![[GCNET]](gcnetlog.gif)
Overview
Global ChildNet, with its headquarters in Vancouver, BC,
was officially introduced at the Child Health 2000 World
Congress. It is an organisation which uses the Internet to offer
a range of easily accessible, child health related, on-line services.
These services include databases and other information on issues
related to the well-being of the world's children.
As a division of the Global Child Health Society, a non-profit
organization, Global ChildNet also publishes an on-line
version of the Global Child Health News and Review, as
well as supplying information on the Child Health 2000 World
Congress and Exposition. By utilising state-of-the-art technology,
Global ChildNet complements the newspaper and the Congress
to provide world-wide networking for health professionals, child
health workers, scientists, non-governmental organisations (NGOs),
health planners and child advocates.
![[Clients Figure]](gcn_clie.gif)
The objectives of Global ChildNet include the facilitation
of global access to credible information on child-related issues
and the promotion of world-wide communication about these issues.
To fulfil its mission, the activities of Global ChildNet
include the gathering and reviewing of relevant and reliable information,
the maintenance of several on-line databases, on-line conferences,
and the publishing of on-line issues of the Global Child Health
News and Review.
The Internet is the world's largest on-line network, and as such
can be used to supply information to a large variety of individuals
at dispersed geographical locations in a timely manner. In a number
of countries, users at tertiary educational institutions and government
departments have essentially free Internet access. There are also
an increasing number of Internet service providers (ISPs) through
which other users access the Internet at a relatively low cost.
Global ChildNet provides a variety of services which, at
present, include the following.
The Web Site
Global ChildNet has a "web site" on the Internet's
World Wide Web. The web site has a "home page" that
gives the user access to the services which are available at the
Global ChildNet Web Site.
Extracts from the Congress
The Global ChildNet Web Site includes transcripts from
the Child Health 2000 World Congress.
Databases
The on-line databases consist, at present, of a bibliographic
citations database and an organisations database. Other databases
may be added to enhance the range of child-health related information
available through Global ChildNet.
The records in the databases are being continually checked and
updated by staff with the appropriate Library Science background.
Global ChildNet is also arranging for prominent individuals
in child health related disciplines to provide information and
expert opinions for inclusion in these databases and different
conferences.
![[Services Figure]](gcn_serv.gif)
Leading-edge information sources
Global ChildNet continually conducts on- and off-line searches
world-wide to find existing and new sources of reliable child-health
information.
Customised information
Global ChildNet combines information from many sources
to provide bibliographies, full-text documents, referrals and
database searches on specific topics.
Collaboration
Organisations working for the well-being of children can, if they
so choose, promote their information by making it accessible on-line
through Global ChildNet. It is also planned that there
will be links to a number of other child health related sites.
![[Collaboration]](gcn_coll.gif)
At present, Global ChildNet is available world-wide through
the Internet World Wide Web and gopher systems. This means
that it is widely accessible in various regions of the world.
Paper Publications
Global ChildNet is also planning to produce a variety of
printed information packages, based on the information in the
organizations and on-line sources databases. These may include
directories of child-health related organizations and on-line
sites. They could, for instance, contain lists of organizations
by country, and/or specific field of endeavor, as well as a list
of contact persons.
CD-ROMs
Global ChildNet is planning for the production of CD-ROMs.
World-wide expansion
Global ChildNet is presently investigating the establishment
of regional offices world-wide, so as to more effectively tailor
its services to users in various parts of the globe.
![[Future Expansion Figure]](gcn_futu.gif)
- Mailing address:
- #113 - 990 Beach Avenue, Vancouver, BC, Canada V6E 4M2
- Telephone:
- (604) 682-6008
- Fax:
- (604) 682-6771
- e-mail:
- gcnet@unixg.ubc.ca
- World Wide Web:
- http://www.gcnet.org/gcnet
- Gopher:
- gopher://edie.prost.sfu.ca:2000/1
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