Making the case to fund networked access to electronic information services.

Area of Science:

• Medical Informatics
• Information Science
• Health Sciences Librarianship

Background:

• Local area networks (LANs) offer significant advantages for accessing electronic information services within organizations.
• Implementing such networks can improve service delivery, staffing, training, and user support.
• However, the high cost of funding these projects presents a substantial barrier.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe the strategy employed by the Royal Free Hospital School of Medicine to obtain funding for networking initiatives.
• To detail the process of securing financial resources for networking MEDLINE and other critical information services.
• To underscore the necessity of interdepartmental collaboration in the successful execution of such projects.

Main Methods:

• The article outlines the specific approach used to secure funding for the networking project.
• It emphasizes the collaborative efforts between the library and computer departments.
• The focus was on making MEDLINE and other information services accessible via a networked system.

Main Results:

• The Royal Free Hospital School of Medicine successfully secured funds for networking information services.
• The project facilitated wider access to resources like MEDLINE.
• The importance of a unified approach between library and IT departments was validated.

Conclusions:

• Successful funding acquisition for networking projects is achievable through strategic planning and collaboration.
• Close cooperation between library and computer departments is crucial for the planning and promotion of information service networking.
• Networking initiatives significantly enhance access to and utilization of electronic information resources in academic medical settings.