FAQ

What is the Electronic Health Library of British Columbia (e-HLbc)?

e-HLbc is a consortium formed of 24 post-secondary institutions, the six provincial health authorities, three provincial ministries and health professional organizations. The e-HLbc initiative has been developed and championed by a province-wide committee of library professionals from the post-secondary education and health care sectors.

Why was e-HLbc formed?

Currently, at least 40 different organizations in BC purchase licenses to access health related resources. These organizations include BC ELN partners, teaching hospitals, acute facilities within the health authorities and health professional organizations. Disparities exist across each sector with each group licensing a different combination of resources, while at the same time some groups have no access to health resources. e-HLbc was formed to provide province-wide access to selected resources equally across the health care sector as well as the academic institutions in the most cost effective manner.

Who can use e-HLbc resources?

e-HLbc resources have been licensed for all health professionals in the province of BC and for all students/staff/faculty in BC publicly-funded post-secondary institutions. At present only the listed member institutions have paid for access; all those affiliated with these members are able to use these resources.

Is there training available for EBSCO and OVID databases?

Yes. See the Training page for more information.

I belong to a member institution. How do I get access to these resources?

Try the links on the Databases page. If you don't get access, contact your local library for instructions.

I am a BC health professional but I don't belong to a member institution. How can I get access to e-HLbc resources?

The membership model for e-HLbc requires that health professionals belong to a parent organization (post-secondary institution, health authority or professional association) that pays its share of the licensing fees and provides library infrastructure support for its own users. e-HLbc cannot create memberships for individuals. If you are unsure as to whether your organization has access to e-HLbc resources, please contact us for assistance and more information.

Can health/post-secondary institutions from outside BC join e-HLbc?

Our existing licenses for e-resources are only for post-secondary and health sector institutions in BC and Yukon. e-HLbc may investigate expanding these agreements.  Contact us for more information.