DuBois Regional Medical Center's Professional Library's basic philosophy is to give active support to the day to day activities of the health care institution and faster self learning and further knowledge. The Professional Library serves 1,111 health professionals, 97 students and the community and an annual inpatient population of approximately 10,000 persons. The goal of this project is the sharing and the promotion of prompt access and delivery of health and other information required by physicians, allied health professionals, educators, students and consumers, that the library serves. The DuBois computer network would use the equipment to connect with the National Library of Medicine, using the database Medline. We also are very interested in connecting with Doeline system for interlibrary loans. This equipment would enhance the system that is in place now at the local, regional and state level using telefax machines for exchange of information. The library is a member of a local network that is made up of two public libraries, one school library and two smaller medical libraries. That share resources, recuperate interlibrary loan and has expressed the need for on-line searching for their patrons. The computer equipment will also provide quality assurance by allowing physicians to investigate every option for care. The computer will help alleviate some of many barriers to access information that are unique to rural areas.
