Coordination of regional libraries with Regional Medical Program projects.

The Medical Library Assistance Act authorized the Regional Medical Library Program to improve information services in health fields, as well as other programs designed to help the health worker. Both the RMLP and the Regional Medical Program are based on regional cooperation to enhance the value of available resources, and to enable health workers away from main centers to use them. Services which Regional Medical Libraries must supply are described. As this program develops, more than conventional library services will be provided. Regional Medical Programs stress the continuing education of health-related personnel, and their need for health information; libraries are necessarily involved in such programs. The regions of the RMP are smaller than those of the RMLP, and the smaller regional focus may be an advantage. Specific examples of the coordination of library services and library-oriented programs are given.