Welcome to the Ruth Lilly Medical Library
Gabe Rios
Director of Ruth Lilly Medical Library
Whether you are new to IU School of Medicine, or have been here a while…I’d like to extend a warm welcome on behalf of the Ruth Lilly Medical Library staff.
Our goal is make your career here fulfilling, productive, and successful. We have a comprehensive collection of e-journals, e-books, and databases to support your education, teaching, patient care, and research goals. Most importantly, while the library’s physical location is in Indianapolis, we have a librarian faculty member assigned to each campus, department, and scholarly concentration. Your Medical Librarian is your guide to our excellent services and information resources.
Please follow the latest IU guidance to keep us all as safe as possible from COVID-19. You can also visit the IU COVID-19 FAQ for more information.

We provide a wide range of services including:
- Comprehensive collection of e-journals, e-books, and databases
- Request articles and books (at no cost per request) via Interlibrary Loan and Document Delivery
- Assistance with literature searches for grant proposals, publications, presentations, research, or educational program development
- Support for NIH Public Access compliance and creating NIH Biosketches
- Consultations for conducting systematic reviews
- Information on scholarly communication, including information on publishing and scholarly impact
- Open workshops, customized classes (live streamed online and in-person)
- Tutorials and Help Sheets for online databases
- Customized research guides
- Assistance locating resources on the history of medicine and history of medical education and guidance on conducting research using primary sources
- Exposure to relevant emerging technologies via the Nexus Collaborative Learning Lab, including a makerspace, 3d printing and virtual reality
- Help managing scholarly profiles through creating an Open Researcher and Contributor ID (ORCiD ID)
- Support for using the electronic lab notebook (ELN) system LabArchives and developing data management plans (DMPs)
About Ruth Lilly Medical Library
The Medical Library’s mission is to advance health care by providing instruction, expertise, and leadership in knowledge management and establishing a collaborative lifelong learning environment vital for Indiana University School of Medicine’s continued success in education, research and patient care.
The Indianapolis location provides resources for and serves IU School of Medicine students, staff, residents and faculty at all the medical campuses.
Established in 1908, the Ruth Lilly Medical Library is the largest academic health sciences library in the state. The facility has 50,000 square feet of space that includes:
- A team-based learning classroom
- Four computer classrooms for testing and teaching, each housing 40 computers & video projection equipment
- The Nexus: a collaborative learning space & IQ Wall
- Makerspace
- Small group study rooms
- 24/7 study area for medical students
- Student lounge
- Computers
- Student lounge
- Mobile Ultrasound Device check out and POCUS room
Subscription & Access to:
Journals
eBooks
Databases
The Leo J. McCarthy, MD History of Medicine Room contains the History of Medicine special collection consisting of approximately 3,500 books including several significant books on the American Revolutionary War, and early American surgery.
Established in May 2015 by Dr. McCarthy, the lectureship brings in experts to address topics that enlighten and educate students and faculty, and instill the same passion to understand the evolution of their profession.
Indiana Public Health Historic Collections
The collection includes digitized versions of the Indiana State Board of Health Monthly Bulletin (1899-1991) and the Historic Image Collection featuring 19th-20th century images.