A resource centre is a facility staffed by specialists containing various information sources. Generally, the purpose of a resource centre is to advance clients' learning experience, their families, and professional caregivers in any sector.
Information plays an essential part in the broader learning process – helping health workers to understand the context of their work, follow new approaches, undertake new responsibilities, improve their practice and remind them of basic concepts.
Learning takes place at workshops or on training courses and through discussions with colleagues, practical experience, and consulting newsletters, books, and audiovisual materials. Resource centres can support a wide range of learning activities by making information available. By helping health workers learn, they can play a valuable part in improving a nation's health.
A concern for equity – a fundamental principle of primary health care – means that information, like health care, should be accessible to all. But in many developing countries, access to information is limited, especially information relevant to local conditions. Locally produced information is often unavailable, while data produced outside the local area may be inappropriate or too expensive.
Resource centres have an essential part to play in improving access to information. A resource centre collects and organizes materials useful to a particular group of people, such as health workers. Fabrics may vary, including training manuals, handbooks, reference books, directories, leaflets, posters, games, videos, and equipment samples.
However, a resource centre is much more than a collection of well-organized materials. A resource centre actively seeks to share the information that it contains. Resource centre staff encourage people to use the materials. For example, they help people find the materials they need. They also disseminate information in the resource centre by producing and distributing locally adapted materials and information packs, holding training or discussion workshops, or arranging exhibitions.
A resource centre should aim to:
• create a pleasant atmosphere for learning
• contain a relevant and accessible collection of resource materials (based on the actual needs of users)
• provide a range of information services
• encourage people to use the information in the resource centre
• help users gain access to data from other sources.
Development organizations usually prefer the term ‘resource centre' to ‘library' to emphasize that this is an active, attractive place where people can relax and enjoy themselves, talk to each other, and participate in meetings and training activities.
A resource centre can be any size, from a trunk of books or a few shelves to a whole room or several rooms. A resource centre may be part of an organization or an organization in its own right. It may serve staff within the same organization, people from other organizations, public members, or a mixture. It may be staffed by a volunteer or someone for whom it is only part of their job or by a team of professional librarians and information scientists who are responsible for different aspects of managing the collection and providing information services. A group of materials in a hospital or health centre meeting room, a few shelves in a room at a training institution, or a room in a community centre – all these are resource centres.
The larger the resource centre, the more critical it is to have systems for knowing what materials it contains and where to find them. With a small resource centre consisting of a couple of bookcases, it is easy for someone to look at all the materials and see what they need. Perhaps all that is required is for the fabrics to be grouped by subject and the shelves to have labels showing which topics are where. In a more extensive resource centre, however, it would take too long to look through all the shelves, so it becomes necessary to classify materials in more detail and list them in a catalogue (for a medium-sized resource centre) or on a computer database (for an extensive resource centre).
Whatever the size, all resource centres have the same aim – to meet the information needs of a particular group, or groups, of people.
Planning A Resource Center
Commitment
Information collections often begin through expediency – material keeps piling up. Something must be done with it, or reference questions and requests for material start coming in. If your organization fits this description, it is time to make a formal commitment. The “information “centre deserves a real place in the operational structure to ensure its strategic growth.
The commitment to establishing a resource centre needs to originate with its head, authorizing the appropriate staff member to be responsible for its creation and maintenance. This initial step may seem obvious, but it is critical to institutionalize the resource centre as a distinct part of the operation and set up a chain of responsibility.
Utility
This Guide is based on the principle of utility. Structure planning around what will be most beneficial for your staff, board and members/constituents and how you can respond to user needs. Think of their needs in terms of:
• Content – What will be in the collection?
• Access – What are the best methods to use the collection?
• Services – What types of support will complement the collection? How proactive will the resource centre be? How will its collection and services be marketed to users?
• Technology – How can it be used most effectively to interpret, deliver and maintain the pool?
Choose the practical over concern about formal library structuring and procedures. Even public and large national libraries are mindful of this vital principle. Ask: What works for us? What do we need?
Budget
A resource centre budget needs to be developed as a separate part of the operating budget when it is possible. This is true even when the information function will be a part of another activity or department (e.g., communications and marketing). A budget is a classic planning and benchmarking tool that makes the project objective and reaffirms its commitment. It ensures that there will be a place within the organization for the resource center's needs.
Management needs to understand that the initial year's budget will usually be larger than the next few years due to one-time expenses such as cataloguing software and supplies for storing material (e.g. bookshelves, CD racks). In-kind materials and services should also be included to give an accurate picture of the resource center's value. For instance, if a technical consultant volunteers to develop an electronic catalogue, use that person's regular hourly rate to value the donation. Remember that the initial budget is a “wish list” and will probably be modified, but the goal is to cover the basics as outlined below. Do not hesitate to include what is needed. The following are standard line items in a basic library budget:
Establishing
What Are Some Different Types of Resource Centers?
• Developmental Disabilities Resource Center.
• Community Resource Centers.
• Company Resource Center.
• Choices Resource Center.
• Resource Centers.
• Aging And Disability Resource Centers.
• Business Resource Center.
The Addiction Resource Center
Addiction Resource Center (ARC) is a nationally recognized facility for high-quality, confidential treatment for drug and alcohol addiction. With a proven track record of helping individuals overcome alcohol and drug use challenges. There is a caring and compassionate staff to help individuals return to a healthy lifestyle. The highly trained Addiction Research Centre staff is friendly, approachable, and available whenever needed.
The Addiction Research Center is licensed to provide prevention and treatment services, co-occurring mental health disorders treatment, and driver education and evaluation.
Importance / Benefits Of Research Centers.
There are various resource centres, each geared toward providing caregivers with resources to expand their professional experience.
Enrichment Centers
Enrichment centres are resource centres that reinforce and extend the learning of concepts, skills or topics introduced in the classroom. Not every caregiver will understand an idea right away, so they must have a place to go for further help. Enrichment centres can be set up in the classroom and may include:
A visual display of the information.
- Additional books on the topic.
- A step-by-step explanation guide of the concept.
Encourage students to utilize the enrichment centre by providing time to review the enrichment materials.
Interest Centers
Get students involved in learning by providing a resource for them to learn more about their interests. Interest-based centres are essential to students because they encourage students to pursue their interests. Students take responsibility for their learning at interest centres by choosing what they want to study and how they will analyze it. Libraries are the most typical form of an interest centre.
Community Centers
Community resource centres are an essential part of the community because they provide a place for students to go for help during non-school hours. Community resource centres can focus on academic or non-academic subjects, from math and reading to basketball and play-acting. According to the U.S.Department of Education, community centres are especially beneficial to students in high-poverty locations by expanding on academic issues. Providing learning opportunities outside of school is an essential part of ensuring their classroom success.
If you or a loved one is suffering from addiction and mental health disorders or experiencing crises and in need of help, then it's an emergency. If possible, you should go to the emergency room or call a professional for help.
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