Skip to main content

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


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!

Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Sustainability, Accessibility and Resilience: Reflections from the CILIP Conference + Expo 2022 by H Kiely

I was lucky enough to be awarded the bursary from CILIP NW to be able to attend the CILIP Conference this year in Liverpool. I am incredibly grateful to have had this opportunity especially as prior to attending I had just started my new job in what is (for me) the brand-new area of academic libraries. I went in feeling as bright-eyed and new as I did the first time I attended a conference some years ago, a little overwhelmed at the choice of so many different talks but looking forward to learning a lot! Spotted my new workplace at the drinks reception! Museum of Liverpool Life. The theme for the CILIP conference was Sustainability in all its forms. Day one opened with an incredibly powerful and moving keynote from Sayf Al Ashquar, Secretary-General of the Libraries, University of Mosul; Director of Central Library, Iraq on the destruction of the Central Library in Iraq by ISIS soldiers. Destruction of Central Library, Iraq. “To control the people, [ISIS] destroyed the knowledge.” ...
Post a Comment
Read more

Professional Registration by Sue McKenzie

"To be, or not to be, that is the question." (Shakespeare).  I have been procrastinating about my professional registration for a while now. It’s easy to put it to one side and blame the day-to-day job for not having time to do it.   So, when I was invited to attend a CILIP Professional Registration workshop at our local Educational Library Service, I decided it was the encouragement and kick I needed to get going. I was to find out that this was exactly the same for several others who were attending as well as a few who had not yet registered. An investment in your future We all know that getting professional acknowledgement will not necessarily get us more pay.  But I decided long ago that it wasn’t about the money - I don’t think many of us work in libraries for the money! For me it was about the recognition of doing my job well. Throughout the professional registration process, the candidate is encouraged to reflect on their learning and become more en...
3 comments
Read more

CILIP North West Careers Panel - Sinead English, Assistant Librarian, University of Football Business Etihad Campus

Sinead English Assistant Librarian, University Campus of Football Business  During the CILIP North West Member Network Career Panel event on 23 April, Sinead spoke about her career journey, particularly about her early career and her move from a Health to Higher Education Library role. Here are some of her reflections on the event and some great tips!  I was incredibly nervous about speaking at this event, filled with the dreaded imposter syndrome telling me that it was too early into my library career to be speaking. However, when I had looked back at my job experiences,  I decided that it may be useful to demonstrate to attendees the way in which I’ve managed to build up my transferable skills in order to get to my current role. Volunteering Opportunities Since giving my presentation I've been reflecting on the similarities between when I was looking for my first role in libraries (following the aftermath of the market crash)...
Post a Comment
Read more