Prescription for Progress: NN/LM New England Region Subcontractor Outreach Activities

Abstract

The mission of the National Network of Libraries of Medicine (NN/LM®) is to advance the progress of medicine and improve the public health by providing all U.S. health professionals equal access to biomedical information and by improving the public's access to information to enable them to make informed decisions about their health. The Program is coordinated by the National Library of Medicine and carried out through a nationwide network of health science libraries, public Libraries, and information centers. Under contract with NLM, Regional Medical Libraries continue their efforts strengthen the Network to reach under served health professionals in rural and inner city areas, public health professionals, and special populations. NN/LM members work with a variety of intermediaries, including health care providers, public health professionals, public librarians, educators, community organizations, health advocacy groups, faith-based organizations, and self-help groups, to reach members of the public. The Regional Medical Library for the New England Region is the Lamar Soutter Library at the University of Massachusetts Medical School in Worcester, Massachusetts. The New England Region of 516 members includes 16 Resource Libraries, over 360 hospital and academic libraries, and over 100 public libraries.