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Publishers’ Statement
The Global Library of Women’s Medicine is published on a not-for-profit basis by The Foundation for The Global Library of Women’s Medicine. Its sole purpose is to offer a minor contribution to the enhancement of women’s healthcare around the world.
It was founded, launched and initially funded by David and Paula Bloomer in memory of their daughter, Abigail. The site now also receives a small number of grants and donations for which we are most grateful and which have enabled the programme to continue and grow.
It is particularly important to emphasise that the site has been supported from the outset by all of its very many expert editors and authors who have most generously provided all their contributions without any fee or other remuneration; without their greatly appreciated and selfless support this whole educational initiative would not have been possible.
We should also like to acknowledge the expert and creative support of AMA DataSet who from the outset have contributed so much to the effective presentation and delivery of the site.
The Objectives
This site is made available entirely FREE to all users. It contains no advertising and has no commercial objectives. The material on this site has all been written by specialists and has undergone peer review to the extent that nothing appears on the site that has not been reviewed and approved by at least one other expert, in addition to the specialist author or provider. Whilst, therefore, it is a conscientious process it does not represent the depth and intensity of peer review that is sometimes undertaken by scientific research journals prior to the publication of new research data. Many of the contributions published are fully citable in the literature.
Every attempt is made to keep the contents permanently updated and at the cutting edge of the topics covered, providing reliable guidance to best current practice. As a result it is hoped that the site will be useful to medical professionals wherever they may practice. However, in addition to all the expert guidance on the latest techniques and treatment that the site provides, a special effort has also been made to include a wide range of practical 'best-practice’ resources that, we hope, will be of real value to those working in less-resourced locations. In such places, access to good and reliable clinical guidance is sometimes very difficult to obtain despite the fact that it can play an important role in helping to address the local healthcare challenges.
Safer Motherhood and Less-resourced Locations
This is particularly the case where safer motherhood is concerned since it is widely acknowledged, particularly in less-resourced locations, that many young women die unnecessarily in childbirth – not because the knowledge to save them does not exist, but because those caring for them do not happen to have that knowledge. A special effort, therefore, has been made to include many features that are designed to support the work not only of doctors but also of midwives, nurses and community healthcare workers practising in less-resourced locations.
Using All Communication Options
Of course it is one thing to make such resources available, but it is quite another thing to ensure that they actually reach the people they are designed to help. Whilst internet connectivity is now widely available in most parts of the world, it is often in some of the least well-resourced areas that internet access is the hardest. The Global Library of Women’s Medicine recognizes this and is attempting to use every communication option possible to overcome the problem – by providing much of the material via special tablet and smartphone options, by providing the whole of the website resources on memory sticks to selected centres where good internet connectivity is unavailable and by using traditional printed materials where they seem most appropriate (for example, educational wall charts and basic health education materials).
Our SAFER MOTHERHOOD APP, which has been developed in association with the African Region of the World Health Organization, is a significant example of the use of the latest interactive mobile technologies to address the challenges faced in remote rural areas (see www.glowm.com/mother/app).
Language and Literacy
At present, most of the material provided is in English, but we recognize that it is important to try and meet the needs of those for whom English is not their first language, particularly where midwives, nurses and community healthcare workers are concerned. With many of our more practical resources, where voice commentaries are currently provided (as is often the case with our Safer Motherhood material), it is our intention to try and offer other language options.
Literacy itself can be an issue at the very basic level of health care provision and with this in mind we are providing, on our Safer Motherhood app and also on DVDs, some of our basic healthcare animated videos with voice-over commentaries so that to understand them does not require the ability to read. Since voice commentary in local languages can be being added quite cost effectively, we hope to provide more of these in a number of different languages. We also hope to start providing translations of some of text-based material as well.
Working with Others
It is our hope that we shall be able to continue to expand the range of materials that we offer and also be able to address more effectively the difficulties encountered in making these available to all those for whom they would be useful. In doing this we would like to express our appreciation and gratitude to the many other pioneering and contributive organizations with whom we are working. We recognize that we all have a shared interest and a common goal and that by cooperating together in a positive and open way we can achieve so much more, avoiding possible duplication and unnecessary competition. We are particularly grateful to the following organizations for their friendly support and generous cooperation: The International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO),The Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, The American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The Society of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists of Canada (SOGC), The African Region of The World Health Organization, The Royal College of Midwives, Medical Aid Films and Mati4life.
Copyright, Re-use and Downloading
All material that has been originated by The Global Library of Women’s Medicine is copyrighted by The Foundation but may be downloaded. It may also be re-used freely, without permission, provided that this is not for commercial purposes. However, when the material has not been originated by The Global Library itself, but has been supplied to The Global Library by another organization, the permission of that organisation IS required and MUST be obtained.
Transparency
We recognise that it is important to provide our readers with complete transparency. The sole purpose of this website is to try and make a small contribution women’s healthcare and our editorial content is created by independent experts with the single purpose of trying to fulfil this objective. All our resources are made available to all readers entirely FREE and we accept no commercial sponsorship or advertising. As a result our existence depends entirely on individual donations and unrestricted educational grants. We operate on very low budgets, without any normal overhead charges, and - with the exception of one practical office administrator – we employ no salaried staff. In furtherance of full financial transparency we are happy to provide a more detailed breakdown of our income and expenditure in response to any reasonable and appropriate request.
A Special Tribute
We should like to record a special tribute to Professor John Sciarra, of The Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, USA, who was the first Editor-in-Chief of The Global Library of Women’s Medicine. Professor Sciarra devoted a great deal of his time and energy in helping to develop and launch The Global Library and also in encouraging so many leading specialists from around the world to contribute to it. He retired as Editor-in-Chief in 2012.
We should also like to express our sincere gratitude and deep appreciation to Professor Sir Sabaratnam Arulkumaran, who stepped down in October 2018 as our second Editor-in-Chief. His leadership was inspirational and it is thanks to his continuing input and idea's that The Global Library expanded so rapidly and developed so many important initiatives.
The Publishing Team
| Editor-in-Chief: | Peter von Dadelszen
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| President & Publisher: | David G.T. Bloomer
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| Financial Director: | Paula F. Bloomer
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| Managing Editor: | Dorothy Walmsley
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| Publishing Co-ordinator: | Julia Tissington
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| Digital Programme Developer: | Simon Mather
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| Digital Programme Developer: | Liam Morgan
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| Graphic Designer: | Tracey Nichols
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COPYRIGHT
Copyright © The Foundation for The Global Library of Women’s Medicine (2023)
PRIVACY POLICY
The Publisher's are committed to preserving the confidentiality of any personal details that are provided to us. These details will not be passed on or sold to third parties and will only be used by the publishers for general statistical information. Any information supplied to us will be stored securely either in our own databases or in those of our technical partners.
The Global Library of Women's Medicine
Albyfield House
Wetheral
Carlisle
CA4 8ET
UK
