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Woodruff Health Sciences Center Library (WHSCL)

Woodruff Health Sciences Center Library (WHSC Library)

The Woodruff Health Sciences Center Library connects the Woodruff Health Sciences Center and Emory communities with information and knowledge to support education, research, and patient care. Electronic collections, information management and analysis tools, technology-rich collaborative spaces, and a team of subject experts promote evidence-based care and interdisciplinary study and research.

Our patrons may find additional information on our website and on our WHSC Library Guide.

Woodruff Health Sciences Center Library
1462 Clifton Rd, NE
Mailstop 1370-001-1AC
Atlanta, GA 30322
Information Desk: (404) 727-8727

WHSC Library Staff Directory

Branch Libraries

Emory University Hospital Library
Room H-140, EUH
Phone:  404-727-3090 Fax: 404-727-3033

Emory University Hospital Midtown Branch Library
Davis Fischer Building, room 1308
Phone:  404-686-1978
Clinical Informationist:  John Nemeth

Emory Saint Joseph's Bellman Library
Ground floor, Learning Center
Phone:  678-843-7039

Grady Branch Library
1st floor, Glenn Building
Phone:  404-251-8777

Organizational Chart, January 2023

WHSC Library Committees

Steering
Charge: The Steering Committee is responsible for the Action Plan and the achievement of outcomes for the WHSC Library.  The Steering Committee will monitor and review the status of library goals and objectives, and members will provide oversight of the projects/activities in their specific functional units.  The Steering Committee provides insight on long-term strategies in support of the Emory Libraries’ mission and vision. Members of the Steering Committee ensure business objectives are being adequately addressed. 
Members
Sandra Franklin, Director
Bonita Bryan, Head, Collection Services
Tara Douglas-Williams, Associate Director
Hannah Rogers, Head, Information Services

Others may be invited to participate as needed 

Collection Highlights
Charge: To create, solicit, and approve display content near the Information Desk that highlights library collections.  May expand  to nearby lobby cases outside the Calhoun Room with relevant health sciences themes or affinity month displays.
Members
Sharon Leslie, Nursing Informationist
Matthew Miller, Collection Services Associate, Sr.
John Nemeth, Clinical Informationist, Chair
Bonnie Bryan, Head, Collection Services, Sponsor

Digital Signage (Programming Subcommittee)
Charge: To create, post, and update digital sign displays with user relevant content and library messaging. Collaborate with Emory Libraries colleagues on upgrades or technical issues.
Members
Jerrold Mobley, Information Associate
Ryan Nock, Information Associate
Mersiha Varupa, Information Desk Library Manager
Tara Douglas-Williams, Associate Director, Sponsor

Exhibitions
Charge:   To manage exhibits and develop exhibit themes that highlight materials and artifacts primarily available from WHSC Library Historical collections. This cross-unit team recommends policies and procedures for library physical and virtual exhibits.  Collaborates with Emory Libraries Exhibitions Team on exhibit design.
Members
Ashley Stevens, Archivist, Chair
Bonita Bryan, Head, Collection Services
Matthew Miller, Collection Services Associate, Sr.
Informationist (TBA, rotates per exhibit)
Sandra Franklin, Director, Sponsor

Programming
Charge: To plan, schedule, and execute activities, events and webinars on topics relevant to user populations and library staff; promote library services and collections; create correspondence and market events. For WHSC Library, gather and submit event proposals to CCR's Libraries Programming Committee by established deadlines.
Members
​Jeremy Kupsco, Research Informationist
Jerrold Mobley, Information Associate
Ryan Nock, Information Associate
Erin Reardon, Public Health Informationist
Ashley Stevens, Archivist
Tara Douglas-Williams, Associate Director, Sponsor

Rigor and Reproducibility (Programming Subcommittee)
Charge: To offer webinars/seminars on topics of interest to the research community.  Collaborate with research partners and Emory Libraries colleagues to present relevant timely topics.
Members
Jeremy Kupsco, Research Informationist, Lead
Shenita Peterson, Public Health Informationist
Kimberly Powell, Research Impact Informationist
Tara Douglas-Williams, Associate Director, Sponsor

Social Media (Programming Subcommittee)
Charge: To write, edit, and launch content for the library's Twitter account.  Consider a broader social media strategy and measure the impact of current activity.
Members
Pam Pope, Office Manager
Erin Reardon, Public Health Informationist, Co-Lead
Ashley Stevens, Archivist
Mia White, Medical Education & Technologies Informationist, Co-Lead

Staff Activities
Charge: To identify and organize activities and events for staff interaction, socialization, and team building.  Acknowledge birthdays and special life events.
Members
Pam Pope, Office Manager, Coordinator
Sandra Franklin, Director, Sponsor

Volunteers may be invited to participate as needed.

Website
Charge: To give oversight to the development and maintenance of specialized webpages for WHSC Library's site and Scholar blogs.  Responsible for implementing established CMS policies, standards, and technical guidelines to maintain the site; train other staff to create content pages. Ensure that web pages are usable, current, accessible, and meet the needs of intended user populations. Guide Emory Libraries move CMS from Cascade to Drupal FY22.
Members
Kimberly Powell, Research Impact Informationist, Co-chair
Mia White, Medical Education & Technologies Informationist, Co-chair
Grady Harris, Information Associate
Tim Lammers, Information Associate, Sr.
Matthew Miller, Collection Services Associate, Sr.
John Nemeth, Clinical Informationist
Tara Douglas-Williams, Associate Director, Sponsor

Updated February 2024

Bonita Bryan, Head, Collection Services

  • Emory University Libraries Blacklight Discovery Layer: SEND Team, Phase 1
  • Emory University Libraries eBook Task Force, Phase 2
  • Emory University Libraries Collections Budgets Committee
  • Emory University Libraries Collection Steering Committee
  • Emory University Libraries Employee Council
  • Emory University Libraries WHSC Library Blacklight Working Group, Chair

Tara Douglas-Williams, Associate Director

  • Emory University Libraries Access Services Policy Committee
  • Emory University Libraries Assessment Integration Group (AIG)
  • Emory University Libraries Programming Committee
  • Emory University Libraries – AIG 2022 Survey Promotions and Marketing Team

Sandra Franklin, Director

  • Emory University Libraries Collections Budget Committee
  • Emory University Libraries Director's Council
  • Emory University Libraries Leadership Forum
  • Emory University Libraries Senior Management Team
  • Emory University Libraries Special Collections Steering Committee
  • Emory University School of Medicine AEI-History Subcommittee
  • Emory University WHSC Research Advisory Council

Jeremy Kupsco, Research Informationist

  • Atlanta Veterans Affairs Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC), Non-Affiliated Member
  • Emory University Office of Information Technology Information Technology Steering Committee Research Subcommittee
  • Emory University Libraries Box to One Drive Transition Working Group
  • Emory University Libraries Librarians Assembly 2021-2022

Sharon Leslie, Nursing Informationist

  • Emory University Libraries DiscoverE Advisory Group
  • Emory University Libraries LibGuides Task Force
  • Emory University Libraries Peer Review Committee
  • Emory University Libraries SpringShare Implementation Team
  • Emory University Libraries WHSC Library Blacklight Working Group
  • Emory University Nell Hodgson School of Nursing Curriculum Committee (ex officio)

Matt Miller, Collection Services Associate, Sr.

  • Emory University Libraries Cataloging and Authorities Committee (CATACOM)
  • Emory University Libraries WHSC Library Blacklight Working Group

John Nemeth, Clinical Informationist

  • Emory Healthcare (EHC) Nurse Peer Mentoring Committee
  • Emory Healthcare (EHC) Patient Education Committee
  • Emory Saint Joseph Hospital (ESJH) Nursing Research and Evidence Based Practice Council
  • Emory University Hospital (EUH) Nursing Research and Evidence Based Practice Council
  • Emory University Hospital Midtown (EUHM) Nursing Research and Evidence Based Practice Council
  • Emory University Transportation and Parking Advisory Committee (T&PAC)

Ryan Nock, Information Associate

  • Emory University Libraries Circulation Community of Practice
  • Emory University Libraries Digital Signage Committee
  • Emory University Transportation and Parking Advisory Committee (T&PAC)

Shenita Peterson, Public Health Informationist

  • Emory University Libraries Digital Signage Committee
  • Emory University Libraries Peer Review Committee, Chair-elect 

Pam Pope, Office Manager

  • Emory University Human Resources Representatives
  • Emory University Libraries LEAF Committee

Kimberly Powell, Research Impact Informationist

  • Emory University Data Science Community of Practice
  • Emory University Libraries Librarians Assembly Council Committee on Relationships
  • Emory University Libraries Librarians Assembly Council Professional Development Subcommittee, Chair

Hannah Rogers, Head, Information Services

  • Emory University Libraries Accessibility Committee
  • Emory University Libraries Continuity Working Group
  • Emory University Libraries DiscoverE Advisory Group
  • Emory University Libraries ILL Community of Practice
  • Emory University Libraries Reserves Community of Practice
  • Emory University Libraries WHSC Library Blacklight Working Group

Ashley Stevens, Archivist

  • Emory University Libraries Archival Descriptions Subcommittee
  • Emory University Libraries Online Exhibits Committee
  • Emory University Libraries Special Collections Steering Committee

Mia White, Medical Education & Technologies Informationist

  • Emory University Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC)
  • Emory University Libraries Committee on Relationships
  • Emory University Libraries CMS Migration Team
  • Emory University Libraries Instruction Steering Committee
  • Emory University Libraries’ Peer Review Committee (2020-2021)
  • Emory University School of Medicine Information and Instructional Technologies Subcommittee

Updated October 2022

Instruction
The WHSC Library’s Instruction Committee promotes improvement in both library instruction by Informationist and Librarians and the types of training offered to the health sciences and Emory University community at large.

Members:
Mia White, Medical Education & Technologies Informationist, Chair
Kimberly Powell, Research Impact Informationist, Co-chair
Jeremy Kupsco, Research Informationist, Chair
Sharon Leslie, Nursing Informationist
John Nemeth, Clinical Informationist
Shenita Peterson, Public Health Informationist
Hannah Rogers, Head, Information Services, Sponsor

Systematic Review/Evidence Synthesis Community of Practice
The Systematic Review/Evidence Synthesis Community of Practice shares best practices and the latest developments in evidence synthesis methodology. The group facilitates information sharing across Emory Libraries and showcases functional updates and upgrades for SR tools. It also facilitates collaboration or faculty output. This group is open to any Emory University librarian with interest in systematic reviews and evidence synthesis.

Members:
Shenita Peterson, Public Health Informationist, Chair
Sharon Leslie, Nursing Informationist
John Nemeth, Clinical Informationist
Erin Reardon, Public Health Informationist
Hannah Rogers, Head, Information Services, Sponsor
Mia White, Medical Education and Technology Informationist

Updated February 2024

History of the Library

The Abner Wellborn Calhoun Medical Library was established in 1923 from funds provided by Dr. F. Phinizy Calhoun in memory of his father, Dr. Abner Wellborn Calhoun.  A.W. Calhoun was professor of Ophthalmology in the Atlanta Medical College and other of Emory's predecessor medical schools from 1874 until his death in 1910. The library opened on January 1, 1924 and was housed in the Wesley Memorial Hospital, predecessor to today's Emory University Hospital.

The library replaced the medical school library which was housed in the Anatomy Building of the Medical School and had outgrown its space.  It was intended to serve not only students in Emory's School of Medicine and doctors who practiced at Wesley Memorial, but all members of the medical profession.  In 1924, Miss M. Myrtle Tye was chosen as Emory's first full-time librarian.  During her tenure as Librarian, she directed the steady growth of the collection.  Despite financial limitations imposed by the economy in the early 1930s, she was able to raise funds to purchase for the library a rare 1543 first edition of Andreas Vesalius' De Humani Corporis Fabrica.

Following Miss Tye's death in 1933, Miss Mildred McMillan Jordan was appointed librarian and served until her death in 1965.  Miriam H. Libbey served as library director from 1966 until her death in December of 1984, at which time Carol Burns, Director of Public Services for the library, was appointed to the position.

The A.W. Calhoun Medical Library was renamed the Robert W. Woodruff Health Sciences Center Library when it moved to new quarters in the Dental School Building in 1987.  Ms. Burns retired in 2000. Sandra Franklin, who since 1983 had served in the positions Reference Librarian, Assistant Director, and Associate Director, served as acting director until September 2002 when she was appointed to the Library Director position.

Adapted from A. W. Calhoun Medical Library records, 1918-1987, Emory University Health Sciences Archives.
See also A Sesquicentennial Chronicle of The Emory University Library by Thomas H. English