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on International Library
and Information Work
ISSN 2058-8399 (Online)
Volume 51, Number 1, 2020
Editorial 2
Tribute to Shane Godbolt:
Working in Partnership to Strengthen Health Librarianship:
Shane’s Legacy
Emma Farrow and Maria Cotera 4
Promoting the Health of the People of Africa
Shane Godbolt and Emma Stanley 19
Building a Partnership to Promote Health Information:
A Case Study in Kenya
Jean Newman, Shane Godbolt and Emma Stanley 22
Witnessing the Evolution of Higher Education in Hong Kong
Through the Eyes of an American Academic Librarian
Victoria Caplan, Qianxiu Liu, Patrick Lo & Dickson Chiu 25
Decolonising Library Collections and Practices: from Understanding
to Impact - ILIG Conference 25th November 2019
Yasmin Noorani 32
Book Review 41
CILIP ILIG AGM 43
The contents of this journal may be shared under a Creative Commons
Attribution 4.0 International Licence
Editorial
Thanks for downloading the latest issue of CILIP ILIG’s
Focus on International Library and Information Work. 2020
so far has been a hugely turbulent time worldwide with
the COVID-19 crisis having an impact upon all of us.
It’s affected everything from how we work and how
we live our lives to the way we act and think about
the world around us. I certainly would never have seen
myself joining the clamour for library closures earlier
this year – once the risks to staff and library users
presented by the virus became all too evident - yet there I was. The scale of
the pandemic presents immense challenges for globalisation and only time will
tell just what the lasting effect will be, once the dust has eventually settled…
whenever that may be.
As with any crisis situation, it’s important to seek out the positives. Both in
my day job (working in a health library setting) and in a wider context, I have
seen some fantastic examples of collaborative knowledge-sharing. It has been
heartening to see information services going out of their way to ensure those
combatting the coronavirus have access to the resources they need. On an
international level, information scientists and researchers continuing to work
together will be crucial to finding long-term solutions to the challenges we face.
This issue is dedicated to Shane Godbolt, our former CILIP ILIG colleague, who
very sadly passed away last year. Shane was someone who championed libraries
sharing expertise and working together across borders, as highlighted in the
tributes in this issue and the articles she wrote for Focus – two of which have
been reproduced in full here. She was also someone who was a true ally to
2 Focus on International Library and Information Work Vol. 51, No. 1 2020
Editorial
many under-represented groups within the profession on an international scale
and who worked hard to get their voices heard.
CILIP recently emphasised its own commitment to “be an ally to individuals and
to groups that are under-represented or marginalised in our profession” and it’s
vital we do not lose sight of this as library and informational professionals in all
that we do. With this in mind, CILIP ILIG hosted a decolonisation conference
at Cardiff Met University at the end of last year. Yasmin Noorani has kindly
written up this event in this issue. CILIP also launched its own BAME network
last year, details of which, including information on how to join or sign up as
an ally, can be found here: https://www.cilip.org.uk/page/bamenetwork.
In addition, we have a follow-up to an interview we published last year with
Lewis Li, Information Instruction Librarian at Hong Kong University of Science and
Technology. His colleague,Victoria Caplan, gives us her perspective as an American
who made the bold step of moving to Hong Kong to work in the library at
HKUST. Thanks also to Melissa Jones for the book review she authored.
With Focus, we continue to support the spirit of creating bridges, not walls, by
including contributions from throughout the library and information world. I
would again urge everyone to have a read of Shane’s reflections on international
collaboration which can be found here: https://bit.ly/2xUduYA. I would finally
like to thank all those who were keen to pay tribute to Shane and we have
included many kind words for current and former ILIG Committee members
here. Particular thanks go to Shane’s husband Richard who kindly provided
some of the photos of Shane which appear in this issue.
Stay safe.
Philip Segall, Editor
Focus on International Library and Information Work is published by the International Library and
Information Group (ILIG) of the Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals (CILIP).
Editor: Phil Segall ILIG on Facebook: www.facebook.com/
Email: iligfocus@cilip.org.uk groups/13131232426
Associate Editor: Alice Tyler Tel.: +44 ILIG on Twitter: twitter.com/CILIP_ILIG
(0)116 275 1379 ILIG on YouTube: www.youtube.com/user/
Email: a.m.tyler@btinternet.com CILIPILIG
InDesign work by Gillian Harris Front cover image courtesy of NASA
ILIG’s Website: www.cilip.org.uk/ilig Editorial profile image by Justine Desmond
ILIG’s discussion list: lis-ilig@jiscmail.ac.uk
Focus on International Library and Information Work Vol. 51 No. 1 2020 3
Shane Godbolt
9 December 1943 – 24 November 2019
photo contributed by Richard Godbolt
4 Focus on International Library and Information Work Vol. 51, No. 1 2020
Working in Partnership to Strengthen
Health Librarianship - Shane’s Legacy
by Emma Farrow and Maria Cotera, Former CILIP ILIG Committee Members
Our dear colleague and friend Mrs. Shane Godbolt, who served on the CILIP
ILIG Committee for ten years, died on 24th November 2019. This article is one
of many tributes published - others are listed at the end of this piece. Here we
focus on Shane’s guiding principles for international working and celebrate how
these have been applied in practice and touched others.
Shane was a leading figure in health librarianship at the national and global level.
She served as a health librarian in the public sector, university/academia and the
National Health Service (NHS); and contributed greatly to the development of
fellow professionals and health library networks in the UK and overseas, especially
across the African continent.
This commitment to international librarianship developed early; Shane delivered
summer school programmes for Commonwealth librarians in the early 1970s. A
British Council-funded visit to India to run workshops brought a new perspective
which inspired her consequent work, as relayed in her recent CILIP interview:
“The first time you go your whole perspective changes and that’s a good thing.
You realise that it’s not “your” world; there are different worlds out there”.
(Arif 2019)
Shane went on to become one of the founders of the charity Partnerships
in Health lnformation [Phi],which brought together UK academic and NHS
librarians with partners in sub-Saharan Africa, enabling them to work on co-
designed practical grassroots projects. From founding Trustee, she became Chair
of Trustees in 2004 and then pro-bono Director for ten years up to March 2016,
when Phi transferred to the University of Winchester.
Shane’s personal ethos and strong guiding principles permeated her professional
life and clearly underpinned her leadership of Phi, focusing on:
1. Supporting evidence-based practice and improving public access to health
information.
2. Promoting African leadership in health information.
3. Working directly with African organisations and networks to further these
aims.
Focus on International Library and Information Work Vol. 51 No. 1 2020 5
Shane’s Legacy
Shane relaxing whilst on holiday – photo contributed by Richard Godbolt
1. Supporting evidence-based practice and improving public access to
health information
Shane’s passion was to strengthen African health librarianship. One manifestation
of this was her long-term collaboration and friendship with The Association for
Health Information and Libraries in Africa [AHILA]. Shane described her first
AHILA conference in Mombasa in 2006 as “an unforgettable experience” (Arif
2019) and returned ready to roll up her sleeves and work with the AHILA
executive to develop and strengthen the country chapters. One result was the
AHILA strategic plan, developed and adopted by AHILA’s General Assembly in
2010 in Burkina Faso.
6 Focus on International Library and Information Work Vol. 51, No. 1 2020
Shane’s Legacy
Phi’s initial focus was on long-term partnerships, including the Kenya Health
Information Partnership [Ken-HIP] - between a university and NHS partnership
in South West England with Ken-AHILA [the Kenyan chapter of AHILA] -
and a Tanzanian partnership with the UK Royal College of Obstetricians and
Gynaecologists which focused on improving access to health information in
public librarianship. (There have been ILIG articles on both partnerships, see
Newman, 2010 and Godbolt, 2014).
Shane was also actively engaged with the International Federation of Library
Associations and Institutions [IFLA]. IFLA’s Freedom of Access to Information
and Freedom of Expression [FAIFE - https://www.ifla.org/faife] Committee
developed a set of Public Access to Health Information [PAHI] workshop
materials for medical and health-related areas in 2008/09. Equally convinced of
the valuable role libraries play in increasing public access to health information,
Shane contacted FAIFE Chair Paul Sturges. This resulted in Phi, together with
its local partners, collaborating on this project. Shane coordinated and part-
delivered PAHI workshops across seven African countries including Mozambique
– “Shane Godbolt and Phi planned the workshop meticulously and provided for
all eventualities” (Sturges, 2011). The value of this interactive training is reflected
in Paul Sturges’ Mozambique facilitator report:
“As usual with such workshops, the discussion produced striking and worthwhile
examples related to points raised by the materials. For example:
• Rejection of white mosquito nets by Muslim communities because white
is associated with death;
• Suspicion of chlorine water purification products because of a supposed
similarity between the words chlorine and cholera;
• Rejection of certain sprays against insect infestation, on the suspicion that
they encouraged rather than eliminated infestation” (Sturges, 2011)
Phi’s local partners and their networks were vital in setting up this series of
‘train the trainers’ workshops. The materials were adapted and refined each time,
cumulating in a workshop in the three official AHILA languages (Portuguese,
French and English) during the 13th AHILA Congress in 2012.
Shane later became strongly engaged in the IFLA Health and Biosciences
Libraries Section, and an expert advisor to the Evidence for Global and Disaster
Health (E4GDH) Special Interest Group. After an exploratory meeting of the
latter during the European Association of Health Information and Libraries
Focus on International Library and Information Work Vol. 51 No. 1 2020 7
Shane’s Legacy
[EAHIL] Conference in 2017, it was Shane who recognised the group needed to
come under the international remit of IFLA as a new Special Interest Group and
led on a proposal to achieve this.
2011 was to mark the establishment of what Shane saw as perhaps Phi’s
most significant partnership. Involving AHILA, Information Training and Outreach
Centre for Africa [ITOCA] and Phi, the combined networks of these three
partner organisations provided a unique source of knowledge and expertise,
while the agreed Memorandums of Understanding enabled the appointment of
a coordinator to act as both AHILA secretariat and to support coordination of
Phi’s work in Africa:
“We are proving that synergies are created through the respective roles and
shared vision of the three partner organisations with AHILA leading in promoting
access and use of health information; ITOCA building capacity for using knowledge
systems amongst the research and education communities and Phi promoting
African leadership in improving the flow of health information”. [Gathoni, 2013]
2. Promoting African leadership in health information
Phi hosted its first Commonwealth Professional Fellow in 2012. Shane had been
quick to recognise that both the local host and international visitor(s) benefited
Shane with Phi colleagues and friends at a House of Lords reception for Phi
- photo contributed by Doug Knock
8 Focus on International Library and Information Work Vol. 51, No. 1 2020
Shane’s Legacy
from short face-to-face visits which took place as part of longer Phi partnerships.
To give one example from the Kenya Health Information Partnership (Ken-HIP):
“The collaborative nature of this type of project has been a positive learning
experience. The Kenya Partnership is motivating to all librarians involved in the
planning process, not just the workshop facilitators and participants. NHS staff
have enjoyed the fresh perspective gained from working on the project.”
Ken-HIP member, 2009 (Newman, 2010)
Wanting to develop and promote African health information leaders, Shane
drew on the experience of then fellow ILIG committee member Alan Hopkinson
- who hosted three Commonwealth Professional Fellows annually at his institution,
Middlesex University Library.
Phi’s first Commonwealth Professional Fellowship was followed by eight
more over subsequent years, together with visits funded by small grants. These
initiatives took a consistent and considerable organisational and hosting effort on
Shane’s part. The placements were driven by the needs and wishes expressed by
the visiting African colleagues and partners. Several visiting fellows participated
in the Critical Appraisal Skill Programme (CASP) ‘Train the Trainer’ course in
Oxford – designed to equip participants with the knowledge and skills to cascade
critical appraisal training in their own institutions and countries. During their UK
placement, many were hosted by ILIG members through the ILIG Host Directory
and shared their experience by presenting at ILIG Informals.
From developing the visit programme - based upon her extensive network
of colleagues and friends, plus her ability to identify a good ‘fit’ in terms of
experience - to her warm welcome at Heathrow Airport, Shane’s input was
invaluable while her husband Richard was both a sounding board to develop ideas
and an enabler at the practical level.
“Special thanks goes to my specific host Shane Godbolt, who organised my
programme, appointments, made sure that I did not get lost, taught me how to
use the UK train system, made me feel comfortable in her own house, helped
me keep warm and get ‘used’ to the weather and made sure that I met all the
right people who are doing work that we as ITOCA can learn from and share
experiences”
[Mawire B, 2012] Phi Programme in the UK feedback form (unpublished)
Furthermore, in true Shane’s “passing it forward” style, she went on to
promote the value of the Commonwealth Professional Fellowships to other
small organisations on her wider professional network and supported the
Focus on International Library and Information Work Vol. 51 No. 1 2020 9
Shane’s Legacy
Shane enjoying the outdoors - photo contributed by Richard Godbolt
10 Focus on International Library and Information Work Vol. 51, No. 1 2020Shane’s Legacy
African Prisons Project (https://africanprisons.org/) setting up their own annual
Fellowships, just as Alan Hopkinson had supported her in setting up the Phi’s
Fellowship.
Another very successful collaboration was between the UK Health Libraries
Group [HLG], ILIG and Phi. The HLG/ILIG/Phi bursary, targeting new health
librarians in low-income countries, was offered biannually to coordinate
participation in the HLG Conference - with the judging panel consisting of
representatives from the three partner organisations. Shane led on developing the
visit programme with several tailored visits and placements scheduled around the
conference. This resulted in further opportunities for training, mutual learning and
sharing of experience, driven by the needs and wishes expressed by the awardees.
These visits and training opportunities created a snowball effect, giving those
who took part new skills, insights and professional networks and empowering
them to create their own local initiatives.
3. Working directly with African organisations and networks
This principle is demonstrated through Shane and Phi championing practical,
grassroots projects co-designed with local partners, and the mutual learning that
follows. In particular, her international work led to long-term friendships with
AHILA and individual country chapters. As information and communications
technologies were redefining the role of librarians and library service development,
Phi’s partnership working expanded to become more strategic in nature.
As the numerous examples in this short article show, Phi worked collaboratively
with organisations in the UK and internationally – to name a few: AHILA, EAHIL,
IFLA, HLG, ITOCA and of course ILIG.
Shane believed in others and the power of human connection. She had an
incredible gift in recognising people’s abilities and being able to make the best
use of them in an empowering way (non-controlling, non-demanding, non-
judgemental). It was no coincidence that she often ended her email signature
with a quote from Margaret Mead: “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful,
committed, citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.”
This is beautifully illustrated in this reflection from the current AHILA President:
“Today, we have an association for health sciences librarians in my country,
Nigeria, due to the capacity development workshop she funded under Phi in
2008. That workshop brought medical librarians together for the first time in
Nigeria”.
Grace Ajuwon, President of AHILA 2018, 2019 - 2021
Focus on International Library and Information Work Vol. 51 No. 1 2020 11Shane’s Legacy
Shane was an enabler and in recent years had been supporting the work of
African Hospital Libraries [AHL - https://africanhospitallibraries.org/], a charity
founded in 2017 and currently working with, and through, librarians and libraries
in Sierra Leone. A current ILIG committee member is one of the Trustees. Shane
saw that their work embraces her same principles, referring to AHL and its work
in relation to Phi as “our natural successors”.
Shane next to Avis Holder (second from left), recipient of the Anthony Thompson Award
international bursary in London March 2016 - photo contributed by Anna Jablkowska
12 Focus on International Library and Information Work Vol. 51, No. 1 2020Shane’s Legacy
Testament to her impact are the awards Shane received throughout her career.
The most recent of those include:
• AHILA Recognition Award 2019 and Certificate of Honour
[UK Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals]
• CILIP President’s Award for 2019 [UK Chartered Institute of Information
and Library Professionals]
• EAHIL Award 2020 [European Association of Health Information and
Libraries]
• T. Mark Hodges International Service Award 2020 [Medical Library
Association (MLA) US]
• Special Citation [Board of Directors, Libraries Without Walls Committee
and International Cooperation Caucus, Medical Library Association US]
Alongside this formal recognition are the countless personal stories of how
Shane made a difference and inspired others.
“Can you help? Yes YOU can!”
These words from a presentation Shane delivered with Jean Shaw in 2013 still
stand. Shane was a passionate and committed advocate of the potential and
importance of working internationally. She played a critical role in giving so many
people their first taste of international librarianship.
Shane inspired many of us to do better, to do more, to support others
unconditionally due to the quiet, altruistic way in which she worked – she hosted,
mentored and engaged with many. Now others are carrying it forward, so Shane
leaves an enduring legacy.
We hope that this article will have encouraged you to recognise that we can
all make a difference and inspired you to find a way, however small, to contribute
to others and the profession.
Articles
Anon (2010) Now Available: Learning materials for workshops on Public Access
to Health Information Through Libraries. IFLA FAIFE News item. [Online]
Available at: https://www.ifla.org/news/now-available-learning-materials-for-
workshops-on-public-access-to-health-information-through-l [Accessed 19 March
2020]
Focus on International Library and Information Work Vol. 51 No. 1 2020 13Shane’s Legacy Arif R (2019) Reflections on international collaboration: enthusiasm, commitment, resilience (interview with Shane Godbolt). CILIP: Information Professional. [Online] Available at: https://bit.ly/2z0m3C5 [Accessed 30 March 2020] Gathoni N, Chimwaza G, Godbolt S and Msengezi C (2013) Saving lives through health information; African leadership and partnership. HIFA Voices. [Online] Available at: http://ecommons.aku.edu/libraries/21 [Accessed 30 March 2020] Godbolt S and Stanley E (2009) Promoting the Health of the People of Africa. Building Library Partnerships for Better Health. Focus on International Library and Information Work. 40(1) [Online] Available at: https://www.webarchive.org. uk/wayback/archive/20130627105302/http://www.cilip.org.uk/get-involved/special- interest-groups/international/publications/focus/back-copies/Pages/default.aspx [Accessed 30 March 2020] Godbolt S, Stanley E and Sturges P (2010) Public Access to Health Information: how partnerships can strengthen the role of librarians in developing health. IFLA World Library and Information Congress: 76th IFLA General Conference and Assembly. 10-15 August 2010, Gothenburg, Sweden. [Online] Available at: https://www.ifla.org/past-wlic/2010/100-godbolt-en.pdf [Accessed 14 April 2020] Godbolt S and Reid L (2014) Partnerships in Health Information: sharing knowledge, ambition and passion to deliver improvements in health information. Focus on International Library and Information Work. 45(2) [Online] Available at: https://www.cilip.org.uk/resource/collection/0DA88322-0241-45BF- 9800-092F114F8A94/focus4522014.pdf [Accessed 30 March 2020] Mawire B (2012) Phi Programme in the UK feedback form (unpublished) Newman J, Godbolt S and Stanley E (2010) Building a Partnership to Promote Health Information. Focus on International Library and Information Work. 41(1) [Online] Available at: https://www.webarchive.org.uk/wayback/archive/20130627105302/ http://www.cilip.org.uk/get-involved/special-interest-groups/international/ publications/focus/back-copies/Pages/default.aspx [Accessed 30 March 2020] Sturges P (2011) Report of the Public Access to Health Information Workshop in Mozambique. IFLA FAIFE Facilitator’s Report. [Online] Available at: https://www.ifla.org/publications/report-of-the-public-access-to-health- information-workshop-in-mozambique [Accessed 30 March 2020] 14 Focus on International Library and Information Work Vol. 51, No. 1 2020
Shane’s Legacy
Further information on Phi
A history of Phi was published in CILIP Update in 2012:
Shaw, J (2012) Celebrating Partnerships in Health Information. CILIP Update.
November 2012. [Online] Available at: http://www.phiglobal.org/internal-
resources/about-us/Phi%20low%20res.pdf [Accessed 30 April 2020]
Tributes to Shane from other former members of CILIP ILIG’s
Committee:
Doug Knock – former Chair:
“When the sad news of Shane’s terminal cancer started to be more widely known
there was a flurry of activity to acknowledge and recognise her contributions
to both international and medical librarianship. The real challenge seemed to be
to find an award that she had not already been a recipient of: CILIP Honorary
Fellow, check, (2003), Cyril Barnard Award, check, (1986), Library Association
Centenary Medal, check, (1998). Add to this her honorary membership of the
MLA in 2000 and an honorary Master’s degree from the Open University in
2014. In the end a new award needed to be created, which is in some way fitting
for someone who pushed boundaries and broke barriers, with Shane receiving
the first CILIP presidential citation last summer in formal recognition of her
contribution to international and health librarianship.
Shane with PAHI Colleagues - photo contributed by Doug Knock
Focus on International Library and Information Work Vol. 51 No. 1 2020 15Shane’s Legacy
Shane with the late Alan Hopkinson (front row, middle) and other colleagues from CILIP ILIG’s
committee in March 2014 - photo contributed by Anna Jablkowska
Shane with former CILIP ILIG Chair Ian Stringer in London, March 2016
- photo contributed by Anna Jablkowska
16 Focus on International Library and Information Work Vol. 51, No. 1 2020Shane’s Legacy
Laura Shane Godbolt was appointed Deputy Librarian at Charing Cross
Hospital in 1972. Active in professional affairs, Shane took on editorship of the
Newsletter of the recently merged UK Medical Health and Welfare Libraries
Group Committee (MHWLG) in 1978 and was founding editor of Health
Libraries Review, the forerunner to CILIP HLG’s Health Information and Libraries
Journal (HILJ), in 1984. It was her authorship and desire to share innovations
that had led to her initial involvement in international librarianship as the British
Council invited her to run health library workshops in India in 1977.
Moving from Higher Education to the NHS in 1992, Shane soon set about
creating an innovative network of Health Libraries by encouraging collaborative
working between the NHS and the Higher Education sector in London. On an
international level, she used this passion for building networks and collaboration
to develop partnerships with colleagues across the globe including the Medical
Library Association (MLA) and International Federation of Library Associations and
Institutions (IFLA). Shane was a founding member of the European Association for
Health Information and Libraries (EAHIL) and [as also outlined above] later played
a crucial role in developing the relationship that led to the EAHIL scholarships
for Association for Health Information & Libraries in Africa (AHILA) members.
Her true passion was always African health librarianship and she joined the
ILIG committee in 2008, not long after she had become voluntary Director of
Partnerships in Health Information (Phi). Phi’s ambition is to promote African
leadership in health information, evidence-based practice and public access to
health information and, in her various roles as founding Trustee, Chair and Director,
Shane worked tirelessly to build links between libraries and librarians in Africa
and the UK. During her time on the ILIG Committee Shane always championed
and helped to promote awareness of health librarianship and information needs
in Africa. She contributed to a range of ILIG Informals, wrote articles for Focus
and took a lead in helping to coordinate the HLG / ILIG International Award.
Although she left the committee at the end of 2016, she still kept a close eye on
ILIG affairs and continued to look for opportunities to strengthen Anglo-African
ties and networks.
Even though Shane theoretically retired, there is little evidence to support
this and she kept active and involved in a range of projects and collaborations.
Colleagues who met with her during her last few months were often tasked
with projects to carry on and complete. As befitting her love of Africa, attendees
at her funeral were warmly invited to reflect her love of vibrant African colours
at her funeral.”
Focus on International Library and Information Work Vol. 51 No. 1 2020 17Shane’s Legacy John Lake, former Editor of CILIP ILIG Focus journal: “I remember Shane for her deep commitment and regard for public health issues and how libraries played a vital role in the UK and internationally in assisting information to promote good health. She worked enthusiastically on programmes for international visitors particularly from African countries.” Gillian Harris, former Chair of ILIG: “Shane was a lovely person and so easy to work alongside. She had a passion for libraries, and full of ideas and understanding. She knew what would work and what wouldn’t and could always find solutions. I worked with her on Anthony Thompson Award study visits when she threw her home open to visitors and made them most welcome, looking after the personal details as well as professional that made the tours such a success.” Shane in her own words - an interview with Shane featured in CILIP’s Information Professional magazine last year: https://tinyurl.com/y9qqqxnf Here are some further tributes to Shane from library colleagues: Baker, S (2020) Remembering Laura Shane Godbolt. Journal of EAHIL 2019. Vol. 15 (4) [Online] Available at: http://ojs.eahil.eu/ojs/index.php/JEAHIL/issue/ view/131/15_4 [Accessed 19 March 2020] CILIP Health Libraries Group (2020) Shane Godbolt 1943-2019. HLG Nursing Bulletin. 39(1) [Online] Available at: https://cdn.ymaws.com/www.cilip.org.uk/ resource/collection/B9428DB3-0367-494B-A6E2-5BA6AB9BEACF/Winter_2020_ issue.pdf [Accessed 19 March 2020] Editor’s note: We are very grateful for Richard Godbolt’s kind support in producing this article. The colour scheme for this issue of Focus has also been chosen based upon Shane’s favourite colour thanks to Richard. Two of Shane Godbolt’s contributions to Focus on International Library and Information Work have been reproduced in full on pages 19-24. These demonstrate the important work Shane did in Africa with Partnerships in Health Information (Phi) and exemplify the positive effects this work had. We thank Shane and her co-authors once again for these contributions. 18 Focus on International Library and Information Work Vol. 51, No. 1 2020
Promoting the Health of the People of Africa
Building Library Partnerships
for Better Health
Shane Godbolt and Emma Stanley*
reprinted from Focus 40(1) 2009
In Africa thousands of people die every day, often for the simple reason that
parents, carers or health-workers lack the information and knowledge they need to
save them, or even to just alleviate their suffering. The vast majority of these deaths
occur in the household, and at the level of primary and district care.
Compared with the expensive infrastructures that are taken for granted in our
health, education and training systems in the UK, African countries grapple with
daunting health problems in the face of limited resources.
In the UK the education and training of our doctors, nurses and health-care
workers is supported by good libraries and the necessary ICT systems for
information and knowledge access. Most of us enjoy good health throughout our
lives because we are provided not just with comprehensive health care but also
with the necessary information to maintain a healthy lifestyle.
In Africa many health-workers are trained without ever having the opportunity
to use a basic textbook during their study. Yet these workers play a vital role
in providing health information and recognise their own needs for up-to-date
information.
‘I try to read and be current in my work because sometimes I am asked challenging
questions … during the sessions I hold in villages,’ said a Ugandan health-worker. We
may live in the ‘information age’ but the reality is that most health-care providers
continue to lack the information they need to deliver basic health care.
Partnerships in Health Information (Phi), founded in 1992, is dedicated to improving
the health of people in developing countries by increasing the availability and flow
of health information. The main thrust of our work is enabling library-to-library
partnerships and development projects between the UK and developing countries,
mainly in Africa.
These partnerships aim to support local health-information professionals in
providing the information that is so desperately needed within their communities.
The UK partners often find that their colleagues in Africa have little or no
*At the time of publication (2009) Shane Godbolt was Director of Partnerships in Health
Information. Emma Stanley was Programmes Officer.
Focus on International Library and Information Work Vol. 51 No. 1 2020 19Promoting the Health of the People of Africa
opportunity to access training, and this is an area where the partnership can add
most value.
Currently Phi supports established partnerships with institutions in Kenya,
Tanzania, Sierra Leone and Uganda and is fostering new partnership activities in
other countries in Africa. All projects and training are driven by needs defined by
‘This training is timely, and we are getting lifetime skills that will
improve the quality of our work. We need you back in Uganda to
conduct courses related to library services especially in ICT. We are
very grateful for the tireless efforts.’
Uganda partner member of staff from the Albert Cook Medical School
Library, Makerere University, Uganda
the developing-country partner. The partnership provides opportunities for mutual
exchange of experiences and expertise for both partners.
While technology is an important focus, it is not the only one adding value to
the partnership experience. Of crucial importance are the relationships and shared
professional vision, which are powerful drivers for change.
In March 2008 the partnership supported between the University of Sierra Leone
(USL) and Cardiff University Phi enabled a HINARI training workshop to be held in
Freetown. Feedback from the Librarian of the College of Medicine and Allied Health
Sciences (COMAHS), USL, stated:
‘… we have learnt a lot of new things which we didn’t know. Indeed, all
the modules were well explained and demonstrated by the facilitator. This
workshop training is very much needed by the COMAHS institution and
college curriculum.’
A final-year medical student who took part in the training wrote:
‘Thank you very much for your effort and link for the HINARI training
workshop … I really appreciate every bit of the training sessions; it is very
timely and helpful for my colleagues and with respect to our dissertation and
for future purposes.’
Health information is a rapidly developing and changing field, and health-information
workers and librarians face many issues in improving the availability and use of
health information.
20 Focus on International Library and Information Work Vol. 51, No. 1 2020Promoting the Health of the People of Africa
A welcome step forward came when Lord Crisp’s seminal report of 2007 noted
‘the role that librarians in particular can play in developing health.’1
Phi works collaboratively with other organisations – for example, the Tropical
Health and Education Trust (THET).2 Phi’s specialist area complements THET’s
broader aims, especially its Links programme which supports partnerships.
Like ILIG, Phi is keen to work with colleagues in the international library
community, and we have close links with the Association for Health Information
and Libraries in Africa (AHILA),3 an umbrella organisation that promotes the
development of the profession and has a
role in co-ordinating projects such as the
WHO initiative, African Index Medicus Partnerships in Health
(AIM), as well as other projects. Information is a UK-based
charity that promotes the
Phi also supports and works with the health of people in developing
WHO-supported advocacy campaign countries through improving
Healthcare Information For All by 2015 access to health information,
(HIFA2015):4 ‘By 2015, every person with a special focus on health
worldwide will have access to an informed libraries.
healthcare provider.’
References
1
Global Health Partnerships:The UK Contribution to Health in Developing Countries, p. 107. See .
2
.
3
.
4
.
References (updated 30 March 2020)
1
Crisp, N (2007) Global Health Partnerships: The UK Contribution to Health in Developing
Countries. COI: Great Britain, Pp. 107. [Online] Available at: https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/
fb1a/9b880bc4a21aa53e4f6c34293f8dc582261a.pdf [Accessed 30 March 2020]
2
Tropical Health And Education Trust [THET] (2020) THET Partnerships for Global Health. [Online] Available
at: https://www.thet.org [Accessed 30 March 2020]
3
The Association for Health Information and Libraries in Africa (AHILA) (2020) AHILA represents health
library and Information Specialists and Professionals. [Online] Available at: https://ahila.org/ [link temporarily
unavailable - checked 26 April]
4
World Health Organisation [WHO] Global Health Workforce Alliance (2015) HIFA 2015 web site. [Online]
Available at: https://www.who.int/workforcealliance/knowledge/resources/hifa2015/en/ [Accessed 30 March
2020]
Note: Phi is now under the remit of the Centre for Global Health at the University of Winchester
Focus on International Library and Information Work Vol. 51 No. 1 2020 21Building a Partnership to Promote Health
Information: A Case Study in Kenya
Jean Newman, Shane Godbolt and Emma Stanley*
reprinted from Focus 41(1) 2010
An article in Focus in 2009 (Vol. 40(1), 16-17) gave an overview of the work of
the UK-based charity Partnerships in Health Information (Phi), which specialises
in improving access to health information in developing countries, especially using
digital technologies.1
The Kenya Health Information Partnership (Ken-HIP) is an international health
link supported by Phi. It involves, on the UK side, a consortium of 17 libraries and
librarians from across the South West Strategic Health Authority, whose libraries
deliver services to an NHS workforce of approximately 133,000 in addition to
several thousand healthcare students.
In Kenya, Ken-AHILA is the Kenya Chapter of the Association for Health
Information and Libraries in Africa (AHILA).2 Set up in 1994 the Chapter now
includes libraries and librarians from universities, hospitals, government, research
institutes and non-governmental organisations across Kenya. The partnership
became very active in 2006, when Internet connectivity was still variable, often
non-existent in rural and remote areas, and mobile-phone technology was just
taking off.
Now, despite continuing problems associated with infrastructure, there have
been significant improvements, and more are expected with the laying of a
fibre-optic cable across a swathe of the country last year. There are hopes that
increased bandwidth will support much improved Internet access. Mobile phones
in the meantime have made huge differences to communication in areas where
landlines may be few and unreliable.
The partnership is greatly valued because there is a gap in health information
development in sub-Saharan Africa, and health information professionals feel
isolated at a time when rapid changes in health information provision are making
new and unprecedented demands on them. Trained professionals who can utilise
information technology are a crucial factor in ensuring that up-to-date, timely and
reliable health information gets to where it is needed.
*At the time of publication (2010) Shane Godbolt was Director of Partnerships in Health
Information and Emma Stanley was Programmes Officer. Jean Newman was Librarian, Elizabeth
Blackwell Library, Government Office for the South West and Co-ordinator for Kenya Health
Information Partnership.
22 Focus on International Library and Information Work Vol. 51, No. 1 2020Building a Partnership to Promote Health Education
The partnership is of mutual benefit to both partners and to all involved:
“The collaborative nature of this type of project has been a positive learning
experience. The Kenya Partnership is motivating to all librarians involved
in the planning process, not just the workshop facilitators and participants.
NHS staff have enjoyed the fresh perspective gained from working on the
project. Some have been able to inject their own international experience
into the project, while for others it has been an opportunity to engage
with issues far removed from their normal working lives.”
Ken-HIP member, 2009
The Kenya partnership model, where a group of UK health librarians link with
a group of Kenyan health librarians through the Kenyan chapter of AHILA, is
a pioneering one. Since March 2006 there has been a regular programme of
training events and exchange visits. As we write, the 2010 programme is already
Workshop participants evaluating online health A group exercise on marketing library services.
resources
under way, with two librarians from Ken-HIP working with Ken-AHILA to deliver
a workshop for twenty participants in Nairobi on evidence-based healthcare and
the role of the librarian in promoting its use.
This active partnership testifies to the energy and sustainability of a broad-
based approach. In 2009 Kenyan colleagues launched the Ken-AHILA Newsletter.
The work of the partnership and other links with Phi are featured among the
varied and lively contributions in this very readable and professional publication.
The strong leadership of Ken-AHILA and the excellent links that Kenyan
colleagues have at Ministry of Health level and with leading NGOs have made
Kenyan health librarians a visible force, but their training opportunities are limited,
in contrast to the plethora of those we enjoy in the UK.
Focus on International Library and Information Work Vol. 51 No. 1 2020 23Building a Partnership to Promote Health Education
In Kenya only three out of ten people have access to health facilities within
four kilometres of their home, and in many places the situation is much worse.
We hope this project will help to build a better system for sharing information
that is designed around people’s needs and reflects what will work best in
different parts of Kenya.
An additional benefit is that we have developed a friendship with our
professional colleagues in Kenya, which we hope will continue for many years
to come.
We are deeply grateful that the work of this partnership has been generously
supported through funding from several sources including the Nuffield Foundation,
the International Network for the Availability of Scientific Publications (INASP),
and, currently, the BMA Humanitarian Fund and the South West Strategic Health
Authority. Ken-HIP group members have raised funds, and individual donors have
also helped to support activities. Phi is supported through the Sir Halley Stewart
Trust.
The Kenya Health Information Partnership and the UK registered charity Phi
are among the few UK and international organisations working specifically to
improve information skills as a sustainable form of aid in developing countries,
especially in sub-Saharan Africa.
References
1
.
2
.
References [Updated 30 March 2020]
1
University of Winchester Centre for Global Health (2020) Winchester Centre for Global Health: About
us [Online] Available at: https://www.winchester.ac.uk/research/enhancing-wellbeing-nurturing-the-individual/
winchester-centre-for-global-health/ [Accessed 15 April 2020] - there is a small section about Phi under
the heading “Collaborations” on this page.
2
The Association for Health Information and Libraries in Africa (AHILA) (2020) AHILA represents health
library and Information Specialists and Professionals. [Online] Available at: https://ahila.org/ [Accessed 30
March 2020]”
24 Focus on International Library and Information Work Vol. 51, No. 1 2020Witnessing the Evolution of Higher Education
in Hong Kong Through the Eyes of an
American Academic Librarian
by Victoria Caplan
Qianxiu Liu, Patrick Lo & Dickson Chiu
Introduction
Founded in 1991, the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST)
is known as one of the fastest growing institutions of higher education in the
region. It was ranked the number one in Greater China in 2017 for its students’
employability, and number twelve worldwide. HKUST Library plays an important
role in supporting the teaching, learning and research activities, contributing to
the University’s missions as well as its unparalleled academic excellence. The
library and its library professionals play essential roles in creating an environment
that fosters collaborative, experiential learning amongst students from different
academic disciplines. This is through a combination of excellent services and
collections, as well as welcoming, useful, and beautiful spaces.
In the following interview, Victoria Caplan shares how information instruction
services and librarians continue to be needed in the age of Google, and will
discuss the pedagogical roles of information instruction librarians/reference
librarians:
Tell us about your career path to becoming the Head of Information Instruction at
HKUST.
After I graduated from university in 1987, I went to Taiwan to study Chinese
further and while I was there decided that I might pursue librarianship as a career.
When I returned to the United States of America in 1988, I decided to try and
get a full time job in a library to test out if I really liked it.
*Victoria Caplan is an American who started working at
Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST)
in1992. She has served as the Head of Information Instruction
& Collection Services at HKUST Library since 2012. Victoria
achieved a BA in East Asian Studies (concentrating on China)
in 1987 – she has also studied a wide array of subjects,
including Geology, Biology, and Environmental Management.
She gained an in MSc – Library and Information Science in
1991 and an MPhil in Cultural Anthropology in 2005.
Focus on International Library and Information Work Vol. 51 No. 1 2020 25Witnessing the Evolution of Higher Education in Hong Kong
HKUST Information Commons open space
I was fortunate enough to get a job as a library assistant (library clerk) at what
was then the departmental library for Economics and Government at Harvard
University. There, I had a mixture of duties: serials clerk (checking in issues,
sending in claims for late issues, etc.); book processing; as well as serving at the
combined Circulation and Reserve desk; shelving, shelf-reading and overseeing
student workers. I also worked on tidying up the Slichter Industrial Relations
Collection. I worked there for almost two years and then applied to Library
School at the University of Illinois.
I studied there for a full year and graduated with my Master’s degree. I then
began work at the Chicago Public Library as a multilingual cataloguer (Romance
languages, German, & Chinese). But, I was still interested in returning to Asia to
work, so when I saw a job advertised for a cataloguer at HKUST, I applied for it
and was fortunate enough to be hired. So, I moved to Hong Kong and started
work in 1992.
Within a few years, it became evident that my talents lay more in public
services than in technical services, so I joined the Reference department. Later
on I joined the Access Services department (as Media & Microforms Librarian,
and later as Access Services Manager), and then returned to the Reference &
Collection Services (now, Information Instruction & Collection Services) in 2012.
You are currently serving as the Head of Information Instruction & Collection
Services? How does your work Collection Services complement your work in Information
Instruction?
26 Focus on International Library and Information Work Vol. 51, No. 1 2020Witnessing the Evolution of Higher Education in Hong Kong At HKUST, all Information Instruction librarians also serve as subject liaison librarians with collection development duties. From 1995, I have been a Humanities and Social Sciences librarian, and when I became the Media & Microforms librarian, I made selections in all subject areas. I think that there is a great deal of synergy between building a collection and helping users to use it (via reference, instruction, and access services): collection development work makes me better at serving users, and serving users makes me better at building the library’s collection. Describe your job scope and areas of responsibilities as the Head of Information Instruction and Collection Services, and your leadership style. I lead, supervise, and support Information Instruction and Collection Services staff in providing information services, library instruction, collection development and research support while contributing to the University Librarian’s - and indeed the whole Library’s work - to achieve the Library’s overall missions and goals. My “style”, I would describe it as “band leader” (as in music). I’m both a member of the team, and take an organizing role. In the Digital Age, what sort of professional attributes and personality traits should a successful reference or information instruction librarian possess? The same attributes as a successful reference librarian or user education librarian has always possessed: curiosity, good communication skills, patience, kindness, wide-ranging knowledge of different subjects, good teaching skills, and excellent knowledge of current academic research tools and processes. Have you witnessed any major changes in the demographics of the HKUST academic and student populations over the years? I would say the biggest difference is pre-2012 and post 2012, when Hong Kong went from a three year university degree to a four year degree. In 2012 we had a double cohort and the student numbers instantly increased ~30%. This means the student population is younger and they do not have to decide upon their majors upon entry. So, a student may be in the School of Engineering, but may not yet have decided between (say) Mechanical Engineering and Civil Engineering. The demographics of Hong Kong have changed. In 1992, a good number of HKUST students were the first in their family to finish secondary school and came from large families; more than 25 years later, most of the students’ parents have finished high school and the students rarely have more than one sibling. Focus on International Library and Information Work Vol. 51 No. 1 2020 27
Witnessing the Evolution of Higher Education in Hong Kong
The nature of university education at HKUST (and in all of Hong Kong, if not
the world), has meant more active learning, more collaborative work (students
doing teamwork), more experiential learning, and project work.
In your opinion, what are the most effective ways to tempt students to attend library
education programs?
Via collaboration with course instructors. Embedding information literacy
instruction into their courses, when the students have a real research need,
makes it relevant and useful to them.
Then, the instructor (professor) gives the instruction librarians class time, or
makes attendance at a library instruction session a requirement homework (we
take attendance and send it to the instructor). We also work hard to get the
“sweet spot” in terms of time: close enough to the research paper or project
or presentation due date for the students to understand they need it, but far
enough away to give them time to do the research.
What part of your job (as Head of Information Instruction) do you think is most
rewarding, and which do you find most frustrating?
I love helping people with their information and research needs, helping to build
a relevant collection that satisfies current needs and also is “for the ages”; I love
working to help create and maintain an excellent environment for learning, study,
research, and intellectual pursuits.
HKUST library classroom
28 Focus on International Library and Information Work Vol. 51, No. 1 2020Witnessing the Evolution of Higher Education in Hong Kong Hard to say what frustrates me. I guess when people don’t approach their work, their environment, and each other with care and concern. Have you witnessed any major evolution in terms of the format, nature and amount of reference inquiries and research consultations sought from both students and academic staff in the past twenty years? In line with the trends across the world, the overall number of questions at the Information Desk (or Reference Desk) has declined. The substance has changed slightly (less directional, more answers on printing and scanning). But, the smaller numbers make sense. Our library’s web pages make information about using the library easier to find and use. I also find that most undergraduates started to use Google or other search engines in primary school. It’s natural, therefore, that if they have a question they will seek an answer online before asking a librarian. At the same time, HKUST Library’s information instruction is a much larger program than it was ten years ago and is very solidly embedded into the curriculum. The e-learning resources the Information Instruction librarians have created on how to search various databases, or how to mind-map for instance, plus the library research guides all mean that students doing research projects have a stronger knowledge base of information literacy and online resources to help them. This I think accounts for a decrease in the area of “subject” help sought. I must also mention here a new initiative in information services by my colleagues in Access Services: “Rovers”. In order to meet library users “where they are,” Access colleagues now regularly position themselves at heavy-use areas at busy times. If we add in the Rovers’ statistics, we see that HKUST library answers far more questions now than it did ten years ago. This shows the importance of getting out from behind the desk and helping users at point-of- need, whether physically or online. Statistics are available here at: http://library. ust.hk/about-us/statistics/instruction-information-services/ “Active Learning” and active library use go hand-in-hand. Do you think it is because of the increasing emphasis upon “Active Learning” at HKUST – the idea that students must first become effective users of the Library and its resources? I agree they go hand-in-hand, but at the same time - for some subjects, at least - active learning and library resource use are not synonymous. We have to beware delusions of grandeur . For example, a lot of active learning in Focus on International Library and Information Work Vol. 51 No. 1 2020 29
Witnessing the Evolution of Higher Education in Hong Kong Physics or Engineering may not require extensive use of library resources at an undergraduate level. But I agree whole-heartedly that an active library is essential to a great university. What is the definition of “Active Learning” in the context of HKUST? In your opinion, what are the similarities and differences between “Active Learning” and “inquiry-based Learning”? HKUST’s Centre for Education Innovation describes active learning as: “a teaching approach in which students need to engage in class actively through different activities such as discussing, writing, reflecting or questioning.” See: http:// cei.ust.hk/learner-centered-course-design/learning-activities/active-learning-activities for more information. In HKUST’s graduate attributes, known as “ABC-LIVE”, it mentions an inquiry- driven curriculum: http://uce.ust.hk/web/about/about_goal_abclive.html Based on these, for me the difference is that active teaching and learning is more about what you’re doing in a session. Whereas “inquiry-based learning” is more to do with what students do on a course or program level and the learning they do by investigating or researching. So, for example, when I teach sessions to postgraduates on academic integrity and intellectual property, I try to use active learning methods, but we really are not doing inquiry-based learning in it; although I hope the students will take what they learn and apply them in their research and writing and teaching which is inquiry-based. Based on your interactions with the first-year Bachelor’s degree students at HKUST, do you think the local secondary school education has equipped them with the necessary information skills that are needed for making effective use of the HKUST Library resources in order to complete their assignments? From reading the professional literature, I think entering HKUST students are about as prepared as new first year students at large government universities anywhere. Since the introduction of the Hong Kong Diploma of Secondary Education (HKDSE) with the liberal studies component, I have found more first year students have some experience in doing simple and basic research using magazines or newspapers. However, I think the most important thing to draw them in, for the purpose of improving their information literacy skills, is their courses and programs. If courses have no assignments that require use of the Library’s resources, most students will not feel the need to learn to do 30 Focus on International Library and Information Work Vol. 51, No. 1 2020
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