Outreach and Engagement
The HSL will be recognized in the internal campus and external communities as a known and trusted source for health information, knowledge and resources to enhance patient care and learner proficiencies. The library will leverage diversity, legacy and the strength of our health sciences foundation to create inclusive programs, outreach and services for the benefit of our communities.
Jump to an outreach and engagement highlight:
- MHC continues lectures series
- LHI reaches communities with the most need
- Medical Visuals expands awareness of services
- The HSL creates an environment of belonging for our visitors
MHC Continues Lectures Series
The Medical Heritage Center hosted or co-hosted five lecture events in 2024 with 392 individuals attending in person and virtually, including the 8th Annual Humanism in Medicine Last Lecture featuring Quinn Capers IV, MD, FACC, FACP, Professor and Chair, Dept of Medicine, Howard University College of Medicine. The Last Lecture is held in partnership with the Ohio State College of Medicine’s Courage to Teach and Humanism in Medicine programs.
View a recording of Dr. Capers’ lecture
LHI Reaches Communities with the Most Need
In 2024, the HSL's Library for Health Information (LHI) participated in 55 outreach sessions with 1,104 attendees. Of note, the LHI librarian attended the Ohio State College of Medicine students’ final presentation, Exploring How to Effectively Deliver LHI Information to Our Community. Their presentation was a culmination of 11 months of work. As part of their work with the LHI, the students helped prepare for different health fairs and worked the LHI resource table. They gained experience in selecting materials and interacting with people in different communities. Some of the events they attended were the Asian festival, Uplift Her and the Ohio State Wexner Medical Center’s Healthy Community Day. The students’ work helps spread the word about the LHI to other College of Medicine students and to the many communities they were in.
Medical Visuals Expands Awareness of Services
In 2024, the HSL's Medical Visuals department had several opportunities to expand awareness of its services and the discipline of medical illustration to a wide variety of audiences, including:
- Medical Illustration Exhibit: In January, Medical Visuals completed and installed a medical illustration exhibit of new medical illustration work in Graves Hall. The exhibit showcased recent Medical Visuals work as well as introduced viewers to landmarks in the history of medical illustration and the current practice of medical illustration at Ohio State.
- Anatomy Outreach Days: Medical Visuals partnered with the Ohio State College of Medicine Department of Anatomy for Anatomy Outreach Days for the second year in a row. Over a three-day period in late April, groups of Ohio high school students visited the Department of Anatomy to explore what it's like to study anatomy and the different career paths that are available for someone who is interested in anatomy. Medical Visuals supported these activities by providing design and printing support, displaying Medical Visuals art on walls and presenting on medical illustration as a career as part of the students’ rotation through the program.
- Draw-a-Brain Workshop: In October, Anthony partnered with the Ohio State Humanities and the Arts in Medicine Program to present another how-to drawing workshop, like the Draw-a-Heart exercise in 2023. This event was part of the Humanities and the Arts workshop series which is one evening a month during the academic year. Participants in the workshop learned how to draw a realistic-looking brain using traditional drawing tools through a series of lines, angles and shapes.
- Dr. Warner Presents The Art of Medicine: Also in October, The Ohio State Wexner Medical Center, together with the Office of Advancement, held an event at the Columbus Museum of Art that showcased Wexner Medical Center staff and Ohio State student artists. Wexner Medical Center leadership and friends and donors attended this event. Anthony had the unique opportunity to demonstrate medical illustration techniques and engage with individuals that are outside of Medical Visuals' usual sphere.
Read more about Department of Anatomy's Anatomy Outreach Days
Read more about Anthony's Draw-a-Brain workshop
Creating an Environment of Belonging
Autumn 2024 Library Welcome Event
There were over 250 attendees at the HSL's autumn 2024 welcome event, led by marketing and communications and staffed by cross-departmental HSL employees. This is one of the library's biggest engagement events, where attendees can grab snacks, coffee, HSL swag and learn more about library services.
Buckeye Paws Events Continue to Bring Joy
The HSL continued its partnership with The Wexner Medical Center's Buckeye Paws therapy dogs program, creating several opportunities for library visitors to interact with these lovable furry friends. Buckeye Paws dogs are certified therapy dogs and travel around campus and the medical center to support the mental health of learners, faculty, staff, clinicians and even the general public.
