Information science research, the National Library of Medicine and the public/private sectors

Two trends, the decline in funding for information science research and the accelerating contention between the public and private sectors in the information field, pose a threat to government institutions that conduct and support information science research. The appropriateness of the activities of the National Library of Medicine (NLM) in particular has been questioned by the private sector. NLM, which has heretofore been a leader in information science research and development and in serving the health professional community (as mandated by law) is threatened. Private sector opponents should bear in mind that the contributions made by the Government both directly through contracts and indirectly through education and spinoff from research efforts have paved the way and laid the groundwork for the online information industry. Continued growth of the industry will require continued research.