Medical librarians

Meet the team

• Kelly Ihejiawu, MA

  Kelly Ihejiawu is the Director of the Family Resource Library and School Services Program at Children’s Health. She earned her undergraduate degree in Speech and Hearing Sciences from the University of Arizona, where she also received her M.A. in Special Education with an emphasis on inclusion.

  Mrs. Ihejiawu is originally from Tucson, AZ where she began her career in special education in a childcare facility for children with disabilities. She has worked in education for over 25 years.

  Kelly is a graduate of Leadership ISD Legislative Voices class of 2020 in Dallas and focuses on racial equity in public schools. Kelly’s main interest is working with educators to train them on working with students of varying abilities. She is committed to ensuring the best educational outcomes for all students with medical and mental health needs, as well as advancing the profession.

• Lauren Dehdari, MLS, MS

  Lauren Dehdari is a Medical Librarian at Children’s Health Plano. She earned her B.S. in Kinesiology from Texas Woman’s University and M.S. in Sports Physiology from Texas A&M University.

  Lauren developed a passion for research in graduate school and a deep love for reading and the library growing up. This led her to switch professional gears and combine her interests. In 2017, she graduated from Texas Woman’s University with a Master of Library Science degree. 

  After working as a practicum student at Children’s Medical Center Dallas, she joined the team as a full-time Medical Librarian in August 2018. She now spends her days on a mission to spread joy throughout the hospital – one book at a time! 

  “Whether helping a family locate credible health information or assisting staff with their research, I am honored to make lives better for children at the Karahan Family Resource Library,” says Lauren.

• Emily Yuan, MLS

  Emily Yuan is a Clinical Research Librarian at Children’s Health. She earned her B.S. in Psychology from the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor and her MLS from the University of North Texas.

  Prior to working at Children’s, Emily has worked in several types of libraries, such as a public library and university library. Over the years, she has developed a passion for supporting individuals in their research and is especially interested in medical research. Emily supports all non-nursing research at Children’s. Some of these departments include physical therapy, child life, and administration. She admires the dedication of these clinicians and the positive impact they have on their patients.

  Emily has loved reading from a young age. She credits the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series by Rick Riordan as the books that got her into reading. Now Emily can be found reading adult romance and thrillers, as well as young adult graphic novels.

  “It’s wonderful being able to support all kinds of clinicians and specialists in their research. I love working with people across the organization in various areas,” says Emily.

• Lorraine Sheldon, MSIS

  Lorraine Sheldon is a Medical Librarian at Children’s Health Dallas. She earned her B.A. in radio, television, and film and her MSIS from the University of North Texas. Her information science career started as a photo cataloger in an archive overseas in Haifa, Israel.

  Lorraine’s interest in libraries grew during her work in community development. She spent seven years as a community engagement librarian for the UNT Health Science Center in Forth Worth. There she combined her media and design skills to create health literacy programs for community spaces including public libraries.

  Lorraine came to Children’s Health because of her desire to service families and patients directly. As a cancer survivor herself, she appreciates the importance of connecting to trusted health information. She is also a huge fan of audiobooks, especially young adult romance and non-fiction books.

  “I love surprising people about what libraries and librarians can offer. We build capacity as informal educators, we provide respite and comfort, and we spread empathy by connecting people to a world of stories,” says Lorraine.

• Amy Six-Means, MLIS

  Amy Six-Means is a Clinical Research Librarian at Children’s Health. She earned her B.A. in elementary education from Eastern University and her MLIS at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro.

  She is inspired every day by the amazing work of nurses to make life better for children and their caregivers. Amy is embedded within the Nursing Research and Evidence Based Practice department and works solely to support nurses at both campuses.

  Amy has been a passionate reader and was often in trouble as a teen for staying up too late to read. Even when working full-time, going to school part-time and helping a pre-teen navigate middle school, Amy didn’t let a day go by without reading something., Audiobooks have become more popular, and she can be found immersed in a book while walking and even while driving.

  “When nurse residents tell me they wish they had learned the skills I teach them in nursing school, it is a big win for everyone,” says Amy.

  Amy's favorite collection of books includes The Riyria Chronicles by Michael J. Sullivan.