Library of the Month: Royal Free Hospital Medical Library

A quick ride on the 168 from Tavistock Square or a few stops along the Northern Line, and you’re just a few minutes away from a place that’s at the heart of one of UCL’s most sophisticated biomedical hubs, and which is never overcrowded.

Join Site Libraries Manager and Senior Librarian Anna Di Iorio, whose knowledge of UCL’s libraries dates all the way back to her time as a book shelver in the Cruciform. Knowledge is power – and that’s just what the Royal Free Hospital Medical Library is about.

“Our relationship with the Trust is very close.”

You can enter the library through the ground floor of the hospital – past a WHSmith and M&S food hall if you’re feeling peckish – or you can take a shortcut via the Rowland Hill entrance to the hospital, also known as the UCL Medical School entrance. Either way, it’s hard not to feel a sense of integration between UCL and the Trust.

“Together with UCL, we work very closely with the Royal Free London Trust,” Anna tells me, gesturing to the vast Royal Free hospital paintings of the ‘The Symons Bequest’ above the ground floor’s desktops. “Our relationship with the Trust is very close. They support us, and we support them. For example, they’re leading the way in reviewing, standardising and improving guidelines used to treat patients, and we are part of this project.”

When you’re studying alongside a clinician looking up clinical procedures in the upstairs quiet study space or taking advantage of the eLearning space a desk away from a life-saving nurse, you can’t help but feel how the library seems to bring people together in its quiet, subtle ways. It must be something in the atmosphere.

“I love that we lead the way at UCL for critical appraisal and developing services for the NHS, and yet we retain a very friendly feeling.”

“We offer highly specialised services.”

What is the most valuable asset of any library? That would be knowledge – and the Royal Free Library is one of the most unique libraries on campus when it comes to skills training.

“Our staff are definitely our greatest strength,” Anna will tell you, “We provide regular training sessions with one-to-one assistance, cater for distance learners as well, and are pretty advanced when it comes to eLearning.”

All it takes is a walk down to the lower ground floor to discover the eLearning cluster, where the knowledge of today being used to support UCL students and NHS staff alike is elegantly juxtaposed against the shelves of historical leather-bound volumes.

From citation tips your tutor didn’t teach you to critical appraisal skills, you’re sure to find an offering that’s going to give you the edge you need just in time – and all free of charge. Want to find out what’s being offered at the Royal Free soon? Take a look at the sessions schedule.

“Beyond the ground floor, you may be surprised…”

If you’re a casual user, the Royal Free Library might initially seem much like any other library on campus with spacious modern tables and even some bookable pods. Go in a bit deeper, though, and you’ll discover just how much the whole space has to offer.

“Beyond the ground floor, you may be surprised to discover that there are seven different spaces on the first floor, and one more on the lower ground floor,” Anna demonstrates, indicating  the quiet study space to the left of the top of the stairs, the bookable rooms in front of us, and the computer cluster to the right.
 
If you’re a medical student, you’re especially going to love the computers with dual access to UCL and NHS servers wired up to one screen, which “turned out to be quite an adventure to configure,” and one that Anna, “can’t thank our resident IT officer enough for.”

In your visit, also keep an eye out for a wooden, leather-surfaced antique desk which is, according to Anna, “one of the favourite spots in the library” – much to her astonishment.
Whether you’re after the spaciousness of the atrium, the den-like feel of a pod, the utility of dual-server desktops or the exclusive desk, the Royal Free has got you covered.

Want to get away from the crowds on campus?

“If the libraries in Bloomsbury ever feel overcrowded, then we’re only 20 minutes away.”

Whether you’re a practising medical student, happen to find yourself near the Royal Free or just fancy a change of scenery, why not travel up to Hampstead Heath and experience just what the Royal Free Hospital Medical Library has to offer? In its friendly, collaborative setting, there’ll always be new spots for you to enjoy.

Robert Vilkelis