NLM Funds 52 Grants for Internet Access to Digital Libraries
The National Library of Medicine (NLM) announces 52 awards in its new Internet Access to Digital Libraries (IADL) grant program. The purpose of the IADL grants is to help health-related organizations provide consumers, health professionals and health staff with access to digital health information resources and information services of the highest quality. These projects will use computers linked to the Internet to give access to published articles and books, electronic health records, curriculum materials and scientific knowledge bases.
The FY 2002 IADL awards, amounting to just over $4 million, will reach consumers and health professionals in more than 330 communities in 25 states and Puerto Rico. Forty percent of the recipient organizations serve rural populations; 17% are in inner-city settings. Twenty-eight percent of the projects benefit minority populations and people with special health needs.
NLM recognizes that many health-related organizations, especially smaller ones and those in rural or inner-city settings, lack resources to take full advantage of the Internet’s ability to facilitate informed decision making by health professionals and consumers. The IADL grants help such organizations use the Internet for access to health related information and services provided by NLM and others; to transfer files and images, and to interact by e-mail and videoconferencing with colleagues throughout the world. The grants emphasize the delivery of health information to end-users.
Information about funded awards is available at http://www.nlm.nih.gov/ep/AwardsIADL.html.
Questions about the program should be directed to Dr. Valerie Florance, 301-594-4882; e-mail address: florancev@mail.nih.gov.
