The development of the Medical Literature Analysis and Retrieval System (MEDLARS)

• Published in: Journal of the Medical Library Association Vol. 95; no. 4; pp. 416 - 425
• Main Author: Dee, Cheryl Rae
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Chicago, IL Medical Library Association 01.10.2007; University Library System, University of Pittsburgh
• Subjects: Armed forces; Biomedical research; Chemical compounds; Computerized information storage and retrieval; Exact sciences and technology; Humans; Information and communication sciences; Information science. Documentation; Labor intensive; Libraries, Medical - organization & administration; Library and information science. General aspects; Library resources; Magnetic tape; Medical informatics; MEDLARS; MEDLARS - organization & administration; National Library of Medicine (U.S.); National Library of Medicine, USA; Sciences and techniques of general use; Subject Headings; Technological change; United States; Use and user studies. Information needs; United States; Medicine; Evaluation; Literature; Biomedical information; Search system; Development; Information retrieval; System analysis
• ISSN: 1536-5050; 1558-9439; 1558-9439
• DOI: 10.3163/1536-5050.95.4.416

The research provides a chronology of the US National Library of Medicine's (NLM's) contribution to access to the world's biomedical literature through its computerization of biomedical indexes, particularly the Medical Literature Analysis and Retrieval System (MEDLARS). Using material gathered from NLM's archives and from personal interviews with people associated with developing MEDLARS and its associated systems, the author discusses key events in the history of MEDLARS. From the development of the early mechanized bibliographic retrieval systems of the 1940s and to the beginnings of online, interactive computerized bibliographic search systems of the early 1970s chronicled here, NLM's contributions to automation and bibliographic retrieval have been extensive. As NLM's technological experience and expertise grew, innovative bibliographic storage and retrieval systems emerged. NLM's accomplishments regarding MEDLARS were cutting edge, placing the library at the forefront of incorporating mechanization and technologies into medical information systems.