Not Just “The Doctors’ Library”: Open to All
Hospital libraries welcome patrons from all walks of life, no medical degree necessary
In NHS and other healthcare libraries, we’re accustomed to receiving enquiries from nurses, doctors, physiotherapists, and speech and language therapists daily, but there’s so much more to what we can offer.
Every hospital is like a village, and unless you’ve worked in the NHS or know someone who has, it isn’t always understood that there are whole armies of people who make the buildings and departments run. This includes electricians, joiners, educators, managers, ward clerks, catering staff, and so many more.
And just like the clinical specialists, many of these colleagues are studying for qualifications — including those who are on apprenticeships.
The word apprentice might conjure up images of electricians or carpenters or — mostly — other practical professions. Not only that, many people seem to think apprenticeships are only for young school-leavers. While there are many young apprentices in the Trust I currently work for, there are also several at a more senior level.
Some of the vocational areas on offer include business administration, informatics, HR, pharmacy, and podiatry, and this year, the hospital I work at is also offering an estates management option.
This summer, we’ve had some exciting news about impending senior-level apprenticeships in library management, which are due to come online in the next few months in various archives and library settings. While completion of an apprenticeship programme doesn’t always guarantee a job at the end, it does mean that apprentices get the chance to acquire a raft of skills and a wealth of experience that will stand them in good stead for future opportunities.
As the apprenticeship programme continues to develop, alongside the resources we can point users to for medicine and nursing, we’re likely to need to expand our repertoire to incorporate business administration, HR, and even engineering.
That doesn’t mean we’re suddenly going to have shelves of hefty tomes on law or engineering, but it does mean we might need to look at e-books or even other educational aids like games or multimedia. We might also need to look at our e-resources to make sure they’re as inclusive as possible.
Sometimes, there’s something of a misconception that the library services are only there to support our clinical colleagues. But, in fact, we’re a resource that anyone who works for the Trust (or is here on placement) can use. It’s not always as quiet as people might think when they hear the word “library,” but it is about the most peaceful space in the hospital, and we have various options for people wanting to study, catch up with their e-learning, or finish a report or assignment.
The other major event every summer is what’s known as changeover, when most of the doctors in England rotate from one hospital or healthcare setting to another. Sometimes processes and procedures are exactly the same, but there’s a surprising amount that differs between NHS organisations — and sometimes within the same organisation.
We also welcome large numbers of doctors who are newly qualified and fresh out of medical school, and the library can act as a haven of calm — as well as a convenient location to finish off their essential e-learning on a whole range of topics.
Topics range from information governance to patient-related training and practical clinical skills simulations, and we liaise with our colleagues in other teams to make sure we know where to direct people who might be slightly lost.
Our building is an interesting shape, having been converted from a couple of residential houses eleven years ago and then had extensions added. Those on changeover also have a great deal of training to complete before they get stuck into their contract. Thankfully, their inductions are a different week from the newly qualified cohort. After that, the medical students return, and the relative quiet of the building will suddenly be quite different.
By February next year, the new cohorts will (mostly!) know where they are and what they’re doing, and the same is likely to apply to the apprentices. That’s the month when there’ll be a National Apprenticeship Week, and even though it seems a long way away at this point, it’ll be here before we know it.
By the time we get there, I’m hoping we’ll have seen at least some of the apprentices in the library setting. We’re starting to establish links with the Learning and Development Team and other colleagues so we can try to make our service multidisciplinary and more inclusive. We really need to work on getting the message out to the organisation that we’re not just “the doctors’ library” — we’re here for the whole staff community in the hospitals that are part of the group.
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