title: Sharing the cost: health information licensing programmes in Canada.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Increasing pressure on health libraries to provide access to electronic resources to their clientèle has witnessed the establishment of a number of initiatives in Canada's provinces.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To provide a structured and descriptive account of Canadian initiatives that focus primarily on licensing health-related information to post-secondary education institutions, hospitals, libraries and related organisations in the health sector.
  
  
  METHODS
  Programmes were identified via communication with peers, an unpublished paper and the authors' existing knowledge. This resulted in a survey of the programmes using an online questionnaire.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of seven programmes were identified. A descriptive account of their establishment, aim and function, governance, funding, resource selection and licensing is provided.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Sharing out the cost of subscribing to electronic resources in the health sciences is a continued concern, as witnessed by continuing developments in this area.
authors.affiliation: Health Knowledge Network, Calgary, AB, Canada. vstieda@ucalgary.ca
authors.forename: Vivian
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Stieda
authors.forename: Marijana
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bacić
mesh_terms: D002170:Canada; D016208:Databases, Factual; D006266:Health Education / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*; D006801:Humans; D007998:Library Science / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*; D008004:Licensure / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*; D008490:Medical Informatics / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*; D016730:Program Development; D015397:Program Evaluation; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires