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Author: K. Kirk

Operations Update

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Image of HSL Commons' room T353a
Image of HSL Commons' room T353a

HSL is open to current UW students, faculty and staff. A valid Husky Card is required for entry.

UPDATED: 04/20/2026

For more information about other UW Libraries, visit the UW Libraries News and Events Page.

 

HSL Commons / Third Floor Reopening!

Overview

  • HSL’s new Commons / third floor has reopened!
  • The new third-floor entrance is open, right after you cross the skybridge over Pacific Ave.
  • Users with a valid UW Husky Card can enter HSL through the old third-floor entrance as well as the second-floor entrance (T227) as before.

What is the HSL Commons?

The HSL Commons has been renovated and updated to better serve the educational needs of the six health sciences schools.

Our new spaces include:

Amenities

  • A lounge, with space to work and meet with colleagues, as well as a new washroom and Wellness Room.
  • Wellness Room:
    • Private room for lactation, personal health, and spiritual practice.
    • First-come, first-serve, with a limit of 30 minutes per use.
    • Intended for single-person, quiet use.
  • New power stations are available.

Instruction and Testing

  • Multiple reservable instructional/testing spaces
  • Two large instructional/testing spaces, T353A and T353D (note: these two rooms can be used together to create a space with 115 computers and 134 seats)
    • Room T353A: 43 computers, 50 seats, 20 cubbies for personal storage
    • Room T353D: 72 computers, 84 seats, 21 cubbies for personal storage
    • AV - 3 85” Samsung TVs, 3 Crestron camera/soundbars, 3 Mersive Solstice Pods
  • Small testing room T353E
    • 3 computers/seats
  • Medium testing room T353F
    • 6 computers/seats
  • Private testing room T353B (near info desk/proctor space)
    • 3 Seats

Study Room

  • Study room T349
    • 8 seats
    • AV - LG TV, Crestron camera/soundbar, Mersive Solstice Pod

Meeting Room

  • Conference room T351
    • 31 seats (24 around table, 7 along wall)
    • AV - 85” Samsung TV, ceiling speakers, ceiling Shure Microphone, Mersive Solstice Pod

 

Usage & Access

UW users may access HSL by tapping their Husky card on the card reader at the 2nd floor entrance (T-227) or via the 3rd floor entrance during open hours.

UW Health Sciences students with after-hours access can continue to enjoy this privilege. See the FAQ page for more information.

If you need assistance accessing HSL, call the Information Desk at (206) 543-3390 from the 2nd floor of HSL and staff will assist you.

The HSL 2nd floor is reserved for quiet study. The HSL 3rd floor can be used for collaborative group work.

Visitors with UW borrower cards can access online resources at guest stations where Husky Cards are not required for library entry. Items can be requested for pick up at a UW Libraries hold shelf using the "Request UW Item" button in UW Libraries Search.

Masking

Masks are optional in the Health Sciences Library. See the EHS face covering policy for masking requirements in the UW Medical Center and other facilities.

Users can request a face mask from the HSL Information Desk.

Spring/Summer Interim Hours

June 13 - June 21

Monday - Friday
9:00 am - 6:00 pm
(Desk Hours: 9:00 am - 5:50 pm)
Saturday - Sunday
Closed

LGBTQ Health Resources

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LGBT Health
LGBT Health

Featured Resource

Accessible to all UW Libraries users, LGBT Health is the premier peer-reviewed journal dedicated to promoting optimal healthcare for all sexual and gender minority persons worldwide.

The LGBTQ History Research Guide features many other UW Libraries resources including the Archives of Sexuality & Gender, LGBT Magazine Archive, Queer Pasts and much more.

More LGBTQ Health Resources:

Graduate Medical Education Curriculum Regarding the Health and Healthcare of Older Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer (LGBTQ+) Adults. Journal of Gay & Lesbian Social Services, 2023 article.

 Native American Two Spirit and LGBTQ Health: A Systematic Review of the Literature. Journal of Gay & Lesbian Mental Health, 2022 article.

The Pride Guide : A Guide to Sexual and Social Health for LGBTQ Youth. 2018 eBook.

 Navigating Intersectional Identities: Clinical Considerations for Working With LGBTQ Asian American Youth. Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 2023 article.

New Health Sciences Resources:

Over the past fiscal year, UW Health Sciences Library received an Allen Signature Award to enhance the health sciences collection through the purchase of books and films by and for Black, Indigenous, and other People of Color (BIPOC), disabled folks, women, and/or trans folks. This year, the award is dedicated to online resources, with many new resources added this fiscal year, including:

HSL’s Summer Reading Display

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Bookshelf displaying the environmental health exhibit in the UW Health Sciences Library,
Bookshelf displaying the environmental health exhibit in the UW Health Sciences Library,

This quarter's Reading Nook display highlights Environmental Health. It was curated by a student employee who studies Environmental Science & Terrestrial Resource Management with a focus on wildlife conservation. An HSL staff member created the accompanying artistic piece made from found recycled materials.

Some standouts from this curated print collection include:

   This Changes Everything: Capitalism vs. the Climate by Naomi Klein. A critical look at how political systems and the global economy have had a devastating effect on how we deal with the climate crisis.

 

 

   Devotions: The Selected Poems of Mary Oliver by Mary Oliver. Collected poems of Mary Oliver whose work heavily focused on observations in the natural environment. Deeply poignant and moving, this is recommended for any poetry or nature lover.

 

 

  Garbology: Our Dirty Love Affair with Trash by Edward Humes. In this investigative look on the relationship Americans have with trash, Humes dives deep into how humans dispose of things, and how that relationship might be changing for the better.

 

 

   Letters To a Young Scientist by Edward O. Wilson. A scientist whose fields spanned from sociobiology, ecology, and entomology, this book highlights the importance of passion and creativity in the sciences.

 

The Environmental Health display will be up through all of Summer quarter!

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