About the Friends of the NLM

The Friends of the National Library of Medicine is an independent, nonprofit organization that is separate legally, programmatically, and organizationally from the National Library of Medicine.

The Friends organization was formed in 1986 as a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization to recognize the Library’s programs and mission. FNLM is a coalition of individuals, medical associations and societies, hospitals, health science libraries, corporations, and foundations, dedicated to increasing public awareness and use of the NLM, as well as its many programs in research, education, and public service.

The National Library of Medicine (NLM) was founded in 1836 and is now located on the National Institutes of Health campus in Bethesda, Maryland.  It is the world’s largest repository of biomedical and health sciences information with more than eight million items including books, journals, videos, historical artifacts, and receives over one billion hits per year over the World Wide Web.

The Library serves the general public as well as physicians, nurses, dentists, librarians and other members of the health care community, research scientists in medical centers, institutes and pharmaceutical, chemistry and communication corporations. Members of the FNLM Board represent all of these constituencies across the country and internationally. They serve without compensation, giving freely of their time and expertise.