Category Archives: Library Staff

Answers to October 2024 Library and Archives Trivia Contest

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Out of the 423 entries received, we had one perfect score! Congratulations Ishrat Durdana! We had a tie for runner-up, Teri Lipscomb and Austin Matheis both only missed one. Thanks to all who participated! 

  • The UT Southwestern Library was founded in 1943. 
  • Southwestern Medical College was started by Dr. Edward H. Cary. 
  • The UT Southwestern Library’s Website can be accessed by all of the above. (Services Tab, Education & Training Tab on UTSW website, UTSW Clinical Portal, Google search by name)
  • You can get help from all of the above. (Ask Us link, Library FAQs section, and In Person Library assistance M-F, 9AM-4PM)
  • There are 9 librarians on staff at the UT Southwestern Library. 
  • The services offered by the library were all of the above. (Interlibrary Loan, exam proctoring, classroom reservations, and on-campus print services)
  • The oldest book in the Archives was published in the 16th Century. 
  • There were 1733 article requests for our Interlibrary Loan Unit that were filled in FY2024. 
  • The temperature setting of the archives is 63 degrees Fahrenheit. 
  • Our ILL Unit borrowed 485 items from other institutions for our patrons in FY 2024. 
  • Our library ILL services invoices can be paid by all of the above methods. (Check, Interdepartmental Request, and Credit Card)
  • We had 1436 document delivery requests filled for patrons in FY 2024. 
  • Writing a Literature Review is the most popular Library class.
  • In FY24, the Library had 920,437 books in all formats(e.g., print, electronic, audiovisual, etc.).
  • As an author, I can create profiles to manage my publications and scholarly activities in all of the above. (My Bibliography, ORCID, Scopus, and Web of Science)
  • Violet Baird began the Archives for the University. 
  • The Library’s most popular point-of-care resource is UpToDate. 
  • The Library subscribes to all of the above USMLE and Board Preparation resources (BoardVitals, StatPearls, and USMLE First Aid).
  • All of the above were new additions to the Library this year (Privacy Pods, Acoustic Tiles, New Carpet, and New Patterson Exhibit Space).  
  • The Library’s most popular subject guide in FY24 was the Artificial Intelligence (AI) Guide. 

Answers to the October 2023 Library Quiz

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  1. You can access the UT Southwestern Library’s Website from the Services Tab on MyUTSW site, Education & Training Tab on the UT Southwestern website, UT Southwestern Clinical Portal, and Google Search by name.
  2. The Library has 555,806 books in all formats in FY23(e.g., print, electronic, audiovisual, etc.).
  3. The most popular Library class is Writing a Literature Review.
  4. As an author, I can create profiles to manage my publications and scholarly activities in My Bibliography, ORCID, Scopus, and Web of Science.
  5. The Library’s most popular point-of-care tool is UpToDate.
  6. The Library subscribes to the following USMLE and Board Preparation resources: BoardVitals, StatPearls, and USMLE First Aid.
  7. The Library’s most popular subject guide is About the Library.
  8. Nine librarians staff the UT Southwestern Library. 
  9. Interlibrary loan, exam proctoring, and classroom reservations services are offered by the Library.
  10. The Interlibrary Loan Unit filled 2285 article requests in 2022.
  11. The Interlibrary Loan Unit borrowed 684 items from other institutions for our patrons in 2022.
  12. There were 899 document delivery requests filled for patrons in 2022.
  13. Our library ILL services invoices can be paid by check, interdepartmental request, and credit card.
  14. The UT Southwestern Library was founded in 1943.
  15. The oldest book in the Archives was published in the 16th century.
  16. The temperature setting of the Archives in 63 degrees.
  17. Violet Baird began the Archives for the University.
  18. Dr. Edward H. Cary started Southwestern Medical College

Congratulations to our winner Katarina Yaros who received the top score!

CORRECTION: In-person service by Library staff resumes November 1

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Effective November 1, 2023, the Library’s Services & Partnership Unit resumes in-person service from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday through Friday (excluding holidays). We are excited to return to the physical space now that we are in a post-COVID environment and construction of the new O’Donnell School of Public Health is complete.

Your “Librarian on Duty” consult area is in room E2.304 located across from the O’Donnell School of Public Health’s Dean Suite. Directional signage will appear soon, and a librarian will circulate through the physical space throughout the day to connect with all our users.

As always, you can request assistance or services in the following other ways:
– The Ask Us link.
– Looking up common questions in our FAQs.
– Calling 214-648-2001.
– Searching though the vast educational support offerings contained in our Subject
Guides. 

Your librarians appreciate and support the work you do with our community and each other! Thank you!

Are you feeling anxious about AI and ChatGPT? You are not alone!

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Currently, there is a paralysis taking hold regarding Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools including ChatGPT. Your librarians recognize this and are diligently working to provide information, education, and guidance about this topic. The primary challenge we are encountering is the rapid rate of changes occurring while developing supportive content for our users. In attempting to meet the education needs about AI, we quickly find that our content is outdated before we can get close to completion.

However, with the enormous efforts by the Library’s AI/Chat GPT Work Group, we are excited to announce the newly published Artificial Intelligence Guide. Additional thanks are directed to University of South Florida Libraries for allowing use of their content, as well as the many librarians on staff at UTSW who reviewed and edited the guide.

Several of our library leaders and librarians attended the South Central Chapter, South Chapter, and Medical Librarian Association Joint Meeting in New Orleans on September 21-26, 2023. During the meeting, it became clear we are not the only ones struggling to address the topic of AI and AI tools like ChatGPT. Recognizing the scope of the needs surrounding AI, a new collaborative effort formed called the AI Response Coalition (AIRC). This group is led by RaeAnna Jeffers, RN, BSN, MS-IS, Services & Partnerships Unit, UT Southwestern Health Sciences Digital Library.

Rae is soliciting multidisciplinary participation in AIRC from professionals with expertise in many domains of knowledge. The aim is to reduce duplication of efforts contributing to waste of resources, creation of educational content, and to organize a collective response to AI development and implementation. The AIRC welcomes your participation and expertise as we work toward better solutions. Those who are interested can provide their contact information on the AIRC Contact List. Questions can be directed to: airesponsecoalition@gmail.com

As educational content is developed, offerings from our librarians will appear in the Library Events and Classes Calendar and cross-posted in other communications. Thank you for your patience.

Meet Jill Whitfill, MS, MSHI

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On April 1, 2023, Jill Whitfill returns to UT Southwestern as Research Librarian. Most recently, Jill was the Library Director and Medical Sciences Librarian at Bethel University in McKenzie, Tennessee. She also serves as an Adjunct Instructor, Health Informatics Curriculum, at the University of Illinois at Chicago Department of Biomedical and Health Information Sciences. During her first time at UT Southwestern, Jill was in the Department of Family and Community Medicine. In her new role, Jill will provide and grow our library services by developing innovative information solutions to serve the faculty, staff, and students at the new University of Texas Southwestern School of Public Health as well as other areas of the University.

October is National Medical Librarians Month and American Archives Month!

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In fiscal year 2021, Library staff partnered with clients to discover and apply information for clinical, health care, educational, and research purposes, including:

  • Answering over 2,600 reference questions
  • Teaching 374 educational events attended by 1,799 clients
  • Processing over 4,800 interlibrary loans and document delivery requests

Thank you for using the UT Southwestern Health Sciences Library and Digital Learning Center!