I know the introduction of ATHENS has caused confusion. Some points to help clarify.

If you are an existing ATHENS administrator (like Jean at Bolton), your users will have no problem with access to resources via the web or NHSnet. If you are having problems then the local ATHENS administrator needs to contact ATHENS. I can not do this for you as you are the administrator. ATHENS have been instructed to direct all existing northwest ATHENS to national core content and northwest resources. If you are having problems let me know. Once the system is set-up properly your ATHENS will be connected to ADITUS as a single sign-on.

Those who are not currently ATHENS administrators will only be able to access the national resources via the NHS network. This is because until the registration scheme is set-up (which will be soon. I have just completed the form content) access to national content is restricted to NHS IP. To get round this it is possible to apply for an NeLH ATHENS. However an NeLH ATHENS will not connect you to northwest resources.

The NeLH solution is only temporary as once the national registration scheme is set-up the NeLH registration will disappear. Anyone from the northwest registering for an ATHENS on NeLH will be directed to ADITUS. This will ensure that northwest staff have access to northwest resources, including local resources purchased by individual library services. We are currently registering ADITUS as a resource centre and will appear within myATHENS. This means that whichever method people use to access resources, they will be connected to ADITUS.

On a point of clarity. The databases and full-text journals available via the national contract have been funded by Workforce Development Confederations. NeLH have not contributed any money to these resources. In the northwest the Health Care Libraries Unit will pay the invoices for the 3 northwest WDCs from HCLU's core funding at a cost of 225K

The marketing of ADITUS has been a very important process in understanding our customer base. We have been meeting clinical staff, managers and directors. At all time we have emphasised the importance of developing online services, but that this can only be successful by developing 'physical' services and developing our librarians into 'expert' information professionals. ADITUS does not and cannot stand on its own. It is part of the northwest hybrid service development. I would be happy to wait for NeLH to do whatever NeLH may or may not do, and just tell everyone to use NeLH. But I think this would be a mistake as NeLH is not attempting to connect local library service provision with the virtual service.

With regard to purchasing additional e-resources. The ADITUS Board decision not to renew the BMJ was not about ADITUS development but about the principle of Best Value. The BMJ were not able to provide user statistics, nor were they able to solve their problems with access. They required a guarantee that no paper journal would be cancelled in the northwest, a guarantee that the ADITUS Board could not give. HCLU had paid for the majority of BMJ journals via the national contract - on which the BMJ slapped a 6 months embargo. They then increased the price on the BMJ collection. On the balance sheet the BMJ were asking for 3 payments to the same resource. This was not acceptable to the ADITUS Board. And I expect it would not be acceptable to the auditors either.

Please be assured that the issues currently experience will be solved in a matter of weeks.

With regards
Colin

Colin Davies
Deputy Director of Health Libraries
North West Health Care Libraries Unit

(tel) 01925 662 599
(fax) 01925 662 588