OML is a grass roots efforts whose mission is providing medical texts and journals to medical schools and hospitals in Iraq and Afghanistan. Originally founded as Books Without Borders, it started in April 2007 by Valerie Walker, Director of the UCLA Medical Alumni Association (MAA). She responded to an email request from a graduate of the medical school at UCLA for donated medical textbooks for medical facilities in Tikrit, Iraq. Original donations came from the UCLA medical alumni, faculty, and students. The name was changed to Operation Medical Libraries in the spring 2008 due to a name conflict with an unrelated organization.

Donated Textbooks Have Immediate and Lasting Effects on Afghan and Iraqi Medical Education

Almost all medical professionals in the Western World can rely on medical information Websites for looking up questions and maintaining their continuing medical education.

While Iraqi and Afghan doctors would welcome the opportunity to take greater advantage of all that is available on the Internet, the lack of electricity, slow access, and limited availability make it difficult for most doctors and medical students to access Internet resources. As a result, they have to rely heavily on medical textbooks for clinical information to manage sick patients.

The U.S. Air Force, Army, and Navy Medical Corps (MC) and the U.S. Air Force and Army Nurse Corps (NC) have struggled to get textbooks back in the hands of Afghan and Iraqi medical professionals. Operation Medical Libraries (OML) is helping to meet this need. The impact on the medical communities of these two countries has been immediate and apparent. The effects will be felt for generations to come.

You can read more about Operation Medical Libraries:

Online Medical Libraries website and blog

UCLA Medical Alumni Association (MAA)

American Medical News, August 25, 2008
Tons of Donated Medical Texts Sent to War Zones in Afghanistan and Iraq

The above interview with Valerie Walker was also featured on ReachMD radio program

Join the Operation Medical Libraries Facebook Group

A collection of quotes regarding Operation Medical Libraries

If your corporation, association, medical school, hospital, medical library, or Girl Scout troop is interested in donating textbooks and shipping them to a MC or NC POC, please select a POC and follow these instructions.