8th International Congress on Medical Librarianship

http://www.icml.org

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Health libraries and information services throughout the world are linked together in a vast and complex network of mutual support. There is too much important medical information for any of us to cope on our own, so we work together to share our collections and our expertise.

This collaborative approach is reflected in our professional bodies, which have strong local, national and regional layers. There is, however, only one truly global forum where we can meet together: the International Congress on Medical Librarianship (ICML) which takes place every five years and serves as an important marker for contemporary health information services - from Trondheim to Tonga, from Arkansas to Kazakhstan from Siberia to Cyberia.

The next ICML takes place in London on July 2-5, 2000. On this occasion, the Congress will incorporate at least five major conferences:

Annual conference of the Health Libraries Group (HLG)

7th Conference of European Health & Medical Libraries (EAHIL)

5th Congreso Regional de Informacion en Ciencias de la Salud, (CRICS)

7th Conference of the Association for Health Information in Africa (AHILA)

3rd International Conference of Animal Health Information Specialists (ICAHIS)

With additional special events such as sessions organised by:

MLA International Cooperation Section
MLA Medical Informatics Section
EAHIL Pharmaceutical Information Group
Nordic Association for Medical and Health Information
University Medical School Librarians Group (UK)
OMNI (Organising Medical Networked Information)
BIREME (Latin American and Caribbean Center on Health Sciences Information).

A packed programme is being prepared, with continuing education courses and library visits both before and after the main event. The social side is being planned to take advantage of London's millennium celebrations: there will be at least one evening which will bring everyone together, but also loads of optional events and outings to take advantage of London's limitless diversity.

If you would like to keep in touch with progress, please bookmark this page and check back regularly. If you would like to contribute your ideas and opinions to the organisers, why not join the International Consultation Forum by emailing rob@la-hq.org.uk.

ICML hasn't been to Europe for 25 years, and hasn't been to London since 1953.

Tony McSean
Chair of the ICML Organising Committee
and Librarian of the British Medical Association