About the All Ireland electronic Health Library
The All-Ireland electronic Health Library (AIeHL) is a network of interoperable websites across the island of Ireland. Each member site contains a range of knowledge resources related to health and well-being taken form what is often called the “grey literature”. Different types of resources (such as policy and strategy documents, data (quantitative and qualitative), research reports, details of programmes and interventions, contacts, websites, etc) are included.
The AIeHL
- allows you to retrieve the different types of knowledge resources in an effective and efficient manner
- provides a rational approach to the management of the knowledge resources on its member sites while reducing duplication
- facilitates more effective sharing and integration of knowledge
The library is supported on an ongoing basis by Ireland and Northern Ireland’s Population Health Observatory (INIsPHO) in the Institute of Public Health in Ireland (IPH). It is part of the Observatory’s efforts to support effective decision making by helping people to more easily access relevant knowledge that is distributed across various websites on the island.
AIeHL Mission Statement
The All-Ireland electronic Health Library (AIeHL) aims to support effective decision-making in health and social wellbeing by making it easier for people to bring together all types of health information that are distributed through websites on the island.
Member websites
The AIeHL includes the following full members (July 2009):
- Archive of Irish Health Publications (HSE)
- Centre for Ageing Research and Development in Ireland (CARDI)
- Centre of Excellence for Public Health in Northern Ireland (CoE)
- Community Development Health Network (CDHN)
- Healthdata (HSE)
- Health Promoting Hospitals and Health Services Network (HPH)
- HRB Publications (HRB)
- IPH eLibrary (IPH)
- National Documentation Centre on Drug Use (HRB)
- Northern Ireland Cancer Network (NICaN)
- Wellnet (IfH, EHSSB)
What the All-Ireland electronic Health Library allows you to do
The AIeHL makes it possible to enter the library from any of its member websites and search all the library’s knowledge resources. When you enter through one of the member websites you have the option of searching that website alone or choosing to expand your search to include any or all of the other member sites. You can search for keywords or by using Public Health Language/SNOMED (PHL/SNOMED) terms. By defining your needs in such terms, you can more easily retrieve just those resources you need and no others. You can also restrict your search to particular member site(s) or type of resources.
To become involved you can either
- Join your website as a full member of the the AIeHL
- Submit a collection of knowledge resources to be included as a thematic collection
Please contact us for further information on how your organisation can become involved in the AIeHL.
Accessing the AIeHL
You can access the AIeHL in a number of different ways:
- Entering through one of its member websites
- Using a link on your desktop to the AIeHL that can be installed using the AIeHL installer
- Going to www.aiehl.org or www.aiehl.ie or www.aiehl.org.uk
You can also subscribe to the AIeHL RSS feed to be kept up to date about new resources as they are added to the library.

