“We’re not in Kansas anymore...”

A case study of Manchester Health Information and Resources Library’s move into a new organisation under the

NHS restructure, and how the library is evolving in a changing and challenging landscape.

Emily Hopkins: Library Manager

Origins of the library service

Manchester PCT Library: 20 year history

Public Health Resource & Information Centres: 30 year history

Merger of Library & Resources

• Ongoing talks to merge the two services• Two services had long history of working together• Cost savings, avoiding duplication• Merger eventually happened November 2009• Library Manager post vacant until I started July 2010• Combining policies, procedures• Encouraging staff to develop & learn

350 crates…

• Became clear we needed to vacate our building

• Suitable alternative accommodation not found immediately

• Packed library & sent to storage

• Estates worked on finding us suitable accommodation

Moving in to Fallowfield – March 2011

NHS Reorganisation

• Complex!• Resulted in our service moving into a different Trust

Transfer to Manchester Mental Health

• 1st April 2011• Working with Trust Outreach Librarian• Producing webpages, leaflets etc – all branded• Making contacts with Learning & Development

Developing the Service

• Reviewed Library Strategy, Collection Development Policy

• Luckily – good collection of mental health material & overall, stock still relevant

• Reviewing journal subscriptions as we go along• Developing user consultation

Barriers

• Trust not used to library services!• IT issues• Perception that we are only for Public Health

staff

What have we learned?

• Professional, transferable skills are valuable• Flexibility!• Detailed “subject” knowledge picked up on the job• Need to align – and re-align – services & constantly

evaluate• Librarians are valuable anywhere• Oz may be a strange new land – we should embrace the

opportunities…• But don’t look to the Wizard for answers!