The Annette and Irwin Eskind Biomedical Library Synopsis
The Eskind Biomedical Library (EBL) is a modern 78,000 net square foot facility, dedicated in April
1994. The construction of this award-winning library building was made possible by a gift from
Vanderbilt Alumnus Irwin Eskind and his wife, Annette. The library provides access to materials and
services to support Vanderbilt University Medical Center (VUMC) in achieving its teaching, research,
and service missions. To facilitate information access at the point of need, EBL’s practice philosophy
centers on the provision of electronic resources related to medicine, nursing, and the biosciences and
services that integrate evidence seamlessly into VUMC workflow.
EBL’s comprehensive and multidimensional Digital Library offers instant and targeted access to over
10,000 full-text electronic resources, a number that is continually expanding. As of 2013, the electronic
collection included 6,000 electronic journals and almost 4,000 core and specialty medical and nursing
textbooks. The collection also includes key bibliographic databases (e.g. PubMed, CINAHL,
ScienceDirect), full-text healthcare resources (e.g. UptoDate, Micromedex, Zynx, Mosby’s Nursing
Skills), and pharmacogenetics and personalized medicine databases (e.g. Pharmacogenetics Knowledge
Base and OMIM). Customized portals such as the Research Digital Library and the Nursing Digital
Library provide targeted information resources and services to specific VUMC communities.
In keeping with the EBL collection philosophy of prioritizing electronic materials to facilitate
immediate, around-the-clock access, the library’s print holdings are limited to a small and shrinking
collection of items that are unavailable electronically or of historical value. The remaining physical
collection is cataloged in Acorn, the web-based catalog for the Vanderbilt library system. EBL provides
expanded user access and serves as a resource in the national biomedical community through participation
in a variety of consortia, including the National Network of Libraries of Medicine and the Consortium of
Southern Biomedical Libraries. Resources not held by the library are easily accessible through Document
Delivery Services (DDS), for which users can place orders 24/7 through an online request form.
The Historical Collections Room houses a unique collection of rare books, photographs, and
historical items, and the Medical Center Archives holds manuscripts and institutional records reflecting
the history of the Medical Center and the history of medicine. The historical collection also has an online
presence through the Special Collections Digital Library, which provides electronic access to select
exhibits and resources including VUMC through Time, the photographic archive for the medical center.
The library has established a Patient Informatics Consult Service (PICS) program to provide VUMC
patients and their families with the latest in health information, including comprehensive information
packets tailored to patient needs. General consumer information is available within the library through
EBL’s consumer health materials collection. The in-house developed Consumer Health Digital Library
also facilitates patient access to widely used resources such as MedlinePlus along with tools unique to the
Medical Center such as the My Health at Vanderbilt portal.
Through synchronous (Learning Site) and asynchronous (Library Information Desk) services, staff
expertise is available electronically 24/7. Online knowledge modules provide 24-hour interactive
instruction in health science resources and bibliographic management tools. Information specialists
deliver virtual consultation and training to School of Nursing distance students utilizing a next generation
collaboration MondoPad device. Other services include circulation of books, management of reserve
materials, reference and research services, and individual and group training.
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