Newsletter Contents
National Medical Librarian's Month
From Your Director, Lori Fitterling, MLS
Welcome to the D’Angelo and Dawson Libraries! It is our goal to be the center of learning for
the university and provide an environment that inspires intellectual curiosity, innovation
and collaboration. One of your most valuable resources is your KCU Library, and librarians and library
staff are ready to help you find reliable, evidence-based information and provide a quiet, learner-centered space for you to study. We are here to help you meet the challenges of your academic journey. Please do not hesitate to contact us and we will see you at the Library!
"The American Library Association condemns censorship and works to ensure free access to information."
https://www.ala.org/advocacy/bbooks/banned-books-qa
As long as I have been working in libraries (33 years now), librarians have been at the forefront of promoting intellectual freedom and access to information. So far this year, the American Library Association (ALA) has documented 681 attempts to ban or restrict library resources, (1,651 unique titles), and last year, 729 attempts (1,597 unique titles) were reported. This represents the highest number of attempted book bans since ALA began compiling these lists more than 20 years ago.
https://www.ala.org/news/press-releases/2022/09/ala-releases-preliminary-data-2022-book-bans.
Banned Books Week, established by ALA in 1982 and held annually during the last full week of September, is a campaign that raises awareness about books that have been challenged or banned. One medical book we are all familiar with, The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot, has been on this list. This book documents the history of Henrietta Lacks, a black woman whose cells were taken for research without her knowledge while she was being treated for cervical cancer. Research using her cells led to major medical breakthroughs including the polio vaccine, and has encouraged a dialogue about the role of human agency and informed consent in medicine. In 2015, a Tennessee parent attempted to get the book banned from Knox County Schools, alleging the book’s description of female genitalia was “pornographic.”
This year during Banned Books Week, libraries will draw attention to the increased attempts at censorship. I support my colleagues that strive to preserve our freedom to read and provide library resources for all.
In honor of National Medical Librarian's Month, McKenzie Warren from our Joplin campus has shared what she loves about the profession:
"I’ve been a fully-fledged medical librarian for about a year now and I’ve learned many things about this 
role in that time. One thing that I particularly love is the process of research. When someone comes to
me looking for information, I get to put on my thinking cap and figure out the best way to search for that
information. It’s so satisfying to create a search that gives me the exact results I need. For me, it’s sort of
like getting to play a detective who’s searching for evidence. I had no idea that I could enjoy doing this sort of thing, but medical librarianship has shown me that though research can be a long, time-consuming process, it’s also very rewarding."
The library is accepting donations of new and gently used children’s books for the children of Kenya and Guatemala. We will send the books with our KCU team on their global health outreach trips, and will be accepting donations until November 17. Please bring your donations to the D’Angelo or Dawson Libraries and contact us with any questions. Thank you so much for your help!
Recently Published Work from KCU Faculty, Staff, and Students - collected by Rick Sprinkle
Daniel Wang, COM 2023: "Photoactivated Leucocyte-Rich Platelet-Rich Plasma Treatment in Reduction of Bone Marrow Edema in Hip Osteoarthritis."
Hannah Haddad, COM 2023: "Combination Olanzapine and Samidorphan for the Management of Schizophrenia and Bipolar 1 Disorder in Adults: A Narrative Review."
Scott Lowe & Rachel Bentley, COM 2024: "Association of Organophosphate Ester Exposure with Cardiovascular Disease Among US Adults: Cross-Sectional Findings from the 2011-2018 National Health and Nutrition Examination Study."
Pouyan Shakar, COM 2025: "Perioperative Hypertension Etiologies in Patients Undergoing Noncardiac Surgery in University Health Network Hospitals - Canada from 2015-2020."
Cindy Schmidt, PhD, Faculty: "Spiritual Health Predicts Improved PHQ-9 During COVID Isolation in Extended Care Facility Patients."
Austin Ambur, GME Resident: "Isolated Nevus Unius Lateralis in a Patient from Uganda."
Paige DeVries, COM 2022: "Bronchoscopy in the Emergency Department."
Monika Neale, COM 2024: "The Impact of COVID-19 on Autism Research: A Cross-Sectional Analysis of Discontinued or Suspended Clinical Trials."
Hello everyone! I started here at KCU in late August 2022 and I graduated from University of Denver with a MLIS earlier this summer. I have a background in libraries and health care technology. I can be found behind the front desk, providing ILL and circulation assistance, access services, and more. Outside of the library, I can be found reading, enjoying time outdoors with my two dogs, Peanut & Napoleon, or getting some fall ball time in playing for a weekly kickball league. I am so excited to be here!
Notes from the Archives: from Robyn Oro
Homecoming was held in September in person for the first time in two years. Alumni returning to campus enjoyed looking through the collection of yearbooks in the D’Angelo Library archives. Pictured is the 1974 Stethoscope.
Feel free to stop by the library to take a look!
See Full List of New Resources Here
