Welcome!

Welcome to the Galter Health Sciences Library blog. On January 17, 2007, Elmhurst College's "Chicago's Great Libraries" class toured the Galter Health Sciences Library. This facility is the official library of Northwestern's Feinberg School of Medicine, exclusively for the use of students, faculty and alumni. Between the years of 1994 and 1996 the library was expanded and made into the versitile and advanced library it is today. Jack and Dollie Galter, two generous patrons, provided the funds necessary to create an exceptional space for Feinberg's library users. The information for the library is as follows:
Galter Health Sciences Library
303 East Chicago Avenue
Chicago, Illinois 60611-3008

Library Hours
Monday - Thursday: 8:00 am - 11:00 pm
Friday: 8:00 am - 9:00 pm
Saturday: 9:00 am - 9:00 pm
Sunday: 10:00 am - 11:00 pm

Reference Hours
Monday - Thursday: 9:00 am - 6:00 pm
Friday-Saturday: 9:00 am - 5:00 pm

Telephone Contacts
Circulation: (312) 503-8126
Reference and Education: (312) 503-8109
Special Collections: (312) 503-1913

Library Website
http://www.galter.northwestern.edu/

The Health Sciences Collection

The Galter Health Sciences Library provides an extensive and complete collection of resources, both in print and electronic, for the students of Northwestern's Feinberg School of Medicine. The Library is constantly bringing in new materials and updating more and more of their collection to be available online. Because of the important and current information they contain, the most helpful and commonly used materials are printed journals. Many of these journals have already been replaced by online journal subscriptions, available on the library's website. The bound journals that the library currently has are largely organized by date. Journals from 1985 to the present are stored on the mezzanine level of the library, and earlier journals are stored in compact shelves on the lower level. The collection also includes several references available in the library's first floor reference room, and books strategically placed throughout the library.

GHSL Online

The Galter Health Sciences Library website is an incredible resource. Students can log into the Galter HealthSmart Library, an online resource that caters to the studies of individuals. After signing up and describing one's chosen medical school program, one can receive articles that are pertinent to his or her program. The website has quick links to several medical and dental databases, including PubMed (MEDLINE), NUcat, MDConsult, and PsychINFO. In fact, many of the printed journals that previously could be found in Galter's Health Sciences Collections have been converted to online databases. The website also has several resources such as e-books and e-journals, as well as links to Blackboard and other educational tools. Interlibrary loan requests can be done through this website, and students can even register for particular library classes. Check out this fantastic website by clicking the link below!

http://www.galter.northwestern.edu/

The Barnes Learning Resource Center

The Barnes Learning Resource Center houses several carrels equipped with computers, both Macintosh and PC, and more space to encourage group study. The resource center also includes study rooms to further promote the group study concept. Not only are these rooms available for group study, but for classes as well. From the computers, students can access the Galter HealthSmart Library website and print articles for 6 cents per page. The computers are also compatible with headphones and other equipment.

A Video Recap

Here is a short recap of our class tour.

Dollie's Corner

Mrs. Dollie Galter, another strong supporter of the Galter Health Sciences Library requested that a space be saved and turned into a relaxed area for students to leisurely read. This space, dubbed "Dollie's Corner" is where bestselling novels, popular magazines, and newspapers are available for students to read when they need to take a break from their strenuous studies. The collection is rented and rotated to maintain it's currency and ensure that the latest and greatest materials are available for the users of the library. Dollie's collection is also catalogued on Northwestern's online catalogue.

Special Collections

The Galter Health Sciences Library includes an extensive and interesting special collection, with several archival materials produced before 1800. The archive is composed of three major collections; the Archibald Church History of Medicine Collection, the A. D. Black History of Dentistry Collection, and the G. V. Black Collection. These include rare references, manuscripts and books, as well as original instruments used by doctors and dentists years and years ago. On our tour, we were fortunate enough to see some of the first stethoscopes and microscopes, as well as pharmaceutical materials, surgery kits and books. Some memorable and astonishing relics included a foot-powered dental drill and an amputation tourniquet. The special collection is an incredibly useful resource for researchers.

Mission Statement

"The mission of the Galter Library is to meet the research, education, and clinical information needs of its users — the faculty, staff, students, and alumni of Northwestern University and its affiliated institutions in the McGaw Medical Center. Using technology as the foundation, the Galter Library provides timely access to and delivery of both local and remote information resources. Through the Library’s education services and outreach programs, users develop critical information seeking skills for quality medical decision making. Through the process of identifying, acquiring, collecting, organizing and disseminating information, the staff assists users, particularly faculty, in the creation of new knowledge."