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Effect of Federal programs on health sciences libraries
Journal of the American Society for Information Science. American Society for Information Science
|December 11, 1986
Summary
The National Library of Medicine (NLM) advanced health sciences libraries through technology and networks. However, declining federal funding and rising information costs threaten future access.
Area of Science:
- Biomedical Informatics
- Library Science
- Health Information Management
Background:
- The last 25 years saw significant advancements in health sciences libraries.
- The National Library of Medicine (NLM) spearheaded these improvements through technological integration and a biomedical communications network.
Purpose of the Study:
- To describe key NLM programs and their impact on health sciences libraries.
- To analyze the effects of the Medical Literature Analysis and Retrieval System (MEDLARS) and the Medical Library Assistance Act (MLAA).
- To discuss the defense of "fair use" and recent federal activities impacting health information access.
Main Methods:
- Review of NLM programs and federal initiatives.
- Analysis of the historical impact of technological advancements and legislative acts.
- Assessment of current trends in federal funding and information access costs.
Main Results:
- NLM's leadership in technology and networks drove library improvements.
- Key programs like MEDLARS and MLAA significantly affected library services.
- Federal support for information dissemination is decreasing, while access costs are rising.
Conclusions:
- Past federal initiatives fostered biomedical information advancement.
- Current federal attitudes indicate a reversal, with reduced library funding.
- Future challenges for health sciences libraries include securing funding and managing increasing information access costs.