National Outreach Mapping Center Established

The National Library of Medicine has established a new National Outreach Mapping Center as an aid to ensuring the effective distribution of outreach services by the NLM and the National Network of Libraries of Medicine. The new Center, at Indiana University, is being developed by IU's Ruth Lilly Medical Library and the Polis Center (a multidisciplinary urban analysis organization).

Now that the NLM and many NN/LM members have information services aimed at the general public (in addition to the traditional library services they provide to the biomedical community) it is important to be able to identify and track the special outreach efforts being made on behalf of both consumers and health professionals. The equitable geographic distribution of services and resources is one goal. Another is to be able to "see" which demographic groups are being served, including seniors, people with AIDS, rural citizens and their providers, inner city populations, minority populations, and other underserved groups.

There is a variety of outreach efforts by both the NLM and NN/LM Network member libraries aimed at improving the access of biomedical professionals and consumers to reliable health information. Examples are cooperative programs between medical libraries and public libraries to improve health information services for the public; training special populations (for example, seniors and people with AIDS) on how to use the Web as a source of good health information; and exhibits and demonstrations at a wide range of venues, from professional meetings to shopping centers and churches.

With the establishment of the National Outreach Mapping Center, NLM will have enhanced ability to track and map these efforts. The information the Center will provide will aid us in evaluating our efforts and in identifying potential areas to target.

The Director of the National Outreach Mapping Center is Julie McGowan, Ph.D.
Indiana University School of Medicine
Ruth Lilly Medical Library
975 W. Walnut Street, IB 100
Indianapolis, IN 46202-5121
Jjmcgowa@iupui.edu
Phone: 317-274-7183
Fax: 317-278-2349

Last updated: 06 December 2001
First published: 06 December 2001
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