I have worked at NUH for the past 20 years as the E-Resources Librarian so have seen many changes over the years. I run training sessions for staff interested in learning more about finding and appraising literature for research, education and other projects as part of their work at NUH. It always amazes me how much staff do in addition to their day to day work in order to help improve the evidence base upon which they make decisions.
I loved to read as a child and studied English Literature at school. I have chosen a book from childhood and three books I studied at school. A desert island would be a great opportunity to reconnect with these books. I have also included a book I read for my current role, which I found helpful in understanding evidence-based medicine. I would bring this book if I was asked to “work from home”, on the desert island!
The Voyage of the Dawn Treader by CS Lewis
This is one of my favourite books from childhood. I delighted in the tales of adventure on the high seas by Lucy and Edmund, and their cousin Eustace in the land of Narnia. It’s a journey full of magic and morals. With the help of the lion Aslan, the children learn to have courage and compassion.
Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte
I loved the character of Jane who valued her own self-worth and dignity, in spite of, or perhaps because of her impoverished childhood. Her romance with the brooding Mr Rochester is beautifully told. She has such good sense in doing the right thing even when it is not the easy path to follow. This book also discusses issues around childhood neglect, social class and religion.
Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte
This novel tells the tale of the doomed love between Catherine and Heathcliff and the generational conflicts of two families. It is set in the Yorkshire moors at the end of the 19th century. Themes discussed in the book are good and evil, violence and revenge. It has at times a dark and supernatural feel to it, but is a great read. It also shows how a new generation of young people can provide hope of a brighter future, free from the ghosts of the past.
Strumpet City by James Plunkett
This novel is set in Dublin, Ireland around the time of the 1913 Dublin lock-out. It tells the tale of a dozen characters as they are caught up in the events that affected Dublin between 1907 and 1914. The Lockout was the culmination of five years of bitter disputes between the unskilled workers organised by a trade union on one side and the employers on the other side. At its heart is the humanity and dignity the author gives to the characters, regardless of whether they are rich or poor.
Users’ Guides to the Medical Literature: A Manual for Evidence-Based Clinical Practice by Drummond Rennie and Gordon Guyatt
This book is a great introduction to understanding and using the medical literature in daily practice. This series of 25 articles clarifies the principles of evidence-based medicine, and provides clear and practical guides for accessing and evaluating articles published in the medical literature. The book is divided into 2 sections: part 1, “The Basics”, presents the core principles of evidence-based medicine as well as a systematic approach to searching, understanding, and using the medical literature, including articles about treatment, diagnosis, harm, differential diagnosis, and prognosis; part 2, “Beyond the Basics”, provides more in-depth explanations of statistical methods and teaching tools.
I have yet to read A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens. This book recounts the story of Ebenezer Scrooge, an elderly miser who is visited by the ghost of his former business partner Jacob Marley and the spirits of Christmas Past, Present and Yet to Come. After their visits, Scrooge transforms into a kinder, gentler man.
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