Rebecca Raszewski, MS, AHIP  
Associate Professor and Information Services & Liaison Librarian  
Library Liaison to the UIC Graduate Nursing in Chicago  
University of Illinois – Chicago 
Library of the Health Sciences Chicago 

Editor’s note: On a regular basis, we publish profiles of librarians who have been an integral part of Doody Enterprises, whether they have served on our Library Board of Advisors, as a Librarian Selector for Doody’s Core Titles, or on the editorial board/as a List Selector for Doody’s Special Topics Lists. This month, we are profiling a librarian who has served as a Librarian Selector for Doody’s Core Titles since 2007: Rebecca Raszewski of the University of Illinois – Chicago.  

Where do you currently work and what is your position? 

My official title is Associate Professor and Information Services & Liaison Librarian. I have been working at the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC) for almost 15 years. I am a tenured faculty member who has co-authored over 20 peer-reviewed publications. I have been a nursing liaison librarian since I started at UIC and one of the longest serving liaison librarians in a college or department.  I collaborate with my colleagues in Chicago and at our other locations to support six UIC nursing campuses throughout Illinois and nurses in our healthcare system. 

Provide a brief description of your library and its services. 
 
I work at the Library of the Health Sciences Chicago at UIC, a public university with seven health sciences colleges and a hospital with 455 beds and several clinics and federally qualified health centers.  In addition, the Daley Library is responsible for colleges focusing on liberal arts and sciences, and two health sciences libraries in Peoria and Rockford.  Further, a law school library reports to the law school. UIC Library is also a college, so we have librarians with tenure or in non-tenure track positions as clinical faculty, instructors, or lecturers. 

When did you start in health sciences librarianship? What was your position? With what institution? 
 
It will be 20 years since I received my library degree. While I was in graduate school for my library degree, I worked at the Florence A. Moore Library at MCP Hahnemann University, which was acquired by Drexel University. The library eventually closed after I graduated and transferred to the Hahnemann Library. I mostly worked at the circulation desk and managed ILL requests. 

Name two of the most important issues facing the profession today. 

Libraries are being asked to demonstrate their impact and value when they may not be given the funding to best support their faculty, staff, and students. Librarians are working with less staffing and funding due to the COVID-19 pandemic. I have been appalled by the increase of banned books in public and school libraries. In my lifetime, I never thought I would ever see an increase in requests to ban books and libraries and their employees under attack. 

What is one innovation, product, or service in your library that you’re excited about? 

My library is starting to integrate Third Iron’s LibKey Link into our website so our patrons can access PDFs faster. It requires fewer steps to access full text articles. 

Why do you contribute as a DCT Librarian Selector? 

I haven’t been able to do as much collection development as I used to. Being a selector is one way for me to feel connected to collection development.  I enjoy taking time out of my schedule to review the selected titles, suggest additional titles, and score each title.