National
Network of Libraries for Health
Réseau national des bibliothèques pour la
santé
FAQ – CHLA / ABSC and the National Cochrane Library Pilot
On April 15, the Canadian Cochrane Network and Centre together with CHLA/ABSC announced that the Cochrane Library is available to ALL Canadians for a nine month trial period ending December 31, 2009. This exciting pilot project is made possible by the investment and vision of the existing subscribers from provinces, territories and institutions across Canada.
Why is a pilot project needed?
While information from existing national, provincial and regional licensing initiatives is available, more analysis of the impact and use of the Cochrane Library as a pan-Canadian resource is needed. Evaluation will support a business case for a national license based on demonstrated value. The pilot project will address the following questions:
- Which constituencies are not covered by existing licensing arrangements?
- What is the impact and use of the Cochrane Library when these gaps in access are addressed?
- What cost and administrative savings would be achieved through a coordinated national license?
- Can a sustainable funding model for a single national license to the Cochrane Library be developed?
- What support and resources do Cochrane Library users require?
What is the current status of Cochrane in Canada?
There are currently more than 150 Canadian subscriptions to the Cochrane Library via licenses with health regions and professional organizations as well as for staff, students and faculty at most Canadian universities and teaching hospitals. Saskatchewan, Nunavut, the Northwest Territories, the Yukon, New Brunswick and Nova Scotia have successfully negotiated province- / territory-wide licenses. However, despite this significant cumulative investment in licensing across Canada, most Canadian health care providers, consumers, researchers and decision makers did not have access to this key information resource.
How is the pilot being funded?
Working collaboratively with the Canadian Cochrane Network and Centre and with the Wiley Cochrane group, short term funding has been secured to support this pilot. This funding, when added to the total investment in existing subscriptions, enabled a comprehensive national license. The pilot project would not have been possible without the funding provided through the existing subscription base. This accomplishment, by itself, demonstrates the power of building on existing investment to expand access to resources.
Why now and why a nine month pilot?
The April start date guaranteed the publisher that the existing paid subscription base was large enough that a modest additional investment would provide the total funding required for a national license. The nine month time frame provides enough time to demonstrate the value of pan-Canadian access to this resource and to develop a business case and model for ongoing and sustainable funding.
If the pilot is successful, what will the funding model for a national license look like?
A model is yet to be determined, but the ultimate goal would be to ensure that it is
i) sustainable; and
ii) fair and equitable
Clearly, the existing patchwork of licenses is not an effective funding strategy for health libraries or Canadians. Many libraries face annual battles to ensure that clients continue to have access to this core resource. Some health professionals are covered by two, three or four licenses; others are not covered at all. As the pilot proceeds, existing subscribers will be involved in consultations related to the design and development of a funding model. While the best case scenario may be to find a national champion interested in covering all licensing costs on an ongoing basis, at the least we would hope to develop an approach that will reduce both the financial and administrative costs for existing subscribers of providing Cochrane to their
clients.
Should we cancel our subscription to the Cochrane Library?
Definitely not. Existing subscriptions provided the base for negotiating greatly expanded access. Pilot project funding did not pay for a national license – it simply “topped up” the difference between the existing amount the publisher – Wiley – was receiving for access from Canada to the Cochrane Library and the cost of a comprehensive national license. As an existing subscriber, you are enabling access for your community and beyond. The pilot ends on December 31. If the pilot is successful and a continuing national license is put in place, then cancelling your subscription would be reasonable.
Why should my organization subsidize access for the rest of Canada?
An analysis of the distribution of costs by province and territory was done using data provided by Wiley during the negotiations. It showed that the amount paid by each jurisdiction reflects reasonably well its “share” of the population. That is, all provinces and territories are already paying fairly close to what they would under Wiley’s costing algorithm of 1.5 cents per head. However, actual access levels provided by this investment vary greatly. Only 10% of Canadians had access to Cochrane before April 15; now 100% do. Clearly, those jurisdictions that have negotiated comprehensive licenses - Saskatchewan, the Yukon, Northwest Territories, Nunavut, New Brunswick and Nova Scotia - have optimized both cost and access for their citizens. The pilot project hopes to extend these benefits to all Canadians through national coordination and collaboration, perhaps even reducing costs and administrative burden for existing subscribers.
Why is CHLA/ABSC supporting this pilot?
A nationally coordinated license to the Cochrane Library is an important first step towards the vision for a National Network of Libraries for Health (NNLH). CHLA/ABSC has been working actively with the Canada Institute for Scientific and Technical Information and other partners and stakeholders to develop and promote this vision. The NNLH is designed to leverage and link existing resources to ensure that all health care providers in Canada will have easy access to the best information for patient care. It is designed to fit the Canadian health care model and fill in the information gaps inherent in a complex health delivery system. For additional information please see: http://chla-absc.ca/nnlh/indexe.htm
How can I help?
- Let your library clients, colleagues, friends and family know about the Cochrane Library.
- Share your stories about the impact of access to this resource.
- Support evaluation and planning activities.
- Provide training and support to new Cochrane users.**
Will you keep me informed as the pilot progresses?
Yes. Watch Canmedlib for updates on the pilot project. Subscribers will be contacted with an update on license status well in advance of renewal dates, and will be involved in consultations as we work to develop a viable funding model.
Any other questions?
Contact info@chla-absc.ca
**We would like to provide a province by province listing of libraries that are willing to provide training and support to potential Cochrane users or offer train the trainer sessions to public librarians. If you are willing to be a contact for Cochrane training and support, please contact Jim Henderson (coordinating training and communication about the Cochrane pilot project for CHLA/ABSC) at jim.henderson@mcgill.ca. We are working with Adrienne Stevens, Education Coordinator, Canadian Cochrane Network and Centre. There are a variety of training materials and resources to assist in development of programs. A Cochrane “train the trainer” session will also be available free of charge at the CHLA/ABSC conference.