MCHLine^® is a database listing materials held in the Mary C. Egan Maternal and Child Health Library. An MCHLine^® record contains a bibliographic citation, the name of a contact from whom the item may be obtained, and an annotation describing the item. MCHLine^® may be searched by author, title, publisher, publication date, series, and subject terms (keywords). Search tips, thesaurus of indexing terms, and annotated bibliographies on popular topics are available.

The Mary C. Egan Maternal and Child Health Library is part of the library system of Georgetown University, and it contains more than 20,000 items on a wide range of maternal and child health (MCH) topics. Most of these items are cataloged in MCHLine^®, although some special collections are not yet included. MCHLine^® is used for responding to requests for information and for preparing annotated bibliographies and publications.

The MCH Library's unique and hard-to-find resources have been developed by:

• The Maternal and Child Health Bureau (MCHB)
• Other federal agencies involved in MCH-related activities
• State and local MCH programs
• MCHB Grantees
• Voluntary and professional organizations

The MCH topics covered by the items contained in the MCH Library include

• Maternal, infant, child, and adolescent health
• Oral health
• Nutrition and physical activity
• Violence and injury prevention
• Children with special health care needs
• MCH programs and services

Library holdings include

• Books and reports: Policy and planning documents, program analyses, research and training reports, and other maternal and child health items. Many of these items document federal and state initiatives to improve the health of mothers and children.
• Journals: Over 250 periodicals and newsletters.
• Vertical file: 30 drawers of brochures, pamphlets, fact sheets, and other publications for health professionals and consumers.
• Final reports: Over 700 reports of projects funded by MCHB.
• Audiovisuals: A collection of over 500 titles that may be viewed in the library.
• Historic materials: Reports of the U.S. Children's Bureau from as early as 1914; microfilm of Children's Bureau documentary sources from the National Archives (300 reels); the William McConway Hiscock Collection on the federal Early and Periodic Screening, Diagnostic and Treatment program; and papers from notable individuals from MCHB and its predecessors including Mary C. Egan, Alice Chenowith, Rudy Hormuth, Vince Hutchins and Peter van Dyck.
• Title V reports: Annual reports and state plans documenting activities of state MCH agencies under Title V of the Social Security Act.

The MCH Library collects consumer health materials and commercially published materials very selectively and does not collect materials on clinical medicine. The NCEMCH Resource Development Policy (1999) guides the collection of materials for the MCH Library.

Guidelines to borrow or obtain copies of library materials

The MCH Library is primarily a reference collection. To obtain copies of materials, users should first contact the publishers or other contact sources listed in the databases or bibliographies, or visit lending libraries in their area such as university or public libraries. Journal articles listed in the databases are sometimes provided at no charge by the publisher, and sometimes a fee or subscription is required. Please view PubMed's How to Get the Journal Article or Partners in Information Access for the Public Health Workforce's How to Access Journal Articles for more details.

When materials are not available from other sources, limited photocopies or loans are available from the MCH Library. Photocopies are provided to all audiences; loans are provided directly to health professionals and through interlibrary loan to other audiences (consult your local library for interlibrary loans).

We welcome on-site users. Please schedule an appointment in advance so we may be sure someone will be available to assist you. Library hours are Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

Please contact us to request library materials or to schedule an appointment for on-site use.