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BCMS
Bexar County
Medical Library
Association
The Bexar County Medical Society (BCMS) began as a shared
library used by Bexar County physicians. This takes it all the way
back to 1853. Before there was an executive director managing
the affairs of the Society/Library, there was a head librarian.
The Bexar County Medical Library Association, officially es-
tablished in 1920, was reorganized in 1982 and again in 1997. It
is a non-profit corporation organized exclusively for charitable,
educational and scientific purposes. All active practicing physician opportunities to meet together in committees to guide the paths
members of the Bexar County Medical Society are members of
the Library Association.
In 1968, the Library donated its extensive collection of histor-
ically significant and valuable books to the Medical School for
the Dolph Briscoe Library and the P.I. Nixon collection in par-
ticular. As a result of this major donation, all Medical Society
members have access to the Medical School’s library. Although
few books remain in the Medical Society’s library, there is quite
a collection of medical journals.
The Library Association provides a charitable venue for co-
sponsorship of conferences, symposiums and other medically re-
lated educational programs.
Today, the information age has reduced the need for physical
books and magazines, so the original purpose of the Library has
Bexar County Medical Society Foundation
BCMS, BCMS Alliance and BCMS Foundation scholarship recipients
The Foundation achieves its goals by wisely investing the Foundation’s endowment fund, as well as by holding fundraising events
such as galas and golf tournaments and with donations from Bexar County businesses who support the Foundation’s mission. Philan-
thropy is part of the practice of medicine, and BCMS is proud to support and encourage future providers.
16 San Antonio Medicine • October 2015
changed. Now the Library serves as the entity that not only stores
and displays historical books and equipment, but manages the
building for the benefit of all BCMS affiliated companies and or-
ganizations. This includes BCMS itself, the BCMS Alliance,
Bexar Credentials Verification Inc., the BCMS Foundation and
BCMS Real Estate Holding Company. The Library is also the
entity that provides free continuing medical education (CME) to
member physicians at general membership meetings along with
in areas like socioeconomics, emergency medicine, physician-to-
physician issues, physician-patient issues, physician health and
rehabilitation, publication of physician news, etc.
The BCM Library Association is sustained largely through do-
nations from physicians, companies and individuals who support
the practice of medicine. The Circle of Friends program is the
entity that receives donations to enable the continued operation
of the BCMS building and support of its sponsored activities.
Physicians are invited to use the BCMS Library Association
building for their purposes in providing medical care and in the
ambassadorship of medicine.
The Bexar County Medical Society Foundation was founded
in 1995 with a grant from the Methodist Foundation. Its original
mission was to encourage students finishing high school to con-
sider a profession in a medical field. It is in the common interests
of physicians, hospitals and patients to ensure future staffing
needs for the practice of medicine are met. Over the past 20 or
more years, the BCMS Foundation has given away many hun-
dreds of thousands of dollars in scholarship monies to graduating
students with plans to serve in a medical field. In addition, the
Foundation has given large sums to the medical school to help
meet the needs of medical students.