2BIC: taking your adventuring gear to organise pop‐up health information literacy sessions

Academic libraries play an important role in the provision of health information literacy (IL) skills and there are many approaches to how these can be delivered. In this paper, guest writers Inge Discart and colleagues from KU Leuven Libraries 2Bergen Information Centre (2BIC) in Belgium discuss a pop‐up information literacy skills project. In particular, the article presents the findings from an initial information skills needs assessment conducted at the University, followed by how the concept of the pop‐up sessions was developed and promoted throughout the organisation. The paper identifies the variety of sessions offered and the format in which they were delivered, with final results on how these were received and which sessions were the most popular. This article provides insight into an alternative approach to health information skills delivery and the outcomes from it. H S     

Tanzanian health libraries in the 21st century: initiatives and challenges

This article is part of a series in this regular feature, which looks at new directions in health science libraries. It highlights the initiatives health science librarians in Tanzania are implementing to ensure that their service meets users’ needs. To succeed, libraries must take steps to ensure that staff have access to education, training and professional development. Partnerships and collaborations are also vital to make the best use of scarce resources and to identify sources of funding. This article highlights the various challenges facing the library service and the opportunity for librarians to be recognised for the new roles they are taking on. J.M.     

Preparing students for research: faculty/librarian collaboration in a pre‐doctoral physical therapy research course

In this article, guest writers Susan Bigelow and Dr Salome Brooks from Springfield College, Massachusetts, present an overview of their evaluative research study in which a faculty professor and the liaison librarian collaborated to develop an information literacy course entitled Physical Therapy (PT) and Health care Research Skills, in order to teach necessary information literacy skills to upper‐level undergraduate PT students. Triangulation of the Physical Therapy and Information Literacy standards in alignment with the course objectives strengthened the collaboration, course development and expectations of student performance. Student performance was assessed through formal and expected evaluative means, and the preliminary evidence suggests some key successes in the course outcomes. H.S.     

Tell me and I'll forget; show me and I may remember; involve me and I'll understand: a review of the Teaching and Learning in Action feature

Appointed at the turn of the year Donna Iriving is the incoming Teaching and Learning in Action Regular Feature Editor, in this quarters issue Donna presents and overview of Regular Features over the past five years to share examples of your best practice.     

Integrating diversity,equity, and inclusion principles into instruction: Case studies from the University of Florida's Health Science Center Libraries

Librarians at the University of Florida Health Science Center Libraries have begun to intentionally incorporate diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) principles into teaching during design, implementation, and evaluation. This article uses four case studies to provide an overview of the librarians' approaches to inclusive teaching (1) an annual workshop for Physical Therapy students on the intersection between DEI, health literacy, and patient education; (2) a librarian-taught one-credit course for public health students, which was revised to create a more inviting syllabus and integrate elements of universal design; (3) an annual project for first year medical students highlighting health disparities and community resources; and (4) piloting the application of critical librarianship principles in library standalone sessions on database searching and reference management. Suggestions are provided for other librarians who are interested in developing a culture of inclusive teaching in their own libraries.     

Context and learning: the value and limits of library‐based information literacy teaching

This month's regular feature will discuss some of the implications for library‐based information literacy teaching that have emerged from a HEA‐funded research project conducted at De Montfort University. It is argued that information literacy teaching as it has evolved in a university setting, while having a greater degree of relevance and value than ever before, nevertheless has inherent limits when it comes to its transferability beyond the academy and into a workplace setting. HS     

Shaping the professional landscape through research,advocacy and education – an Australian perspective

This article is the first in a new series in this regular feature. The intention of the series is to look at important global developments in health science libraries. Librarians will be invited to share with HILJ readers key initiatives in their country or region. These articles should serve as a road map, describing the key changes in the field and exploring factors driving these changes. We initiate this series with an article by three Australian librarians who use research findings to depict the evolving professional landscape in their country. The starting point of their analysis is a report completed in 2011 which looked into likely future workforce and education requirements for health library professionals. The authors trace the achievements since then, most notably in the areas of research, advocacy and education. Clearly, a great deal has been achieved leading to a greater return on investment. The authors maintain that the key to shaping the profession and enhancing the status of librarians is ongoing professional development. To this end, Australia is promoting a systematic, competency based health specialist certification. Finally, they identify trends impacting on health librarianship, such as the growing importance of research data management and consumer health literacy. JM