Library and Information Research (LIR)
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Embedded Librarian in an Emergency Department: A service evaluation
Get PDFClinical librarians, knowledge specialists and informationists have been working closely with medical faculties and hospital departments for some years with the aim of mobilizing evidenced-based medical research in the healthcare workplace. However, evidence of the effectiveness of these interventions is limited. This paper describes the initial findings of an embedded clinical librarian project in an emergency department (ED) of a rural NHS hospital. During the trial period 54 information requests were made by ED staff to the librarian and the librarian spent a total of 2600 minutes answering queries representing a considerable time and cost saving to ED department staff. The librarian was able to effectively mobilise evidence at the point-of-need, supporting evidence-based decision making, Continuing Professional Development (CPD) and staff learning. Staff satisfaction with the embedded librarian service was consistently high
Introduction: Good practice in NHS-funded library and knowledge services
Get PDFEvery CILIP President has a theme. In David Stewart’s Presidential year in 2019, one of his themes was the need to focus on our own evidence base in libraries and therefore research.
In the NHS “evidence-based healthcare” has been an important driver for change since the 1990s. Evidence based healthcare led directly to evidence based librarianship and that too has been a powerful agent for change in NHS library and knowledge services. Nevertheless, there is much more to do – the power of evidence needs to be recognised across all our professional groups and we need a much more coordinated approach to its funding, development and dissemination
Emergence of a new method: The Grounded Delphi method
Get PDFThis paper reports on the Grounded Delphi method (GDM), a relatively new methodological extension of the Delphi method, achieved by incorporating aspects of Grounded Theory, as used in a recent doctoral dissertation. The research explored the skills, knowledge, qualities and professional education needs of information professionals in galleries, libraries, archives and museums (GLAM) in Australia, with a view to determining relevant educational requirements to enable information professionals to operate across these blurred cultural heritage boundaries. Implications of using GDM for LIS research, and for research methods in general, is that it improves the rigour of theory building in Delphi studies, while the consensus, or force ranking, aspect of Delphi assists in improving the relevant level of importance of categories derived from Grounded Theory
Participant-driven photo-elicitation in library settings: A methodological discussion
Get PDFWith the current attention in libraries on user-focused services and spaces, there is an increased interest in qualitative research methods that can provide insight into users’ experiences. In this paper, we advance photo-elicitation—a research method that employs photographs in interviews—as one such method. Although widely used in the social sciences, photo-elicitation has seen comparatively little uptake in Library and Information Studies (LIS). Here, we provide an overview of the method, consider epistemological and theoretical approaches, discuss cases of its application in library contexts and examine the benefits of using photo-elicitation for LIS research. We draw on our own research experiences and argue that photo-elicitation is a productive method for learning about the lived experiences of our users and for creating a collaborative approach to library research
Approaches for investigating university libraries as learning organisations
Get PDFThis paper presents research approaches for investigating the development of university libraries into learning organisations, using Thailand as a case study. Whilst the concept of the learning organisation has been in existence since 1970s, it remains problematic.
Current debate centres on the lack of an agreed definition of the concept coupled with difficulties in implementing and measuring the extent to which organisations become transformed into learning organisations. These three main strands of debate are examined holistically in the study.
Several studies employ a positivist perspective. This research adopts an interpretivist perspective to investigate the issues, given the need to investigate the extent of a shared understanding of the concept within university libraries, together with management practices, problems and a rationale for the development of learning organisations.
This is a qualitative study, employing document analysis, semi-structured interviews, and observation. Triangulation was used to corroborate data derived from the multiple methods and increase validity and credibility of the research findings
Brown, N.E., Bussert, K., Hattwig, D. & Medaille, A. (2016). Visual literacy for libraries: a practical, standards-based guide. London: Facet Publishing.
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