Providing direction and management for health library and information services

The rapidly changing technology, coupled with clinical users with current needs that bearlittle resemblance to those of five years ago, means health LIS managers must developnew services and incorporate new technology. At the same time the health LIS arefunctioning within the turbulent health environment described in Chapter 1 where changeis occurring in all areas. Two key areas on which the health LIS manager must focus toensure that services ‘fit’ are strat egic direction and managing staff. This chapter istherefore divided into two sections: strategic and human resource management. Theintention is not to convey that one is more important than the other, but that they involvedifferent approaches and skills. Strategic and people management are intertwined: aneffective health LIS strategy will be damaged by ineffective staff management and viceversa.The role of strategic management, informed by recent developments in the directionstaken by health information services in UK NHS trusts, is discussed. The strategicprocess is outlined including strategic analysis, internal analysis, strategic options,evaluation of options and strategic implementation. This section is completed bydiscussions on the importance of different stakeholders to the strategy. Various businessmodels, already applied within the library sector (Walton and Edwards, 1997), are usedto develop the ideas within the health LIS context. The section looking at staffmanagement discusses managing change, staff skills, teamwork and staff development.