Events and Activities
The HSLS exhibits and events programming provides educational and thought-provoking experiences, new outreach and partnership opportunities for the library, and increased visibility amongst the Heath Sciences, the University, and the Greater Pittsburgh communities. With Alan Magee Scaife Hall’s West Wing opening but the library construction ongoing in FY 24, our exhibit programming continued to grow within the new library space.
Exhibits and Events
From November 2023 to January 2024 the brand-new HSLS “Visual Misinformation Exhibit” debuted, created by HSLS librarians. This exhibit featured six posters introducing visual misinformation and its role in the false or inaccurate presentation of information. A tablet-based interactive quiz was developed to test visitors’ ability to identify real images or videos versus AI-generated ones or deepfakes. Additionally, a collection of HSLS books on visual misinformation was displayed and available for circulation. To conclude the exhibit, a special misinformation escape room, titled “Euphorigen Investigation,” was held. In this challenge, players tried to unravel the truth about a chemical being added to the local water supply by decoding deepfakes, identifying bots, and finding flaws in manipulated graphs.
In February and March 2024, HSLS hosted the National Library of Medicine’s traveling exhibit “This Lead is Killing Us: A History of Citizens Fighting Lead Poisoning in Their Communities”. By documenting the history of the fight against lead poisoning, the exhibit presented valuable information and awareness for future generations of health care professionals. In support of this exhibit, HSLS partnered with the School of Public Health for a “Taking on Lead Poisoning in Our Community Q&A” event featuring an interdisciplinary panel of Public Health and GSPIA faculty and students as well as community partner Women for a Healthy Environment. HSLS collection-based material added to the exhibit included historical books by Bernardino Ramazzini, known as the father of occupational medicine.
Display Cases
Several display cases featured HSLS collections materials in FY 24. Two display case themes illustrated the history and collection of Nicolaus Copernicus and the architectural journey of Pitt’s School of Medicine. A display case featuring Scope & Scalpel memorabilia was added to the rotation during the month of the School of Medicine’s Class of 2024 parody production.
Student Wellness and Engagement
New in FY 24 was HSLS’s expanded student-based programming to support community and wellness amongst health sciences students. Over the course of the year, 475 students participated in events such as Welcome Back and Study Break snacks, Halloween treats and games (including identifying historic medical devices), and multiple therapy dog visits.
