This week is Libraries Week: Libraries Change Lives! Running from Monday 2nd to Sunday 8th June, the campaign celebrates the vital role libraries play in transforming lives and strengthening communities. To mark the occasion, we wanted to share with you some personal stories of how our services impact the professional development of staff at UHCW.
Our Knowledge Skills Training sessions consistently receive positive feedback from attendees, who not only value the opportunity to develop their information and digital literacy skills, but also appreciate the 1:1 support where they can share and discuss their experiences in navigating higher education alongside their clinical roles.
In an effort to capture and share these encouraging comments, our Knowledge Skills Librarian decided to formally document responses from a particular demographic - Trainee Advanced Clinical Practitioners - and submit a poster to the 6th National Advanced Clinical Practice Conference held at UHCW last September. The aim was to clearly demonstrate the impact of our training on staff development and showcase the important role libraries play in supporting learning and evidence-based practice.
Here are a couple of examples of the kind feedback provided by previous attendees:
“I'm thankful for your expertise and patience. Without your help, I couldn't have written and passed my essay on Advancing Research. I particularly admire your ability to explain complex concepts in a way that makes them easy for me to understand. I have completed and passed my masters, and you are a part of my success.”
“The library’s support and particularly my one-to-one session with Beth has been instrumental in my development ... it is more than just a repository of information; it is a trusted partner in my journey towards becoming a competent and confident Advanced Clinical Practitioner.”
If you'd like to read the rest of the testmonials, here's the poster presentation. Click here to open a large format version, or you can download a PDF using the link at the bottom of the post.
By equipping healthcare professionals with essential information literacy and digital skills (such as effective literature searching, critical appraisal, and evidence-based decision-making) library-led training supports informed practice, academic success, and lifelong learning. Investing in library services is not just about providing access to resources; but also empowering staff with the confidence to achieve their academic goals, deliver evidence-based care and meet the demands of evolving healthcare roles.
Want to find out more about the core training sessions we offer? Are you interested in organising some training for your team? Find out more here: https://www.uhcwlibrary.org/training or email Beth.Jackson@uhcw.nhs.uk to discuss you training needs.
Don't forget!
As part of our Libraries Change Lives celeberations, next week we are hosting our first ever Learners' Café in partnership with the UHCW Education Council. To find out more about the event you can visit our blog post here.
