1. NLM Classification {National Library of Medicine}
Rebecca Mieure
Sharon Robinson
Stephanie Tilt
Emporia State University

2. What is the NLM Classification?
Steph

3. What is NLM Classification?
Patterned after the Library of Congress Classification System
It covers the field of medicine and related sciences
A broad classification that is suitable for both large and small library collections
It may be adapted to handle specialized collections of any size

4.
See the following website for an outline of the NLM classification
For the actual table go here:

5. How is the NLM Classification Organized?
Preclinical Sciences (QS-QZ)
General Health and Medicine (W-WB)
Diseases of the Whole Body; Aviation, Space, Naval Medicine (WC-WD)
Body Systems (WE-WL)
Specialty Areas (WM-WY)
History (WZ and 19th century schedule)

6. How is the NLM Classification Organized?
QS-QZ, W-WY, and WZ (excluding ) are used to classify works published after 1913
The 19th Century schedule is used for works published from
WZ is used for works published before and Americana
Table G subdivides certain subjects by geographic location

7. LCC Schedules Not Used by NLM
QM: Human Anatomy (NLM uses QS)
QR: Microbiology (NLM uses QW)
R: Medicine (NLM uses QT-QZ and W-WZ)

8. NLM Index Index headings are MeSH Arranged in alphabetical order
Includes NLM classification numbers for medical concepts
Many headings are assigned a range of numbers rather than a specific number
Updated annually to reflect MeSH changes

9. History of NLM Updates Print edition (1951-1999): infrequently
Online edition ( present): annually
PDF ( present): annually
NLM Poster ( present): as needed

10. New Revision: April 28, 2011 46 New class numbers added
3 class numbers deleted
69 MeSH terms added to the index, including 41 new to the MeSH vocabulary as of 2011
178 class number captions or schedule notes modified
606 index entries modified

13. History of the National Library of Medicine
Sharon

14. Joseph Lovell 1836

15. Ford’s Theatre

16. Report of a Survey of the Army Medical Library (1944)
Improve Facilities
Products
Services
Staffing
Support for increased funding
Major changes in operations

17. NLM Classification
“The genesis of the NLM classsification is a Survey Report on the Army Medical Library, published in 1944, which recommended that the “Library be re-classified according to a modern scheme,” and that new scheme be a mixed notation (letters and numbers) resembling that of the Library of Congress.”

18. NLM Classification
Mary Louise Marshall produced the rough draft for the NLM classification (1949)
Frank B. Rogers revised the rough draft and the NLM was published in 1951

19. How it is Used and Who is Using it
Rebecca

20. How and Who? WORLD’s largest medical library
Medical Libraries –Over 400 in mid-continental (UT, WY, KS, NE
Health Professionals –Doctors, etc.
Med students
Patients
High school students

21. NLM Resources NLM website (http://www.nlm.nih.gov/) provides:
Over 100 Databases – ie. PubMed (under Databases heading)
History of Medicine (under Explore NLM heading)
Various Research projects (under Research at NLM heading)

22. More Resources
Grants, Training/research, and jobs (NLM for You heading)
Read about diseases, drugs, find clinical trials (Find, Read, Learn)
NLM News and Events
Podcasts

23. Trivia Questions:
According to the NLM classification table what heading and number would plant poisons be under?
Disorders of Systematic, Metabolic, or Environmental Origin, etc. W D
Find the podcast “The Gulf Oil Spill's Health Impact”
What are the hours of the National Library of Medicine?
M-F 8:30 am – 5:00 pm Sat. 8:30 – 2:00 pm closed Sun

24. Hmmm… Effectiveness, would we change anything?
We didn’t feel we had enough medical knowledge to really have a decent question on its effectiveness
Classification starts at QS –WZ (why these letters? Seems confusing to “normal people”)

25. Evaluation of NLM Classification System
Majority of medical libraries use the NLM classification system because the “system is the most detailed and the most appropriate for a medical collection and that provides the best coverage for the subject area.” (Womack, 2006, p. 106)
Sharon

26. Other Reasons to use it Browsing Traditional System/familiar
Conform/independent

27. MeSH (Medical Subject Heading)
“Best and most appropriate controlled vocabulary system for a medical collection”
MEDLINE
Familiar/Different
MeSH uses vocabulary medical professionals use
LCSH vocabulary matches consumers terms. (Womack, 2006, p )

28. References
Fastest Librarian in the West. Retrieved June
NLM and you contest video submission. Retrieved June
U.S. Army of Medical Department (2009). The surgeons general. Retrieved June
U.S. National Library of Medicine (2011). About the NLM classifcation. Retrieved June
Womack, K. (2006). Conformity for conformity’s sake? The choice of a classification system and a subject heading system in academic health sciences libraries. Catalogs & Classification Quarterly, 42:1, doi: /J104v42n01_07