The MEDLINE experience at Yale: 1986-1996

The Cushing/Whitney Medical Library began providing end-user access to MEDLINE in 1986 and switched to the OVID system in 1993. MEDLINE is a core service of the library, and the choice of delivery systems has had a significant impact throughout the Yale-New Haven Medical Center. This paper describes the user response to MEDLINE, discusses the effects of MEDLINE on other library services, and suggests ways in which technology, policy, and funding have influenced use. Yale's experience suggests that removing barriers in all three areas can dramatically expand the points of access, the number of users, and the amount of use with manageable effects on other library services.