Who are we?
The Learning Academy Library Steering Group acts to maintain, develop and promote professional development resources for library staff throughout the NHS in England. We meet quarterly to discuss activity data, promotion and discuss any matter arising. Steering Group members are from all over the country and have a mix of job roles which enables us to have wide input.
Our main aims are to:
- To increase awareness of and engagement with the national and regional KLS professional development resources
- To seek and act on suggestions and feedback to ensure the national and regional professional development resource collections meet the varying needs of KLS staff in different roles as far is practical.
What do we offer?
Ebooks! A range of ebooks are available via OpenAthens. The complete list can be seen on YorCat using this link: Search results › YorCat catalogue
Titles include:
- The Kind Librarian
- Managing grey literature
- Technological advances in library service innovation
- Libraries and sanctuary: supporting refugees and other new arrivals
The books are hosted by EBSCO and can be found on the Hub. We are currently working with EBSCO to improve visibility so it is easier to see the entire collection.
Print books! We also have 2 libraries supporting library staff with a collection of print books. Both libraries have an OPAC which can be used to locate books. Staff working in NHS library services anywhere in England can borrow physical books from either library.
Crawley (Kent Surry and Sussex) KSS Knowledge & Library Services catalogue
Rotherham (YorCat) Search results › YorCat catalogue
The Learning Academy Library webpage gives instructions on how to borrow and offers further information which you may find helpful:
https://library.hee.nhs.uk/learning-academy/learning-academy-library
Recommendations or suggestions for stock are welcome via our email: LALib@knowledgeforhealthcare.nhs.uk
Print Journals
A print journal archive is also maintained and those titles are visible via PrintDocs. If anyone is interested in what the burning issues in health librarianship were in the early 2000s they might browse through the HLG newsletter 1999-2006 (the online archive only goes back to 2008). Or for a wider picture of librarianship in the UK at the time maybe the Library Association Record (1995 -2002), again pre-dating the online archive. Or British Journal of Health Care Computing and Information Management – to see how far we have advanced technologically in the last 20 years!
Funding for our work comes from NHS England so as with all libraries we are constrained by budget but we will do our best to try and support professional development.
A recent development are books to support the digital and data pathway so if AI and LLMS are of interest explore our stock. On KSS OPAC we have a reading list available (look for LISTS at the top of the KSS OPAC and use SASH Digital and Data Pathway). Titles newly added to stock at Crawley include:
- Barrasa, J., & Webber, J. (2023). Building knowledge graphs : A practitioner’s guide
- Bergin, T. (2018). An introduction to data analysis : Quantitative, qualitative and mixed methods.
- Berry, C. A., & Marshall, B. (2025). Mitigating bias in machine learning.
Contents of SaSH Digital and Data Pathway › Lists › Koha
Activity Data
We keep a record of activity and have specific reports set up on our Library Management System (KOHA)listing the most popular print books by title or to give a snapshot of usage per month.
At Crawley our most popular book is currently Michie, S., Atkins, L., and West, R. (2014) The behaviour change wheel: a guide to designing interventions.
Our stock at Crawley is open access so it is possible for regular library users to borrow (which is what happened in this case!). Equally our main stock reflects management and IT topics which are not stored in the Professional Collection but may well be of interest to library staff. If in doubt do a general search on our OPAC to see what is available.
At Rotherham the most popular book is: Goleman, D., Boyatzis, R., and McKee, A. (2002) The new leaders – transforming the art of leadership into the science of results.
Join in!
Would you like to be part of the steering group? Contact Lyndsey Howell or Sarah Gardner to find out more – we would love to hear from you.
Susan Merner, Deputy Head of Library & Knowledge Services, Surrey and Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust susan.merner@nhs.net (Please note: retiring 2/5/25)
Lyndsey Howell, Systems Librarian, Rotherham NHS Foundation Trust Library & Knowledge Service lyndsey.howell@nhs.net
Sarah Gardner, Clinical Evidence Specialist, Knowledge & Library Service, Doncaster & Bassetlaw Teaching Hospitals NHS sarah.gardner11@nhs.net
Health Libraries Group 