Within the framework of the actions for strengthening the Virtual Health Library Network (VHL Network) in Brazil, BIREME promoted a meeting at the Fiocruz, with the purpose of making an analysis of the situation of the VHL instances that are coordinated by the institution and defining a plan for strengthening the Network, in coordination with the National Plan of the Brazil VHL.
The coordination of the VHL Network in Fiocruz, which is charged to the Instituto de Comunicação e Informação Científica e Tecnológica em Saúde (ICICT), made an analysis of the situation of each VHL instance and a report on the main activities held in 2018, as well as of the main challenges for the sustainability of Networking and an update on the information sources.
The BIREME team presented options for Networking in the VHL, emphasizing that there are different possibilities for cooperation and participation. According to Verônica Abdala, Manager of the field of Information Services and Production of Information Sources of BIREME, “developing a VHL instance is one of the options, but it is not the only one. The Library may simply contribute to the LILACS database and/or another source information of the VHL, and in this way be an active part of the VHL Network”.
Thus, BIREME’s effort, articulated with the Coordenação Geral de Documentação e Informação (CGDI) of the Brazil’s Ministry of Health, aims to value, strengthen and broaden collaborative Networking, not limiting the participation of the institutions to the developing of their own VHL Instance. It is important to take into consideration the local realities of the Libraries and to offer options of participation. For example, the Library may be a Cooperating Center and contribute to update one or more sources of information of the VHL; it may work to develop a specific thematic field and systemize the information selected in a knowledge showcase; and/or it may lead and coordinate a network for the development of a VHL Instance, at national (country) level, regional (two or more countries) level, thematic level or institutional level. All the options are aligned to the concepts and foundations of the VHL Model, established over 20 years ago, and must have some basic requirements, presented in the image below.
Based on these requirements and on the analysis of the situation of the VHL Network in Fiocruz, the group made an exercise to identify the scenario (the option) that best adapts to each of the 19 VHL instances (in Fiocruz), as well as the level of compliance of each of the requirements. All of this will be reflected in a working plan developed with each member of the Network, with the support of the ICICT.
About the meeting
The meeting was held in Rio de Janeiro, on ICICT/Fiocruz premises, on May 20, 2019. In addition to the BIREME team, represented by Verônica Abdala, Juliana Sousa and Joanita Barros, and the ICICT team, represented by Luciana Danielli, Augusto Vinhaes, Adilson Júnior and Claudete Fernandes, representatives from the following VHL Instances attended the meeting:
- Health History and Cultural Heritage
- Public Health
- Infectious and Parasitic Diseases
- Indigenous Health
VHL coordinators who participated remotely:
- Integrality and Health
- Bioethics and Diplomacy in Health
Source: BVS Fiocruz