Meet Our Staff: Sara Westall
Name: Sara Beth Westall
Position: NE/SE (or Grand Forks/Fargo) Clinical Campus Librarian
Where do you work?
A little of everywhere! Haha! My office is located in the MedEd Building on the Fargo campus, but I also do office hours in the SMHS building in Grand Forks as well as meet with students, residents and faculty both at clinic and hospital locations in Fargo and Grand Forks. I may work remote sometimes.
What is your favorite pie or ice cream flavor?
Choosing between pie and ice cream is hard, so I will say that my favorite combo is a piece of pecan pie with a scoop of vanilla ice cream on the top!
How many pets do you have, what kind of pet are they, and what are their names?
My husband and I have two dogs, Australian Shepherds, Max (6) and Sadie (4). They are very spoiled, but also very sweet dogs. They go pretty much everywhere with us. Our four-year-old niece tends to like walking Max and sometimes thinks that he is “her dog.” Max enjoys that because he gets even more treats from her.
What are you reading right now?
I am reading so many things and so many different genres. A few things I am reading are:
- Algorithms of Oppression: How Search Engines Reinforce Racism- Safiya Umoja Noble
- Dare to Lead- Brene Brown
- Stitches- David Small
- Spare- Prince Harry
- Funny Story- Emily Henry
Tell us about your journey to working in a medical library.
I have always had an interest in health sciences and was working as a public librarian in Fargo when this job opportunity came up. I knew several of the librarians working at SMHS Library Resources through the North Dakota Library Association’s Health Science Interest Group. They were all so welcoming and awesome that I wanted to be part of this great group! So here I am! I’ve also had quite the history in working in libraries across North Dakota: as a circulation manager at the North Dakota State Library in Bismarck; Acquisitions Manager at North Dakota State University Libraries; Reference Librarian/Teen Programming Librarian at Fargo Public Libraries; and I can’t forget my experience as a student library worker at Minnesota State University-Moorhead. I want to note, that when I was working on my MLIS, my dad was very sick in the hospital, and a group of residents went above any beyond in researching a treatment plan for him. I’ll be forever thankful to that group of residents (some of whom are attending physicians teaching students and residents today) for taking the time to look into my dad’s diagnosis, coming up with a plan, and most importantly, that he’s around for his family today. That very reason is part of why I love my current job so much, and why I am so invested in all of your research—also why I am so giddy when I get a research question to help with.
What do you want everyone to know about Library Resources?
I love my job, and helping with research! Best of all, I like that I get to work with all of you!
