Erin Torell, associate professor and the rare book librarian at the McGoogan Health Sciences Library, will discuss the “From Colony to Country: Medicine in America’s Founding Era” exhibit on July 21 from noon to 1 p.m.
The exhibit and Torell’s presentation will allow visitors to journey back to the American colonies, go through the Revolutionary War and see the birth of the United States through the lens of health, illness and healing.
Through rare books and artifacts, the exhibit uncovers the surprising connections that shaped medicine across the Atlantic world in the 18th and early 19th centuries.
From intriguing medicinal recipes and the practice of bloodletting to the realities of military medicine and the spread of infectious disease, this presentation brings to life the stories, science and surprises behind early American medicine.
Aarik Danielsen recently joined the McGoogan Library staff as Communications Specialist. Danielsen brings a long storytelling history, appreciation for on-campus work and the curiosity of a new Nebraska resident to the role.
Aarik (pronounced “Eric”) previously spent 16 years writing and editing features for the Columbia Daily Tribune, a daily newspaper in Columbia, Missouri. There, his coverage revolved around music, art and human-interest stories. He earned a master’s degree in journalism from the University of Missouri, then taught writing fundamentals to journalism and strategic communications students there. His classes established best practices in story forms ranging from features to hard news, broadcast to social media, copywriting and more.
Aarik also has worked in an academic library, college writing centers and is an accomplished writer. His debut book, a collection of night essays, will be published in summer 2027.
He moved to Omaha in early 2026 to join lives with his fiancée, a writer and public librarian. A natural advocate for libraries and the people who serve there, he’s eager to apply his storytelling skills at McGoogan and share why this place is key to the flourishing of communities across Nebraska and beyond.
Off the clock, Aarik enjoys following the San Francisco Giants across time zones, reading with his partner in their hammock, playing piano, making custom playlists, visiting art museums like the Joslyn and trying to keep up with the slang spoken by the three t(w)een boys in his household.
Photograph of Dr. Cecil Wittson with Nebraska Psychiatric Institute staff member adjusting closed circuit television (CCTV) equipment. Black and White. UndatedCover page of a brochure inviting patients to use the new 2-way CCTV between the Norfolk State Hospital and the Nebraska Psychiatric Institute. Color. Undated.N-95 respirator masks undergo a sanitization process utilizing an ultra violet light tower on Friday, October 30, 2020.
The Society of American Archivists (SAA) is leading a nationwide project to mark the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence. They asked archives across the country to submit one digital item that shows an important or meaningful moment in U.S. history.
SAA invited archival repositories across the United States to submit one digital/digitized document that “showcases the nation’s rich, diverse, and challenging history through the materials we care for in our repositories. All submissions will be brought together on a single publicly accessible and searchable platform.”
The McGoogan Health Sciences Library staff reviewed several historical images representing two key moments in UNMC history:
the early use of closed-circuit television (CCTV) for psychiatric care, and
UNMC and Nebraska Medicine’s response to COVID-19.
After discussion and a staff vote, one image was selected for submission.
Both events fit within SAA’s theme, Power of Place, which “focuses on items that bring the national story to life by capturing the essence of a consequential moment, issue, movement, or person from the nation’s past.”
In April 1956, decades before telehealth, UNMC installed the first closed-circuit television (CCTV) system used in medical education. This system allowed doctors in Omaha to provide psychiatric care and consult with staff more than 100 miles away at Norfolk State Hospital. It improved access to care and helped some patients transition out of institutional settings.
UNMC and Nebraska Medicine also played a major national role during the COVID-19 pandemic. They operated one of the country’s most advanced biocontainment units and were among the first to care for U.S. COVID-19 patients. Their teams treated evacuees from Wuhan, China, and passengers from the Diamond Princess cruise ship.
Building on earlier work with Ebola and other high-risk diseases, they also helped launch early treatment trials and shared their expertise with hospitals across the country.
The selected submission was a photograph of Dr. Cecil Wittson and a staff member adjusting early CCTV equipment at the Nebraska Psychiatric Institute. This image highlights UNMC’s long history of innovation and its impact on expanding access to care, an example of how local work can shape the broader national story.
Other items considered included a brochure inviting patients to use the new 2-way CCTV between the Norfolk State Hospital and the Nebraska Psychiatric Institute, an early COVID-19 leadership email, a diagnostic testing kit, and innovations to reuse N-95 masks during shortages.
Wittson Hall exteriors taken on Tuesday, August 10, 2021.
Portions of the McGoogan Health Sciences Library will reopen Tuesday (June 30) following a week-long closure caused by a water pipe break during maintenance in Wittson Hall on UNMC’s Omaha campus.
The library will reopen Tuesday at 8 a.m. with only level 7 open for studying. Study rooms, classrooms, and conference rooms on level 6 are unavailable. Minor construction on level 6 is expected to continue through July, and impacted areas will reopen as soon as possible, following cleaning. Contact askus@unmc.edu for library assistance.
The Office of Interactive E-Learning also was impacted by the water pipe break and remains closed. Contact elearnlab@unmc.edu for E-Learning assistance.
The McGoogan Health Sciences Library in Wittson Hall on the Omaha campus has been closed after a water pipe broke during maintenance. At this time, due to the presence of water, Wittson Hall’s fifth and sixth floors are closed. Remediation teams are enroute to begin repairs and cleanup. The library will be closed until further notice. For questions or concerns, reach out to askus@unmc.edu.
