Hardin News

We are happy to announce that Mary White has joined the staff of the Hardin Library for the Health Sciences as an Education and Outreach Librarian. She will serve as the liaison to the College of Public Health. Mary White is an NIH/NLM Fellow in Health Informatics at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine. She has her undergraduate and graduate training from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, with specializations in information and library science, international development and public health. She has worked with community centers and libraries in South Africa and Honduras. DISCO (Dance based Interventional Study on Childhood Obesity), her other research project at Hopkins, utilizes the Dance Dance Revolution video game for childhood obesity prevention with children in East Baltimore. Please join us in welcoming Mary to the University of Iowa.

We are happy to announce that Brooke Billman has joined the Hardin Library for the Health Sciences as an Education and Outreach Librarian. Brooke will be the liaison to the College of Nursing. She received an M.A. in Information Resources and Library Science from the University of Arizona in 2006, where she completed an internship in the Arizona Health Sciences Library. Previously, she has been an HIV educator volunteer and worked as with teenagers as an advocate/educator and clinic counselor intern. Please join us in welcoming Brooke to the University of Iowa.

We are happy to announce that Jonathan Koffel has joined the Hardin Library staff as an Education and Outreach Librarian. Jonathan will be the liaison to the College of Pharmacy. He received an M.S. in Information from the University of Michigan in 2005. Most recently, Jonathan has been working as an Access Librarian at Palmer College of Chiropractic and prior to that he worked half time for two years at the University of Michigan Public Health Library and served as an intern at the University of Michigan, Taubman Medical Library. At the Public Health Library, he developed and taught classes for librarians and health care practitioners. Please join us in welcoming Jonathan to the University of Iowa.

Linda Walton has accepted an offer to become the next Associate University Librarian and Director of the Hardin Library for the Health Sciences effective August 31. Linda comes to the University of Iowa Libraries from the Galter Health Sciences Library at Northwestern University where she has been the Associate Director.

“She has solid experience in health sciences librarianship and plenty of energy,” says Nancy L. Baker, University Librarian. “I am delighted to have Linda join the Libraries’ administrative group and assume leadership of the Hardin Library.”

Linda was attracted to the UI and the Hardin Library primarily because of the commitment to and progressive nature of the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics. “The interdisciplinary and collaborative nature of the University shows that the people are truly interested in health care and their patients,” said Walton. “Nancy Baker and the Libraries’ administrative team recognize the unique attributes of a health sciences library and sees this as a plus to the library system as a whole. Working together is critical in this complex information age.”

Some of the challenges Linda sees for all librarians involve understanding the ethical and legal information access issues brought about by the ease of information transfer over the Internet. She also wants to enhance the library user experience by developing tools that help faculty, students, staff and researchers connect with information resources more effectively.

After completing her graduate degree in library science at Indiana University, Linda worked for a small private psychiatric hospital library. This position proved to be the beginning of her career in health science librarianship. She appreciated the structure of health science libraries which allows for networking among libraries, developing library services and programs through grant funding and interlibrary lending. The fast pace of the medical world and being a part of the clinical setting all added to the excitement of being a health sciences librarian for Linda.

Hardin Library for the Health Sciences is part of the University of Iowa Libraries. Hardin serves the combined information and research needs of the five health science colleges of the University of Iowa as well as the University of Iowa Hospitals & Clinics. Each year Hardin also fulfills nearly 30,000 information requests of health professionals across the country. For more information about Hardin Library for the Health Sciences, check online at www.lib.uiowa.edu/hardin.

Kathryn Skhal joined the Hardin Library for the Health Sciences on October 5, 2004 as Reference and Education Librarian. She is involved in reference and consultation services, Hardin Housecalls and curriculum education. She has an interest in the influence of emerging technologies on library services.

Prior to working at the University of Iowa, Kathryn was a library assistant at the Carlson Health Sciences Library, University of California, Davis. At UC Davis, she administered interlibrary loans and commercial document delivery services and worked on the circulation and reference desks. As a research assistant, she was involved in the publication of Introduction to Reference Sources in the Health Sciences, which was dedicated to her by the author.

Kathryn recently received her M.S. in Library and Information Science through the LEEP distance-learning program at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign. She has B.S. degrees in Anthropology and Psychology from the University of California, Davis. She has been very active professionally, presenting and serving on panels at regional and national conferences.

We are happy to have Kathy join the staff of the Hardin Library for the Health Sciences and the University Libraries.

With one half of the academic library directors slated to retire in the next 10 years, the Association of Academic Health Sciences Libraries (AAHSL) is developing new leaders. One of the programs addressing this need is the AAHSL/NLM Leadership Fellows Program. The program, which is funded by the National Library of Medicine (NLM), matches a fellow with a mentor for one year. The fellow is selected for his/her potential to become a successful library director and is matched with a mentor that can provide the type of experience needed by the fellow. During the year the fellow makes site visits to the mentor’s university and together they cover a variety of management and leadership topics of interest to the fellow. University visits include meetings with librarians as well as deans and provosts. There also are online courses to complete. At the end of the experience, fellows are estimated to have advanced their careers 3-5 years. The program, now in its third year, has proven very successful and NLM has just announced continuation of funding for the program for the next three years.

Jean Sayre, Director of the Hardin Library for the Health Sciences, is one of five directors nationwide to participate in the program this year. Jean’s fellow is Susan Gerding Bader, currently director of the learning resource center at Baylor’s Louise Herrington School of Nursing in Dallas, Texas. Ms. Bader will be visiting the University of Iowa campus for the first time in March, 2005.

Karen Fischer

Karen Fischer joined Hardin Library on March 1st as Information Resources Librarian. She is involved in building and managing the library’s print and electronic collections.

Karen comes to us from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign Library, where she was Librarian and Visiting Assistant Professor of Library Administration for Collections, Acquisitions, and Electronic Resources. Prior to her work at the University of Illinois, she worked in the Acquisitions Department of the University of Georgia Libraries in Athens, Georgia.

Karen has a Master’s degree in Library and Information Science (MLIS) from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and a Bachelor’s degree (BA) in English from Kalamazoo College. She also studied at L’Universite de Strasbourg in France.

We are very pleased to have Karen working with us and our collections!

Kim Bloedel

Kim Bloedel began her position as Reference and Education Librarian at the Hardin Library for the Health Sciences on March 10, 2004. She enjoys teaching classes and helping faculty, staff and students at the reference desk.

Most recently, Kim worked as a librarian at the University of Wisconsin-Madison Health Sciences Libraries, where she developed and taught classes for health professionals, students and consumers; developed web pathfinders and subject guides; and provided in-person, email and virtual reference services. Prior to becoming a librarian, she was a health unit coordinator and patient services coordinator in the mental health nursing unit at Hennepin County Medical Center in Minneapolis.

Kim holds an MA in Library Science from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and a BA from the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point.

We are happy to have Kim join the staff of the Hardin Library and the University Libraries.

Jay Woodson

We welcome Jay Woodson to Interlibrary Loan. Jay comes to us from the Main Library Preservation Department where he worked for the last 6 years. Jay’s job in ILL is to check in and process photocopies & loans received for University staff and students. Some of Jay’s interests include camping, photography and volunteering with an animal rescue group.

Welcome Jay!

In early January, Hardin welcomed Andrea Clark as its new Technology Support Specialist. Andrea is responsible for providing building-wide technical support and will contribute to technology planning at Hardin. She also supervises the 15-18 student assistant staff members who work at the Information Commons service desks and is working to refine support strategies in this facility. Andrea brings deep technology experience to the position. For the past three years she managed hardware, software and network support needs for Moore Business Forms in Iowa City. Her impact at the company was significant, and her innovative ideas resulted in process changes both locally as well as at the corporate headquarters. Hardin Library staff members are delighted to have Andrea join their ranks.

Welcome!

Hardin staff would like to welcome new students and faculty to the Hardin Library, and to welcome back students and faculty we already know. This year promises to be an exciting and challenging year for all of us, and we hope to see you often! If we don’t see you in person, we hope you will visit us virtually from our newly re-designed Hardin Library homepage: http://www.lib.uiowa.edu/hardin/.

Read more about the new website in this issue of News@Hardin. From this site you have access to millions of dollars worth of resources the Library purchases each year for your convenience, your scholarship and research. You also can access many library services from the site. Please look it over and bookmark it for easy reference. We also love to hear the phone ring–you can reach reference services directly at 335-9151 or email us at lib-hardin@uiowa.edu. Also from the Hardin homepage, you can reach the unique services of the Hardin Information Commons. The Commons can make your life so much easier if you are an instructor or student and need guidance in using and applying technology, or if you need to schedule a fully equipped and up-to-date electronic classroom.

Besides the changes we have made in cyberspace, please notice also the changes we have made and continue to make in the physical surroundings in the Library. Per your requests, we have taken out many study carrels and replaced them with tables and chairs for group as well as individual study. We have made available two group study rooms on the 4th floor (no reservations necessary), and are in the process of remodeling the first floor, which will include a lounge/study area for students. We have improved the lighting throughout the library and have opened an entrance on the first floor from the galleria. This new, accessible entrance will make it easy for anyone to park in the Newton Road parking ramp or the Library lot and enter the Library without climbing many flights of stairs. Read more about this project in this issue of News@Hardin.

We strive to make the services of the Hardin Library responsive to the needs of our primary clientele–that is library jargon for you! Please contact me if you have ideas or issues to discuss. You may reach me at jean-sayre@uiowa.edu or at 319/335-9870.

Have a great year!

Jean Sayre, Director
Hardin Library
jean-sayre@uiowa.edu

Chris Shaffer

Chris Shaffer began his new position as Assistant Director, Public Services at the Hardin Library on September 9, 2002. Mr. Shaffer comes to the University of Iowa from the University of Illinois at Chicago, where he held various public service positions in the Library of the Health Sciences. For the past six years, Mr. Shaffer has been the Technology Coordinator for the National Network of Libraries of Medicine, Greater Midwest Region, which is headquartered at the University of Illinois at Chicago. In this role, he provided outreach and training services to health sciences librarians and other health professionals in a ten-state area of the Midwest. Mr. Shaffer has expertise in technology and user education. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Philosophy from Texas A&M, and a Master of Science degree in Information Science from the University of North Texas.

Anne Gehringer

Anne Gehringer, Reference & Education Librarian, comes to the Hardin Library with a background in the health sciences, including a Master’s Degree in Audiology from the University of Iowa. After completing her Clinical Fellowship Year in Audiology, Ms. Gehringer enrolled in the UI School of Library and Information Science where she was a recipient of the Dr. John Martin Scholarship for Health Sciences Librarianship. She holds an undergraduate degree in Hearing and Speech Sciences from Ohio University and received her M.A. in Library and Information Science in 2001. Immediately prior to her present position, Ms. Gehringer served in a temporary capacity as Reference and Instruction Librarian at the Hardin Library. We are please to welcome her to the library in her new permanent position.

Denise Britigan

Before receiving her Master’s Degree in Library and Information Science from the U of I in 2002, Ms. Britigan spent over 12 years as a medical technologist and research assistant. She received her B.S. degree in Medical Technology from Saint Louis University after which she held numerous positions in St. Louis, Los Angeles, Providence, and Durham, finally settling in Iowa City where she remains very active within the community. She was employed as a student assistant at the Hardin Library during the 2000/2001 school year before serving as a practicum student with us last Spring. She begins her duties at the Hardin Library as Reference & Education Librarian in October.

David Rubright

Beginning September 5 as Technical Supervisor, Information Commons, David Rubright is responsible for providing building-wide technical support. He will contribute to technology planning at Hardin and will supervise Information Commons student assistant staff members. David has extensive experience with Windows and Macintosh hardware and software. In his most recent position, Dave served as an award-winning computer-based instructional developer, server administrator and technology instructor at the College of Dentistry. A long-time resident of the area, he holds several advanced degrees from the University of Iowa, including a B.F.A. in studio art, an M.A. in fine art, an M.F.A. in multimedia and video art, and an M.A. in instructional design & technology. His commitment to public service and enhancing the “end-user experience” is well known in health sciences technology circles. One of his first official tasks at Hardin is a mighty one–coordinating the replacement of more than 100 computers throughout the Information Commons and its electronic classrooms. Hardin Library staff members are delighted to have Dave join their team.