National Library Week - April 13-19, 2008
In honor of the 50th anniversary of National Library Week, which was first jointly sponsored by the American Library Association (ALA) and the National Book Committee in 1958, Ehrman Medical Library is taking a retrospective look at our past with an eye to our future.
In the glass display case outside the library’s front doors, there is an exhibit illustrating how the library has changed in the last 50 years – not just in appearance but also in the kinds of materials provided and the types of services offered. Advances in computer technology, of course, have been the impetus for many but not all of these changes.
In 1958, before the Information Revolution, Ehrman Medical Library subscribed to a scant 900 periodicals. Today, we boast more than 21,000 titles – the vast majority of which are available only electronically! E-books, too, are becoming increasingly popular and, with 8,000 in our collection, are readily obtainable. Print resources still play a valuable role in medical education, however, and the most recent editions of classics such as
Schwartz’s Principles of Surgery in addition to being located online, can be found on reserve behind the circulation desk just as they were 50 years ago. The following Collections Growth Chart markedly illustrates how much the Ehrman collection has grown in the last 50 years:
Though the physical size of the library has remained constant, one can readily see from the pictures below that the arrangement of this space has changed dramatically. Most notably, the vast card catalog, now a library relic, has been replaced by dozens of computer carrels that can be used to search the library’s online catalog, MedCat; for interactive learning tools like Exam Master Online for the Medical Specialty Board Exams; or for searching medical databases such as
Ovid
and
Web of Knowledge, among others.
One thing that hasn’t seemed to change much at all is the Ehrman stacks: the pictures from 1958 and 2008 are nearly identical . . . but not for long! A large portion of the stacks area will be converted to study and learning space. We are excited about the changes and hope you, our patrons, are too.
Most of our library visits and transactions these days are virtual, but the library is a vibrant, busy physical space. We encourage you to stop by the library during National Library Week to find out more about our services: schedule time with our
graphics department to prepare a poster or to digitize a video recording; make an appointment with a public services librarian for an
information consultation;
or register for one of the library’s many
courses.
For additional photographs of the Ehrman Medical Library as it was 50 years ago, please see our
Archives webiste.
Last updated
Monday, 21-Apr-2008 11:53:28 EDT
by the Medical Library Webteam. To contact us Click Here. |
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