MLA and the Association of Academic Health Sciences Libraries (AAHSL) have recommended that the National Library of Medicine (NLM) receive $394 million in funding for Fiscal Year 2016 (FY16).
The Associations also recommended continued support for the medical library community's role in NLM's outreach, telemedicine, disaster preparedenss, health information technology initiatives, and health care reform implementation.
Each year, MLA and AAHSL submit written testimony to the Senate Subcommittee on Labor-Health and Human Services, Education & Related Agencies in support of NLM funding for the coming fiscal year. The testimony highlights key programs and services where NLM has made a difference. In Fiscal Year 2015, NLM
- delivered more than a trillion bytes of data to millions of users daily that has helped researchers advance scientific discovery and accelerate its translation into new therapies
- gave public access to its resources and tools that promote wellness and disease prevention
- supported the work of medical librarians across the nation to use NLM's data bases so they could assist clinicians, students, researchers and the public in accessing information needed to save lives and improve health
- provided training for medical librarians, health professionals, and the general public in the most effective use of library data bases and other resources
- supported informatics research, training and the application of advanced computing and informatics to biomedical research and health care delivery
- undertook efforts to enhance the transparence of clinical trial results, and provide patients with more information to make necessary health care decisions
