Engagement and outreach services
Library staff provide expertise and content to create opportunities or enhance conversations about the history of health, medicine, and biological sciences.
About our services
In collaboration with University of Minnesota and community groups and individuals, we offer
- exhibitions and special events, including lectures,
- tours and outreach events for individuals, departments, visitors, and groups,
- digital humanities and other collaborative projects,
- research, reading, and other groups' studying topics related to our collections, and
- material loans for exhibits at museums or archives.
Examples of research collaboration
Curator sparks re-discovery of 18th century spirits
The research of the Libraries’ Emily Beck — garnered from historical materials at the Wangensteen Historical Library of Biology and Medicine — servee as the foundation for an interactive publication and two unique events at the Minneapolis Institute of Art and Tattersall Distilling.
A chocolate bar with historical roots
It's not every day that you get a chocolate bar made in your honor, but today is a lucky day. Introducing 1772, a new chocolate bar made by Nova Chocolate from an old recipe found in a manuscript at the Wangensteen Historical Library.
Wangensteen at Café Scientifique
The history and health benefits of fermentation and distillation were the topic of a happy hour lecture at Bryant Lake Bowl, led by the Wangensteen Historical Library of Biology and Medicine’s Lois Hendrickson and Emily Beck.
Fermentation open house
The Wangensteen Historical Library was filled with rare books, good food, and great conversation when they opened their doors for a Fermentation Open House with co-host GYST Fermentation Bar, held in conjunction with Wangensteen’s exhibit, Bodies and Spirits: Health and the History of Fermentation and Distillation.
Related staff

Emily Beck
Associate Curator
Wangensteen Historical Library
[email protected]
612-626-4366
Subject Librarian for: History of Health and Medicine

Lois Hendrickson
Curator
Wangensteen Historical Library
[email protected]
612-626-6881
Subject Librarian for: History of Health and Medicine

Anna Opryszko
Assistant Curator
Wangensteen Historical Library
[email protected]
612-626-6881
Subject Librarian for: History of Health and Medicine