A Handbook for Hospital Librarians
Production date
1940s
Audio tour
Description
A Handbook for Hospital Librarians is a small, hardback book, first published in 1946 by the St John and Red Cross Hospital Department, London. This edition is dated 1953.
For most of us, periods of sickness are a misfortune to be avoided, but according to this quirky little book, convalescence can be a golden opportunity for personal betterment through reading. The work of the hospital librarian is essential to facilitating this to the best advantage, and this guide provides advice as to how they can achieve this.
I was drawn to this item since I’ve spent around ten years working in public libraries myself. This guide is very much a product of its time, particularly in its conventional gendering of genre fiction: Westerns, adventures and sea stories are suggested for the men’s ward, and ‘light love stories’ are recommended for the ladies, while thrillers, it assures us, will be appreciated by all.
Happily, and also, perhaps, surprisingly, there is a very contemporary emphasis on inclusivity here. Librarians are entreated to ensure their stock features large print books and foreign language titles, and are advised that books in braille are available for blind readers, and that electronic page turners can be provided, on request, for people with disabilities. The crucial aim of the St John and Red Cross Hospital Library Department always being to ‘provide the right book for the right patient.'
Audio recording by Treena Warren (Volunteer), Manchester.
For most of us, periods of sickness are a misfortune to be avoided, but according to this quirky little book, convalescence can be a golden opportunity for personal betterment through reading. The work of the hospital librarian is essential to facilitating this to the best advantage, and this guide provides advice as to how they can achieve this.
I was drawn to this item since I’ve spent around ten years working in public libraries myself. This guide is very much a product of its time, particularly in its conventional gendering of genre fiction: Westerns, adventures and sea stories are suggested for the men’s ward, and ‘light love stories’ are recommended for the ladies, while thrillers, it assures us, will be appreciated by all.
Happily, and also, perhaps, surprisingly, there is a very contemporary emphasis on inclusivity here. Librarians are entreated to ensure their stock features large print books and foreign language titles, and are advised that books in braille are available for blind readers, and that electronic page turners can be provided, on request, for people with disabilities. The crucial aim of the St John and Red Cross Hospital Library Department always being to ‘provide the right book for the right patient.'
Audio recording by Treena Warren (Volunteer), Manchester.
Collection Type
Uncatalogued Accessions
Catalogue Number
2749
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