How did we find information before the Internet?

Before the Internet people gathered information by visiting libraries and searching through books or journals.

This is still the case today, however even with new technology, people are still coming into libraries in droves to learn new skills, tips and short cuts to find information quickly.

To mark Library and Information Week, libraries located in hospitals across the Western Sydney Local Health District held activities and events to remind people of their importance.

Blacktown and Mount Druitt hospital library manager Kathleen McMillan provided additional training for staff to show them how to find the information they need.

“We also took our libraries to our patients and staff by having stalls in busy areas of the hospitals,” Ms McMillan said.

Blacktown Mount Druitt hospital library staff Anne Gray and Parnita Sharma were joined by Margaret Redrug-May from Blacktown Council Libraries to share the message that libraries offer valuable services and resources to staff, patients and carers.

“Everyone has a need for information, to support practice, learning or research or just to find out about a loved one’s condition … no matter what your need for information … you can find it in our libraries,” Ms McMillan said.

Cumberland Hospital library manager Tracy McDonald offered staff training in accessing library applications where they found lots of tips, tricks and shortcuts.

“We also provided tours of the Glengarriff Museum which holds more than 160 years of mental health history within WSLHD,” Ms McDonald said.

More than 100 nursing students have visited the museum over the past three weeks.

To find out more about your hospital library, pay them a visit or view to their services visit the WSLHD intranet site:

http://wslhdintranet.wsahs.nsw.gov.au/WSLHD-Library-Services-Portal/WSLHD-Library-Services-Portal