The Healthcare Library of Northern Ireland circulated an impact survey to all its members which ran from on 6th January until 24th January 2025. The Library wanted to obtain qualitative feedback on the impact the library service is having on the HSC, so we asked you to tell us what support you had availed off and what impact this had. We were delighted to receive 224 responses from across all the HSC Trusts and Organisation and from a broad range of the professions. This produced a rich flavour of feedback of how the library supports and helps HSC professionals.
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 provided had 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 has since 2018 been committed to ensuring a consistent and excellent delivery of service through a range of 18 service standards broadly covering the following service areas:
The purpose of our Standards of Service is to provide a measurable performance level to guarantee that the Library will meet customer needs. Examples of these Standards include a set response time for an enquiry, a commitment to supplying interlibrary loan requests within a certain period and simply ensuring that our Healthcare Library customers are happy with our library environments. All but six of our Standards of Service have a target of 100% which demonstrates that the Library is striving to provide the best possible service.
All library staff are responsible for ensuring that the provision of service meets set targets and, each year, the Library reviews its customer-focused service targets and we publish our performance against these targets. As part of this process, we would like your input – if you have any feedback or comments on our Standards of Service please let us know via our Customer Feedback Page.
We are particularly interested to hear if you feel that there are important areas of service delivery on which we should focus or whether our targets meet your needs
In December 2021, we conducted a Customer Journey Map (CJM) with a member of The Healthcare Library of Northern Ireland. In advance of the session, they booked an Individual Study Room in our branch at QUB Medical Biology Centre to avail of the new parent/child booking option and bring their little boy with them on the day.
While completing the booking, and, during their visit, they noted several issues that could have made their experience better:
The room booking confirmation email did not mention the parent/child option and noted that maximum occupancy was only for 1 person – this was felt to be confusing
There was no seat for a child in the room and they had to leave the room to ask for one
Following this exercise, and the very valuable insights and recommendations the customer provided on the day, the email booking confirmation was changed to reflect the parent/child occupancy option and child size chairs were purchased for the two Individual Study Rooms and are now in situ.
If you too would like to book the same facility, just select one of the Individual Study Rooms under the Group Study Room Booking – Biomedical Library option in the Service Applications menu at qub.ac.uk/qol.
The Healthcare Library of Northern Ireland ran an impact survey from 11th February 2019 to 22nd February 2019 to gather examples of how our role in providing Health and Social Care professionals with free library and information services, and expert advice and training supports patient care, evidence-based practice and continuing professional development. Invitations to participate in the survey were sent to a random sample of Healthcare Library members.
A total of three questions were asked:
Give an example of something you have asked The Healthcare Library to help you with
In what way did the Library help?
What was the impact on your professional practice, patient outcome, safety or cost?
From the survey, it can be seen that members ask the Library to help with four main categories: literature searching, access to resources, training and requesting material.
Figure 1: Pie Chart displaying what members ask for help with
The impact of this help falls into the categories of continuing professional development (CPD), patient care and safety, policy strategy and guidelines, evidence-based practice (EBP), and research.
Figure 2: Pie Chart displaying the impact of help provided by The Healthcare Library
The results of the survey will be invaluable to us in reporting to the Department of Health and to support future business cases for enhanced funding or specific projects. In the current financial climate, it is extremely important to be able to prove the value of our services and your input is crucial to this. Thank you to all who took the time to respond to the survey, and although the survey has now closed, we are always grateful for feedback especially case studies highlighting the impact of our service. If you have any such example, please contact info@healthcarelibrary.qub.ac.uk or use the online feedback form.
Many thanks to all of our members who responded to the 2018 Satisfaction Survey. We value your feedback and comments. It is encouraging to hear what we are getting right and important to hear what we are not doing so well. As with previous surveys, comments (as detailed below) about the service are overwhelmingly positive.
The access to a reliable source of information which is known to be from reliable sources.
I enjoy having a library in the first place!
Excellent staff – helpful and knowledgeable and respond quickly to any requests.
I really appreciated the training provided in learning how to conduct literature searches / use databases – it was excellent, very relevant and tailored specifically to my learning needs.
The librarians are a real asset and support in finding information. Nothing is too much of a bother to them.
Any requests I have submitted are actioned immediately and staff take time to work through which systems may be best to use for a literature search.
The Library is continually endeavouring to raise its profile through various means. Within the last year a series of pop-up libraries were delivered across key hospital sites in canteen areas to promote the service to staff. This will continue this year visiting different sites including some community based locations as well as hospital sites. In addition the Library endeavours to ensure both QUB and UU graduating students are made aware of The Healthcare Library of Northern Ireland and when possible we attend Trust inductions, changeover events and profession specific conferences.
If there are particular events that you would like the Library to attend please contact your specialist librarian.
We would also like to take the opportunity to respond to
some of the comments, suggestions or less positive feedback, which can be grouped
into the following themes:
Location and access to The Healthcare Library of Northern
Ireland at the RVH, including car parking:
The
Healthcare Library of Northern Ireland at the RVH is located in the Mulhouse
Building on the Royal Victoria Hospital site. It is accessible on foot, by car
or by using the free shuttle bus running between
the Belfast City Hospital site and the Royal Victoria Hospital site. Use of the
car parks and the cost of car parking is controlled by the Belfast Health and
Social Care Trust and is outside of the Library’s control.
The study environment at The Healthcare Library of Northern
Ireland at the RVH, and at QUB Medical Biology Centre:
Significant
investment has been made in order to improve the study environment at the two
main Belfast based Healthcare Libraries. Further plug points were installed in
the main study areas across both sites. Group Study Room 3 in the Healthcare
Library at the RVH has been upgraded to bring it in line with other available
study rooms on that site. The Healthcare Library at QUB Medical Biology Centre
was re-carpeted during the summer 2018, and is pending a further upgrade to
facilities, anticipated for the summer 2019.
Opening Hours at The Healthcare Library of Northern Ireland
at the RVH:
The decision to reduce the opening hours from September 2017 was made because of the extremely low usage of the Healthcare Library in the evenings and Saturday mornings. Before making the change, we analysed entry data to the Library on weekdays after 5.30pm, and on Saturday mornings over a 2 year period. This showed that there were never more than 3 or 4 people in the Building during those times. In addition to this, in May 2017, we surveyed many users of the Library, including almost 4,000 HSC staff in the Belfast and South Eastern Trusts. The majority of respondents said they did not use (and did not intend to use) The Healthcare Library at the RVH in the evening or on a Saturday. We try to meet the needs of all our customers, including those who like to use the Library outside normal working hours. However, we need to balance this against the need to use resources effectively, and unfortunately, the small numbers did not justify the resources required to keep the Building open.
Access to other QUB Libraries:
HSC
members of The Healthcare Library of Northern Ireland are entitled to access
the QUB McClay Library. In order to gain entry, you must have a valid HSC
library card. If you did not receive one
when taking out membership of the Healthcare Library, please contact the Library
by emailing info@healthcarelibrary.qub.ac.uk
and request a card. A library card will be generated and posted out to your
work address.
Unfortunately,
due to licensing restrictions, HSC members of the Library are not able to
access QUB electronic resources, and are advised to access resources applicable
to them through The Healthcare Library website.
Charges and fines:
Fines
and charges can be paid in cash, cheque or, in some branches, by credit / debit
card. Cheques should be made payable to Queen’s University Belfast. Credit or
debit cards can also be used to make a payment online, through My
Account facility on the Healthcare Library website.
Books borrowed from the Library should be returned by the due date. A book will be overdue if kept beyond this date and will incur a fine. Fines will apply for books that are overdue at a cost of 10p per day, increasing to 20p per day for items that are overdue and have been requested by another reader. An invoice will be issued for the replacement cost of the book plus an administrative charge if the reader fails to return the book within an agreed time after its due date.
The
Library recommends the use of the My Account facility in order to keep on top
of when items are due back with the Library.
There
is no charge for the reader for requesting a book or article, even if we have
to request this from an external institution or organisation.
Joining the Library as an HSC member
Staff
delivering health and social care in Northern Ireland are eligible for
Healthcare Library membership. You can
register using the online membership form.
When you submit an online registration form, you will receive a verification
email. Click on the verify email link to complete the registration process.
Your login details (username and password) will be emailed to you once the
Library has completed the registration process.
Access to resources
Library
members log in to online resources (from work or home), through the Library
website, by using their individual library number as their username and the
password provided by the library. There
should not be any difference in what you are able to access regardless of where
you are accessing it. The Library does
not use the Athens method of accessing its resources so having this would not
enable our members to access any additional resources.
Clinicalkey
app should work on Android devices however the supplier is aware of ongoing
problems with the app on Apple devices and is currently working with its
developers to resolve this issue.
If you
are having problems accessing any of the Library’s resources please report the
issue by emailing info@healthcarelibrary.qub.ac.uk
so we can investigate and endeavour to get a resolution as soon as possible.
Availability of resources
The
Library receives a set budget allocation from the Department of Health and as
such is constrained in the amount of resources which can be purchased. We endeavour to have a range of journals
available full text to current and do keep these under review. For journal titles that cannot be accessed
you can sign up to Zetoc Alerts which will alert you to the table of contents
for each new issue of specified journals.
If there is a specific article you need you can use the Place request
service and we will provide a copy of the article. There is no charge for this service.
The
Library is aware that UpToDate is a very popular resource which is
unfortunately not accessible via the Library.
The purchase of this resource would require significant investment and
collaboration between all the Trusts as the Library is currently unable to
cover the cost within its existing budget allocation. We are currently working with the Department
to explore opportunities to purchase this resource.
If you
have any queries about the availability of resources or how to make best use of
the resources available please contact your specialist
librarian.
Availability of e-books
The
Library is expanding the availability of individual e-books when this format is
available and when the e-book version is suitable. In addition the Library has recently
purchased various e-book
packages.
If you
would like to see a particular book available in Library stock, in print or as
an e-book please contact your
specialist librarian. For example, one of comments on the survey mentioned
additional Art Therapy and Psychotherapy material. We have noted this request and will endeavour
to acquire more books on these topics.
Help and advice
If you
are visiting any branch of The Healthcare Library of Northern Ireland and need
assistance, please ask a member of library staff, who will be happy to assist
you.
There is
also a variety of online help that is available to you:
Frequently Asked Questions to help you find answers to your questions about The Healthcare Library services and resources.
Online tutorials on key aspects of using the Library are currently available on the Library subject guides.
You can also contact your local branch or your specialist librarian for help and advice, training sessions and literature searches.
The Healthcare Library of Northern Ireland at Antrim Area
Hospital
Staffing:
The
staffing in The Healthcare Library at Antrim Area Hospital was affected by sick
leave and by the resignation of a staff member at the same time. The library
staffing is back to almost full capacity now and interviews are being held soon
for the replacement post.
Longer Opening Hours:
It would be difficult to accommodate longer / extended opening hours without significant investment in staffing. The Library budget at present would not be able to provide for this. The Healthcare Library of Northern Ireland website can be accessed 24/7.
Resources (Print):
The
book budget for The Healthcare Library at Antrim Area Hospital is fully spent
each year. If there is a specific subject area that needs updating, please contact
the Librarian in the Healthcare Library in Antrim who is open to suggestions
for stock. Books borrowed from the Library in Antrim can be returned via the
Northern Health and Social Care Trust internal post. A number of e-books are
available via the Healthcare Library website to all registered members.
PC equipment:
There has been a recent upgrade of the computers in The Healthcare Library of Northern Ireland at Antrim Area Hospital. The number of computers is controlled by the Northern Health and Social Care Trust and is outside of the Library’s control.
The Healthcare Library of Northern Ireland at Craigavon
Area Hospital
Longer Opening Hours:
The
Healthcare Library at Craigavon Area Hospital can only be open when there is
library staff available to provide library services, and unfortunately it is
not possible to extend the current opening hours. However it is possible to use
the Library computer rooms and reading room for study and to access the online
resources 24/7. If you would like to use these rooms after 9pm, please use
either your Southern Health and Social Care Trust staff swipe card to open the
door, or contact the porters for admission. You must present either staff or
student ID to the porters to gain admission.
Study Facilities:
The
Healthcare Library at Craigavon Area Hospital recently increased the number of
individual study desks, maximising the space available. There is also a further
reading room located beside the Library which has further study spaces
available.
Resources:
If
there is a specific subject area that you feel needs updating, please contact
the Librarian in the Healthcare Library in Craigavon who is open to suggestions
for stock. Books and articles can be requested online using the Place Request
facility. Articles will be emailed or posted to your work address. It may be
possible for books to be posted and returned using the internal mail but please
contact The Healthcare Library at Craigavon Area Hospital for advice.
Noise Levels:
It is difficult to do anything about construction noise on site especially if the windows are open. Regular cleaning staff are aware of the importance of cleaning before the Library is open, but unfortunately this isn’t always possible when there is relief domestic staff covering the cleaning rota. It is outside the control of the Library.
The Healthcare Library of Northern Ireland at Altnagelvin
Area Hospital
Study facilities:
There
are plans in the near future for the library to be refurbished.
Temperature within the Library:
We are
aware of the importance regarding having the best environment for study, and an
important element to this is to ensure the library is adequately heated. If
staff are made aware that the library feels cold, we will be responsive to our
library users and will ensure the heating is turned up.
Refreshment area:
A
business case was submitted recently for a coffee dock area to be located just
outside of the Library but due to financial reasons unfortunately this was not
approved.
Many thanks to all our users who responded to our 2018 survey on loan periods. It is important to get your viewpoint and feedback when considering introducing any changes.
The survey ran during November, and The Healthcare Library received surveys from 102 people, with most respondents working in the Belfast Health and Social Care Trust, and falling into the Nursing, Midwifery and Health Visiting profession. A total of 76.5% indicated that they thought the current 4 week loan period is fair. A total of 79% would like their books to be automatically renewed to a maximum number of 5 renewals. 31% responded that they would like to be able to renew their books an unlimited number of times.
After collating together the responses to the survey, The Healthcare Library are able to confirm the following:
There will be no change to the current set-up regarding loan periods. The length of the loan period will remain at 28 days.
The Healthcare Library is not in a position to move to automatic renewals – this is not currently possible via our library management system. However, when it does become available, the option should be considered for this particular group of library members.
We value your feedback and comments. If you have further comments, compliments or complaints about The Healthcare Library service, please use the feedback form online to register your comment:
Update notice: After a recent technology update we are now able to revisit your requests for a move to automatic renewals. This is currently being investigated by a Library Renewals Group and we will inform you of any changes if they are possible. We always value your feedback, and, wherever possible will endeavour to improve our services to offer you the best possible facilities.
Thank you to everyone who responded to the Medical and HSC Library Opening Hours Survey 2017. The survey ran from 25 April to 19 May and its focus was to gauge opinion about the opening hours and whether they met the needs of our users. The survey attracted a response rate of 5.7%. Comments and feedback received have been analysed by library staff and we have identified some areas where we thought it would be useful to respond:
Access to The McClay Library
HSC members of the Medical and HSC Library are entitled to use The McClay Library and the Biomedical Library. In order to gain access, you must have your library smartcard with you, scanning this at sentry on the way into the Library. If for some reason your card doesn’t read, please contact a member of Medical and HSC Library staff for assistance.
Access to UpToDate
UpToDate is not currently available via the HSC Library. HSC staff in the Northern, Western, Southern and South Eastern Trusts can access UpToDate via their Trust intranets. UpToDate is not available to Belfast Trust staff. The HSC Library subscribes to ClinicalKey which features a ‘First Consult’ point-of-care component. For information on accessing First Consult, please contact your Specialist Librarian.
Car Parking
The Medical and HSC Library is located in the Mulhouse Building on the Royal Victoria Hospital site. It is accessible on foot, by car or by using the free shuttle bus running between the Belfast City Hospital site and the Royal Victoria Hospital site. Use of the car parks, and the cost of car parking is controlled by Car Parking Services on the Royal Victoria Hospital site and is outside of the Library’s control.
Varying Opening Hours
As a QUB Library, the Medical and HSC Library adopts term-time and vacation opening hours. However, we recognise that the changing opening hours can be confusing for users to keep track of, and as part of this exercise, we aim to make our opening hours more streamlined.
Using Trust logins in the Medical and HSC Library
As Hospital Trusts process and transmit personal and confidential patient data and commercially sensitive information, access to their networks must be strictly controlled and they are not able to facilitate Trust Logins from the Medical and HSC Library site.
