NeLH Migration to NLH

Dear all
As you'll be aware, the National Library for Health website (www.library.nhs.uk) is up and running, and will continue to grow in the services it offers to users over the coming months and years. There is a lot of development work going on within the NeLH team, to ensure that services from NeLH are incorporated into the National Library for Health successfully. This posting is intended to be the first in a series of communications to keep you informed of developments, so that you can plan training sessions and inform end-users accordingly

Key messages

1. The NeLH web address and home page will not disappear for some time to come, and certainly not before March 2006.
2. You will see changes to both the NeLH home page and the NLH site as more services migrate to the NLH site and branding. However, not all of the NeLH content will migrate, as we intend to re-configure some services for the NLH site.Certain content will migrate to www.library.nhs.uk and be re-branded or re-configured as new services.
   For example:
   · The National Service Framework Zones will be reconfigured. Specialist Libraries will have a role in cataloguing key resources, reducing the need for the NSF portal pages. There will also be current awareness services on NSF topics offered as RSS feeds. The existing full-text html section will be taken down. An NLH NSF gateway will direct users to these new services.
   · Specialist Libraries will be re-designed to take on the look of NLH and will migrate to www.library.nhs.uk. The links on the NeLH home page will be re-directed to these updated versions of the Specialist Libraries.
   
   Some content will be wound down on NeLH and will not be replaced on NLH, for example:
   · Some of the Editorial Resources on the home page will be archived, whilst some will be taken up by the Knowledge Management Specialist Library
   · Professional Portals as they appear on the NeLH site will be wound down, but replaced with current awareness and other services in conjunction with professional bodies, societies, etc

Key milestones
The migration will occur in three distinct phases, with warning and details of changes circulated in advance, so that you will be able to plan for changes. The precise changes to service will be discussed with providers such as Specialist Libraries, but are likely to be in:

• July 2005
• Sept 2005
• Jan 2006
• March 2006

News and information about Migration
Details of each phase will be emailed, and will appear within the “For Librarians” section of NLH at www.library.nhs.uk/forlibrarians

Contact for individual queries and feedback
If you have any queries, comments or suggestions, please contact me in the first instance -

Best wishes

Fran