Well, its been about a month since we welcomed the new students to the School of Clinical Medicine and the Medical Library. The number of new students has increased and library staff are enjoying meeting and helping the new intake as well as being reacquainted with familiar faces. Many are enjoying the refurbished library space and its great to receive the very positive feedback.
Changes since the start of the new academic year, we have a new print system – DS Print. This gives more flexibility in using print services across the University and adding credit and wi-fi printing.
Library staff across University of Cambridge libraries are preparing for the implementation of ALMA (the new LMS). We are familiarizing ourselves with ‘the look and feel’ of ALMA and will be attending (and in some instances) delivering training. Colleagues are testing the system and much more is being undertaken on data and record cleaning and management.
The first booksale for over a year – not possible when we were in our temporary accommodation.
The installation of the Non Print Legal Deposit PC. Let me explain – Cambridge University Library is one of six libraries entitled under the Legal Deposit Libraries Act 2003 to receive material published in the United Kingdom and Ireland. The other libraries are the British Library, the Bodleian Library in Oxford, the national libraries of Scotland and Wales, and Trinity College Library Dublin. Since April 2013 legal deposit legislation has also covered material published digitally and online, so that the Legal Deposit Libraries can provide a national archive of the UK’s non-print published material, such as websites, blogs, ejournals, and ebooks. Many publishers are choosing to deposit digitally. The Medical Library has a dedicated PC in which users can engage with this material.
Display of some of the current print journals that the Medical Library holds –
More print journals can be found in the dedicated journals room near the library desk. Of course, in addition to print journals there is an extensive range of electronic journals accessible via the library catalogue – iDiscover and NHS Athens.
As well as the highlighted changes, we are still serving our users, running training sessions, attending inductions for new staff, promoting library services via Pop-Up libraries in the main concourse of Addenbrookes hospital, running E-book training for library staff and student drop – in sessions.
It feels like usage and footfall has increased overall, the library has a definite buzz, the start of the new academic year has gone well, long may it continue!
Between The Lines 