title: The evolution of rural outreach from Package Library to Grateful Med: introduction to the symposium.
abstract: Outreach is now a prevailing activity in health sciences libraries. As an introduction to a series of papers on current library outreach to rural communities, this paper traces the evolution of such activities by proponents in health sciences libraries from 1924 to 1992. Definitions of rural and outreach are followed by a consideration of the expanding audience groups. The evolution in approaches covers the package library and enhancements in extension service, library development, circuit librarianship, and self-service arrangements made possible by such programs as the Georgia Interactive Network (GaIN) and Grateful Med.
authors.affiliation: Library of the Health Sciences-Urbana, University of Illinois at Chicago, 61801, USA.
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Pifalo
mesh_terms: D003195:Computer Communication Networks; D016240:Grateful Med; D049673:History, 20th Century; D006780:Hospitals, Rural; D016247:Information Storage and Retrieval / Q000266:history; D020407:Internet; D007992:Libraries, Hospital; D007993:Libraries, Medical / Q000266:history; D007996:Library Associations / Q000266:history; D007999:Library Services; D008523:MEDLARS; D009317:National Library of Medicine (U.S.); D019114:Remote Consultation; D019035:Rural Health Services / Q000266:history; D012424:Rural Population; D013685:Telecommunications; D014481:United States