If those old, red chairs made you blue, we have good news for you! In response to last spring’s library survey, we have been working to make the library a more comfortable space for study, research and reflection. Over the summer we replaced many old chairs with new ones; they have wheels and an extra inch of foam for long-term comfort. We also created two new window well spaces for cozy study time, with pillows and reading lamps. And we added new, large whiteboards to the group study rooms.

A big thank you to all of you who responded to last years’ survey. Please keep the suggestions coming — we are listening!

We are working to expand our collection of marketing books.  Here are a few examples of titles we’ve added recently, selected with the help of Tafflyn Williams-Thomas, NUNM’s Career Services Manager. Come see the rest of our new purchases!

Databases Natural Standard and Natural Medicines Comprehensive Database are merging into one database, called simply Natural Medicines.  This database provides evidence-based information about natural therapies, and includes tools for quickly checking interactions, nutrient depletion, and more.  You will still be able to search Natural Medicines Comprehensive Database for a few more weeks or months until the publisher feels it is fully integrated into the new Natural Medicines.  Natural Standard, however, has been fully merged into Natural Medicines.

The NUNM Library and Student Doctors for Ethnic Diversity (SDED) proudly present From Past to Present: A Literary Showcase of African and African-American Contributions to Medicine, on display in the library through the month of February.

Explore the contributions of Africans and African-Americans to the fields of medicine, research and healing arts from antiquity to the present.  All books are available for checkout from the library during the month of February and beyond.

Come see the new Chinese herb library, located in the larger of the two group study rooms in the NUNM Library!  This special collection, with 165 single herbs organized by action, provides a unique opportunity to interact with common Chinese medicinals. Thanks to Dr. Joon Hee Lee for his wisdom in the selection of herbs, OCOM Library for inspiration, and student Shelby Smith and the NUNM Medicinary staff for their hard work to fill and label the many jars.

We recently added Scopus to our database lineup.  Scopus is a citation and abstract database of peer-reviewed literature covering over 21,000 journals, books and conference proceedings in a wide range of fields including science, technology, medicine, and the social sciences. Its big claim to fame is citation indexing, which provides a way to judge the impact of a research article by tracking who cited it in later publications.

Update 7/1/20:  Scopus is no longer available.

The library will be open on Sundays from 12-5 PM starting September 21. This is a pilot experiment for Fall term, so if you want to see Sunday hours continue, vote with your presence!

You may be wondering why there is a single search box on the library website’s new home page, and where the old catalog went. On June 30, NUNM Library’s online catalog underwent a complete makeover as we transitioned to a new library management system.

Catalogs are constantly evolving as library collections diversify and encompass increasing amounts of electronic materials. We made this change along with our Portland Academic Health Libraries (PAHL) sister libraries: Oregon Health & Science University, University of Western States, and Oregon College of Oriental Medicine. This change represents a move to the next generation of library catalogs which, in turn, moves us closer to the goal of providing you with the easiest possible access to print, electronic and digital resources. With all of the PAHL schools joining together in this shared project, we maintain our ability to share resources seamlessly.

At the end of June we celebrated the retirement of Rick Severson, director of the library since 2001. Rick guided the library through an era of great growth and transformation, and was known for his keen intellect, philosophical nature, and charming humility. He will be missed. Noelle Stello, NUNM’s associate librarian since 2005, succeeds Rick as College Librarian.