Deirdre Caparoso, MLIS 
Assistant Professor, Outreach and Community Engagement Librarian 
University of New Mexico Health Sciences Library and Informatics Center 

Editor’s note: This month, we are celebrating Deirdre Caparoso, whoc served as a List Selector for the LGBTQ+ Health DSTL in 2025. Thank you, Deirdre! 

Provide a brief description of your library and its services, and your role within it. 

I am the Outreach and Community Engagement Librarian at the University of New Mexico Library and Informatics Center (HSLIC), the state’s only publicly accessible health sciences library. In addition to our education, research, and clinical support roles, we strive to support community health information and health literacy needs.   

How did you get started in health sciences librarianship? What brought you to the profession? 

I worked in public libraries for years as a librarian, branch manager, and department manager for multi-branch library systems in Colorado and New Mexico. As I progressed in my career, I became interested in the potential of libraries to impact the day-to-day physical lives and futures of people. Supporting consumer health information access and literacy was a natural extension of that interest, so becoming a health information professional was the logical next step.   

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

Diversifying health sciences librarianship. Our student, community, and patient populations are diverse and the profession should better represent this. Not only is this good for education, patient care, research, and informed data practices, but it helps future proof our professional role. Our current lack of diversity reflects multiple systemic barriers and there is no overnight fix. I remain hopeful. 

The profession has been focusing on artificial intelligence quite a bit lately. Ultimately, I do not think AI will affect the profession itself dramatically. Modern librarians are very good at adapting to technological changes and are quick to learn and teach new tools. We are very practical. However, there is room for more discussion of AI and choice. Yes, it seems like AI is everywhere and it is deeply embedded in many library tools now. However, we also know that it has many ethical considerations: it has not been proven to not perpetuate inequities, its environmental footprint is astounding, it is a data security risk, and it can be wildly inaccurate. We are highly tolerant of its many serious foibles. It crept up quickly and we seem to be at the point of a presumptive “yes” for AI. But AI does not practice ethics; we do. Or at least we should. At what point do we choose to say no? What is our “if” condition for AI use? There is room for further discussion of many of these considerations. 

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

UNM Health Sciences’ DEI Office has multiple pipeline programs for middle and high school students. We try to support as many campus visits as we can. Meeting with potential future healthcare providers and leaders is a thrill. They are often wowed by the library — our spaces and technology speak to our commitment to education — and I am always super excited to meet them and show the library off a little. 

What aspects of your work keep you most professionally motivated? 

My colleagues and the moments when I teach someone something new that will make their life easier. I also thrive on the variety of things I get to do in an academic health sciences library and am learning every day.   

Why did you participate as a List Selector for the LGBTQ+ Health Doody’s Special Topics List? 

It was a decision that didn’t require thought. Collection development is tricky and no one can understand the full breadth of what is available. I managed a collection development unit for years and know the value of resource selection tools. LGBTQ+ health is a topic I know and I wanted to contribute. 

A recent book you’ve enjoyed or anything else you’d like to share? 

This is not a new title, but the book I most recommend and buy for others is Light from Uncommon Stars by Ryka Aoki. It is weird, funny, joyful, and deeply humane.