A History of Medical Libraries and Medical Librarianship

This work is exhaustive in its scope but is also meticulously researched. It is a solid choice for a medical librarianship graduate-level class... This book will prove absorbing to any aspiring or actual medical librarian; the content is essentially a ringside seat to America from 1836 to the modern day as seen through the lens of medical librarianship with its ties to medical and societal change. This reviewer takes away a new appreciation for the ground covered by her profession, but also a respect for the formidable challenges that lay ahead. It is clearly a work of great meaning for both authors and is a welcome addition to the other chronicles that explore our world.

* Journal of the Medical Library Association *

A History of Medical Libraries and Medical Librarianship shows that decades of work, and substantial public investment, went into developing the information infrastructure we now use every day. The book is an excellent historical resource, though limited by its exclusive focus on the United States. A global history of medical libraries and librarianship would also be welcome.

* Medical Reference Services Quarterly *

The book is extensively researched, and the authors make good use of primary source material in presenting the history of the profession. Despite the broad timespan covered, the information is presented clearly and is structured in a way that is easy-to-understand and follow. The authors passion for this topic is clear and I would recommend this book for anyone with an interest in the history of the MLA, NLM and the growth of medical librarianship as a profession.

* Journal of the Canadian Health Libraries Association *

A History of Medical Libraries and Librarianship in the United States: From John Shaw Billings to the Digital Era is a comprehensive survey of the intertwined history of the National Library of Medicine, the Medical Library Association and medical librarianship. From the 134 item catalog of the Surgeon General’s collection of 1840 to the expanded mission of the Network of the National Library of Medicine, NLM has consistently evolved to meet the needs of its users with innovative services and programs designed to promote and advance a national agenda for excellence in medical education and biomedical research.

Readers with an interest in the history of the National Library of Medicine, and the Medical Library Association, will find this an invaluable resource for understanding the relationships between these organizations, support for a national agenda on biomedical research and the profession of medical librarianship.

-- Susan M. Harnett, medical information services librarian, Borland Library, University of Florida

The Kronenfelds’ book documents the rich history and promising future of medical libraries and librarians. It was edifying to consider my own career in a broader context, and to be reminded of the impact of legislation and leadership at the national level on the development of the profession. Reading this book provides an opportunity to be proud of our origins; to get a little nostalgic for the pre-Internet, ‘Golden Age’, when medical librarians were the gateway of access to published biomedical information; and to look forward to a data driven health care future in which librarians skilled in data management will provide information solutions in a digital environment.

-- Gale G. Hannigan, PhD, MPH, MLS, AHIP, Research Professor, University of New Mexico Health Sciences Library and Informatics Center

A thorough and well-researched look at the history of health sciences libraries and the evolution of health sciences librarianship. Obviously a labor of love by Michael and Jennie Kronenfeld!

-- M.J. Tooey, MLS, AHIP, FMLA, associate vice president, Academic Affairs (she/her); executive director, Health Sciences and Human Services Library; and director, National Network of Libraries of Medicine, Southeastern Atlantic Region

With A History of Medical Libraries and Medical Librarianship: From John Shaw Billings to the Digital Era, Mike and Jennie Kronenfeld provide us with a spirited and enlightening journey through the history of health sciences Librarianship, from the 1830’s to the present time. With their keen intellects and deft observations, they take us on what, for the reader, feels likes a concise, almost “whirlwind” journey across time of the most meaningful and impactful milestones of medical librarianship history.

Starting with the work of Billings and the establishment of arguably the premier medical library in the world, the US National Library of Medicine, the Kronenfelds revisit the creation of the Medical Library Association and take us through a reflection on the eras of “Gentleman Physician Librarians” and the “Golden Age of Medical Libraries” to the current and pivotal digital moment. Revealed in their meticulous scholarship is that very American notion of constant re-reinvention to meet new challenges, new technologies, and new opportunities head on and with moral purpose.

In writing and presenting their comprehensive survey, the Kronenfelds leveraged access to an array of brilliant colleagues, refreshed our memories of key and transformative publications, brought to life essential leaders and luminaries, and scoured the resources of MLA and NLM’s History of Medicine Division, all to remind the reader that the goal for health sciences librarians has always been to improve the health of the nation through access to evidence.

Both Mike and Jennie have been active participants over the last forty-plus years in the history that they document, Mike across a career that has included service in the academic, public and hospital library arenas, and Jennie through a career focused on medical sociology with an emphasis on public policy and the development of our nation’s health care system. They are scholars, practitioners and advocates, and their passion and commitment to the transformative power of access to health information never wavers across the eras that they so adroitly document.

To read A History of Medical Libraries and Medical Librarianship: From John Shaw Billings to the Digital Era is ultimately to be encouraged in the future of health sciences librarianship and its seemingly endless potential to adapt, adopt and change, always extending the journey forward.

-- Gerald (Jerry) Perry, MLS, AHIP, FMLA, associate dean, University of Arizona Libraries

The Kronenfelds take us on a fascinating journey through the history of medical libraries, introducing us to the characters who carved out a place for shared and accessible medical information to the integration and adaptability of technologies to the evolution of the role of librarians. This is an enjoyable and enlightening read, made all the more impressive by the scope of the research and the beautiful art of storytelling. A recommended read for anyone who values access to information, medical libraries specifically, and librarianship in general. This is a much needed addition to understanding the history of medical libraries as well as the history of access to medical information.

-- Hannah Rutledge, PhD, MLIS, AHIP; director of the Biomedical Library, University of Pennsylvania

A History of Medical Libraries and Medical Librarianship is an in-depth compilation of sources detailing the development and growth of medical and hospital libraries, through the National Library of Medicine, and the profession, through the Medical Library Association. The volume will be of most use to a medical library audience, and to those readers interested in this particular history.

* Bulletin of the History of Medici