Reflections from the 14th International Congress on Medical Librarianship Glasgow

The National Knowledge and Library services team awarded bursaries enabling 25 knowledge and library specialist staff to attend this internationally renowned conference which took place from 14 - 16 July 2026.

Below are a selection of reflections about some of their experiences of the International Congress on Medical Librarianship (ICML), from virtual virtual and in-person delegates.

ICML 2026 Part 1: Health librarians as strategic knowledge leaders in a changing world

The reflections from ICML 2026 show a profession with a strong sense of purpose and a clear appetite for change. Across virtual and in-person experiences, bursary recipients described a conference that was rich in ideas, practical learning and international connection.

A recurring theme was that health librarianship is moving far beyond traditional perceptions of information provision. The authors repeatedly positioned library and knowledge specialists as strategic partners: people who support evidence-based practice, contribute to organisational priorities, broker knowledge across systems and help communities navigate increasingly complex information environments.

Victoria Harrison captured this sense of professional momentum particularly strongly. Reflecting on sessions about collaboration, AI, service improvement and professional value, she concluded that "librarians are a driver for change". Their reflection framed collaboration as central to the profession’s impact, noting that the act of sharing experiences at conference was itself "collaboration in a nutshell". For Victoria, examples of cross-organisational and international working demonstrated that librarians are most effective when they work together towards a shared goal.

That confidence in the profession’s strategic contribution was echoed by Siobhan Corrin, who reflected on "the importance of getting out there and connecting with people" as part of the knowledge management element of library work. Siobhan highlighted the value of taking a proactive approach: showing the value of services, understanding the needs of organisations and populations, and mobilising the skills and experience of the profession. Their reflections emphasised that this approach bears fruit across very different contexts, whether in Alaska, Finland, Australia, the UK or Ireland.

Several authors also identified the centrality of teaching, facilitation and workforce development. Boluwatife Akinola reflected on Neena Shukla Morris’s workshop, "Think Like a Teacher: Pedagogical Skills for Librarians", and drew out the importance of setting clear learning objectives, building relationships with learners and assessing learning through questions, quizzes, self-assessment and digital tools. Sarah Rudd similarly described the same workshop as one that "all NHS trainers would benefit from being able to access", noting how relevant the suggestions were from planning through to post-session follow-up.

Beth Gilchrist also connected the session to their own development as an early-career librarian working towards chartership, highlighting the reassurance that teaching sessions do not always go exactly to plan and that it is important to "be kind to yourself".

The conference highlighted the need to prepare the workforce for specialist health library roles. Lucy Wells reflected on Jessica Diaz’s research into how postgraduate courses prepare graduates for specialised sectors such as health and academic libraries, prompting them to consider how the wider profession can support new graduates with the skills they need. Beth Gilchrist found this theme "quite validating", noting that their own Masters course had made only brief mention of health librarianship-specific skills and that much of their learning had happened after starting in post.

Emma Dent also drew attention to Feili Tu-Keefner’s work at the University of South Carolina, where analysis of job adverts and interviews with sector leaders had identified gaps in evidence searching skills among recent hires.

Artificial intelligence emerged as one of the most prominent themes, but the reflections suggest that delegates saw AI not as a replacement for library expertise, but as an area where that expertise is vital. Victoria Harrison quoted Taylor Moore’s "AI needs a Librarian" as a rallying call, while Sarah Rudd noted that the innovation track included discussion of both the profession's role in AI and its practical use. Sarah highlighted Tuulevi Ovaska's work on developing AI competency levels for library staff and Mê-linh Lê’s "5 Simple Prompts" for streamlining evidence synthesis as sessions that gave them ideas to test. Emma Dent was similarly intrigued by Mê-Linh Lé’s sessions on AI in evidence synthesis, while Sophie Castle reflected on the value of introducing AI to library users by presenting both its risks and strengths.

Alongside AI, delegates emphasised information quality, trust and critical appraisal. Emma Dent described Professor Steve Buchanan’s keynote as a reminder of their interest in information seeking behaviour and of the risks of cognitive overload. She also highlighted Dr Jasmin Schmitz’s presentation on paper mills and hijacked journals as "unnerving and worrying" because of the implications for researchers. Beth Gilchrist likewise described Jasmin Schmitz’s presentation as "fascinating" and said she had learnt tools she could share with researchers and colleagues. She also drew on Federica Bianchini’s presentation on retractions, noting the role of librarians in appraising literature and the usefulness of resources such as Retraction Watch.

The reflections also show that service improvement remains grounded in practical, creative and user-centred approaches. Victoria Harrison cited examples including Monash Health’s work to build awareness, the University of Glasgow’s online escape room for systematic review skills and the use of Viva Engage to revitalise current awareness. Beth Gilchrist described Ryan Ford’s presentation on current awareness bulletins as having an immediate impact on how their service approaches this work, while Emma Dent was reassured to hear Cassandra Gorton of Monash Health describe similar challenges around staff not knowing that a library service exists. For Emma, Monash Health’s work to unify messages, develop cohesive branding and set clear goals offered useful learning for their own service.

Across the reflections, the strongest message is that health librarianship is both adapting and leading. Whether through AI literacy, teaching, evidence synthesis, health literacy, current awareness, branding or knowledge mobilisation, the profession is being described as active, strategic and outward-facing. As Victoria Harrison put it, the conference left them "full of inspiration and hope for the future of the profession". The collective reflections suggest that this hope is not abstract: it is rooted in practical action, international collaboration and a shared commitment to helping people use knowledge well.

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