The Psychiatric Libraries Co-operative Scheme (PLCS) is a national network of psychiatric libraries in the United Kingdom, based on a UK wide inter-library loan scheme which has been running for over 25 years.
PLCS runs a co-operative document supply scheme allowing libraries to share journal articles under copyright law and the NHS copyright licence. It also offers opportunities for professional development and networking.
READ MOREThe PLCS website is for psychiatric libraries who want to request articles for their users that they do not hold.
Membership of the network enables individual libraries to provide psychiatrists and other mental health professionals with full-text access to a significantly wider knowledge base helping to support evidence-based healthcare.
The PLCS enables articles to be supplied between member libraries by reciprocal agreement. There is a small annual membership fee which offers exceptional value.
PLCS currently has over 60 members, including libraries in the NHS, Higher Education, and charities such as MIND.
In October 2015, the PLCS became formally affiliated with the Royal College of Psychiatrists, which had always maintained a central role as an inaugural member of the scheme and host for committee meetings and events. The scheme is administered by a committee of volunteers from member libraries.
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