ht. Libr. Rev. (1974) 6, 403-405

(2) Relations Between Hospital Libraries and Public Libraries-France ( 1973)

J. GUENEBAUD*

Hospital libraries and public libraries (county libraries and’ lending libraries) each have a precise role to fulfill, both as regards the public to be contacted as well as the way in which this public is contacted.

As a general rule, public libraries are most unwilling to lend their books to patients, especially in contagious disease wards. If perhaps there is some doubt as to an actual risk of contagion through books, it is certain that the reader in good health would not like to know that the books he can borrow have been read before him by a sick person. More- over, books for the sick must be chosen with particular care by people who are well acquainted with their reactions.

One might think that hospital libraries can be kept well separate from public libraries, since they are intended for readers who cannot go to their usual public library on account of ill-health.

And yet a close collaboration can be established in various fields: sharing out of tasks between the two kinds of libraries, lending of books in certain cases, exchange of equipment, training. As regards these fields of action, a collaboration exists in Lyon between the Association des Bibliotheques d’Hbpitaux on the one hand and the Bibliotheque Municipale de Lyon (service to collectivities) and the Bibliotheque Central de PrCt (County Library) du RhGne (Bibliobus) on theother hand.

In the first field of action: sharing out of tasks, the Central Lending Library sometimes has enquiries from certain hospitals wishing to obtain a stock of books. As we are generally unable to give a favourable answer to these demands owing to the mainly psychological objections we have already mentioned, the county library asks the hospital libraries to take over the matter. If these hospitals are at some distance from Lyon, the choice and transport of these books may of course raise a number of problems. Contrary to the county library, the hospital libraries have no bibliobus at their disposal.

* Directrice. Bibliothtque Centrale de PrCt du departement du RhGne, Lyon, France.

404 J. GUENEBAUD

As regards the second field of action, the lending of books, collabora- tion has been so far most efficient. In some homes and institutions, the problem of contagion does not exist, for instance in homes for the aged and re-education centres.

Thus, as requested by hospital libraries, the County Library of the RhGne lends books to the Old People’s Home at Albigny-sur-SaBne (300 books to the residents, 250 to the staff) as well as to the Henry Gabrielle Hospital at St Genis Lava1 (50 volumes). These books are changed periodically by those responsible for the libraries; they come and choose the books personally at the Bibliotheque Central de PrCt. This form of book-lending is particularly important in the case of old people’s homes, as the pensioners often spend many years in the homes and soon exhaust the possibilities of their own library. It is therefore essential that these books be periodically renewed by a contribution from another large library.

The Bibliotheque Municipale de Lyon also lends books to two old people’s homes in Lyon (120-180 in each Home) as well as to the Staff Library of the Hotel-Dieu.

These loans could certainly be increased since old people usually prefer a specific type of book (light novels, novels by slightly old- fashioned or forgotten authors). Public libraries often possess an import- ant stock of such books which are seldom asked for and which could thus find a new public. Unfortunately these books have two major defects which render them difficult to read for old people: their paper is yellow with age and they are printed in small type.

Hospital libraries and public libraries can also exchange documents, films, montages, etc. for exhibitions. In 1972-73 an exhibition on the Bibliotheque Centrale de Pr&t was held at the Henry Gabrielle Hospital in St Genis-Laval. An exhibition of children’s books, containing the principal collections, is also available for children’s hospitals. The Henry Gabrielle Hospital also borrows records from the Bibliotheque Centrale de Pret, for its staff and patients. Organizing an exhibition is a long and exacting task; libraries should, in their own interest, exchange the exhibitions they have set up, especially on a town or county scale.

The last field in which a collaboration between hospital libraries and public libraries is possible is that of training. Since 1968 there is in Lyon an elementary training course organized by the regional group of the Association des Bibliotheques d’Hopitaux, similar to that which has been functioning in Paris for several years. It was created on the initiative of Mme Guillien, then responsible for the Bibliotheque Urbaine de Pr&t of Lyon and President of the Lyonnais group of the Hospital Libraries.

This course is intended for people working or wishing to work in a

IFLA HOSPITAL LIBRARY STUDIES 405

small library, paid or unpaid, and who have been unable to acquire a librarian’s training. The classes are divided into 20 hours, one per week from October to the end of March, with practical work, visits to libraries and a training period. The programme includes general introduction to public libraries, practical work in bibliography, selection of books, treatment of books, library premises and equipment, different systems of book-lending, children’s libraries and record-lending. This course is followed by an examination in June. The classes are given by four librarians (University Library of St Etienne, Villeurbanne Public Library, RhGne County Library and University Library of Lyon), the secretarial work is done by the Rhone-Alpes group of the Association des Bibliotheques de France.

This training has obtained great success during the past five years. The number of students vary between 20 and 40 each year, and a large percentage is represented by hospital librarians who wish to further their knowledge of librarianship. This training can also be the first step towards the preparation of the Certificat d’iiptitude aux Fonctions de Bibliothecaires, a state diploma which leads to careers in public libraries.

There are certainly other possible forms of collaboration, which already exist in other towns and counties. Hospital libraries are in- tended for a special branch of the public, but they are fully-fledged libraries and because of this they must be integrated in the exchange system between the different libraries, for the benefit of all.