MEDLARS, 1970-1971

The bulk of this collection dates from 1970-1985 when Erich Meyerhoff ran the library. (For earlier years, researchers should consult the minutes of the Library Committee): Perhaps the largest number of folders covers the Library Consortium Study Committee, which in 1979¬1980 investigated ways of increasing cooperation among the libraries of the York Avenue institutions. (Rockefeller University, Memorial Sloan Kettering, New York Hospital-Cornell Medical Center and Hospital for Special Surgery) The Committee, along with the consulting firm of Peat, Marwick, Mitchell, completed a number of studies on computer systems, space needs, journal holdings, and user demands. Their conclusions are summarized in the January 1981 report "Library Cooperation in the 1980s" (4:11

Another topic covered in detail is the Cornell Media Consortium an attempt to pool the audio-visual resources of several area health care institutions. The rise and fall of the Consortium over the years 1977-1982 can be examined in these records (2: 5-9)

Also included in the collection are the minutes and correspondence of the Loeb Librarian Search Committee; documents relating to the Wood Foundation donation in 1959; and information on the establishment and operations of the Medical Archives.

There is also correspondence (1968-1974; 1979-1985), library department papers, and information on library exhibits. In contrast, records documenting the library's increasing use of computers during this period are scarce (1:15; 2:1, 4). Researchers should also consult other Library records in the Archives, especially the Annual Reports, for additional information on this period.