Medical history: as it was; as it will be

Born shortly after World War I in 1919 and living through multiple wars, conflicts, and cultural changes in his ninety-six years, Erich Meyerhoff remained a student of history throughout his long life. He regularly attended the annual meetings of the American Association for the History of Medicine and other history groups such as the Medical Library Association’s History of the Health Sciences well into his nineties. This essay traces how the field of history and historical methods changed during Erich’s life and suggests that he saw history and librarianship as a means for achieving social justice and social equity.

A passion for the profession: a festschrift honoring Erich Meyerhoff

An introduction to a series of essays honoring Erich Meyerhoff (1919-2015), AHIP, FMLA, who was active in and contributed to the Medical Library Association for generations.

Beverly Murphy, AHIP, FMLA, Medical Library Association President, 2018–2019

When I think of Beverly Murphy, AHIP, FMLA, three words come to mind: Bold, Brave, Brilliant. In every action that Beverly has undertaken as a health sciences librarian, she has demonstrated an innate ability to just “Be.” Being bold, brave, and brilliant is just what she will need to be as the Medical Library Association’s first African-American president since the association’s founding in 1898.

Medicus Deus: a review of factors affecting hospital library services to patients between 1790-1950

QUESTION

What are some of the historical societal, medical, and public health trends leading to today's provision of hospital library services to patients?

DATA SOURCES

Literature from the archives of the Bulletin of the Medical Library Association and other library sources, medical journals, primary historical documents, and texts from the history of medicine form the core of this review.

STUDY SELECTION

The period of review extends from about 1790 through 1950 and focuses solely on trends in the United States. Of primary concern are explicitly documented examples that appear to illustrate the patient-physician relationship and those between librarians and their patient-patrons during the earliest years of the profession's development.

DATA EXTRACTION

An historical timeline was created to allow the identification of major trends that may have affected library services. Multiple literature searches were conducted using library, medical, and health anthropology resources. When possible, primary sources were preferred over reviews.

MAIN RESULTS

Juxtapositioning historical events allows the reader to obtain an overview of the roots of consumer health services in medical libraries and to consider their potential legacy in today's health care libraries.

CONCLUSION

This review article highlights early developments in hospital library service to patients. Further research is needed to verify a preliminary conclusion that in some medical library settings, services to the general public are shaped by the broader health care environment as it has evolved.

The way we were: health library life seen through the pages of the Medical Library Bulletin of the Thames Regions, 1974-94

The Medical Library Bulletin of the Thames Regions reflected the development of health-service libraries over the 20 years it existed. Originally begun as a practical aid to improving services by encouraging co-operation, improving communication and giving instructive advice, it charted the work of health-service librarians and the growth of their services. The articles contained in it covered professional developments and wider political issues as they occurred, and illustrated the extension of the librarians' knowledge and skills. Leslie Morton, Library Adviser to the British Postgraduate Medical Federation, edited almost every issue, starting at a time when there was little guidance or professional literature available for health-service librarians.

The professionalization of health librarianship in the UK between 1909 and 1978

Many strands exist within health information work and during the last century librarians in this field identified themselves through special groups or associations. This paper focuses on the key role of the Library Association Medical Section in the professional development of medical librarians in the United Kingdom up to 1978 when it merged with the Library Association Hospital Libraries and Handicapped Readers Group to create the Medical, Health and Welfare Group. Uniting to form a stronger organization, under the ultimate designation of the Health Libraries Group, was part of an evolutionary process. The invention and promotion of co-operative schemes, networking and educational opportunities for members, the publication of specialized material and the fostering of international relationships during the first three-quarters of the century are illuminated by personal reminiscences from some of the major participants in the field.

The Cunningham Fellowship: three international points of view

The Medical Library Association Cunningham Fellowship Program provides funds for one medical librarian per year from outside the United States or Canada to work and learn in United States or Canadian medical libraries for a period of 4 months. An overview of the Cunningham Fellowship is presented from three different points of view-that of a Medical Library Association member who has worked closely with the Cunningham Fellowship programme, and two former Cunningham Fellows. Anita Verhoeven, who relates her impressions of American culture, architecture and art, was the 1998 MLA Cunningham Fellow and visited 33 libraries, met 171 librarians, visited prestigious universities and attended a Medical Library Association meeting. Ioana Robu, the 1997 Cunningham Fellow, visited 15 libraries in 13 cities during her experience. She describes the process of applying for the fellowship and assesses the impact that the 1997 Cunningham Fellowship has made on her life, her library and medical librarianship in Romania. An overview of the Cunningham Fellowship is also given, which includes the history, the application process, the requirements of the fellowship and the time table of the fellowship.

The evolution of rural outreach from Package Library to Grateful Med: introduction to the symposium

Outreach is now a prevailing activity in health sciences libraries. As an introduction to a series of papers on current library outreach to rural communities, this paper traces the evolution of such activities by proponents in health sciences libraries from 1924 to 1992. Definitions of rural and outreach are followed by a consideration of the expanding audience groups. The evolution in approaches covers the package library and enhancements in extension service, library development, circuit librarianship, and self-service arrangements made possible by such programs as the Georgia Interactive Network (GaIN) and Grateful Med.

Frieda O. Weise, Medical Library Association President 1999-2000

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Fin-de-siècle Philadelphia and the founding of the Medical Library Association

Philadelphia at the time of the founding of the Medical Library Association (MLA) is described. Several factors that promoted the birth of the association are discussed, including the rapid increase in the labor force and the rise of other health related professions, such as the American Hospital Association and the professionalization of nursing. The growth of the public hygiene movement in Philadelphia at the time of Sir William Osler's residency in the city is discussed. Finally, the rapid growth of the medical literature is considered a factor promoting the development of the association. This article continues the historical consideration of the MLA begun in the author's article on the three founders of the association. The background information is drawn from the items listed in the bibliography, and the conclusions are those of the author.

The Oral History Program: III. Personal views of health sciences librarianship and the Medical Library Association

The Medical Library Association Oral History Program uses accepted oral history techniques to collect and preserve interviews with members. The original taped interviews and transcripts are kept in the Medical Library Association archives and made available for research purposes; edited copies of the interviews are distributed through the National Network of Libraries of Medicine, and members are encouraged to borrow and read the histories. Summaries of forty-three interviews provide personal views on health sciences librarianship and the Medical Library Association.

Hospital librarians and the Medical Library Association

Hospital librarians have been active participants in and contributors to the Medical Library Association since it was founded. This article reviews the history of the Hospital Libraries Section and provides some personal observations on the contributions the association has made to hospital librarians and their growing influence on the association.

An essay on reflection

From the vantage point of her personal experience, the author examines milestones since the 1960s which have changed the medical library profession and helped shape the Medical Library Association. The advent of automation, including cataloging with OCLC and online literature searching through the SUNY Biomedical Communication Network, was a dramatic event that transformed the work and priorities of librarians, fulfilling the dreams of earlier visionaries. The application of technology in libraries led to an increased demand for education and training for librarians. The Medical Library Association responded with continuing education programs, and a series of important reports influenced how the association filled its role in professional development. Legislation providing federal funding, such as the Medical Library Assistance Act, resulted in a period of expansion for libraries and their services. The Medical Library Association has developed a legislative agenda to influence action in areas such as copyright. In the future, health sciences librarians must take a leadership role.

MLA's professional development program: how we took control of our future

This article, which focuses primarily on the last fifty years, reviews the evolution and expansion of MLA's professional development activities. It shows how an integrated professional development program has emerged from a group of individual activities with little coordination among them. Continuing review, discussion, and new initiatives are needed to ensure that the membership is equipped with the knowledge and skills needed to function effectively in the twenty-first century.

Three who made an association: I. Sir William Osler, 1849-1919. II. George Milbry Gould, 1848-1922. III. Margaret Ridley Charlton, 1858-1931 and the founding of the Medical Library Association, Philadelphia, 1898

The careers and personalities of the three founders of the Medical Library Association, Sir William Osler, George Milbry Gould, and Margaret Ridley Charlton are outlined, followed by a review of their role in the founding of the association. The career of Sir William Osler is well documented in existing literature, both in medical history and medical librarianship; the biographies of George Milbry Gould and Margaret Ridley Charlton are less known, and this article describes their lives in relation to the founding of the association. The issue of responsibility for the association's founding is explored, and primary recognition is attributed to Margaret Charlton. The author attempts to follow the tradition of Harvey Cushing in his The Life of Sir William Osler in allowing the characters to speak in their own words as much as possible.

Excellence, promise, vision, and values: reflections on the Janet Doe Lectures, 1967-1997

As the Medical Library Association prepares to enter its second century of service to society, it can look back with pride on the remarkable record of achievements of the association and its members, both personal and institutional, which are preserved for posterity in the Janet Doe Lectures. Established in 1966 by an anonymous donor, the Janet Doe Lectures on the history or philosophy of medical librarianship trace the development of health sciences libraries and librarianship and the evolution of the Medical Library Association. The major themes which emerge from this comprehensive review of the lectures published between 1967 and 1997 include the changing roles and values of health sciences libraries and librarianship; education and credentialing of health sciences librarians; MLA activities and concerns; and MLA/National Library of Medicine relations.

The Medical Library Association in retrospect, 1937-1967

The medical librarian of 1967 lives in a period of changing concepts, dramatic new methods, everwidening scientific horizons. In looking toward the immediate past he may think of the medical librarian of thirty years ago as a complacent follower of accepted procedures, not as a pioneer in a brave new world. Yet the corps of trained medical librarians today and the resources of our collections and their management are dependent upon the efforts of those who were then pioneers in medical librarianship. Training, standards, recruitment, literature control, international relations, all had continuing attention at a time when financial assistance through government funds, support by administrators, concern by scientists was almost nonexistent. In these years the day of the devoted amateur passed; the trained medical librarian came into being and matured. This, the first Janet Doe Lecture, is named for one who illustrates the best in medical librarianship, serving with scholarly distinction. It is a brief survey pointing to some of the Association's significant achievements during the years of Miss Doe's greatest activity when she and her colleagues met their "Challenge of Change".

Past presidents I have known

This paper is an account of the accomplishments of some of the early past presidents of the Medical Library Association known personally to the author in his career as a medical librarian. It demonstrates the qualities that made these librarians leaders of our profession and also indicates their personal attributes that contributed to the advancement of medical librarianship. It is hoped that the historical presentation of some of the giants of our profession will inspire present and future presidents and other medical librarians with an understanding of some of the qualities necessary to the continuing success of our profession. Sir William Osler, who was a great believer in libraries and librarians and himself a past president of MLA, summed up four qualities in his advice to medical students equally applicable to past and present leadership in the library profession--(1) the art of detachment, (2) the virtue of method, (3) the quality of thoroughness, and (4) the grace of humility (Osler, Sir William. Teacher and Student. In his Aequanimitas: with Other Addresses to Medical Students. 3d ed. Philadelphia, Blakiston Company, 1904. p. 27-31). It is thought that our past presidents possessed all of these qualities.

The bright thread: the Bulletin's 75th anniversary

This chronological review of the Bulletin of the Medical Library Association deals with the years 1911 through 1985. The Bulletin has had nineteen editors, from Marcia C. Noyes and John Ruhräh, M.D. (1911-26), through Susan Crawford, Ph.D. (1983-1986). This paper describes the Bulletin's gradual expansion in size and contents, the initiation of various departments and sections, and some of the pioneering articles. Major steps in expenses, income, and subscription price are given. Important changes in the format and the growth of the administrative and advisory structures are covered.

The Oral History Program: I. Personal views of health sciences librarianship and the Medical Library Association

The Medical Library Association Oral History Program uses accepted oral history techniques to collect and preserve interviews with members. The original taped interviews and transcripts are kept in the Medical Library Association archives and made available for research purposes; edited copies of the interviews are distributed through the National Network of Libraries of Medicine, and members are encouraged to borrow and read the histories. Summaries of forty-three interviews provide personal views on health sciences librarianship and the Medical Library Association.

Past presidents I have known

This paper is an account of the accomplishments of some of the early past presidents of the Medical Library Association known personally to the author in his career as a medical librarian. It demonstrates the qualities that made these librarians leaders of our profession and also indicates their personal attributes that contributed to the advancement of medical librarianship. It is hoped that the historical presentation of some of the giants of our profession will inspire present and future presidents and other medical librarians with an understanding of some of the qualities necessary to the continuing success of our profession.

Musings on our meetings: MLA conventions, 'ninety-eight to date

Annual meetings of the Medical Library Association have been a part of the culture of medical librarians in North America since 1898. With only four exceptions (one during WWI and three during WWII) medical librarians have met annually for nearly 100 years to conduct their business, share ideas, present papers, attend continuing education courses, view exhibits, and have fun. Based on the writer's research and personal experience, his reflections contain a summary of the history and development of these meetings since the first one in Philadelphia in 1898, an assessment of their content and value, and recommendations.

Three who made an association: I. Sir William Osler, 1849-1919 II. George Milbry Gould, 1848-1922 III. Margaret Ridley Charlton, 1858-1931 and the founding of the Medical Library Association, Philadelphia, 1898

The careers and personalities of the three founders of the Medical Library Association, Sir William Osler, George Milbry Gould, and Margaret Ridley Charlton are outlined, followed by a review of their role in the founding of the association. The career of Sir William Osler is well documented in existing literature, both in medical history and medical librarianship; the biographies of George Milbry Gould and Margaret Ridley Charlton are less known, and this article describes their lives in relation to the founding of the association. The issue of responsibility for the association's founding is explored, and primary recognition is attributed to Margaret Charlton. The author attempts to follow the tradition of Harvey Cushing in his The Life of Sir William Osler in allowing the characters to speak in their own words as much as possible.

Naomi C. Broering Medical Library Association President 1996-1997

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History of the Medical Library Association's credentialing program

Since the Medical Library Association (MLA) adopted the Code for the Training and Certification of Medical Librarians in 1949, MLA members have reviewed and revised the program regularly. This paper traces the history of MLA's professional recognition program to illustrate how the program has changed over time and to identify the issues that have surrounded it. These issues include the value of the program to individual members, cost to MLA, appropriate entry requirements, certification examinations, and recertification requirements. The development and operation of MLA's current credentialing program, the Academy of Health Information Professionals, is described in detail.

Jana Bradley, Ph.D. Medical Library Association President 1995-1996

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