In early September, the MSK Library experienced a flood. Due to a pipe bursting on a floor above, the water eventually found its way to our collection of journal back issues. These print journal issues are used not only by staff, but form part of the larger collection used for external document delivery requests from libraries all across North America and beyond. The journal titles that were damaged the most included Nature and The Lancet – two titles that are heavily used and for which we don’t hold subscriptions to the complete archives in electronic format.

While this experience was one none of us would want to see repeated, I can’t help but reflect on how quickly the library team pulled together to minimize the damage.  There were some that rushed to remove the books and journals, others that ran to gather all of our waste receptacles so that the water would fall in these containers rather than on the carpet, and still others who remained up front to continue to handle users’ requests and direct facility personnel to the affected area. Continue reading →

 I am delighted to present to our readers and library users our Library Progress Report highlighting our activities for 2014 and 2015. This report is a celebration of our accomplishments and marks our progress over the past two years. Within these pages, we share information about our operations, staff publications, library services, and usage metrics that showcase the value of our collection and services.

I think that you’ll especially enjoy reading about our collaborative projects with users. Most of all, I hope this report will spark interest in MSK staff to take a few moments to explore a new resource, service, or include us on a future team initiative.

If you want to learn more about the MSK Library or the services we provide, don’t hesitate to contact me.

Donna Gibson
Director of Library Services