Location Matters: The Go Local Developers' Perspective

Abstract

In collaboration with the National Library of Medicine, librarians at the Health Sciences Library and researchers at the School of Information and Library Science, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, developed the Go Local concept. NC Health Info was the first Go Local project and served as a model for other states wishing to connect their own collections of health services with MedlinePlus®. In the wake of Go Local's discontinuation, it is important to look back and address the challenges and benefits of creating and maintaining Go Local and discuss lessons learned then and for the future.

KEYWORDS:

• Consumer health information
• Go Local
• health services
• information and referral
• Internet
• MedlinePlus
• NC Health Info
• North Carolina
• websites

Acknowledgments

NC Health Info is a service of the Health Sciences Library at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. The authors are grateful to the National Library of Medicine (NLM), particularly Joyce Backus, Naomi Miller, and Lori Klein, for guiding the development of Go Local as well as to Dr. Donald Lindberg, NLM Director, for supporting that development. We would also like to thank the Health Sciences Library and the NC Health Info Steering Committee for their ongoing support and guidance. NC Health Info was originally developed with funding from the National Library of Medicine under contract N01-LM-1-3522.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Christie Silbajoris

Christie Silbajoris, MSLS, AHIP ([email protected]) is NC Health Info Director, Health Sciences Library, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, CB# 7585 Chapel Hill, NC 27599.

Diana McDuffee

Diana McDuffee, MSLS, AHIP ([email protected]) is AHEC Network Director and AHEC and Outreach Services Department Head, Health Sciences Library, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, CB# 7585 Chapel Hill, NC 27599.