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Institute for Bioethics logo
Cassie Nespor

Cassie Nespor, MLIS

Core Faculty

Professional Statement

Cassie Nespor is the History of Health Sciences and Special Collections Coordinator at the Health Sciences Library System. She manages and promotes the library’s historical collections through exhibits, digitization, events, and classroom partnerships. The historical collection at the Health Sciences Library focuses on materials published before 1945 and is particularly strong in the subjects related to dentistry, psychiatry, public health, surgery, and rheumatologic diseases. She also helps researchers find and use primary source material at the University of Pittsburgh and beyond. She previously managed the medical history museum at Youngstown State University where she made the exhibits more engaging and expanded the outreach of the museum with classroom presentations.

Nespor enjoys building partnerships with a wide variety of departments across campus and at other institutions with rare book and archival collections related to the health sciences. She has supported creative ways to present health science history such as art installations, and participating in community science fairs Canvas course modules, and engaging class visits to the Rare Books Room. She is always looking for new ways to connect historical concepts to students’ learning objectives.

She is active in professional organizations like the Librarians, Archivists, and Museum Professionals in the History of Health Sciences, where she serves as the Website Coordinator. She has given conference presentations and written journal articles about innovative projects. She is also a member of the Medical Library Association.

Appointments

  • History of Health Sciences and Special Collections Coordinator Health Sciences Library System
  • Faculty Librarian II Health Sciences Library System, University of Pittsburgh
  • Core Faculty Institute for Bioethics

Education and Training

  • MLIS, University of Pittsburgh, 2005
  • BA, Dickinson College, 2004

Professional Interests in Bioethics

Representative Publications

  1. Melnick Medical Museum: Exploring local history sources to update exhibit text” in the Watermark newsletter of the Librarians, Archivists, and Museum Professionals in the History of Health Sciences, Volume 45 no.2 (Spring 2022)

  2. “Social Welfare: A Response to Need Exhibit at the Melnick Medical Museum” in the Watermark journal of the Archivists and Librarians in the History of Health Sciences, Vol 34, no. 4 (Fall 2016)

  3. “Polio and American Culture” lecture for Youngstown State University Physical Therapy classes (2018 – 2024)

  4. “Confronting Violence: Nurses’ role in uncovering domestic violence” lecture for Youngstown State University Women’s Studies classes (2018 – 2020)