Cynthia Flanagan, MLIS 
Clinical Medical Librarian 
Health Sciences Library 
University of Missouri Kansas City 

Editor’s note: This month, we are celebrating Cindi Flanagan, who has served as a Librarian Selector for Doody’s Core Titles since 2019. 
 

Where do you currently work and what is your position? 

I currently work at the University of Missouri Kansas City (UMKC) Health Sciences Library as a Clinical Medical Librarian (CML). 

Provide a brief description of your library and its services. 

Our library supports the professional Schools of Pharmacy, Medicine, Nursing, Dentistry, and the Health Sciences degree programs at UMKC. We also have an inpatient rounding service at our affiliated hospital that allows CMLs to attend hospital rounds with medical students to provide information and instruction at the point of care. This legacy embedded librarian program started at UMKC in the 1970s. 

Where and when did you start in health sciences librarianship? What brought you to the profession? 

This is my first position as a medical librarian. I previously worked as a reference and instruction librarian at a community college in Pennsylvania, the Ohio Geological Survey, and the EPA. 

Share two of the most important issues facing the profession today and why they’re important to address. 

AI is everywhere and everyone wants to use it for something. Information professionals will be responsible for sorting through the various AI options to find the tools that are genuinely useful and accurate. We will also need to make sure students and faculty know which AI resources to use, how to use them, and when the use is appropriate. We will also have to teach students how to evaluate the quality of AI results just like they evaluate an article or trial. Another issue we face is that the variety and prices of electronic resources increases much faster than library budgets. If these publishers intend to continue selling to libraries, they will need to provide more transparent pricing and different pricing options. The current model is not sustainable for libraries. 

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

I always get excited for the “stress less” events our library holds around exams time. We offer snacks, craft activities, and therapy animals. I think it’s important to emphasize that the library can be a place for fun and that we care about our students’ mental health needs. 

Why do you select for Doody’s Core Titles? 

I like to know what kinds of books are available and this helps me keep track of trends in textbooks. Being a Doody’s selector makes me reflect on why I like specific titles and what aspects of these books make them good enough to recommend to others.