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The Royal College of Nursing (RCN) and the Qualitative and Quantitative Methods in Libraries (QQML) Conferences are welcoming submissions for papers and presentations. The conferences bring together library and information professionals to explore the evolving roles, collaborations, research, creativity, and best practices that are shaping the future of libraries.
Nursing Librarianship Conference (RCN 2025)
Location: Free Online (Virtual Conference) Date: Wednesday, 10 December 2025 Time: 2:00â4:30 pm (UK time) Theme: Change, React, Adapt: Future-Proofing Nursing Library Services Host: Royal College of Nursing
Target group
Library staff working in or interested in health and nursing librarianship across all sectors.
Presentation opportunities
Submissions are invited for:
- Short Presentations (20 minutes)
- Lightning Talks (8 minutes)
Please provide a summary of no more than 300 words outlining your presentation and email it to rcn.library@rcn.org.uk.
If you have an idea for a different presentation format, you are warmly encouraged to get in touch to discuss it.
Key dates
Submission deadline: Monday, 20 October 2025 (5:00 pm)
Notification of decisions: by 7 November 2025
18th Qualitative and Quantitative Methods in Libraries International Conference (QQML 2026)
Location: Bucharest, Romania Dates: 26â29 May 2026 Theme: Participating in, Collaborating, Entertaining: The Humankind in the Future Library Venue: Faculty of Sociology and Social Work, University of Bucharest Address: Sos. Panduri Nr. 90
Target group
Professors, researchers, archivists, information scientists, librarians, records managers, taxonomists, subject and reference librarians, and others engaged in the field.
Call for submissions
Participants are invited to submit proposals for:
- Special sessions (4â6 papers)
- Workshops (1â3 sessions)
- Masterâs Thesis Sessions
- PhD student sessions
- Individual abstracts or full papers
Proposals should include the title and a brief description, and can be submitted by email to secretar@isast.org.
Submission guidelines
Contributions may take one of the following forms:
- Structured abstracts (up to 500 words) and presentation
- Full papers (up to 12,000 words)
- Posters
At least one author of each accepted submission must be registered for the conference. The abstracts and full papers should be submitted electronically in accordance with the timeline on the conference website.
Publication opportunities
The abstracts will be published in the Conference Book of Abstracts and on the QQML conference website. Accepted papers may be published in the QQML e-journal, which is indexed in the Web of Science and EBSCOhost.
A series of webinars organised by Dr Beth Montague-Hellen, covering a variety of topics in library and information research. These seminars may be of interest to anyone working in academic or research libraries.
Webinar Schedule:
29th September, 3pm Obstacles to Open Access publishing for researchers with weak institutional ties - epistemic injustice in academic publishing Speaker: Nataliia Kaliuzhna Register & Attend via Cassyni
31st October, 3pm Higher Education librarians and social class background Speaker: Darren Flynn Register & Attend via Cassyni
28th November, 3pm Using visual research methods to explore the student experience â photovoice for research Speaker: Gillian Siddall Register & Attend via Cassyni
All webinars are hosted through Cassyni, which requires a free account to RSVP and receive the webinar link.
Life is going green at the British Library. We are holding a variety of events during Green Libraries Week (27th Oct - 2nd Nov) - keep an eye over the next couple of months (https://events.bl.uk/).
An early alert to one GLW25 event that is already open for booking - Libraries and positive climate action. One of a series of events, this event is focussed on carbon literacy and what libraries are doing to help in this challenging situation. Tickets are free: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/libraries-and-positive-climate-action-inform-to-transform-tickets-1480282437619?aff=oddtdtcreator. This event is taking place on Thursday 30th October.
Thank you.
On Friday 11th July 1-2pm, the Library and Information Research Group will be hosting a session on Assessing and Recognising Research Excellence, followed by a short Annual General Meeting (AGM).
The session will include:
What is the Research Excellence Framework (REF) and where do libraries come in?
Dr Martin Brooks, Research Excellence and Research Strategy, Liverpool John Moores University
Martin will speak about the REF at LJMU, including what it is, why we do it, what's involved, and our timeline for taking part. As Martin will discuss in detail, the library is integral to LJMUâs REF preparation, both preparing parts of our submission and enhancing our overall research ecosystem
Recognising all research outputs and everyone involved in their creation
Professor Simon Hettrick, Director of Strategy, The Software Sustainability Institute and Director, The Southampton Research Software Group
If we don't recognise everyone who is vital to research, then we limit our ability to conduct research. Current practices around research assessment focus on publications as the key metric of research success, but there are significant problems with this approach. It incentives amassing publications rather than some of the practices that we would like to see researchers following to produce reliable, reproducible and transparent research. But possibly more importantly, many of the people who are vital to the conduct of research are not typically named in publications and so miss out on the credit that they deserve for research success.
The Hidden REF works to raise recognition for everyone involved in research. It started as a one-off competition but has since transformed into a long-running campaign that works alongside research communities to help their contribution be recognised. The campaign was recently funded by Research England to help raise awareness, increase trust in all research outputs and to help universities implement a research environment that will make research more equitable and, importantly, more effective.
Save the Date for LIRG's AGM and Assessing and Recognising Research Excellence session, Friday 11th July 13:00 - 14:00
On Friday 11th July, the Library and Information Research Group will be hosting a session on Assessing and Recognising Research Excellence, followed by a short Annual General Meeting (AGM).
The session will include:
What is the Research Excellence Framework (REF) and where do libraries come in?
Dr Martin Brooks, Research Excellence and Research Strategy, Liverpool John Moores University
Martin will speak about the REF at LJMU, including what it is, why we do it, what's involved, and our timeline for taking part. As Martin will discuss in detail, the library is integral to LJMUâs REF preparation, both preparing parts of our submission and enhancing our overall research ecosystem
Recognising all research outputs and everyone involved in their creation
Professor Simon Hettrick, Director of Strategy, The Software Sustainability Institute and Director, The Southampton Research Software Group
If we don't recognise everyone who is vital to research, then we limit our ability to conduct research. Current practices around research assessment focus on publications as the key metric of research success, but there are significant problems with this approach. It incentives amassing publications rather than some of the practices that we would like to see researchers following to produce reliable, reproducible and transparent research. But possibly more importantly, many of the people who are vital to the conduct of research are not typically named in publications and so miss out on the credit that they deserve for research success.
The Hidden REF works to raise recognition for everyone involved in research. It started as a one-off competition but has since transformed into a long-running campaign that works alongside research communities to help their contribution be recognised. The campaign was recently funded by Research England to help raise awareness, increase trust in all research outputs and to help universities implement a research environment that will make research more equitable and, importantly, more effective.
This session will be followed by our AGM, which we encourage participants to stay for. The meeting will be held virtually on zoom and registration link will be available soon. Please note attendance is free.
The Library and Information Research Group (LIRG) supports and raises the profile of library and information science research and its use by CILIP members and the wider community. We encourage 'research into practice' by providing activities and support for LIS practitioners and researchers. Committee members are from a range of different backgrounds and library sectors and include both practitioners and library academics providing a lively, diverse and friendly group.
LIRG (Library and Information Research Group) are looking for a Marketing and Communications Officer to join the marketing team on the committee as one of our officers is moving to a new role. The team provide marketing and communications support for the group and the role provides an excellent opportunity to gain additional skills and develop your career.
Marketing and Communications Officer
This role is shared between two committee members.
Main duties of the Marketing and Communications Officers:
Ensuring that publicity about LIRG events is distributed in a timely and appropriate manner
Maintaining an interesting and current e-newsletter that is distributed to LIRG members, as well as contributing to and maintaining the LIRG blog.
Updating the LIRG website as required.
Keeping members updated via LIRG social media outlets.
Providing feedback to the LIRG Committee on progress in marketing activities.
Sourcing and developing marketing materials as required.
General requirements for committee members include:
Commitment to LIRG mission of conducting research and/or putting research into practice within LIS setting
Teamwork and communication skills
Current awareness of issues affecting the LIS sector and the role of research and evidence-based decision-making in practice.
Experience of working in an LIS setting.
Commitment to attending LIRG committee meetings (1 hour every 6 weeks)
Training and support in all roles will be provided by existing committee members and CILIP as appropriate.
The time commitment for all roles is approximately 1 hour per week. This can increase at certain times of the year.
If you are interested in being a part of the LIRG committee and would like to discuss the vacant position please get in touch with Leo Appleton, Chair of LIRG. Closing date 9th May 2025.
RLUK is delighted to announce the launch of a new Research Shift Programme (RSP) RSP is a series of three interconnected, interactive online events designed to empower and support librarians, archivists, information professionals, and colleagues across the Galleries, Libraries, Archives, and Museums (GLAM) sector to actively engage in research.
Running from April to June 2025, the RSP will foster a collaborative community of practitioners, mentors, archivists, and researchers and explore practitioner research, tackle structural barriers, and provide practical guidance for professionals looking to deepen their engagement in research. The series is co-created with members of our AHRC-RLUK and TNA (The National Archives) Professional Practice Research schemes as well as our Research Catalyst Cohort programme to ensure it reflects the diverse needs and interests of professionals across libraries, archives, museums, and beyond. The programme is open to both RLUK and non-RLUK member institutions.
Booking for all three sessions is now open, links below.
Building Capacity, Capability and Confidence
RLUK champions the role of academic and research libraries as active participants and leaders in the production of scholarly research and to bring wider recognition to the pivotal contribution libraries make to the research process, as enablers, partners and leaders of research excellence. The Research Shift Programme support this vision and will help to inclusively develop a growing community of practitioners, mentors and researchers to further build their research capacity, capability and confidence across the sector.
The RSP is open to librarians, archivists, information professionals, and colleagues across the wider GLAM sector. This includes professionals working in academic and research libraries, public libraries, and special collections, as well as those in archives, museums, and cultural heritage organisations.
Whether you are an early-career researcher looking to get started, a librarian or archivist interested in contributing to scholarly research, or an experienced professional seeking to expand your research engagement, this programme offers valuable insights, connections, and opportunities for professional development.
Programme Themes and Dates
The Research Shift Programme is structured around three core thematic events, each focusing on a different aspect of research engagement for librarians, archivists, information professionals, and GLAM professionals, with opportunities to meet like-minded colleagues and to share experience and expertise.
1. Defining Practitioner Research
đ Date: 15 April 2025đ Theme: Exploring the concept and significance of practitioner research within the library, archive, and wider GLAM sectors. This session will define key methodologies, highlight case studies, and examine the evolving role of research within professional practice.
đ Date: 13 May 2025đ Theme: Identifying and addressing challenges to overcome structural barriers in research engagement, including institutional policies, funding limitations, and recognition issues. This session will highlight successful institutional strategies to navigate these obstacles and advocate for greater support within libraries, archives, and the wider cultural heritage sector.
đ Date: 10 June 2025đ Theme: Providing practical strategies for initiating and sustaining research projects, building collaborations, and effectively disseminating findings. Attendees will gain insight into developing their research profile and making a meaningful impact across libraries, archives, and museums.
The Research Shift Programme (RSP) is a new RLUK series of online events designed to empower and support librarians, archivists, information professionals, and colleagues across the Galleries, Libr...
Catalyst Cohort progamme
The third AHRC-RLUK Research Catalyst Cohort programme also opens for applications on the 3rd of April. The RCC will provide a step-by-step overview of the research development process for colleagues who, although interested in developing their research profile, have little or no experience of applying for research funding. The Research Catalyst Cohort programme is open to both RLUK and non-RLUK member institutions and starts in September 2025.
A campaign to recognise the âhiddenâ outputs and roles in successful academic research has been awarded ÂŁ3.5 million to bring it into the 2029 REF.
The five-year project, called Embedding Trust in Evaluation (E-TIE), will develop recommendations for the sector to embed the formal recognition of support and technical work that underpins research in the next REF (Research Excellence Framework, the national research assessment exercise that determines public research funding for institutions).
The project has been developed by the academics behind the Hidden REF, which was launched from the University of Southampton in 2020. The Hidden REF holds an annual festival and competition to champion âhiddenâ roles and outputs that enable academic research to happen, such as technicians, research software engineers, librarians, research administrators and managers.
Research England, which manages the REF Team on behalf of all four higher education funding bodies, has awarded ÂŁ3.5 million to the E-TIE project.
The project will be led by Simon Hettrick, Professor of Software Sustainability at the University of Southampton and chair of the Hidden REF, James Baker, Professor of Digital Humanities at the University of Southampton, and Gemma Derrick, Professor of Research Policy and Culture at the University of Bristol.
As well as making recommendations for consideration by Research England for the REF 2029 Research Diversity Advisory Panel, the project team will share information arising from the Hidden REF and associated research on best practice in submitting non-traditional outputs for assessment.
Professor Hettrick said: âThis will make research both better and fairer. There are lots of people without whom research would not be possible, so this is a big step towards ensuring proper and fair recognition and reward during the REF.â
âIt feels great that something that was genuinely started at grassroots has gained momentum to get to this stage,â said Professor Baker. âThere is a lot of work to do to change the culture, and we are confident that this project will lay the foundations for mainstream recognition of non-traditional research outputs and overlooked roles.â
Professor Derrick added: âThe Hidden REF is vital because it shines a spotlight on the often-overlooked individuals and contributions that sustain research. By celebrating all roles and outputs, it champions a more inclusive, equitable, and accurate way of valuing the true fabric of the research ecosystem.â
Professor Mark E. Smith, President and Vice-Chancellor of the University of Southampton, said: âI am really proud that this significant project has launched, thanks to the hard work and vision of a small team here at the University of Southampton. Their work has paved the way for the appropriate and deserved recognition of overlooked outputs and roles in the REF.â
We are pleased to share that Libby Tilley, the winner of our LIRG Research Award has completed her research and has published a paper in the journal Evidence Based Library and Information Practice:
Tilley, E., & Marshall, D. (2024). Shaping the Future: A Research Agenda for U.K. Libraries . Evidence Based Library and Information Practice, 19(4), 71â107. https://doi.org/10.18438/eblip30577
Libby has also shared with us her reflections on engaging in the research below:
Working with library colleagues across library sectors was hugely rewarding and exciting. Despite professing to know about different sectors to my own, I realised that I really didnât! Connecting with colleagues in overarching organisations such as SLA and Libraries Connected when sourcing participants from different sectors was such a great help. Those participants in their turn have been remarkably generous with their time.
Being given the time and inspiration to consider what methodology to use for research. I didnât realise just how interested I would become in the nature of the methodology. There is probably a paper to be written just about this aspect and especially the use that I made of conference programmes to kick-start the research. I would love to talk to others about how this came about and how to improve the use of such data.
I was excited about the outcomes of the research. Even more exciting was the reaction of workshop colleagues who agreed on the outcomes, despite their sector differences! Consensus didnât seem possible at the outset of the workshop, and yet ultimately, agreement was feasible. (The top-level trends agreed on can be found in the paper) Even more than reaching an agreement through a research process, I could see that colleagues had been able to share their experiences and learn about other sectors, just as I had done.
Writing a research article can (as I understand from others) be quite painful! I certainly found this to be the case. Passive voice and waffling are all things I suffer from when writing. So, through using colleagues to read chunks, my co-authorâs readings and written work, and eventually the peer review process I was able to get the paper written in a form that is more readable. Looking back on the process I am excited to think that I DID learn a lot and I hope that it will stand me in good stead in the future!
I was really pleased to be able to undertake this work and I am very grateful to LIRG for providing a grant to support this work. LIRG academic colleagues were supportive in the initial stages of the research work. I am also grateful for the help of David Marshall, an expert in User Experience Research from the University of Cambridge, who supported the face-to-face workshop, especially the card-sorting activities. The Faculty of Education, University of Cambridge, and particularly the library were particularly supportive of CILIP research activities and provided space to run the workshop.
Does your work gain the recognition it deserves? If not, we want to hear from you by the 13th of September!
Research organisations use publications as practically the only measure of success, but research relies on a huge range of people and many types of work that are not typically recognised in publications. We canât advance research if we donât recognise everyone and everything that we rely on to conduct research.
You can help us shine a spotlight on this issue by taking part in the Hidden REF competition. We want to hear about unrecognised research roles, from technicians to data stewards and more, and your unrecognised outputs, from software to musical compositions to anything else that is important to research. The more submissions we receive, the more evidence we have to continue our successful campaign to increase recognition for everyone who works in research.
The Hidden REF competition 2024 closes for submissions on 13th September at 11.59. Submissions are a maximum of 900 words. If you work in a UK organisation and take part in or support research in any way, you can enter the Hidden REF competition. Your job family, the type of contract you are on, your institutionâs approach to recognition: none of these matter to us. If you take part in or support research in any way, you are welcome to take part in the Hidden REF competition.
If you would like to get more involved with the competition, you can apply to become a member of one of our assessment panels. As a panellist you will help review the submissions and contribute to our growing evidence bank on the assessment of non-traditional outputs and hidden roles.
The Hidden REF was launched in 2020 to raise awareness of the research outputs and roles that are vital to research but overlooked by traditional research evaluation. We want to build a more effective and more equitable system for recognising contributions to research success. For updates, visit the Hidden REF website or follow the Hidden REF on LinkedIn, BlueSky or X. Contact us at info@hidden-ref.org.
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