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Andy Hickner's blog

Job Posting: Data Librarian for the Health Sciences

March 7, 2018 - 8:52am by Andy Hickner

(by Judy Spak) We are excited to announce a newly created opportunity at the Cushing/Whitney Medical Library. Come be a part of our team, or share with your friends! Data Librarian for the Health Sciences, Medical Library (requisition #48291BR) In an ever-changing, data-intensive environment, the Data Librarian is an enthusiastic, user-centered individual who will be responsible for the design of the library’s data support program, working collaboratively with others at Yale involved in data education and policy. This position reports to the Assistant Director of Research and Education Services and is a member of the Research and Education Team.  Through consultation and collaboration, the Data Librarian works to enable faculty, students, clinicians, and researchers to leverage data resources to the fullest, providing information on acquisition and management of datasets for biomedical, clinical, and health sciences research. This position Increases the visibility and usability of data resources through research consultations, workshops and course-integrated instruction, online research guides, and outreach efforts.  For your convenience, the complete posting and a link to apply can be viewed here:  http://bit.ly/2oEr7Uo.

"A Man of Commanding Presence": Dr. James Henry Etheridge Papers and Exhibition

February 8, 2018 - 3:26pm by Andy Hickner

(by Deborah Streahle, doctoral student in the Program in the History of Medicine and Science) The Medical Historical Library is pleased to announce a gift of the papers of 19th century physician, obstetrician, and gynecologist Dr. James Henry Etheridge.  The papers are a donation from the estate of Margaret Grant Young, 2017. Dr. Etheridge (1844-1899) was a distinguished Chicago physician in the late 19th-century. He graduated from Rush Medical College in 1869 and, after a brief sojourn in Europe, taught there for the rest of his life. As a professor of Materia Medica, Medical Jurisprudence, and Gynecology, Dr. Etheridge was passionate about medical education and highly regarded by his peers and students. Reflecting his dedication as an alumnus, his papers feature commencement programs, newsletters, and newspaper clippings related to Rush Medical College. In addition to teaching, Dr. Etheridge practiced as a general physician and later specialized in gynecology. He advocated for this model of medical education for his students, arguing that a specialist must work from a solid foundation in general practice lest he become “a lamentably narrow physician.”[1] Dr. Etheridge’s papers reflect his expertise with reprints of his many lectures and journal articles on gynecology, as well as casebooks and ledgers recording his patient interactions in private practice. Beyond his local responsibilities, Etheridge also traveled to attend the meetings of several professional organizations, among them the American Medical Association and the International Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. Included in his papers are conference ephemera like invitations, welcome booklets, banquet menus, and travel guides. After his sudden death from “aneurism of the heart” in 1899, his personal physician remarked, “He was a man of commanding presence and polish and popular with all whom he came in contact.” Upon hearing the news, his students at Rush adopted a set of formal resolutions in his honor. The resolutions officially memorialized his death and reflected his esteemed place at the college. Dr. Etheridge was survived by his wife, Harriet Elizabeth Powers, and their two daughters. Five letter files contain his and his family’s extensive personal and professional correspondence from the 1850s-1920s, as well as a beautiful baby book. As a whole, the acquisition offers insight into the life and afterlife of a scholarly physician practicing in the late-19th century. Please view a small exhibition featuring Etheridge’s papers in the Medical Historical Library, curated by Deborah Streahle, doctoral student in the Program in the History of Medicine and Science. [1] J.H. Etheridge, “The Gynecologist as Specialist,” Chicago Medical Recorder, 1898.  

The Robert Bogdan Disability Collection

January 30, 2018 - 3:55pm by Andy Hickner

(by Melissa Grafe) Yale University’s Medical Historical Library is pleased to announce the acquisition of an important collection of ephemera, photographs, and rare books related to disability, the Robert Bogdan Disability Collection. Professor Robert Bogdan compiled an archive guided by the ideas of the field of Disability Studies, an approach that focuses on “disability” as a social, cultural, and political phenomenon. Bogdan, an early pioneer in that field, has taught courses related to it since 1971. He started collecting disability ephemera in early 1980s in order to advance his research and writing. As Bogdan began collecting he realized that although there were archives and collections related to specific aspects of disability and particular disability-related organizations, none took a broad Disability Studies approach. The collection is unique in being both broad in scope yet deep in particular areas. For example, there are over four hundred photo postcards of people with a range of disabilities participating in regular life, pictures that might be found in family albums. The people are photographed as family members, friends and loved ones, not as clinical types. There are over one hundred pieces related to begging, ephemera used by people with disabilities to solicit money. There are close to three hundred items related to charities soliciting money for people with disabilities. In addition, there are hundreds items associated with institutions where people with disabilities were confined.  As Bogdan explains, “The collection expands our understanding of the social history of disability as well as contains images that are esthetically challenging and engaging.” There are over 3,500 items in the collection. It covers the period from approximately 1870, when photographic images became widely available, through the 1970s, when the disability rights movement became an important force for social change. Most of the items are contained in 14 large three ring binders organized by topics.  Their format varies but the great majority of the materials are postcards, and most of those are photo postcards. Other photo formats include carte de visite, cabinet cards, as well as other larger photographs. These are complemented by pamphlets and other printed materials.  Please see the preliminary inventory of the collection.  The Medical Historical Library created this finding aid of the collection, which researchers can use to request materials to view in the Library's secure reading room. Bogdan’s work Freak Show is a classic in the field of disability studies, as are a number of his other publications. His most recent book, Picturing Disability, draws on images in the collection. Bogdan has received many honors and awards for his contribution to the field of disability studies.  He is a Distinguished Professor Emeritus in Social Science and Disability Studies at Syracuse University. For questions concerning the collection, please contact Melissa Grafe, Ph.D, John R. Bumstead Librarian for Medical History: melissa.grafe@yale.edu

Welcome new Cross-Departmental Team members

January 23, 2018 - 12:23pm by Andy Hickner

(by Melissa Funaro) Please join us in welcoming three new Cross Departmental Team members: Vasean Daniels, Dorota Peglow, and Christopher Zollo. The formation of the Cross-Departmental Team (CDT) in early 2015 has allowed the Cushing/Whitney Medical Library to easily accommodate spikes in service requests. Having a skilled group of professionals has permitted the Library to undertake new projects. The team has been invaluable in supporting the work of the Systematic Review Service. In addition, The CDT creates EndNote libraries, places Interlibrary Loan (ILL) requests for articles not available in our Yale holdings, attaches requested full text articles received through Interlibrary Loan Service (ILL) to EndNote and Covidence. As a result, librarians have been able to expand outreach efforts and provide more robust services.

Construction in the 24-7 room

January 9, 2018 - 10:35am by Andy Hickner

On Monday, January 8, there was a leak in the 24/7 room. The leak was caused by a combination of snow on the roof and a frozen drain. The snow has been removed, the drain cleared, and repairs have begun.  It will probably take 2 weeks (minimum) for repairs to be completed.  During this time, 3 of the desks in the 24/7 space will have to be removed. The room is still available for use during this time, but it may be noisy.

Library hours and services during winter recess

December 21, 2017 - 12:12pm by Andy Hickner

The library will be open for very limited hours during Yale's recess.   The following services will be unavailable December 26-29:  Desk Passes
 Place requests, retrieval, searching services  Recalls
 Eli Express and Borrow Direct requests
 Fine payments
 Access to “My Library Account”
 Registration Office services  Thank you for your patience while we upgrade our systems. If you require assistance, please inquire at circulation desk.     

Help us improve our web interfaces! (And get $10 to spend at Blue State Coffee)

December 20, 2017 - 11:45am by Andy Hickner

Cushing/Whitney Medical Library's User Experience Group is recruiting volunteers for website user testing and other website-related quality improvement activities.     What it involves: 10-15 minute private session.  Typically this will include: A short interview; A series of simple tasks we will ask you to attempt using the website; and A couple of follow-up questions.   As a thank you for your time and help, we will reward you with a $10 gift card to Blue State Coffee.  Your responses will be confidential and your name will not be recorded.  Our activities have been reviewed and declared exempt by Yale's IRB. Contact Andy Hickner at andrew.hickner@yale.edu or 785-3969 to schedule an appointment or to learn more. 

Scheduled outage of some library online applications, Nov 3-6

November 3, 2017 - 10:30am by Andy Hickner

Our application servers are scheduled to be moved to the ITS datacenter at West Campus early Monday (November 6th). As a result, there will be an interruption of service for the following applications:         Greenstone Digitized Collections* (Offline Monday morning) E-Journals and E-Books Database (Offline Monday morning)   Cushing Center Database (Offline after 5pm Friday the 3rd)     We expect the move to be completed by noon on Monday. *Many of the digital collections are available in FindIt: http://findit.library.yale.edu/?f%5Byale_collection_sim%5D%5B%5D=Cushing%2FWhitney+Medical+Library
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