INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND 

1.      The aims of the Fourth Meeting were to:

·         clarify the roles and responsibilities of both the World Health Organization Regional Office for Europe and individual Documentation Centres in relation to the Documentation Centre Network in Europe

·         agree revised Terms of Reference for these centres to reflect changes in library and information services since the last revision at the third meeting in 1998.

·         exchange best practice on issues including networking, marketing, tailoring services to target audiences and evaluation.   

2.  Forty-five representatives from Documentation Centres across Europe attended, together with Library and Information Services colleagues from WHOROE and the WHO Geneva Librarian. Our Health Promotion Library and Information Service was the only UK Documentation Centre represented at the meeting.

 

3.  This report presents key outcomes for the Health Promotion Library and Information Service as a WHOROE Documentation Centre, and key themes, which may be of value to the Divisions within the Office of the Chief Medical Officer.

 

KEY OUTCOMES FOR THE HEALTH PROMOTION LIBRARY AND INFORMATION SERVICE

 

1.      The presentation on “Marketing and Evaluating WHO Documentation: A National Health Promotion Library Perspective” was well received. It was agreed that the library’s work was in line with the WHOROE perspective in setting “realistic and achievable” aims and service standards, recognising resource constraints.

 

2.      The Library’s work on marketing and evaluation was recognised as systematic and clear, and would provide a useful model for other Documentation Centres not familiar with these aspects of work.

 

3.      It was suggested that to take this work forward, the Health Promotion Library would consider the possibility of leading a “Virtual LIS Group” of those interested Documentation Centres to exchange best practice on marketing and evaluation. The outcome of the group would be to establish and agree guidelines for these areas and that these checklists would be published on the WHOROE web-site. This activity would have limited resource implications, as it would be formalising work already undertaken by the library within current service standards.

 

4.      The acknowledgement of the work being undertaken by the Health Promotion Library is to be welcomed, and the opportunity to further developments across Europe will enhance the Library’s work, enabling us to benchmark our activities in line with the Charter Mark standards.

 

5.      New Terms of Reference for Documentation Centres were agreed, and the designation period was increased from three to five years. The wider role of the Centres was recognised in the principal aims to “manage, promote and disseminate” information materials from the WHO ROE. (In the 1998 Terms of Reference the sole aim was to disseminate).

 

6.      All Documentation Centres to fulfil three core functions:

 

·         Organization and management: collection, cataloguing and collaboration

·         Dissemination: electronic and/or hard-copy dissemination to relevant target audiences

·         Evaluation: on the usage and usefulness of WHO information products

 

7.      The additional five more specialist functions to be carried out within resource constraints

 

KEY THEMES FOR DIVISIONS WITHIN THE OFFICE OF THE CHIEF MEDICAL OFFICER

 

1.      The work of the World Health Organization Regional Office for Europe within Library and Information Services is adopting a more targeted approach, and in publishing will focus on “high quality corporate information products”. This key concept was re-emphasised throughout the meeting, and complements the publishing work within OCMO.

 

2.      The network of the Documentation Centres and the Regional Office is seen as an informal partnership, and a general invitation for such informal partnership was welcomed by the Regional Office in all areas. There was a clear message that Regional Office would like to be working with organisations and groups across Europe, and that we should keep them informed about our activities.

 

3.      The range of material being produced by the Regional Office is extensive, and it was agreed that in addition to the documentation currently being received, all centres should also receive:

 

·         WHO press releases and fact sheets

·         Campaign materials in support of World Health Days such as World AIDS etc

·         Support for major conferences/exhibitions

·         Electronic products

 

These additional materials will be of relevance to branches and divisions in OCMO in support of media, campaign and conference work.

 

4.      WHO Geneva Library and Information Services are firmly focused on the “Hybrid Library” concept, recognising the need for both electronic and print based information services. The HINARI (Health InterNetwork Access to Research Initiative) providing access to electronic journals in health and related disciplines, may offer a solution for Divisions in OCMO needing to access evidenced based health promotion and public health information. The Library will look to take this forward as a pilot with Research branch colleagues in Health Promotion Division, and following evaluation consideration should be given to making this available more widely within other Divisions in OCMO.

 

RESOURCE DETAILS OF TRIP

 

Cost to Assembly budget(s):             Nil (all costs covered by payment from WHO)

 

Days:                                     2 working days for conference.

 

CONCLUSION

 

Members of the Management Team are invited to:

 

(i)                 note the visit report;

(ii)               consider the request for the Library to lead a virtual library information service group on marketing and evaluation.