Celebrating CILIP NW and Health Libraries Special Interest Group: HLG 2024

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by Siobhan Linsey, Head of Knowledge and Library Services, Lancashire Teaching Hospitals

Are you curious with an appetite for knowledge and celebrating what our profession can accomplish? You are? Then let me tell you a story. It’s one of challenge, a network of like-minded people uniting in a common goal, and the rewards which were discovered along the way.

photograph of a grey stone sign reading 'THE ROYAL COLLEGE OF PHYSICIANS' against a leafy background

In March 2024 I found myself challenged. As a health library service manager with procurement constraints, I was able to support one member of my team to virtually attend CILIP Health Library Group (HLG)’s 2024 conference. As CPD and engagement with our profession is crucial for all our roles, I strove to find a way to also attend myself.

CILIP NW came to the rescue with a bursary contribution, enabling me to gain invaluable learning, networking in person at London’s Royal College of Physicians, with peers and others whose work I found inspiring. I am grateful for the support and would encourage others to reach out for future opportunities. 

Spread across two days (20th-21st June), the menu of keynote speakers, presentations, stimulating workshops, high-quality refreshments, posters, suppliers, quiet spaces, and medical history struck the right balance.

photo of a museum exhibit with a painting of a man and a physicians toolkitphoto of an internal staircase with frames pictures on the wallphoto of a brown wooden door in a hallway with a grey sign reading 'Gowning and Quiet Room'

Conference organisers’ venue choice provided many interesting spaces to escape. sensory overload.


What did I learn?

Day one:

  • Sue Lacey-Byant (outgoing Chief Knowledge Officer) legacy includes key areas for health library focus going forward
photo of a stage with two chairs and a woman, with a projector screen behind showing a presentation slide titled '7 Priorities'

  • The delivery of The Reader’s (charity) shared reading programme by Sandwell and West Birmingham NHS Trust library team is money well spent.
  • Gillian Siddall and Alison Brettle’s research indicates despite supporting research ranking above doing research, we do value undertaking it with support.


photo of a stage with a chair, 2 women and a lectern. Behind the women is a projector screen with a powerpoint slide titled 'Survey - qualitative comments 1'

  • photograph of a projector screen showing a powerpoint slide titled 'Searching WMER'
    The West Midlands Evidence Repository (WMER) accessible to staff, students, and the public, is a successfully curated gateway to research produced by their Trusts. The partnership between the library services produced a quality product for their end users.
  • University Hospitals Dorset’s permanent Living Library is underpinned by focus group work, development of guides, executive level sign-off, and careful cataloguing.

photo of a projection screen with a powerpoint presentation titled 'Cataloguing'


Day two:

  • Michael Rosen remains a literary hero! 
photo of a man at a lectern. Behind the man is a projection screen with a powerpoint slide
Surprising us as keynote speaker, his tribute to NHS staff who helped him recover from Covid and a coma was very moving. The opportunity to thank him for his contribution to promoting reading was one I’ll never forget, as was his message for the future government “Stop closing libraries, start opening them.”


  • Innovations such as Seed libraries, libraries in a box, behavioural mapping really work!
photo of a projection screen with a powerpoint slide titled 'Projection mapping' with a map of a building



  • HLG’s links are far-reaching.
photo of a projection slide featuring a powerpoint slide titled 'New Health Libraries Group connections'
photo of a projection slide with a powerpoint slide titled 'Existing CILIP health connections'


What else did I learn?

  • The Royal College of Physicians is home to some of the wild green parakeets, plus the Merlin ID and Seek by iNaturalist apps are “must haves” for species identification. This information gleaned through an incidental conversation at the relaxed garden party has had a positive impact on my ongoing wellbeing.
photograph of a group of people standing and sitting on grass in front of a buildingphotograph of a shed roof by a wooded forest

  • Talking to new people has many benefits.

  • If you are a collector attendance at the conference earned you 16 CPD points!
If these words have whetted your appetite, visit Neena Shukla Morris from the university of Brighton’s Padlet for a fuller flavour of what was on offer, and find a way to attend next time. Reach out, don’t miss out!

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