Douglas Carnall's report (3rd July, p10, based on a survey by John
Kirriemuir, www.ariadne.ac.uk/issue20/omni/) gives a very one-sided view
of the networking of NHS libraries.
In South Thames for example (and this is true of several other
regions) every NHS library service has an internet connection for the use
of library staff, and the majority have user access from one or more
workstations. All interlibrary transactions use email, and from 1st July
this year we no longer use mailouts for distribution of information.
Urgent announcements go out by email, while training programmes, agendas
and general information appear on our regional website www.lib.surrey.ac.uk/STHAMES/
All our NHS information and library staff receive basic and advanced
internet training, and all medical and other staff of the NHS are offered
free attendance at multiprofessional workshops on finding and appraising
the evidence, financed by the South East Region R&D Directorate.
These activities are all projects within our STELLA programme (South
Thames Electronic Libraries Local Access).
Obviously if John Kirriemuir chooses to ask people to send in bad
news (which he did) then bad news is what he will receive. But there is
plenty of good news too, and I would lay odds that a year from now you
will not find a NHS library anywhere in the UK without full internet
access for both staff and users.
Yours sincerely
Michael Carmel
Director
South Thames Library and Information Service
Royal Surrey County Hospital
Guildford
Surrey GU2 5XX
Rapid Response:
NHS Libraries and the Internet: not all bad news
Editor
Douglas Carnall's report (3rd July, p10, based on a survey by John
Kirriemuir, www.ariadne.ac.uk/issue20/omni/) gives a very one-sided view
of the networking of NHS libraries.
In South Thames for example (and this is true of several other
regions) every NHS library service has an internet connection for the use
of library staff, and the majority have user access from one or more
workstations. All interlibrary transactions use email, and from 1st July
this year we no longer use mailouts for distribution of information.
Urgent announcements go out by email, while training programmes, agendas
and general information appear on our regional website
www.lib.surrey.ac.uk/STHAMES/
All our NHS information and library staff receive basic and advanced
internet training, and all medical and other staff of the NHS are offered
free attendance at multiprofessional workshops on finding and appraising
the evidence, financed by the South East Region R&D Directorate.
These activities are all projects within our STELLA programme (South
Thames Electronic Libraries Local Access).
Obviously if John Kirriemuir chooses to ask people to send in bad
news (which he did) then bad news is what he will receive. But there is
plenty of good news too, and I would lay odds that a year from now you
will not find a NHS library anywhere in the UK without full internet
access for both staff and users.
Yours sincerely
Michael Carmel
Director
South Thames Library and Information Service
Royal Surrey County Hospital
Guildford
Surrey GU2 5XX
Competing interests: No competing interests