The difference that KLS staff can make #3

Post from a HEE supported student on the UCL Health Module.

Reflections from students on the UCL Health Module (2023) – part 1

In the early part of this year HEE Knowledge and Library team members and colleagues from services across England once again had the privilege of supporting the delivery of a Health Librarianship module for Library and Information Studies students at University College London (UCL).

Ten weekly sessions were delivered, on a variety of topics, with the aim of giving the students a broad look at the structure of NHS Knowledge and Library Services.

As part of their assignment, we asked the students to write reflective pieces looking at a topic they had enjoyed from the course. Here is a third piece for you to read. I hope you enjoy their reflections as much as I did.

Showing value: what can academic libraries learn from the health sector’s approach to advocacy?

Advocacy is an important activity for the library and information professional. It is how we highlight the importance of our services and the value of our skills, ensuring that the library and library staff are viewed as an integral and respected part of our wider institutions. Yet advocacy looks very different across library sectors. What is valued by library users and institutional stakeholders is, of course, context dependent. But what I hope to highlight here, using what I have learnt through the UCL Health Librarianship module, is that lessons can be learnt from examining how other sectors approach advocacy.

I work in an Oxford college library; for us, advocacy usually includes outreach activities – such as supporting college-wide initiatives and events – and sharing quantitative and qualitative evidence gathered from users. Recent staffing developments, such as the Librarian being appointed a college Fellow, illustrate these activities’ effectiveness in raising the profile of the library and its staff. However, this is remarkably different from the impact- driven advocacy of many NHS libraries. For NHS Library and Knowledge Services (LKS), advocacy is often facilitated by evidencing financial ‘return on investment’ (ROI).1 ROI evaluation produces compelling evidence for investment in NHS LKS; according to current estimates, for every £1 invested, NHS LKS return a minimum of £2.40.2 Reflecting on the persuasiveness of such impact-measurement, I decided to explore how ROI might be demonstrated in an academic library context.

To experiment with ROI, I used Ned Hartfiel et al’s 2020 study as a model.3 Hartfiel et al identified three themes through which impact could be measured and monetised: saving time, supporting continuing professional development (CPD), and improving care. These map very effectively onto the impact of a college library.

First, library staff save time for tutors by supporting students in finding and locating resources. Not only does this mean teaching time can be more focused and productive, but as we help students to work through set reading and explore off-list material, their tutors do not have to spend time doing so.

Second, we support staff CPD by providing resources in our dedicated Careers collection, and actively encouraging staff to request CPD material and to use the library space for their own study. This returns value to the college by providing a higher skilled workforce.

Third, feedback from students consistently demonstrates that our library services are successful in improving both their academic attainment and their overall university experience. This too brings value back to the college as graduates with higher attainment levels and higher satisfaction levels are more likely to give, and to give more, in alumni donations.4

Though briefly outlined, this experiment is suggestive. The closeness with which Hartfiel et al’s monetised themes align with the impact of a college library indicates that the ROI advocacy model may be a productive tool for academic libraries. As I continue with the Health Librarianship module, I look forward to reflecting on other ways in which healthcare and academic libraries might be able to learn from one another.

Heather Barr