Collection Equity

If awarded a Collection Equity Award, the funds will be spent on developing a collection of graphic medicine materials that will be added to the circulating stacks of the Bennett D. Katz Library on the campus of the University of Maine at Augusta (UMA). The goal in acquiring graphic medicine materials is two-fold: 1.) to increase students’ understanding of medical topics for their academic success, and 2.) increase students’ empathy and communication as patient-educators. The use of graphic medicine in the curricula of a handful of US and UK medical schools has shown that “accompanying illustrations to voluminous texts is extremely helpful in aiding in the understanding of many health professions’ subjects” (Anand, et al., 2018). Anand also goes on to say that graphic medicine, when used at the collegiate level, “can give medical and nursing students a broader concept of health and illness” (2018). Since UMA has programs of study within several Allied Health fields (Nursing, Dental Health, and Veterinary Technology), as well as a Mental Health and Human Services degree with concentrations in Addiction Counseling, Adult Mental Health Rehabilitation, and Child & Family Services, the addition of graphic medicine resources may “leave them [students] better prepared, emotionally and strategically, to address health care needs in the future, whether their own or those of a family member”(Squier, 2015). In addition to providing a basic understanding of health issues, “graphic medicine can also aid in memory retention and a greater understanding of both health topics and the impact of health and health care on the experiences of others, particularly those outside of the learner’s scope of experience” (Ballestro, 2020).