The Moody Medical Library houses the largest and the most significant collection in the history of the biomedical sciences in the southern United States. The historical holdings, which amount to over 30,000 print titles, constitute an important resource not only for The University of Texas Medical Branch (UTMB) at Galveston but also for the state and region.

Background:
The special collections came into being mostly through the efforts of Truman G. Blocker, Jr., M.D. (1909-1984), plastic surgeon, medical educator, and the first President of UTMB. The expansion of the rare book library began in the late 1960s. With funds provided by foundations, and UTMB clinical departments, and with donations from various individuals, the historical collections grew steadily in the 1970s and the 1980s.

Holdings:
The Truman G. Blocker, Jr. History of Medicine Collections include the following types of materials:

Rare Books 
 About 18,000 titles, with strengths in anatomy and surgery; anesthesiology; immunology; occupational medicine; psychiatry and behavioral sciences. 
 
Archives and Manuscripts 
 Selected institutional records, personal papers of UTMB faculty and alumni, and records of several Texas organizations in the health sciences, including the Centennial Oral History.
 
Visual Materials 
 6,000 photographs, mostly relating to UTMB; 6,000 portraits of historical figures in medicine; over 100,000 postage stamps; 5,200 hospital postcards. 
 
Artifacts 
 About 2,000 items, including microscopes, medical and surgical instruments, pharmaceutical collection, medals, and related memorabilia. 
 
Secondary Sources 
 Over 15,000 titles of modern monographs, reprints, translations, and early 20th-century textbooks. 

Services:
All historical materials are available for use by researchers within the premises of the Blocker Collections, 8 a.m. to 12 noon and 1 pm to 5 pm, Monday through Friday. Reproduction services include slides, black-and-white and color prints, and photocopies. A fee is charged for photo duplication services. The Rare Book Room is open to the public, and rare books and other items of historical interest are displayed on a regular basis. The library welcomes inquiries by phone, FAX, or electronic mail.

Contact:
The Blocker History of Medicine Collections
The Moody Medical Library
The University of Texas Medical Branch
Galveston, Texas 77555-1035
Phone: 409/772-2397; FAX: 409/765-9852;
E-mail: ref@utmb.edu

Also, find out some Interesting Facts about the Blocker Collections.

See some images from the Blocker Collections.