Dear Colleague,
Please find below the Response of the LINC Health Panel to the DCMS
Spending Review.
The LINC Health Panel represents the major providers of health
information in the NHS, Higher Education, professional associations,
local authorities and the independent sector throughout the United
Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland.
It is dedicated to improving the availability of health information to
all members of the community by increasing the effectiveness of health
library and information services through collaboration and joint
working.
It is an independent self-financing Panel in association with the
Library and Information Co-operation Council (LINC).
Michael Carmel
Chair, LINC Health Panel
Department of Culture Media and Sport Comprehensive Spending Review:
LINC Health Panel response
LINC Health Panel welcomes the opportunity to comment on the DCMS
Comprehensive Spending Review and its effect on library and
information services.
Policy
We heartily welcome the recognition of the contribution of library and
information services to the wider policy objectives of life-long
learning, access, social inclusion, modernisation and the underpinning
of commercial and economic endeavour. To these we would wish to add
the advancement and dissemination of scientific knowledge and the
spread of evidence based decision making in all walks of life, notably
in health care, including self care.
Quangos
LIC/RIC
We strongly endorse the proposal to merge the Library and Information
Commission (LIC) with the British Library's Research and Innovation
Centre (RIC). This recognises the importance of research in developing an
evidence based approach to information services, and will bring together
the strategic and implementation aspects of research.
ACL
We see logic in the proposal to merge the Advisory Council on
Libraries with the LIC. Our reservation is that the broader remit of
the LIC to advise all areas of government should not be compromised by
the specific responsibilities of the ACL to advise on public library
matters - nor the reverse. Many of our members take the view that the
LICs activities already show a public library bias. The "England
only" aspects of the LIC's remit will also be strengthened by this
change. As a multi-sectoral and UK (and Ireland) wide organisation,
we give it a cautious welcome, subject to there being safeguards in
these areas.
MGC
Despite the outward resemblances and similar names, we believe there
is little common ground between the LIC and the Museums and Galleries
Commission (MGC). Such commonality as exists is more about process
(governance, technology) than about objectives.
The MGC is an implementation body with its focus on national and local
authority managed institutions. We interpret the LIC's role as being
much wider but less hands-on, advising all government departments and
leading the whole lis community in implementing the information
society.
To merge would be likely to draw the Commission further into the
public library arena to the detriment of wider involvement in the
information community. Equally a merged Commission would be drawn to
the heritage and cultural roles of lis (important as these are) at the
expense of the "harder" educational, scientific and economic roles.
Regional Structures
We welcome the concept of a regional focus for policy, leadership and
cross-sectoral co-ordination that would be broadly coterminous with
Department of Health and other government department regions. We see
no reason why this focus should relate exclusively to public
libraries. NHS library and information services are led and
co-ordinated on a regional basis and have a track record of success in
the development of regional policies and perspectives. The
opportunities for wider co-ordination and partnership with public
libraries and other government departments would be much valued in the
health sector, as a way of ensuring the widest possible access to the
knowledge base of health and related areas. All citizens should be
enabled to benefit from the progress being made in the provision of
evidence based health information.
The existing regional library bureaux are essentially operational
bodies supporting co-operating members, and are constitutionally
independent. For the most part they appear to work well and deliver
value for money, although not much used outside the public libraries
sector. There seems to be no particular reason why they should be
compulsorily re-aligned with the new regions, although they may see
advantages in becoming coterminous in due course.
Links
We were disappointed to see the question of links discussed only in
terms of public library links with higher education, schools and
colleges. We ourselves have done a substantial amount of research*
and implementation work in the area of joint working and shared
facilities between Higher Education and the NHS, as well as with
private and independent sector library and information services.
We would like to extend this work to include public libraries, schools
and colleges. It is central to the issue of access to high quality,
evidence based information for all on health matters. Almost one
third of all research and education in British Universities is health
science related, as are a large proportion of enquiries handled by
public libraries. It is reported that 43% of internet "hits" are to
health related sites.
We are currently reviewing the feasibility of a comprehensive national
strategy for access to health nformation services.
British Library
We have responded separately to the British Library's own consultation
exercise (copy enclosed). Briefly, we endorse the need for the BL to
refocus its activities as a conservator of the national and
international scientific heritage, and as a provider of specialist
services, with a stress on the value of partnerships in both roles.
We believe that greater independence will facilitate this. We are
concerned that real terms cuts to the grant in aid may endanger core
services, with knock-on effects in other sectors.
Lottery funding
We welcome any move which will help to resolve the funding problems of
public libraries, but would like to see new funds clearly targeted to
priority areas, including health information. Our members would be
happy to work with public libraries and funders to ensure value for
money in the acqisition of appropriate evidence based health
information resources.
Funding for Healthy Living Centres and in Health Action Zones would be
very welcome, and it should not be forgotten that evrey Health
Authority is required to develop a Health Improvement Programme (HIP)
in partnership with local authorities. HIPs will have an information
component to which both public and NHS libraries should contribute.
Targetted funds would facilitate this process. It would not be
unreasonable for partnership arrangements to be among the criteria
for allocation of funds.
We note that lottery funding is available for the inservice training
needs of school and public library staff in IT skills. We would
welcome this being made more broadly available, perhaps on a training
partnership basis.
Further work and consultation
We would welcome being kept informed as the details of various
proposals are clarified, and in turn are happy to be asked to clarify
or expand the points we have made.
Please be assured that we will also be happy at any time to work with
DCMS and with the library services and co-ordinating bodies affected
by these proposals in a spirit of partnership to forward wider
national objectives.
The Panel
The LINC Health Panel represents the major providers of health
information in the NHS, Higher Education, professional associations,
local authorities and the independent sector throughout the United
Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland.
It is dedicated to improving the availability of health information to
all members of the community by increasing the effectiveness of health
library and information services through collaboration and joint
working.
It is an independent self-financing Panel in association with the
Library and Information Co-operation Council.
*Capel, Sue: Library and Information Services for the nursing
profession. Research commissioned by the LINC Health Panel. ISBN
1900554127, 1997. (approx 200 pp)==========================================================================
Date: Thu, 1 Oct 1998 14:11:29 GMT
Reply-To: "V.A.FERGUSON, INF.SERVICES" <[log in to unmask]>
Sender: lis-medical
From: "V.A.FERGUSON, INF.SERVICES" <[log in to unmask]>
Organization: Manchester University Library
Subject: LARecord vol required for Russia
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-type: text/plain; charset=3DUS-ASCII
Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7BIT
Dear Colleagues
Sheila Lemoine from Manchester is finalising the arrangements for
another four tons of eagerly awaited books and journals (mostly
health-related) to go to St Petersburg Russia.
Ken Bowdon, retired from being Librarian at Lancashire County Council
Libraries has kindly donated a complete run of the Library
Association Record except for one missing volume :
Dec 1990 to Dec 1991
Can anyone help to cover this deficit?
If so, and you can arrange to get it to the following address it
would be most appreciated:
LEP International Freight
Trafford wharf Rd
Manchester
M17 1EX
The contact is Derek Tomlinson (0161 872 4022) who should be advised
in advance if you are sending or delivering it..
The deadline for this shipment is Friday Oct 8th or October 15th at
the very latest. If you can offer it but not in time for this
deadline it could be sent another time.
In any event please contact Sheila Lemoine on 0161 998 3937 to let
her know.
TIA!
Valerie Ferguson
*********************************************************
Valerie Ferguson
Postgraduate Medical & NHS Libraries Adviser
John Rylands University of Manchester
Oxford Rd Manchester M13 9PP
Tel: 0161 275 3729/7386
Fax: 0161 273 7488
E-mail: [log in to unmask]
*********************************************************
|
