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Banner image of the inside of the Kim Barrett Memorial Library

The Kim Barrett Memorial Library

Our mission to provide effective access to information resources encourages excellence in patient care, teaching, learning and research.

The medical library at Hospital for Special Surgery is a vital resource for residents, fellows, and other members of HSS faculty and staff, as well as students and staff at our affiliate institutions. Our collections include books, journals, videos and electronic resources. Visit us in person on the 8th floor of the main hospital, access online resources and services, email medlib@hss.edu, or call  212.606.1210.

Using the Library

The library is open to all HSS staff and alumni as well as students and staff of Weill Cornell Medicine, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center and Rockefeller University. 

  • Users must display an institutional ID badge for library access
  • Food is not allowed in the library. Drinks must be in a covered container

Location and Hours

  • HSS Main Hospital Building, 535 East 70th Street, 8th floor of the Main Building, Room 8W-837 West 
  • Monday through Friday 8:00 am - 5:00 pm (Key card access after hours for residents, fellows and limited HSS Staff)

Borrowing Policy and Interlibrary Loan/Document Delivery 

  • Books from the reference collection and journals do not circulate outside of the library. Circulation period for books from the main collection is two weeks
  • Materials unavailable at the library can be obtained from other libraries through interlibrary loan services. To make an interlibrary loan request contact the library (medlib@hss.edu) with the citation information for each article

HSS Alumni

  • Contact the Alumni Association at alumni@hss.edu or 212.606.1823 to set up article borrowing privileges.

The David B. Levine, MD, Archives and Special Collections

  • The HSS Archives collects, preserves, and makes accessible records of programs, people, events, and activities for Hospital for Special Surgery. Located in the Kim Barrett Memorial Library, the Archives is open during library hours. Please call 212.606.1210 or email medlib@hss.edu for information.
  • Historical Books
  • HSS Publications
  • HSS Annual Reports: Bound 1863-1982 and Online Archive 1940-1979
  • Adopt-a-Book Program Books for Adoption

Resources

HSS Staff can access library resources here with your HSS username/password

The scope of the core collection includes anesthesia, nursing, orthopaedics, rehabilitation, and rheumatology. The collection consists of books, journals, videos, and electronic resources. Materials are collected in English and other languages. This includes a collection of standard orthopaedic textbooks in many languages, which may be consulted in the library.

Library Services

  • Research Assistance
  • Literature search assistance
  • Systematic review workshop and consult
  • Citation management software workshop

Point of Care Reference Tool

  • UpToDate

eJournals and eBooks

  • Over 700 biomedical ejournals
  • Over 1300 biomedical ebooks

Biomedical Databases

Citation Management

Mobile Access and Apps

About Kim Barrett

Kim Barrett's term as medical librarian at HSS spanned four decades, from 1941 until her death in 1976. On August 3, 1974, the library was nearly destroyed by fire. Ms. Barrett single-handedly sifted through the charred remains, salvaged what she could, and supervised the selection and rebinding of thousands of books and journals. Completely rebuilt, the library was reopened on October 31, 1975, thanks in large measure to Ms. Barrett's valiant efforts.

In 1977, the Alumni Association dedicated the medical library to her memory. Her exceptional care and concern for the library and loyalty to HSS have become an integral part of the Hospital's history. Kim Barrett will long be remembered for the depth of her knowledge of orthopaedics, her commitment to the library, and her caring relationship with the residents, faculty, and staff.

 

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