This was previously posted on the lis-nursing list, but as the NELH Virtual
Branch Library covers Nursing and PAMS I've posted it to lis-medical now as
well. As chair of Libraries for Nursing I am particularly interested in the
nursing angle, but would welcome all comments, directly to me by Weds 30th
Aug. I will post the feedback for NELH, written from your comments, on
lis-medical and lis-nursing.
Thanks
Rebecca Davies
Health Science Librarian
Library and Information Centre
University of Wales Swansea
Swansea SA2 8PP
(01792 295038)
-----Original Message-----
From: Davies R. [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
Sent: 09 August 2000 14:35
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Nursing and the National Electronic Library for Health (NELH)
In my role as chair of the Libraries for Nursing Group I was recently
invited to a workshop where the nursing presence on NELH was discussed. The
meeting allowed the group to identify some of the major issues, and now that
I've got some idea of the of what these are I'd appreciate your opinions to
feedback to NELH (via Marie Washbrook). I'd like to get as many opinions as
possible - keeping in mind that this covers nursing, midwifery and health
visiting - and also professions allied to medicine. Please reply directly to
me rather than the list, I'll summarise back to the list and then I'll pass
this on to the NELH team.
The main issues that were raised for further discussion included:
1. Does nursing, midwifery, health visiting and allied health need an actual
separate "Virtual Branch Library"
(see http://www.nelh.nhs.uk/ for definitions/layout etc.)
Most of the Virtual Branch Libraries (VBL) are topic rather than profession
specific (e.g. primary care), though in the recent edition of Evidence Based
Dentistry it looked like there would be a Dentists' one, I also believe that
there have/are going to be discussions with other health professional groups
(like GPs) to see if they would wish to have a VBL.
Arguments against mainly seemed to focus on this being a marginalisation of
nursing and this information should (will it?) be integrated into the NELH.
Arguments for concluded that nursing etc. needs positive discrimination to
ensure that there is a nursing presence within NELH, and that nurses are
more likely to use the service if there is a specific nursing
interest/target.
2. Which databases would be especially relevant for the groups we provide
services to. Please rank the following (with 1 being the most important) and
add any other suggestions (nb. Cochrane has already been considered by the
NELH as a whole):
BNI
CINAHL
AMED
ASSIA
Ovid Nursing Collection(s)
It would be fantastically useful to be able to say that X% of Libraries for
Nursing members and lis-nursing subscribers believe that there should OR
should not be a nursing VBL, also ranking databases adds weight to the
arguments for particular products.
I would also appreciate any comments/observations on this subject and I will
also provide feedback to LfN members and the list on any developments.
Becca
Rebecca Davies
Health Science Librarian
Library and Information Centre
University of Wales Swansea
Swansea SA2 8PP
(01792 295038)
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