happy to share our collection of historical coloring books with you. They are free to download. So get out your colored pencils, crayons, or watercolors. Have fun and stay healthy!

In this "A Matter of Facts" article from the University Libraries, you will find trusted information and resources on COVID-19, an acute respiratory disease caused by a new coronavirus first identified December 2019 in Wuhan, in China’s Hubei Province.