5) Digitization of History of Health Sciences Materials

Images from the History of Medicine (IHM) - NIH/NLM
By: Patrick Corcoran, MLIS candidate, University of Southern Mississippi

Historic Postcard Saline Eye Drops Advertisement (NIH,2014, Digital gallery)

   The U.S. National Library of Medicine (NLM) has created one of the most extensive history of health sciences digitization program in the world.

Located at the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, Maryland, [the NLM] has been a center of information innovation since its founding in 1836. The world’s largest biomedical library, NLM maintains and makes available a vast print collection and produces electronic information resources on a wide range of topics that are searched billions of times each year by millions of people around the globe. It also supports and conducts research, development, and training in biomedical informatics and health information technology. In addition, the Library coordinates a 6,000-member National Network of Libraries of Medicine that promotes and provides access to health information in communities across the United States.                          (NIH, 2015, About)

In addition to this impressive self-description, the NLM maintains enormous digital and physical repositories concerning the history of medicine.  In tandem with this vast repository of knowledge, the NLM shows great interest in bringing the past alive in showing how pertinent past medical theory and practice can impact the future of the healing arts.  The NLM Web site maintains one of the most extensive linked networks of listed medical and associated field libraries.
   "Digital Collections is the National Library of Medicine's free online resource of biomedical books and videos. All of the content in Digital Collections is freely available worldwide and, unless otherwise indicated, in the public domain. Digital Collections provides unique access to NLM's rich resources" (NIH, n.d., Digital collections).  Using mostly open source technologies, the NLM depends on a myriad of partnering organizations to maintain such a large scope and value.  For technical information concerning the digital collections, click here.

   Examples of the digital collections include: medicine in the Americas, 1610-1920; Cholera online, 1817 to 1900; NLM publications and productions; World War 1, 1914-1918; Unique English imprints, pre-1800, tropical diseases motion pictures; the public health film goes to war; and, NIH annual reports.  Online searching can also be done by: subject; author; title; formats; languages; and, dates by range. (NIH, n.d., collections)

   The Web presence of the NLM is a shining example of federal government funds and labor in a concerted effort to preserve and present the history of health sciences to anyone with internet access.

Bibliography

NIH-National Institutes of Health-U.S. National Library of Medicine. (2015). About.
     Retrieved from https://www.nlm.nih.gov/about/index.html

NIH-National Institutes of Health-U.S. National Library of Medicine. (n.d.). Collections.
     Retrieved from http://collections.nlm.nih.gov/#

NIH-National Institutes of Health-U.S. National Library of Medicine. (n.d.). Digital collections.
     Retrieved from https://www.nlm.nih.gov/about/index.html

NIH-National Institutes of Health-U.S. National Library of Medicine. (2014). Digital gallery. Retrieved from

     http://apps.nlm.nih.gov/exhibition/digitalgallery/index.cfm?gallery=1&action=browse&view=detail&asset=118