Rendez-vous 19
Monday, April 5 1999
Thank you Sharon for accepting our rendez-vous. May I ask you to introduce yourself?
I am a Systems/Reference Librarian working in the Library of the World Health Organization in Geneva.
My connection to Tobacco Control is through WHO's Tobacco-Free Initiative.
The library has created and maintains the website for the group.
We actively collect and disseminate Tobacco control information through this electronic resource.
1. How do you feel about the decision to set up such an alliance?
I am convinced that such an alliance can only increase our ability to organize, collect, manage and disseminate tobacco control information.
Many of us are already maintaining tobacco-related websites, listservs, databases, etc... and doing a good job of it.
But, in linking together our resources through this alliance I believe that we can better serve both the public at large and the policy makers.
I believe that we have the ability to co-ordinate our efforts in such a way as to reduce duplication, increase access to information and create a stronger support system for all of us.
2. Why do you think such a structure is needed?
A structure such as this offers the opportunity to link together advocacy groups, government organizations and NGO's...all working together to support increased access to tobacco control information.
Each of us has our own audiences, with their own particular information needs...this alliance will allow audiences to access information from a wider variety of sources.
As was mentioned at the meeting...we can create a one-stop information zone for Tobacco Control Information; a zone with many different entry points.
3. Can you give us one or more concrete examples of what the Alliance could achieve that would have been more difficult or impossible without it?
One example would be the ability for our Library to provide WHO Tobacco-related information to a larger audience by making them aware of this information through our other partners in the alliance.
Many of the partners sitting at the table with me in Atlanta maintain websites that draw a large audience; this same audience may not know about some of the information being prepared and produced by WHO.
It is not always easy to find information on a website as large as WHO...so if we can bring the information to the user through other weblinks, through other contexts, etc. then that would be a concrete example of the alliance making a difference.
Another example could be the possibility of the alliance working on a controlled vocabulary (MeSH) and mark-up language (such as XML), to improve access to information being shared amongst us, through our websites.
If we had a search engine that was designed to search across all of our sites, and if we worked towards putting our information on our websites in a controlled manner...then this would really increase the chance that individuals and organizations seeking tobacco-control information would be better served by connecting to the alliance webspace.
Can I add that it is not just about getting information out. It's about knowing how to use that information and how to synthesize new information from what we obtain.
The alliance will also work towards not simply putting out information, but responding to what is lacking in information on tobacco-control.
Each of our audiences can act as probes, telling the alliance what information needs are not being met.
Hopefully, the alliance will be able to work together to resolve that information need in a much more timely manner and with a greater set of skills than each member could provide on their own.
4. Tobacco control activists have sometimes the reputation to be very opinionated and assertive people, not always easy to get along with. You belong to a big international institution. How did you feel with them?
It was very clear from the meeting in Atlanta that we were all sitting at the same table with the same overall objective - Tobacco Control. I found it very stimulating to hear the ideas of many of my colleagues... and to learn about the work that they have done with very little resources.
It is clear that the people at the table represented a lot of good work being done out there.
Working in a big international institution makes me perhaps more aware of who I represent and the message that I need to send and how I send it...but, the bottom line is that we all have this huge common goal that is big enough to allow each of us to contribute in our own way.
There is room for all of us at the table and in fact, I believe that it is necessary to have us all there.
Was the Internet "connexion" an important common ground, as well as the shared commitment to fight tobacco?
The shared commitment to fight tobacco is the important common ground...being a librarian, I would have to say that the Internet "connexion" is just another way or means of getting the information out there.
My focus in on getting the information out...in as many ways as possible. I work on a daily basis with print and non-print resources and I find equal value in each.
However, certainly the Internet makes it much easier for the alliance and the world at large to connect and communicate in a more timely fashion. I am not sure that we would have been able to envision this partnership if we did not have the electronic connection.
5. So what? What's next?
Well I think that we need to first explore and get to know the strengths of each of the partners in the alliance; the sharing of information through your interviews is one way in doing this.
Then, we need to begin to look at how we can improve upon the information exchange going on out there vis-a-vis tobacco control by looking at it from a content point of view as well as a technological point of view.
Most of our websites are already linked to each other...linking together does not make an alliance.
An alliance implies for me, some kind of strengthening of our resources...there must be some value-added for our users.
We need to meet again, discuss, plan and produce some real products.
It's really exciting to be a part of this endeavour.
Thank you Sharon for taking the time to be with us today.
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