National Library of Medicine

The National Library of Medicine (NLM) is the world's largest biomedical library and a component of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), under the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Located on the NIH campus in Bethesda, Maryland, NLM was originally founded in 1836 as the Library of the Surgeon General's Office and was formally established in its modern civilian form by Congress in 1956. Its mission centers on acquiring, organizing, preserving, and providing free online access to biomedical literature and health information for researchers, healthcare professionals, and the public worldwide.

NLM operates a suite of widely used databases and tools including PubMed, MedlinePlus, ClinicalTrials.gov, dbGaP, and the Unified Medical Language System, collectively making available citation records, genomic data, clinical trial information, and standardized health terminologies. Its collections encompass over 30 million items, and its digital platforms are among the most visited federal government websites, serving millions of users daily. NLM also partners with more than 8,100 member institutions through the National Network of Libraries of Medicine (NNLM).

NLM conducts cutting-edge research and training with a focus on artificial intelligence, machine learning, computational biology, and biomedical informatics and health data standards. Each year, roughly 200 trainees are supported through its Biomedical Informatics Training Program. Innovations in health data science, AI-driven literature discovery, or biomedical informatics tools are directly relevant to NLM's core research and dissemination mandate.