Advance warning of disruption to library services on the 16th and 17th March

Last year we took the decision to review our library management system (the software that runs our catalogue and allows us to issue and return books etc.). Following on from that process we decided to switch to a new system - Koha.

What does this mean for all our users?

There will be some disruption on the 16th and 17th of March to normal service while we transfer to Koha which means our catalogue will not be available.

What do you need to know now?

• If you need a list of books you have borrowed from us please print this (or ask staff for help) before March 13th. It will not be possible to provide you with a list after this date.
• The Bookmyne app will no longer work from March 16th.

Please contact one of the libraries if you have any questions.

Disruption to Internet access at the Richmond Library, Wednesday 3rd of April

IT are carrying out some essential network maintenance on Wednesday the 3rd of April between 18.00 and 20.00.


During this time Internet access at the Richmond Library could be intermittent and there may be periods when no access is available at all.

As well as Internet access, this will also affect email, SystmOne and other systems used by NHFT staff.

This will not impact on the Berrywood Library.

Apologies for the inconvenience. 

Disruption to computer access Tuesday the 6th & Wednesday 7th of November at the Richmond Library

We are having some essential maintenance carried out on our computers on Tuesday the 6th and Wednesday the 7th of November at the Richmond Library.

There will inevitably be some disruption and it is possible we will be asking users to move computers from time to time as the work proceeds.

We apologise for any inconvenience this may cause.

IT problems at the Richmond Library

We have had significant IT issues at the Richmond Library recently since we replaced our public PCs with newer machines with Windows 10 installed.

This has led to some technical problems with them and has seen a number of our computers having to be taken away by IT and rebuilt, which has in turn impacted our users with less PCs being available.

We did not anticipate the move to newer computers with Windows 10 would cause as many problems as it has (we had trialled the system for a month at the Berrywood Library without incident).

IT are now taking the remaining PCs away in batches and reinstalling Windows 7 which we know was stable and not causing problems whilst they look for a permanent solution.

This should be completed shortly and we hope to have all of our PCs available again.

We now also have free WiFi access so you are able to bring your own devices into the library.

We understand this has caused problems for some of our users and would like to apologise for the inconvenience. IT are working hard on a solution and we hope to have normal services resumed soon.

Brief network outage at the Richmond Library, Friday 15th of December

In order to carry out some preparatory work for the installation of Wi-Fi, the networking team will have to take the Richmond Library completely offline.

This will happen at 8 am on Friday the 15th of December and means there will be no internet or network access (including printing and  access to our self-issue machine) for up to 30 minutes.

We apologise for the inconvenience. 

Improved access to NHFT systems at Berrywood Hospital Library

We have seen recently that NHFT staff don't always find it easy to access the systems they need when they are out of the office.

To try and make life a little bit better we have set up two of our computers at the Berrywood Library so that NHFT staff can use their own login and access clinical systems, shared drives and anything else they would normally find on their office PC.

You can also use the NHFT corporate WiFi at the Berrywood and Isebrook libraries if you have a mobile device.

If you need access when you are out and about, the library at Berrywood offers another place you can work. Best of all, if you register as a library member you can use this facility 24 hours a day, 7 days a week (and you may just find we can help you with other things too!).

Advanced warning - Richmond Library PC replacement

Good news! All of our public workstations at the Richmond Library, Northampton General Hospital are going to be replaced with new computers.

There will inevitably be some disruption when this work happens, but it does mean our users should get greatly improved performance from all of our computers.

We will be letting everyone know as soon as we have a confirmed date for the replacement to start.

Guest WiFi at the Berrywood & Isebrook libraries

We have had access to staff WiFi for some time but there is now WiFi freely available for visitors at the Berrywood and Isebrook libraries (and throughout the hospitals).

To connect your device simple turn on the WiFi, select NHFT-Guest and open your web browser. Enter your email address and once you have accepted the terms and conditions you will be connected.

You connection will last for up to two hours after which you may need to re-select the guest WiFi.

Our email is back!

Our IT team has worked its magic and our access to email is now fully restored. 

It may take a while for us to get around to replying to everything that has been waiting since Friday so please bear with us.

We have also found there are some problems with some of the emails received up until now too, so if it is really urgent, you might want to resend it or give us a call instead.

This also means you should again start to receive email and text reminders if your loans have become overdue.

Electronic overdue item reminders unavailable

The Trust email system is still currently out of action so we are unable to send out either email or text (SMS) reminders for overdue items. Instead, we will be posting overdue notices this week.

If you have a book that you think might be due back soon, please check the date stamp label in the front. Alternatively, you can also log into the library catalogue to check your due date(s) and renew any of your loans.

We also have the Bookmyne app (available for Apple and Android devices) which allows you to manage all of your loans and search our catalogue.

Of course you can also pick up the phone and call one of the libraries if you have any questions about your book loans (or anything else).

We are currently without email

Due to the ongoing issue with the global cyber-attack, we currently do not have access to email (although all of our other systems are fine).

The Trust was unaffected by the attack itself, but are taking precautions to manage the situation.

We will let you know when our email is available again. In the mean time if you need anything you can call the Berrywood, Isebrook or Richmond libraries.

Berrywood Library closed Monday the 24th - Thursday the 27th of April

We are going to be replacing our existing security system with a new RFID one.

We will also be getting a self-issue machine to make life easier for all our users. It will enable you to issue, return and renew books 24/7 without having to fill out a form.

The new system will give us a much better level of security and will even be able to tell us which of our books has triggered the alarm when removed from the Library without first being deactivated (as well as giving an exact date and time).

This means that to allow time for fitting the new gates, installing software and for us to put new tags into all of the stock, Berrywood Library is going to be closed from Monday March the 24th until Thursday March the 27th. This will include out of hours.

During the closed period a full service will still be available to our users via the Richmond Library at Northampton General.

We apologise for any inconvenience this may cause, but it will lead to an improvement in the service we are able to offer you...

Web site (sort of) of the month: ScHARR Research Hacks

Not strictly speaking a web site, this is a playlist of videos on YouTube from the School of Health and Related Research at the University of Sheffield.

The videos are all short (mostly around 1 minute) and feature a range of useful tools to enable researchers (or anyone else) to better able to find and share information as well as tips on collaborating.

The topics covered include using Google Drive and Netvibes, making a podcast, having an online meeting, Google Scholar and many more.

You can also download all the videos via iTunes.

For anyone interested in research or collaborative working, we think this is a really useful resource.

Changes to OpenAthens for users on Windows XP

As of Thursday the 28th of May, computers running Windows XP will need to ensure they have Service Pack 3 installed or they will no longer be able to access any part of the OpenAthens system.

If you are using a NHFT or NGH trust PC you don't need to take any action.

However, if you have an older machine at home to maintain access please ensure that if you are running XP or Internet Explorer 6, you upgrade to SP3. You can find a free download for it on Microsoft's site.

We'd like some feedback on our new library catalogue

We have just launched a new version of our library catalogue, offering a more sophisticated searching experience. It will pull back results even if you misspell something (within reason anyway) and offers you a number of filters for narrowing down your search results, including publication date, author and loan period.

Our new catalogue

There is also an advanced search option if you want to use a more precise search strategy,

As with our old catalogue, you can also search for reading lists and see what we hold in stock for a wide variety of courses from the universities of Northampton, Leicester and Oxford.

Every time you conduct a search, the system automatically creates a link to an RSS feed. This means you can save the feed if you wish to keep track of new things on your chosen topic as they come along (see the excellent Potted Guide on Phil Bradley's web site if you want to know more about RSS).

You can also reserve items, have them sent to your NHFT library of choice and renew any loans you have via the catalogue by logging into your account (you will have previously needed to get your PIN from one of the libraries). Once logged in you can also create and save lists of titles you are interested in.

We think the new catalogue offers a more sophisticated "Google" type experience and hope it makes it easier for you to find the items you want as well as reserving and renewing items you have already borrowed.

More importantly though, we'd like to know what you think. If you have a few minutes, please have a look at our catalogue and then complete this very short (5 question) survey http://svy.mk/1xgBqdI

Many thanks...

Computer upgrades Friday the 13th June, Richmond Library, Northampton General Hospital.

IT are coming to continue the upgrade of our computers at the Richmond Library on Friday the 13th of June.

The process will inevitably lead to some disruption and there may be times when PCs are unavailable. We may also need to ask you to move between PCs to enable the technicians to get on with the upgrade.

Once the upgrade has finished all of our PCs will be moved from Windows XP to Windows 7, many of them will have been replaced with newer machines and there should be a significant improvement in performance and reliability.

We apologise of any inconvenience the process may cause, but the end result should deliver an improvement to our service.

Library computer upgrades May 27th - 30th

All of the computers at each of the library sites are going to be upgraded.

The schedule for upgrades is as follows:

• Tuesday 27th May Berrywood Hospital Library
  
• Thursday 29th - Friday 30th May Richmond Library, Northampton General Hospital

The schedule is approximate and may change depending on any technical issues (Isebrook Library will be done on an ad hoc basis).

The process will inevitably lead to some disruption and there may be times when PCs are unavailable. We may also need to ask you to move between PCs to enable the technicians to get on with the upgrade.

Once the upgrade has finished all of our PCs will be moved from Windows XP to Windows 7, many of them will have been replaced with newer machines and there should be a significant improvement in performance and reliability.

We apologise of any inconvenience the process may cause, but the end result should deliver an improvement to our service.

QR codes, reading lists and ebooks

Catalogue

You may have seem these funny squares with a seemingly random black pattern on them (they often featuring on advertising posters). These are QR (Quick Response) codes. In effect they are a 2 dimensional barcode that provide a link directly to a web site, email address or other form of information (you can find out more here).

QR codes can be scanned by a smartphone but you will need an App for this if you don't have one installed. There are many free Apps available for Android, iPhones, Blackberry and Windows phones.

Podiatry Reading list

We have created a set of QR codes you can find in each of the libraries to enable you to find items from reading lists easily on your smartphone. Simply scan the QR code for your course module and you will be taken to a page on our library catalogue that displays all the stock we hold for that particular reading list. You can find the codes in a folder by our library catalogue PCs at each of the library sites.

Maudsley Guidelines

We have also created some additional codes for some of our electronic books. We have put this with the physical copies of the titles on the shelf. Again if you come across one you can scan it with your phone to be taken straight to the e-version. You will need to log in with your Athens password to access ebooks.

We hope you'll find this a quick and convenient way to access our stock via your smartphone, whether it is a reading list, e-book or a section of our web site.

August Eyes on Evidence from NICE

Eyes on Evidence is a free monthly bulletin from NICE Evidence Services  which reviews significant new evidence as it emerges and what this may mean for current practice.

In the August issue you can find:

Improvements in outcomes for extremely preterm babies
Cohort studies suggest that outcomes after extremely preterm birth have improved in the UK between 1995 and 2006.

Screening for type 2 diabetes
A cluster randomised controlled trial assessing screening for type 2 diabetes in general practices finds no benefit on all-cause mortality.

Deep brain stimulation in Parkinson's disease with early motor complications
A randomised controlled trial suggests that deep brain stimulation may improve quality of life in patients with Parkinson's disease and recent onset of motor complications.

The effects of printed computerised reminders in clinical practice
A Cochrane review suggests that computerised reminders printed out and delivered on paper may result in improvements to processes of care.

Fever in patients with cancer and low-risk neutropenia – oral antibiotic monotherapy versus dual therapy
A randomised controlled trial suggests equivalence of the oral antibiotic regimens of once daily moxifloxacin or twice daily ciprofloxacin plus co-amoxiclav for treating febrile neutropenia in patients with cancer who are at low risk of sepsis.

Use of proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) on discharge from hospital and 1-year mortality in older patients
An observational study notes that prescription of high-dose PPIs in older patients discharged from acute care hospitals may be associated with increased 1-year mortality.

Case studies from the Quality, Improvement, Productivity and Prevention (QIPP) collection

• ThinkGlucose programme for diabetes inpatient care

Health and care apps & tools directory advance preview

This is the alpha version of the Health & Care Online Tools Directory, which will be launched by the NHS Commissioning Board in early 2013. This will provide a trusted directory of online tools for the public and care professionals.

Covering more than just apps for smartphones or tablets, the directory also includes software that is accessed and run through a standard web browser.

All featured tools will have appropriate medical safety and quality vetting, with users (both care professionals and the public) being able to rate and comment on the usefulness of individual online tools.

As it is an alpha site, a lot of content is still to come, but you can see some of the tools already listed by clinical condition. For example:

• Cancer
• Diabetes 
• Mental health  

The NHS Commissioning Board are also very keen to have feedback on the site as well as suggestions for apps or other tools to include. You can contact them at: tools.feedback@nhs.net