Many times over the last 12 years, a visitor brought a special item to the class of Robert Gaynes, professor emeritus of medicine at Emory University School of Medicine.
The visitor usually was Sandra Franklin, director of the Woodruff Health Sciences Center (WHSC) Library.
The item? Emory’s first edition of the 1543 book, “De Humani Corporis Fabrica” by Andreas Vesalius, known as the first accurate book on human anatomy.
The frontispiece of the first-edition 1543 “De Humani Corporis Fabrica” by Andreas Vesalius, the first accurate book of human anatomy.
Emory Libraries
Franklin (or another member of the WHSC Library staff) would teach from the oversized tome, showing the senior medical students in Gaynes’ History of Medicine capstone course the intricate illustrations.
The students were awestruck to see such a historically significant book.
Gaynes says the session spent with the 480-year-old medical volume was one of the highlights frequently mentioned by students in his capstone course. Comments from their class evaluations included remarks such as:
“Getting to see the ‘De Humani Corporis Fabrica’ in real life was incredible!”
“Being able to see that incredible book was just a privilege and a highlight of medical school.”
“Loved the portion where the medical librarian brought the original anatomy books and showed them to the class. Details like those really bring the history stories alive and really enhanced the Capstone session.”
Someone else will share the book with Gaynes’ next capstone class. Franklin has retired after 42 years of service at Emory University, including more than 22 years as the WHSC Library director.
Franklin joined Emory in April 1983 as a reference librarian for the A.W. Calhoun Medical Library. She served in multiple roles there — head of public services, assistant director, associate director and acting director — until her appointment as director of the Woodruff Health Sciences Center Library in September 2002.
“In her career, Sandra has seen everything from catalog cards to artificial intelligence,” says Lisa Macklin, associate vice provost and university librarian for Emory University. “She was here when the A.W. Calhoun Library became the Woodruff Health Sciences Center Library. She was a part of the move to this building and the growth of the library from one floor to two floors.”
Making a mark beyond Emory
“I worked with Sandra on several projects over the last several years at Emory. She was always helpful and made certain I had whatever I needed,” Gaynes says. “Every year my students commented on seeing this book. I always sent her the comments as a reminder that students today still appreciate the book and her efforts.”
Her impact extended beyond Emory’s campus.
Franklin made many notable contributions to health sciences librarianship. She was active in the Medical Library Association (MLA), the Consortium of Southern Biomedical Libraries, Friends of the National Library of Medicine board of directors and the former Atlanta Health Sciences Library Consortium. She held various offices and served on multiple committees over the course of her career.
In 2015, Franklin was recognized as the Academic Librarian of the Year by the Southern Chapter of the MLA. The award recognizes demonstrated excellence in research, instruction and/or service in health librarianship.
In 2017, Franklin received an MLA Fellowship, the highest honor awarded by MLA, which recognizes excellence in leadership and “sustained and outstanding contributions to health sciences librarianship and to the advancement of the purposes of MLA.”
Franklin is known for her ability to remain unruffled in the face of changes and growth.
“When I think of [Sandra], what comes to mind is competence. Approachability. Not easily perturbed. An abiding respect for history,” says W. Clyde Partin Jr., professor emeritus of internal medicine at Emory University School of Medicine. “Whenever I requested something of her, the response was immediate. She is a true steward of the library, flowing with the times and challenges presented to her and her staff, and somehow finding an answer, a way forward, always delivering something even better.”
Franklin served as president of the Georgia Health Sciences Library Association in 1994-95, Southern Chapter of MLA in 2004-05, and the Association of Academic Health Sciences Libraries (AAHSL) in 2019-20. She was awarded the AAHSL Gerald J. Oppenheimer Cornerstone Award in November 2022 (individual award) and November 2023 (as part of a task force). She also served as a member of the MLA’s board of directors and as the chair of the AAHSL’s Future Leadership Committee.
She was selected as the Janet Doe Lecturer for the 2021 MLA Annual Meeting in Washington, D.C. The lecture is “awarded to individuals for their unique perspectives on the history or philosophy of medical librarianship.” The meeting was held virtually due to the COVID-19 pandemic, so Franklin delivered her lecture from the streaming and recording studio on Level 1 of the Robert W. Woodruff Library, a positive experience which she gave high marks.
“Sandra’s accomplishments are not just measured by professional accolades but by the profound impact she has had on the lives of others,” Mackin says. “She has been a mentor, a guide and a friend to so many, nurturing talent and empowering those around her to achieve their best. We wish her the best, and we’ll miss her.”
After an extensive national search, a successor will be named in the coming weeks.