When the National Library of Medicine announced that its database would be provided free on the web through the web site PUBMED, Vice President Al Gore was on hand to encourage Americans to visit "their neighbourhood medical library", "the home page that makes house calls." Major U.S. television news programs, the Wall Street Journal, and Ann Landers devoted copy to the announcement. If not quite achieving cult status, it was clear that 's rich and unique content would now reach consumers directly.  Librarians, who prior to 1996 had been the ....