As the Department of Health and Social Services (DHSS) Library Director, my main responsibility is to oversee all library services and activities. From securing funding to collection development to marketing to outreach to reference and beyond--I have a hand in everything the library does. This ensures a well-rounded experience and extensive knowledge of our services.
The DHSS Library serves DHSS employees as well as the general public. We provide a dozen databases specializing in health and social sciences research, including EBSCO products, The BMJ, PsychiatryOnline, and SAGE. Our curated book collection is available to the general public through the Delaware Library Catalog. We are proud to be a member of the Delaware Libraries Consortium and participate in their transit system. We also provide specialized programming and resources to meet the information needs of DHSS employees. To learn more about the DHSS Library, please visit our website.
I started my career at the DHSS Library in August 2021. My first project was to create a re-opening plan, as the library had been closed for in-person services since March 2020 due to COVID-19. I re-opened the library the following month and have continuously strived to improve our services. Under my leadership, in fiscal year 2022, the library increased its valuation by nearly $400,000 over the previous fiscal year, an almost tenfold return on our funding appropriation.
Research, Innovation, and Humanity (RIH) Day is the library's largest event. This is a judged competition for DHSS employees to showcase their work. Participants create an infographic in one of the three categories. Awards are given for first, second, and third place in the judged competition. There is also a People's Choice vote. This is an excellent way for employees to share their work with the department and for those who did not enter to learn about what important work is occurring in other departments. I modified the entry requirements for RIH Day from a scientific poster to an infographic. This makes the competition more accessible to employees outside the hard sciences and presents DHSS' work in a more understandable format. I also made the event completely virtual and asynchronous. With these changes, RIH Day has attracted more entrants and a much greater level of participation from the department, increasing both views of the entries and votes for People's Choice.
In May 2024, myself and my colleague hosted a session at the MLA | DLA Library Conference. Our presentation, Graphic Medicine: Planting the Seeds for Health Literacy, discussed our unique graphic medicine collection and how it can enhance health literacy in a library setting. The DHSS Library is the only library in the state to house a graphic medicine collection and we are proud of the special benefits it offers.
A few other examples of my initiatives include:
Collaborations with DHSS divisions - Division-exclusive newsletter, new subject guides
Database introduction series - Live lessons on using our databases
DHSS Library orientation lesson - Reimagined for a virtual experience using Prezi
New marketing materials - Library card welcome folders, brochures, information packets, and more with a cohesive design
Unique library events & passive programming - Halloween Jeopardy, DHSS Library coloring book, Banned Books Week activities, etc.
It is an honor to work at DHSS and to serve the people of Delaware. I am excited to see how the DHSS Library continues to grow and improve.