Library and Information Service Strategy 2021-2023

The Library and Information Service Strategy reflects both the Trust’s strategy as a leader in the field of mental health delivering world-class clinical care and the Department of Education and Training strategy. This strategy puts the student experience at the centre of the department’s work as an educator of excellence. Given that Health Education England (HEE) exists for one reason only “to support the delivery of excellent healthcare and health improvement to the patients and public of England” it is important that our Strategy also reflects this vision.

This strategy has been produced at a time of radical change in the NHS, where budgets are contracting and at the same time growth is necessary for the Trust to survive.

The key areas are captured in an Operational Plan and will be monitored monthly via the Activity Diary. The Operational Plan is an internal working document, showing how the library is going to action the objectives in the key performance areas.

The Library Strategy presents seven key performance areas which encapsulates the main emphasis on which the library will concentrate during the next three years.

To support the Trust by helping to further the clinical, academic and research work, thus improving the effectiveness and quality of patient care
To ensure that the library is embedded in the organisation and is business- critical
To provide an information infrastructure that will give the best access to quality information
To provide the skills to enable users to appraise and evaluate information.
Paramount to the provision of such a service is a suitably qualified, IT
Literate and committed staff team

In the period 2021-23 the library will support the work of the Trust, building on existing strengths and balancing resources to maintain and improve a quality of service that befits the Tavistock and Portman NHS Foundation Trust.

The library will continue to:

Enrich the user experience by providing services and resources that meet the changing profile and increasingly high expectations of our users
Transform its physical space to continue to meet the needs of all our users
Engage new audiences
Be staffed by a workforce whose skills continue to keep pace with change
Balance the collection by continuing to purchase materials relating to race, class, gender and diversity

Values

High-quality services for all users of the Library
Accessibility, equality of opportunity and fulfilment of potential.
Leadership, innovation and a willingness to embrace opportunities for change
Intellectual freedom and adherence to Information Governance and the Disability Discrimination Act
Collaboration with both internal departments and units and external Institutions both HE and NHS
To encourage the use of materials in relation to race, class, gender and disability

Key performance areas

KPA 1 user experience: interfaces

The library service is at the heart of the Trust user experience and provides excellent support and innovative services.

The library needs to ensure that it reflects the changing Tavistock community, which over the past three years has become a much more diverse body now recruiting more international and doctoral students. The range of CPD courses have grown and more courses are being run in National Centres rather than just in London. Also the new Digital Academy will deliver long and short term courses both national and International and these courses will also need to be supported by the library.

Goals

The library will strive to continue to develop services in a creative and user-focused way, necessary to identify needs regularly
Staff will explore the potential of new technologies and opportunities to enhance collections and support services
We aim to ensure that each interaction with our services meets the high expectations of our users and is available as needed
Ensure users have equitable access to services and resources

Actions

Conduct bite size user needs surveys throughout the year
Incorporate new technologies into the service where appropriate
Ensure that the library website looks fresh and modern and is relevant to the changing needs and conforms to the new accessibility requirements for public sector bodies
Provide an efficient, effective enquiry/issue desk service at times most suitable for users to access them

Outcomes

A relevant, interesting, innovative library service that equips:

All students including students who are NHS employees,
Researchers
Non-academic or non-clinical staff
Academic and clinical staff
National Centre staff and students
Off-site clinical units

KPA 1 user experience: support for teaching

Goals

With more online courses being developed with the help of the Digital Academy, the library will offer support with this where necessary
Work with TEL to digitise the older Trust recordings of Trust Scientific Meetings and other events, so that they can be to be made available to both students and staff members of the Trust
Library services will support staff in the development and delivery of their teaching, both online and in the classroom, by providing access to Reading Lists

Actions

Work with TEL and Digital Academy to develop a framework for future investment in the library’s Collection of Trust multimedia resources to support teaching and clinical work
Will continue to provide electronic reading lists on Key Links and to participate in the development of this software with CLA/Kortex
Continue to Increase the proportion of course materials delivered in digital format – now at 96%

Outcomes

As well involvement in e-courses, the library will be able to use the software to develop I’ skills courses
A good collection of audio-visual material much of it recorded here – Scientific meetings etc
An excellent reading list service with at least 96% access to full-text

KPA 1 user experience: resources

Goals

The library will continue to invest in the development of the collections in appropriate formats
Provide access to the materials required by all users
Provide the means for all users to identify and access the materials they require

Actions

Acquire and provide access to materials, as appropriate, required for academic and clinical use wherever possible
Continue to invest in ebooks for the library. Purchasing as many user licenses as possible for each book the library buys
Monitor the use of e-journals and bibliographic databases making appropriate cuts where underused. Also purchase new journals in liaison with clinical and academic staff
Promote collections to users through the library website and any other available communication channels

Outcomes

A relevant, interesting, innovative library service that equips:

All students including students who are NHS employees, researchers
Non-academic or non-clinical staff
Academic and clinical staff associate sites staff and students off-site clinical units

KPA 1 user experience: skills development

Goals

The library will work to equip all users, both staff and students (including Library staff) with the skills to navigate their way around and to use resources and new technologies
The library will continue to develop new modes of delivering teaching

Actions

Identify the information skills needs at the Trust: students, academic, clinical staff and non-clinical staff and the preferred modes of delivery. Medium: Surveys and Feedback from iSkills training sessions
Develop a suite of interactive information skills training packages for both electronic delivery face-to-face delivery
Continue to update the library staff Critical Skills Framework and ensure each staff member has opportunities to gain these skills

Outcomes

Acquire lifelong information skills
Users will be able to find the information they need to support their academic needs and clinical and non-clinical work
Library staff will continue to build up their professional skills to support their work at the Trust

KPA 2 systems, collections, and processes

All the Trust’s library services systems and platforms will support the library’s mission, enhance the user experience, incorporate cutting-edge technologies and give value for money.

Library staff will work to increase the visibility of the library’s electronic collections to users. They will also develop processes in support of an exceptional user experience, with service improvement initiatives informed by user feedback.

KPA 2 systems, collections and processes: systems

Goals

Ensure that the Open Access Repository continues to include new types of material
Review the effectiveness of Koha the library management system continually
To improve the end user search on the EBSCO Discovery Service by searching library catalogue, bibliographic databases and the Open Access Repository simultaneously
Ensure the library service maximises the potential benefits of mobile technologies
Ensure reading lists continue to be relevant and an appropriate length
Continue to influence the improvements on KeyLinks platform
Review the effectiveness of the library website with a view to making ongoing improvements

Actions

Work with research teams to include more datasets in the repository
Continue to add to the new section of Staff Media Appearances
Work with our support agency to update and develop the Repository
Continue to market the Repository both internally and via social media
Liaise with PTFS about any new developments coming on stream
Ensure that appropriate systems updates occur regularly
Ensure that regular checks are carried out to confirm that any newly purchased databases have been included in the search function and that all is working
Conduct user experience research to ensure that the library is maximising the benefits of mobile technologies
Work with tutors and the Learning and Teaching Committee and CLA/Kortex to achieve optimisation of KeyLinks reading lists
Look at current usage statistics of all sections on the library website
Survey users to see what they need from
Review other university and NHS library websites

Outcomes

A more complete database of the work of the Trust to publicise to the world on the Open Access Repository: Staff Publications Online
An up-to-date versatile library management system that is easy for the user to navigate and delivers the information required quickly
A much easier subject searching mechanism for the users
Existing services improved for mobile users, and new mobile-friendly services introduced
Online reading lists platform that deliver useful, easy to navigate lists with full-text links

KPA 2 systems, collections and processes: collections

Goals

Ensure the journal collection is kept relevant and encourage staff to make new suggestions
Easy access to ebooks is paramount as we purchase content from various publishers
The library subscribes to all relevant databases and audio-visual resources and continuously monitors new products coming on stream
The print collection must be weeded once a year and only added to when there is no ebook available or in exceptional circumstances

Actions

Review the collection annually, analysing usage on the statistics package, taking into account the size of the departments using them. Liaise with tutors over possible cancellations
Ensure that the library website provides excellent access to ebooks and that the collections are marketed in various ways
Monitor usage of databases and audio-visual providers and, where underused, run a marketing campaign with a view to cancellation if usage doesn’t improve
Continue to digitise the audio-visual collection with the help of TEL
Review the collection policy regularly

Outcomes

A relevant easily accessible journal collection
A well-used, easily accessible ebook collection that supports user needs
Excellent, relevant, well-used databases and audio-visual resources to support user needs
Trust audio-visual material will contain mostly unique materials
A smaller print collection that will eventually complement the ebook collection

KPA 2 Systems, Collections and Processes: Processes

Goals

Collect user feedback to ensure that the library knows exactly what the users need
Design and implement processes for monitoring and publishing the library’s performance against agreed standards and KPIs
The library will work to equip all users, both staff and students (including library staff) with the skills to navigate their way around and to use resources and new technologies. The library will continue to develop new modes of delivering teaching

Actions

Put various feedback opportunities in place
These must be captured and considered at library team meetings
KPIs are defined and performance monitored
Information skills training will continue to be embedded into the curriculum and also offered to academic and clinical staff
The iSkills trainer will identify new but relevant training methods in collaboration with other academic/NHS library trainers
Library staff to identify CPD courses, conferences, webinars etc, that will enhance their skills

Outcomes

User feedback will help the library to improve user experience
KPIs will have been established with a view to measuring outcomes and impacts
Library staff will continue to build up their professional skills to support their work at the Trust
Acquire a lifelong skill – information skills
Users will be able to find the information they need to support their academic needs and clinical and non-clinical work

KPA 3 widening participation – equality, diversity and inclusion

The library aims to widen participation in its service in various ways, both internally and externally. As well as marketing the service to try and attract more external members and promote the work of the Trust the library must ensure that the service is inclusive and relevant in terms of equality and diversity.

The staff recognise that as the library is a unique specialist resource in the Psychological Therapies there is the potential to market it to external researchers, NHS Trusts, and other organisations.

There is also a need to continue to promote the service within the Trust to showcase new and existing services.

Goals

External membership of the library – increase the external membership of the library to increase income and promote the work of the Trust
Web presence – review the effectiveness of the library website
Ensure that the library continues to promote equality and diversity on the library website, in reading lists and within the library book and journal collections
Ensure that patients have some sort of access to our Library services. Liaise with key clinical staff to try and further this development
Marketing the library – continue to develop the way the library promotes services

Actions

Re-establish the practice of issuing an invitation to join the library at conferences and workshops held at the Trust
Increase the promotional activity for student leavers
Continue to promote our corporate
Membership packages
Look at current usage statistics of all sections
Survey users to see what they need
Look at other university library websites
Continue to create various web resources for race, class, LGBT+, disability and intersectionality
Continue to create specialist reading lists for equality and diversity
Ensure that the book and journal collection is inclusive
Revisit the patient information web page with access to library online resources, and pilot to a small group of patients
Use the library marketing team’s policies to promote new and existing library services both within the Trust and externally
Use social media, videos and high-quality print material to market services within the Trust and externally
Promote the library services more generally, for example the Staff Publications Open Access Repository

Outcomes

More external individual and corporate members and an increase in income
An attractive, clean, relevant and easy to navigate website
Well-balanced collections and website resources in terms of inclusivity
Ensures the comprehensive library resources are exploited by the users to further their clinical work or academic studies
Gives the library a higher profile both within the Trust and externally

KPA 4 research

The work of the library is important to the Trust’s reputation for excellence in research. Research is a growing area in the Trust and the library must support growth. During the strategy period we will work to improve facilities, the way we develop and provide access to our collections, the communication between researchers and the library and guidance in information skills. The library will also promote the skills that library staff can contribute to the Trust’s research activity.

Goals

Ensure that the library understands and supports the Research work of the Trust
To develop and maintain the Tavistock and Portman Staff Publications Online collection and ensure that it is kept up to date so that the Trust’s work is showcased to the world
Library staff will continue to offer their considerable expertise to support the research going on in the Trust

Actions

Ensure the library liaises with Research to identify all of the research work of the Trust. Maybe create a library webpage to this effect
Library to liaise with research teams to promote the research that is being is being carried out
Continue to work with our support company E-Prints to develop Staff Publications Online
Find additional ways to publicise Staff Publications Online both internally and externally
Increase the iSkills training offered to those undertaking research
Ensure that the research areas of the book collections, both electronic and print, are relevant and current

Outcomes

The library will have a better understanding of the research programme and will then be able to support it more effectively
Staff Publications Online provides a platform for all the Trust’s published work and the means to publicise it globally
Research will continue to be supported in various ways, particularly relating to iSkills

KPA 5 finance and management

It is important that the library is adequately funded and the Head of Library and Information Services should ensure that this is the case and that relevant, external funds are identified for bidding purposes where appropriate. The library should engage in whatever income generation schemes are appropriate. Given that the library will probably have to make more cuts over the next three years, some hard decisions will have to be made with regard to the resources and services that the library provides.

A robust statistical package should be in place to ensure the library can collect accurate usage statistics for all its resources.

Goals

To manage the budget efficiently so there is no big underspend or an overspend
Liaise with DET to devise more income generation schemes as well as the library marketing services to leavers and other possible membership purchasers
Management Information – decisions need to be made about which resources should be kept or disposed of every year so processes need to be introduced to achieve this

Actions

Librarian should keep good worksheets of all expenditure lines of the budget during the financial year, so that efficient predictions can be given, to finance, of the needs for the following year
Use the budget spreadsheet to work out the cost per student/member for books, journals, databases etc
Continue to promote our corporate membership packages
Identify new areas of income generation
Use JUSP to analyse usage of all resources in order to prevent wasting money on unused resources

Outcomes

The budget will be monitored carefully and be able to show costs per resource per member and effective predictions for the following year can be established
New income will mean additional money for the Trust
The library budget will be used sensibly and money recouped from unused resources can be ploughed back into the service

KPA 6 space management

The library’s physical environment is of great importance and must be able to compete with other HE and NHS Libraries and meet the constantly evolving needs of all users. The library service aims to provide innovative and inspiring teaching, learning and social spaces to support needs for study space and new flexible spaces. This would include suitable flexible space for specialist staff to deliver information skills. The library should play a central part in the Trust’s identity as a world-leading institution in the field of the Psychological Therapies and be a source of pride for both students and staff.

Goals

Ensure that library plays a huge part in the design of the new library if the Trust decides to relocate in the next few years or extent the present site
Users need a variety of learning spaces, and the library will need to be more able to support flexible modes of studying in flexible spaces
In the meantime in order to maintain a high quality service the library environment must continue to be relevant to users needs and to be a welcoming and appealing space for users
In order to maintain a high-quality service the library will need to seek space in other parts of the building, particularly in terms of computer spaces for use when the library is closed
Ensure that the IT training facilities are increased as they are woefully inadequate at the moment

Actions

Librarian to continue to liaise with key Trust staff to ensure that the new library is at the cutting edge of both design and IT, taking into account that in the next three years there will be major changes in the way libraries function, so designs and plans will be constantly updated
Continue to work with estates to improve and tweak the existing library space in line with user and library staff requirements
Monitor health and safety requirements. Ensure that there are appropriate levels of lighting and climatic controls are available and that guiding and signs are clear and helpful
Liaise with the Academic Quality Department to try and facilitate another computer cluster area in the building. Liaise with Estates and IT with a view to increasing the number of IT training spaces considerably

Outcomes

A modern, state of the art, relevant, attractive library space
Users would have access to PCs when the library is closed and also well-equipped training areas
Ensure the library space is as useful to users that it can be, given the space limitations
A well-maintained, safe library environment

KPA 7 library staffing

The Tavistock library staff, who are key enablers of this strategy, are committed to providing excellent services that are equally accessible to all users of our physical and online resources. Investment in library staff by the Trust is pivotal to the delivery of all our services, both in terms of training and an adequate, innovative and relevant staffing establishment.

Goals

Ensure that there is a good training programme that will equip all our staff with the relevant skills and acumen
Ensure that the Critical Skills Framework training manual is updated regularly and that a timetable is developed to cover all the training. Not everyone does everything and so the training will be given to whoever needs those skills to do their job and then staff will work through the Refresher Training which gives everyone an overview of all that goes on in the library
Staff will also be required to go on external courses and to undertake webinars etc, and they should be responsible for identifying these courses along with their line managers
Ensure that staff are knowledgeable about diversity and related issues

Actions

Ensure that the Critical Skills Framework is updated and kept relevant
Identify dates and times when training will take place – for example, training days and at fortnightly staff meetings
All staff will be involved in giving and receiving training
Ensure that at least two CPD courses are identified at the annual appraisal of staff
Self-learning is a paramount part of our training programmes
Attend relevant training courses on equality and diversity related issues, including issues relating to race, gender, sexual orientation and disability
The iSkills trainer will be expected to become a Fellow of HEA

Outcomes

A well-qualified team who keep abreast of new developments and innovations
That there is a proper training manual for staff that is updated regularly
Staff will be knowledgeable in certain areas relating to the work of the library and the Trust
Our trainer will have a recognised Higher Education teaching qualification