JABSOM Library Collections Development Project

The goal of this project is to build a collection of graphic medicine novels for community outreach to a nearby local homeless shelter and to enrich the education of medical students, physicians, and patients. Effective communication is achieved through what Michael J. Green and Kimberly Myers call graphic pathography, personal narratives describing the experience of being ill. Like other forms of fiction, they encourage empathy and lessen feelings of isolation in the reader. In addition, the combination of pictures and text increases recall of information, perhaps because it engages multiple parts of the brain. In the past, the Health Sciences Library has focused primarily on collecting only academic materials. The shift to collect non-academic materials serves as a means to make health information more accessible and to connect with the community in new ways. Outreach goals: 1. Conduct information sessions for JABSOM faculty, students, and staff to highlight the graphic medicine novels and to feature NLM Resources such as MedlinePlus and the NLM digital collection to show our medical community of new ways to connect with patients 2. Facilitate health literacy outreach at a nearby local homeless shelter