Library
Our library is located in the Education Centre, East Wing Level 0.
Join the library
All staff and students on clinical placement are welcome to join the library. Members of the public can also join the library.
There are many benefits of being a member of the library. You can borrow books but did you know you can also access our online content, attend our workshops, request books and articles, ask for a literature search, receive evidence alerts and bulletins and stay up to date with events the library is hosting.
Please look at our Privacy Policy before signing and submitting your forms. If you have any questions, please contact us.
Contact us
Email: library.office@dchft.nhs.uk
Tel: 01305 255248
You can keep up to date with all the latest information by following the DCH Library on their X account.
Staffed opening hours
8.30am – 5pm Monday – Thursday
8.30am – 4.30 Fridays
You will have 24 hour access with your ID badge.
Keep up to date with the latest evidence
If you let us know your professional interests we can send you alerts in the latest evidence, relevant to your field or specialty.
Please fill in the form which will allow us to set up an account on KnowledgeShare for you. This is a service which provides evidence updates tailored to your specific professional interests. Alerts generated include guidelines, systematic reviews and selected high-level journals.
Complete a KnowledgeShare form here.
Request a book or article
If we don’t hold a book or article you need, we probably know a library that does! Let us know the details and we will get it in for you.
Request a literature search
As long as it’s not for a course of study, we can do literature searches (clinical and non-clinical) for you.
Training and workshops
We offer training on information skills, including:
- study skills
- academic writing
- referencing
- finding the evidence
- critical appraisal
- reflective reading and writing
- health literacy awareness.
We also offer demos in how to get the most out of our online resources, including:
- NHS Knowledge and Library Hub
- ClinicalKey
- BMJ Best Practice
- Royal Marsden Manual Online
- Databases.
Health literacy
Health literacy is about the skills needed to be able to use and understand health information. We offer awareness training in this which can enhance your communication with patients.
FAQs
Where is the library?
The library is next to the Education Centre on the ground floor of East Wing at Dorset County Hospital.
What are the library opening hours?
You will have 24 hour access with your ID badge.
The library is staffed between 8.30am and 5pm, Monday to Thursday and 8.30am-4.30pm on Fridays.
How can I gain access to the library during unstaffed hours?
Members of staff who wish to visit the library out of hours can do so with their Trust ID card. For more details please email library.office@dchft.nhs.uk
How do I borrow books when the library is unstaffed?
Books can be borrowed using the library’s out of hours service. Please speak to a member of staff for further details.
How can I find a book on a particular subject?
If you are looking for a particular book it is best to look at the library (SWIMS) catalogue.
Can I renew my books without visiting the library?
You can request to renew your books by telephone (01305 255248) or by email (library.office@dchft.nhs.uk) or, as long as the borrowed item has not been reserved, you can renew your books online using your SWIMS number (the barcode beginning with ‘U’ on the back of your library card) on the SWIMS website.
How many books may I borrow and for how long?
Registered users may borrow up to twelve books at a time, usually for 28 days although there are 14-day loans as well as reference only items.
How do I register for an OpenAthens account?
Registering with OpenAthens is easy. Once you have received your username and password you can access electronic resources from both work and home. Please register here.
I have forgotten my Athens username/password. How do I get a new one?
The password reset page is here.
Tip: You can use the email you registered with instead of your username or contact library.office@dchft.nhs.uk
I’ve found a useful article reference, how can I get hold of the full-text article?
Many articles can be accessed via OpenAthens but if you come across an article you can’t get hold of we might be able to source it for you via our library network. Just email library.office@dchft.nhs.uk with the reference details and we will do our best to source it for you. You will need to register with the library for this service.