Staffing

Chris Manning has joined LSHTM as Systems Librarian and is responsible for the LMS, Library website and IT systems within the Library. Chris also manages the cataloguing and aquistions staff and is responsible for the provision of reading list material.

South Courtyard Building

This adaption of existing space was opened in May by HRH Princess Anne. The new development rises five storeys above ground level in the former under-utilised courtyard. Designed by Devereux Architects, this new, reclaimed space accommodates areas of teaching and research space and the new Manson Lecture theatre, along with a ‘social’ space including circulation, function space and refectory breakout space.  Above this, the new state-of-the-art divisible John Snow Lecture Theatre sits at the heart of the South Courtyard, much as the original theatre did, but in this case raised up by two storeys, enabling people to pass beneath it.

New services

During the 2008/9 academic year we have introduced a number of new services two of which are highlighted here. The first provides reading list materials through our VLE, the second allows users to access fiction.

ORC

ORC (Online Reading for Courses) is an online Reading List service which was started at the beginning of this academic year and replaces the paper-based collection of articles and book chapters. Each reading list is attached to the relevant course in Blackboard to ensure that only the students studying the course can access the materials.  Currently there are 41 modules with an ORC, with a total of 2642 individual references, of these 326 were scanned in under the CLA license. We have been able to change workflows within the Library to absorb this work into existing staffing and anticipate that more modules will provide ORC for their students in the coming year.

BookSwap

This scheme enables us to provide a fiction collection at minimal extra cost. Library users donate books they no longer want by handing them to Library staff at the desk.  They can then take a book by selecting one from the BookSwap shelves.
 
BookSwap items are given a sticker by Library staff to differentiate them from Library stock.  This also allows staff to dispose of donated books which are deemed unsuitable or to add donated items to Library stock as appropriate.
 
The response from Library users has been extremely positive.  A significant minority of our students come from overseas and are in London for only a year.  Therefore they are reluctant to bring fiction with them, and reluctant to buy it while they are here.  Using BookSwap has enabled them to relax with a good book without having to join another library.
 
Initial fears that BookSwap books would be taken without replacement books being donated have proved to be unfounded, with the BookSwap stock steadily growing.  Indeed, users are reluctant to take a BookSwap book without having first donated one, even when urged to by Library staff. 
 
We would like to thank the Library staff of the Greater London Authority, who have been running a similar scheme for some time,  for their help and advice.
 
If you would like to know more about BookSwap, please contact Jane Falconer, Information Services Librarian ( This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it ).

Caroline Lloyd
Head of Library Services
London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine

Content of M25 e-bulletin Summer 2009 Edition