Working in an NHS Trust: Electronic Development Librarian
by Angus Leitch
Organisation:
North Staffordshire Medical Institute Library serves the University Hospital of North Staffordshire NHS Trust, North Staffordshire Combined Healthcare Trust, and four Primary Care Trusts as well as the wider healthcare family – including local social services. We are also open to the general public for reference and information.
I work in a very professional environment. It is often quite busy, and many of our users are pressed for time and have quite complicated requirements.
Our main task is to support healthcare staff by providing them with the timely and relevant information that they need to do their jobs. Ultimately this means finding, retrieving and delivering the right books, journal articles, conference papers, leaflets, websites etc. for their enquiry. Before that though we may have to first identify what they want by searching healthcare literature.
In support of this task we provide guidance, training and awareness for healthcare professionals themselves on how they can find, retrieve and use information tools and resources.
As well as the Library Services Manager, there are four professional librarians working in my library. My title is Electronic Development Librarian, and I am responsible for trying to maintain and develop the library's electronic/online services and resources.
Main Duties:
• Redesign and re-launch of the library website.
• Website maintenance and development.
• Registering users for the library's online journal subscriptions.
• Registering users for other online services such as the NHS Core Content Collection and electronic books.
• Helping library users with the computers – e.g. showing them how to use the scanners or CD-writers.
• Keeping track of the library's online journal subscriptions.
• Develop ways of providing library services electronically to users who cannot physically visit the library very often.
• Assisting other library services with electronic development – e.g. developing a library database for GP surgeries.
• Help to prepare user education materials such as the current library services guide.
• Staffing the library's main counter and providing an enquiry service: issuing and receiving books; taking requests for books and journal articles; allocating PCs; showing users how to search the catalogue and how to find the book or journal they want; looking up information.
• Help with literature searches.
• Help with library and information skills training sessions.
• Marketing the library service.
• Keeping statistical and other records of activities.
Angus Leitch
Electronic Development Librarian
North Staffordshire Medical Institute
angus.leitch@uhns.nhs.uk