Category Archives: Archives

Mortars and Pestles Exhibit in Library

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Various Mortars and Pestles from Library collection
To kick off the new year we are bringing back our collection of mortars and pestles, which were donated by Robert I. Kramer, M.D. in 1995. For over two decades they were displayed in the library as a permanent exhibit, though in recent years they have been on rotation with only a small selection making an appearance at a time. Some of them you may recognize, while others might be wholly new. Dr. Kramer collected these pieces on his travels across the globe, ranging from the far east to the Americas and covering centuries of history. This wider set will be on display until the summer, so be sure to stop by to view them before their regular rotation begins again.

Various Mortars and Pestles from Library collection

New St. Paul Digital Archive Collection

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We are excited to announce the addition of the St. Paul Hospital Collection to our digital archive, TIND DA. This collection highlights items from the beginning of the St. Paul Hospital in the late 1800s to the end of the hospital in the early 2000s. Currently the photos will range from its beginning until the 1960s or 1970s, with more being added as we continue processing the digital and physical materials from this robust collection. Make sure to check it out online, and for an in-person look at items, check out the St. Paul Hospital Alcove in the Library, which highlights artifacts and photographs from the collection.

National Medical Librarians Month & American Archives Month Events

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This October, UT Southwestern celebrates American Archives Month and National Medical Librarians Month with engaging events across campus. These activities have something for everyone, from history lovers and research enthusiasts to the simply curious.

Special Collections Library & University Archives  

Explore the Rare Book Room, archival stacks, and collection highlights during two open houses at the Florence Building (E3.314) on South Campus.

‌Get your questions answered during #AskAnArchivistDay on Oct. 16 and follow along on Facebook, Instagram, and X for expert insights and behind-the-scenes access.

Health Sciences Digital Library and Learning Center  

Let our librarians help you cut through the noise and find trusted, reliable information. Plan to attend any or all of three engaging events across campus.

Library Open House: Discover resources, services, and hidden gems from 9 a.m. to
4 p.m.

  • Oct. 16: South Campus Library (E2)

Pop-Up Events: Meet your librarians, explore their services, get snacks, and win prizes from 11:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m.!

  • Oct. 13: East Campus EC3.150
  • Oct. 14: Student Center
  • Oct. 15: Zale Lipshy Cafeteria
  • Oct. 17: North Campus Cafeteria
  • Oct. 23: Moncrief Cancer Institute

Featured Classes from 12-1 p.m.:

We look forward to seeing you and sharing how the Library continues to be a smart, strategic partner in everything we do.

Archives opens its doors during American Archives Month

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October is American Archives Month! All month long, the archivists will celebrate with behind-the-scenes content on social media, #AskAnArchivistDay, and two open houses in the Special Collections Library and University Archives. At the open houses we’ll show you the Rare Book Room, the stacks where we house all our materials, as well as our work room where we’ll also display some highlights from the collections.  

The first open house will take place on October 8, 2025, from 7 to 9 a.m. The event will be “drop in” only, and we will provide some morning refreshments for those early birds who want to check out some history.

The second open house will take place on October 22, 2025, from 4 to 6 p.m. This event will also be “drop in” only, and some afternoon snacks will be provided for anyone who stops by before heading home for the day.

To keep up with all the behind-the-scenes activities and information and submit your own questions for #AskAnArchivistDay, follow us on social media:

New Summer Interns to assist with Archives projects

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The Special Collections Library and University Archives is happy to announce that we will be hosting two interns this summer from the university’s internship program. Each intern will provide valuable assistance in moving forward the mission of the University Archives. The first intern is Aigerim Atausha, a senior from Texas A&M University. She’ll be assisting with our book project. This on-going project is weeding the books in our History of Medicine Collection, determining if any of the books in the collection are rare, as well as evaluating the value of the books in the Rare Book Room. All of her work will be done under the guidance of our University Archivist, Kendall Martin.

Our second intern is Tamara Solayappan, a junior at the University of Texas at Austin. She’ll be assisting with a new digitization project focused on the Theses and Dissertations collection. Though this collection has digitized pieces, she’ll take on the role of primary digitizer and will create the metadata for each item as well as edit any scans as necessary. All of her work will be done under the guidance of the Digital Archivist/Manager, Angie Houser.

How the Archives contributes to campus sustainability initiatives

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The UT Southwestern Archives goes to great lengths to create sustainability when we deaccession or weed items from our collections. We consider what the item is and then determine the best action of recycling for it. With the help of the Sustainability Coordinator, we identified a company willing to recycle not only VHS, Betamax, and U-Matic tapes but also audiocassettes, DVDs, and Blu-Ray discs: this means that we do not send pounds of plastic to the landfill after the materials have been digitized. Additionally, we either donate the books we weed or work to properly recycle the ones that cannot be donated. These are just some of the efforts we make to preserve our planet.

New antique medicine display at Outpatient Clinic

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At the beginning of each year, staff in the Special Collections Library & Archives exchange the items on display in the Outpatient Building on West Campus, and our newest exhibit features selections of antique medicine cases and medicines from our Medical Artifacts Collection. Several pieces were previously displayed in the main library, but by moving these items to the Outpatient Building, we are able to share the archives with more of our campus community.

New illustration exhibit in the Library

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The Library’s exhibit space now features a selection of books, illustrations, and art focused on medicine and doctors. The works span two centuries and come from several of the archive’s collections, including the History of Medicine Collection, the Biomedical Communications Collection, and the Medical Artifacts Collection. The pieces on display are not only reference works; some also capture the public’s view of doctors and the field of medicine, contemporary to the time they were created.

The pieces meant for training include human figures from France in the 19th century, oil painting and charcoal works by our own Lewis Waters that capture human anatomy, and depictions of surgical procedures. There are also hand-drawn illustrations from local news cartoonists of the 1940s through the 1960s, prints from French caricature artists, and prints from Vanity Fair’s series on the important men and women of science.

Take an Archives tour!

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Ever wondered how archival items are stored? Want to look at a book from the 1500s? Simply want to learn more about the university’s history? All three are great reasons to take a tour of the archives (including the rare book room), which are available by appointment with staff in the Special Collections Library and University Archives. The archivists can even pull specific items that you’d like to view ahead of the tour, so they are ready when you arrive. To request a tour or learn more, email archives@utsouthwestern.edu.

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.