This month we say goodbye to Amanda Lackey, our senior librarian for learning and teaching, who is retiring after an impressive 26 years in the Knowledge and Libraries team. Amanda joined us in 1998, providing knowledges services to the East Sussex, Brighton & Hove Health Authority at their Lewes headquarters. A few years later, Amanda moved across to the Princess Royal Hospital Library in Haywards Heath, where she has worked ever since.
In her many years as Associate Library Services Manager, Amanda helped to lead the team through the implementation of two regional library management systems, continually improved the PRH Library, including introducing a second IT training room and a study pod, and managed our services to Sussex Partnership and Sussex Community. Amanda also took charge of our internal publicity and promotion, including our adoption of social media in 2014.
Amanda’s major focus in recent years has been our information skills teaching and training, which she has co-ordinated across the service, overseeing our delivery of a wide range of sessions on finding and evaluating evidence, and study skills. Amanda has been instrumental in embedding this teaching into inductions and training programmes for preceptors, doctors-in-training, and many other groups. She also introduced peer review of teaching to increase the quality of our work and the impact on our colleagues.
Perhaps Amanda’s greatest achievement is the incredibly positive feedback we have always received about the Princess Royal Hospital Library, and the warmth with which her colleagues regard her. Amanda’s nomination for mentor of the year in the UHSussex Star Awards sums it up:
Amanda is one of those managers who make everything run smoothly, but what I want to draw attention to is her compassion, her teamwork and how she supports the professional development of her colleagues. From sorting out the more practical day to day enquiries to offering support with any personal issues, it doesn’t matter how small or big a problem is, I can go to Amanda about anything. After two years in my role, I barely recognise myself from when I started, and I credit Amanda with how much my professional development has evolved during this period. If you are looking for a manager that encompass the Trust’s core values, then you need look no further than Amanda.
We will miss Amanda and her contribution to the service hugely, and we wish her lots of fun and relaxation in her retirement.