East Anglia’s Children’s Hospices
(EACH) Library & Information
Service
Delivering an online library service to
long distance users: 6 month pilot
© EACH 2007/08
Background on children’s hospices
• 42 Children’s hospices in UK – vary in size & services
• Majority of children have severe and complex health problems and
disabilities
• Care provided over a long period of time - length of care can vary
from days to 15 years or more
• 3 main elements: Short Break Care; End of Life Care, 3 year post
bereavement support
• Variety of services & professions - nursing, music therapists,
counselling, social workers, OT's/physiotherapists, play specialists
© EACH 2007/08
EACH Library Background
• 3 site hospice – East Anglia Large catchment area and service Education Centre & Library Service from 2004 onwards.
• Only 2 known library services amongst 42 children’s hospices
• Small but specialist collection – approx 3,000 books and reports,
+ 20 journals. Access to NHS collections
• Staffing – 1 full time librarian + 6 hours of volunteer time a week
• Membership – EACH staff, NHS professionals, other voluntary
sectors
© EACH 2007/08
EACH library developments 2009
• Potential to provide long distance library service to all children’s
hospices in UK
• 2 obstacles – web site and library catalogue
• 2009 - New EACH web site launched – developed library web pages for
long distance users
• 2009 Catalogue supplier offered web OPAC at no additional costs
• Very enthusiastic boss!
© EACH 2007/08
2010 - Pilot
• 2 hospices invited to use the library - 6 month period to gauge
uptake and impact on EACH library
• Hospice One – 2 site hospice South East London/Kent, Hospice Two
– 3 site hospice in West Midlands
• Presentation + demonstration given at each hospice
• Hospices paid £150.00 to cover promotional materials + postage &
photocopying costs – to top up as needed
• Services – loans, ILL’s, work related literature searches, monthly
Current Awareness Bulletin; advice on NHS electronic resources
• Limited service – no copyright licence
© EACH 2007/08
Use of library services – Jan – June ‘10
Hospice 1
Hospice 2
Total
89
31
120
Enquiries ie. Athens
1
3
4
Book loans
6
10
16
Literature searches
7
5
12
Journal articles supplied
7
5
12
Use of other libraries –
BMA/BL
0
1
1
Number of staff registered
© EACH 2007/08
Exploration of low usage
• Many long term staff – never have had access to library services –
unfamiliar with concept “keeping professionally up to date”
• Hospices predominantly nurse led services –numerous studies show
nurses prefer information from colleagues rather than print or online
• Competencies – form majority of learning process for nurses in both
hospices
• Voluntary Sector - no awareness of Athens/NHS electronic resources
© EACH 2007/08
Exploration of low usage
• Limited number of relevant courses in children’s palliative care nationally
– experience of using library services low.
• Staff easily put off by IT issues and legal requirement
• Problems with proving eligibility to athens administrators in one area of
the country
• Participating hospices reflect EACH statistics in terms of usage by staff
group
© EACH 2007/08
Pilot Hospice usage by staff group
12
Administrative staff
10
Clinical Nurse
Specialists
8
Education
6
Managers
4
Nursing & Care Staff
2
Social Work & Therapies
0
1
© EACH 2007/08
EACH staff usage Jan – June 2010
80
70
Clincal Nurse
Specialists (6%)
60
Education (4%)
50
40
Nursing & Care Staff
(59%)
30
Managers (2%)
20
Social Work &
Therapists (13%)
10
0
1
© EACH 2007/08
What the pilot did demonstrate..
• Mediated Literature searches particularly valued
• Staff in specialist/more autonomous roles use library resources to support
their work
• Importance of presenting to all staff groups when visiting participating
hospices
• Organisational culture takes time to filter down
• Online surveys not the best method to gain qualitative feedback
• Importance of regularly keeping in touch with long distance uses
© EACH 2007/08
Current situation
• 2nd phase of pilot. - 3 additional hospices using services
• Literature searches remain most requested service
• My role - raising profile of library service
• March 2013 – aim to roll out service to more hospices – establish
membership scheme
© EACH 2007/08
References
• Bertulis, R. & Cheeseborough. 2008. The Royal College of Nursing’s
information needs survey of nurses and health professionals. Health
Information & Libraries Journal, 25 p 186-197.
• Billings, J. & Jenkins, L. 2011. A learning and development strategy for
children’s hospices across London. Available at: www.kent.ac.uk/chss
• Callinan, J. et al. 2010. Analysis of library associated information needs of
staff in a special palliative and gerontological care centre in Mid-West
Ireland. Health Information & Libraries Journal, 27 p286-294
• Loy, J. 2005. Why don’t mental health staff use library services? A
qualitative and quantitative investigation. Available at:
http://conferences.alia.org.au/ebl2005/Loy.pdf [Accessed 25/06/12]
• Mills, J. et al. 2011. Rural and remote Australian general practice nurses’
sources of evidence for knowledge transmission: a cross sectional survey.
International Journal of Evidence-based healthcare, 9 (3) p 246 – 251.
© EACH 2007/08