About
The Leon S. McGoogan Health Sciences Library, one of the nation’s major health science libraries, serves the information needs of UNMC students, faculty, and staff, as well as licensed Nebraska health professionals and residents of the state. The library provides timely access to high quality collections of print and electronic materials, promotes the development of information management skills that support lifelong learning, and promotes the integration of quality information in UNMC education and research areas.
Beginning in May 2019, McGoogan Library’s physical home of 55,696 square feet underwent an extensive renovation. The library reopened on August 18, 2020, and now offers 24/7 access, 53 individual and group study rooms, a maker studio, an EZ Studio, conference rooms and classrooms equipped with advanced technology, and student and public workstations. The library also houses UNMC’s E-Learning Lab, the Writing Center, College of Allied Health Professions specialized simulation rooms, Faculty Commons, the Interprofessional Academy of Educators, IT Educational Technology, Faculty Development, and the Inclusion Corner and Brave Space, hosted by the Office of Inclusion.
Developed and managed by experts in health sciences collections, the McGoogan Library’s resources include over 41,000 print volumes and an extensive collection of anatomical models. The library website serves as the gateway to electronic information resources. Online journals, books, bibliographic and other databases are available, and many resources may be accessed using mobile devices. Online resources include nearly 54,000 journal titles and more than 71,000 full-text books.
Librarians and archivists within the Special Collections and Archives Department of the Leon S. McGoogan Health Sciences Library collect materials on the history of the health sciences in Nebraska and the history of the UNMC campus community. It is Nebraska’s repository for health sciences-related archival materials, photographs, artifacts, ephemera, manuscripts, and rare books dating to the 1490s. In June 2021, the McGoogan Library opened the 13,110-square-foot Wigton Heritage Center. The Center tells UNMC's story through gallery and digital exhibit space; showcase the McGoogan Library's vast special collections, artifacts, archives and rare books; and enclose University Hospital's historic façade and iconic columns within an atrium that serves as a welcoming space for alumni, visitors, new and prospective students and others.
Librarians are available to assist with the use of the library and its collections, including assistance developing search strategies for the online databases, completing online searches, preparation of systematic reviews and other research projects, retrieving factual information and verifying citations, and managing citations using bibliographic management software. In addition, the library offers one-on-one and group instruction in locating and managing information. Requests for these services may be submitted in person, by telephone or email, or sent via text or chat. Library faculty provide instruction in information literacy, self-directed learning, and research skills within UNMC’s five colleges and to partner organizations. Additionally, the library offers health information services to Nebraska residents and Nebraska Medicine patients and their families.