The HSHSL will launch a year-long premium trial of Consensus, an “AI-powered search engine for scientific research papers.” Consensus uses large language models to search, analyze, and summarize research findings. It is designed to make it easier to explore topics, compare studies, and understand the current state of evidence.
The free trial, organized by the HSHSL, will begin in January 2026. Details on how to access the trial will be shared at the start of the new year. Stay tuned for more information on how you can try out this emerging tool and share your feedback.
This issue opens with a message from the dean reflecting on recent progress and the work ahead. You will also get a preview of the upcoming premium trial of Consensus, an AI research tool launching in January. Another feature shows how to share your work more widely by adding datasets to the UMB Data Catalog. The Season of Giving section rounds out the issue with ways to support the library’s mission and collections.
As the campus heads into the holiday season, several HSHSL services will pause for a short winter break. You may continue to submit requests at any time, but anything sent after the dates below will be processed when staff return in January.
Recommended Submission Dates Before the Break
Submit by Friday, Dec. 12, 2025 • Interlibrary loan (ILL)
Submit by Friday, Dec. 19, 2025 • Poster printing • Expert literature search • Consent form review • Evidence synthesis • Course reserve
When Services Resume
Processing for all listed services will resume Monday, Jan. 5, 2026.
Looking for a quick holiday gift? The 2026 HSHSL calendar, Botanical Marvels, is now available and ready to brighten someone’s year.
Each month features a bold botanical illustration from our Pharmacy Historical Collections. It adds a pop of color and charm to any space.
We also have 4-pack sets of botanical stickers for $5. Each set features four of the loveliest blooms from calendars past and present.
Calendars are $10 and can be purchased through our online store. Sticker packs are available there as well. Pick up a calendar, a sticker set, or both while supplies last and give someone a whole year of beauty.
Finals are here, and the HSHSL has the comfort food you need to keep going. Eggs, bacon, biscuits, home fries, and more will be served breakfast-for-dinner style. Join us on Monday, Dec. 8, from 4:30 to 5:30 p.m. in the HSHSL’s Weise Gallery.
While you wait in line, we invite you to share a library memory. Think about a favorite study spot, an event you enjoyed, a librarian or staff member who helped you, a funny moment, or anything that has stayed with you.
We will hand you a slip of paper and a pen. Write your memory and pin it to our felt board so it becomes part of the library’s story.
This event is co-sponsored by URecFit and Wellness and funded by the University Student Government Association (USGA).
The HSHSL will be closing at 8 p.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 26.
We will be closed for the Thanksgiving Holiday on Thursday, Nov. 27, and Friday, Nov. 28.
We will resume regular hours on Saturday, Nov. 29. Remember that you can still access most of our resources through the HSHSL website while the building is closed.
We’re giving the HSHSL’s first floor a fresh look and want your take. The survey takes about five minutes and asks how you use the space and what you want next.
Vivid nighttime photograph of Harborplace along Baltimore’s Inner Harbor by Wamara Mwine.
HSHSL will host the exhibit WHAM Photography, the work of Baltimore photographer Wamara Mwine, from Nov. 21, 2025 to Jan. 30, 2026, in the Weise Gallery on the first floor. The exhibit showcases images of iconic Baltimore landmarks, crowds of baseball fans, local restaurants and the Inner Harbor. See more of Mwine’s work on Instagram at @wamaramwine.
Victoria Carter, left, and Ana Scherf, both second-year medical students in the Class of 2028, stand with the mannequin they helped transform into an artwork. Not pictured: Abby Kim, a classmate who also worked on the project.
The Health Sciences and Human Services Library (HSHSL) is proud to host “Anna Tomi: Beneath the Surface,” a three-dimensional work of art designed by the Creative HeArts Team. The team includes University of Maryland, Baltimore School of Medicine students Ana Scherf, Abby Kim, Victoria Carter and advisor Dr. Abdulhameed Al-Sabban. Students from classes of 2028 and 2029, along with participating faculty and staff, came together to transform a life-size mannequin into a canvas of anatomy and art. “Anna Tomi: Beneath the Surface,” completed Sept. 23, 2025, is a fusion of medicine, creativity and collaboration, bringing the human body to life in bold lines and vibrant colors.
Ana Scherf, School of Medicine student and Creative HeArts Team member explained, “Our vision was to bring learning to life. The goal was to transform a standard human mannequin into something that reflects both the knowledge and the creativity that defines medicine as a science and an art. Using a plastic mannequin as the base, layers of primer and acrylic paint were applied to show how form, color and various materials can turn a tool-of-learning into a shared expression of curiosity and connection. We hope that when viewers engage with this piece, they are reminded of the complexity and wonder of the human body.”
