NLM Awards 2016-2021 Regional Medical Library Cooperative Agreements

April 1, 2016

On April 1, 2016, the National Library of Medicine awarded five-year cooperative agreements to eight institutions to serve as Regional Medical Libraries (RMLs) and five National Coordinating Offices in the National Network of Libraries of Medicine (NN/LM). The agreements begin May 1, 2016. The Network consists of the eight RMLs, five National Coordinating Offices, nearly 112 resource libraries (primarily at medical schools), over 2,200 local health science libraries (primarily at hospitals), and more than 1,300 public libraries and community-based organizations.

Since its original authorization by Congress in the 1965 Medical Library Assistance Act, the NN/LM has worked to equalize and enhance access to health information throughout the United States. The Network is vital in NLM's outreach efforts to health professionals and the public to increase awareness of, facilitate access to, and provide training in the use of NLM's many Web-based information services, coordinate basic Network services such as interlibrary loan, and work to improve the supporting infrastructure for health sciences libraries. The goal is to provide access to accurate and up-to-date health information to health professionals, patients, families, and the general public, irrespective of their geographic location in an evolving information landscape.

Advances in the Internet and mobile technologies have brought about enormous changes in the way people seek and use health information, in the biomedical research, and in the publishing and scholarly communications of that research. Traditional resource sharing has been transformed by the widespread application of digital technologies in collection, development and access, the proliferation of e-journals, and large scale availability of full text journals in archives such as PubMed Central. Biomedical big data initiatives, such as the NIH Big Data to Knowledge (BD2K) and the Precision Medicine Initiative, will facilitate the discovery and support of new knowledge and engagement among a diverse community, including health care providers, researchers, public health workers, data scientists, funders, publishers, libraries, and the public. Information seekers expect instant and free access. They also expect information and social networking tools that promote open access to knowledge sharing and knowledge creation. The NN/LM will play an important role in bringing the tools and resources needed to take advantage of this new environment to these diverse communities.

During the previous (2011-2016) contract period, the RMLs awarded more than 1,100 subcontracts and other awards to NN/LM members. The RMLs, in collaboration with subcontracted NN/LM members, were responsible for more than 6,600 training events and other outreach activities that reached more than 97,300 health professionals, librarians and members of the general public.

Information about the National Network of Libraries of Medicine and the Regional Medical Libraries is on the Web at https://nnlm.gov. The National Library of Medicine, a component of the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, Maryland, is the world's largest library of the health sciences. Information about all NLM programs and services is on the Web at https://www.nlm.nih.gov.

The Regional Medical Libraries are:

Region 1 - Middle Atlantic Region

University of Pittsburgh

Health Sciences Library System

Pittsburgh, PA

States Served: DE, NJ, NY, PA

Region 2 - Southeastern/Atlantic Region

University of Maryland at Baltimore

Health Sciences and Human Services Library

Baltimore, MD

States Served: AL, FL, GA, MD, MS, NC, SC, TN, VA,WV, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands

Region 3 - Greater Midwest Region

University of Iowa

Hardin Library for the Health Sciences

Iowa City, IA

States Served: IA, IL, IN, KY, MI, MN, ND, OH, SD, WI

Region 4 - MidContinental Region

University of Utah

Spencer S. Eccles Health Sciences Library

Salt Lake City, UT

States Served: CO, KS, MO, NE, UT, WY

Region 5 - South Central Region

University of North Texas Health Science Center

Gibson D. Lewis Library

Fort Worth, TX

States Served: AR, LA, NM, OK, TX

Region 6 - Pacific Northwest Region

University of Washington

Health Sciences Library

Seattle, WA

States Served: AK, ID, MT, OR, WA

Region 7 - Pacific Southwest Region

University of California, Los Angeles

Louise M. Darling Biomedical Library

Los Angeles, CA

States Served: AZ, CA, HI, NV, and U.S. Territories in the Pacific Basin

Region 8 - New England Region

University of Massachusetts Medical School

Lamar Soutter Library

Worcester, MA

States Served: CT, MA, ME, NH, RI, VT

National Coordinating Offices:

NN/LM Web Services Office (NWSO)

University of Pittsburgh

Health Sciences Library System

Pittsburgh, PA

NN/LM DOCLINE Coordination Office (NDCO)

University of Maryland at Baltimore

Health Sciences and Human Services Library

Baltimore, MD

NN/LM Training Office (NTO)

University of Utah

Spencer S. Eccles Health Sciences Library

Salt Lake City, UT

NN/LM Evaluation Office (NEO)

University of Washington

Health Sciences Library

Seattle, WA

NN/LM Public Health Coordination Office (NPHCO)

University of Massachusetts Medical School

Lamar Soutter Library

Worcester, MA