(Click on image for full view.) Participating in the ribbon-cutting ceremony for the newly expanded Laredo Campus Extension Library are (left to right) Mari Hernandez from the Laredo Chamber of Commerce (holding the bow); President Francisco G. Cigarroa, M.D.; respiratory care student Maria Morales-Garcia; and Lily Beck, a bienvenidos ambassador, holding the ribbon.
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Residents of Laredo and health care professionals in South Texas now have access to a new collection of consumer health information in English and Spanish, as well as a large collection of health-related scientific journals, books and electronic resources.

A ribbon-cutting ceremony was held April 16, officially opening the expanded health and medical library to the community. It is located in the Academic Building on the Laredo Campus Extension of The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio.

UT Health Science Center President Francisco G. Cigarroa, M.D., accepted a plaque from Laredo Chamber of Commerce representative Maru de la Paz. “Our campus has grown and it would not have been possible without the support of each and every one of you as members of the community,” Dr. Cigarroa said. “We want all of you to know that this is your library, designed with you in mind. It is our hope that many questions will be answered, many seats will be filled and many books will be borrowed off our shelves as we open this library to the community of Laredo,” he said.

South Texans as a group have more health problems
According to the new South Texas Health Status Review, produced by the UT Health Science Center’s Institute for Health Promotion Research, South Texans, when compared to residents of Texas as a whole and of the United States, suffer a greater severity and incidence of many health conditions including diabetes, obesity and certain cancers. There also is a lack of health care providers in South Texas.

Library will provide information on good health in English and Spanish
The library has a new collection of health information in English and Spanish to help members of the community, including students from area schools, better understand the issues involved with good health.

Standing next to the cake at the ribbon-cutting ceremony are Linda Levy, assistant library director for branch services; Rajia Tobia, executive director of UT Health Science Center libraries; and Laredo Campus Extension library assistants Dolores Diaz and Patti Gutierrez.

Journals provide the latest scientific evidence
The library will be even more valuable to area health care professionals, as well as Laredo Campus Extension faculty members and students. Those who visit the library will now have access to the same online resources available at the Joe R. and Teresa Lozano Long Campus in San Antonio. These electronic resources include more than 9,000 journals, books and databases, as well as resources that will help health providers make better diagnosis and treatment decisions based on current scientific research.

Library assistants available to help patrons
At the ceremony, Rajia Tobia, Health Science Center executive director of libraries, introduced Library Assistants Dolores Diaz and Patti Gutierrez, who are available to help local patrons use the library. Diaz has a master’s degree in education and has been a school librarian in Laredo for many years, including 10 years at Martin High School. Gutierrez, who holds a joint position with Academic Technology Services, comes to the Laredo Campus Extension Library from Avance, where she was coordinator for the “Even Start” literacy and parenting program. She is pursuing a master’s in school counseling at Texas A&M International University in Laredo.

Library staff involved in community health efforts
“Not only have we worked very hard to provide more health information and services here at our Laredo library, our staff will be involved in several new health initiatives in Laredo, including a summer health program for children in conjunction with the Laredo Public Library,” Tobia said. “We also received a $25,000 grant from the National Network of Libraries of Medicine to help us provide training for dentists, dental hygienists and promotores at the Gateway Community Health Center Dental Clinic, and other public health clinics in South Texas, on how to access oral health research so they can incorporate the findings into their practices.

Contact the library for more information
“We encourage the community, students and health professionals to visit our campus so we can familiarize them with all that we have to offer,” she said. Patrons can also contact the library by phone at (956) 523-7404 or access the library’s Web site for more information.