Strategies and measures for our next century

The centennial of the Medical Library Association offers an opportunity to reflect with some satisfaction on accomplishments and to consider the future. The Western Governors University is an illustration of the dynamic future. Professional values constitute both distinguishing characteristics and steadfast guides for succeeding in this complex environment. Powerful collaborative technologies now make it possible to overcome challenges that are beyond the capabilities of an individual librarian or library. Providing organized access to the Internet exemplifies these challenges. The profession has a strong history of cooperation but to take full advantage of collaboration, institutional and cultural barriers must be overcome. The National Network of Libraries of Medicine (NN/LM) should be the facilitating agent in this process.