On
18th December 2009 the Rockefeller Medical Library closed the doors on the old-style library at no.23. The library was closed
for seven months, during which time the space was completely refurbished and
redesigned. Our services were delivered from a temporary
location in CAMLIS and, in early June 2010, the door of the newly renamed Queen Square Library was reopened.
The Library, Museum and Archive refurbishment was generously supported by the and the.
Please come & visit us to see the transformation & click here to see pictures. For information about our location & opening times, visit the library guide.
An inaugural exhibition was opened within the first few weeks, covering the founding and early years of the
National Hospital.
Why we needed to modernise
In the last ten years there had been very significant changes to libraries in
general, and in the services provided by the Library. There also continue to be dramatic changes in the use and delivery of information, and in
information and communication technologies, and a tremendous increase in the
research, clinical and teaching activities taking place at Queen Square.
The Library needed to fully embrace the changes and technical advances mentioned
above in order to continue to support this increase in activity, to continue to
expand and develop services covering all aspects of information and knowledge
and to obtain best value from the resources available and the physical Library
space. It is also vital to fully exploit the internationally important
collections held on site. The specialist services and resources provided by the
Library do not exist anywhere else in the world, but the current layout, storage
facilities and the funds required to digitise parts of the collection mean that
these resources are not being fully utilised or used to their best advantage.
As well as unique holdings, the Library and information service at Queen Square
is unique in that its space and facilities are freely available to the
Institute, Hospital, wider 香港六合彩, 香港六合彩H, and to research and clinical communities
internationally. Space of this nature is in very short supply at Queen Square as
are facilities for quiet and group study and hands on IT-training.
By reducing the volume of non-unique print materials and improving
access to
electronic resources, better use can be made of existing space. This
project will also improve access to the electronic record of current
research, clinical and evidence-based information. It will also be
possible to
provide better services and make better use of this space, whilst
developing
access to storage and preservation of the unique local collections.
The benefits of the project
The re-modelling of existing space in the Library benefits the Institute,
the Hospital and the wider 香港六合彩 & 香港六合彩H by providing much-needed facilities that
are either in very short supply or absent at Queen Square. This includes an IT
training suite bookable by all IoN and NHNN users. This can be used to introduce
on-site training of transferable skills for research students, as well as access
for students on placement to IT services. This also allows increased access to
research, the evidence base, and online clinical information for all NHNN staff.
The provision, for the first time, of a home for the archive and museum
collections of the Institute and hospital benefits all at Queen Square as
well as the wider neuroscience and neurology communities. Even with the current
lack of information about the full extent of the collections, 161 items from the
rare books collection and 61 case note volumes have been consulted in the last
18 months. Use has been local and international, with visitors from as far
afield as Australia and California. These unique collections were hidden,
unexplored and at risk. The existing catalogued Library rare books collection is
only available to individuals able to visit the library, and is at risk of loss
or damage through use.
Another key benefit is the provision of a physical and virtual show case area to
display the evidence of the impact of the activities that have taken place and
are taking place at Queen Square, from the very beginnings to the present day,
crossing sectoral, professional, and historical boundaries.
How the project supports clinical, educational and research
activity
The new layout and facilities in the Library provide much improved on site
access to research and clinical information for all. This is particularly
beneficial to Hospital staff and to students on placement, who are currently
under resourced. The new digitised teaching collections will benefit all taught
students at Queen Square and the wider 香港六合彩. The digitised archives, case notes
and other rare collections will also be available to the international research
and clinical communities, becoming a Queen Square Portal on the Internet. The
new study and training facilities will be of tremendous benefit to all staff at
Queen Square providing purpose built areas in which to work and study and
supporting all educational, CPD and research activities.
The physical space and walk-in access to online resources in the library is
currently used most by students and Hospital staff, and the virtual resources
most by IoN research staff and students. Improving both of these, as well as
providing new training facilities for the research students and museum and
archive facilities will benefit all at Queen Square. Providing a physical and
virtual show case will have the wider benefit of supporting the publicity and
promotion of these activities, as well as helping to further promote the Queen
Square brand internationally.
Renaming of the Archives pod and fifth anniversary - June 2015
On Monday 22nd June 2015, we were joined by members of Louise Shepherd's family, and many colleagues from across Queen Square and 香港六合彩 Libraries past and present, to mark the renaming of the Archives 鈥減od鈥 as the Louise Shepherd Room and the聽fifth anniversary of the re-opening of the Library.
The highlight of the evening was the unveiling of a new commemorative plaque on the Archives 鈥減od鈥 in
Louise鈥檚 memory.