title: MEDICAL LIBRARIES IN BRITAIN; A BRIEF SURVEY.
abstract: Monastic institutions, medical corporations and societies, teaching institutions, and research organizations have all played a part in the development of library facilities in Britain. Brief histories of the principal contributors to this development are given. Until recent times private institutions took a greater share than the State in providing and conserving medical literature, and, although the country is now in a very fortunate position, being well stocked with a wide variety of such material, a significant proportion of it is the property of these private institutions and not all of it is freely available. There is still the need for a national library of medicine and for better coordination of existing material. Libraries in hospitals and nurse-training schools are not always adequate. Medical librarians are well organized and in good standing.
mesh_terms: D006664:History; D049711:History, Modern 1601-; D006801:Humans; D016245:Librarians; D007993:Libraries, Medical; D007998:Library Science; D009317:National Library of Medicine (U.S.); D012952:Societies; D012955:Societies, Medical; D006113:United Kingdom; D014481:United States
keywords: GREAT BRITAIN; HISTORY; HISTORY OF MEDICINE, MODERN; LIBRARIES, MEDICAL; LIBRARY SCIENCE; SOCIETIES, MEDICAL