Carolyn Reid, the Frances and John L. Loeb Librarian of Medicine and director of the Library, has retired after 23 years of dedicated service at Weill Cornell Medical College.
Ms. Reid came to the Library in 1987, first as an associate librarian and associate director, before being promoted in 1993 to the rank of librarian. After a three-year term as acting director of the Library, Ms. Reid was made the Frances and John L. Loeb Librarian of Medicine and director of the Library in 2004.
"Carolyn brought the Medical College Library into the 20th century," Dean Gotto said. "She created an environment that catered to every possible need for our students and faculty. She will be greatly missed."
Under Ms. Reid's leadership the Library has undergone an amazing transformation, including an expansion process that nearly doubled the physical space of the Library. More importantly perhaps than the size of the Library, its contents have also grown profoundly under her leadership.
From 1,500 print journals in 1987 to over 9,000 e-journals and 12,000 e-books today, Ms. Reid has presided over a digital revolution at Weill Cornell. Researchers, clinicians and students can connect from a database search to full-text articles with one click, saving untold hours of work.
Much of the growth achieved under Carolyn was made possible by her commitment to sharing and cooperation.
The Library shares the purchase and access to its electronic resources with Cornell Ithaca and WCMC in Qatar, which more than doubles its purchasing power. The libraries at Rockefeller and MSK also allow full access and borrowing privileges for WCMC personnel.
Dean Antonio M. Gotto Jr. and Carolyn Reid
The Library was also able to negotiate access to many of our e-journals for the Hunter College Gene Center, allowing them to more fully participate in the Clinical and Translational Science Center.
Outreach and service have always been at the heart of the Library's mission, and Ms. Reid has often led the charge in transitioning the Medical College to new technologies.
With the advent of personal computers in the late '80s and early '90s, the Library was the first and only department to teach faculty, students and staff how to use their computers, offering classes in Microsoft Word and Excel. Twenty years later, the Library was again an early adopter of Facebook and Twitter — reaching out to where its clients are to offer them services on their terms.
"Carolyn embodied the ethics of service and sharing that characterizes the Library," said Dr. Curtis Cole, chief information officer at Weill Cornell. "She led by example and has left a rich legacy for the generations to come."
Photography by Amelia Panico.