Cindy Stewart, Associate Director/Clinical, Research, and Education Services
On the job: As an associate director for the Biomedical Libraries, Cindy Stewart is the on-site manager of Matthews-Fuller Health Sciences Library, where medical and research staff at the Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center (DHMC) turn for information. She also oversees education services for both Matthews-Fuller and Dana Biomedical Library.
Cindy Stewart oversees the Matthews-Fuller Health Sciences Library located at Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center in Lebanon. (photo by Joseph Mehling ’69)
Speedy Delivery: Responding efficiently to specific requests from library users is crucial, Stewart notes. “People need things pretty quickly, whether it’s to treat a patient or to prepare a presentation or a grant application. It’s all pretty fast-paced.” Stewart also takes her turn manning the reference desk at Matthews-Fuller, taking questions from the full range of DHMC patrons—doctors, residents, nurses, students, and researchers. “My favorite part of the job is connecting people with information that’s going to help them. When someone says, ‘I was able to treat my patient with the information from this article you found for me,’ it’s rewarding to know we had some small part in that.”
Sharing Knowledge Widely: Stewart also deals with patients and the general public. “I love working with patients,” she says. “We’re always trying to get the word out that we welcome them.” Another of Stewart’s jobs is to recommend book purchases for Matthews-Fuller, which are mostly for clinical and scientific audiences, and for the Consumer Health collection, which is aimed at laymen. She served on the education committee for DHMC’s smoking cessation program, organizes presentations to the clinical staff for “Library Grand Rounds,” and creates the Biomedical Libraries’ monthly calendar of classes and workshops.
At the end of the day: Stewart, who hails from Lewiston, Maine, lives in Lebanon with her sons Cameron 15, and Gavin 12. When not at work, she loves to get outdoors with her boyfriend Dan and make the most of the Upper Valley. “Lately I’ve been cross-country skiing and snow-shoeing. I also swim, and I love to hike and bike. Right now I’m training for a half-marathon. I ran my first in 2009, and this will be my second.”
