LIN Partners with OQL

• Toronto and Trois-Rivières: October 12, 2006.
  The Lifestyle Information Network (LIN) and l'Observatoire québécois du loisir (OQL) are pleased to announce a new partnership to provide a national information service, in both official languages, for the Canadian Recreation sector.
  The partnership is a major step forward in the development of information services for recreation practitioners across the country. The top priority for this partnership will be the alignment of their two resources databases, to provide easier searching for users, reduce duplication of efforts by staff, and provide more complete coverage of available resources. The two organizations will also work on the development of a Trend Watch service to alert users to current and upcoming issues in the field.
  
  For the past 11 years, LIN has been providing on-line access to unpublished, hard-to-find "grey" literature through the National Recreation Database. LIN also provides current awareness services and networking opportunities for recreation, active living, and health promotion professionals, through its award-winning web site and listserv.
  
  The OQL first saw its existence through a collaborative effort of the Quebec Ministry of Municipal Affairs, Leisure and Sports; the UQTR Laboratory of Leisure and Community Living; AQLM; Sports-Québec; the Québec Council on Leisure and the "Unité régional de loisir et sport" (URLS) of the province. To this day, these organizations represent the OQL steering committee.
  
  To fulfill its watch function, the observatory has developed a computerized system which identifies and analyses watch items which are then distributed to leisure stakeholders. The information is distributed through different formats, which include: bulletins, dépêches-loisirs, and reports. It also provides specialized watches and analysis through conferences, seminars and workshops. The OQL, like the LIN, also owns and operates a database of "grey" documents, in French, which it makes available to all who may need the information.
  
  This new partnership is an exciting step forward for leisure development in this country and the hope is that the partnership will continue to grow in order to be able to offer leisure information that is unparalleled.
  For more information about LIN or OQL, visit:
  www.lin.ca or contact:
  
  Agnes Croxford
  Manager, National Recreation Database
  Lifestyle Information Network
  1185 Eglinton Ave East
  North York, ON M3C 3C6
  Telephone (416) 426-7288
  Fax: (416) 426-7421
  acroxford@lin.ca
  
  www.oql.uqtr.ca or contact:
  André Thibault, Ph. D.
  Observatoire québécois du loisir
  Directeur de l'Observatoire québécois du loisir
  3351, boul. Des Forges
  CP. 500
  Trois-Rivières, QC G9A 5H7
  Téléphone: (819) 376-5011, #3451
  Télécopieur: (819) 373-1988
  oql@uqtr.ca