Selection of library services by post-registration nursing, midwifery and health visiting students

This paper describes a small-scale survey undertaken with 300 nurses, midwives and health visitors on post-registration courses and registered for the ENB Higher Award. The aim was threefold: first to examine reasons for electing to use particular libraries; second, the relationship between workplace, home, teaching site and choice of library services; and third, the use of library enquiry services. There was a 56% response rate to the postal questionnaire and results indicated that the key factor in selecting a library was availability of resources rather than convenience to home or workplace. The third largest group of respondents worked in community organizations with little or no on-site access to resources and were dependent on access to other libraries. Most who used the library for literature searching needed to seek help in spite of preliminary user education sessions. Similar levels of assistance were needed to locate journals and use the computerized book catalogue. The paper recommends explicit information on strategic entry points, necessity of a broad central collection, integration of information retrieval into post-registration courses, use of self-study packs, better trust/university liaison and recognition of the need for resource transfer from teaching to learning.