---
kind: "section"
citation: "42 U.S.C. § 286b–5"
title: "42"
title_heading: "The Public Health and Welfare"
number: "286b–5"
heading: "Grants for establishing, expanding, and improving basic resources of medical libraries and related instrumentalities"
release: "119-102"
date: "2026-07-12"
url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/42/286b-5"
units:
  - "Chapter 6A — Public Health Service"
  - "Subchapter III — National Research Institutes"
  - "Part D — National Library of Medicine"
  - "Subpart 2 — financial assistance"
---

# §286b–5. Grants for establishing, expanding, and improving basic resources of medical libraries and related instrumentalities

- (a) The [Secretary](/usc/42/201.md?p=c) shall make grants of money, materials, or both, to public or private [nonprofit](/usc/42/300s–3.md?p=3) [medical libraries](/usc/42/286b–1.md?p=1) and related scientific communication instrumentalities for the purpose of establishing, expanding, and improving their basic [medical library](/usc/42/286b–1.md?p=1) or related resources. A grant under this subsection may be used for—
  - (1) the acquisition of books, journals, photographs, motion picture and other films, and other similar materials;
  - (2) cataloging, binding, and other [services](/usc/42/201.md?p=a) and procedures for processing library resource materials for use by those who are served by the library or related instrumentality;
  - (3) the acquisition of duplication devices, facsimile equipment, film projectors, recording equipment, and other equipment to facilitate the use of the resources of the library or related instrumentality by those who are served by it; and
  - (4) the introduction of new technologies in medical librarianship.
- (b)
  - (1) The amount of any grant under this section to any [medical library](/usc/42/286b–1.md?p=1) or related instrumentality shall be determined by the [Secretary](/usc/42/201.md?p=c) on the basis of the scope of library or related [services](/usc/42/201.md?p=a) provided by such library or instrumentality in relation to the population and purposes served by it. In making a determination of the scope of [services](/usc/42/201.md?p=a) served by any [medical library](/usc/42/286b–1.md?p=1) or related instrumentality, the [Secretary](/usc/42/201.md?p=c) shall take into account—
    - (A) the number of graduate and undergraduate students making use of the resources of such library or instrumentality;
    - (B) the number of physicians and other practitioners in the [sciences related to health](/usc/42/286b–1.md?p=2) utilizing the resources of such library or instrumentality;
    - (C) the type of supportive staffs, if any, available to such library or instrumentality;
    - (D) the type, size, and qualifications of the faculty of any [school](/usc/42/300j–21.md?p=6) with which such library or instrumentality is affiliated;
    - (E) the staff of any [hospital](/usc/42/300s–3.md?p=1) or [hospitals](/usc/42/300s–3.md?p=1) or of any clinic or clinics with which such library or instrumentality is affiliated; and
    - (F) the geographic area served by such library or instrumentality and the availability within such area of [medical library](/usc/42/286b–1.md?p=1) or related [services](/usc/42/201.md?p=a) provided by other libraries or related instrumentalities.
  - (2) Grants to such [medical libraries](/usc/42/286b–1.md?p=1) or related instrumentalities under this section shall be in such amounts as the [Secretary](/usc/42/201.md?p=c) may by regulation prescribe with a view to assuring adequate continuing financial support for such libraries or instrumentalities from other sources during and after the period for which grants are provided, except that in no case shall any grant under this section to a [medical library](/usc/42/286b–1.md?p=1) or related instrumentality for any fiscal year exceed $1,000,000.

## Source credit

(July 1, 1944, ch. 373, title IV, § 474, as added Pub. L. 99–158, § 2, Nov. 20, 1985, 99 Stat. 861; amended Pub. L. 100–607, title I, § 146(b), Nov. 4, 1988, 102 Stat. 3058; Pub. L. 103–43, title XIV, § 1401(b), June 10, 1993, 107 Stat. 170.)

## Notes

### Editorial Notes

### Amendments

1993—Subsec. (b)(2). Pub. L. 103–43 substituted “$1,000,000” for “$750,000”.

1988—Subsec. (b)(2). Pub. L. 100–607 substituted “$750,000” for “$500,000”.