Presents an overview of the current operation of the AVLINE system, an online data base maintained by the National Library of Medicine containing references to over 5,000 nationally available nonprint materials. (VT)

Describes storing of "hedges"--lists of terms on specific subjects--for use in responding to repeated search requests which cannot be retrieved via existing controlled vocabulary. Use of hedges at National Library of Medicine and National Institutes of Health Library, frequently used examples, and Excerpta Medica hedges are highlighted.…

Describes the dual service philosophy at McGoogan Library, University of Nebraska Medical Center, which includes fee-based online search services and free use of online databases for reference purposes. The position of the American Library Association, viewpoints from the field, and record-keeping and accounting procedures are reviewed. Seven…

Problems which frustrate and hinder training in data base use for personnel employed in biomedical libraries include the ever increasing number of data bases which continue to be introduced, search techniques that differ from vendor to vendor and data base to data base, and differing formats of data bases and their training manuals. Training…

This paper traces the growth, decline, and termination of the State University of New York Biomedical Communication Network (SUNY/BCN). It is noted that SUNY/BCN became operational in 1968 with nine medical library members and provided the first online access to the Medical Literature Analysis and Retrieval System (MEDLARS) of the National Library…

Programs of the National Library of Medicine over almost a century and a half are described, ranging from a history of American medical literature and the development of medical indexing to modern technological developments. Activities covered include the development of the Toxicology Information Program and the online data base TOXLINE; the…

Describes an automated interlibrary loan request routing and referral system made available to U.S. biomedical libraries by the National Library of Medicine. The description covers the databases used and the systems modules that support various functions. The current status of the system and possible future developments are discussed. (six…

Description of information services from the National Library of Medicine (NLM) highlights a new system for retrieving information from NLM's databases (GRATEFUL MED); a formal Regional Medical Library Network; DOCLINE; the Unified Medical Language System; and Integrated Academic Information Management Systems. Research and development and the…

Explores response time variations in National Library of Medicine's ELHILL bibliographic search system and analyzes statistical significance of response time in terms of its variations by day of week, hour of day, particular bibliographic file being searched, command issued by user, number of users logged onto system. Ten references are cited.…

This publication outlines and presents a series of 27 learning modules for a course in medical librarianship intended to be conducted in an individualized instructional framework featuring lectures, small group discussions, talks by guest speakers from the medical profession, on-site observation of hospital libraries, on-line demonstrations of…

Describes management decisions and resultant technology-based system that allowed a medical library to meet increasing workloads without accompanying increases in resources available. Discussion covers system analysis; capabilities of book-order management system, "BOOKDIRT;" software and training; hardware; data files; data entry;…

Describes the design of a customized online service at the Lister Hill Library (Alabama) that used a dial-in modem system to provide remote access to medical research materials. Problems with hardware and software incompatibility are discussed, user training is described, and the successful results are reviewed. (LRW)

Five years ago, the National Library of Medicine (NLM) funded an Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) study of the impact of new information and communications technologies on the roles of health sciences libraries in a radically changing health care and educational environment. A key recommendation of the resulting report called for…

The National Library of Medicine (NLM) had its beginnings in the Library of the Army Surgeon General's office established in 1836. Dr. John Shaw Billings, who was in charge from 1865 to 1895, greatly influenced the growth of the library and also initiated production of the widely used "Index Catalogue" of author and subject listings as…

Two questionnaires sent to medical librarians and users of the Core Medline/Ebsco CD-ROM disc in the Netherlands gathered data on librarians' attitudes toward the various forms in which Medline is offered--i.e., printed, online, and CD-ROM. Tables and graphs present data on product attributes, availability, use, relevance, subjects searched,…