Funding cuts are the ever-present worry in NHS libraries, forcing Library Managers to constantly re-evaluate how we deliver services with limited resources. And for those of us in the even smaller niche of NHS libraries who still run Health Promotion Resource centres in tandem with Public Health and Local Authorities (there are just a few of us nationally) the threat of funding cuts can be even more existential and dramatic since bankruptcy feels right behind the corner.…

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It was a big step into the unknown when I was asked to join a research team in the Trust to be involved in their integrative review into serious incident investigations in community mental health settings covering the information specialist role…

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My name is Ethanual Crabtree, and I am a Graduate Trainee Librarian at Lynfield Mount Hospital in Bradford, West Yorkshire. My role in the library includes many responsibilities such as being on the front counter desk, being first point of call for staff on site, supporting the librarians, and being involved in the development of the Health Promotion resources. Within our Health Promotion collection there is a reminiscence section which is frequently used for older peoples’ services. This is looking to be updated currently as the generation of people changes and what they knew in their younger life is different. This can be from childhood to adult age and include objects such as toys, tv shows, music and even household items. Carl Challinor and I sat down and discussed what could be relevant to the North of England as well as something being a middle ground for age groups. Through many side-tracks we came out with Northern Soul!…

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A description of the role and purpose of the recently established national Mental Health Libraries Network…

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Two weeks ago I attended the International Clinical Librarians Conference (ICLC) in Leicester. As a grateful recipient of a YOHHLnet CPD bursary here are my reflections on the two day event. On review…

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The preparation to move to a new library management system has begun in Bradford. We have started long task of organising and cleaning the library data exists on our current library management system (Heritage Cirqa) and prepare for the upcoming shift. As a library we came across 7 things which we think will help to consider should you need to clean, reformat, or delete any old data which has been left over the years before the switch in Library Management Systems.…

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Since May 2021, those interested in poetry have been sharing their thoughts via an LKS North Poetry Group.…

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Once we’d got LibKey Nomad installed on all laptops and PCs across the Trust, we identified there was a gap that needed to be filled. If someone was searching on Google Scholar and we didn’t have a subscription to a particular journal, LibKey Nomad would flag it up with an ‘Access Options’ button. This button would lead the library user to a page where they were advised we didn’t have a current subscription and the user hit the proverbial dead end. We knew we had to provide a solution, in order to fulfil our commitment to seamless access to our resources.…

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The library team started working from home in March 2020 and have had to adapt quickly to the new environment the pandemic has brought. For example, our library trainee Sonia started cataloguing books from home.…

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My name is Kirsty and I joined Bradford District Care NHS Trust as Research & Library Administrator in November 2020. Starting a new job can be quite daunting and even more so during the COVID pandemic.…

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