The Medical Library Association (MLA) in collaboration with the Special Libraries Association (SLA) held the 2023 Annual Conference (MLA/SLA 2023), presenting sessions on topics that transcend medical librarianship, like leadership and management. The event took place in Detroit, Michigan, on May 16-19 with hybrid participation.
The International Cooperation Caucus (ICC) Social Justice and Health Disparities Caucus, Health Equity and Global Health hub, a community within the MLA, coordinated a special Immersion Session with the theme “Forging ahead: Key insights on global health & equity from around the world” to which BIREME was invited. This session, with 10 presenters, was an opportunity for sharing global health and equity projects, experiences, challenges, and successes from around the world.
BIREME’s virtual participation was led by Dr. João Paulo Souza, Director and Marcia Barretto, IT infrastructure coordinator. The presentation titled “Virtual Health Library: sustainability and innovation towards the future” was focused on the 25th anniversary of the VHL and pointed out the way to the future, considering innovation and alignment with international standards in science and technology.
The VHL completes 25 years in 2023
The VHL emerged as a model, framework and a strategy on scientific and technical information based on decentralized, collaborative, and networked work model of information management and exchange of knowledge in health.
The VHL was launched in March 1998, with the Declaration of San José, approved during the CRICS IV (Regional Congress on Health Sciences Information). In this Declaration, the country representatives recognize that the access to the information constitutes one of the central elements to reach equity in health; that the new information and communication technologies pose risks and opportunities for the human development in the Region and that the Latin American and Caribbean System on Health Sciences Information under the leadership of BIREME has the capability for the control of these technologies, adapting them to the reality of the region.
Based on these premises, they made the commitment to cooperatively built the VHL, to strengthen capabilities and infrastructures and to facilitate the broad access to the information for the permanent improvement of the health and for sustainable human development of the region.
The operation of the VHL and associated networks contributes to the visibility, access, use, and impact of the information sources from Latin America and the Caribbean, as well as to the access to the international reference sources.
Link of interest
VHL Network Portal – VHL 25 Years. Available at: https://red.bvsalud.org/en/vhl-25-years/