The impact of the Northlands Regional Medical Program Library Services

The most essential components of the former Northlands Regional Medical Program Library Services are reviewed. Their impact is assessed through interpretation of responses to a questionnaire sent to rural institutions that had borrowed one of the NRMP demonstration core libraries. Although the NRMP had thoroughly promoted the need for these institutions to provide information services beyond their own collection, many of them were not ready to support an alternative means of educating library personnel, and had not made use of the extension services provided through either the University of Minnesota Biomedical Library or the Mayo Medical Library. A gradual change was anticipated, however, and some general recommendations are made as an outcome of this study regarding the direction of further efforts towards medical library development in the non-metropolitan areas of Minnesota.