Librarians at the W.D. Jordan Rare Books & Special Collections and the Bracken Health Sciences Library have partnered to collaborate on a Rare Medical Texts Outreach Project, the Ol’ Medical Colouring Book.  The project was realized with the hard work and dedication of HIST212 student, Carolyn Kane, who undertook the selection of images and overall design with a special focus on images from historical anatomy and botany books. 

The core purpose of this initiative is to provide students with a stress relief activity for students to support their mental health during the stressful exam season while incorporating the history and images they may be exposed to throughout their studies. The colouring book includes helpful mental health tips for managing stress at this time of year and links to the Student Wellness Services (SWS) as well as the Library for additional assistance and resources. The original sources for the images include Vesalius’ De humani corporis fabrica libri septem (1555), Myographia nova sive musculorum omnium (1687), and Herbarium Blackwellianum (1765), among others. 

Students, faculty, staff, and researchers are invited to a pop-up on Nov. 28 between 11:30am-2:30pm in the main lobby of Botterell Hall, where printed copies of the Ol’ Medical Colouring Book will be distributed. The original source materials from W.D. Jordan Rare Books & Special Collections will be displayed.