History of the Library
The Health Sciences Library of the University of Tennessee Health Science Center was established in 1913 with a collection of 400 medical books. The library was located in Lindsley Hall, one of three original campus buildings. In 1928, the C. P. J. Mooney Memorial Library opened. Since July 15, 1985, the home of the Health Sciences Library has been the Lamar Alexander Building, which was built for this purpose and designed for easy transfer of information. The library experienced a “homecoming” when it was moved from the Mooney Building to the Lamar Alexander Building, the former site of Lindsley Hall.
From 1966 to 1973, a grant from the National Library of Medicine funded a postgraduate training program for health science librarians. Serving as a prototype for other institutions, this program provided an opportunity for interaction between librarians and researchers and clinicians.
Since the early 1970s, the library has offered for-credit, elective graduate courses about references, research, and bibliographies, as well as orientations and various seminars.
The UT Health Sciences Library has continually provided new services as a result of introducing electronic information resources. Since 1972, the library has offered online access to MEDLARS databases, such as MEDLINE. In May 1989, the Health Sciences Library implemented its first online public catalog, HARVEY LIS. In early 1990, UT Memphis joined the international network, Internet. The library also contains an Electronic Classroom and a Multimedia Laboratory.
In 1981, Stollerman Clinical Branch Library, named in honor of Gene H. Stollerman, a long-time faculty member and mentor to generations of students, combined the resources of the clinical library in the City of Memphis Hospital and a library at the Bowld Hospital. The personnel and collection budget for the library came from the office of Graduate Medical Education in the College of Medicine. Susan Selig was the first Stollerman librarian. In October 1998, it became necessary for the College of Medicine to discontinue funding support, and the library was closed. The Stollerman Clinical Branch Library was located in the E. P. and Kate Coleman Building.
In late 1994, the library was joined by Scientific Publications and Television and Multimedia Production Services to form the Health Sciences Library. This administrative unit currently serves the information resource needs of six colleges at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center and many general and specialty hospitals in the city and surrounding Midsouth region.
Library Directors
Emily Hoyt McCurdy, 1917-1959
M. Irene Jones, 1959-1970
Jess A. Martin, 1971-1988
John Patruno, 1991-1992
Thomas A. Singarella, Ph.D., 1994-2015
Rick Fought, Ed.D, M.L.I.S., 2016- present
