Virtual Library

Access the Virtual Library

Search through our collection of online research databases.

Access the Virtual Library

Who can access the Virtual Library?

Access to the site is limited to staff in Ontario's local public health units, the Office of the Chief Medical Officer of Health, Public Health of the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care and Public Health Ontario. The terms of the license agreement with the service provider do not permit Public Health Ontario to extend access to the Virtual Library to any additional users.

If you work in a public health unit in Ontario, in addition to these online resources, you may wish to consult the Shared Library Services Partnership (SLSP) page to determine if you are eligible to receive library services from a designated hub library.

How do I access the Virtual Library?

If you meet the access criteria outlined above, you may access the Virtual Library from this page after you provide authentication information or through the link provided by your designated library.

You may be prompted to enter your login information. If you are a health unit staff member and require Virtual Library access information, contact your health unit library or your designated hub library.

Are full text journal articles available in the Virtual Library?

The Virtual Library includes some full-text content, including articles from many public health journals. Many of the full text articles are published under embargo of varying length, so please read the scope notes carefully if you need to access the most recent articles. For the articles not available via Virtual Library consult with your librarian.

Do any copyright and license restrictions apply to the Virtual Library?

You may download and use database search results and full-text articles for research, program development and other related activities of your organization, or your own research.

All other uses are prohibited. Some examples of prohibited uses are:

• Distributing full text articles via email outside of your organization
• Sharing login information with external colleagues
• Posting articles on the internet or your corporate intranet

Virtual Library content is protected by copyright law and is subject to the terms and conditions of the agreements under which the materials are licensed. Except as otherwise provided under copyright law and applicable license agreements, such material may not be copied, published, distributed, downloaded or otherwise stored in a retrieval system, transmitted or converted, in any form or by any means, electronic or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the copyright owner. Users may not modify, adapt, transform, translate or create any derivative work based on the content of these publications.

How do I get materials not included in the Virtual Library?

If you work in one of the Ontario’s 36 health units, you either have a library within your organization or are receiving library services through the Shared Library Services Partnership (SLSP) (also referred to as hub libraries). Please contact your service provider for more information.