Highlights

Your feedback has already shaped exciting changes, including the development of a new space designed for eating, socialising, and relaxation in the Healthcare Library at the Royal Victoria Hospital.  This space is continuing to be developed, and we very much welcome all feedback about what you would like to see in this space.  We hope that it will be somewhere that you can take a well-deserved break away from your busy jobs. 

We’re always listening and striving to continually improve your experience of using the Healthcare Library, whether online or in-person at any of our five libraries.  If you have suggestions, let us know through our feedback form. Your voice helps us create a library that truly supports you! 

The areas highlighted in which the library provided support, range from literature searching and training, to providing access to current literature.  However, it was more the impact of the support which provided encouraging and valuable insights.   The Library is clearly an important source of support to HSC professionals.  The impact outlined in the response's ranges from patient care, keeping up to date, producing guidelines, enabling service improvements or supporting CPD.  It is also clear that our members value the library staff and the personal support that they provide in helping to navigate the resources.  The Library service is seen as an efficient and cost-effective way of accessing what is needed, reducing the stress of obtaining the literature elsewhere. One comment summed it up by saying “I find access to the healthcare library invaluable and essential”.    

Below is a small selection of the range of comments received: - 

“Cheered me up how people are happy to help. Reminded me what a useful resource our library is and to make more use of the help available. Thank you . “ 

“enhance patient care, enhance education programme, ensure evidence base in education delivery “ 

“Access via the medical library allowed me to efficiently identify the latest evidence so that the patient involved could be informed regarding the safety of their medication “ 

“I can use my time more efficiently, whilst also ensuring I keep abreast of practice and have up-to-date information when for example, i am treating patients or preparing a business case.”  

“Improved my knowledge and skills which helped with providing care to patients and ideas for service / clinical practice improvements “  

 “The Healthcare Library, the staff and the support offered is excellent and enriches the learning experience of all that use it.”  

“It was a huge benefit to me in relation to reducing stress, it allowed me to research effectively. The staff are exceptionally helpful and supportive. “ 

There was also some useful constructive feedback which the Library will also consider to help deliver the service, such as ease of logging in and access to some resources such as more e-books. 

The Healthcare Library of Northern Ireland would like to thank all its members who took the time to complete this survey and provide such excellent feedback.  If you wish to provide any further feedback this can be done at any time using the feedback form.  A full report of the survey will be produced for the Department of Health to help demonstrate the value of the library service to the HSC as outlined by those who use it. 

The Healthcare Library of Northern Ireland provides a free requesting service for both books and articles.  A Place Request link is available on the library homepage, and  embedded request links are also in individual library records.  Requests are processed by your home library and article requests are frequently emailed within 24hours.   Books can be supplied from any of the libraries, or from other University libraries if unavailable locally. Likewise, we can obtain articles form other sources if unavailable.  This is all free of charge. So, there is no need for you to pay per view for an article you want to read, especially as many of our requests are satisfied within 24hours.  

Using the Place request link from the library home page.   

• Log in with  your librarynumber@ads.qub.ac.uk and  enter your password 
• Select book or article request 
• Include as much information as possible
• You must enter something in the * ISBN ( book) OR ISSN ( article) field.   If you don’t know this number, please enter don’t know or a few numbers to enable your request to be submitted.
• Send request 

The embedded how to get it link is even easier to use as it automatically completes the request form for you.   

• Articles - select your preferred email and agree to the copyright declaration. 
• Books, select your pick up location.  Some libraries can also send books in their Trust internal mail to your work address. Please contact your local library for more information.  

Location 

The Healthcare Library of Northern Ireland  
MDEC Building
Altnagelvin Area Hospital  
Londonderry 
BT47 6SB

tel:          028 7129 6168 
email: healthcare.library@westerntrust.hscni.net 
website: https://healthcarelibrary.qub.ac.uk

Opening Hours  

Monday – Wednesday  9.00 am – 8.00 pm  
Thursday – Friday          9.00 am – 5.00 pm  
Saturday                        9.30 am – 1.00 pm 

Summer Opening Hours (June – mid September)    Monday – Friday 9.00 am – 5.00 pm 

Photocopying, Study & ICT Facilities

• Study places
• 15 PCs (Trust network and guest network)
• Photocopying
• Printing
• Scanning  
• WiFi access 

For those HSC staff who do not have library membership already please click here

Enita is the new Senior Library Assistant at our QUB MBC branch, where Rachel has also joined as a Library Assistant.  Eva joins the Healthcare Library at the Royal Victoria Hospital as a Library Assistant.    

All three join our Customer Experience Team, which provides front-of-house and online support to customers - responding to a wide range of queries and feedback, as well as processing membership applications and requests for print or e-resources.   

The Healthcare Library of Northern Ireland welcomes Enita, Rachel, and Eva, and looks forward to the positive impact they will have in providing an excellent service to our customers.   

If you have any queries about using the Healthcare Library, please call into any library branch or email info@healthcarelibrary.qub.ac.uk