Editor’s Note

Transforming Biomedical informatics and Health Information Access: Don Lindberg and the U.S. National Library of Medicine is a newly published book from IOS Press [1]. It chronicles the extraordinary accomplishments of Donald A.B. Lindberg M.D. and his team both in and outside NLM, during a consequential period in the library’s history, 1984–2015. Dr. Lindberg died in 2019. It was my privilege to serve on his NLM team and co-edit this tribute volume, selected portions of which are co-published in this special issue of Information Services and Use (ISU).

These eleven papers present stories of ‘Don Lindberg’s Outreach Legacy’ and recount notable examples of his efforts to improve access to health information by everyone, including underserved and disadvantaged minority populations. They describe a decade-long initiative with Native Americans that greatly inspired Dr. Lindberg personally. As the scientific community and indeed, our societies at large grapple today with the need to foster inclusion, diversity and equity, these papers reflect Dr. Lindberg’s historical commitment to removing structural, technical, and pricing barriers, thus supporting a culture of inclusion as NLM greatly expanded its information offerings to institutional and individual users. A national network of health sciences and public libraries partnered with NLM and became, literally, a force for outreach. Don Lindberg did all this purposefully, and he inspired us to do the same and make a difference.

Two additional special issues will be published in 2022 containing papers from the Lindberg Book. One will include papers describing the multiple dimensions of expanded access to health information. They recount how Dr. Lindberg moved NLM to provide free worldwide service to scientists, health professionals, and the public, and his impact on scholarly communication and new roles for librarians. The other special issue will focus on biomedical and health informatics, and how Dr. Lindberg and the NLM inspired the growth and remarkable transformation of these fields during his career.

Elliot R. Siegel

Editor-in-Chief

Information Services and Use