Estelle Brodman Oral History

Collection

Estelle Brodman Oral History

0.05 Linear Feet

In her 1978 oral history interview, Dr. Brodman explains her pursuit of a degree in Library Science, her two years at Columbia University, and her early career in the Medical Library Association. Dr. Brodman then discusses her career at the National Library of Medicine and the differences between the Army Medical Library of the 1940s and the National Library of Medicine of the 1970s. She mentions the development of MEDLARS and GRACE and the demise of the Index Catalog. Dr. Brodman tells of coming to Washington University School of Medicine Library and changes in libraries over the decades. The several interviewers next respond to Dr. Brodman’s questions about the changes in the Washington University School of Medicine Library. The interview ends with Estelle Brodman’s statement on how fulfilling and exciting medical librarianship has been for her.

In her 1981 oral history interview, Dr. Brodman explains how she came to enter medical librarianship and the School of Library Service at Columbia University. She describes her early professional experiences at the Cornell University Nursing School Library, the main library of Columbia University and its medical library. There is a section on Dr. Brodman’s experiences at the Army Medical Library—National Library of Medicine from 1949 to 1961 and the changes during that period. Dr. Brodman discusses the history of the Medical Library Association and its relationship with the National Library of Medicine. She also details her involvement in the MLA – as editor of the Bulletin of the Medical Library Association, the development of the MLA Oral History Project, and her term as president and on various committees. Brodman discusses her decision to leave the National Library of Medicine and come to the Washington University School of Medicine Library in 1961 and her 20 years there. In addition, Brodman discusses her experiences serving as a consultant nationally and internationally, and changes in medical librarianship over the course of her long career.

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Preferred Citation:

Item description, Reference Code, Bernard Becker Medical Library Archives, Washington University in St. Louis.

• English

• Latin

Oral history interview (1981): http://beckerexhibits.wustl.edu/oral/interviews/brodman1981.html

Oral history interview (1978): http://beckerexhibits.wustl.edu/oral/interviews/brodman1978.html

• Brodman, Estelle, Lectureship, Vertical File
• Brodman, Estelle, 1914-2007, Vertical File
• Estelle Brodman Oral History (OH039)
• Estelle Brodman Oral History (OH052)
• Estelle Brodman, Thomas Jefferson and Medicine Lecture Slides
• Estelle Brodman, Body Snatching Lecture Slides
• Estelle Brodman, Scientists as Librarians Slides
• Estelle Brodman Photographs

"Describing Archives: A Content Standard, Second Edition (DACS), 2013."

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• Faculty Collection