O U R PAT R O N S ’ L E I S U R E
IS OUR PLEASURE
BOLSTERING LEISURE READING IN AN
A C A D E M I C H E A LT H S C I E N C E S E N V I R O N M E N T
MEGAN ROSENBLOOM, MLIS AHIP
LY N N K Y S H , M L I S
Q: WHY BOTHER
WITH LEISURE
B O O KS I N M E D I C A L
LIBRARIES?
A : B E C A U S E W E WA N T W E L L - R O U N D E D
CLINICIANS.
REASONS FOR MEDICAL HUMANITIES
• Flexner Report (1910) assumed
liberal arts education was a given
• Osler Bedside Library for wellrounded clinicians
• Ethics and empathy
• Treating patients not symptoms
• Burnout & resilience
OUR COLLECTION WAS SAD, OLD,
WHITE, & MALE.
• Most of the collection was
acquired over 25 years ago
• Some literally falling apart
• Newer titles were mostly
written by old, white, male
authors
• No diversity of voices or
genres
UPDATE FOR MORE MODERN &
DIVERSE AUTHORS & GENRES
• Culled suggestions from NML
librarians, Goodreads, and end of
year book award lists
• Added dozens of new humanities
books in one year
• Far more female, POC, & LGBTQ
authors
• Variety of genres including fiction,
narrative non-fiction, graphic novels,
and memoir
BLIND
D AT E
WITH A
BOOK
BLIND DATE WITH A BOOK RESULTS
• Started with 32 books, gone so
quickly had to add 50 more!
• Feb 2014: 19 humanities checkouts
• Feb 2015: 85 humanities checkouts
LIKES
DISLIKES
THE SCIENTIFIC
METHOD
UPTIGHT
REGULATORS
PAPER
UPSUCK
GOWNS
CLIPBOARDS
PRUDES
• 7 Survey Respondents
– 100% want an annual event
• Inspired new bookstore style displays
• Summer reading program
• Osler bedside library reimagined
(Fail…or is it?)
PERFECT
DATE
LET’S
EXPERIMENT IN
THE BEDROOM
…AND CHART
OUR RESULTS ON
A GRAPH.
A: BONK
BY MARY
ROACH
“ O H , E X C E L L E N T ! PA R T I C U L A R LY L O V E :
‘ D I S L I K E S - U P S U C K .’ P L E A S E S E N D M E A P H O T O
O F T H E B R AV E & FA B U L O U S H U M A N W H O O P T S
F O R A D AT E W I T H B O N K .” – M A RY R O A C H
LESSONS LEARNED
• More books!
• Survey & Incentive
• Better Social Media
Integration
NEED MOAR BOOKZ
Photo: ruben alexander
FUTURE ACTIONS
• New crop of books
• Student Medical Humanities Interest
Group (MHIG)
• George Dock Society for the History of
Medicine lecture & events
• USC Visions & Voices programming
• Puppy parties & #ColorOurCollections
STEAL
FROM
PUBLIC
LIBRARIES
M E D I C A L L I B R A R I E S C A N H AV E T H E WA R M &
F U Z Z Y B I T S T H AT P E O P L E L O V E A B O U T
L I B R A R I E S , S E RV E W H O L E S T U D E N T S N OT J U S T
T H E C L I N I C A L L E A R N E R PA R T O F T H E M .
QUESTIONS?
MEGAN ROSENBLOOM, MLIS AHIP
A S S O C I AT E D I R E C T O R F O R C O L L E C T I O N R E S O U R C E S
N O R R I S M E D I C A L L I B R A RY
UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
LY N N K Y S H , M L I S
CLINICAL & RESEARCH LIBRARIAN
U S C N O R R I S M E D I C A L L I B R A RY
C H I L D R E N ’ S H O S P I TA L L O S A N G E L E S