I use this same column header every fall. It’s not for lack of creativity. It just captures the way I feel at the start of the academic year. It’s exciting to see new faculty, staff, and students. It is equally exciting to see old friends. This year is especially meaningful because we haven’t seen each other in such a long time.

Even though the building was closed from March until September 2020, when we reopened with limited hours and services, the HSHSL hummed along. The HSHSL is much greater than its building. We quickly moved to online services, remote learning, distance consultations, and we continued to build our infrastructure, growing the UMB Digital Archive and the UMB Data Catalog. We introduced new services, such as contactless pickup, a website refresh, and a building headcount system. We applied for and were awarded Region 1 of the Network of the National Library of Medicine, and also the Network Web Services Office. The regional office is a distinction we have held for over 35 years. (See the Regional Medical Library article below for more information.) Our Historical Collections were used by researchers far and wide … digitally. We launched our Center for Data and Bioinformation Services (CDABS) – a hub for data and bioinformation learning, services, resources, and communication. In April, we launched Citizen Science: Gearing Up for Discovery, a MOOC aimed at building a citizen science community. And who can forget our outstanding April Fool’s edition of Connective Issues?

And now we are getting ready to develop our strategic plan for 2021-2026. We will be working with library staff, library users, our constituents, and many others to construct a plan that aligns with UMB Themes to promote the success of our communities. Stay tuned for announcements of a series of town halls for faculty, staff, and students.

An incredible year is behind us, and a busy one ahead! We look forward to engaging with everyone, wherever we find you – onsite, online, in the classroom or the lab … wherever. We want to be where you are. Welcome and welcome back!

September 7 – November 30, 2021
Library services and access to classrooms begin at 8:00 a.m. From 6:00 a.m. to 8:00 a.m., Monday through Friday, enter the HSHSL through the SMC Campus Center.

Regular Semester Hours

Monday – Thursday	6:00 a.m. – 11:00 p.m.
Friday	6:00 a.m. – 8:00 p.m.
Saturday	8:00 a.m. – 8:00 p.m.
Sunday	8:00 a.m. – 10:00 p.m.

Exceptions to Regular Hours

Thanksgiving Holiday

November 25 – 26

Closed

Policies
The Library is open to UMB students, faculty, staff with UMB One Cards; faculty, staff, and students with current University System of Maryland campus IDs; and hospital staff with UMMC IDs. All visitors must have a photo ID and follow UMB COVID guidelines. Visitors may not enter after 8:00 p.m.

After three successful years, the flu shot clinic is returning to the HSHSL Tuesday, October 19, 9am to 5pm. Once again, the HSHSL is partnering with the School of Pharmacy and Walgreens to offer flu shots to members of the campus community.

Details on appointment times and sign-ups are forthcoming, so keep an eye out for announcements in The Elm, and on the HSHSL Updates blog and social media.

The HSHSL is here for you!  Do not hesitate to ask for help at the Information Services desk; you are not interrupting us, we are here to provide assistance.  You can also reach us by phone at 410-706-7996, or by email or chat.

Here is a list of common questions with links to guide you to the answer or service.

1. How do I print?
   Follow these instructions.
2. How do I order a book or article the library does not own?
   Use our interlibrary loan service. It is free for students.
3. How do I meet with a librarian about my assignment or research?
   Request a consultation.
4. How do I reserve a study room?
   Follow the instructions on the reservations page.
5. How do I get help with citation managers?
   You can request a consultation, attend a workshop or review the citation manager subject guide.
6. How do I request a poster to be printed?
   Fill out this form.
7. How do I correctly size my poster?
   Instructions are here.
8. How do I search the Library’s books and journals?
   You can use the OneSearch box located on our homepage, or check the Library’s catalog.
9. How do I log in to the Library from off campus?
   Look for the blue “Off-Campus Access” button in the upper-right corner of our homepage and use your UMID and password to log in.

Do you have a question that has not been addressed here? Contact us directly or check the Ask Us! database of questions – your answer may already be there!

Each school has a dedicated librarian who collaborates with students, faculty, and staff and provides expert services in locating evidence for class assignments and patient care, literature searching, publication planning, and research impact.

What your librarian can do for you

• Consult with you to assist with literature searching and research
• Collaborate on comprehensive literature searches for systematic reviews
• Gather data to measure your individual, group, or departmental research impact
• Teach citation management using EndNote, Zotero, and other systems
• …and much more! Visit Help With Your Research on our website to see all the ways librarians can support your research, teaching, and class projects.

To contact the librarian for your school, visit our Professional Expertise page.

What is the Collection?

Dr. William J. Kinnard, Jr., a former professor, dean of the School of Pharmacy, and acting president of the University, believed faculty, staff, and students needed a way to relax their brains. This led him to establish the Kinnard Leisure Reading Collection in 2003. Thanks to the generous ongoing donation of Dr. and Mrs. Kinnard, the HSHSL provides a variety of popular magazines and a small selection of circulating fiction and non-fiction books. The collection is located on the first floor of the Library, in the bookcases under the staircase.

Why a Refresh?

Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, the collection has been unavailable and stagnant. It needs you to help bring it back to life. 

How You Can Help!

Is there a recent popular book you’ve read or a magazine you think the UMB community would enjoy? Is there a title you’ve heard about and would like to read? If so, please let us know and we will try to obtain it for the Kinnard collection.

Please note: The Kinnard collection consists of books leased from a service. Not all titles may be available.

In FY21, the HSHSL was able to secure funding to support a pilot project to reimburse early-career researchers for half of the cost of article publishing fees in open access journals. The pilot was successful, with seventeen awards being made to representatives from all of the schools the HSHSL supports.

The Library has secured funds to continue the pilot into FY22. Please remember that funding is limited and will be awarded to every applicant who meets the criteria until it is all expended.

For more information and to apply, please visit the HSHSL’s APC page.

If you currently use an NCBI account to access MyNCBI, SciENCV, or My Bibliography, you will need to update your credentials next time you log in. Instead of using your NCBI user name and password, you will instead link your account to a third-party login. NCBI has provided instructions for logging in with your NCBI account and linking a new login.

These new logins can include an eRA Commons account, a Google account, or your UMB email address. To use your umaryland.edu email address, choose “more login options” and type “University of Maryland”. You’ll then use your UMID and password.

If you need assistance with this process, you can read NCBI’s FAQ page or contact the HSHSL at hshsl@umaryland.edu.

In our May Issue, we shared the news of the HSHSL’s selection as the 2021-2026 Regional Medical Library (RML) for Region 1 of the Network of the National Library of Medicine (NNLM). This accomplishment marks over 35 years of service to the region’s health information community, an achievement made even more monumental by a Network reorganization that put the HSHSL into competition with two impressive institutions.

While the reorganization brought change and challenge, this 2021 realignment is just the latest for the NNLM – a program that, in its more than 50 years of operation, has constantly shifted to reflect changes in the information landscape. Today’s Network has its roots in the 1965 Medical Library Assistance Act (MLAA). After World War II, as funding for medical school libraries failed to keep pace with funding for medical research and education, the National Library of Medicine (NLM) took interest in awarding grants to improve the provision of biomedical information. The NLM’s Board of Regents contracted Harold Bloomquist, assistant librarian of Harvard University School of Medicine and Public Health, to conduct a study on the state of US medical school libraries. The study revealed the inadequacy of the libraries and proposed a regional resource library model to fill the gaps. The regional resource library would “[bear] the responsibility for collecting materials in depth” and “make its resources and services available to a broad geographic area. “

With funding from the MLAA, eleven original regions were born out of existing relationships and collaborations between medical libraries.

…

Free and subsidized interlibrary loans were initially the Regional Medical Libraries’ most popular and best-used service. The RMLs also coordinated Medical Literature Analysis and Retrieval System (MEDLARS) searches, provided back-up reference services, and offered training and consulting to hospital administrators. When MEDLARS went online in 1971 (as MEDLINE), training and outreach efforts accelerated, and between 1964 and 1983, the number of locations from which health professionals could request computerized literature searches grew from three to over 4,000.

In 1982, the regions reconfigured, shifting from eleven to seven, and the University of Maryland, Baltimore, began its tenure as the Regional Medical Library of the Southeastern Atlantic Region. In the late 1980s, the Network began to prioritize outreach to health professionals in underserved areas, and in 1990, a new name, the National Network of Libraries of Medicine signified a new, unified approach. In the late 1990s, the Network focused on supporting internet usage among member libraries. In 1998 the NLM launched MedlinePlus, its flagship consumer health information site. And, as connectivity increased in the early 2000s, the Network’s mission expanded to include a focus on public access to high-quality health information. When Hurricane Katrina and the September 11 terrorist attacks heightened concerns about information provision during emergencies and natural disasters, the RMLs responded by adding disaster information planning to their training and outreach priorities. In the last five years, the Network has increased efforts to prepare librarians for the data-driven research landscape.

In 2020, the program’s name changed to the Network of the National Library of Medicine. The subtle change acknowledges the important work of community organizations in improving health literacy and disseminating culturally relevant health information. Now, with a renewed focus on health equity, community collaboration, and social justice, we are proud of UMB’s contributions to this program and excited for all of the opportunities to come.

Continue Reading

 

This summer, the Historical Collections Department hosted high-school student Yasmeen Yarborough as a virtual intern. Yasmeen is a junior at the McDonogh School in Owings Mills, MD. The internship was facilitated by Dr. Roger J. Ward, interim provost, executive vice president, dean of the Graduate School –and Yasmeen’s basketball coach. Dr. Ward reached out to the Library in the hopes of finding a project that would allow Yasmeen to gain valuable professional experience.

Given a list of projects to choose from, Yasmeen decided to work with the newly digitized Civil War letters of Dr. Eugene F. Cordell (UMSOM Class of 1868) and his family. The letters, dating from 1860 to 1865, address life as a Confederate Army soldier and prisoner of war during the American Civil War. The goal of the project is to make these materials easily searchable and accessible through the UMB Digital Archive. Throughout this process, Yasmeen has enjoyed reading the letters and relating to the family. She finds the dramatic tone of Cordell’s letters to his mother moving, entertaining, and at times humorous.

…

Dr. Cordell was born June 24, 1843, the final child of Dr. Levi O’Connor (UMSOM Class of 1825) and Christine Turner Cordell in Charles Town, Virginia (now West Virginia). The Civil War letters document Dr. Eugene Cordell’s education at Episcopal High School in Alexandria, Virginia, before he convinced his father to allow him to join the Confederate Army. After July 1861, the letters document Eugene’s service with General Henry A. Wise’s unit. Most of Cordell’s letters document camp life and the news he received about the war.

Dr. Eugene Cordell was wounded during a battle in 1864. He returned to his unit before his wounds –one in his leg, one in his abdomen, one in his thigh – completely healed, which led to further complications and a hospital stay. Cordell was captured by Union forces in 1864 and held in Camp Chase, OH, before escaping. He was captured for a second time in March 1865 and held at Fort Delaware, DE, until his release at the war’s end in June 1865. Letters from his time in both prisoner of war camps are part of the collection.

In addition to the Civil War letters of Dr. Eugene F. Cordell, there is a wartime diary of George Edwards Cordell, born October 8, 1838, the fourth child to Dr. Levi O’Connor and Christine Turner Cordell. George enlisted as a private with Mosby’s Twelfth Cavalry in the Confederate Army in 1864 and was later captured by the Union Army and held prisoner at Camp Chase, OH.

The Turner Cordell Papers were added to the UMB Digital Archive 2019 and 2020. In addition to Civil War correspondence, the collection includes papers and letters documenting the lives of two wealthy, connected Southern families. Most of the collection relates to Dr. Eugene F. Cordell and his mother Christine Turner Cordell.

Yasmeen hopes to complete transcription of the Civil War letters during her internship, which will continue through the fall semester. In addition to basketball, Yasmeen plays volleyball and throws shot put and discus in track. After graduating next year, Yasmeen plans to go to college, where she hopes to major in engineering. She is the first high school intern in the Historical Collections department and is a wonderful addition!

Continue Reading

 

Posters & Presentations

Vickie Campbell and Na Lin, MLS, presented a poster “Resource Sharing During the Time of COVID: Challenges and Solutions” at the Towson Conference for Academic Libraries on July 28.

Brian Zelip, MSLIS, MA, presented as a panelist on “Developing Communities of Practice From MIRA” at the annual Makerspaces for Innovation and Research in Academics (MIRA) conference in July.

Honors & Awards

Emily Gorman, MLIS, was selected as chair-elect to the American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy Library Section

Tony Nguyen, MLIS, has been selected as a Fellow in the 21-22 NLM/AAHSL Leadership cohort. The Program prepares emerging leaders for director positions in academic health sciences libraries through a year-long mentoring relationship with a director of another library and a curriculum focused on developing leadership knowledge critical to enhancing the value of libraries in their institutions. In this highly competitive program, Tony will be one of ten fellows and mentors from academic health sciences libraries across the U.S. who will begin their work together in November.

M.J. Tooey, MLS, AHIP, FMLA, was appointed to the Medical Library Association’s Vision 2048 Task Force to envision the future of medical librarians and the MLA.

Patrick Williams was named UMB’s May 2021 Employee of the Month for his efforts during the COVID-19 pandemic to ensure deliveries were received at HSHSL.

April Wright, MLS, was awarded the Medical Library Association’s Sewell Stipend.  The stipend will allow her to participate in the American Public Health Association’s annual meeting to improve information services to public health practitioners.

Miranda Young was named UMB’s July Employee of the Month for her hard work and dedication keeping the first floor of the HSHSL clean and disinfected during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Congratulations to Persia Drummond and Tara Wink, MLS, for their selection into the UMBrella Coaching Program, and to Everly Brown, MLIS, for her selection into the UMB Emerging Leaders Program.

It is my great pleasure and pride to announce that the HSHSL will continue as a Regional Medical library from 2021-2026 in the Network of the National Library of Medicine (NNLM). Additionally, we will headquarter the Network Web Services Office (NWSO) for the NNLM, serving all seven of the NNLM regions. This cooperative agreement is overseen by the National Library of Medicine at NIH and will be worth almost $10M over the five years. The NNLM mission is to improve health by providing access to biomedical and health information, through awards and training, to everyone from researchers and public health workers to members of the public. Members include not only libraries and information professionals but also public health departments and community groups with interests in health and health care.

For over 35 years, the HSHSL had served as the regional headquarters for the Southeastern Atlantic Region of the NNLM, encompassing ten states, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and DC. This year, the NNLM realigned the regions putting the HSHSL into competition with two other excellent institutions. The HSHSL team really rose to the challenge and wrote outstanding proposals. Our new region includes old friends from DC, Maryland, North Carolina, Virginia, and West Virginia. Kentucky, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Delaware are now within Region 1, our new designation. We look forward to working with these new friends and building an inclusive and effective region over the next five years. This award is a testimony not only to the excellence of the proposals but also to the creativity and hard work of the proposal team, the support of UMB’s leadership, and the quality of UMB itself.

The Library building’s hours for the summer semester are Monday – Friday, 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.

Reference Help and Chat are available Monday – Saturday, 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.

You can reach out to us at hshsl@umaryland.edu.

The HSHSL extends a hearty congratulations to the graduating class of 2021! Before you go forth and conquer, we want to remind you of the resources available to you after graduation.

• Journals and Databases: Alumni can access HS/HSL’s electronic resources off campus for 2 months after graduation.
• Free Databases: Once your electronic access expires, you will still have access to public databases for literature, drug information, and more. A few examples are highlighted below. Additionally, be sure to investigate what resources you have through your new workplace and any professional organizations of which you are a member.

Freely Available Databases	Type of Information	Can Be Used in Place of
PubMed	Literature	Embase, CINAHL, Scopus, Ovid MEDLINE, PsycINFO, etc.
Google Scholar	Literature	Embase, CINAHL, Scopus, Ovid MEDLINE, PsycINFO, etc.
NLM Drug Information Portal	Drug Information	Micromedex, Lexicomp, Natural Medicines
MedlinePlus	Patient-Friendly Health Information	Micromedex, Lexicomp, UpToDate, Natural Medicines
ECRI Guidelines Trust	Clinical Practice Guidelines	UpToDate
TRIP Database	Literature	Embase, CINAHL, Ovid MEDLINE
NCBI Databases	Various – literature, chemical information, genetic/genomic information, etc.	SciFinder, Embase, CINAHL, Scopus, Ovid MEDLINE, PsycINFO, etc.
Directory of Open Access Journals (DOAJ)	Literature	Embase, CINAHL, Scopus, Ovid MEDLINE, PsycINFO, etc.

The HSHSL wishes you all the best in your future endeavors! Please contact the Information Services Desk if you have any questions.

The Center for Data and Bioinformation Services (CDABS) at the Health Sciences and Human Services Library (HSHSL) recently helped shepherd through a Data Use Agreement between the University of Maryland, Baltimore and the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (NCATS), making the National COVID Cohort Collaborative (N3C) Data Enclave available to UMB researchers.

N3C, an innovative and collaborative new analytics platform, contains clinical data from the electronic health records of people who were tested for the novel coronavirus or who had related symptoms. This data resource will help scientists further understand the disease, including potential risk factors, protective factors, and long-term health consequences.

The platform now contains over 5 billion rows of data on more than 4 million patient records, including over 1 million COVID positive patients. NC3 data can support a broad range of clinical and translational domains – such as acute kidney injury, diabetes, pregnancy, cancer, immunosuppression, social determinants of health, and many other conditions – to target treatment mechanism, drug discovery, and best care practices for COVID-19.

The N3C Data Enclave was launched on September 2, 2020 by NCATS and the National Center for Data to Health (CD2H), in partnership with experts from Observational Health Data Sciences and Informatics (OHDSI), PCORnet, the Accrual to Clinical Trials (ACT) network, and TriNetX.

For more information about gaining access to this valuable new resource, please see the full CDABS announcement.

Questions? Contact: Amy Yarnell, data services librarian and Jean-Paul Courneya, bioinformationist at data@hshsl.umaryland.edu.

Explore citizen science through the lens of community and environmental health with a new HSHSL-created edX course, Citizen Science: Gearing Up for Discovery.  This asynchronous, free course builds skills in non-scientists who may want to implement or participate in a citizen science project. It’s uniquely focused on health-related projects in environmental health and public health. Enroll Now!

Citizen science and community-engaged research has demonstrated that non-scientists contribute in many ways to advancing health and wellness in communities. 

Gearing Up is meant for anyone interested in applying a citizen science approach to addressing health issues in communities. The course’s 5 modules cover the following topics:

• Citizen science overview
• Project planning
• Collecting data
• Managing Data
• Communicating Results

The HSHSL created the course with an award from the Network of the National Library of Medicine/Southeastern Atlantic Region.

On March 16, 2020, the University of Maryland, Baltimore (UMB) moved to mandatory telework in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.  At the time, it was impossible to predict that most of campus would still be working and learning from home over a year later.

When the HSHSL building closed on March 16, 2020, the Library quickly transitioned in-person services to virtual to continue supporting the needs of the campus community. Instruction and reference consultations moved to online platforms and webinars; interlibrary loan found new ways to fill over 28,000 requests for articles and books; and contactless book pickups ensured the collections remained accessible. The HSHSL transitioned some long-standing in-person events, such as Meet the Makers, to a virtual format, drawing new audiences from beyond UMB and Baltimore. Instruction sessions and workshops focusing on the pandemic were offered virtually for researchers, health-care providers, and the community. In total, 128 virtual classes were offered, reaching over 3,000 people. We also continued a partnership with the School of Pharmacy and Walgreens to host the third annual Flu Shot Clinic.

When the staff in the HSHSL’s Innovation Space saw the high demand and low supply of personal protective equipment, they took the Library’s 3D printers home and began 3D printing items for by the School of Nursing and UMMC. To date, 1,354 items have been printed.

The Library also launched new services during the pandemic. In October 2020, the HSHSL established an Open Access Publishing Fund to help defray article processing costs for early career UMB researchers. And the HSHSL’s Center for Data and Bioinformation Services (CDABS) launched in February 2021 to support data and bioinformation learning, services, resources, and communications at UMB. The Regional Medical Library (RML) wrote a successful grant to keep the RML at UMB for another five years.

The HSHSL added over 2,700 items to the UMB Digital Archive during the pandemic year, including UMB Response to Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19), a new collection of more than 370 items – news releases, letters, Elm stories, videos, photographs, and more – that will memorialize UMB’s response to COVID-19 and tell our collective stories for future researchers and historians. The HSHSL also launched its own campaign, UnMasking a Pandemic: Stories from UMB during COVID-19 Project, to collect personal stories from the campus community.

Throughout the pandemic, the HSHSL has found ways to bring its staff and the campus community together. In May 2020, the Library introduced a Coloring Book and a collection of virtual puzzles. In June 2020, library staff found ways to give back to their communities by participating in a virtual hour of service.  Library staff also competed in UMB’s Summer 2020 Ultimate Mileage Battle, taking top prize for the highest daily average steps.

As more people get vaccinated and the end of the pandemic becomes more than a distant possibility, it’s important to celebrate the many victories in a time of enormous uncertainty. The HSHSL is no exception. As a Library, we have come together virtually and in socially distant ways to continue providing top-notch services to the UMB campus. While the Library building has been open in a limited capacity since September 14, 2020, we look forward to the day when we can open our doors fully to the campus and host large in-person events, exhibits, and celebrations once again.

To see more of the accomplishments of the HSHSL during the pandemic, check out our website, HSHSL By the Numbers During COVID-19.

Miranda Young of Custodial Services was recognized as the Environmental Services (EVS) Employee of the Month for April 2021. A valued member of the EVS Team, Miranda works primarily on the first floor of the Health Sciences and Human Services Library (HSHSL). Staff at the HSHSL said, “Since Day One, we have admired her commitment to the HSHSL and to keeping the first floor looking absolutely beautiful. Our on-site staff — and students — appreciate the results of her hard work every day. COVID-19 has certainly raised the standard for cleaning and disinfecting, and Miranda takes these duties seriously. She does outstanding work and is a joy to be around!” The HSHSL recognizes Miranda’s dedication and positive personality and thanks her for her service and friendship.

In April 2021, the Network of the National Library of Medicine (NNLM) held a free virtual symposium focused on addressing the COVID-19 Infodemic in our communities. Through paper sessions, panels, and a networking space, attendees had an opportunity to address misinformation and mistrust, raise awareness about efforts to combat the pandemic, and come away with strategies and programs that can be used to engage with communities.

Over two days, the NNLM symposium hosted 1,062 participants, including students, health care providers, librarians, public health professionals, community-based organization staff, educators, researchers, and journalists. If you are interested in viewing the Keynote and Panel Presentations – featuring Dr. Vin Gupta, Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation, Gregg Orton, The National Council of Asian Pacific Americans, Jess Kolis, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and Dr. Chris Pernell, University Hospital – recordings are available on the NNLM YouTube channel.

First Friday events are popular across the country; they provide opportunities for small businesses to open their doors to the community in a relaxed manor. Traditionally, archives have only been open for serious researchers and scholars. More recently, however, repositories have investigated new ways to bring in different users and make the collections relevant to all audiences. The National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) is leading one of these new endeavors virtually with first Friday #ArchivesHashtagParty on Social Media. In August 2017, NARA hosted the inaugural party with the theme #ArchivesSquadGoals. Although NARA initially envisioned a six-month campaign, the parties quickly grew in popularity and remain a monthly fixture today with over one thousand participants.

In February 2021, after reading a New York Times article about the parties, the Historical Collections department of the HSHSL joined in the #ArchivesHashtagParty fun. Our first submission highlighted Esther E. McCready, SON Class of 1953 and first African American woman graduate, as part of the theme #ArchivesBlackEducation. The March theme, #ArchivesYouAreHere, was a challenge for the Historical Collections. Since there are few maps in our collections, we got creative and shared William Cowper’s 1737 Anatomy Atlas, claiming it was a map for health professionals.

In April, the HSHSL partnered with the SON Living History Museum for #ArchivesTipoftheHat to highlight the WWII overseas cap that Lola Marshall, SON Class of 1939, wore at the 42nd General Hospital, which was staffed by members of University of Maryland.

May’s theme promises to bring out the creepy crawlies with #ArchivesBugs. Follow the HSHSL’s social media channels to see our #ArchivesHashtagParty entries. To learn more about the program and see a list of participating institutions, check out NARA’s website.

In celebration of National Poetry Month, the Network of the National Library of Medicine (NNLM) Southeastern/Atlantic Region (SEA) hosted a Healthy Haiku contest throughout the month of April. This fun, creative activity challenged participants to compose health-related haikus to share on NNLM SEA social media.

Poems submitted throughout the month covered a wide variety of health topics, including vaccinations, health literacy, exercise, public health, working from home, healthy eating, and the joy of pets.

Check out a few of the great haikus below, including some familiar names from the HSHSL!

Parking garage stairs:
Not CrossFit, not yoga class…
But, hey, it’s something!

Sarah Adcock
Rowland Medical Library
University of Mississippi Medical Center

Her work paved the way
The structure of DNA
Rosalind Franklin

Emily Gorman
Health Sciences and Human Services Library
University of Maryland, Baltimore

To make us happy,
I take my dog for a walk.
After that – we nap.

Alexa Mayo
Health Sciences and Human Services Library
University of Maryland, Baltimore

Stay hydrated daily
Enjoying four to six cups
Of clear, clean water

University of Tennessee Health Science Center Library

M.J. Tooey, MLS, AHIP, FMLA, was recently named to a three-year appointment to the Medical Library Association’s Vision 2048 Task Force.

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Presentations:

M.J. Tooey delivered the keynote address entitled “Resistance is Futile: Change or Die! Strategies for post-pandemic reflection and success” to the 5th Annual Joint Meeting of the Substance Abuse Librarians and Information Specialists (SALIS) and the Association of Mental Health Librarians (AMHL) on April 28.

Tara Wink, MLS, and HSHSL Spring 2021 interns, Elizabeth Brown, University of Illinois iSchool graduate student, class of 2022, and Hanna Takemoto, University of Maryland iSchool graduate student, class of 2021, presented as part of a panel titled “Creating Meaningful Hybrid and Virtual Internship Opportunities for Students.” The presentation was part of the virtual Society of Southwest Archivists Meeting held May 17-21.

Almost every article you will have read over the last month will have remarked on the one-year anniversary of the first COVID-19 case or the first COVID-19 death. With 500,000+ deaths across the U.S., who knew March 2020 would be such a pivotal month and the start of a pandemic? On March 13, the HSHSL team closed and locked the library doors, expecting to return in a few short weeks or at the most, months.

I was, and still am, so proud of the way the HSHSL staff rose to the challenge, pivoting to an almost completely online environment, solving problems, creating solutions, and proving a library is more than the sum of its four walls. The building was closed but the Library wasn’t. With the exception of access to physical collections, we reimagined and, in many cases, improved the ways we work with, and within our UMB community.

On September 14, we reopened the building on a limited basis – two floors, reduced hours, skeleton staff, physically distant seating, restricted entry (UMB and UMMC members only), and limited capacity. This is where we find ourselves today.

We have received requests from our user community, the public, and students from other universities to relax our restrictions. Although it warms our hearts to think how highly people regard us, we will be maintaining our building restrictions, in line with UMB policy, for the foreseeable future. The majority of our staff are on mandatory telework, and we are committed to keeping our onsite staff, who are stretched very thin, as safe as possible. We follow UMB guidelines. Monitor what health experts say. Confer with other libraries in the USM, many of which are not open at all. And still provide excellent services and resources virtually. While I know many of you see the HSHSL as a place of solace, study, and scholarship, we need to remain vigilant. It is our hope that we will be together soon.

In April, the HSHSL traditionally surveys people who use our digital resources. When you click to access a library resource, a brief survey may appear asking your status, school, and purpose of use. While it is a perennial source of annoyance, this survey provides the HSHSL with valuable information that helps guide us in providing important resources to our user community. For example, did you know School of Medicine faculty use library resources primarily for research purposes? Or that in the School of Nursing, students are the heavy hitters, using resources to complete assignments? This survey is only one of the tools we use to assess resource usage. However, it is an important one. The survey is random, so if you are among those fortunate enough to be snared, we understand the impulse to sigh and mutter a few choice words. But once you’ve finished, please complete the survey, knowing you are helping the HSHSL.

The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the disparities that underserved, minority, and underrepresented communities face in areas such as health information literacy, education, and inclusion in COVID-19 related clinical research.

On April 8-9, 2021, Network of the National Library of Medicine (NNLM) will host Responding to the COVID-19 Infodemic, a free virtual symposium to address health disparities, misinformation, and mistrust surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic. Through paper presentations, panels, and a networking space the symposium will allow attendees to develop a deeper understanding of the societal effects of COVID-19, and of effective strategies and programs to engage with communities.

NNLM is excited to feature the following keynote speakers:

• Vin Gupta, MD, MPA, affiliate assistant professor, Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation, Seattle, Wash.
• Gregg Orton, national director, The National Council of Asian Pacific Americans (NCAPA), Washington, DC
• Elisabeth Wilhelm, health communications specialist, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Global Immunization Division, Atlanta, Ga.
• Chris Pernell, MD, MPH, FACPM, chief strategic integration and health equity officer, University Hospital, New York, N.Y.

Anyone interested in learning more about information-related issues during COVID-19 is welcome to attend. Free registration is now available on the symposium website. Free continuing education credits will be available for attendees from the Medical Library Association and from the National Commission for Health Education Credentialing.

Be sure to check the website for more information on the agenda, networking sessions, code of conduct, and a general FAQ. For other questions, please email Tony Nguyen.

The HSHSL produced an attractive and engaging Annual Report for the 2020 fiscal year. This unique report was a challenge to create because it covers our accomplishments before and after the COVID-19 pandemic.  The earlier part of the year felt so far away!  If you are interested, please take a look.  We are very pleased with how it turned out.

Tuesday, April 6
12 p.m. to 1 p.m. EST
Zoom event, register here

HSHSL and The Grid are proud to host Will Holman, executive director of Open Works, and Jay Nwachu, president and CEO of Innovation Works, for our next Meet the Makers guest speaker event.

The two leaders will reflect on Makers Unite, Baltimore’s crowdsourced personal protective equipment (PPE) drive at the start of the pandemic. They will also discuss a new model for mutual aid that uses makerspaces, digital fabrication, and online organizing to address critical social issues.

In late March 2020, hundreds of people around Baltimore with 3D printers at home began making parts for face shields and other PPE. Known as Makers Unite, the effort was organized by Open Works, a community maker and studio space that pivoted quickly to PPE manufacturing. Together with Innovation Works, a social innovation hub and non-profit, a website was set up to facilitate PPE distribution and maker contributions (totaling over 28,000 PPE units). Health care and essential workers around the city and state received Makers Unite PPE.

Both Open Works and Innovation Works continue to adapt their programming and services to the community’s needs, including support for students struggling with remote learning, and more.

On February 8, 2021, the Health Sciences and Human Services Library (HSHSL) officially launched our new Center for Data and Bioinformation Services (CDABS). This new virtual center is the hub for the UMB community to quickly and easily navigate the many data and bioinformation related resources and services we provide at the HSHSL, while also connecting to those elsewhere on campus.

The launch of CDABS coincided with the annual Love Data Week event. We celebrated with a festive kick-off party and virtual ribbon cutting ceremony over Zoom. This kick-off introduced a week-long workshop series on the topics of research data management, writing data management plans, data wrangling and creating reproducible workflows, and understanding GitHub. Nearly 200 people participated in these workshops!

CDABS offers:

• Informative guides to help orient you to key concepts in data management and bioinformation
• Individualized support on a wide range of issues through consultations
• Specialized services like data submission to genomic repositories and data visualization for grants and publications
• Helpful in-house resources like the UMB Data Catalog and the high performance Bioinformatics and Data Science Workstation and connections to university-wide data centers and services
• Workshops and tutorials on useful data tools and practices
• Special datasets and repositories you have access to as a member of the UMB community, such as ICPSR, All of Us, and N3C (coming soon!)
• Communication about data-related events and opportunities at UMB and beyond

Visit the new CDABS web portal for more information, and sign up to get CDABS news and updates directly to your inbox or RSS feed.

For questions contact Bioinformationist Jean-Paul Courneya and Data Services Librarian Amy Yarnell at data@hshsl.umaryland.edu.

Want the latest news from HSHSL? Join our RSS feed or receive email notifications. You will find stories and updates about our new Center for Data and Bioinformation Services, holiday schedules, historical information on UMB African American student organizations, and much more. Simply click the RSS symbol on the upper right-hand side of our homepage to start receiving updates.

In mid-January, the Library opened its doors to work in partnership with the COVID-19 vaccine clinic taking place in the Southern Management Corporation (SMC) Campus Center. Vaccine appointment holders enter through the Library’s front doors and undergo intake screening as they proceed down hallway leading to the SMC Campus Center, where they are to receive their first or second vaccine dose. The Library is pleased to provide ongoing support to UMB’s COVID-19 Recovery plan.

The HSHSL’s Open Access Publishing Fund is designed to improve access to research produced at UMB and to promote publishing by early-career researchers.

So far, the fund has granted awards to nine UMB researchers. They represent all of the schools the HSHSL supports – Dentistry, Medicine, Nursing, Pharmacy, and Social Work – and include students, post docs and assistant professors.

The fund will reimburse 50% of the cost of article processing charges for Open Access (OA) journals up to a maximum of $3,000 for early-career researchers. The budget for this pilot project is limited. Reimbursements will be made on a first-come, first-served basis until funds are exhausted. We can only reimburse UMB accounts. Currently we are unable to transfer money to individuals or UMB Foundation accounts.

For details on who is eligible, what publications are covered, and how apply, please visit the HSHSL’s Open Access Publishing Fund page.

In February, the Historical Collections Department purchased items from Alex Cooper Auction House in Towson for our collections. The items were originally owned by members of the Sappington family, an influential Maryland family from Liberty Town in Frederick County. The Sappington Family, beginning with Dr. Greenberry R. Sappington, UMSOM Class of 1843, has a strong connection with the University. The items purchased from the auction house include diplomas, certificates, class notes, and other ephemera.

The Sappington artifacts will be available for use in the Historical Collections Department; unfortunately, the department is closed currently, due to the COVID-19 Pandemic. When it reopens, we will provide more information about the collection contents. For now, the Library is thrilled with the addition of these items documenting an influential family of UMSOM graduates.

…

Greenberry Ridgely Sappington, 1820-1885

Dr. Greenberry Sappington, born April 13, 1820, was the son of Thomas Otho and Sarah R. Coale Sappington. Dr. Sappington was the first of the Sappington family to attend the University of Maryland School of Medicine (UMSOM), graduating in 1843. Following graduation, Dr. Sappington opened a practice in Frederick County, where remained for the duration of his career.

Dr. Sappington married Sarah Elizabeth Pearre and had four children: Fannie R. Sappington, Thomas Pearre Sappington, Sarah E. Sappington Whitehill, and Greenberry R. Sappington. His son, Thomas Pearre Sappington, and grandson Clifford T. Sappington, as well as two brothers and a nephew, are also graduates of UMSOM.

Thomas Pearre Sappington, 1847-1909

Dr. Thomas Pearre Sappington, born in Unionville, MD, on February 7, 1847, was the son of Dr. Greenberry and Sarah Elizabeth Pearre Sappington. Dr. Thomas P. Sappington graduated in 1867 from Calvert College in New Windsor, MD, before attending and graduating from the UMSOM in 1869. Following graduation, Dr. Sappington joined his father’s practice in Unionville, MD. From 1873 to 1882, Dr. T.P. Sappington, practiced in Woodville, MD, before returning to Unionville, where he completed his career.  He was a charter member of the Frederick County Medical Association and member of the Medico-Chirurgical Society of Maryland, of which his great-great grandfather, Dr. Francis B. Sappington, was a founder.

Dr. Thomas P. Sappington married Emma Worman in 1871. The couple had two children: Clifford Thomas Sappington and Claire Emma Sappington. His son Clifford and son-in-law, Dr. James Coale Sappington, are both graduates of the UMSOM.

Dr. Thomas Sappington was a wealthy landowner in Frederick County, MD. He owned 800 acres of land—a total of four farms, including Rose Hill, the farm built by Dr. Greenberry Sappington in 1845.

Among the items purchased in the auction are Dr. Thomas P. Sappington’s UMSOM diploma and certificate of attendance.

Dr. Clifford T. Sappington, 1880-1925

Dr. Clifford T. Sappington was born March 15, 1880, to Dr. Thomas P. and Emma W. Sappington. Dr. Clifford T. Sappington attended and graduated from UMSOM in 1903. He represents the third generation of doctors for the Sappington family of Frederick County, MD.

Dr. Clifford Sappington never married. Following graduation, he remained in Baltimore until 1906, when he returned to Frederick County to establish up his own physician’s practice.  He was a member of the Frederick County Medical Society, Medico-Chirurgical Society of Maryland, the American Medical Association, and Frederick Lodge of Elks.

Dr. James Coale Sappington, 1876-1930

Dr. James C. Sappington was born in Liberty Town, MD, to Dr. Augustus (UMSOM class of 1853) and Irene Mantz Sappington on May 10, 1876. He was the nephew of Dr. Greenbery Sappington. Dr. James Sappington attended Georgetown University and graduated from UMSOM in 1900.

Following graduation, Dr. James Sappington practiced medicine in Liberty Town before moving to Bazile Mills, Nebraska, for two years before returning to Liberty Town, MD.

He married Claire E. Sappington, the daughter of Dr. Thomas P. and Emma Sappington, on June 24, 1903; together they had one son, James Coale Sappington.

Dr. Greenberry R. Sappington’s Family Tree

Dr. Greenberry Sappington’s grandparents, Dr. Francis B. and Ann Ridgely Sappington, founded the town of Liberty Town, Frederick County, MD.  Dr. Frances B. Sappington was also a founding member of the Medico-Chirurgical Society of Maryland (MedChi).  MedChi purchased Dr. Francis Sappington’s physician’s record book at the Alex Cooper auction.

The tree below shows the UMSOM graduates in Dr. Greenberry Sappington’s line in red.

 

Click here to read brief biographies of four Sappington UMSOM graduates

 

Tony Smith was welcomed into the Resources Division in January. He comes to us from Howard University Founders Library, where he was the Interlibrary Loan and CLS Coordinator. Tony is now a member of the HSHSL Resource Sharing team, responsible for interlibrary loan and document delivery services.

Elizabeth Brown joined the HSHSL as an intern in our Historical Collections Department. She comes to us from the University of Illinois iSchool, where she will graduate in May 2022. Elizabeth is working on transcribing the School of Medicine’s 1812-1826 minutes, processing a set of letters from Dr. John Greenwood and his family, and writing a historical blog post for HSHSL Updates.

Hanna Takemoto is a dual intern in our Historical Collections and Metadata Management Departments. Hanna comes to us from the University of Maryland iSchool, where she will graduate in May 2021. Hanna is helping to create an inventory of early School of Medicine dissertations and writing a historical blog post for HSHSL Updates. She is also working on the Wikidata UMB Digital Archive Local Authorities project for the Resources Division.

Emily Gorman, MLIS, AHIP, was selected as chair-elect of the Library and Information Science Section of the American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy.

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Publications & Presentations:

M.J. Tooey, MLS, AHIP, FMLA, and Lauren Wheeler, MLIS, co-authored a book chapter, “Developing a multi-faceted, intentional approach to library promotion through an Effective Communications Committee: A case study,” which was published in the book Planning and Prompting Library Events in Health Sciences Libraries.

The library building and services will be closed for the winter holidays from Friday, December 25 through Sunday, January 3. On Thursday, December 24, the library building will closed to library users. On December 24, virtual services are available at hshsl@umaryland.edu.

What a slow/fast and strange year this has been – and now 2020 is drawing to a close. Many days remind me of the movie Groundhog Day. And who isn’t fatigued? COVID-19 fatigue. Zoom fatigue. Resilience fatigue. Juggling multiple priorities fatigue. And as we speed past Thanksgiving and toward the year’s end, the normal progression of days off and holiday celebrations seem almost meaningless. Isn’t all that depressing? Maybe, but there will be an “after” and things will get better.

I recently read an article that used three words to describe what needs to happen when we get past this time. I am taking them to heart as the HS/HSL moves forward. These three words are Restore, Evolve, Transform.

Restore – We are looking closely at everything we learned during our time away. The concept of the Library has to change. The Library is more than a building. From March 14 until September 14, when the building reopened on a limited basis, the library team was extremely effective, pivoting in response to circumstances. While remaining “the Library” with outstanding service and not missing a beat beyond access to physical collections and the building. What did we learn from all this? What do we need to restore? And what should we leave behind?

Evolve – We are not waiting until the “new normal” to figure out how we need to evolve and reinvent ourselves as knowledge infrastructure support for UMB. But not just support – integration! We have already begun conceiving and implementing new and exciting initiatives, such as offering data visualization and storage through our Center for Data and Bioinformation (see article below) and collaborating with the Institute for Clinical and Translational Science and other new partners.  And if COVID-19 has taught us nothing else – we are increasing our efforts to develop health literate faculty, staff, students, and communities beyond.

Transform – What does it mean to be “a library”? Transformation is the toughest concept, but we are committed to evolving as an institution. We will look beyond the library literature and become knowledgeable about trends in information, knowledge, and data management in order to fully advance UMB’s mission and plans, integrating our expertise whenever and wherever we can. And our building? When it was conceived and designed almost 30 years ago, our vision was a building that was a community, gathering, and collaboration space. What does that mean? Transformation continues by welcoming new tenants, colleagues. and partners. Twenty years ago, a library leader advised libraries to stay in their lanes. While we are staying in our lanes, we are surely widening them!

The HS/HSL team misses all of you. We have made new virtual friends and learned we are stronger and more creative than we thought possible. We are online waiting for you! We miss our physical space and the energy of collaboration, studying, and serendipitous interactions we would see daily. Our wish for all of you is a relaxing time away, and a chance to contemplate renewal in 2021.

The HS/HSL has maintained services throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. Our staff is available and eager to provide virtual consultations, workshops, interlibrary loan, and reference assistance! We also encourage you to visit the library building. It is open with space to study, public computers, printing, study rooms, and plenty of sanitation materials on bright blue carts. UMB and UMMC ID card holders are welcome to visit Monday through Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Masks are required.

In January 2021, the HS/HSL will officially launch our new Center for Data and Bioinformation Services (CDABS). This virtual center will be the hub for the UMB community to quickly and easily navigate the many data and bioinformation related resources and services the Library provides, while also connecting to those available elsewhere on campus. CDABS will provide an array of resources and services:  

• Consultations: Talk to us about choosing tools for collecting, analyzing, and visualizing your data, finding secondary data, writing a data management plan, finding the right repository, selecting high-throughput sequence data analysis software, locating sequencing data, and more!
• Tutorials, webinars, and workshops on data management; working with data in R, reproducible science with R; bioinformatics with open-source software; and other related topics
• UMB Data Catalog: A great place for UMB researchers to list their data and find other UMB generated datasets
• Bioinformatics and Data Science Workstation: A high-performance computer providing a huge amount of memory and processing power to accomplish virtually any computational assignment
• Genomic Data submission service: Let us curate and submit your next sequence data submission to SRA or GEO.
• Special datasets and repositories that you have access to as a member of the UMB community
• Data Visualization service: Talk to us about producing professional quality data visualizations, dashboards, and prototypes for grants and publications. This service is eligible for ICTR vouchers.
• Connections to additional bioinformatics and data solutions on campus
• Communications about data-related events and opportunities at UMB and beyond

Visit the new CDABS web portal (available January 2021) for more information. For questions, contact Jean-Paul Courneya, bioinformationist, and Amy Yarnell, data services librarian, at data@hshsl.umaryland.edu.

By now, you have read in various places that the Graduate Innovation District (Grid) will be moving to the HS/HSL. This exciting development will bring together two of the most innovative entities at UMB in one building! But what does this mean? While there are no definite plans yet, space on the north side of the Library’s third floor, overlooking UMMC, is currently under discussion as the future meeting and collaboration space for the Grid. The Grid’s move is possible thanks to one-time funding from UMB that allowed the Library to acquire $400,000 of digital journal backfiles over the past two years. Access to these backfiles – and to a growing body of public and open-access journals – has allowed us to streamline and shift our print journal collections, freeing up space for other uses.

The HS/HSL team is aware that the third floor is popular quiet study space, so we are thinking about ways to employ remaining collections as a buffer between the Grid space and study space. We are also looking at all sorts of interesting new furniture to ensure studying solitude! Right now, all plans for the physical space are in their infancy. Once the HS/HSL building fully reopens, however, Taylor DeBoer, marketing and operations specialist for the Grid, will be planning Grid programming from his new office space within the building. Stay tuned!

On October 26, the 100th dataset record was published in the UMB Data Catalog. The dataset was contributed by Peter Doshi, PhD, Associate Professor of Pharmaceutical Health Services Research, School of Pharmacy.

The UMB Data Catalog is a searchable collection of records describing datasets generated or used by UMB researchers. The Catalog promotes research collaboration and data sharing by facilitating the discovery of datasets that may be otherwise hard to find or unavailable from data repositories. Rather than functioning as a repository to store data, the Data Catalog provides information about datasets, including a description of the dataset, keywords, file format and size, access rights, and links to associated articles. The Catalog allows users to request data access through an author, an administrator, or a repository. By allowing researchers to identify common research interests and by supporting the sharing and reuse of research data, the UMB Data Catalog has the capacity to promote interdisciplinary collaboration.

Help us build the UMB Data Catalog! If you are interested in submitting a dataset, have a suggestion for additional datasets to add, or need more information about the project, please contact us.

The COVID-19 Pandemic continues to ravage the United States and world; causing most members of the University of Maryland, Baltimore campus to work and learn from home. The past two Connective Issues have described the UnMasking a Pandemic: Stories from UMB during COVID-19 Project. This project aims to capture the stories, memories, and artistic and literary works of UMB campus members through the COVID-19 pandemic. To date, we have received seven submissions representing faculty, staff, and students from the Schools of Dentistry, Medicine, and Pharmacy.

Submissions to the project include artwork, poetry, written reflections, and photographs. Through these submissions, it has become apparent that among the sadness, anxiety, and stress caused by the disease and stay-at-home orders, campus members – like Preston Stone, web development manager from the School of Dentistry, whose poem appears here – are still finding inspiration. “A Promise in Plague-time” represents one of three poems submitted to the project by Stone.

As the Covid-19 pandemic persists, the HS/HSL continues to capture and accept stories to add to the UMB Digital Archive in the hopes that future researchers can understand the experiences of our campus during this historic event. Consider submitting your story, artwork, reflection, photograph, or literary piece to the project and become a part of UMB’s history. Be sure to check out the stories in the UMB Digital Archive’s UMB Response to Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) collection. For questions, contact Tara Wink, historical collections librarian and archivist.

In 2017, the National Library of Medicine released its 10-year strategic plan with an eye toward accelerating discovery through data-driven research. Central to that goal is a data-ready information workforce. As the outreach and education arm of the National Library of Medicine, the Network of the National Library of Medicine (NNLM) has focused on expanding continuing education offerings in research data management, data literacy, and data visualization. This year, the NNLM Southeastern/Atlantic Region is partnering with Library Carpentry – a global network of volunteer instructors and curriculum developers with the goal of empowering library communities to “use software and data in their own work and to become advocates for and train others in efficient, effective, and reproducible data and software practices” – to facilitate skill-building workshops for health science librarians across the region.

In the first week of November, Library Carpentry came (through Zoom, that is) to the HS/HSL! Twelve UMB librarians and HS/HSL staff participated in a four-day workshop with lessons on regular expressions, the Unix shell, Git, and OpenRefine. The workshop was led by volunteer instructors from the Smithsonian Institute, the University of Washington, and Oklahoma State University, and was facilitated with the help of HS/HSL’s bioinformationist, Jean-Paul Courneya, and emerging technologies librarian, Brian Zelip. Participants completed the workshop prepared to further explore some key tools of the data-driven research landscape.

To learn more about the workshops, visit the Library Carpentry Curriculum page.

Once again, the Health Sciences and Human Services Library and School of Pharmacy in partnership with Walgreens Pharmacy held a flu shot clinic on October 13 and 14, 2020. Over the two-day clinic, 65 members of the UMB community were inoculated. As in past years, the clinic offered School of Pharmacy students a valuable opportunity to practice giving inoculations to actual patients under the guidance of professional Walgreen pharmacists and Dr. Cherokee Layson-Wolf, associate dean and associate professor, Department of Pharmacy Practice and Science.

While the COVID-19 pandemic kept attendance much lower than in past years, the flu shot clinic offered a convenient opportunity for those on campus to protect themselves and their families from the flu, which is so important this year in the midst of the pandemic. It was clear from the number of repeat participants from years past that the event has become an important one for the campus. The Library and School of Pharmacy will continue to find ways to expand and improve this valuable collaboration.

A hundred years from now what will the University of Maryland, Baltimore (UMB) look like? How will the year 2020 be remembered? It has certainly been a year for the record books; unfortunately, we can only speculate on the answers to these questions. Sometimes looking backward can help us explain the present or even forecast the future. Recently, a series of blog posts on HS/HSL Updates looked back a hundred years to the academic year 1920-21 to understand UMB a bit more.

In April 1920 Maryland State legislature (Session 310, Chapter 480) merged the University of Maryland (in Baltimore) with the Maryland State College of Agriculture (College Park). The two campuses operated under the University of Maryland name with Albert F. Woods as president. Together the campuses had fourteen colleges, schools, and departments. The Baltimore campus was the home of the departments of Law, Medicine, Dentistry, Nursing and Pharmacy. The newly formed Graduate School (established in 1918) was located in College Park. These schools, with the exception of Nursing, began the academic year on October 1, 1920.

The Baltimore campus in 1920 was smaller than today’s and was centralized on Lombard Street. The cost of tuition ranged from $140 in the School of Pharmacy to $210 in the School of Medicine, a range that equates to $1814 to $2722 in today’s money. The students in the School of Nursing did not pay tuition. Instead, their work in the University Hospital while training was rewarded with free tuition, board, textbooks, uniforms, and a monthly stipend. The 1920 academic year was the first year women were accepted as students in all schools on the Baltimore campus. Yet most students and faculty were white men.

The 1920 series looks at each of the schools on the Baltimore campus during the academic year. Read through the series to learn more about the Schools of Medicine, Dentistry, Pharmacy, Nursing, and the Graduate School. UMB has made major strides in the hundred years since the 1920-21 academic year. One can only speculate how different the campus and the community will be a hundred years from now. The academic year 2020-21 will certainly have its own stories to help explain the campus in 2120.

Jean-Paul Courneya, MS, and Amy Yarnell, MLS, presented their project briefing “A Model for Centralizing Data and Bioinformation Services at the Health Sciences and Human Services Library” at the Fall 2020 virtual membership meeting of the Coalition for Networked Information (CNI).

Lauren Wheeler, MSLIS, served as a panelist for the session “Health Literacy and Interprofessionalism: Educating Professional Student Teams in Health Literacy” at the Health Literacy in Action/Health Literacy Annual Research Conference in October.

Tara Wink, MLS, served as a moderator for the “Reopening the Archives” session at the Mid-Atlantic Regional Archives Conference.

Amy Yarnell and Jean-Paul Courneya presented their poster “Creating campuswide engagement opportunities with library professionals through promotion of Love Data Week 2020” at the virtual annual meeting of the Mid-Atlantic Chapter of the Medical Library Association.