National network of libraries of medicine RFP, region 4, technical proposal

The mission of the Region 4 RML is quite simply to realize the promise of the NN/LM. The model that is being proposed for Region 4 reflects the power of the distributed, networked computing environment where the power of the technology resides in the hands of the end-user. The resources and services of the RML will be brought as close to the end-user as possible recognizing that the success of the end-user and of network members will surely result in success for the RML. At its core, the RML strategy will be collaboration, collaboration that is increasingly facilitated by rapid developments in technology. It is expected that colleagues will work as effectively with colleagues 1,000 miles away as they do with colleagues in the same building. This strategy is essential in an environment of rapid change and increasing complexity that is beyond the ability of a single individual or institution to effectively address. The strategy of collaboration will extend to services, where the end-user is far more concerned with the service than s/he is with the source of the service. Finally, the rapid advance of the technology offers extraordinary opportunities for innovation, which are best exploited through collaboration. Clearly for this model to succeed, the RML must provide leadership and act as the catalyst for collaboration.