Responding to technological advances.

The International Perspectives and Initiatives Regular Feature seeks to expand the Health Information and Libraries Journal's global coverage of health library and knowledge practice. The current focus of this Regular Feature is how health library and knowledge services are responding to technological advances.

Transforming health science libraries around the globe: The impact of technology.

This article presents an analysis of seven articles published within the International Perspectives and Initiatives regular feature series on the impact of technology on the provision of health information. The articles provide a road map of how technology is facilitating new and enhanced services for library users in seven countries: Australia, Bangladesh, China, England, Germany, Sweden and the United States. Although there are differences in how countries are implementing technological solutions, only one describes problems in leveraging technology to improve library services. Authors from the remaining six countries describe how they ensure that the 21st century library consults with its user groups and find way of using the latest applications.

Core collections: Essential titles for health libraries.

Core collections have been produced by CILIP's Health Libraries Group, then called the Library Association's Medical Section, since 1952. Maintained by a Working Group of health librarians based in the UK NHS, higher education and specialist libraries, the collections provide an up-to-date curated list of reliable titles essential to health libraries. The core collections currently include nursing, midwifery, medicine and dentistry. The newest core collection is being developed in collaboration with the African Hospital Libraries to provide a list of key resources relevant to sub-Saharan Africa. Expressions of interest to help develop this latest collection are invited.

Application-based big data development framework for health sciences libraries.

The study is a part of a student research project on performance-based evaluation of big data application in health sciences libraries. It presents a theoretical framework of the performance-based evaluation system for health institutes' libraries in the digital environment. The health sciences libraries' systematic approach was judged based on the five main components (data culture, organisational infrastructure, responsibilities, skills and technology competence) of big data analytics (BDA). A comprehensive literature review of the published studies was undertaken related to BDA, including the diffusion of innovation theory, and the theoretical background of the technology acceptance model to produce an application-based big data development framework for the health sciences libraries. The application-based evaluation model integrates BDA in health sciences libraries for improving library services and performance. The study proposed a need for skilled professionals with the knowledge and experience both professionally and technically. Finally, the study proposed a model that will help to measure the organisation's ability to analyse vast amounts of data to empirically validate the association concerning big data analysis and analytical practices in health libraries.

'Connecting' with the Health Libraries Group conference.

Imrana Ghumra, Past Health Libraries Group (HLG) Co-Chair and now HLG Conference Lead, revisits recent HLG conferences before sharing details of the exciting programme for 2024. Hosted at the Royal College of Physicians, London, 19-21 June 2024, the conference embraces the benefits of a hybrid event, offering both in-person and online opportunities to networking and to catch up with colleagues from across the country, across sectors and the profession, and embracing ideas and best practice.

The historical development and current landscape of health library standards: A critical review.

BACKGROUND: Since the emergence of the first health library standards, a large body of literature has been published in this field, most often focusing on a particular standard, or set of standards. In the case of literature reviews, they have been usually partial and integrated into a broader study. OBJECTIVE: Identify and analyse national health library standards developed in different countries worldwide over the past 70 years, tracing their historical development and current status. METHOD: A comprehensive search of published literature was conducted in Scopus, Web of Science, Medline, LISA, and Google Scholar up to May 2023. The reference lists and citations of retrieved papers were reviewed. After screening and eligibility, a total of 112 papers were included in the final selection. RESULTS: More than 40 national hospital library standards published by a group of Anglo-Saxon and European countries were identified. In a chronological approach, the standards have been arranged by decades, from the 1950s to the present day, and the context of their appearance, their main contributions, and the relationships between them have been analysed. The major trends that have marked their evolution and development over time have also been established. CONCLUSION: Standards have a key role to play in the important challenge facing health libraries today to demonstrate the high impact and value of their services in the functioning of their organisations and in improving patient care.

How developing a point of need training tool for evidence synthesis can improve librarian support for researchers.

Medical and health sciences librarians who are involved in evidence synthesis projects will know that systematic reviews are intensely rigorous, requiring research teams to devote significant resources to the methodological process. As expert searchers, librarians are often identified as personnel to conduct the database searching portion and/or are approached as experts in the methodology to guide research teams through the lifecycle of the project. This research method has surged in popularity at our campus and demand for librarian participation is unsustainable. As a response to this, the library created self-directed learning objects in the form of roadmap to assist researchers in learning about the knowledge synthesis methodology in an expedient, self-directed manner. This paper will discuss the creation, implementation and feedback around our educational offering: Systematic & Scoping Reviews: Your Roadmap to Conducting an Evidence Synthesis.

ChatGPT in medical libraries, possibilities and future directions: An integrative review.

BACKGROUND: The emergence of the artificial intelligence chatbot ChatGPT in November 2022 has garnered substantial attention across diverse disciplines. Despite widespread adoption in various sectors, the exploration of its application in libraries, especially within the medical domain, remains limited. AIMS/OBJECTIVES: Many areas of interest remain unexplored like ChatGPT in medical libraries and this review aims to synthesise what is currently known about it to identify gaps and stimulate further research. METHODS: Employing Cooper's integrative review method, this study involves a comprehensive analysis of existing literature on ChatGPT and its potential implementations within library contexts. RESULTS: A systematic literature search across various databases yielded 166 papers, with 30 excluded for irrelevance. After abstract reviews and methodological assessments, 136 articles were selected. Critical Appraisal Skills Programme qualitative checklist further narrowed down to 29 papers, forming the basis for the present study. The literature analysis reveals diverse applications of ChatGPT in medical libraries, including aiding users in finding relevant medical information, answering queries, providing recommendations and facilitating access to resources. Potential challenges and ethical considerations associated with ChatGPT in this context are also highlighted. CONCLUSION: Positioned as a review, our study elucidates the applications of ChatGPT in medical libraries and discusses relevant considerations. The integration of ChatGPT into medical library services holds promise for enhancing information retrieval and user experience, benefiting library users and the broader medical community.

Using technology to promote the development of health science libraries in China.

From the point of view of the development of libraries, technology has made possible the emergence and development of library automation; digital libraries; mobile libraries; and smart libraries. This article briefly describes the impact of technological developments and application in Health Science Libraries in China in relation to collections development, service provision and the role of library associations.

Health literacy: The role of NHS library and knowledge services.

Health literacy is key to person-centred, preventative healthcare and is both a societal and individual responsibility. This feature describes work undertaken by Health Education England, the Community Health and Learning Foundation and NHS Library and Knowledge Services to raise awareness among NHS staff and other key partners of the impact of low health literacy. It highlights a range of health literacy resources and ideas for developing and adapting these tools for remote delivery during and post-pandemic. D.I.

Outreach marketing may be a successful strategy for NHS libraries.

This dissertation study investigates the ways that NHS libraries are currently marketing their services within their organisation and was submitted as part of the MA Library and Information Management at the University of Sheffield in 2019. This paper presents the findings from twelve semi-structured interviews carried out with NHS library managers in the East of England to identify the most and least successful methods, and in comparison with that which is currently in the general marketing literature. The study found that outreach marketing was the most effective and that librarians are currently conducting marketing to the best of their ability, but they lack time and funding to be able to make the most of their promotional campaigns. F.J.

African Hospital Libraries: How Shane Godbolt inspired and shaped a seedling.

The co-founderof African Hospital Libraries (AHL) chronicles how this charity grew from a tiny pop-up library set up by two VSO volunteers and the hospital management team, to establishing health care library services in three provincial government referral hospitals (Makeni, Bo, Kenema) in Sierra Leone, and supporting link-ups with a shared maternity and paediatric hospital library service in Freetown and two libraries in healthcare training institutions. She reflects on the impact that Shane Godbolt had and continues to have on the work and growth of the organisation.

Partnership working in Africa: Shane Godbolt providing the links to the tapestry.

This paper explores the work that Shane Godbolt did in Africa in strengthening health information networks. It focuses on th role she played in supporting the Association for Health Information and Libraries in Africa (AHILA) and working with the Information Training Outreach Centre for Africa (ITOCA) to provide capacity building linkages. Some examples of such linkages extending beyond Africa to the United Kingdom are explored. It then concludes with reflections from authors on their own experiences of working with Shane Godbolt.

'Moving Forward': how health librarians can continue supporting the legacy of Shane Godbolt.

Over the course of her life, Shane influenced the careers of many people working in health library and knowledge services. This article brings together three personal perspectives exploring aspects of this influence. By considering the activities prompted by contact with Shane, we look to how librarians might build on the example she provided of living a full professional life.

Sport science librarianship = health science librarianship?

Does sports science librarianship differ from other aspects of health librarianship? Or are sports science librarians more likely to identify as generalist librarians? This editorial introduces the salutogenic approach to sport, factors that support human health and well-being, and highlights the challenge of resourcing the diversity of subjects covered by sports sciences. Highlighting key parallels with medicine and public health, it concludes by advocating for closer alignment between sports and health science librarianship.

'A journal with ambitions': Health Libraries Review and Shane Godbolt.

In 1978, the UK Library Association's newly formed Medical, Health and Welfare Libraries Group decided to establish a newsletter for its members. This paper sets out to describe how that newsletter evolved into Health Libraries Review (subsequently Health Information and Libraries Journal) and became the premier European journal for health-care information professionals. Drawing on both published accounts and personal reminiscences, it focuses on the role played by Shane Godbolt as the Review's founding editor. It analyses and discusses the factors that influenced her work, and concludes by summarising the lasting importance of her achievements as editor.

The international collaborations of Shane Godbolt: EAHIL, ICML and irish health science libraries.

This article summarises Shane Godbolt's international Collaborations. It includes her associations with the European Association of Health Information & Libraries (EAHIL), International Congress on Medical Librarianship (ICML) and the Irish Health Sciences Libraries (HSLG).

Supporting the health library and information workforce.

As a prelude to his keynote speech at the forthcoming Health Libraries Group conference, Sean McNamara, Head of CILIP Scotland, provides an insight into the work being undertaken with health librarians in Scotland and considers how CILIP Scotland might support the health information sector in the coming years.

Growing together with African health libraries: partnerships in Health Information's impact and lessons for future partnerships.

Partnerships in Health Information (Phi) was a UK charity which worked with African health librarians, and other information professionals, to improve access to high-quality information for health professionals and the public in Africa from 1992 to 2016. This research was initiated by Shane Godbolt and aims to explore the experiences of African librarians and information professionals who visited the UK and who otherwise worked in partnership with Phi, following up on a previous Phi report that had shown significant mutual learning and development benefits for the UK hosts of such visitors. Also, to derive lessons on how visits and partnerships may be improved. In March 2020, a total of 21 people who had participated in partnership activities with Phi were invited to take part in an online survey. Thirteen people completed the survey. The results from the survey indicate it was hugely beneficial to visiting information professionals from Africa, for themselves and their services, through capacity building, networking, professional and personal development and learning tangible skills. Respondents provided several ideas on how partnerships could be improved in the future, including more opportunities for networking, longer-term evaluation, enlarged programmes and increased funding. We conclude that partnerships based on Phi's long-term, flexible approach can be of great benefit and provide insights and recommendations that could help any organisation seeking to emulate the Phi model of partnership working, based on co-development between UK health libraries and those in low- to middle-income countries.

Assessing return on investment in health libraries requires lateral thinking.

This study considers the status of trends in value and impact research in health libraries and discusses how return on investment approaches such as social value analysis could be used. It uses an example, based on the Health Education England evaluation framework for health library and knowledge services, to outline how a theory of change can be developed. Health libraries now work more closely with health care staff and researchers in co-creating value and impact for improving patient care. Therefore, collection of data to assess social value should be drawn not only from performance data already collected by libraries, but also data collection by and for the health care organisation on evaluation of care quality and professional competence.