Collections on the NLM Website, June 2025, Digital Collection Page
Lucinda Bennett, the Medical Librarian at Ascension St Agnes Hospital in Baltimore, MD, publishes a regular series on Art in Medicine and The Health Humanities.
It's only 1-2 pages with gorgeous images, so it won't take you long to read
... and just might enrich your life.
National Library of Medicine (NLM) Collections
Medline, MeSH and all government clinical trials. Contained in their holdings are books, journals, technical reports, manuscripts, microfilm, and photos.
This month we will investigate the collections of the NLM, how they categorize and preserve historic items and what is available for the general public as well as private researchers.
“We create exhibitions to enhance awareness and appreciation of the NLM’s trusted health information resources. Our exhibitions feature the library’s rich collections, which encompass ten centuries of medical knowledge. As part of a U.S. national library, we seek to advance public understanding of National Library of Medicine how the past informs the present—and can shape the future. Our exhibitions focus on a variety of topics which explore the relationship between medicine and the arts, science and society, patients and practitioners, and the technology of medicine. Subjects of these exhibitions include the history of lead poisoning in America, the yellow fever epidemic of 1793, African American academic surgeons, and the history of women physicians, among others.” (NLM, Exhibitions)
Today, the National Library of Medicine encompasses not only a collection of physical media but a robust selection of online materials. However, that was not always the case as for most of history all knowledge was recorded via hand written or printed documents. As we are a young nation, how did such an institution grow so quickly in so short a time? It was not until after the War of 1812 that the collection which would one day become the NLM began to form. On their exhibitions website, the National Library of Medicine tells the story of its founding, starting with the earliest donation of medical texts in a private assembly.
“When Dr. Joseph Lovell took up his position as the first Surgeon General of the Army in 1818, he filled a few of his office shelves with books, journals, and pamphlets to serve as a reference collection for the Army surgeons under his command. In 1836, the US government for the first time provided funds for “books for the office,” and the growing collection officially became the Library of the Office of the Surgeon General, United States Army. The collection grew measurably after the Civil War, when the Surgeon General’s Library received an infusion of medical books and journals from the Army’s temporary hospitals. To take charge of the burgeoning collection, the Army summoned 27-year-old career Army medical officer and book lover John Shaw Billings. MD (1838–1913), who set out to create a comprehensive collection of medical materials. The relentless Billings wrote letters to physicians, editors, health and government officials, librarians, and society officers requesting donations, exchanges, and outright purchases. He accosted State Department officials traveling overseas, entreating them to bring back foreign medical books and journals.” (NLM, Exhibitions)
The remainder of this history website goes on to describe the growth of the Library throughout the 19th century, both World Wars, the construction of a new building to house the collection and the breadth of topics covered.
Moving on, how do the archivists and preservationists keep such important items in good condition? Preservation is a field all to itself, and is highly specialized depending on the materials being addressed. “We use calibrated data loggers to measure and monitor the temperature and relative humidity of the underground collection spaces. Temperature and relative humidity have an inverse relationship: when the heaters turn on in colder months, they dry the air and the relative humidity gets lower. In the warmer months, the A/C introduces moisture to the air as the inside temperature gets cooler, and the relative humidity increases ... The NIH Integrated Pest Management team (IPM) supports us in monitoring pest levels. Pests, especially cockroaches, mice, and silverfish, LOVE library materials—they find
them both tasty and a good place to make their nests. And since we are trying to preserve our library collection and not start a new zoo, we work with IPM to prevent pesky critters from getting into the building. This also involves keeping our office areas clean and not bringing any food or drinks into the collection spaces. We also isolate incoming collection materials to make sure they are clean before integrating them into our processing and storage areas ... The National Library of Medicine has a long history of preserving its collection through reformatting. This includes making photographic copies, like this librarian using a mobile camera in the stacks back in 1969. We also have an extensive microfilm collection. While microfilm might
seem tedious to access, it is actually an important and well-respected form of preservation. Polyester microfilm is rated to last for at least 500 years, if not longer, and all you need to access it is a light source and magnifying glass!” (NLM, Preservation)
What might not immediately come to mind when one considers the NLM is the presence of works of art. However, this Library does address, collect and display a great number of art pieces. In fact, there are databases and webpages dedicated to the various artworks contained in the Library’s holdings. One such exhibition was dedicated to a 20th century artist whose approach to anatomy became of interest to both visual art lovers as well as medical professionals. “Art is a profound medium for storytelling, and May Lesser stands among the artists who have used it effectively to capture the nuances of the medical world. Between 1966 and 1971, Lesser created more than 45 pieces that explore the complexities of medicine and humanity. In 1994, the National Library of Medicine (NLM) displayed her artwork in physical and online exhibitions that showcased her artistic and cultural contributions. Both served to foster dialogue about the complexities of healthcare and the human condition. Through pivotal works such as Sagittal Series, Blood Clot, and The Charity Wait, Lesser demonstrated her skill in capturing the unseen moments of medical practice that ensure her art remains timeless and transformative. In 2013, staff of the library rehoused a collection of thirty-nine Lesser prints which were donated to the Library in 2011, and remain preserved and available for study in its prints and photographs collection. These prints document the artist’s efforts to capture the emotional and physical realities of patients and practitioners.” (NLM, May Lessar)
References:
Reprinted with the generous permission of Ms. Bennett.
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