Did you know that the Charles S. and Donna H. Bryan School of Medicine Columbia Medical Library was originally housed on the third floor of Petigru College on the main USC campus, or that the Library serves as a gateway to more than 297,000 electronic journals? Join us as we celebrate National Medical Librarians Month this October and read below for fun facts and historical data about our library and its incredible faculty and staff.
Meet our Team
Our library has expert faculty and staff who proudly serve as resource liaisons for our School of Medicine Columbia family, the university community and beyond. The Library staff is composed of 12 full time employees, seven of whom are professional librarians who hold faculty appointments. Our team is listed below:
Ruth Riley (assistant dean for executive affairs & director of library services); Felicia Yeh (deputy director); Laura Kane (assistant director for information services); Roz McConnaughy (assistant director for education and outreach); Karen McMullen (head of access services); Steve Wilson (web architect & outreach librarian); Victor Jenkinson (systems librarian); Laura Howell (collections management specialist); Lisa McCartha (administrative assistant); Betty Phillips (education and outreach & interlibrary loan specialist); Julie Swygert (circulation specialist); Sherry O’Cain (circulation specialist)
The First
The Library, which was established at the same time as the School, was the first official School of Medicine building to open its doors on the VA campus in 1980, as renovations on the other buildings were not completed until 1983.
A Resource for the USC Community and Beyond
The Library boasts over 297,000 electronic journals, 1,300 electronic textbooks and 90 biomedical databases, while the print collection consists of more than 48,000 volumes. In its role as a Resource Library in the National Network of Libraries of Medicine Region 2, the Library also provides biomedical information services to health care professionals across the state of South Carolina. The Center for Disability Resources Library is also located within the School of Medicine Library on the VA campus. The CDR Library offers to ship its materials – such as books, videos, brochures, etc. – nationwide.
Donor Generosity
In 2003, the School of Medicine officially dedicated the Charles S. Bryan History of Medicine Room, which was named in honor of Charles S. Bryan, MD, Heyward Gibbes Distinguished Professor Emeritus of Medicine and associate dean and director of the University of South Carolina – Prisma Health Alliance Center for Medical Humanities. With Dr. Bryan’s generous gift, the USC School of Medicine Library Endowment was established. Dr. and Mrs. Bryan have also made a $1 million gift to support the new health sciences campus in the BullStreet District and construction of a new medical education building, which will include the Charles S. and Donna H. Bryan Health Sciences Library.
John A. Goree, MD, also made a generous donation to the School of Medicine Library. Dr. Goree was a Duke classmate of Dr. Donald Saunders, a passionate leader in the campaign to establish the USC School of Medicine. Dr. Goree donated his personal copy of Icones Anatomicae, a rare publication from 16th-century physician, Dr. Andreas Vesalius.