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Category: Himmelfarb Info

Posts in this category include information about circulation, course reserves, reference and instruction services, building renovations, website updates, etc.

Published on Leave a comment on 2025 Fall Semester Wrap-Up!
Picture of high-top desks at Himmelfarb Library.

It’s hard to believe that it’s already December and that the Fall semester is almost over. Congratulations on completing the semester! As the semester draws to a close and your well-deserved Winter Break approaches, we’d like to share some end-of-semester tips to help make this month as stress-free as possible during this busy time. This post includes information for students about studying at Himmelfarb, returning and renewing library materials, faculty end-of-semester tips, and Himmelfarb's Winter Break hours.

Studying at Himmelfarb Library

Himmelfarb Library is a great place to study and prepare for exams! We recognize that study preferences and needs vary from person to person. Himmelfarb has space for all noise level preferences! Here’s an overview of where you can find the perfect study space to suit your needs:

Silent Study Space: 

Silence is golden on Himmelfarb’s second floor. This silent floor, reserved for graduate and advanced degree students, is the ideal location for those seeking absolute silence while they study. Our new table dividers will help you resist the urge to talk or whisper with others at your table. The second floor also has both open and closed study carrels to meet your silent study needs. 

Quiet Study Space: 

The main portion of Himmelfarb’s third floor is a quiet study area where quiet collaboration is accepted. This floor is generally quiet, but does not have the pristine silence of the second floor.

Collaborative Group Study: 

If you’re looking for a place to study with friends, Himmelfarb’s first floor or group study rooms are a great option for you! The first floor is an ideal space to study with friends. It’s not a quiet floor, and it has a range of furniture options, including four-person tables, high-top tables that can serve as standing desks, and comfy couches. 

Himmelfarb’s 28 group study rooms are another great option! Reserving a study room during peak exam periods will guarantee you’ve got the perfect space for your group. Forgot to reserve a room in advance? No problem! Scan the QR code outside an available study room, and make the reservation when you arrive. Study rooms can be booked a week in advance and reserved for up to four hours at a time. Most study rooms can accommodate up to four people, and have large computer screens and dry-erase boards. Dry-erase markers and erasers are available for checkout at the service desk located on the first floor. Study rooms are located on the second and third floors, which are silent or quiet. Please keep conversations at a low volume as study rooms are not noise-proof.

Picture of a 2nd-floor Himmelfarb study room.
One of Himmelfarb's 2nd-floor study rooms.

Study Break Space: 

When it’s time to take a well-deserved study break, check out our Healthy Living Collection located on the first floor near the sofas. You can unwind and relax on the comfortable couches, help finish whatever the current puzzle is on the puzzle table, get in some movement with our hula hoops, yoga mats, and light weights, play a friendly game of chess or another board game with friends, or destress with some adult coloring.

Picture of Himmelfarb's Healthy Living area with puzzle table, hula hoops, and board games.
Picture of Himmelfarb's healthy living area with board games, adult coloring, and yoga mats.

Helpful Study Supplies & Technology

Himmelfarb has a variety of study supplies and technology that can be checked out from the service desk on the first floor, including:

  • Dry-erase markers and erasers
  • Remote controls (for study room monitors)
  • HDMI, VGA, and VGA to HDMI adaptors
  • MacBook, iPhone, and Android Chargers
  • Headphones

Earplugs and scrap paper are also available at the first-floor service desk.

Returning or Renewing Library Materials

Before leaving campus for Winter Break, check your library account to check due dates for any items you have checked out. If you’d like to renew items, log in to your library account, stop by the first-floor service desk, or call (202)994-2962. If you have materials borrowed through Interlibrary Loan, check your Docs2Go account for due dates, and return items on time so we can ship them back to their home library.

Faculty End-of-Semester Tips

Embedded Librarian Service

If you’ll be teaching in the Spring 2026 semester and want a Himmelfarb Librarian to be embedded in your Blackboard course, email us at himmelfarb@gwu.edu to make arrangements!

Course Reserves

Don’t forget to submit your Course Reserves Requests for the Spring 2026 semester!

Linking to Electronic Resources

When finalizing your course syllabi or linking to resources in Blackboard, remember to create durable links for Himmelfarb resources (i.e., journal articles, books, streaming videos, etc.) to ensure your students have seamless access to these resources. Using Himmelfarb’s Quick Tool to generate durable links is an easy and efficient way to get durable links. For help with creating durable links, contact himmelfarb@gwu.edu.

Himmelfarb’s Winter Break Hours

Himmelfarb Library will close for the Winter Break, starting at 6:00 pm on Tuesday, December 23, 2025. Our building will be closed from December 23, 2025, through January 3, 2025. Visit our hours page to view our full hours and holiday closures.

While our building is closed over the break, our databases, journals, and e-books are available from anywhere through our website!

Published on
MLA Medical Library Association. Better information. Better Decisions. Partner with your medical librarian.

October is National Medical Librarian Month! True to this year’s theme, librarians and staff at Himmelfarb Library can help you find ‘Better Information’ to help you make ‘Better Decisions.’ You might be surprised at the number of resources and services we provide. Whether you’re looking for help performing a literature search, installing clinical apps like Lexidrug or DynaMed, working on a systematic review, or navigating the scholarly publishing landscape, accessing materials at other local academic libraries (and beyond), Himmelfarb can help!

General Himmelfarb Statistics

To give you an idea of the wide variety of resources and services Himmelfarb Library offers, here’s an overview of some general Himmelfarb statistics from the last academic year:

General InformationUse
In-Person Library Visits141,680
Library Catalog Searches1,229,787
Research Guide Views1,501,277
CollectionsTotals
Physical Volumes Owned70,703
Unique Book Titles29,479
Journal Titles6,600
Databases120
Borrowing & UsageUse
Journal Usage1,211,421
Database Usage269,835
Physical Items Borrowed3,280

It’s clear from the above data that Himmelfarb users are visiting our physical space and using our physical collections, electronic journals, databases, and research guides. 

Himmelfarb Services

Himmelfarb librarians and staff provided valuable services to support education, research, and clinical care. From answering reference questions through our Ask a Librarian service, providing in-depth reference consultations, processing 3D printing requests, and borrowing books and articles from other libraries for our users, we’ve been busy! Here’s a look at what we’ve done in these areas during the last academic year:

ServicesUse
Reference Questions Answered1,661
Reference Consultations441
3D Printing Jobs Completed100
Docs2Go & CLS Items Borrowed1,839

Health Sciences Research Commons

Himmelfarb’s institutional repository, the Health Sciences Research Commons (HSRC), also had a busy year. The HSRC is where you can archive your scholarly works, including articles, conference papers, poster presentations, working papers, datasets, and other scholarly works. Works archived in the HSRC are indexed in Google Scholar, which can help your work get noticed. Just take a look at the number of times works archived in the HSRC have been downloaded below:

Health Sciences Research CommonsTotals
Total Works Archived50,821
Total Works Downloaded1,866,330
Works Archived (24-25 Academic Year)2,744
Works Downloaded (24-25 Academic Year)462,161

Thank You, Himmelfarb Librarians & Staff!

In honor of National Medical Librarians Month, we’d like to say thank you to every Himmelfarb staff member for all of the hard work and dedication they put into every single day! Without our amazing staff and librarians, we wouldn’t be able to provide our students, faculty, and staff with the services and resources they need to pursue their educational, research, and clinical care goals every day. 

Published on

Himmelfarb Library has three new anatomy models that are available and on display in the Bloedorn Technology Center on Himmelfarb’s third floor. These additions to our physical anatomical model collection are available for in-library use (they cannot be checked out of the library). The new models are: Human male pelvis skeleton with ligaments, vessels, nerves, pelvic floor muscles and organs (7 part), Mini-muscled joint set, and Male pelvis BPH.

7 part anatomical model in accurate detail showing how bones, ligaments, vessels and nerves as well as pelvic floor muscles and external sex organs are connected to each other.
Human male pelvis skeleton model with ligaments, vessels, nerves, pelvic floor muscles and organs, 7 part
Near full size model of male pelvis, mid-sagittal section
Male Pelvis BPH
Anatomical model of four reduced size joint models of the hip, elbow, shoulder and knee.
Mini-Muscled joint set

 Himmelfarb also has many other anatomy materials available for in-library use, including bone boxes!

Bloedorn is a great place to study in groups and work with these models. Collaborative tables are available so you can move bones and models to use them for study in a way that works best for you!

Want to learn more about Himmelfarb’s anatomy resources? 

 

Published on
Scrabble tiles laid out on a wooden table with the word "loudness" spelled out in the middle.
Photo by Markus Winkler

Himmelfarb Library is a great place to study! Whether you’re looking for a silent study area where you can focus without distractions, a space for quiet conversations in group study rooms, or the creative buzz of collaborative spaces, Himmelfarb has a study space to suit your needs. And when it’s time to take a breather and rest your mind, we’ve got you covered with puzzles, hula hoops, yoga mats, and board games! 

Different floors serve different purposes at Himmelfarb. Knowing where to go to find your preferred noise level will help you find a study space that matches your study preferences and needs.

1st Floor: The Not Quiet Floor

Himmelfarb’s first floor is not a designated quiet floor. Our first floor is a great space for group study, collaboration, or just hanging out with friends. Filled with 4-person tables, rolling whiteboards, and comfortable couches, the first floor is a great space for both productivity and leisure. You’ll also find our popular high-top tables that can double as standing desks near the windows where you can soak up plenty of natural light! 

Photo of students studying at high-top tables on Himmelfarb's 1st floor.
Photo of high-top tables on Himmelfarb's 1st floor.

Need a moment to unwind? Explore the Healthy Living Collection, located near the printers. Join the communal puzzle-solving tradition and add a piece or two to the current puzzle! Or dive into our selection of board games, hula hoops, yoga mats, and light hand weights – because a healthy mind thrives in a healthy body, especially after intense study sessions.

Himmelfarb's Healthy Living Collection on the 1st Floor.
Himmelfarb's Healthy Living Collection on the 1st Floor.

2nd Floor: The Silent Floor!

Himmelfarb’s second floor is a silent floor for advanced degree students. This sanctuary for concentration and undisturbed focus will help you dive into your studies without distractions. No talking, whispering, phone calls, or other noise is allowed - just peaceful concentration. Take your pick from the ample open and closed study carrels or choose from a study table near the window if you thrive in natural light.

Photograph of a sign with the text "You are entering a silent floor. Advanced degree students only on this floor."
Silent floor sign on the 2nd floor.

3rd Floor: The Quiet Study Floor

Himmelfarb’s third floor is mostly a quiet study space. You can choose from the many open study carrels, or a closed carrel near the windows for extra natural light. The Bloedorn Technology Center, also on the third floor, is a great space for quiet collaboration and the place where you’ll find computer software, anatomical models, skeletons, and bone boxes. The SMHS IT Helpdesk is also located on the third floor to help you troubleshoot any technical issues you may experience. 

Photograph of individual study carrels on the 3rd floor.
Individual study carrels on the 3rd floor.

Group Study Rooms

Himmelfarb’s group study rooms are available for advanced degree students and must be reserved in advance. Study rooms are designed for quiet conversation. While these study rooms are enclosed, they are still on silent or quiet floors, so please be respectful of others using the space around you. Occasionally, study rooms are used for exams, so please be particularly respectful of noise levels if you see signs indicating that exams are in progress. If you need a space where you can collaborate without worrying about your noise level, the first floor is your best bet! 

post by Ruth Bueter

Published on
An open book with a drawing of a sailing ship, a pirate holding a sword and a treasure chest under a palm tree.
Image from https://www.pxfuel.com/en/free-photo-xtswg

Himmelfarb Library would like to officially welcome the incoming MS1 class to George Washington University!

As part of your orientation, here is your quest:

Get into a group of four,

Pick a member of your group to lead the tour,

Visit all four floors of Himmelfarb if you dare,

Take photos of each accomplishment to prove you were there.

Complete each task in the order you choose,

You’ll finish them all if you follow the clues.

Task #1

You’ll be learning informatics with a librarian by your side.

Find the name of the one who'll be your guide.

Scan the QR code from the first-floor image of the librarian specified.

Have someone from the group take a picture of the poster with all of the librarian pictures. This will be shared as proof of completion for the raffle drawing.

Task #2

If ye climb o'er the gunwale and feel a tear in yer knee,

Bailey and Love wrote a book ye should see.

RD31 .B35 2023

Follow the clue (and call number) to find the book listed above in the basement book stacks and have one of your team members take a picture of the front cover. When you’re done, leave the book there for later groups to find.

Task #3

Himmelfarb Library’s third floor is a mix of quiet space, rooms for collaborative studying, as well as software, instructional DVDs/CDs, and anatomical models/kits.

Though we might be pirates, we're no Luddites.

(We're also no poets, as you may have noticed.)

As new crew members, we'll show you our finest new tech.

A merry band awaits you in the Levine Lounge

to show you our BodyViz 3D anatomy system

and how to 3D print a parrot.

We'll even swab the MedicalHoloDeck

to show you a skull and crossbones in Vee Arrrrrrr.

Take a picture of your group at this station as proof of completion for the raffle drawing.

Task #4

Log in to any computer and you’re on your way.

“Use your UserID and password,” is what we say.

https://guides.himmelfarb.gwu.edu/md is where to go.

Go to chapter 126 in Harrison’s Principles of Internal Medicine (it’s a great book).

Search for ‘Pneumonia’; don’t be slow!

Take a picture of the screen so we can take a look.

Log on to a computer in the library using your UserID/Password.  Go to https://guides.himmelfarb.gwu.edu/md and look for the textbook, ‘Harrison’s Principles of Internal Medicine.’ Locate chapter 126 (Pneumonia), and take a photo or screenshot.

Task #5

Study in a group or study alone.

Study standing, seated, or study prone.

If you study in a room on floor two,

An online reservation will ensure the room belongs to you.

Of the thirty-four study rooms in all,

One is the finest, a real windfall.

The quiet floor, a roomy table, and seats.

Plus windows on the two walls make this room complete.

Find this legendary room of library lore,

203C is the number outside the door

Take a pic to prove ye visited the floor.

Go to the second floor (this is a silent floor, so please be mindful of others who may be using the library!) and go to study room 203C.  Take a picture of the room number sign.

Task #6

Starting on Himmelfarb's website,

Find our The Rotation Blog in the What's New spotlight.

Click on the blog, it's filled with information, comics, and fun,

Then use the search box, and with this task, you'll soon be done.

If while you're studying, you begin to feel stressed,

Check out the Study Break Guide to find ideas for rest.

Grab a photo or screengrab of the image at the top,

And don't forget about our blog as a future go-to stop.

Go to the Himmelfarb website (himmelfarb.gwu.edu) and click on the top image in the What's New section in the upper right. On the subsequent page, use the search bar to look for 'study break', and click on 'July 2025 Study Break Guide'. Take a photo or screenshot of the image at the top of the blog entry.

Final Task

Post your photos to social media (Facebook, Instagram) as proof of your quest,

Show us your group is the best!

If social media just isn’t your style,

Email (himmelfarb@gwu.edu) us instead your image files.

If social media, post your pictures in the comments,

So your team represents;

Or post to your own social media pages pictures of all four stages:

Use #Farbientation25 to make sure we see your post.

A group drawn at random will win some great swag!

Be sure to include the names of your group mates,

And your entry into our raffle awaits!

One member of your group should post/share photo(s) of the group at each task.

Be sure to include the full names of all the members of your team!

Use #farbientation24, if posting to social media.

If you prefer not to use social media platforms, email your pics to himmelfarb@gwu.edu.

The Library will select one group, at random, from the social media and email entrants to win the prize.

The deadline for entry is 5PM on Friday, August 1, 2025!

Follow us on Social Media!

To get the latest in Himmelfarb news

Like and follow us on social media if ye choose!

The links below will take you to the right pages,

That will keep you in the know with content that engages.

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Himmelfarb Contact Information

Circulation Desk: (202)994-2962

Library Website: https://himmelfarb.gwu.edu/

Email Address: himmelfarb@gwu.edu

IM Contact: https://himmelfarb.gwu.edu/ask/

Text Contact: Text your question to (202)601-3525

Published on
Picture of a wheelchair athlete training on a running track.
Image by Javier Robles from Pixabay

Himmelfarb Library is happy to announce the release of our Disabilities Health Research Guide! The guide features resources that address disability healthcare in clinical and research settings, including topics such as accessibility, terminology, research assistance, and much more. You’ll also find links to local disability resources in the DC, Maryland, and Virginia area, and links to disability organizations.

Featured books from Himmelfarb’s collection include: 

The researcher's tab includes guidance on conducting research with disabled populations, as well as information to support literature searches, including MeSH terms and journals that publish disability-related research. An additional area links to publications from George Washington faculty that have been archived in the Health Sciences Research Commons (HSRC), Himmelfarb’s institutional repository.

 Featured journals include:

Please note that some resources, such as e-books and journal collections, may require GW credentials to access.

This guide is intended to be a high-quality resource relevant to our community. We encourage you to share relevant resources for inclusion in the Disabilities Health Guide through our Resource Suggestion Form. If you are a member of a GW organization and would like your organization to be featured in this guide, or if you’re interested in collaborating with the Himmelfarb DEI Committee, please contact the current committee chair, Ruth Bueter, at rbueter@gwu.edu.

This post was co-authored by Rebecca Keyser and Ruth Bueter.

Published on
Picture of art papers and supplies spread on a desk with the word "Welcome" written in calligraphy on the center paper.
Photo by cottonbro studio

Himmelfarb Library extends a warm welcome to all new residents, fellows, students, faculty, and staff who joined the GW SMHS, GWSPH, and GW Nursing community recently! We are excited that you’re here, and we look forward to serving you during your time at GW! 

The start of any new endeavor can be daunting, so we’d like to make it easy for you to become familiar with Himmelfarb Library and all that we have to offer. Himmelfarb Director, Laura Abate, gives a great overview of Himmelfarb Library in this short video tour:

Himmelfarb Hours:

Our physical space, accessible through Ross Hall, is currently open the following hours for the summer:

Monday - Thursday: 7:30 am - Midnight

Friday: 7:30 am - 10:00 pm

Saturday: 8:00 am - 10:00 pm

Sunday: 8:00 am - Midnight

Current hours of operation are available on our website and include exceptions to normal hours, such as holiday closures. If you aren’t able to make it to the library in person, you can get help from our librarians and staff via chat or phone (202)994-2850, or email himmelfarb@gwu.edu. Our databases, journals, and e-books are available from anywhere, anytime, so you can access our electronic resources from anywhere!

Himmelfarb Resources and Collections

Himmelfarb’s collection extends beyond the books in the basement level stacks. We have 130 databases to search, including PubMed, CINAHL, and our library discovery service, Health Information @ Himmelfarb. Health Information @ Himmelfarb enables you to search physical and electronic books, journals, articles, dissertations, and more, all from a single search box.

Want to browse and read articles from our journals? The BrowZine app is a great option! BrowZine can be accessed through a browser, or you can download the app for IOS or Android. You’ll be able to create a personalized bookshelf of journal titles, follow your favorite journals, get alerts when new issues are available, and browse a table of contents.

LibKey Nomad provides quick and easy access to full-text when searching PubMed, Scopus, EBSCO databases, Google Scholar, Amazon, and publisher sites. With LibKey Nomad, you’ll easily be able to tell when the full-text of articles and e-books is available through Himmelfarb, and often can get the PDF with a single click!

You can find books and e-books via Health Information @ Himmelfarb or explore titles in specific collections: AccessMedicine, ClinicalKey for Nursing, LWW Health Library: Medical Education, etc. You can browse all e-book collections or view our special collections in Health Information @ Himmelfarb. Our print books are located on the basement level and can be borrowed for three weeks, with up to two renewals. 

If we don’t have a resource you need, we can get it for you through the Consortium Loan Service or Documents2Go. The Consortium Loan Service provides free loans of books from most DC area academic libraries. Documents2Go provides scanned articles, book chapter copies, or physical book loans with up to 30 free requests a year for Himmelfarb users.

Clinical Tools and Apps

If you’re providing patient care, Himmelfarb has specialized apps and information services to support you. The DynaMed, and Lexicomp apps can be downloaded for easy access from your device. Check out our App Shelf for a full list of useful tools.

Research Support

Himmelfarb is more than just a physical space with study space and great resources! Our librarians and staff can help support your research by assisting in literature searches, systematic reviews, and helping you organize your sources with RefWorks or Covidence. We also offer a spectrum of services and support related to scholarly publishing - everything from honing your research question, to selecting the right journal for submitting your article to archiving your article and data.  Get help with your research from our knowledgeable librarians and staff by stopping by our circulation desk for in-person help, or use our Ask a Librarian service to chat virtually with a real Himmelfarb librarian or staff member. No AI chatbots here! 

Connect with Us!

Connect with us on Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, and YouTube for the latest Himmelfarb news and updates! Subscribe to our blog to make sure you never miss a post!

Published on
Model image of current Himmelfarb Library building prior to construction.

More than 50 years ago, the medical school library was located in three buildings at the corner of 13th and H Streets NW. As Ross Hall and the Himmelfarb Library were built, Daniel Yett, the Science Librarian at GW’s existing undergraduate library, was tasked with planning and managing the move to the new building.  

At the time, the medical library’s collections were spread out over multiple locations due to space limitations. Newer materials were housed at 13th and H Streets in the existing and cramped library; some recent-ish journal runs were stored in the basement at 13th & H Streets, and other even older journal runs were held in off-site storage locations. The task before Mr. Yett required careful documentation and planning as he needed to intershelve holdings from three separate locations to create a single consolidated journal collection.  

Sepia tone image of 1335 H Street.

Dr. Shelley Bader, retired Associate Vice President, GW SMHS, remembers Mr. Yett for the contributions that he made to Himmelfarb Library’s early years, and for his development of a history of science lecture series at GW. Mr. Yett also provided crucial support for Dr. Bader early in her career. As preparations were underway for the move to the newly built Himmelfarb Library, Dr. Bader had been working in Circulation at the old medical library, providing reference services, and was completing the final three credits of her Master’s in Library Science. Mr. Yett supported Dr. Bader’s application for a newly available reference librarian position, which she assumed upon the move to the new building.

Following his time at GW, Daniel Yett became an officer with the United States Information Agency (USIA) and continued his career at postings around the world. To honor his memory, Dr. Bader has donated funds to support environmental health acquisitions.

Published on
a crowd of graduates throws their caps into the air

Congratulations to the Class of 2025! Thursday, May 14th, marked the beginning of Commencement here at George Washington University. Events will run through Sunday, as we celebrate the hard work and dedication of our students finishing their studies here. Check out the full schedule of events for full details of events. 

Here at Himmelfarb, we would like to send our heartfelt congratulations to the students in the School of Public Health, the School of Nursing, and the School of Medicine and Health Sciences. We’ve been honored to work with you throughout your years here at George Washington, and we wish you the best as you transition into your future careers or educational pursuits.

For those graduating this weekend, check out our Alumni resources page. While you might no longer be a student here, there are plenty of resources still available to you as an alumnus. We will miss your presence in our classrooms and library, and hope you look upon your experience fondly as you step into the next chapter of your lives. 

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