September 1881

The Omaha Medical College is constructed at 11th and Mason Streets in Omaha. A library consisting of personal books and journals from the faculty is created for use by the 35 students enrolled in the first class.

1893

A "Reading Room" is established in the Omaha Medical College building at 12th and Pacific Streets.

1899

Addition is constructed for the Omaha Medical College building located at 12th and Pacific Streets, with an expansion of the library space (1,000 volumes in the collection).

1913

The first College of Medicine building, known as the North Laboratory (now Poynter Hall) is constructed at the corner of 42nd and Dewey Streets. The University of Nebraska medical library is located on the third level, adjacent to the professor of anatomy's office and was composed of books from the Omaha Medical College and the University Library in Lincoln. Mrs. H. Dorsey Berry is named the first librarian (1913-1914).

1914

Harriet Wilson is named librarian (1914-1920). The collection of the Omaha Douglas County Medical Society is incorporated into the library.
 

1917

The library moves to the second level of the administration wing in the newly completed University Hospital, Unit 1.

1921

Madeline Hillis is named librarian (1921-1940) and expands the collection to 18,000 volumes and offers recreational reading with The New York Times, Chicago Tribune, and Omaha newspapers.

1927

The library moves temporarily to two levels in the north wing of the newly completed University Hospital, Unit 2. A book lift is installed to move volumes between the two levels. The library consists of a reading room, a stacks room, two seminar rooms, a receiving room and bindery, and the librarian's office. The collection grew to include 35,000 volumes, and the library provided leisure reading material to patients and visited the wards once a week.

1930

The bindery is moved to the sub-basement of Conkling Hall (now the Hixson-Lied Transplant Center).

1940

Phillip S. Moe is named librarian (1940-1947).

1948

Bernice Hetzner is named library director (1948-1973). After working as a student librarian at Technical High School, Bernice Hetzner received a bachelor’s degree in library science in 1934 from the University of Denver, and a master's degree in education from Colorado State University in 1935, where she also held her first position as a professional librarian. In 1947, Hetzner became assistant librarian for cataloging at the University of Nebraska medical library. She was named library director in 1948. Through the Medical Library Assistance Act of 1965, Bernice Hetzner secured funds to construct a new library, which opened in July 1970. Hetzner received many honors and awards throughout her career. In 1974, she was the first woman and one of the few non-physicians to receive UNMC’s Distinguished Service to Medicine Award. Bernice Hetzner died on October 9, 1998, at the age of 89.

1968

The library receives $1.6 million from the Federal Medical Library Systems Act and $470,000 state-appropriated funds to construct a new building on the top of the Basic Science Building (now Wittson Hall). Leon S. McGoogan, MD, obstetrics and gynecology faculty member and friend of the library, raises $385,000 in private funds to aid in the construction of the new building.

July 1970

Designed by Leo A. Daly Architects, the new 73,000 square-foot library opens with nearly 50 staff members, 160,000 volumes, 2,400 medical journal subscriptions, and seating for 330 people. On the first level were the circulation and information desks, administrative offices, bound journals, reference collection with indexes, and the card catalog. On the second level were reserve books, lounge, leisure reading materials, books, and study rooms. On the third level were the rare book collection, artifacts, materials processing, bookbinding, and the learning resource center with x-rays, slides, films, and videotapes.

1971

The library is selected to host the National Library of Medicine’s Regional Medical Library (RML) of the MidContinental Region serving Colorado, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, Utah, and Wyoming. The RML remains at UNMC until June 2017 when it relocates to the University of Utah.

1974

The H. Winnett Orr rare book collection is transferred to the library as a permanent loan from the American College of Surgeons.

David Bishop is named library director (1974-1977).

1978

Robert Braude is named library director (1978-1987).

The library is renamed the Leon S. McGoogan Library of Medicine. Leon S. McGoogan, MD attended the University of Nebraska College of Medicine from 1921-1923 and received his medical degree from the University of Pennsylvania in 1925. He returned to Omaha in 1930 to set up his private practice in obstetrics and gynecology and a year later began working as a volunteer instructor at the University of Nebraska College of Medicine. During WWII, he was only one of a handful of obstetricians in the city. From 1950-1955 and 1961-1962, Dr. McGoogan served as the chair of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology. In the late 1960s, Dr. McGoogan was instrumental in the medical library reaching its fundraising goal for a new building, which was renamed in his honor in 1978. In 1979 he founded the Friends of the Library. Dr. McGoogan died in 1993.

January 1985

Consumer Health Information Resource Service (CHIRS) is launched as a cooperative venture between the McGoogan Library of Medicine, the Nebraska Library Commission, and more than 70 public libraries across the state. This service assists Nebraska residents or patients receiving health care in Nebraska, and their families, in finding information on health and wellness topics.

1987

Nancy N. Woelfl, PhD, is named library director (1987-2013). During her 26-year directorship of the McGoogan Library, Dr. Nancy Woelfl introduced the first systematic planning process for library information services at UNMC, oversaw an eight-fold expansion of the size of the library endowment, expanded the quantity and quality of digital journals, books and other materials available to users, and led the extensive planning and budgeting process for the 1999-2000 renovation of the library.

 

1999-2001

 

Levels 6 and 7 of the McGoogan Library are extensively remodeled to modernize the facility and accommodate the collection of 230,000 volumes, 1,500 journal subscriptions, and 725 electronic journals.

The $2.35 million renovation includes new carpeting, electrical fixtures, lighting, improved acoustics, wiring for computer workstations, paint, and furniture. Departments, such as Interlibrary Loan, are relocated within the library. The Linder Lounge is added for relaxation, eating, and drinking.

2004-2006

Level 8 of McGoogan Library is remodeled to update storage of the history of medicine collection and archives and expands to create the Nebraska Room to house the 80-year run of the Nebraska State Medical Journal and other works pertaining to the health sciences in Nebraska.

The renovations include a waterless fire suppression system, rerouting of water and drains, installation of new temperature controls, humidifiers, ventilation systems, indirect lighting, and updates to the security equipment, shelving, and furniture.

2009

The inaugural Richard B. Davis, MD, PhD lecture “Syphilis: A 20th Century Social and Therapeutic History” is held. The speaker is Gregory Anstead, PhD, MD, associate professor, Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio.

2011

The McGoogan Library receives the collection of Wolf P. Wolfensberger, PhD, a world-renowned advocate for and expert on the care of the intellectually disabled. The entirety of the Wolfensberger Collection fills 1,547 square feet (about half the area of a tennis court) of space. One room on the 8th level of the library is dedicated to its preservation and care.

December 2013

Emily J. McElroy, MLIS, is named library director (2013-2020). McElroy was previously an associate university librarian for content management and systems at Oregon Health and Science University (OHSU). She served on the faculty of New York University’s Elmer H. Bobst Library, the University of Oregon Libraries, and Loyola University’s Health Sciences Library. At OHSU, she served in faculty governance as president of its faculty senate. She was active in the Orbis Cascade Alliance, a leading library consortium of 38 colleges and universities in Oregon, Washington, and Idaho.

Under her leadership, the McGoogan Library expanded its collections, programs, and services. She led the library in planning an extensive renovation of library space and worked closely with library staff, students, and faculty to create a 21st-century library that is flexible, forward-thinking, and student-centered. Working closely with Robert S. Wigton, MS, MD and Chancellor Jeffrey P. Gold, MD, McElroy played a lead role in expanding the library’s special collections and archives into the Wigton Heritage Center. No other academic health sciences library has a similar space to showcase its special collections and archives.

June 2017

The Wigton History of Medicine Archive is dedicated.

May 2019

The library closes for its second renovation. Prior to closing, visitors to the library recorded their memories and well wishes to the space. This section of wall was left intact during the renovation and the sentiments are preserved as a time capsule within the renovated space.

January 2020

Emily J. McElroy, MLIS is named the inaugural dean of the Leon S. McGoogan Library of Medicine (2020-present).

July 2020

The Board of Regents approves renaming of the library to the Leon S. McGoogan Health Sciences Library to reflect that the library serves all students and colleges of UNMC.

August 2020

The newly renovated McGoogan Health Sciences Library reopens to UNMC students, faculty, and staff.

June 2021

The Wigton Heritage Center opened.

October 2021

The renovation of the 8th level of the library is completed. This level houses the Special Collections and Archives artifact, art, Wolf Wolfensberger, and rare book collections. The 8th level also houses A reading room for researchers, and the staff and faculty offices of the College of Medicine’s Department of Pulmonary, Critical Care, Sleep & Allergy Medicine.