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United States National Library of Medicine National Institutes of Health

Fact Sheet
Division of Specialized Information Services

The Division of Specialized Information Services (SIS, http://sis.nlm.nih.gov/), National Library of Medicine (NLM), creates information resources and services in toxicology, environmental health, chemistry, and HIV/AIDS. One component of SIS, the Office of Outreach and Special Populations (OOSP), was created as a way to focus efforts to reach NLM's objectives of improving access to quality and accurate health information in underserved and special populations.

SIS's Toxicology and Environmental Health Information Program (TEHIP, http://tox.nlm.nih.gov) produces TOXNET®, a collection of toxicology and environmental health databases that includes the Hazardous Substances Data Bank (HSDB®), a database of potentially hazardous chemicals, TOXLINE® (containing references to the world's toxicology literature), and ChemIDplus (a chemical dictionary and structure database). Haz-Map® (http://hazmap.nlm.nih.gov) links jobs and hazardous tasks with occupational diseases and their symptoms. SIS also produces DIRLINE® (http://dirline.nlm.nih.gov/), a directory of organizations and other resources in health and biomedicine.

Some SIS products help to address the toxicology and environmental health information needs of the general public. One such resource is Tox Town (http://toxtown.nlm.nih.gov/), an interactive guide to toxic chemicals and environmental health issues in everyday locations. It is a companion to the extensive information in the TOXNET collection of databases. Tox Town also offers some resources in Spanish (http://toxtown.nlm.nih.gov/espanol/). The Household Products Database is a consumer's guide that provides information on the potential health effects of chemicals contained in more than 4,000 common household products used inside and around the home. This database allows scientists and consumers to find out about ingredients in brand-name products.

SIS coordinates many of NLM's HIV/AIDS (http://aids.nlm.nih.gov) information activities and its web site provides access to a comprehensive list of resources within and outside of NLM. It collaborates with other agencies to produce AIDSinfo (http://aidsinfo.nih.gov/), the primary Department of Health and Human Services web site for federally approved treatment guidelines, clinical trials, drug, and vaccine information.

The Office of Outreach and Special Populations manages and develops programs in an effort to eliminate disparities in accessing health information by providing community outreach support, training health professionals on NLM's health information databases, and designing special population Web sites that address specific concerns in various racial and ethnic groups. SIS outreach programs reach health professionals, public health workers and the general public, especially about health issues that disproportionately impact minorities such as environmental exposures and AIDS. OOSP is committed to improving access to toxicology and environmental health information to underserved communities, improving access to health-related disaster information in Central America, improving access to HIV/AIDS information resources by community-based organizations, and improving access to health information for all minorities and underserved populations.

For additional information, contact: Specialized Information Services, National Library of Medicine, Phone: 301- 496-1131 (local and international), Toll Free: 1-888-FINDNLM
E-mail: tehip@teh.nlm.nih.gov

For information on NLM services, contact:

Customer Service
National Library of Medicine
8600 Rockville Pike
Bethesda, MD 20894
Telephone: 1-888-FINDNLM (1-888-346-3656)
e-mail: custserv@nlm.nih.gov

A complete list of NLM Fact Sheets is available at:
(alphabetical list) http://www.nlm.nih.gov/pubs/factsheets/factsheets.html
(subject list): http://www.nlm.nih.gov/pubs/factsheets/factsubj.html

Or write to:

FACT SHEETS
Office of Communications and Public Liaison
National Library of Medicine
8600 Rockville Pike
Bethesda, Maryland 20894

Phone: (301) 496-6308
Fax: (301) 496-4450
email: publicinfo@nlm.nih.gov

Last updated: 22 October 2004
First published: 26 June 2003
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