TRIMESTER - Rotunda Library Newsletter March 2012 | Page 4

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Trimester
Rotunda Library Newsletter

Lenus
The Online Irish Health Repository

L

ENUS is the online Irish Health
Repository for Irish Health
Research for the HSE, managed
by the Regional Library and Information
Service at Dr Steevens’ Hospital. Lenus
was launched in February 2009 and
contains over 5,000 full text publications
by Irish organisations. It includes journal
articles, theses, dissertations and ongoing
research projects. Lenus’ aim is to become
the primary online resource for information
relating to the Irish health services.
Our commitment is to preserve, maintain and
make available for research purposes, policy &
research from authors and health agencies on the
island of Ireland to the Global Community.
In May 2009, the Rotunda was invited to
contribute to the Lenus database and our
work began in systematically retrieving and
collating research findings for the Rotunda.
In order to progress this work, Anne met
with key stakeholders who were responsible
for research output in each department in

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the Rotunda. Using a prescribed Lenus
database template we were able to collate
research output according to criteria and
list them on the repository with any
appropriate full text links.
The initial work included the current year
and all research for 2010. This has now
been supplemented with all research for
2011. We hope to continue to contribute to
this research base and to support its further
development.
Lenus provides a user friendly and
attractive search interface to retrieve
research, reports and studies. The
repository is separated into a number
of hie rarchical sections to make
searching and retrieving your chosen
item easier and quicker. Communities,
Sub-Communities and Collections guide
you in the right direction. You can also
search by subject, keyword, title and
author or by a listed community.
A full repository record includes its

publication date and date of submission
to Lenus. And a full text link is supplied
where possible providing immediate
access to your chosen research.
If you, for instance, wish to search
within the Rotunda’s repository entries
you simply select Listed Communities
from the drop down menu on the left.
Select Hospital Research and Leinster.
You may then search for Rotunda
Hospital or other hospital of your choice
in the Leinster Region.
Additionally, you can browse the
Rotunda Hospital Lenus collections page
at http://tinyurl.com/7amk7km
As LENUS develops we will be able to
get a current and retrospective picture of
Irish medical research.
Our appreciation to research staff in the
Rotunda who worked with us on this
project and to Ms Aoife Lawton, Systems
Librarian, Dr Steevens Hospital, for
giving us access to contribute to Lenus.
A O’Byrne