Poster exhibition

A case study about a poster exhibition organised for staff to demonstrate the work of their department.

Who wrote this case study?

Lis Edwards [email protected] from Robert Jones and Agnes Hunt Orthopaedic Hospital NHS Foundation Trust (2017).

Who asked?

Kerry Robinson, Director of Strategy & Planning RJAH

What did they say?

One of the results of the ongoing culture change programme at RJAH has been the view expressed by many staff that no-one knew or valued what they did, or their contribution to the organisation.  The Library Services Manager was asked to create and facilitate an event which would celebrate and share good practice, and provide an opportunity for learning.

What did you do?

All staff were invited to create a poster to be displayed as part of an exhibition in the Main Entrance of the hospital. Posters could demonstrate the work of their department, a particular project, or an area of good practice which would give both staff and patients an opportunity to see the diversity of work which goes on within the organisation.  A template and guidance for creating posters was provided and the library team were on hand to offer help to all staff in the design and layout of their posters.

How did it help?

Our expectation for support for this event had been around 30 to 40 posters at the most.  The response that we had was totally overwhelming; as the deadline approached it was becoming clear that we had really struck a chord with staff.  The final number of posters submitted was over 100, way beyond our most optimistic expectations.

On the day of the event support and interest from both staff and patients was immense, and the energy and enthusiasm as people viewed the posters was amazing.  This exhibition, by showcasing the huge variety of work which goes on, gave us a chance to share what we do; to break out of our individual silos and engage in meaningful and thought-provoking conversations with our colleagues. It is our intention to create a repository of the posters.

This event demonstrated the value the library service brings to the organisation; it brought people together, and captured and shared knowledge and good practice.  It also raised the profile of the library service and our accessibility to staff.

October 2017