SWIMS Network Governance and Policies, and background to the SWIMS system project

Governance

• SWIMS Network Board terms of reference – last updated Dec 2019; review date Apr 2020 after go-live (currently in a transition phase)
• SWIMS Network terms of reference –  includes mandatory procedures for all members.  Last updated Jan 2020; review date Jan 2021
• SWIMS Network mandatory policies and procedures – a list of mandatory policies and procedures for full and affiliated members, along with responsibilities for compliance monitoring.  Created May 2015.

Policies

Inter-library document supply

• Standards for interlibrary document supply (ILDS) – SWIMS Network mandatory policy for all members.  To be used as a supplement to the national good practice guidelines.  Last updated April 2019; review date April 2020. 
  (Please note that the SWIMS Network member libraries in Northamptonshire left the SWIMS Network in Nov 2019 and joined the MIDS network.)

Stock management

• Stock withdrawal and retention guidelines– recommended for full members.  However please note that section 1.2: ‘Missing and withdrawn items’ is a mandatory procedure.  Review date Mar 2019.
• Stock withdrawal and retention guidelines (PDF version)

User records and circulation

• Recording, retention and deletion of user records – recommended for full members, but with mandatory requirements around default membership and expiry dates as indicated – these are also listed in the User Record FAQs.  Last updated May 2018
• Seamless borrowing – SWIMS Network mandatory policy for full members.   Last reviewed July 2017; review date July 2019.

It was agreed by the SWIMS Board in Oct 2014 that policies should have a review date of 2 years after each update, unless there is a specific reason for a different review date.

Background to the SWIMS system project

In 2003 the SWIMS shared library management system was implemented for the library services in the footprint of the then South West Workforce Development Confederations. This followed a survey of library services in 2000 which concluded that a shared region-wide system was a better option than locally implemented systems. (NHSE South West Information and Library Services Development Library Resource Management Software Project Survey Results by Valerie Trinder, Assistant Head of Information and Library Services Development, December 2000). An extensive evaluation exercise carried out in 2005 concluded that SWIMS was still fit for purpose (South West Workforce Development Confederations Knowledge Resources Development Unit: South West Information Management System (SWIMS) Project Evaluation by Stuart Benjamin, November 2005). SWIMS was later implemented by Buckinghamshire NHS libraries and then later NHS library services in the current Thames Valley footprint.

Documents relating to the history of the SWIMS implementation project including information about barcoding and setting up loan terms, as well as the 2005 evaluation, can be obtained from Jenny Toller