The HLG Committee is pleased to announce that the next HLG Conference will be held in June 2024 in London, UK.
When: Thursday 20th and Friday 21st June 2024
Where: Royal College of Physicians, 11 St Andrew’s Place, London NW1 4LE
The theme around the conference will be ‘Connecting’; connecting with Users, connecting across our Profession, connecting across Sectors, connecting with Policy, connecting with Systems and connecting with Health and Wellbeing. How do we connect, maintain and develop those connections?
More information and the call for papers, workshops and posters will be released soon.
For more information please contact Imrana Ghumra HLG Conference Lead hlgconferences@gmail.com.
Welcome to the first European Association of Health Information and Libraries (EAHIL) Conference being held in Riga, the capital city of Latvia, from 11th to 14th June 2024.
The Conference theme “Small Step and a Giant Leap: Reorienting Towards a New Environment” captures the need for libraries to adapt and thrive in an evolving landscape by embracing both incremental changes and significant advancements. We are excited to announce the conference theme has been carefully crafted to build upon the inspiring ideas of the 2023 theme.
The Conference theme addresses various questions, such as:
How can libraries serve as catalysts for innovation, facilitate interdisciplinary collaborations, and empower users to actively participate in the creation and sharing of knowledge?
How will libraries and librarians support research in their new environment in the foreseeable future?
How can technology be leveraged to support and engage users of health-related information and data?
Let’s contribute and create an environment where libraries are not just repositories of knowledge, but agents of change in the quest for supporting research and innovation!
We look forward to offering you a warm welcome with opportunities for engaging discussion and a chance for librarians and friends from around the world to meet here in Riga!
Abstract submission opens: September 2023
Deadline abstract submission: end October 2023
Notification of acceptance: December 2023
Authors confirm final versions of abstracts: January 2024
The World Library and Information Congress will take place in Rotterdam, 21–25 August 2023. See the congress website for information on registering and the programme.
After a fantastic conference in May, we thought we’d give you an extra chance for reflection by adding the presentations to the website. Check out your favourite presentations below.
Kate Kelly: Putting it into Practice: applying the skill set
Kate is Director of Library Services at the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland (RCSI).RCSI is currently building a new academic education centre incorporating a new library and has been recruiting for new positions over the last year. Kate has spent most of her library career in health sciences working in the USA and Ireland. She has an MSc in Health Services Research and is a fellow of the Library Association of Ireland (FLAI) and distinguished member of the US Academy of Health Information Professionals (AHIP).
Abstract
In support of its strategy “Growth and Excellence” RCSI is building a new medical education centre incorporating a new health sciences library. Planning for this building challenged library staff at all levels to consider and reconsider what it is we do, how we do it, and why we do it. What if anything differentiates a health sciences library and health sciences librarians from other libraries? Using RCSI Library as a case study this presentation will share some of the learnings from our benchmarking exercises as prelude to a restructuring and the thinking behind resulting new positions.
Fintan Bracken: Bibliometrics: Maximising & Assessing Research Impact
Fintan is the Research Services and Bibliometrics Librarian in the University of Limerick. In this role, Fintan is responsible for providing services to researchers in many aspects of the research process including bibliometrics, open access, publication strategy and maximising research impact. Prior to joining UL in October 2013, Fintan worked with IReL, the Irish Research eLibrary. He has also previously worked in the Marine Institute’s research library. Fintan completed a PhD in zoology in 2004 and has published research on various topics including bird biodiversity and usability studies. LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/fintanbracken.
Abstract
In the last decade, the use of bibliometrics has become more mainstream in universities and research institutions throughout the world. Bibliometrics refers to the quantitative measures used to assess research output, in other words, publication and citation analysis. This workshop will provide:
An overview of bibliometrics and how they can be used;
An explanation of the main metrics used;
Details on how to find citations to articles and how to calculate the h-index of a researcher using the three main citation tools, Web of Science, Scopus and Google Scholar;
Information on other methods and tools to assess the research impact of individuals and groups;
An explanation of the main journal metrics and instructions on how to find each.
This workshop will also highlight five key methods for optimising the impact of research including publishing in high impact journals (e.g. using ScimagoJR.com), ensuring a researcher’s outputs are easily identifiable (e.g. using ORCID and Google Scholar Profiles), increasing the visibility of publications (e.g. using Open Access), and promoting research (e.g. using social media).
Caroline Rowan & Stephanie Ronan: Advancing our skillset: building the Rudai23 e-learning course for information professionals
Caroline is the health librarian in St. Michael’s Hospital. She has several undergraduate and postgraduate qualifications including a Master of Arts and a Master of Library & Information Studies. An enthusiastic advocate for libraries, she is a Communications Officer for the Health Sciences Library Group, a co-editor of HINT: Health Information News & Thinking and a collaborator on HEAR: Health Evidence Awareness Report and on the Rudai 23 professional development course. Twitter – @librarianintown, LinkedIn – ie.linkedin.com/in/rowancaroline
Stephanie is an information professional, providing the library services to the Marine Institute in Galway. As a solo librarian, she manages all aspects of the library including the institutional repository and is quickly becoming a marine information expert. She is secretary for the WRSLAI, collaborator on Rudai23 and a founding member of the Repository Network Ireland. Twitter @StephanieRonan, LinkedIn https://ie.linkedin.com/in/sronan
Abstract
Rudaí 23 is a free online course based on the original 23 Things format by Helene Blowers. It was developed by a collaboration comprising several members of the Western Regional Section of the Library Association of Ireland and additional contributors from the library and education sectors. The primary aims comprised the provision of instruction in relation to web tools, advocacy and on legal, technical and professional topics. The course is the first online course to be certified by the Library Association of Ireland.
This presentation examines the skills needed to establish, develop, moderate and manage an online course with a team of eleven voluntary instructors. To initiate the course, team members became competent in design tools, policy writing, recruitment and social media marketing. The course was managed and run on-line thus the team worked without verbal and visual cues, honing communication and team-working skills. Rudaí 23 consisted of 23 modules; in producing these modules the team advanced their researching, writing, editing and design skills, as well as adhering to copyright laws. Finally the presentation examines the skills advanced through acquiring project feedback and the organisation of a certificate presentation ceremony.
Ann Wales: Something Old, Something New: Health Librarian Capabilities for the Knowledge Economy and the Digital Age
Since 2005, Ann has held the national role of Programme Director for Knowledge Management in NHS Education for Scotland, leading national strategic development of knowledge management across health and social care. This has included delivery of the national online Knowledge Network as a national gateway to evidence, information and learning resources for health and social care. Ann also worked with partners to design and operationalise a national service for translating knowledge into action in health and social care, with a strong focus on developing knowledge broker roles to facilitate that process The constant driving force behind Ann’s work is her commitment to translating knowledge into decisions and actions to improve health and care.
Abstract
Drawing upon international research and upon the experience of the Knowledge into Action Strategy for Health and Social Services in Scotland, this presentation will explore the knowledge, skills, behaviours and mindsets required to realise the potential of the health librarian role in the 21st Century. It will highlight the need for librarians to respond to transformation of health and social care delivery; the “digital first” approach to public services, the growth of the knowledge economy, and the financial challenges underlying all these drivers for change. An overarching theme is the need to develop beyond the traditional librarian role in organising information to become knowledge brokers that facilitate the translation of knowledge into practice. Participants will be invited to debate the real-life challenges of evolving professional identity and skills in this changing context.
