Developing innovative services and managing change

Health care library and information services (LIS) face continual change. Nationally, geographical boundaries are altered and layers of management are introduced or jettisoned to impact ultimately on individual LIS. Locally, mergers between hospitals occur with previously unrelated library services being amalgamated. Within individual organisations, the reporting lines for the library can be completely changed resulting in new line management with different ideas and approaches. The librarian can find themselves part of a new umbrella structure with new colleagues and processes. Existing co-operative schemes can end with LIS being forced to locate new collaborators and partners. Software companies can develop new interfaces to databases necessitating wholesale changes to user education and documentation. As health professionals embrace evidence based practice, a new portfolio of services is required to support this trend. A larger organisation can decide that the library needs to physically move to new accommodation. The range of external environmental factors that can impact on libraries was documented in a complete issue of Health Libraries Review (Day and Walton, 1995). Most of the changes that were identified were unavoidable and required a response from the health LIS. This chapter explores change within the health LIS context and demonstrates the centrality of innovative practice. The drive to innovate has existed for many years. Indeed Machiavelli was aware of the pressure in the Middle Ages: "There is nothing more difficult to carry out, nor more doubtful of success, nor more dangerous to handle, than to initiate new order of things." Machiavelli's vision was limited by his failure to acknowledge that innovation can be managed as part of the change process. Innovation and change management are complex and intertwined concepts. Many books, articles and research projects have explored innovation and change. This chapter aims to provide a broad introduction to key trends and concerns. The nature of change in the 21st century is described together with the imperative this places for innovative service development. There then follows an exploration of creativity within the context of innovation. Approaches to the facilitation and management of innovative services are outlined. The chapter concludes by discussing resistance to change, and ways in which such resistance can be overcome

New structures and principles in health services

In almost four years, since the companion volume (Booth and Walton, 2000) to this title was first published, the fast rate of change in health has continued apace. The approach taken in Walton (2000) has again been applied in identifying broad sociological, technological, economic and political trends. This chapter provides a perspective on what is shaping the health sector in 2004, informed by a workshop (Herman, 2003) organised by the United Kingdom’s Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals (CILIP) This workshop identified key issues facing health librarians

Complexity in decision making: Determining university library opening hours.

Making decisions on academic library opening hours is complex with many pressures on managers. This research surveys senior academic library managers from the UK, using a questionnaire to reveal views on library opening hours, the decision making process, and the pressures which influenced their decisions. A variety of factors were found, in particular satisfying undergraduate demands. The research also revealed the sources of information important in making decisions on opening hours and the influence of ‘political’ issues in the decision making process. Some institutions remove complexity by utilising 24/7 opening, though this is not an option for many

Staff development in the electronic library : lessons for the health sector from the IMPEL2 eLib project

This paper proposes that the health sector has much to learn from higher education as regards information provision in the electronic age. Information Technology for Library and Information Services is less developed in the NHS than in higher education. Staff training and development is identified as a key issue in supporting the transition to electronic delivery of Library and Information Services. The Electronic Libraries Programme (eLib), developing electronic services in higher education, is outlined, with emphasis on the IMPEL2 Project and its methodology. Findings from the Staff Training and Development strand of IMPEL2 are presented. This study identified that attention should be most keenly focused on two areas, IT skills and skills to support changing roles. A number of success factors in training and development are highlighted. The paper concludes that release of resources from eLib to support staff development must be paralleled in the health sector if effective electronic services are to be developed

Library audit : report of the process of undertaking the audit of library services of selected educational providers within the former Northern Region : July 1994

With the current purchaser/provider split in the NHS the purchaser has a responsibility to evaluate the quality of services provided by the provider. In the past year the Northern and Yorkshire Regional Health Authority expressed an interest in auditing library services supplied from selected education providers. This article attempts to given an account of the experience and focuses on the background, the rationale, the process and the outcomes

‘Making a Difference’ to nurse education : the impact on HE libraries

This paper reports on a study commissioned by the University Health Sciences Librarians group seeking to investigate the impact on HE libraries serving nurses of the new curriculum based upon the government’s ‘Making a Difference’ strategy for nurse education and the responses that libraries are making to it. The main areas of ‘Making a Difference’ likely to be relevant to libraries and information services were identified as increasing access to information and communication technologies (ICT); increasing workforce; more flexibility in approach with part-time study and step-on, step-off study modes; longer placements; lifelong learning; continuing professional development; and evidence-based practice. Questionnaires were e-mailed to library and information service personnel at higher education (HE) institutions offering pre-registration nursing courses. Survey respondents describe how ‘Making a Difference’ has affected their services in relation to curriculum planning; increased student numbers; academic staff and student attitudes; user education; and increased student time on placement. As a result of their responses, recommendations are made including increasing involvement of LIS staff in curriculum development; emphasis on IT skills of student nurses; integration of library user education into nurse education programmes; and liaison between HE and National Health Service (NHS) library staff

Capturing the student user experience (UX) in York and Loughborough University Library buildings

Purpose – In higher education libraries, the concept of the user experience has increased in profile and importance. The concept of the “student as customer” has generated much debate but there is general agreement that universities need to be more successful in meeting student expectations. A key strategic area for university libraries has been to adapt and improve their physical spaces to ensure that they are still relevant for today’s students. York and Loughborough University Libraries have both undergone building refurbishments and both are committed to monitoring and reviewing services and spaces. The paper aims to discuss these issues. Design/methodology/approach – There were various constraints which very much influenced the methodology. These included: avoiding survey overload no resource allocation an acknowledgement that the methodology employed needed to combine rigour and validity with a pragmatic approach to data collection. A joint project team was established of representatives from each university. A questionnaire created on Google Forms was administered by staff with individuals in the library and entering the data onto a iPad. Findings – Findings provide evidence of use across a range of users along with valuable information on who is using our library spaces and for what purpose. Originality/value – This research is a rich contribution to the evidence based around student’s learning in universities. It benefits from the expertise and knowledge of two university libraries. As university’s continue to develop learning spaces, this work will enable further investigation around what makes a successful learning space and what makes the library a destination of choice