Harvard Medical School: Francis A. Countway Library of Medicine Prepares to Start a Transformative Renovation this Year

From Harvard Medical School:

As the Francis A. Countway Library of Medicine prepares to start a transformative renovation this year, Director and Head Librarian Elaine Martin is excited about creating new ways to serve the academic and personal needs of the Harvard Medical School community. Midful that she is at the helm of an institution with a storied past, she is charged with ushering it into the future.

“The goal of this renovation is to change the space in the library to reflect the new ways people are learning and to build community,” Martin said.

In the past, much of the library’s mission has centered around being a resource for print materials, she said. But as the internet has changed the way people access information, Martin said, users are interacting with libraries in different ways, and the Countway Library must respond to those needs as well.

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One of the common requests from students is for relaxation spaces, because stress and burnout are issues within the health professions. The library already has therapy dogs but is looking to add more spaces to de-stress, whether quiet reading spaces or rooms for gaming.

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