Practicum Description
Robert L. Brown History of Medicine Collection

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Practicums are available to students in the Library and Information Studies department at UB. These special classes allow the student to gain practical on-the-job experience in libraries, particularly in special collections areas of interest.

Contact Linda Lohr 829-3900 x136 to discuss details.

Introduction to Special Collections: the Robert L. Brown History of Medicine Collection

The purpose of the practicum is to provide an overview of the operations of the Robert L. Brown History of Medicine Collection within the Health Sciences Library. Activities such as collection development, interlibrary loan and reference service are performed on a smaller scale in the field of history of medicine and the health sciences. The Collection contains books and materials in the subject areas of medicine, dentistry, nursing, pharmacy and other health sciences fields dating from the 15 th to the 20 th century as well as the Edgar McGuire Historical Medical Instrument Collection which is comprised of individual and sets of instruments as well as artifacts from various health sciences fields.

After becoming familiar with the National Library of Medicine classification system for books in the medical and history of medicine areas, student should be able to accurately retrieve and shelve materials for patrons and myself. Another activity is collection development. Using rare book dealers' catalogs and based on the criteria established for the purchase of books and materials for the Collection, the individual will select, search and recommended titles for purchase. Other duties might include assisting with answering reference questions received in-person or via telephone and email, becoming familiar with and using appropriate resources when searching for the answers to these inquiries; searching gift books on the University Libraries' catalog and in WorldCat; assisting with the preparation of exhibits in the area of history of medicine and the health sciences; photocopying materials from the collection requested by patrons, and helping with the activities of the Friends of the Health Sciences Library organization. Special projects might include shelf-reading and straightening of the monograph collection and general maintenance of the collection.

In Their Own Words: former Practicum Students Today

Over the past few years I have had the opportunity to supervise a number of students from the Library and Information Studies Department here at the University at Buffalo in a practicum entitled "Introduction to Special Collections: the Robert L. Brown History of Medicine Collection." I cannot emphasize enough what an absolute pleasure it was to work with each of these individuals. Their work ethic was outstanding and they always undertook even the most mundane task willingly and cheerfully. The students anticipated my requests before I made them and made valuable suggestions on how to resolve problems and streamline workflow. They were highly motivated, intelligent, and proactive and with their help, I was able to accomplish a number of tasks and projects that needed to be done. The same holds true of my current practicum student Tyler Love. The following is a little bit of information about the previous students and what they have been doing since they completed the practicum. -- Linda Lohr

Anne Callas

I am currently working as the Librarian, Records Manager, and Archivist at the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP) in Bethesda, Maryland. I am responsible for supporting the research, knowledge management, and competitive intelligence needs of our organization by developing and maintaining the print and electronic collection of pharmacy-related resources; educating staff on the use of the collection; and providing research assistance. I am also responsible for the management, description, service and preservation of organizational materials that documents the history of ASHP and pharmacy practice in hospitals and health systems.

Previously I worked as a contractor for the National Library of Medicine on the PubMed Central Database and before that as a Medical Librarian at Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center.

I graduated from UB in August 2005. I did the practicum with the HSL History of Medicine during the summer of 2005. It was really a fabulous experience and I have truly benefited from it. One of my favorite task was purchasing and processing rare books -it was great fun looking to see who else had it, if we had it, and if it could fit in our budget. Linda is a wonderful person and I learned so much about archives, running a small library, and how to really enjoy your chosen career (all completely benefiting me right now!)

Heather Glogowski

My practicum with Linda was during my final summer session semester of 2004. After that I moved on to be the Assistant Upper School Librarian of the Nichols School, Buffalo, NY, for 2.5 years. In 2006 I moved to Buffalo State College, where I am a Reference and Instruction Librarian at E.H. Butler library.

My research interests include online virtual worlds for educational use as immersive learning environments, particularly with the Second Life software. I am presenting on this topic at the upcoming Educational Technology Conference for Teachers and Administrators, May 11th, 2007, (put on by Buffalo State College & Erie 1 BOCES).

Keith Mages

My tour of duty as a practicum student with the ever-illustrious Linda L. Lohr in the Robert L. Brown History of Medicine Collection was unequivocally the highlight of my library school experience. Assisting a patron in their hunt for obscure figures of 18th century medicine, sifting through rare book catalogs for just the right additions to the Collection, creating and mounting historical exhibits; these were but a few of the activities that Linda allowed me to undertake. Furthermore, her gentile guidance and vast knowledge could always be counted upon, no matter the question posed or the mistake made.

In fact, I enjoyed my time in the Collection so much, that I applied and consequently enrolled at the University of Pennsylvania for a Ph.D. in the History of Nursing. Upon graduation, I hope to use the knowledge gained from my doctoral coursework in conjunction with the experiences garnered while a practicum student of Linda’s to secure employment within a major historical medical library. I certainly am looking forward to that day!

I don't say it as often as I ought, but thanks for everything Linda!

Janelle Toner

Participating in a practicum with Linda in the History of Medicine Collection was one of the greatest opportunities I have had since beginning library school. The practicum gave me invaluable experience working with special collections and with organizing systems. I have worked at many institutions since completing my practicum in 2004 but my experience in the Health Sciences Library is what allowed me to obtain my current position. I am a circuit librarian for the Hospital Libraries Services Program at WNYLRC .

I travel to four different hospitals in Western New York and provide library services for the hospital staff. This can include finding books and journal articles, providing reference services (both in person and virtual), collection development and cataloging. I also participate in many continuing education opportunities through WNYLRC and HLSP . I have attended National Library of Medicine workshops, conferences on emerging technologies and will be going to the Medial Library Association's annual meeting in Philadelphia this spring.

 
http://ublib.buffalo.edu/hsl/history/practicum.html Created: 30 March 2007 Revised: 19 April 2007