Dear All,
 
you will all have seen a copy of Clinical Evidence Concise (sent to ?all BMA members / ?all NHS Clinicians) with its NLH 'NHS Resource' card attached.
 
It looks like a normal Athens ID and Password card. On closer inspection, it actually has space for
 
- only the NHS Athens Username    and then:
 
- Library Contact Details (!)
 
When I was a lad... I worked in a general and medical bookshop (little did I know then I would end up as a medical librarian). In those days, bookshops were the only places where you could by books. When publishers wanted to promote new titles they sent relevant leaflets in sufficient numbers to bookshops with a space on the leaflet where bookshops could stamp their contact details. The publishers' aim of course was to placate bookshop staff and maintain their support because they depended on bookshops to promote (?push) their books (display in shop window, recommend to undecided shoppers 'What's a good recent book for my aunt who likes crime stories with female detectives?'); they didn't want to be seen as competing with and taking business away from bookshops .
 
So, let's give the hard-working NLH staff their due: They want to remain on good terms with us medical librarians and spread our contact details. Good for them! They do after all want to keep us in the Information handling loop. Great. Thanks.
 
Best wishes,
 
Reinhard
 

Reinhard Wentz Dipl Bibl
Campus Library Manager
Imperial College London Library
Chelsea &  Westminster Campus
369, Fulham Road
London SW10 9TH
Tel. 44(0)20 8746 8109
e-mail [log in to unmask]