United States National Library of Medicine National Institutes of Health

FAQ: Resources for International Librarians, Health Professionals and Researchers in Developing Countries

This Web page provides training, document delivery and other useful resources for the health and information professionals in developing countries.

NLM Training and Courses | PubMed Training and Courses | Environmental Health and Toxicology Training and Tutorials | Document Delivery – Getting Journal Articles | Library Development | Internet and Library/Resource Center Development Manuals | NLM Sites of Interest | Training | Links to Associations and to Medical Libraries | Fogarty International Center Grants Directory | Tours of NLM |

NLM Training and Courses

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PubMed Training and Courses

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Environmental Health and Toxicology Training and Tutorials

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Document Delivery – Getting Journal Articles

Paying for document access or copies

The National Library of Medicine (NLM) is the world's largest medical library. NLM is the library of last resort for materials that are not available from local or regional libraries. Individuals who need access to medical literature should make a request through a local library or register with a Loansome Doc® library that agrees to provide articles to them: http://www.nlm.nih.gov/pubs/factsheets/loansome_doc.html

Users outside the United States are welcome to use Loansome Doc. There are many libraries throughout the world and in the US and Canada willing to serve international users. For more information, see the FAQ on Finding a Library and How to Register for Loansome Doc.

Free Full Text or Open Access Documents

Local Services:

Additional assistance in identifying and locating useful information can be obtained from your own local medical libraries.

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Library Development

During your visit to the U.S., we strongly encourage you to visit academic medical libraries. NLM does not serve faculty or students in an academic setting; we provide services to other libraries and institutions, not individual people.

In the Baltimore area (about 40 miles from Washington):

In the Washington D.C. area:

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Internet and Library/Resource Development Manuals

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NLM Sites of Interest

Databases:

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Other:

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Training

Information about becoming a medical librarian is available from professional library associations, such as the Medical Library Association (MLA): http://www.mlanet.org/career/career_explore.html . It links to graduate schools in the United States and Canada that offer health science information courses and programs: http://www.mlanet.org/education/libschools/index.html . An undergraduate degree is required for admission to these library programs.

Start with local library associations for to learn more about training opportunities and options. Some programs offer distance learning options in which courses are provided online. Local library associations can provide information about specific professional requirements and which programs fulfill these requirements. A list of associations is available at http://www.sla.org/content/resources/inforesour/reftool/librassn.cfm .

Contact your national government and organizations in your country for information about financial aid. Some countries provide financial aid for their citizens to study in the U.S. or other countries. You can find information at http://studentaid.ed.gov/PORTALSWebApp/students/english/intl.jsp , http://www.educationusa.state.gov/home/financial-assistance/external, and http://www.nafsa.org/students.sec/financial_aid_for_undergraduate . There may be specific aid available for library education from organizations located in your country. Foreign embassies often have cultural and educational attachés who can provide information about financial aid or who can provide access to directories of educational grants and fellowships.

Training opportunities for librarians who have completed their master's degree are also available. The NLM offers the NLM Associates Fellows Program (http://www.nlm.nih.gov/about/training/associate/index.html). The National Library of Medicine Associate Fellowship Program is a one-year postgraduate training fellowship at the NLM in Bethesda, Maryland, with an optional second year program component. The program is designed to prepare librarians for future leadership roles in health sciences libraries and in health services research.

The Medical Library Association awards the Cunningham Memorial International Fellowship (http://ics.mlanet.org/fellowship.htm). for a health sciences librarian from a country outside the U.S. or Canada. Other travel grants to attend professional conferences may be available from other library associations.

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Links to Associations and to Medical Libraries

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Fogarty International Center Grants Directory

Since 1988, the Fogarty International Center (http://www.fic.nih.gov/), part of the National Institutes of Health, has published the Directory of International Grants and Fellowships in the Health Sciences. (http://www.fic.nih.gov/funding/directory_fellowships.htm). This is a comprehensive compilation of international funding opportunities in biomedical and behavioral research, and should serve the individual or institution who seeks financial support.

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Tours of NLM

The NLM Visitors Center, located in the lobby of the Lister Hill Center (NIH Building 38A), is open weekdays except Federal holidays, 9:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m. It offers an excellent orientation to the National Library of Medicine through its tours, printed information and interactive computer displays: http://www.nlm.nih.gov/about/vcenter.html

If you have questions about NLM's tour operation, please call Shana Potash in the Office of Communications and Public Liaison, 301-594-7526, or potashs@mail.nlm.nih.gov

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http://www.nlm.nih.gov/services/international.html

Last reviewed: 18 March 2009
Last updated: 18 March 2009
First published: 05 April 2005
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