International Congress on Medical Librarianship 2026 part 2: Equity, health literacy and connection: the human impact of health librarianship

While the International Congress on Medical Librarianship showcased innovation, AI and new service models, the bursary recipients' reflections also reveal a deeply human set of themes: equity, inclusion, health literacy, professional connection and the confidence that comes from shared learning.

The International Congress on Medical Librarianship (ICML) 2026 conference offered delegates not only new tools and ideas, but also renewed belief in the social purpose of health librarianship.

Sarah Rudd attended with the specific aim of increasing their knowledge of health inequalities, health literacy and health equity. They reflected that the "Equity, equality, disparities" track provided inspiring keynote presentations, workshops and lightning talks. Elizabeth Letterman’s reminder that access to information is a fundamental human right resonated and, in Sarah's view, permeated much of the conference. She connected this to the challenge of misinformation, noting that Sean McNamara and Steve Buchanan prompted them to reflect on how information professionals support communities to access good quality information and think critically about what they receive.

Health literacy was also central to Beth Courtney’s reflection. They described presenting to an international audience on the strategic marketing approach used to enhance their organisation's health literacy training offer. Beth found this "a really rewarding experience", both because it increased their confidence in public speaking and because they were able to share learning with an engaged and supportive audience.

Siobhan Corrin similarly reflected on their presentation about the impact of knowledge and library services on health inequalities in Lancashire. Drawing on responses from attendees, they noted that partnership working, shining a light on professional skills and working strategically can make a real difference to health inequalities.

The reflections also show how health literacy can intersect with wider social justice issues. Boluwatife Akinola was particularly struck by Kristen MacQuarrie's presentation, "Bloody Brilliant Librarians: Tackling Misogynistic Misinformation Through Menstrual Health Literacy". Boluwatife described the session as a "wake-up call", encouraging them to think about how to support and promote menstrual literacy among colleagues and library users. For them, the session brought together feminism and librarianship as a route to positive change.

Lucy Wells also reflected on inclusion through the lens of evidence and participation. They highlighted Lucy Aphramor's presentation on healthy eating advice, which challenged assumptions about whether traditional nutrition messages are inclusive of wider society, including disabled people. Lucy also praised Mary Walsh's workshop on recruitment and participation in clinical trials, saying it highlighted the patient's point of view and showed where bias can appear at every stage. Their reflection suggests that librarians' critical appraisal and teaching roles can help bring patient experience, bias and health inequalities into sharper focus.

Several contributors emphasised the conference as a space for connection and belonging. Lucy Wells described ICML as an inclusive space where they soon found themselves chatting to people they had not met before. Boluwatife Akinola, initially nervous about networking, found the atmosphere welcoming, comfortable and relaxed, with people approaching them to start conversations.

Sophie Castle echoed this joy in meeting colleagues face to face, noting that many people they had previously only encountered on MS Teams were now in the same room, alongside international colleagues who were generous in sharing their knowledge.

For early-career colleagues in particular, this sense of connection mattered. Beth Gilchrist chose to attend in person so that they could network and meet new people, describing the conference as a perfect opportunity to connect with other professionals while still early in their health librarian career. They were able to meet new people, reconnect with others and speak to suppliers. Boluwatife Akinola also reflected on the value of meeting professionals from different areas of health librarianship and gaining insight into the dynamics of the profession in different settings. They described the experience as having "a lasting positive impact" on their career as a young professional.

The social and international dimensions of the conference were also important. Sarah Rudd valued networking with health librarians from across New Zealand, the USA, Canada, Finland and the UK, and was struck by meeting another NHS librarian who lived nearby in Bristol but whom they had never met in person. Sophie Castle described social events that allowed delegates to see historic and culturally significant places in Glasgow, including the Council Chambers, and to experience Scottish tradition at the Corinthian Club. These details underline that conferences build professional knowledge not only through formal sessions, but also through informal conversations, shared experiences and cultural exchange.

Accessibility of participation was another theme running through the reflections. Victoria Harrison attended virtually because family commitments meant travel to Glasgow was not possible. They were grateful that the bursary allowed them to participate and found the conference app helpful for connecting with delegates, viewing posters and feeling that online attendance was "less like a last-minute add-on and more like a 'proper' part of the conference". Emma Dent also attended online and was candid about the frustrations of technical issues and missing in-person networking, while also making careful use of the programme and recordings to support their learning. Together, their reflections show the importance of designing conferences that support different modes of participation.

The conference left many authors with both inspiration and actions to take back into practice. Sophie Castle described feeling "enthused, inspired and excited" and saw the three days as both a personal improvement journey and a chance to learn worldwide ideas for improving their library service.

Sarah Rudd's takeaway was that, regardless of how long someone has been a health librarian, there is always something new to learn, a new technique to try or someone new to learn from.

Lucy Wells left feeling positive about the profession and reassured that while AI was a major focus, searching, teaching and service development still matter.

Taken together, the reflections present health librarianship as a profession rooted in people: patients, communities, learners, researchers, colleagues and peers.

The key themes of ICML 2026 were not only technological or strategic, but ethical and relational. Reflections on the varied programme show that health librarians drive equity by improving access to understandable information, challenge misinformation through critical appraisal and health literacy, and strengthen the profession through generous knowledge sharing. In doing so, they demonstrate that the value of health librarianship lies not simply in managing information, but in helping people use knowledge to make better, fairer and more informed decisions.

See the full reflections on the Knowledge for Healthcare Futures Workspace (login required).

Find out more about the ICML 2026.

Contributors

• Victoria Harrison, Library and Knowledge Services Manager, Royal Berkshire NHS Foundation Trust
• Lucy Wells, Knowledge, Skills and Systems Librarian, Surrey and Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust
• Beth Courtney, Assistant Librarian, Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
• Siobhan Corrin, Head of Knowledge and Library Services – SME Health Literacy, Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
• Boluwatife Akinola, Senior Librarian, Tees, Esk and Wear Valleys NHS Foundation Trust
• Sarah Rudd, Knowledge Specialist, Bristol NHS Foundation Trust
• Emma Dent, Clinical librarian, Bolton NHS Foundation Trust
• Beth Gilchrist Librarian Illingworth Library, Sheffield Children’s NHS Foundation Trust
• Sophie Castle, Clinical Librarian, Medway NHS Foundation Trust