April 2011 - Constituent Society and Partnership Corner

Ontario Public Health Libraries Association (OPHLA)

In preparing for the transfer of the provincial share of funding for the Public Health Research, Education and Development (PHRED) functions, the Ontario Agency for Health Protection and Promotion (OAHPP) carried out extensive consultations with the field to help guide the development of a new program model.

Access to library services and information specialists was identified as a priority by many Ontario health units. As a result, a variety of library services will be available through the new program to better meet the information needs of all Ontario public health professionals.

The new services include expanding the resources available on the Virtual Library, [www.publichealthontario.ca], providing a single point of access to electronic books and journals, developing training materials to boost understanding of what resources are available and how to use them, and creating shared library services partnerships to increase access to skilled information specialists. OPHLA is pleased to work with OAHPP to help assist in the development and implementation of these new library services.

OPHLA members are currently participating in an online Ontario Public Health Libraries Resources Survey to help capture the existing status of library resources and services. Health units without information specialists will also be invited to participate in a survey to capture any needs or gaps in information access.

Following the results of the environmental scan, some interested OPHLA members, in addition to other stakeholders, will be invited to participate in a working group to help shape the shared library services partnership. This partnership will build upon the current network of libraries to ensure access to library services for all Ontario health units.

OAHPP will be implementing the new library services in a staged approach beginning in March 2011 with an expectation that all services will be available by the end of 2011. Further information about the new library service can be obtained from the OAHPP website.

OPHLA’s next annual meeting will be held on April 5, 2011 in Toronto in conjunction with The Ontario Public Health Convention (TOPHC).