Medical librarians and the White House Conference: from complacency, to concern, to commitment

The evolution of a National Program for Library and Information Services has been a long and involved process. A major landmark in this evolution was the White House Conference held in November 1979. The participation of medical librarians was also slow to evolve from initial complacency to strong commitment. A description of this evolution and participation by medical librarians and the Medical Library Association in White House Conference activities is reported.