SUNY Biomedical Communication Network

The SUNY Biomedical Communication Network (BCN) was the first online bibliographic network in the world for accessing medical literature. Operating from 1968-1977, the network also experimented with access to the shared cataloging of monographs as well as serials records. The BCN was hosted in the Health Sciences Library at what was then called Upstate Medical Center in Syracuse. Irwin Pizer (1934-1991), as Director of the Health Sciences Library, was also the Director of the BCN. There were nine original medical libraries in the network. Over the years membership grew to 32 institutions. For a number of reasons, the project began to suffer difficulties. In response, some of the leadership staff of BCN founded Bibliographic Retrieval Services, Inc. (BRS), a commercial vendor in Latham, NY. BRS was eventually purchased by OVID Technologies, a Walters-Kluwer Company.