Milestones: MEDLARS

• MEDical Literature Access and Retrieval System

  • Computerized form of Index Medicus (replaced Surgeon General’s index of medical literature in early 20th C.
  • Created in mid-1960s at National Library of Medicine (NIH, Bethesda)

• Benefits:

  • Comprehensive, extensively indexed; incomparably more powerful system for searching, monitoring medical literature; increased quality, consistency of requests

• Still going strong (Medline, Pubmed via NCBI) as premier index in US in 2001