Spencer S. Eccles Health Sciences Library History: Part Five

On October 4, 1971 the Spencer S. Eccles Health Sciences Library was dedicated, bringing health sciences library services to a permanent home at the University of Utah. From the beginning, we have been known for pioneering new ideas, new technologies, and innovative partnerships. This exhibition series will showcase our history, from the first health sciences library collection in 1908 to the present-day.

Part Five: 2000’s

By Bryan E. Hull, Heidi Greenberg & Joan M. Stoddart

Regional Medical Library

2001

 

In 2001, the Spencer S. Eccles Health Sciences Library was
established as a Regional Medical Library (RML) for the National
Network of Libraries of Medicine
. With the goal of improving access
to health information and supporting the effective use of NLM information
products and services by health sciences librarians, public librarians, health
professionals, the public health workforce and community members.

In 2002 the Winter Olympics were
held in Salt Lake City, Utah.

The University of Utah was
host to the opening & closing
ceremonies at Rice-Eccles
Stadium as well as the home
to visiting athletes at Fort Douglas.

Olympics

2002

The Problem

The Eccles Library was located less than one block from the site of the
Athlete’s Village for the 2002 Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games.
This
placed the library within a security zone requiring access restrictions in
conflict with the library’s mission.  While “non-essential” University services
were asked to close down for the duration of the games, the hospital
remained open, and 3rd and 4th year medical students were still required to
report to classes and rotations.”

(Youngkin, Le Ber, Bramble, Hamasu, Stoddart, 2002)

The Outcome

  • The library remained open as many hours as
    possible throughout the Olympic Games
  • While visits to the library decreased, staff &
    faculty still served 300-400 visitors each day
  • While the library didn’t see many athletes;
    trainers, coaches and regular customers were served
  • “Incredible energy, wonderful events, and an
    unforgettable international experience!

(Youngkin, Le Ber, Bramble, Hamasu, Stoddart, 2002)

A Virtual Neuro-Ophthalmology Library in Utah

NOVEL

2003

“A collaborative effort between the North American Neuro-Ophthalmology Society (NANOS)
and the Spencer S. Eccles Health Sciences Library is producing a virtual education library
of digital neuro-ophthalmology materials
at the University of Utah in Salt Lake City. With a
$500,000 3-year Information Systems Grant from the National Library of Medicine,
Nancy Lombardo, Systems Librarian, Principal Investigator, and co-investigators
Kathleen B. Digre, MD (Salt Lake City, UT) and Larry Frohman, MD (Newark, NJ) will digitize
significant collections of slides, video, and other media pertaining to neuro-ophthalmology and
make them available to educational users throughout the world
via the World Wide Web.”

(Lombardo, Digre, Frohman, 2004)

Kathleen B. Digre, MD

Neuro-Ophthalmologist &
Co-Principal Investigator of NOVEL Project

One day, Nancy Lombardo and I were talking and she said-
“neuro-ophthalmology is such a visual specialty-
wouldn’t it be great to assemble these materials?
[…] The very same night we came up with the name:
“Neuro-Ophthalmology Virtual  Educational Library (NOVEL).

Nancy Lombardo wrote a pivotal grant to the
National Library of Medicine and with a few
key collections from Dr. William F. Hoyt from
University of California at San Francisco and
Dr. Shirley Wray
from Harvard University, as
well as the Moran Eye Center Digital eye
movement collection, NOVEL was born.

(Digre, 2010)

NOVEL continues to grow to this day.
Today the online library consists of 22
collections, an Illustrated Curriculum,
an Examination Techniques outline,
Patient Portal, Licensed products, and
continues to accept new submissions daily.

“The vice president at the time, Lorris Betz,
goes to the legislature and says, “You need
to come down here and look at the
miserable teaching facilities we have here.”
[…] he got the money to do an education
building – most of the money, not all of it.
[…] we raised seven. […] the majority of those
donations came from people here at the
medical center. We invested in ourselves.

-Wayne Peay, Eccles Library Director

“I think we really need to have the library
be responsible for administering the
[Eccles Health Sciences Education] building
because we serve everybody.
And this is a
community resource. We’re in the best position
to make sure that the community’s interest
is equitably served.”

-Wayne Peay, Eccles Library Director

EHSEB

2005

The Spencer F. and Cleone P. Eccles Health Sciences Education Building (EHSEB) opened September 1, 2005 after two years of construction. The building, under the management of the Eccles Health Sciences Library, would serve as the inter-professional education hub for all of the health sciences campus.

That was one of the things that I said,
in the design process, is that we needed 
bridge and that wasn’t negotiable.
And that was a little testy for a while.
But, you know, the Eccles family just
was all over it.

-Wayne Peay, Eccles Library Director

Eccles Family Generations Bridge

A bridge connecting the 2nd floors
of the Spencer S. Eccles Health
Sciences Library
and the Spencer F.
& Cleone P. Eccles Health Sciences
Education Building
was constructed
honoring three generations of Eccles
support of the health sciences.
The bridge included a stained glass
timeline art installation by Doug Soelberg.

“It was fun. It was fun…”

-Wayne Peay, Eccles Library Director

Wayne Peay Retires

2007

Wayne J. Peay, MLS, FMLA, FACMI, is known throughout the health sciences
information profession as an innovator and change agent, particularly in the
early adoption and use of technology. He served as head of several
departments at the Spencer S. Eccles Health Sciences Library, including
Computer and Media Services as well as Technical Services. In 1984, he was
named director of the library, a position he held until his retirement in 2007.

I’d actually been teasing Wayne about, “When are you retiring?
When you are– let me know.” He did call and say, “I am retiring.”
I’m like, “No. Not now. I can’t – I just can’t think of it now.”
He goes, “Oh, you’ll be getting a request to apply.” And then a
search committee member emailed me. After the interview, I
called home and I said, “Mark, we have to do this.” And he’s
like, “Good. Because I’ve already packed…”

Jean Shipman Named Director

2008

In 2008, Jean Shipman was named the new
Director of the Eccles Library after an extensive
national search.
Jean remodeled and re-envisioned
many aspects of the Spencer S. Eccles Health
Sciences Library to make it a vibrant discovery and
innovation center.

Ceiling Project

2010

The Spencer S. Eccles Health Sciences Library
underwent construction to
remove and replace
the ceiling on all three levels of the Eccles Library
and
update the fire sprinkler, electrical, and
networking systems.

September 2009

Eccles Library furniture and shelving moved.

October 2009

Garden Level closed to public access. Main Level collections
moved to Garden Level

November 2009

Construction of the Garden Level begins.

January 2010

All levels of the Eccles Library are closed to the public and
Eccles Library staff are moved throughout campus.

Faculty & Staff

Faculty during the 2000’s

(Listed chronologically based on start date)

  • Mary Youngkin (1974-2011)
  • Wayne J. Peay (1977-2007)
  • Joan S. Stoddart (1978-2014)
  • Jeanne Le Ber (1979-2015)
  • Kathleen McCloskey (1982-2003)
  • Joan M. Gregory (1987-Present)
  • Sharon Dennis (1992-2015)
  • Nancy T. Lombardo (1994-Present)
  • Valeri Craigle (1995-2006)
  • Deborah E. Hile Charbonneau (1998-2001)
  • T. Elizabeth (Liz) Workman (1999-2008)
  • Jackie Smith (2000-2001)
  • Nicola Gaedeke (2001-2007)
  • Claire Hamasu (2001-2018)
  • Alice Weber (2001-2015)
  • Molly Youngkin (2001-2006)
  • John Bramble (2002-Present)
  • Katie Gorris Junium (2002-2006)
  • Shona R. Dippie (2003-2006)
  • Sally Patrick (2003-2012)
  • Allyson Mower (2003-2008)
  • Suzanne Sawyer (2004-2012, 2012-Present)
  • Jean P. Shipman (2008-2017)
  • R. Todd Vandenbark (2009-2012)
  • Kathleen Amos (2009-2010)

Staff during the 2000’s

(Listed chronologically based on start date)

  • Nancy Litz (1975-Present)
  • Nancy Dymock (1976-2009)
  • Mike Thelin (1980-Present)
  • Dawn Daurelle (1983-2004)
  • Niloofar Bakhti (1984-2019)
  • Mary McFarland (1985-Present)
  • Laura Jones (1989-2017)
  • Camille Salmond (1991-Preesnt)
  • Jennifer Sanders Quilter Bosgraaf (1993-2001)
  • Sherelyn Sandberg (1995-Present)
  • Susan Roberts (1996-2011)
  • Derek Cowan (1996-2019)
  • Nathan Memmott (1997-Present)
  • Jeff Weiler (1997-2003, 2008-Present)
  • Amy Birks (1997-2016)
  • Everett Johnson (1997-2003)
  • Enrique Arce-Larreta (1997-2001)
  • Bonnie Fox (1997-2005)
  • Mary Beth Simiele (1998-2003)
  • Monica Jenks (1999-2001)
  • Adnan Bilwani (1999-2001)
  • Kenda Connors (2000-Present)
  • Hang Wong (2000-2014)
  • Isaac Miller (2000-2002)
  • Donna Herron (2000-2004)
  • David Bradford (2001-2001)
  • Brad Schaefer (2001-2005)
  • Carolyn Osterman (2001-2004)
  • Michael Carr (2001-2003)
  • Brandt Deakin (2001-2005)
  • Wanda Ramos (2002-2003)
  • Yusup Ulimov (2003-2006)
  • Doug Weber (2003-2005)
  • Robert L. Chamberlain (2003-2003)
  • Rod Karangalan (2003-2003)
  • Amber Molyneaux (2003-2006)
  • Julie Quilter (2003-2013)
  • Ray Balhorn (2003-2014)
  • Dustin T. Whitney (2003-2007)
  • Robert Lin Yang (2004-Present)
  • Jason Varghese (2004-2005)
  • Sarah Page (2005-2005)
  • Kelly Coffey (2005-2006)
  • Shelby Morris Mitra (2005-2016)
  • Jason Skollingsberg (2005-2005)
  • Luis Alves (2005-2009)
  • Shelli King (2005-2019)
  • Jennifer Wilson (2005-2006)
  • Alex Reid (2005-2008)
  • April Anne Nielsen (2005-2006)
  • Suzanne Sawyer (2005-2012, 2012-Present)
  • David Jones (2006-Present)
  • Stephen Mossbarger (2006-Present)
  • Isaac B. Jeppsen (2006-2007)
  • Michaela Maxfield (2006-2006)
  • Caroline Melville (2006-2006)
  • David Beckstrom (2006-2006)
  • Trang T. Tran (2007-2016)
  • Jessica (Sy) Maestas (2008-Present)
  • Benjamin Kimball (2008-2009)
  • Yuan C. (Sandy) Drollinger (2008-2011)
  • Christina Sophia Arbuckle (2008-2011)
  • Paul Alexander (2009-2015)

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