Last month, a contingent of the library team travelled to Glasgow to present and participate at the 14th International Congress on Medical Librarianship. Team members Bridget O'Connell and Beth Jackson both delivered presentations, and Andy Doyle, Holly Austin-Davies and Keri Bramford-Hale all volunteered their time to chair sessions at the event. However, a huge thank you must go to our Head of Knowledge Services, Imrana Ghumra who was the Conference Lead for the Congress!
Our Assistant Librarian Francesca Emter has written an article to share her reflections on the sessions she attended at #ICML2026. Read on for more information about her experience...
At the beginning of July, I hopped on a train to Glasgow to attend my very first in-person conference: the 14th International Congress on Medical Librarianship (ICML). Having only started my first role in a health library earlier this year, the Congress was an incredible opportunity to gain insight into the sector. I'm hugely grateful to CILIP Cymru Wales and the Health Libraries Group for making it possible for me to attend.
It was exciting (and just a tiny bit intimidating!) to be surrounded by so many colleagues from across the profession. I have to admit, I absolutely loved the experience.
The Congress covered a wide range of themes, including evidence-based practice, innovation, equity, and health literacy. Hearing about the experiences, projects, and ideas being developed across the sector left me feeling inspired and full of ideas to bring back to our library services at UHCW.
Here are some of my highlights:
Outreach
It was an absolute pleasure to hear from Suzannah Bridge, Hannah McGivern and Celestina Lau who shared their experience of using a tea trolley to promote library services. They offered plenty of practical tips for anyone considering a similar approach, while also demonstrating the real impact outreach can have on engagement.
Of course, one of the most important takeaways was learning which biscuits proved most popular (shortbread and chocolate!), which will save me from standing indecisively in the biscuit aisle before our next outreach event.
Their session really helped me think more practically about how we can expand our own outreach activities, and I'm keen to get the wheels rolling within our library services.
Health Literacy
Health literacy emerged as a common thread throughout the Congress, and it was inspiring to hear about the many ways colleagues are supporting this area of work.
In particular, Steven Buchanan’s keynote, which explored health literacy from an information behaviour perspective, encouraged me to think more deeply about how people engage with and use health information, alongside how we communicate it. It was a useful reminder that how we communicate information is only part of the picture.
Teaching
I really enjoyed learning about the innovative ways colleagues across the sector are approaching teaching and training.
One standout session was Rebecca Morgan and Isaac Wink’s presentation on using creative themes to increase engagement with teaching. It prompted me to think about how we can make learning experiences more enjoyable and effective, not only for learners but also for those of us delivering the sessions.
I'd also like to give a shout-out to my colleague Beth Jackson, who won first prize for their poster on our Summer School sessions! This innovative programme supports clinical colleagues returning to study by providing information skills training. You can read more about the project in their article linked above.
Promotion
Beth also delivered a fantastic presentation on the development of our library branding. It was fascinating to hear how the project evolved through staff feedback and collaboration.
And a fun fact for anyone who didn't know: our logo represents a neuron!
I also enjoyed Cassandra Gorton’s presentation on taking a more systematic approach to library promotion. It offered practical ideas for making promotional activity more proactive and strategic. I particularly liked that evaluation was built into the process from the beginning, making it easier to measure success and demonstrate impact.
AI
There were many thoughtful discussions about the opportunities and challenges of AI across health information and research.
I particularly enjoyed John Barbrook’s exploration of prompt engineering for systematic reviews. The session highlighted the potential for AI to support the development of search strategies, especially in areas where a searcher may not have extensive subject expertise or lived experience.
Crafting Calm
As someone who loves crafting, and who works in a team full of fellow craft lovers, it was delightful to attend a session from Dr. Megan Jaskowiak, Sarah Nagle and Stefanie Hilles on the benefits of incorporating craft activities into the working day.
Their presentation highlighted how simple creative activities can support wellbeing and help combat burnout. It was wonderful to see the growing recognition of creative approaches to workplace wellbeing.
Evidence-Based Practice
Another shout out to our colleagues Bridget O’Connell and Liz Deutsch who gave an excellent presentation on developing the critical appraisal process through the CATerPILLAR model.
It was great to hear how they developed the CAT model to provide more support to colleagues, as well as the practical challenges and success of implementing a project like this.
Overall Reflections
Attending ICML was an amazing experience, and I came away feeling inspired and connected to a community of passionate and innovative professionals.
The Congress reinforced for me the vital role health library services play in supporting access to quality information and evidence-based practice. It was exciting to see so many examples of innovation, collaboration, and best practice being implemented in library services.
As someone at the beginning of my career in health librarianship, I feel incredibly fortunate to have had the opportunity to learn from so many experienced professionals. The experience has given me fresh ideas, greater confidence, and a network of colleagues to learn from. More importantly, it has already sparked conversations and plans for how we can put some of these ideas into practice in our own service.
So, keep an eye out for a tea (book) trolley appearing near you soon... complete with shortbread and chocolate biscuits, of course! 😊
Interested in more?
Read Beth Jackson's (Knowledge Skills Librarian) summary of her Summer School project here:
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/sun-sea-sand-study-how-summer-school-helping-nhs-staff-beth-jackson-ctgle
or
Read Imrana Ghumra's (Head of Knowledge Services) reflections on ICML2026 in poetry form here:
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/my-reflections-icml2026-imrana-ghumra-stxye/
