So they let me write another one. Phew…
This week, now that introductions are out the way, and you
know where we are, I want to talk about the jobs that the staff at the
Healthcare Library do.
But wait Gareth, don’t
you all just sit around reading books and tell people to “shhh” for a living?
Well in a dream world, that would be the plan, but too much
shushing starts to wear on the throat after a while, and we all feel like this
might be a misappropriation of Trust resources. Instead we carry out tasks that
help keep the library running and most importantly, keep access to the
resources you guys need available and easy to find.
Sounds easy right?
So, let’s break down our friendly staff into their job roles
shall we?
These would be the Librarians and Library Assistants.
That
didn’t take long.
Your faithful Library Assistant team at this particular
Healthcare Library consists of myself
(Gareth) and my esteemed colleague Anne-Marie Fitton. Our particular
responsibilities cover two separate sections of our physical and online
resources.
Anne-Marie is the Keeper of the Books. Not actually her
job title but it sounds more dramatic... As well as the myriad of other tasks
she performs in her role as our Library Office Manager, she is also the channel
through which all our inter-library loans take place. She is an integral cog to
our service, and resident expert on all things.
(I didn’t miss a bit
out here, she knows everything)
If you need a book and we can’t provide it from our stock,
she can track it down. If you have any queries about the library service, she will know the answer. If there's something strange in your neighbourhood... You should probably call Ghostbusters, but Anne-Marie will give it a crack!
Although I’m still learning, my role is managing the journal
stock both electronic and in physical form. This amounts to looking after the
collection we have, and adding to it when possible. I’m also responsible for
responding to other library’s loan requests, as well as making sure you have a
pleasant visit and any issues you encounter are resolved quickly and
effectively. I also write the Blog, state the obvious, and run the ScoopIt page.
We are both full-time, so if you are popping in on a weekday
when we are staffed, you can be sure to find one of our delightful visages
waiting to help.
The Librarians down here are Jenny Lang, Caroline Thomas,
and Helen Clemow. When you think librarian, you think some old battle-axe
peering down the length of her nose, tutting just loud enough to shame you as
you remonstrate what a mistake it was to come to the library whilst still being
an organic being that requires breathing to live. Shame on you.
I was apprehensive of having to work with such characters,
as I too need oxygen to live, and was beginning to puzzle out a way of somehow
oxygenating my blood through some kind of intravenous system. (Patent Pending)
Then I turned up in the library and had to scrap my design.
They were extremely tolerant of gas breathing carbon beings! In fact, since
I’ve been here I’ve not heard a single tut, remonstration, recrimination,
scolding or a haughty sigh!
The librarians are really keen to get the best experience
possible for your visits, and keep you coming back. After all, knowledge is
power, and we want to empower you to do your job as effectively as possible.
That’s our job.
No longer in the dark ages are we. Books are not closely
guarded as means of keeping the riff-raff in line any more.
That’s all very well, but what can the Librarian do for you?
A good question and one that cannot be answered in the
limited word count available to me. To see a full list of what we can do, click
here.
The service that I wanted to tell you about, and possible
one of the most valuable services this library provides, is the Literature
Search. A literature search is a very simple thing to request. Simply fill in
one of our forms at our website
with as much detail as possible, and our Librarians will scour the internet and
databases, finding up to date and relevant information, fully referenced and
ready to go! Time saving extraordinaire!
So once again, thanks for reading and I hope this will
inspire you to let us help you do less work.
Until next time…New Books!
De Swiet's medical disorders in obstetric practice
|
Powrie, Raymond O
|
WQ220
|
Introduction to research
|
DePoy, Elizabeth
|
WB25
|
Communication skills in health and social care
|
Moss, Bernard
|
WLM816
|
Critical reading and writing for postgraduates
|
Wallace, Mike
|
L125
|
Nursing research
|
Munhall, Patricia L.
|
WY20
|
How to write a paper
|
Hall, George M.
|
Q50
|
Risk assessment in people with learning disabilities
|
Sellars, Carol
|
WM805
|
The good research guide
|
Denscombe, Martyn
|
HM20
|
Minor injuries
|
Purcell, Dennis
|
WD458
|
Innovating for patient safety in medicine
|
Lawton, Rebecca
|
WA55
|
Disabling barriers - enabling environments
|
Swain, John
|
WB600
|
Essential knowledge and skills for healthcare assistants
|
Rawles, Zoe
|
WY120
|
Research methods for clinical therapists
|
Hicks, Carolyn M.
|
WB25
|
Succeeding in literature reviews and research project plans for nursing students
|
Williamson, Graham R.
|
WY20
|
