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The role of an NHS library service in the UK; the perceptions of clinical managers in Portsmouth, UK
Author(s) -
Blagden Pauline
Publication year - 2007
Publication title -
health information and libraries journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.779
H-Index - 38
eISSN - 1471-1842
pISSN - 1471-1834
DOI - 10.1111/j.1471-1842.2007.00697.x
Subject(s) - scope (computer science) , disappointment , service (business) , public relations , scale (ratio) , resource (disambiguation) , business , perception , medicine , medical education , marketing , political science , psychology , computer science , geography , social psychology , computer network , neuroscience , programming language , cartography
Background: Portsmouth NHS Library Service is exploring methods of raising its profile within its host organization and wishes to demonstrate its contribution to achieving organizational goals, perhaps by means of an impact study. Objective: The objective of this small scale study, regarded as a possible precursor to an impact study, was to identify areas where there is potential to increase awareness among clinical managers of the Library's contribution. Methods: An e‐mail survey was sent to clinical managers to elicit their opinions regarding the contribution of the Library Service to organizational goals. Results: Perhaps unsurprisingly, the role of the Library Service in education, research and effectiveness was most widely recognized. Of responses, 30/42 (71%) rated it as ‘very important’ and a further 11 (26%) rated it as ‘important’. The low appreciation of the Library Service to Clinical Services is a disappointment in view of the body of research evidence. Only 12 respondents (29%) thought that the Library Service contributed ‘significantly’ by ‘supporting informed and timely clinical decision making’. Conclusion: The study suggested areas where there might be scope to raise awareness of the Library contribution. In considering how best to achieve this, the benefits need to be weighed against the resource implications. Portsmouth NHS Library Service decided to increase its marketing efforts but not to carry out an impact study in the short term.