The survey is web based and available on EAHIL’s web pages (www.eahil.net). By using a web based survey tool we can guarantee full confidentiality. We have decided to use the same web based survey tool as CHLA/ABSC. Respondents from the CHLA/ABSC survey reported that they found it easy to use and that they preferred it to a paper survey.
The survey was designed during the autumn 2003 with the help of the board and three test pilots from the EAHIL council (Patrica Flor, Pirjo Rajakiili and Peter Morgan). The survey became available on EAHIL web in November 2003.
The EAHIL board will use the result from the Focus Group session in Oslo and the result from the survey to put forward a proposal on the future of EAHIL.
Economic Result
EAHIL has in 2003 achieved its aims of having one year’s worth of expenses in hand at the bank. However, a continuing matter of concern was the trend towards a drop in both membership and sponsorship interest. An important challenge facing EAHIL is to find ways of attracting new members and retaining existing ones. All EAHIL members, particularly Board and Council representatives, are encouraged to be pro-active in this regard.
EAHIL secretariat
The work of the Secretariat is proceeding smoothly due to the administrative efficiency of our supervisor Suzanne Bakker.
EAHIL newsletter
Our enthusiastic and hard working chief editor Sally Wood-Lamont and her editorial team has produced our excellent newsletter on schedule.
EAHIL membership list 2003
EAHIL membership list 2003 was distributed electronically as a PDF to all EAHIL members in June 2003.
EAHIL membership database
The University of Oslo Library, Library of Medicine and Health Sciences has agreed to develop and host a web based membership database where all EAHIL members can access and update their own membership record. This will in the future significantly decrease the administrative work of the EAHIL secretariat.
EAHIL Pharmaceutical Information Group
EAHIIL PhInG has launched a discussion list EAHIL-P for its members in June 2003. The list now has 23 members. PhInG will have a scientific session at the 9th European Conference of Medical and Health Libraries, Santander, Spain, 20-25 September 2004.
EAHIL European Veterinary Libraries Group
EAHIL EVLG has a discussion list EVLG-L with 49 members. EVLG will have a scientific session at the 9th European Conference of Medical and Health Libraries, Santander, Spain, 20-25 September 2004.
EAHIL representation on other committees and groups
MLA meeting in San Francisco, May 2003
Eva Alopaeus represented EAHIL at this event.
IFLA meeting in Berlin, August 2003
MLA and EAHIL shared a booth in the exhibition area at the IFLA meeting.
Linda Lisgarten, Suzanne Bakker and Bruce Madge successfully represented EAHIL at booth. The booth helped to raise our profile as a professional organisation
Semmelweis University Central Library 175 year anniversary
Arne Jakobsson represented EAHIL at the Semmelweis University Central Library 175 year anniversary and presented a paper on “The significance of European health science libraries in the information society”.
Norwegian Library Association, Section for Medicine and Health Sciences (SMH) 50 year anniversary
Arne Jakobsson represented and brought greetings from EAHIL at the 50 year anniversary of the Norwegian Library Association. Section for Medicine and Health Sciences (SMH).
Dutch Library Association (NVB), Section for Biomedical Information (BMI) 50 year anniversary
On September 19th the NVB/BMI members gathered in Amersfoort to celebrate the 50th anniversary. Under "other businesses" on the agenda of the General Assembly Suzanne Bakker, seconded by Marianne van der Heijden, invited the Dutch colleagues to attend future EAHIL conferences and workshops, to start with the 9ECMHL in Santander.
The NVB/BMI presented itself towards EAHIL by 18 pages Highlight on ... the Netherlands in the November issue of the Newsletter 2003(65):16-33.
Planning of the 2007 EAHIL workshop in Cracow
Arne Jakobsson the 9th and 10 of November visited the Medical Library of Jagiellonian University and the Information Studies Department of The Institute of Public Health of Jagiellonian University to prepare a proposal for an EAHIL Workshop in Cracow, 2007.
The proposal from Cracow will be discussed at the board meeting in January 2004.
WHO documentation Centre in Rome and World Health Day 2003
Gabriella Poppi the 7th of April organized an event in celebration of World Health Day at the Library of the Istituto Superiore di Sanità. In May and November two course two courses were organized to orient people coming from Italian National Health Service and devoted to the WHO information available on the web. EAHIL was promoted at these events.
EAHIL conferences and workshops
2004 Santander- Spain
9th EUROPEAN CONFERENCE OF MEDICAL AND HEALTH LIBRARIES
Santander, Spain, 21-26 September 2004. Everything is running according to plans. The international programme committee had their meeting December 13th and 14th 2003 in Santander. Altogether 122 abstracts were received, all very good and interesting. The IPC selected 69 oral presentations to fill 3 plenary sessions and five parallel sessions with 3-4 concurrent sessions. EAHIL board was represented by Arne Jakobsson.
2005 Palermo - Italy
EAHIL Workshop 2005: "Overall quality - quality for all". Palermo, Italy,
June 23-25, 2005. Everything is running according to plans.
2006 Cluj-Napoca - Romania
10th EUROPEAN CONFERENCE OF MEDICAL AND HEALTH LIBRARIES
Cluj-Napoca, Romania. Sally Wood-Lamont and Ioana Robu will in charge of organizing the 2006 conference in Cluj-Napoca, Romania. Preparations were going well, with much new building and regeneration work going on that should be completed in time for our Conference.
ICML
9th ICML-International Congress on Medical Librarianship, 19-23 September, 2005,
Salvador, Bahia, Brazil. (http://www.icml.org/). On behalf EAHIL Arne Jakobsson has joined the Executive International Committee for the 9th International Congress on Medical Librarianship (ICML9).
Arne Jakobsson
EAHIL President
