The Healthcare Library of Northern Ireland

Evidence, resources and updates for health and social care.

Blog

  • Christmas Opening Hours @HealthcareLib

    The Healthcare Library of Northern Ireland Branches will be closing on the 23rd December for the festive period, reopening on Tuesday 4th January. Full details of Christmas opening hours can be found below:

    The Healthcare Library of Northern Ireland at the Royal Victoria Hospital:

    Monday 20th – Thursday 23rd December: 9:00am – 5:00pm

    Friday 24th December – Monday 3rd January inclusive: Closed

    The Healthcare Library of Northern Ireland at QUB Medical Biology Centre:

    Monday 20th – Thursday 23rd December: 9:00am – 5:00pm

    Friday 24th December – Monday 3rd January inclusive: Closed

    The Healthcare Library of Northern Ireland at Antrim Area Hospital:

    Monday 20th – Thursday 23rd December: 9:30am – 4:30pm

    Friday 24th December – Monday 3rd January inclusive: Closed

    The Healthcare Library of Northern Ireland at Craigavon Area Hospital:

    Monday 20th – Wednesday 22nd December: 9:00am – 5:00pm

    Thursday 23rd December: 9:00am – 3:30pm

    Friday 24th December – Monday 3rd January inclusive: Closed

    The Healthcare Library of Northern Ireland at Altnagelvin Area Hospital:

    Monday 20th – Thursday 23rd December: 9:00am – 5:00pm

    Friday 24th December – Monday 3rd January inclusive: Closed

    All at The Healthcare Library of Northern Ireland would like to wish you a happy and peaceful festive break and thank all of you who will be working through the holiday season.

  • RESOLVED – Healthcare Library E-Resource access problem

    4.00pm 22 September 2021

    The problem previously affecting access to some of our resources has now been resolved.

    Thank you for your patience while we worked to fix this problem. 

  • Altnagelvin Healthcare Library – Open again on Saturdays and evenings

    The Healthcare Library at Altnagelvin Area Hospital is now open on Monday to Wednesday evenings until 8pm, and on Saturdays from 9.30pm to 1pm.
    Full opening hours can be found below and on the Healthcare Library website.

  • Antrim Healthcare Library will be closed on Friday 10th September 2021

    Antrim Healthcare Library, based in Fern House on the Antrim Hospital site will be closed on Friday 10th September 2021.

    Help is still available via HSC Library Chat or email info@healthcarelibrary.qub.ac.uk.

  • ClinicalKey: an overview of what’s new

    ClinicalKey will be changing in the coming months. New content and features will be added, including a new mobile app.

    To learn about these changes, HSC staff can sign up for the Healthcare Library training session below, run by Koon Wan Chan, Customer Success Manager at Elsevier.

    ClinicalKey: an overview of new content and features

    Tuesday 28th September 2021

    10:00 – 10:45 AM

    This session will be delivered on-line via MS Teams. To receive a link to join the session, please email Richard Fallis, Specialist Librarian for Medicine, Dentistry and Healthcare Sciences: richard.fallis @ healthcarelibrary.qub.ac.uk

    In the meantime, Healthcare Library members can continue to access ClinicalKey by going to www.healthcarelibrary.qub.ac.uk > Databases A-Z > ClinicalKey

  • Fixed – My Account and Place Request problem

    The problem logging into My Account and Place Request facilities has now been resolved.

    Access to Healthcare Library resources was not affected during this time as there is no need to log into My Account to access our resources.

    Thank you for your patience while this was being addressed.

    Updated 25/08/21

  • Antrim Healthcare Library will be closed from Friday 9th July – Friday 16th July

    Antrim Healthcare Library, based in Fern House on the Antrim Hospital Site, will be closed from Friday 9th July – Friday 16th July (inclusive of both dates).

    Help is still available via HSC Library Chat or email info@healthcarelibrary.qub.ac.uk from a non-Trust email address. All library branches will be closed on Monday 12th & Tuesday 13th July.

  • Wellbeing @ the Library in Craigavon

    Wellbeing @ the Library in Craigavon

    The project was launched 22nd June 2021 with the aim of promoting the benefits of reading for health and wellbeing to HSC staff and students on placement in the Southern Health and Social Care Trust. It was initiated by the SHSCT Promoting Wellbeing Division in partnership with the staff in the Healthcare Library in Craigavon Area Hospital and with the support of the Trust’s Psychology Department. The project was funded by the Staff Health and Wellbeing Steering Group and the Southern Area Mental Health Implementation Plan.



    The scheme is endorsed by health professionals and has three main objectives:

    To support the health & wellbeing of the staff & placement students in the Southern Health & Social care Trust

    To inform & support the professional development of staff & placement students

    To improve the aesthetics of the healthcare library for staff & its users.

    The stock is available to all SHSCT staff and students on placement. To borrow any of the books, you need to be a registered member of The Healthcare Library of Northern Ireland – registration is free and can be completed online at: www.healthcarelibrary.qub.ac.uk/signup. For staff who cannot visit the library in person, books can be posted to their work address within the Trust.

    Library staff are happy to help so please call in, phone or email if you need assistance.

    Tel: 028 37562107 email: healthcare.library@southerntrust.hscni.net

    Some of the titles are also available as e-books, including: Your guide to understanding and dealing with dementia; Can I tell you about cerebral palsy; The sleep solution: Why Your Sleep Is Broken and How to Fix It; The Pursuit of Perfect: How to Stop Chasing Perfection and Start Living a Richer, Happier Life.

    The Wellbeing Collection in the SHSCT is the second collection to be established in a Healthcare Library of Northern Ireland branch, the other is in the Healthcare Library of Northern Ireland at the Royal Victoria Hospital.

  • The Healthcare Library of Northern Ireland at QUB MBC is closed for refurbishment

    The Healthcare Library of Northern Ireland at QUB Medical Biology Centre is now closed for refurbishment during summer 2021, and will remain closed until mid-September 2021.

    Study space remains available in the McClay Library and the Healthcare Library at RVH, as well as other Healthcare Library branches.

    Print stock anticipated to be high in demand has been identified and has been made available in the McClay Library on Floor 1 (available from 8th June). Users can access these items as normal and borrow them using the self-service facilities in the McClay Library. Unfortunately no other stock from this library branch will be accessible during the refurbishment but please check the library catalogue in case the text is available another library branch or is available as an electronic book. Alternatively please contact your specialist librarian who may be able to suggest alternatives.

    Books can be returned to either the McClay Library or the Healthcare Library at RVH. It is now not possible to return books to the Healthcare Library at QUB MBC or collect requested books from this branch. Inter-Library Loans can still be submitted as normal, though ILL books will need to be collected from the McClay Library.

    Staff are still available to help, so please use HSC Library Chat or email info@healthcarelibrary.qub.ac.uk to contact a member of staff. Specialist Librarians are also contactable via their direct emails.

  • The Healthcare Library of Northern Ireland at QUB Medical Biology Centre is closing for refurbishment

    The Healthcare Library of Northern Ireland at QUB Medical Biology Centre will be undergoing a refurbishment during summer 2021. To facilitate this work, this Healthcare Library branch will be closed from 7th June to mid-September 2021.

    The refurbishment will result in several improvements for users including:

    • Group study rooms will be increased from 1 to 5
    • 2 individual study rooms will be created
    • Reader spaces will be increased to 145 including 17 study carrels

    Study space remains available in the McClay Library and the Healthcare Library at RVH, as well as other Healthcare Library branches.

    Print stock anticipated to be high in demand has been identified and will be made available in the McClay Library on Floor 1 from the week beginning 14th June. Users can access these items as normal and borrow them using the self-service facilities in the McClay Library. Unfortunately no other stock from this library branch will be accessible during the refurbishment but please check the library catalogue in case the text is available in another library branch or is available as an electronic book.

    Books can be returned to either the McClay Library or the Healthcare Library at RVH. It will not be possible to return books to the Healthcare Library at QUB MBC building from 7th June or collect requested books from this branch from 7th June. Inter-Library Loan requests can still be submitted as normal, though ILL books will need to be collected from the Healthcare Library at RVH.

    Staff are still available to help so please use HSC Library Chat or email info@healthcarelibrary.qub.ac.uk to contact a member of staff. Specialist Librarians are also contactable via their direct emails.