title: [A 'library without walls': a history of the creation of Bireme].
abstract: Approaching from the framework of social, political, and economic contexts, the article analyzes the process involved in creation of the Latin American and Caribbean Center on Health Sciences Information (Bireme). The period in question coincides with the consolidation of US influence in the West, between the 1950s and 1970s. A recovery and examination of reference documents and testimonies permits a discussion of the issues involved in setting up what was first known as the Regional Library of Medicine, an initiative in cultural and scientific integration that was highly influential in Latin American health sciences. The article offers reflections on the historical development of the institution as an initiative of the Pan American Health Organization and its subsequent role.
authors.affiliation: Centro de História e Filosofia das Ciências da Saúde--Unifesp, Rua Tiro ao Pombo, 402/94 bloco 31, 02844-060 São Paulo, SP, Brasil. mbarros.cehfi@epm.br
authors.forename: Márcia Regina Barros
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: da Silva
authors.forename: Luis
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Ferla
authors.forename: Dante Marcello Claramonte
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Gallian
mesh_terms: D017691:Caribbean Region; D049673:History, 20th Century; D007843:Latin America; D007993:Libraries, Medical / Q000266:history* / Q000458:organization & administration; D010175:Pan American Health Organization / Q000266:history