Tufts Dedicates Hirsh Health Sciences Library

A ribbon-cutting ceremony on April 20 heralded the official naming of the Hirsh Health Sciences Library on the fourth floor in the Arthur M. Sackler Center for Health Communications in Boston.

The Medical Board of Overseers, Tufts President Lawrence S. Bacow, Provost Jamshed Bharucha, and Dean Michael Rosenblatt were among those in attendance to honor Jane Hirsh for her committment and generosity.

Hirsh was founder and former CEO and chair of Copley Pharmaceutical, Inc., a large, successful generic drug company. Currently, she is chair of Collegium Pharmaceutical, Inc., specialty pharmaceutical product development companies based in Cumberland, Rhode Island. Jane and her husband, Mark Hirsh, have two children who graduated from Tufts.

"Thank you to Jane Hirsh for all she and her family have done and continue to do for Tufts," said President Bacow. "This library is the intellectual heart of the university."

Michael Rosenblatt, M.D., dean of the School of Medicine, called the library "a habitat for life-long learning and a space that reflects all aspects of our new strategic plan including research, infrastructure, affiliate relations and curriculum."

The Hirsh Library provides collections and services that support the educational, research, and patient care missions for Tufts University School of Medicine, School of Dental Medicine, Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy, Tufts New England Medical Center, and Tufts Sackler School of Graduate Biomedical Sciences.

According to Library Director Eric Albright, 88 percent of users are students who come in to study, use computers, conduct research, and socialize with colleagues and faculty in the new cafe. "This is a place where information is transformed into knowledge, where data is converted into something useful," Albright commented. "We also provide a welcoming spot for people to congregate and build a sense of community." Albright commended the library staff for offering a high level of service and playing a role in curricula of the schools.

At the conclusion of the ceremony, Albright presented Hirsh with a special library card.