FY 23 Annual Report
Health Sciences Library System
About HSLS
The Health Sciences Library System (HSLS) is central to providing biomedical information resources and expertise, supporting education, research, clinical care, and community outreach missions of the University of Pittsburgh’s schools of the health sciences and the University’s wider health sciences community. Clinical e-resources licensed by HSLS are available throughout the UPMC Health System via the UPMC Health Sciences Digital Library.
HSLS serves the broader community through a multi-year cooperative agreement, funded through the National Library of Medicine, that engages with a variety of health information stakeholders, both regionally and nationally.
Our Mission
Through our innovative services, high-quality resources, collaborative spaces, expertise, and partnerships, we advance learning, teaching, research, and service across the health sciences community at the University of Pittsburgh. While maintaining our foundational commitment to excellence, we respond to the changing health sciences and information environments.
Our Team
Our team is composed of 23 faculty librarians and 22 staff. Faculty librarians support instruction, research, and scholarship through innovative programs that adapt to the changing needs of an active research and learning community, including Liaison Librarians, Data Services, Scholarly Publishing, Advanced Literature Searching, Molecular Biology Information Services, and History of Medicine. HSLS staff supports operations through front-line service, onsite technology support, document delivery services, web and marketing development, metadata, digital resource advancement, and administrative support.
Our cooperative agreement to function as the Network of the National Library of Medicine All of Us Program Center (NAPC) employs an additional seven staff and two faculty librarians. These individuals are integrated into HSLS as University of Pittsburgh employees.
Staff & Faculty Changes
HSLS New Hires
- Colleen Ashley, Marketing and Web Specialist
- Alexis Cenname, Biostatistics Intern
- Dominick Caimano, Systems Administrator
- Jeremiah Galvanek, UPMC Program Manager
- Sera Thornton, Instructional Designer
- Alyssa Young, Research and Instruction Librarian
HSLS Promotions
- Misti Kane, Metadata and Access Librarian
- Rachel Suppok, Research and Instruction Librarian
HSLS Departures
- Arlie Chipps, Library Specialist
- Jade Furente, Systems Administrator
- Anthony Harris, NAPC Instructional Technologist
- Marissa Spade, Marketing and Web Specialist
- Tess Wilson, NAPC Program Manager
Our Physical Space
Throughout FY 23, the construction of the new west wing of Alan Magee Scaife Hall was an ongoing project that had a significant impact on the available study space in Falk Library. In response, we evaluated the existing space and introduced more than 100 seats designed for studying and utilizing technology. These accommodations included study carrels, standing desks, and various types of tables, catering to the diverse ways in which students prefer to study, whether individually or in groups.
In May, the west wing of the building was unveiled, featuring a renovated Falk Library with an entrance from Lothrop Street, providing convenience for students from all health sciences schools to access the library. Notably, we combined our main and technology support desks into a single service point. Additionally, we introduced a larger classroom and collaborative group study areas, all equipped with modern technologies to facilitate a conducive learning environment. In the two months since opening, the group study rooms were used 163 times by HSLS patrons, while the classroom held 20 sessions.
The concluding phase of the Scaife Hall project involves the renovation of the remaining section of the library, with an expected opening date in the fall of 2024.
Our Marketing
HSLS effectively promoted resources, services, and events through diverse channels. Notably, my.pitt.edu users engaged with HSLS content more than 6,000 times, and the Pitt Events Calendar led to over 200 clicks to HSLS class information.
Email marketing remains strong, with the monthly HSLS Update sent to 22,000 subscribers and receiving 14,500 clicks. The Upcoming HSLS Classes email, sent on a weekly basis, received 80,000 clicks.
