Dr. Lindberg and scholarly publishing.

Area of Science:

• Medical Informatics
• Biomedical Publishing
• Information Science

Background:

• Donald A.B. Lindberg, M.D., directed the U.S. National Library of Medicine (NLM) for nearly three decades.
• His tenure (1984-2015) was marked by a strategic vision for the NLM's role and impact.
• This vision emphasized external collaborations to advance medical information dissemination.

Purpose of the Study:

• To examine the NLM's partnerships under Dr. Lindberg's leadership.
• To highlight key initiatives and their impact on medical publishing and information access.
• To document the evolution of relationships between the NLM and information creators.

Main Methods:

• Review of NLM's historical records and publications.
• Analysis of collaborative projects and their outcomes.
• Case studies of specific partnerships, including HINARI and EAI.

Main Results:

• Numerous successful partnerships were established with publishers, professional organizations, and industry.
• Initiatives like HINARI and the Emergency Access Initiative (EAI) expanded global access to medical information.
• Collaboration improved the quality of biomedical journals and fostered technological innovation in medical publications.

Conclusions:

• Dr. Lindberg's leadership significantly expanded the NLM's influence through strategic external collaborations.
• These partnerships were crucial for enhancing medical information accessibility and quality.
• The NLM's role in biomedical communication was transformed, overcoming initial skepticism through mutual understanding.