NLM Musings from the Mezzanine
Innovations in Health Information from the Director of the National Library of Medicine
During the summer of 2017, my first summer as Director of the National Library of Medicine, Joyce Backus—our then-NLM Associate Director for Library Operations (ADLO)—approached me with a wild idea: “How about we engage an architectural firm to guide renovations of our library space?” Joyce was a forward-thinking ADLO and had already done much to … Continue reading Anticipating a Future We Never Anticipated
This blog was authored by staff who serve on the National Library of Medicine (NLM) Library Operations (LO) Strategies Working Group.NLM is nearing its 200th anniversary in 2036, and NLM’s Library Operations (LO) is reflecting on its continuing mandate to acquire, organize, preserve, and disseminate biomedical information. LO is one of NLM’s largest divisions and … Continue reading NLM’s Library Operations is Reimagining to Better Serve You
This blog contains my remarks from the 2022 Lindberg-King Lecture and Scientific Symposium: Science, Society, and the Legacy of Donald A.B. Lindberg, M.D., which took place on September 1, 2022. Watch a recording of the event here. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QTDPTxjL6oc&t=10617s I had the great fortune of becoming the director of the National Library of Medicine immediately following … Continue reading When You Stand on the Shoulders of a Giant, What Do You See?
As we start year three of the COVID-19 pandemic, it’s time for NLM to take stock of the parts of our past that will support the next normal and what we might need to change as we continue to fulfill our mission to acquire, collect, preserve, and disseminate biomedical literature to the world. Today, I … Continue reading The Next Normal: Supporting Biomedical Discovery, Clinical Practice, and Self-Care
In February, I received the Miles Conrad Award from the National Information Standards Organization (NISO). NISO espouses a wonderful vision: “. . . a world where all can benefit from the unfettered exchange of information.” As the Director of the National Library of Medicine (NLM), this is music to my ears. Standards are essential to … Continue reading We Can’t Go It Alone!
Patient privacy — you might be scratching your head right now. NLM is a research enterprise and a LIBRARY for heaven’s sake! What does a library have to do with patient privacy? NLM protects the privacy of all people who use our resources, which are free and accessible 24/7. NLM complies with requirements for privacy … Continue reading Your Privacy is an NLM Priority
Guest post by Patricia Matthews-Juarez, PhD, Chair of the Environmental Health Information Partnership (EnHIP) and Rueben C. Warren, DDS, MPH, DrPH, MDIV, Scientific Advisor for EnHIP In 1989, after many successful years of developing scientific and technical databases, the National Library of Medicine (NLM) started its first long-term outreach plan to train health professionals how … Continue reading Investing in a Sustained Partnership: A Data-Driven Human Approach to Social Justice and Equity
NLM stands with NIH Director Francis Collins in establishing new ways to support diversity, equity, and inclusion, and identifying and dismantling any policies and practices that may harm our workforce and our science. This work is just getting started and I encourage you to respond to a Request for Information that NIH issued seeking input … Continue reading Dismantling Structural Racism
Guest post by Jerry Sheehan, Deputy Director, National Library of Medicine. Making research data broadly findable, accessible, interoperable, and reusable is essential to advancing science and accelerating its translation into knowledge and innovation. The global response to COVID-19 highlights the importance and benefits of sharing research data more openly. The National Institutes of Health (NIH) … Continue reading Fostering a Culture of Scientific Data Stewardship
Guest post by Mike Huerta, PhD, director of the Office of Strategic Initiatives and associate director of the National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health. “A Platform for Biomedical Discovery and Data-Powered Health,” NLM’s current 10-year strategic plan, envisions three goals with a 2027 horizon: Accelerate discovery and advance health through data-driven research. Reach … Continue reading NLM Strategic Opportunities and Challenges: We Want to Hear from You!