Professional Profile
Anabelle Nuñez, Medical Librarian
Arizona Health Sciences Library
"I feel great knowing I provided information about a grant opportunity that was awarded, or when someone walks away understanding a medical condition, a treatment protocol, or procedure. I was fortunate to land a job that allows me to work towards social equity and justice for underserved communities." - Anabelle Nuñez
I am the Arizona Hispanic Center of Excellence (AHCOE) Services Librarian at the Arizona Health Sciences Library. I recently graduated from Knowledge River, a library school program that focuses on Native American and Hispanic information resources and technology issues.
As a medical librarian, my colleagues include physicians, administrative staffers, educators, students, social workers, attorneys, activists, community health workers/promotoras, and fellow librarians. I work closely with a core team of seven AHCOE professionals directed by two physicians who are associate professors at the University of Arizona College of Medicine. As a team, we work with Hispanic faculty and students as well as with the extensive network of partners throughout the university and the surrounding community.
Can you describe a typical workday?
I act as an information broker, monitoring news related to Hispanic health and linking it to our online Hispanic Health Subject Guide. I distribute pertinent information to faculty, students, and partners: reports and studies (i.e., on health disparities), information on grants and fellowships, conference notifications, learning opportunities (i.e., cultural competency training), etc.
I conduct literature searches for researchers and field any questions about Hispanic health that come to the reference desk. I also mentor library students and help faculty members, researchers, and students expand their information-seeking skills.
In addition, I provide information at health fairs and student career fairs.
I also travel to Arizona’s rural communities and smaller towns to teach clinicians how to utilize AZHIN, an online resource for hospitals and health professionals. I tutor members of the public on how to use AZHealthInfo, a website with information on emerging public health issues and links that help individuals and community groups to connect to public health experts.
How does your job fit into the allover healthcare picture?
Medical librarians are not directly involved in patient care, but we’re indirectly a part of the healthcare team. Oftentimes doctors and other healthcare providers (and sometimes the patients themselves) visit the reference desk seeking information on Hispanic health. For instance, I recently had a physician in family and community medicine come to me for a measurement tool on depression. She works with Hispanic women and is working on a research study to identify and address the barriers to treatment. So I shared with her an article on the Perception of Depression Questionnaire (PDIQ).
What made you decide to become a medical librarian?
I enjoy helping people all the while learning something new. Everyday I learn something new when I’m on the hunt for information for a customer. I’ve always been interested in medicine and health. I was fortunate to land a job that allows me to work towards social equity and justice for underserved communities.
What do you find most rewarding - and most challenging - about your job?
Contributing to change is very rewarding. I feel great knowing I provided information about a grant opportunity that was awarded, or when someone walks away understanding a medical condition, a treatment protocol, or procedure. I like it when students learn how to use the library and find high-quality information for their coursework by utilizing our tools and resources. I especially like providing a clinician with information on a procedure that might be new to her/him.
The most challenging thing about being a medical librarian is knowing whether or not you’ve completely met the information needs of each customer. That comes along with knowing how to identify the appropriate resource for the most accurate and authoritative information. The learning curve is tremendous. Managing the volume of information can be overwhelming.
What experiences in your childhood helped you to get where you are today?
I knew I wanted to help people and keep my mind active so that is what drew me to this career. I also was lucky enough to have a mentor -- a family friend, who continuously encouraged me to pursue my education. She instilled in me the belief that I was a “sleeping giant” who would contribute greatly to whatever I did. Frankly, she provided the mentoring or advising I never got from my school teachers or counselors.
I was also involved with the YMCA. I was a youth volunteer and belonged to a national group called Junior Leaders of America. At 12-15 years of age, I helped with the YMCA summer camp program. I believe this shaped my ability to work with youth and take on leadership roles.
What kinds of obstacles have you encountered in pursuing your goals, and how did you overcome them?
Unfortunately, my high school counselor did not encourage me to take college prep courses. Instead, I was told to take vocational-type classes – typing, cooking, sewing etc. Even though I was an average student in high school, I had to take remedial courses at a junior college just to catch up academically. I really pushed myself to get through my undergraduate program. The only reason I pursued my Master’s degree was that there was a special initiative to increase the number of Hispanics in library science (the Knowledge River program). The academic support provided through the program gave me the skills to graduate magna cum laude.
What advice would you give someone who is considering this career?
Just do it! The scope of work a librarian can do is very large. You can teach, conduct research, work as an archivist for a company or a museum… It’s very rewarding, never boring -- and people really like what you can do for them.
Learn more:
Medical Librarian