MEDLINE is a literature database of biomedical information introduced in 1971 and maintained by the United States National Library of Medicine. It includes over 6,000 biomedical journals that are indexed and searchable via PubMed. MEDLINE began as MEDLARS, a computerized storage and retrieval system operated by the NLM since 1964 to index and provide access to medical literature. It has evolved to include additional databases and online services like PubMed and MedlinePlus.

1. MEDLINE
Presented by,
Vishnumaya, R. S.
MLISc- S4
DLIS, University of Kerala

2. INTRODUCTION
• International information systems are organized
to serve the needs of developed as well as
developing countries on co-operative basis.
• These are established to store recorded
information and retrieve it expeditiously.
• They provide free exchange of information
among scientists in various countries.

3. • The major International information systems
& services are INIS, AGRIS, INSPEC, BIOSIS,
MEDLARS, etc.
• MEDLARS (Medical Literature Analysis &
Retrieval System) is an online computer
searching system & a bibliographic service
started by NLM, Maryland (USA).

4. National Library of Medicine
(NLM): An Overview
• The NLM, on the campus of the National
Institutes of Health in Bethesda, Maryland
(USA), founded in 1836.
• In 1956, NLM came under the Act of Congress
of USA & was declared an apex library in the
field of Medical Sciences.

5. NLM…
• The world’s largest biomedical library, NLM
maintains & makes available a vast print
collection & produces electronic information
sources on a wide range of topics.
• It also supports & conducts research
development, & training in biomedical
informatics & health information technology.

7. Publications of NLM
• Index Medicus (1879)- Monthly
• Medical Subject Headings (MeSH)-1983
• Cumulated Index Medicus (1992)
• Abridged Index Medicus (1993)

8. MEDLARS
• The work on MEDLARS began in 1960 & the
system has several major revisions.
• Came into operation in 1964.

9. MEDLARS System
• MEDLARS is a computerized storage &
retrieval system to furnish bibliographic
access to NLM’s large biomedical collection.
• It became operational with the 1st computerproduced issue of ‘Index Medicus’, a
comprehensive subject- author index, to the
articles from the world’s biomedical journals.

10. Activities of MEDLARS
• Preparing of citations for the publication of
Index medicus.
• Maintenance of several computer- readable
databases including MEDLINE.
• Operation of online network.
• Provides SDILINE.

11. Scope/ Subject matter
• Medicine
• Toxicology
• Dentistry
• Cancer
• Nursing
• Veterinary medicine
• Pharmacology
• Allied health
professions, etc.

12. Computer- based products &
services
• AVLINE (Audio-Visual Online)
• CANCERLIT (Cancer Literature)
• CATLINE (Catalogue Online)
• CHEMLINE (Chemical Dictionary Online)

13. • TOXLINE (Toxicology information Online)
• SDILINE (Selective Dissemination of
Information Online)
• SERLINE (Serials Online)
• POPLINE (Population Information Online)

14. • RTECS (Registry of Toxic effects of Chemical
Substances Online )
• HISTLINE (History of Medicine Online)
• MEDLINE (MEDLARS Online)

15. MEDLINE
• MEDLINE is a literature database of life
sciences and biomedical information
introduced in 1971.
• It includes medicine, nursing, pharmacy,
dentistry, veterinary medicine & health care.
• It can be searchable via PubMed & NLM’s
National Center for Biotechnology
Information’s Entrez system.

16. Indexing
• MEDLINE uses Medical Subject Headings
(MeSH) for information retrieval.
• Engines designed to search MEDLINE (such as
PubMed & Entrez) generally use a Boolean
expression combining MeSH terms, words in
abstract and title of the article, author
names, date of publication, etc.

17. Inclusion of journals
• More than 6,000 of the world's leading
biomedical journals are indexed in MEDLINE.
• Selection is based on the recommendations
of a panel, the Literature Selection Technical
Review Committee (LSTRC), based on
scientific policy and scientific quality.

18. • PubMed is a free database comprises more than
22 million citations for biomedical literature
from MEDLINE, life science journals, & other
online books.
• Citations may include links to full- text content
from PubMed Central & publisher websites.
• Available via the NCBI Entrez retrieval system.

21. • MedlinePlus is a free web service produced &
maintained by NLM.
• Provides consumer health information for
patients, families, & health care providers.
• Brings together information from the US.
NLM, the National Institutes of Health (NIH),
other US.govt.agencies & health related
organizations.

24. CONCLUSION
• MEDLARS is a computerized biomedical
bibliographic storage & retrieval system
operated by the NLM.
• It was 1st introduced in 1964 & evolved into
an online system in 1971 called MEDLINE.
• The publication, Index Medicus was ceased in
December 2004.

25. REFERENCES
• Khanna, J.K. (1996). Handbook of Library
Information Systems & Services (Pp. 173-188).
New Delhi: BEACON Books.
• www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed retrieved on
25.06.2013.
• www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus retrieved on
25.06.2013.
• www.medlineindia.com retrieved on 28.06.2013.