Iran National Digital Library of Medicine: Pros and Cons

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 Master of Library and Information Science, Central Library of Babol University of Medical Sciences and Visiting Lecturer, University of Applied Sciences and Payam Noor Center, Sari

2 Master of Library and Information Science, General Directorate of Guidance and Guidance, Mazandaran Province and Visiting Lecturer, Payam Noor University, Sari Center

Abstract
Iran National Digital Library of Medicine was launched in 2008 by Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences in order to supply English language scientific resources for the Universities of Medical Sciences throughout the country. The Library could be accessed via www.inlm.org. Given the academic definition for national and digital libraries, it seems that the services and resources offered in this way neither approach the concept of national library nor digital library. The present paper would embark initially on defining the concept of national library and digital library and would follow up with an academic definition of National Digital library so that the reader would correctly appreciate the concept and to be able to discern whether such a test-bed or capability could be considered as a national digital library of medicine or not.

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