<s>
The	O
Virtual	O
Health	O
Library	O
(	O
VHL	O
)	O
(	O
Biblioteca	B-Library
Virtual	I-Library
en	I-Library
Salud	I-Library
,	O
BVS	O
)	O
is	O
an	O
institution	O
that	O
employs	O
the	O
World	O
Wide	O
Web	O
to	O
"	O
improve	O
access	O
to	O
reliable	O
,	O
locally	O
relevant	O
information	B-Application
[	O
on	O
health	O
and	O
health	O
sciences ]	O
for	O
health-professionals	O
,	O
researchers	O
,	O
academics	O
,	O
educators	O
,	O
decision	O
makers	O
,	O
and	O
the	O
general	O
public	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
VHL	O
is	O
an	O
on-line	O
(	O
digital	O
library	O
)	O
and	O
common	O
space	O
for	O
the	O
convergence	O
of	O
the	O
cooperative	O
work	O
of	O
producers	O
,	O
intermediaries	O
,	O
and	O
users	O
of	O
information	B-Application
on	O
healthcare	O
science	O
,	O
built	O
and	O
developed	O
by	O
the	O
Latin	O
American	O
and	O
Caribbean	O
Center	O
on	O
Health	O
Sciences	O
Information	B-Application
(	O
also	O
known	O
as	O
BIREME	O
)	O
in	O
1998	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
VHL	O
promotes	O
the	O
development	O
of	O
a	O
network	O
of	O
sources	O
of	O
scientific	O
and	O
technical	O
information	B-Application
with	O
universal	O
access	O
on	O
the	O
internet	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
BIREME	O
has	O
envisioned	O
the	O
VHL	O
as	O
a	O
new	O
model	O
for	O
the	O
management	O
of	O
information	B-Application
and	O
knowledge	O
,	O
which	O
includes	O
the	O
cooperation	O
and	O
convergence	O
between	O
institutions	O
,	O
systems	O
,	O
networks	O
,	O
and	O
initiatives	O
of	O
producers	O
,	O
intermediaries	O
,	O
and	O
users	O
in	O
the	O
operation	O
of	O
networks	O
of	O
local	O
,	O
national	O
,	O
regional	O
and	O
international	O
information	B-Application
sources	O
favoring	O
open	O
and	O
universal	O
access	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
VHL	O
is	O
simulated	O
in	O
a	O
virtual	B-Application
space	I-Application
of	O
the	O
internet	O
formed	O
by	O
a	O
collection	O
or	O
network	O
of	O
health	O
information	B-Application
sources	O
in	O
the	O
region	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Users	O
of	O
different	O
levels	O
and	O
locations	O
can	O
interact	O
and	O
navigate	O
in	O
the	O
space	O
of	O
one	O
or	O
many	O
information	B-Application
sources	O
,	O
regardless	O
of	O
where	O
they	O
are	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Information	B-Application
sources	O
are	O
generated	O
,	O
updated	O
,	O
stored	O
and	O
operated	O
on	O
the	O
internet	O
by	O
producers	O
,	O
integrators	O
,	O
and	O
intermediaries	O
,	O
in	O
a	O
decentralized	O
manner	O
,	O
following	O
common	O
methodologies	O
for	O
their	O
integration	O
in	O
the	O
VHL	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
VHL	O
organizes	O
information	B-Application
in	O
a	O
structure	O
that	O
integrates	O
and	O
interconnects	O
literature	B-Library
databases	I-Library
,	O
directories	O
or	O
experts	O
,	O
events	O
and	O
institutions	O
,	O
a	O
catalogue	O
of	O
the	O
information	B-Application
resources	O
available	O
on	O
the	O
internet	O
,	O
collections	O
of	O
full	O
texts	O
with	O
a	O
highlight	O
for	O
the	O
SciELO	B-Library
(	O
Scientific	B-Library
Electronic	I-Library
Library	I-Library
Online	I-Library
)	O
collection	O
of	O
scientific	O
journals	O
,	O
selective	O
information	B-Application
dissemination	O
services	O
,	O
information	B-Application
sources	O
to	O
support	O
education	O
and	O
decision-making	O
,	O
news	O
,	O
discussion	O
lists	O
,	O
and	O
support	O
to	O
virtual	B-Architecture
communities	I-Architecture
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
space	O
of	O
the	O
VHL	O
is	O
,	O
therefore	O
,	O
a	O
dynamic	O
and	O
decentralized	O
network	O
of	O
information	B-Application
sources	O
based	O
on	O
which	O
it	O
is	O
possible	O
to	O
retrieve	O
and	O
extract	O
information	B-Application
and	O
knowledge	O
to	O
support	O
health	O
decision-making	O
processes	O
.	O
</s>
