SINTO Members' Day 2

Here is a brief description of the other presentations at members' day on the theme of New Ways of Working.

Alison Little, Librarian for the NHS, University of Sheffield
New ways of working - Clinical outreach services to the NHS
A key role for health libraries is to support clinical decision making. Knowledge is core to the business of the NHS. Medicine increasingly uses Evidence Based Practice i.e it requires clear evidence that drugs or procedures work in terms of supporting patient care. The outreach service at UoS has developed by raising awareness of resources and the role of EBP. The service provides support for individuals and teams, integrates local and national resources and provides handouts, guides and a strong web presence. The message is that a library service does not equal books or visits to a physical library but a service delivered to you when and where you need it.

David Fay, City Library Manager, Newcastle-upon-Tyne
David gave a presentation on Newcastle's new central library. Not only did he wow us with the high tech features of the library building (including a book vending machine) but he also described the marketing of the new library including a TV advert.

Angella Parker and Askander Akram, Rotherhan Library,Museums & Arts. The Social Library
Angella and Askander described how Rotherham libraries are using Web 2.0 to promote their library service. They have a Facebook page, a blog and a Wiki for staff communication. Facebook is used to promote the library service to people who do not use the library. The presentation can be seen here.

Peter Field, Senior Library Assistant at the School of Pharmacy Library, University of London. Adult literacy in prison libraries
Finally Peter , winner of the SINTO Bob Usherwood prize, gave a presentation on his dissertation on adult literacy provision in prison libraries Not only did he remind us of the importance of this sector but he showed some of the problems that face researchers.

As I said in my summing up - there are some interesting contrasts here. To some extent the importance of the library as a physical place is declining and yet the impact of a new building on library use is important and people want to have an accessible place to go to. Public libraries are clearly moving into the hybrid library stage of development where the real and the virtual library are equally important.