The Joint Library of Moorfields Eye Hospital
and the Institute of Ophthalmology
|
is
jointly funded by both organisations and is a recognised
library of national importance.
Moorfields
was founded in 1804 by John Cunningham Saunders
and
has been on City Road site since 1838. Over the years
has gained an international reputation for eye care.
|
|
The
Institute of Ophthalmology was founded in 1948 by Sir
Stewart Duke-Elder and was based in
|
Illustration
of new pigment on front of iris after iritus. (male
patient aged 46). Sept 3 1884. Held in the Collection
|
Judd Street until 1992 when it moved to Bath Street. Together
the Institute and Moorfields Eye Hospital form the largest site
for eye care and research in the world.
There
were two libraries up until 1999. The Joint Study Facility
was based in the hospital, the other was based in the Institute.
Both were funded separately, but were staffed by the same
team.
The
Joint Library was founded in 1999, as the result of the union
of Moorfields Joint Study Facility and the Institute of Ophthalmology
Library. It is a truly multidisciplinary library, serving
the clinical and research needs of nurses, doctors, optometrists,
orthoptists, pharmacists, researchers and other staff of Moorfields
and the Institute.
In
1999 work to extend the Institute building was completed and
the Joint Library opened on May 20th, benefiting from increased
space and housing the collections from both sites. The extension
was funded by the charity Fight for Sight and the Trustees
of Moorfields Eye Hospital. New study carrels and rolling
stacks were paid for by Fight for Sight, and the shelving,
bought with funds from the Trustees, was brought over from
Moorfields with the stock.
The
Library houses a collection of 2000 bound journals dating
from the 1850s onwards, 154 current journal subscriptions,
20,500 books and monographs and an important historical collection
of works on ophthalmology and visual science, containing printed
material, drawings, photographs and slides.
The
new library is staffed by 2 full-time and 2 part-time staff,
Deborah Heatlie, Katy Gwyther, Myriem Naji and David Coughlan.
The
Library is open to all staff and students of UCL and affiliated
NHS Trust staff. Recent developments include the installation
of the circulation system ALEPH, which went live in May 2000.
A
current awareness service has been launched. The Institute
of Ophthalmology and Institute of Child Health were jointly
assessed by the HEFCE Quality Assurance Agency, and scored
23/24. The Library scored 4/4 and was highly praised . The
Library is a member of AVSL (Association of Vision Science
Libraries) which has international membership.
Further
information from d.heatlie@ucl.ac.uk
|
