Health Libraries

Welcome to the HLG website

Health Information and Libraries Journal celebrates its 25th Anniversary
To mark the journal’s anniversary a special celebratory issue, guest edited by Andrew Booth, is being published in December 2008.
Contributors to this supplement include such well known names as Muir Gray, William Hersh, Margaret Haines, Ann McKibbon and Joanne Marshall. These commentators and others follow the evolution of the journal from its origins on the first editor’s kitchen table in the early 1980’s to its 2008 electronic editorial office. They also survey the past 25 years of health care information services and look to what the future may hold.
The supplement in divided into various sections including evolution of the journal; 25 years of learning and teaching in action; 25 years of information technology in libraries; 25 years of using evidence in practice; widening panoramas: incorporating health informatics and international perspectives; and future perspectives.
The issue is available free online at http://www.blackwellpublishing.com/hilj

MLA Conference Bursary
HLG are pleased to announce that a £1,500 bursary, sponsored by EBSCO, is available to support an HLG member in attending the next MLA Conference in Hawaii in May 2009
Applications are invited from HLG members
Application form
Advert

The closing date for applications is Friday 28th November.

HLG Bursary for MLA Conference awarded
Congratulations to Pam White, who has been awarded an HLG Bursary to attend MLA 09 - the Medical Library Association Conference to be held in Honolulu, Hawaii in May 2009. Following a visit to Kenya, Pam is hoping to present a paper on challenges facing health information access in Kenya and discuss how these challenges are being addressed.

Nominations for Committee
Please note that nominations are now required for the following posts on the HLG Committee, each of which is tenable for the period 1st January - 31st December 2009.

Chair
Vice-Chair
Honorary Secretary
Honorary Treasurer

Further information and nomination forms are available from Sarah Lawson, and forms should be returned to her by 30th November 2008.

Sarah Lawson, Honorary Secretary, Health Libraries Group
Senior Information Specialist (NHS Support)
King's College London
Information Services Centre, Weston Education Centre,
Cutcombe Road, London, SE5 9RJ
sarah.lawson@kcl.ac.uk

Further information on the committee is also available here

HILJ has the Impact Factor
Dear HLG Member
You may be already aware that 'Health Information and Libraries Journal'(HILJ) was selected in 2007 to have an Impact Factor in the 'Information Science and Library Science Category'. This was a very important development for HLG and the journal as it is a recognition of both quality and prestige. The Health Libraries Group is delighted to hear that HILJ's first Impact Factor is 0.592. This represents a good start as out of the 56 international journals in the 'Information Science and Library Science Category', HILJ is now ranked 31st.

The top cited paper used in the calculation was 'The value and impact of information provided through library services for patient care: a systematic review' by A.L. Weightman and J. Williamson . It is very fitting that HILJ should receive this recognition as it reaches its 25th year. A celebratory anniversary special issue (with Andrew Booth as Guest Editor) will appear in December 2008 which will capture how the journal has developed since it first appeared in 1984.
Regards
Graham
Dr Graham Walton
Editor, Health Information and Libraries Journal
Loughborough University Library

Barnard Prize for Margaret Forrest
The Cyril Barnard Memorial Prize for 2008 was awarded to Margaret Forrest on Tuesday 22nd August at the end of the 2008 HLG Conference in the impressive Assembly Rooms at Cardiff City Hall. Margaret chose a piece of Caithness glass entitled 'Moving On' for her award, which was presented by Melanie Brocklehurst, Chair of Health Libraries Group.

Although now working at the University of Edinburgh as Academic Liaison Librarian for the School of History, Classics and Archaeology, prior to April 2008 Margaret was a health librarian for the past 25 years. She was nominated by HLG Committee for this year’s award for her continual dedication to the profession, and as an exemplar of professionalism and good practice. For 10 years from 1997 to 2007, Margaret edited the Health Libraries Group newsletter, encouraging many first time authors to put pen to paper. An author of many articles herself, she also edited the 2004 supplement to Health Information and Libraries Journal in commemoration of the life and work of Mona Going, a pioneering hospital and community care librarian whom she knew well. Margaret was also chair of SHINE, the Scottish Health Information Network for a number of years and continues her work as a standing committee member of IFLA’s 'Libraries Serving Disadvantaged People' section. In accepting her award, Margaret paid homage to Mona, and many other health librarians whose support she had received over the years. 

HLG Conference 2008


The 2008 Conference was held at Cardiff City Hall from 21st July to 22nd July 2008. 
The central theme of the Conference was making change work for us - how we can think strategically, demonstrate impact on health care, education and research and influence key decision makers.
Presentations and posters are being posted on this site over the next few weeks.




HLG have won CILIP's Seal of Recognition 
Congratulations to HLGs CPD panel for winning CILIP's new award - the Seal of Recognition, awarded for making an important contribution and delivering high standards in Continuing Professional Development. 

HLG members email discussion list