The Tavistock and Portman NHS Foundation Trust Library is committed to supporting the educational, clinical and research work of the Trust by providing a high-quality, user-focused and innovative library service. We also value and respect our wide diversity of users.  

The library’s mission

The library will work in the following ways to meet its and the Trust’s objectives:

• support the Trust by helping to further its academic, clinical and research work, thus improving the effectiveness and quality of the student experience and patient care  
• ensure that the library is embedded in the organisation and is business critical   
• provide an information infrastructure that will give the best access to quality information  
• provide the skills to enable users to appraise and evaluate information  
• enrich the user experience by providing services and resources that meet the changing profile and increasingly high expectations of our users  
• ensure as far as possible that the physical space continues to meet the needs of all our users   
• be staffed by a workforce whose skills continue to keep pace with change   
• enrich the collection by continuing to purchase materials relating to race, class, gender, and diversity  

In return we seek a commitment from users that they will assist in any necessary changes to library practices. We would always notify users in advance. 

Our commitment to you

The library will always endeavour to:  

1. Deliver a user-friendly and approachable service with your needs at the heart of what we do.  
2. Treat you with courtesy, fairness, and respect.  
3. Provide a pleasant, safe and secure environment conducive to study and research.  
4. Provide an excellent relevant range of resources, using our expertise and specialist knowledge. 
5. Provide advice, guidance and enquiry services face to face, over the telephone and online.   
6. Provide information skills training to help you make the most of our resources and services.  
7. Provide online access to core readings via the online reading list system (subject to copyright).  
8. Ensure fair access to resources for all library users via an equitable collection development policy reviewed annually by the Training Executive Committee. 
9. Provide a range of facilities to ensure equal access to library resources and services for disabled users.   
10. Provide an informative, user-friendly, and accessible website.  
11. Provide up-to-date and well-maintained IT, printing and photocopying systems for quick and easy information retrieval and the use of library resources.
12. Keep you updated regularly on the services that we offer and will communicate with you promptly via different media.  
13. Actively seek and listen to your feedback, and we will collaborate with you to continually evaluate our service and find ways to improve.  

Your commitment to us

The library expects users to:  

1. Treat other users and library staff with respect and courtesy.  
2. Ensure the library has your correct contact details and to inform staff promptly of any changes to these.  
3. Read library notices, web alerts, email messages and any other means by which the library publishes news of service variations and developments.  
4. Use the range of services appropriate to your needs and talk to us when you need help with library resources and facilities.  
5. Comply with copyright law when copying, printing or downloading information. Details are displayed in the library and there is copyright information on this website. If in doubt, please ask a member of staff.  
6. Try to attend library training sessions as appropriate and take advantage of the self-directed training opportunities available to be able to get the most out of our comprehensive resources.  
7. Consider other library users by promptly returning and collecting loan items. Users who repeatedly break this commitment by failing to return loans items promptly could have their access to library services suspended or withdrawn permanently. See our loans policy and suspension process.  
8. Take reasonable steps to safeguard loan items from damage. Please note: a standard replacement fee of £50 will be charged for items lost or damaged while in the borrower’s care.  
9. Refrain from eating, drinking (apart from water), talking loudly, playing music, or talking on your mobile phone within the library.  
10. Refrain from using mobile devices such as tablets or laptops in the designated quiet study room.  

Help us to be the best we can be

The library is always looking for ways to develop and enhance our service. Your feedback is valuable to us so we can improve our standards in partnership with you. Please contact us if experience any problems with our services or you have suggestions for improvements. 

Last updated 25 August 2022