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| Long Range Plan 2000-2005 | |
Printer-friendly VersionGOAL 2 - PROMOTE USE OF HEALTH INFORMATION BY
HEALTH
PROFESSIONALS AND THE PUBLICOBJECTIVE
2.3 -
STRENGTHEN THE
NATIONAL NETWORK OF LIBRARIES OF MEDICINE (NN/LM)
FINDINGS
Over the last 30 years one of the most important factors in the widespread acceptance and use of NLM’s information services has been the National Network of Libraries of Medicine. The NN/LM, with its 4500 members, is organized through eight regions, each with a Regional Medical Library competitively selected and supported by the NLM. Those institutions, together with 140 large academic health science libraries and the many hospital and other libraries in the network, provide interlibrary loan and other crucial information services to scientists, health professionals, and, increasingly, the public. The members of the NN/LM have conducted literally hundreds of special outreach projects, often partnering with other organizations to increase awareness and provide training in the use of information technology and NLM services. The RMLs and other NN/LM members regularly exhibit and demonstrate NLM services at meetings of national, regional, and local professional associations and community-based organizations. The RMLs not only use the Internet to develop new and innovative services, they also help other Network member institutions, particularly small hospital libraries, to connect to the Internet. Since 1993, the percentage of hospital libraries with Internet connections has increased from 23% to 91%. In addition to their outreach efforts, NN/LM members perform an invaluable service in testing various approaches to improving access to information and in beta-testing new NLM services, such as successive versions of Grateful Med and PubMed.
PROGRAM PLANS
- Continue to rely on the
NN/LM as a critical means of outreach to health professionals and
the general public. NN/LM priorities for the next five years
include:
- Expanding partnerships with state library organizations, public libraries, community-based organizations, state and local health professional associations, and public health agencies to inform health professionals, patients, and the public about NLM services and provide the training needed to use these services effectively.
- Enhancing RML staff expertise in the full-range of NLM databases and services, including those in consumer health information, environmental health and toxicology, molecular biology and genetics, health services research, public health, and the history of medicine and science.
- Ensuring that NN/LM members, public health agencies, and community-based organizations that provide health information to the public have effective Internet connections.
- Increasing awareness of new NLM services, such as the Clinical Trials Database, among health professionals and the general public.
- Evaluate and if necessary redesign NN/LM services to member libraries in light of advances in telecommunications and electronic publishing.
Last updated: 18 March 2001
First published: 18 March 2001
Metadata| Permanence level: Permanent: Stable Content