Caroline Monnin, MLIS 
Health Sciences Librarian 
Neil John Maclean Health Sciences Library 
University of Manitoba 

Editor’s note: This month, we are celebrating Caroline Monnin, who has served as a Librarian Selector for Doody’s Core Titles since 2023 and joined the Doody’s Library Board of Advisors in 2024.   

Where do you currently work and what is your position? 

I’m a Health Sciences Librarian at the University of Manitoba in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. I’m currently the Nursing Liaison, but I see students and faculty from all health science programs.  

Provide a brief description of your library and its services. 

I work at the Neil John Maclean Health Sciences Library. We support all faculties and colleges in the Rady Faculty of Health Sciences at the University of Manitoba. Our library is responsible for the health sciences collection, information literacy instruction, and research help, including evidence synthesis support.  

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

I started my career 15 years ago as a Library Technician in a national Canadian library supporting MRI research.  After returning to school for my MLIS, I applied for a librarian position supporting long-term care facilities. I was hired due to my previous experience in health libraries. To be honest, science and health sciences never held my interest in school – I was always more of a political nerd – so I’ve learned a lot over the last 15 years. I feel very lucky to have landed in health sciences librarianship. I work with brilliant colleagues, and we get to support interesting research that improves lives.    

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

The biggest issue we’re currently facing is the integration of generative AI tools in education. Although it’s still early to fully understand how to prepare for and incorporate these tools into practice, my colleagues and I are working to stay as informed as possible, as faculty are asking us to guide them as to how students are using these tools. 

The second issue is the challenge of doing more with less, which has been a persistent concern throughout my career. I can’t recall a time when we weren’t discussing the need to cut services due to resource constraints, whether financial or staffing related. A core tenet of our profession is service, so reducing or eliminating services is always difficult. However, post-pandemic, I think we finally recognize that stretching ourselves too thin has led to staff burnout, which ultimately diminishes the quality of service. 

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

I’m really excited about two citation justice workshops I’m developing with a colleague. These workshops, designed for undergraduate and graduate students, explore how students can incorporate equity into their citation practices. Citation justice is such an important subject to address and librarians are well-versed in the complexities of the topic. I’ve also seen how it engages students on the topic of citation. It’s not always an easy task.  

Why do you serve on the Library Board of Advisors and select for Doody’s Core Titles? 

When I started working in hospital libraries, I had no idea which titles to purchase for the library. Doody’s really helped me not only in selecting but planning for future purchases and collection analysis. When I was invited to select for Doody’s it felt like a full circle moment, and I hope to help other busy and new health librarians select the best books for their collection.  

What is a recent book you’ve enjoyed? 

I have two that I recently read, and I can’t stop thinking about: Invisible Women: Data Bias in a World Designed for Men by Caroline Criado Perez and Real Americans by Rachel Khong. I highly recommend both!