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United States National Library of Medicine National Institutes of Health

Fact Sheet
Reference and Customer Services


The Reference and Customer Service Section of the National Library of Medicine (NLM) helps ensure that the biomedical information needs of US health professionals, scientists, and the general public are met. Our staff assist users in finding and utilizing health-related information that is acquired, organized, and disseminated as part of the NLM Goals and Objectives.


The Scope of Our Services

We encourage people to consult local and regional information sources before requesting assistance from NLM. Our research assistance is primarily meant to supplement services provided by other libraries and health information resources.

Our Reference and Customer Service staff:

For more information about NLM resources and services go to: http://www.nlm.nih.gov/services/research.html

Onsite, we help users of the Library's Main Reading Room and the Learning Resource Center.

The Main Reading Room is where you find:

The Learning Resource Center contains:

For books published prior to 1914, journals published prior to 1871, and images illustrating the social and historical aspects of medicine, go to the History of Medicine Division site.


Customer Service Policy

Reference and Customer Services Section
National Library of Medicine
8600 Rockville Pike
Bethesda, MD 20894
Phone: 1-888-FINDNLM (1-888-346-3656) or 301-594-5983
Fax: 301-402-1384
Email: custserv@nlm.nih.gov


Hours of Service (Eastern Time)

Monday - Wednesday and Friday 8:30 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Thursday 8:30 a.m. - 9:00 p.m. (closed at 5 p.m. Memorial Day to Labor Day)
Saturday 8:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.

Federal holiday closures and special hours are announced two weeks in advance.


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: 06 May 2004
First published: 01 January 1997
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