We’re so excited!  And want to invite you to take a trip down memory lane with us.

How did we arrive at our anniversary date? While searching the MSK Archives, an annual report was located that references a library as early as 1921–1922. Upon further investigation, we uncovered that this was a departmental library and that the formation of the library that is the direct predecessor of the library we know today first opened its doors in April 1948. The library was dedicated and named in honor of Lee Coombe, the daughter of Reginald Coombe, the President of Memorial Hospital. The Lee Coombe Memorial Library was located in a building that was later named for Frank Howard.

Today, the MSK Library continues to support the clinical, research, administrative and educational needs of the Institution and beyond. Over the years, the Library has marked many changes, moving from print to a mostly digital collection, offering new services and resources that reflect the information needs of the medical and research activities of the organization, and providing a space where reflection, collaboration, and focus on scholarly activities was and continues to be encouraged and supported.

For the remainder of this year, we have plans to share a timeline of the MSK Library’s accomplishments, events, launches, and changes, starting in the late 1940s and working our way to the present. We plan to illustrate interesting facts about our early beginnings and how we evolved via the MSK Library Blog, our social media platforms, and OneMSK. We also will share fascinating tidbits about the history of health science libraries over the years.

We’ll be tagging all our posts, tweets, photos, and videos with the hashtag #MSKLibrary75.  Join our celebration tour to learn more about our history, our role within the Institution, and the services we provide. Subscribe to the MSK Library Blog, or follow us on Twitter, @MSKLibrary or Instagram, @msklibrary

Donna Gibson, Director, Library Services