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Please join us in welcoming Molly Hemphill to the position of medical education librarian at the Louise M. Darling Biomedical Library!
We asked her a few questions about her new role:
What goals/hopes do you have for this year as our new medical education librarian?
I hope to focus on building relationships with my new Science Libraries colleagues and contributing positively to the culture of the department. I plan on working to set a strong foundation for liaising with the UCLA David Geffen School of Medicine and acclimate to the medical education environment at UCLA. I’m excited to enhance my reference, outreach and instruction skills and I’m ready to jump in to learning the ins and outs of medical librarianship.
How has your prior experience prepared you for this role at UCLA Library?
I’ve worked at UCLA for six years now, with four of them serving as a staff member in Library Special Collections. I earned my MLIS degree while working full time, which was a great opportunity to apply theory to practice and have my real-world experience inform my research and conversations in grad school. I have a great understanding of UCLA Library and I’m thrilled to apply what I know to my work in the Biomedical Library.
What projects will you be tackling first?
First up is to take a deep dive into the databases, search techniques and other research tools that are crucial to providing research support to medical students. I’d also like to brainstorm instruction plans for the faculty and students in the David Geffen School of Medicine. I’m hoping to find my place on a User Engagement functional team and jump into any endeavors that are implemented in the coming year.
What are you currently reading/watching/listening to? and/or What do you like to do outside of work?
I recently started a novel by Hernan Diaz, Trust, which recently won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction. You can also catch me hiking and bird-watching in the Santa Monica Mountains, relaxing at the beach, watching Star Trek and cooking pasta dishes at home. My favorite dessert spot is SomiSomi on Sawtelle—I love their taiyaki!
What is your preferred name and what are your pronouns?
My preferred name is Molly and I use she/her pronouns. My last name is pronounced Hemp-hill, if folks are unfamiliar.
