National Library of Medicine. Office of the Director. Deputy Director Correspondence
Abstract
Primarily correspondence files of AML/NLM Deputy Director Scott Adams. Topics include AML transfer, MEDLARS origins, science and technology literature and informatics, NLM Extramural Programs creation.
Dates
- Creation: 1936-1969
Extent
2.31 Linear Feet (6 boxes)
Creator
- National Library of Medicine (U.S.). Office of the Director (Organization)
Physical Location
Materials stored onsite. History of Medicine Division. National Library of Medicine
Language of Materials
Collection materials primarily in English
Restrictions
Collection is not restricted. Contact the Reference Staff for information regarding access.
Copyright and Re-use Information
Donor's copyrights were transferred to the public domain. Archival collections often contain mixed copyrights; while NLM is the owner of the physical items, permission to examine collection materials is not an authorization to publish. These materials are made available for use in research, teaching, and private study. It is the user's responsibility to research and understand any applicable copyright and re-publication rights not allowed by fair use. NLM does not grant permissions to publish.
Privacy Information
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Collection Summary
Primarily correspondence emanating from, and received by, NLM's Deputy Director's Office during the tenure of Scott Adams during an important transitional period in NLM's history as it evolved from being the Army Medical Library. Topics in the first series of subject files include debates about federal scientific and medical information policy and NLM's role in indexing, computer systems, and information dissemination. Correspondence from various interest groups share their opinions about ongoing policy development, the growing information boom, and NLM's important role as a content provider, literature indexer, and information clearinghouse. Another major topic is NLM's recently established extramural grants program and its anticipated impact on medical publishing and informatics research. Related to both these topics are the folders titled "MEDLARS," which describe the earliest conceptualizations for a medical information indexing and retrieval system, "Publications Support" and "Research and development" and "National Research Council reports", all of which contain various correspondence, reports and analysis data. Of special note is the relationship between NLM and the National Research Council's Committee on the Army Medical Library ("Reports" folder), Charles Bernier's technical analysis of the original MEDLARS system, and the PHS Advisory Committee on Scientific Publications ("PHS Advisory Committee" folder).
Much of these debates also involved the physical and administrative transfer of the AML. The "Army Medical Library" and "AML transfer" folders document the significant debates over the transfer of the AML out of the Department of Defense. The AML administration did not favor a reorganization and created the Association of Honorary Consultants to the Army Medical Library as a lobbying group to keep the AML within the Army. Chauncey Leake headed the group and important thoughts on the topic are contributed by Michael DeBakey, Joseph McNinch and Harold W. Jones. A transfer to the Public Health Sevice was strongly opposed, with one alternative being incoprporation under the Smithsonian Institute. Other topics here important to NLM's evolution are debates over choosing Frank Rogers as Director, the proposed site move to Capital Hill, and the formation of NLM's Board of Trustees.
Within the earlier dated AML folders are internal library division annual reports, division chief meeting minutes, and general reference correspondence. The History of Medicine Division is also most widely documented in these early years with correspondence from Thomas Keys, Officer in Charge, Cleveland Branch, and Max Fisch, HMD Division Chief. The AML/NLM folders dated later primarily consist of Dorothy Schullian correspondence related to her writing a history of the Army Medical Library and John Shaw Billings, as well as HMD collection development correspondence.
Abstract
Primarily correspondence files of AML/NLM Deputy Director Scott Adams. Topics include AML transfer, MEDLARS origins, science and technology literature and informatics, NLM Extramural Programs creation.
Physical Location
Materials stored onsite. History of Medicine Division. National Library of Medicine
Provenance
Internal transfer.
General
- Processed by
- HMD Staff; Jim Labosier
- Re-Processing Completed
- July 2005
- Encoded by
- Jim Labosier
Creator
- National Library of Medicine (U.S.). Office of the Director (Organization)
Subject
- Adams, Scott, 1909- (Person)
- Curran, Jean Alonzo, 1893- (Person)
- DeBakey, Michael E. (Michael Ellis), 1908-2008 (Person)
- Fisch, Max Harold, 1900- (Person)
- Hill, Lister, 1894-1984 (Person)
- Jones, Harold Wellington, 1877-1958 (Person)
- Keys, Thomas E., Thomas Edward, 1908- (Person)
- Leake, Chauncey Depew, 1896-1978 (Person)
- McNinch, Joseph H. (Person)
- Rogers, Frank B. (Frank Bradway), 1914-1987 (Person)
- Schullian, Dorothy M. (Dorothy May), 1906-1989 (Person)
- Association of Honorary Consultants to the Army Medical Library (Organization)
- National Research Council (U.S.). Committee on the Army Medical Library (Organization)
- United States. Public Health Service. Advisory Committee on Scientifc Publications (Organization)
- Title
- National Library of Medicine (U.S.). Office of the Director. Deputy Director Correspondence, 1936-1969
- Status
- Unverified Partial Draft
- Author
- HMD Staff; Jim Labosier
- Date
- July 2005
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Code for undetermined script
- Language of description note
- Finding aid is written in English
- Edition statement
- 1.0
Collecting Area Details
Part of the Archives and Modern Manuscripts Collections Collecting Area
8600 Rockville Pike
Bldg 38/1E-21, MSC 3819
Bethesda MD 20894 US
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