FY 22 Annual Report
Health Sciences Library System
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
Electronic Information Technology Accessibility
HSLS completed its first Annual EIT Accessibility Report in February 2022 that outlined a proactive approach to accessibility that should reduce systemic access barriers. HSLS has established a library-wide workflow that prioritizes the accessibility of EIT from its creation or procurement. Of note, all HSLS YouTube content was captioned by July 2021, and additional video content created and shared, primarily through the Panopto platform, goes through a captioning workflow.
Accessibility of HSLS instruction materials was summarized in the November 2021 article, Sharing Electronically and Accessibly in Library-Led Instruction.
Representation and DEI Topics in HSLS Resources
HSLS assisted a research initiative to evaluate and purchase medical reference books that feature skin of color. Jordan Lamb, a medical student in the Clinical Scientist Training Program at Pitt Med, found that “the majority of images in all courses, not just for dermatology, were of white skin.” Presentation of skin conditions (for example, psoriasis) can differ significantly on white skin (typically red patches) and on brown or black skin (typically purple patches). Lamb explained, “A lack of representation of all skin colors leads to a knowledge gap for students. Physicians are also less confident with diagnosing skin disease presenting on brown or black skin.”
Five dermatology eBooks with skin of color focus were added to PittCat:
Mind the Gap: A Handbook of Clinical Signs in…
HSLS also licensed video content in the Bates’ Visual Guide to Physical Examination in the new series, Communication and Interpersonal Skills, concentrating on the fundamental interpersonal and communication techniques often demonstrated in clinical encounters. Some of the videos address topics relevant to diversity, equity, and inclusion, such as “Use of Preferred Title, Name, and Gender Pronoun” and “Rapport: Patients with Physical and Sensory Disabilities.”
Teaching and DEI Support Work
- HSLS held classes on Finding Information in Support of Health Equity Research and Publicly Available Social Justice Data
- Librarians collaborated to offer sessions for the Social Medicine Fellows Program, Pittsburgh Undergraduate Research Diversity Program (PURDIP), Homewood CEC: Learn and Earn, Black Maternal Health Forum, and Race@Work Summer Institute Orientation
- In addition to offering search expertise to support DEI-related research, librarians collaborated with faculty to identify materials for infectious disease skin presentation on people of color and to inform a workshop for fellows on how to respond to racist, sexist, and anti-LGBTQ comments from patients and families