Abstract
Tablets said to date back to 2000 b.c. represent the earliest medical writings so far discovered. The history of the medical library (defined as a place where a collection of medical writings is kept) is traced through ancient and medieval civilizations, and the dependence of advancement or decline on the attitude toward learning and knowledge is demonstrated.
The change in structure of medical libraries that took place around the 1500s with the development of scientific societies is discussed. Medical libraries of Colonial America are described and the history is brought forward to the era of public library collections of medical material in the early 1900s.
Full text
PDF
Selected References
These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.
- Cheshier R. G. Medical libraries: a changing visage. Chic Med Sch Q. 1966 Summer;26(2):98–100. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Wannarka M. Medical collections in public libraries of the United States: a brief historical study. Bull Med Libr Assoc. 1968 Jan;56(1):1–14. [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]