Medical Informatics Archival Collections

Medical informatics and medical librarianship form a strong collecting focus of the National Library of Medicine. Significant archival holdings on these topics are found within NLM's institutional archives, and especially within the records of the Office of the Director, the Bibliographic Services Division (MEDLARS), and the Lister Hill Center. Brief descriptions and listings of holdings may be found through the NLM Institutional Archives website.

Many of NLM's manuscripts collections are concerned with medical informatics, including the papers of NLM director John Shaw Billings, select personal and organizational archives, and the records and oral histories of the Medical Library Association (MLA). Information on some of these collections is given below.

Consult LocatorPlus medical informatics search tips for assistance in searching NLM's catalog.

• Title: National Library of Medicine (U.S.). Office of the Director, Martin M. Cummings papers 1944-1989.
  Author(s)/Name(s): National Library of Medicine (U.S.). Office of the Director.
  Description: 116 linear feet, (96 boxes).
  NLM Unique ID: 101277645
  
  
• Title: John S. Billings papers, 1841-1913.
  Author(s)/Name(s): Billings, John S. (John Shaw)
  Description: 18 linear ft. (44 MS. boxes and case items).
  Related Name(s): Library of the Surgeon-General’s Office (U.S.)
  NLM Unique ID: 2933081R
  
  
• Title: Octo Barnett papers, 1962-2005.
  Author(s)/Name(s): Barnett, Octo G.
  Description: 7.5 linear feet.
  NLM Unique ID: 101291471
  
  
• Title: Morris F. Collen papers, 1939-2002.
  Author(s)/Name(s): Collen, Morris F. (Morris Frank)
  Description: 2.5 linear feet, (2 boxes).
  NLM Unique ID: 101318542
  
  
• Title: Vernon E. Wilson papers, 1953-1981 (bulk 1970-1979).
  Author(s)/Name(s): Wilson, Vernon E.
  Description: 33.7 linear ft. (81 boxes + oversize items)
  NLM Unique ID: 100961998
  
  
• Title: American Association for Medical Systems and Informatics records, 1974-1984.
  Author(s)/Name(s): American Association for Medical Systems and Informatics.
  Description: 1.6 linear ft. (4 boxes)
  NLM Unique ID: 9802997
  
  
• Title: Edward J. Hinman medical informatics collection, 1969-1990.
  Author(s)/Name(s): Hinman, Edward J.
  Description: 6.25 linear ft. (6 boxes).
  NLM Unique ID: 101095117
  
  
• Title: Materials and papers on medical informatics, 1974-1994.
  Author(s)/Name(s): Blum, Bruce I.
  Description: 6.25 linear ft.
  NLM Unique ID: 101084854
  
  
• Title: Files of Marsden Scott Blois, 1908-1989.
  Author(s)/Name(s): Blois, Marsden S.
  Description: 12 cartons.
  NLM Unique ID: 101090817
  
  
• Title: Nursing informatics history collection papers.
  Author(s)/Name(s): Saba, Virginia, et al.
  Description: 59.8 linear ft.
  NLM Unique ID: 101095767

LocatorPlus Search Tips

Access to NLM's unparalleled printed collections on medical informatics may be found through the Library's catalog, LocatorPlus. A LocatorPlus keyword combination search on the phrase "medical AND informatics AND histor?" (no quotes needed) will yield published and unpublished materials on the history of medical informatics. A LocatorPlus keyword search on the term "medical informatics" (in quotes) will pull up the full range of materials that the Library holds.