Health libraries in the south and west of England operate an interlibrary loan network for sharing of library resources, particularly journal articles. This network is called the SWIMS Network. Libraries request and supply journal articles from libraries in this network on behalf of their end users. Network members discover each others’ holdings by checking the SWIMS catalogue.
SWIMS Network membership
The majority of libraries using SWIMS use it for full library management functions (print book circulation etc), however in the case of affiliated members, journal holdings only are recorded on SWIMS. These holdings are maintained for them by members of the SWIMS Cataloguing Group.
Membership categories and conditions of membership are as per the SWIMS Network Terms of Reference.
The terms of reference includes mandatory requirements for all SWIMS Network members; here is some information to help comply:
- It is mandatory for all SWIMS Network members to comply with the Standards for Interlibrary Document Supply.
- To join the SWIMS-JISCMail discussion list, please sign up.
- Please see the information about updating your HLISD library record.
Journal Holdings
The OPAC for the SWIMS Network is at www.swims.nhs.uk and is used by all member libraries to check holdings for the purposes of document supply. There is no printed union list. Codes are used after holdings to indicate special arrangements:
- (I) for incomplete
- (L) for last resort
- (N) for not available for inter-library loan
Members of the SWIMS Cataloguing Group update journal holdings data on SWIMS in the case of affiliated members as they don’t have access to the staff interface of the SWIMS system to do this themselves.
Notes about submitting journals holdings:
- For the annual updating process which takes place in Dec-Jan each year, please see the instructions emailed to you.
- University affiliated members are only required to submit print holdings.
- Affiliated members can check their own holdings data on SWIMS by carrying out a search at www.swims.nhs.uk filtered on their location.
- Affiliated members are welcome to send individual journal holding updates to the SWIMS Cataloguing Group at any time.
- If you notify us of a new holding, please state the ISSN (if there is one) of the journal title, ensuring that this is the correct ISSN for the print or electronic version, as appropriate.