The Henry & Janet Claman Medical Humanities Collection was established in May 2007 through an endowment from Drs. Henry and Janet Claman to the Health Sciences Library at the University of Colorado Denver. Dr. Henry Claman, a Distinguished Professor of Medicine in the Division of Allergy and Clinical Immunology at the School of Medicine, was widely recognized for his leadership of the Medical Humanities Program and its popular “Arts and Medicine” lecture series. Dr. Janet Stewart Claman is an Associate Professor Emerita of Pediatrics. The Library had previously maintained an "Arts and Medicine" collection, largely donated by Dr. Henry Claman, which included recordings of lecture series speakers and presentations from the UC Denver Health Sciences campuses. These materials have now been integrated into this collection.

Health/Medical humanities is an interdisciplinary field that integrates the humanities (literature, philosophy, ethics, history, and religion), social sciences (anthropology, cultural studies, psychology, sociology), and the arts (literature, theater, music, film, and visual arts) with health sciences education and practice. The works in this collection cultivate skills of observation, analysis, empathy, and self-reflection to foster compassionate healthcare. Social science materials help deepen understanding of the cultural and social contexts surrounding the personal experience of illness and the practice of medicine. The collection offers valuable insights into the human condition, suffering, personhood, our collective responsibility, and provides a historical perspective on medical practice. For more information on the definition of health humanities, please visit the Health Humanities Consortium Toolkit.

Except for a few serials and electronic items, most of the Claman Collection is located in the Special Collections Room on the third floor of the Strauss Health Sciences Library. All collection items are cataloged and available through Library Search, using the keywords “Henry and Janet Claman Medical Humanities Collection”.