Library Profile: James Bridie Library

Shona MacNeilage

The James Bridie Library at the Victoria Infirmary (or GG/VI as it is otherwise known) is a multidisciplinary library within the South Glasgow NHS Trust Library Service. There are 2 hospitals within the Trust, the Victoria Infirmary and the Southern General as well as the Mansion House Unit and Mearnskirk Hospital, which are for elderly care. The Trust came into existence in 1999 with the merger of the two hospitals, which in turn led to the one library service. The James Bridie Library gets its name from a physician who worked in the hospital during the twenties and thirties, called Osborne Henry Mavors. However, Dr Mavors also wrote plays under the pen name of James Bridie, and still had time to help set up the Citizens Theatre here in Glasgow!

The library is staffed by one member of staff the Assistant Librarian, me, and I have the day to day responsibility for the library. The library has fairly extensive back runs of the main medical journals as well as currently subscribing to 84 journals. The library is also very lucky in having several journals, which are donated by members of staff. As a result of having some journals that are not so commonly purchased, the library seems to be very popular within the SHINE Union List. During 2003, the library requested 244 articles from other libraries. However, the library processed 792 requests from all of you, so if takes a while for you to receive your requests from GG/VI you now know why! The unfortunate side to the journal collection is that the library does not subscribe to many nursing journals, and that the subscriptions only began in 2000. However, this is an area that is improving and will be developed further in the future.

All members of staff in the Victoria, as well as the dependent units of the Mansion House Unit and Mearnskirk Hospital, can come and use the James Bridie Library. Currently there are around 700 beds in all of these Units, and I am the librarian for all the staff. The Librarian Staff ratio works out at approximately 1:2,500 - and like the beer I'm not bitter just a little stressed out. I have to spread myself very thinly to be available to everyone, although there are some consultants who think that the library is their own personal one and I only have to do enquiry work for them - they don't think that way for long.

The library provides an enquiry service to users, with literature searching being done for staff. However, there is more of an emphasis on teaching users to be able to use the databases and journals on the e-library themselves. Teaching is done on either a one to one basis or in a group session. Users are also encouraged when they are first learning to do literature searching, to ask for the librarian to be available to ask questions if they are not yet feeling confident enough. This has helped to spread the word about the library that if anyone is stuck or having problems they can come in, phone or email to ask for help.

The library is split into two areas, the journal stacks and the annexe. The annexe is where the computers are; the library currently has 4 PC's with access to the NHSNet as well as 3 PC's, which are for word processing. The library also has 2 PC's for the Glasgow University Students, which are attached to the University network. During 2004 the computing facilities are going to be improved as we have the annexe redeveloped to fit in a new computer cluster. This will increase the number of NHSNet terminals to 8, making access to the NHS Scotland E-Library and Glasgow Health Information Gateway easier for members of the hospital staff. Due to the age of the building, many of the wards and departments have limited access to the Internet making the library the only place that some staff has to go, to access the electronic resources.

The library service also works in close partnership with the Trust Training department, and the library is a Learn Direct centre. This has meant an increase in non-health professional members of staff visiting the library, as they do courses such as the ECDL. These members of staff are still coming to the library after they finish their courses, which helps to spread the word of the library's existence and that the service is available to all staff.

As a result of the Acute Services Review in Glasgow, the Victoria Infirmary will close and a new ACAD (Ambulatory Care and Diagnostic Centre) will open in its place. There will be a library in the new building, which will bring new challenges for myself. The ACAD will be largely nurse led, with the majority of medical staff based at the Southern General. With a change in the services the ACAD will provide, as well as different specialities being moved, the library will have to develop to continue to provide staff with a high standard of information and library provision.

Shona MacNeilage
Librarian
James Bridie Library,
Victoria Infirmary
NHS Greater Glasgow
South Glasgow University Hospitals Division
Tel: 0141 201 5760
Email: Library@gvic.scot.nhs.uk