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.

 

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.

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.

While I am aware FY22 will be a fiscally challenging year for UMB — for COVID-19 related reasons during these unprecedented times — I intend to petition UMB Administration during the FY22 budget process for emergency funding to add an additional two floors to the HSHSL.

True, for more than a year access to the HSHSL building and collections has been limited. And granted, we plan to discard a ginormous number of bound journals, now redundant since we purchased the digital journal backfiles. Yet even as we acknowledge these facts, we must also listen to the science: And the science says individual items in the collection need to be physically distant. While individual books and journals will not require a full 6-feet of distancing, the volumes will need to be laid flat on the shelves rather than standing up.

To meet this requirement, we calculate we will need an additional 18 miles of shelving—double the amount of currently available in the HSHSL. Should this immediate need be left unfunded, we will be forced to move to Plan B—distributing the collection across UMB as a number of smaller, subject-oriented collections. Such an arrangement would be reminiscent of the Library’s early days, back in the 1800’s, before the collections were gathered together to create one Library. And let’s face it, in these days of interprofessional education, it will be a real pain. Which school will get what? How will others access it?

We plan to hold an “Adopt a Collection” fundraiser and auction off segments of the collection to the highest bidders. Then we will have to figure out what goes where and institute a system of runners to retrieve and deliver materials to users. While delays are likely, if not inevitable, our users’ safety is our first priority.

On February 29, 2021, M.J. Tooey, associate vice president of Academic Affairs and HSHSL executive director, appeared on the popular game show, Wheel of Fortune in an unsuccessful attempt to buy a vowel to insert in the HSHSL name acronym. “For years, we have yearned to have a library name with a few vowels to make it pronounceable,” said Tooey. She continued “The current name is unpronounceable and if you try, you sound like Nagini, Voldemort’s snake. And if you say H-S-H-S-L, by the time you get it out, people have lost interest. Sigh, maybe next year.”

In an astounding, unprecedented turn of events, the HSHSL, with no fund-raising expertise or support, has managed to land an anonymous seven-figure gift to name the Health Sciences and Human Services Library. While executive director M.J. Tooey knows who the donor is, she is not allowed to disclose the benefactor’s identity at this time. “I have no idea how this happened! There is no fundraising professional in the library. We are not a UMB priority area. We don’t have a case statement or collateral materials. We haven’t been cultivating anyone. And we have never met the person. Why us?” she mused. “And it is an unrestricted gift – Yowza! We can use it for whatever we want. First, the entire HSHSL staff is going to Disney World.” While Tooey cannot divulge the donor’s name, she did coyly mention that the library will henceforth be called the Amazon Library. Plans to redecorate the former HSHSL in a jungle theme are underway. “And the best thing is, I don’t have to go back on Wheel of Fortune in order to buy a vowel!” said Tooey.

As the HSHSL staff plans for life after COVID-19, a new Study Room Concierge Service will be implemented. “We are concerned students won’t find their way back to the library building when we fully reopen,” said Everly Brown, Head of Information Services. “We held a series of unprecedented brainstorming sessions and sent out surveys to our user community to find out what was really needed.”

Beginning fall semester 2021, when you reserve a study room in advance, the study room will be cleaned and sanitized, and a “clean seal” white paper strip will be placed across the doorway. Once you place your reservation, you will receive a buzzer, similar to those at restaurants, to alert you when your study room is ready. We will also text you a snack menu so we can be sure to have steaming hot coffee or the beverage of your choice waiting for you in the room, along with a healthy snack.

“It’s all about the experience,” Brown said. “Starbucks proved that!”

Have you seen the long, golden locks coming from fifth floor of the HSHSL Tower this week? The hair is in preparation for the HSHSL’s first theatrical performance, “Rapunzel, The Musical,” directed by M.J. Tooey, with choreography by former Hairspray dancer Brad Gerhart, and musical direction by Anna-Marie Epps. The HSHSL staff will perform the musical in front of the Library later this month.

“We wanted to produce a musical that spoke to our feelings of captivity over the past year. The golden locks represent the vaccines that will free us from that captivity,” said Tooey. “The production will have the yearning for freedom of Les Miserables, the unmovable tenderness of Cats, and the zany craziness of Monty Python and the Holy Grail. It will be a musical for our time!”

Finding students lost in the stacks looking for a book will now be a thing of the past. Inspired by Pinterest and Instagram, the HSHSL has moved away from hard to read call numbers and will now shelve books by color. When you need to find that red book, simply walk over to the red section. Librarian Everly Brown enthused, “It’s practical and beautiful – like a rainbow of books.”

HSHSL staff members succeeded in fending off a raging Godzilla who had emerged from the waters of Baltimore’s Inner Harbor. After rampaging through downtown and cutting a swath of destruction down Pratt Street, Godzilla leapt to the Library’s roof and blasted the building with fire. A brigade of quick-thinking staff members rushed to the roof with water buckets and fire extinguishers, dousing the flames and telling Godzilla to settle down and “mask up” (in compliance with UMB COVID-19 guidelines). The sheepish ‘Zilla put on his mask, slunk back to the harbor, and swam away, effectively chastened by a librarian “Shush!”

The HSHSL is excited to announce that we received a grant from the Otis Escalator and Elevator Company to install a magnificent escalator over the Library’s central staircase. After years of complaints that “there are just too many steps” and “it’s a hazard,” the HSHSL is thrilled to replace “those knee breaking stairs” with a smooth ride from the 1st to the 5th floor.

The Southeastern Atlantic (SEA) Region of the Network of the National Library of Medicine has served the southeastern U.S. for over 35 years. Known as a juggernaut in the production of quality consumer health education and training, the SEA has announced new courses to be added to its stable of offerings, which has included such memorable favorites as “Does Duct Tape Really Cure Warts?” and “An Apple a Day.”

The seven new courses are:

1. Really Truly Regrettable Diseases: Too Bad, So Sad
2. Spontaneous Human Combustion: When More Than Your Ideas Are on Fire!
3. Snoring Solutions: Putting a Pillow Over Someone’s Face Isn’t the Answer
4. An Onion a Day: Getting the Solitude You Crave
5. I Think You Are Muted: Mental Health in the Age of Zoom
6. Bad to the Bone: Why Arthritis Hurts
7. Sites for Sore Eyes: Exploring Conjunctivitis Resources

The SEA believes these courses will be very popular and looks forward to offering them soon

Oh once beautiful office plant, sitting on my desk.
You once brightened up my office space.
We were companions you and I.
But I left you behind to die.

It was only supposed to be two weeks
But this pandemic had other thoughts.
Leaving me without an office
And you without a water drop

I failed you oh once beautiful office plant
I should have grabbed you along with all the other stuff
Instead I walked out the door
Leaving you in the rough.

The space you once held is empty now,
I can’t bring myself to replace you
I’m sorry for the sad, lonely death you had
The neglect you suffered was just too bad.

While the HSHSL has taken to closing at 5 p.m. during the COVID-19 pandemic, it appears that other-worldly visitors have been enjoying the peace and quiet of an empty late-night library. Several reliable sources have reported seeing and hearing unusual things at night. While there have been no confirmed sightings, no photographic or audio-visual proof, the staff speculate the curious specters are none other than Dr. John Crawford, Ruth L. Briscoe, and Henrietta the fish.

John Crawford

Though the Historical Collections remains closed to human researchers at this time, Environmental Services staff report that the department has been regularly visited by the paranormal. The historical collections librarian believes the ghostly visitor is none other than Dr. John Crawford, whose books founded the library at UMB. It is believed that Dr. Crawford, who died in 1813, returns nightly to Historical Collections to spend time with his beloved books and to further develop his theory that diseases were caused by animalculae (worms or insects).

Ruth L. Briscoe

Ruth L. Briscoe was hired in 1914 as the first professionally-trained librarian. She was respected and loved by students and faculty alike and served as a library director until 1946. During her service, Mrs. Briscoe oversaw several renovations of the Library where it once stood, in an old church building on the southeast corner of Lombard and Greene Streets. It is believed she walks the HSHSL today because she is so in awe of our beautiful six-story building and its importance at UMB today. She is especially fond of the grand staircase, where she has been sighted most frequently.

Henrietta the Fish

A fish, believed to be the beloved fish of Erin Latta, former National DOCLINE Coordinator, has been spotted swimming around in the HSHSL. Henrietta died two years ago and was buried on the grounds of the HSHSL. Unfortunately, in her deep grief, Erin failed to mark Henrietta’s grave, meaning no one can visit her; as a result, Henrietta has taken to swimming about in search of mourners.

The HSHSL, always in search of the truth, is looking to hire paranormal investigators to look into these stories. Any leads, sightings, or recordings should be sent to HSHSLGhosts@allinfun.edu.