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The NLM Main Reading Room Collection

The NLM® Main Reading Room Collection, also called the Reference Collection, includes materials selected for their reference values. Users consult these for specific information rather than for cover-to-cover reading. The Reference Collection is current, mostly English-language, and contains over 5,000 titles. The Reading Room collection is open to all for self-service browsing and use.

What's in the Reference Collection?

The Reference Collection consists of three broad categories:

Journals

The Reading Room journal collection includes approximately 55 highly used titles.
Journal call numbers begin with W1.

Monographs and Serials

The Reading Room monograph collection includes textbooks in the core, related, and peripheral subject areas defined by NLM, and traditional reference tools, e.g., dictionaries, biographical/membership directories, handbooks, atlases, guides, sourcebooks, almanacs.
Monograph and serial call numbers begin with the letters A to WZ.

Abstracts, Indexes, and Bibliographies

The Reading Room abstract, index, and bibliography collection may be monographs or serials. Works about library science are also in this section.
Abstract, index, and bibliography call numbers begin with Z.

Identifying and Locating Items in the Reference Collection

Use either LocatorPlus® or NLM Catalog to identify journals, monographs, audiovisuals, and serials in the Reference Collection.

  • Use LocatorPlus to search for items by author, title, subject, number, or keyword. Limit your search to items in the Reading Room by setting the LocatorPlus Quick Limit Option to "Reading Room Collection."
  • Use NLM Catalog to search for items by author, title, subject, number or keyword. If you use a MeSH (Medical Subject Heading) term to search NLM Catalog, the system automatically searches more specific MeSH terms, too.

    From the full display of the search results, click NLM Holdings in LocatorPlus Button to view NLM holdings and location information in LocatorPlus.