Name Pam Prior
Job regional librarian
Salary circa £42,000

When Pam Prior gave up teaching in 1978 after moving to a different part of the country, she got an administrative job in a hospital. Librarianship, a side aspect of the job, soon had her hooked.

Prior had a joint honours degree in physics and chemistry from Nottingham University so she was able to take the Library Association's professional qualification and become a chartered librarian. Now, 22 years later, she is one of England's eight NHS regional librarians.

Much has changed in the intervening period, not least the nature of the job. "In 1978 you were very much seen as an archivist ­ as someone to keep things tidy. Nowadays there is an increasing recognition of the librarian's ability to organise knowledge and to transfer skills to the end user," she says.

The post of regional librarian is one in which you cannot manage directly. "You have to build structures where you manage remotely. There's an enormous amount of networking."

But Prior does not feel remote from the rewards of the job. "You get instant feedback," she says.

The NHS is a superb service for librarians to be involved in. "You know you're making a difference to the health of the nation. The NHS needs to have a culture that is based on knowledge and you know you're doing something about it."

• Pam Prior works for the NHS West Midlands region