“Resource centres are catalysts for change and can become decisive in increasing the capacity of communities and nations. They are centres of excellence which record, remember and learn from past experience, and turn this experience into lessons for the future. They tap pools of data and information and channel them into streams of knowledge flowing where they are most needed”

Streams of knowledge: the role of water and sanitation centres in closing the gap on unmet needs
IRC, March 2000

Use the left-hand menu to view different sections of the resource centre manual
This manual was originally created in response to requests from organisations working in primary health care and related fields for support in setting up resource centres. Much of the information is drawn from the experience of Healthlink Worldwide and its partners in developing resource centres specialising in health and disability issues.

The manual contains practical information on all aspects of setting up and managing a resource centre: from planning, fundraising and finding a suitable location, to collecting and organising materials, developing information services, and monitoring and evaluating the work of the resource centre. It includes information on how to use computers, get the most out of the Internet and select database software.

The practical information includes checklists, tips, examples and illustrations, which can be used for reference or training. You are welcome to print out the pages for use as handouts or adapt any of the content for other materials, provided it is for educational purposes and the source is acknowledged. Each section of the manual is available on this website as PDF or Word format for printing or reading offline.

An Arabic translation of each section of the manual is also available in PDF format.

Introduction to manual

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