Director of Library Services for Health Sciences Joins UH Libraries
Michelle Malizia will oversee the forthcoming Health Sciences Library that will be located in the Health and Biomedical Sciences Building II.
The University of Houston Libraries has welcomed a new director of library services for health sciences.
Michelle Malizia will oversee the forthcoming Health Sciences Library that will be located in the Health and Biomedical Sciences Building II, currently in development. The new facility represents the second phase of the Health and Biomedical Sciences Center, which opened in February 2013 and is home to the University’s clinical, educational, and interdisciplinary research.
The Health Sciences Library will serve the teaching and research needs of healthcare, pharmaceutical and biomedical sectors, existing as both a physical and virtual resource. The physical library will house library professionals with information expertise in optometry, pharmacy, and other disciplines supported by the Center, as well as specialists in health informatics whose skills can inform and enhance the work of the researchers and clinicians associated with the Center.
Malizia will design and implement targeted delivery of information services to students, faculty and the public. Now in the library’s development phase, Malizia is assisting in the design of the physical library space within the new building, with a focus on reflecting the physical attributes of the MD Anderson Library to make it an enjoyable place to study, collaborate and learn.
“It is my goal to ensure that students, faculty and staff in the health sciences programs have the physical and electronic resources to best meet their information needs,” Malizia said. “Healthcare and research are changing rapidly and will continue to do as information, technology, and legislation evolves. As a result, I am identifying future physical and electronic resources that can be included in the new library.”
Malizia is also consulting with faculty members throughout the University to determine how they envision the future of their programs and to anticipate educational information needs.
Previously, Malizia served as the associate director for the National Network of Libraries of Medicine South Central Region program, a federal contract held by the Texas Medical Center Library. She has worked in health sciences libraries for over 15 years in a variety of roles, including reference, instruction, technology services, outreach and administration. Her areas of expertise include database searching, instruction, and program planning. She has presented at a number of conferences nationwide on various topics, including health literacy, grant writing, evidence-based practice, searching PubMed/MEDLINE and public health information resources.