The National Library of Medicine and the American medical information system: the physician's perspective

During the past 150 years an excellent health sciences information system has been developed in the United States. Led by the National Library of Medicine (NLM), the system grew along traditional lines until after World War II, when medical researchers, educators, and practitioners produced an enormous amount of new information. To cope with this growth, the power of computers joined traditional librarianship and MEDLARS was born. In 1965 Congress passed the Medical Library Assistance Act, which enabled NLM to lead the nation's and the world's health sciences professionals into the Information Age. Much as been accomplished by NLM, yet much remains to be done to make health information available cheaply, easily, and quickly to all who need it.     

The National Library of Medicine and the American medical information system: the physician's perspective.

During the past 150 years an excellent health sciences information system has been developed in the United States. Led by the National Library of Medicine (NLM), the system grew along traditional lines until after World War II, when medical researchers, educators, and practitioners produced an enormous amount of new information. To cope with this growth, the power of computers joined traditional librarianship and MEDLARS was born. In 1965 Congress passed the Medical Library Assistance Act, which enabled NLM to lead the nation''s and the world''s health sciences professionals into the Information Age. Much as been accomplished by NLM, yet much remains to be done to make health information available cheaply, easily, and quickly to all who need it.     

The Medical Library Assistance Act: an analysis of the NLM extramural programs, 1965-1970

The imbalance between medical library resources and information needs of the health professional led to a reexamination of the mandate for the National Library of Medicine. Legislation known as the Medical Library Assistance Act (MLAA) was passed in 1965 which enabled the NLM to (1) initiate programs to assist the nation's medical libraries and (2) develop a medical library network with the establishment of regional medical libraries to link the NLM with local institutions.The National Library of Medicine, through the MLAA, has made available $40.8 million to the medical library community under a competitive grant and contract mechanism for the period July 1965-June 1970. A total of 604 projects has been executed in resources, research and development, training, construction, regional medical libraries, publications, and special scientific projects. An assessment is given of each of these programs and their impact on both the National Library of Medicine and individual medical libraries. In the aggregate, these programs have significantly improved library and information services to the professional health user. The principal limitation has been inadequate funding to accomplish the level of originally stated objectives.     

基因库(GenBank)的电子邮件检索

基因库（GenBank）是由美国国立卫生研究院、美国国立医学图书馆以及美国国家生物技术信息中心建立发行的,所有已知核酸和蛋白质序列及其文献和生物学注释的公共数据库。可以通过WWW、FTP、E—mail获取其中的数据,本文主要介绍了查询服务器的检索方法。     

The NLM current catalog

When the National Library of Medicine acquired a computer to augment its publication program, the intent was to present in one medium an index to journal articles and a catalog of books and new serial titles. The computer programs designed for indexing were unsatisfactory for cataloging, however; so two publications were issued, the Index Medicus and the NLM Current Catalog.The Current Catalog features separate name and subject sections, added volumes, and technical reports.The Express Cataloging Service was one of the first attempts to increase the speed and coverage of the Catalog. Shared cataloging with the Library of Congress, the Countway Library at Harvard, and the Upstate Medical Library in Syracuse, New York, have also contributed to the efforts toward improving this library service. An additional shared cataloging program, this time with the National Medical Audiovisual Center, is expected to be implemented shortly.     

公立图书馆在美国全境服务的实现过程

为所有居民服务既是公立图书馆的原则,也是公立图书馆的理想,这个宗旨如何在美国实现,作者对此详细观察并深入分析其历史过程。尤其重视关注1960年美国公立图书馆行业对于为所有居民服务的思想认识变化过程。     

From Surgeon General's bookshelf to National Library of Medicine: a brief history

The National Library of Medicine originated as a few books in the office of the army's surgeon general, Joseph Lovell, between 1818 and 1836. It became the nation's largest medical library after the Civil War under the direction of John Shaw Billings and began publishing the Index-Catalogue of the Library of the Surgeon General's Office and preparing the Index Medicus. After Billings retired in 1895, the library marked time as army medical officers were rotated through as directors until modernization began under Harold Wellington Jones during World War II. during the directorship of Frank B. Rogers (1949-1963), who introduced MEDLARS, guided the move to a new building in Bethesda, and revitalized other operations, the institution received statutory authority as the National Library of Medicine within the Public Health Service (1956). By 1965, which was marked by the passage of the Medical Library Assistance Act, the library had again regained a position of world leadership.     

Kristine M. Alpi,AHIP, FMLA,Medical Library Association President, 2021–2022

In this profile, Kristine M. Alpi, AHIP, FMLA, Medical Library Association (MLA) president, 2021–2022, is described as committed to public health, professional development, and the growth and evolution of MLA. She teaches and speaks on the shared health impact from interactions among animals, humans, and the environment, and she mentors graduate students and fellows in librarianship and informatics. Alpi earned her PhD in educational research and policy analysis in 2018 and directs the Oregon Health & Science University Library.

Open in a separate windowIt''s a distinct honor to be able to tell you about the career of Kristine Markovich Alpi, Medical Library Association (MLA) president for 2021–2022.I first met Kris when she arrived at the New York Academy of Medicine, where she was starting a job as education coordinator for what was then the Region 1 Regional Medical Library. She had, however, already begun preparing herself for excellence in library services, having worked as a hospital librarian in Indiana and then participating in the National Library of Medicine (NLM) Associate Fellowship Program.Once settled in New York, Kris pursued her master''s in public health, enrolling in the Hunter College School of the Health Professions. After working as an information services librarian and lecturer at the Weill Cornell Medical College, she took on the position of library manager at the New York City Department of Health & Mental Hygiene''s Public Health Library, where she directly served the public health professionals that served the largest city in the United States. She also continued as a lecturer in public health at Weill Cornell, teaching students in evidence-based medicine, epidemiology, and biostatistics.With her relocation to North Carolina as director of the William R. Kenan, Jr. Library of Veterinary Medicine at North Carolina State University (NCSU), Kris entered a new area of public health—that of the shared health impact from interactions among animals, humans, and the environment. Her recent coauthored article that appeared in the NLM''s Director''s Blog outlines the importance of One Health—these shared public health impacts [1]. She continued to teach, now emphasizing the place of animals in the public health universe. She also began work on her PhD in educational research and policy analysis from NCSU, which she completed in 2018.December 2018 began a new phase in Kris''s career as she moved to Portland and assumed the directorship of the Oregon Health & Science University Library. As part of her responsibilities as university librarian and associate professor in the Department of Medical Informatics & Clinical Epidemiology, she still educates students on informatics and epidemiology and serves as a mentor to graduate students and fellows.Kris''s work in public health has extended to educating consumers by locating accurate and timely web-based information. From 1998 to 2009, she used her expertise in Spanish to build the Spanish side of the bilingual web portal NOAH (New York Online Access to Health). After grant funding ceased, NOAH became a volunteer-driven project—Kris managed the Spanish content, as well as volunteering to work on the redesign committee so that the new interface was user-friendly to Spanish speakers. For that work, she was one of the awardees when NOAH was given the Thomson Scientific/Frank Bradway Rogers Information Advancement Award in 2006.MLA has benefited from Kris''s service. She has been a member of the Academy of Health Information Professionals (AHIP) since 1997. She served on the National Program Committee three times and has been elected to the Nominating Committee twice and to the MLA Board. As a member and eventual chair of the Public Health and Health Administration Section (now Caucus), Kris worked with a committee to create a comprehensive list of Medical Subject Headings (MeSH) that would benefit searching for the public health community; many of these terms have been added to the MeSH vocabulary. She also chaired the Research Caucus and served on the editorial board of the Journal of the Medical Library Association. In 2021, Kris was selected as a Fellow of MLA.I look forward to Kris Alpi''s presidential year. Her commitment to professional development and to the growth and evolution of MLA will benefit all members. Please join me in welcoming her to her new position.     

Automation Support for Collection Management and Control

The Lister Hill National Center for Biomedical Communications, R&D arm of the National Library of Medicine, has had under development a minicomputer based INTEGRATED LIBRARY SYSTEM (ILS). ILS Version 1.0 has recently become operational and supports modules for master bibliographic file (MBF) creation and processing, circulation control, and serials check-in. A major emphasis in the design of the ILS has been on collection management and control. The present implementation supports "intelligently" assigned bar-codes for both monographs and serials from the MBF. The barcodes contain sufficient information about each item to provide efficient processing and allow easy use of portable devices for inventory control. In addition, unique functions have been included to allow identification of temporary item locations as well as to allow the compilation of statistics on items removed from the shelf but not circulated. The potential impact of these features on collection management will be discussed.     

AIDS information from the National Library of Medicine

As part of a U.S government effort to combat AIDS, the National Library of Medicine (NLM) is expanding its information services in this area. In response to the Health Omnibus Program Extension Act of 1988, NLM has expanded its AIDS Bibliography, enhanced its DIRLINE file with AIDS-related organizations, and developed three new online MEDLARS (Medical Literature Retrieval and Analysis System) databases: AIDSLINE, AIDSTRIALS, and AIDSDRUGS. NLM's AIDS-related programs and services are discussed.     

Review of resource grant applications at the National Library of Medicine

The Medical Library Resource Grant Program of the National Library of Medicine is reviewed as it was administered under the Medical Library Assistance Act and as it is now administered under the Medical Library Extension Act of 1970, and program objectives are discussed. The "project" concept and the "general support" approach for library assistance are considered, as is the relationship of the Regional Medical Library Program. In the context of the evolving Biomedical Communications Network, recommendations are made for improving the effectiveness of the grant program through coordinated efforts of intermediary libraries.     

The National Library of Medicine: from MEDLARS to the sesquicentennial and beyond

The two decades since the introduction of MEDLARS and the passage of the Medical Library Assistance Act have been especially eventful in the history of the National Library of Medicine. The library's collections and services have grown to keep pace with the expanding health sciences literature and the needs of health professionals. Networking has emerged as an invaluable method for disseminating biomedical information. NLM has assumed new responsibilities for information services in toxicology, pharmacology, and environmental health, and for research and development in biomedical communications. Research now being carried out by NLM has the potential for enhancing the library's archival programs and for improving information dissemination in support of health sciences research, education, and practice.     

Knowledge and utilization of the United States National Library of Medicine's biomedical information products and services among African health sciences librarians

The United States National Library of Medicine (NLM) has the largest collection of biomedical information products and services in the world. Little is known of the extent to which librarians in sub-Saharan Africa are aware of and use these resources. The study's aim was to assess knowledge and frequency of use of NLM's biomedical information products and services among African librarians. Forty-three of the 50 delegates at the 11th biannual Congress of the Association of Health Information and Libraries in Africa (AHILA) participated in the study. The findings showed that participants' knowledge of NLM information products and services was low and that there is a need for increased awareness and training in the use of NLM's information products and services in order for users on the African continent to effectively benefit from them.     

The National Library of Medicine: from MEDLARS to the sesquicentennial and beyond.

The two decades since the introduction of MEDLARS and the passage of the Medical Library Assistance Act have been especially eventful in the history of the National Library of Medicine. The library''s collections and services have grown to keep pace with the expanding health sciences literature and the needs of health professionals. Networking has emerged as an invaluable method for disseminating biomedical information. NLM has assumed new responsibilities for information services in toxicology, pharmacology, and environmental health, and for research and development in biomedical communications. Research now being carried out by NLM has the potential for enhancing the library''s archival programs and for improving information dissemination in support of health sciences research, education, and practice.     

Knowledge and Utilization of the United States National Library of Medicine's Biomedical Information Products and Services Among African Health Sciences Librarians

The United States National Library of Medicine (NLM) has the largest collection of biomedical information products and services in the world. Little is known of the extent to which librarians in sub-Saharan Africa are aware of and use these resources. The study's aim was to assess knowledge and frequency of use of NLM's biomedical information products and services among African librarians. Forty-three of the 50 delegates at the 11th biannual Congress of the Association of Health Information and Libraries in Africa (AHILA) participated in the study. The findings showed that participants' knowledge of NLM information products and services was low and that there is a need for increased awareness and training in the use of NLM's information products and services in order for users on the African continent to effectively benefit from them.     

“NLM2006-2016年长期规划”分析及其启示

美国国立医学图书馆(NLM)是世界上最大的医学图书馆,NLM图书馆运作项目组针对未来新的需求和发展趋势,制定了2006-2016年十年长期发展规划。本文重点介绍了该规划的主要内容,分析了其对我国医学图书馆建设的启示。     

Extramural programs of theNational Library of Medicine: program objectives and present status

The National Library of Medicine Extramural Program, utilizing the authorities of the Medical Library Assistance Act of 1965 and the Public Health Service Act, includes support for library construction, improving and expanding basic library resources, research and development, man-power development, publications, and support for the operation of regional health sciences libraries.The program objectives relating to these various activities have been outlined. A $4,000,000 supplement has been appropriated by the Congress for fiscal year 1966 to implement the authorities of the Act. With the construction provision available in fiscal year 1967, over $13,000,000 has been requested for the second year of the program. The Medical Library Assistance Act is intended to catalyze and stimulate expanded support of medical libraries by their host institutions. Bold and imaginative plans by the medical library community are essential to the full success of the endeavor.     

Disaster Information Specialist Pilot Project: NLM/DIMRC

Medical librarians have often been overlooked as important contributors to hospital disaster preparedness. Recognizing the importance of medical libraries and their potential in disaster planning and management, the National Library of Medicine (NLM), Disaster Information Management Research Center (DIMRC), formed a pilot Disaster Information Specialist Project. This paper describes the preliminary activities of Bishopric Medical Library's Director, Patricia Reynolds, at Sarasota Memorial Health Care System, as a disaster information specialist in the hospital's disaster planning and preparedness.     

美国联邦图书馆立法研究

《图书馆服务法》、《图书馆服务与建设法》和《图书馆服务与技术法》是三部美国联邦图书馆法,分别颁布于1956年、1964年和1996年,本质上是一部法律的演变与继承。论文阐述了美国联邦图书馆法的发展历程,分析了美国联邦图书馆法的立法目的、立法理念和立法特点,并指出从美国联邦图书馆法的演变发展可以清晰地看出信息服务的发展趋势:以人为本、图书馆角色多元化、图书馆服务系统化。     

Using NLM Exhibits and Events to Engage Library Users and Reach the Community

In an effort to reach out to library users and make the library a more relevant, welcoming place, the University of Florida's Health Science Center Library hosted exhibits from the National Library of Medicine's (NLM) Traveling Exhibition Program. From 2010 through 2012, the library hosted four NLM exhibits and created event series for each. Through reflection and use of a participant survey, lessons were learned concerning creating relevant programs, marketing events, and forming new partnerships. Each successive exhibit added events and activities to address different audiences. A survey of libraries that have hosted NLM exhibits highlights lessons learned at those institutions.