Live blogging from Pam Mckinney at #LILAC23

 It’s Pam McKinney here live blogging from #LILAC23 at the university of Cambridge. The first session today is “why don’t they like me? The trials and tribulations of a newly qualified science librarian” by Eva Garcia Grau. Eva spoke about the challenges of starting her role during the covid pandemic, and the dissertation research she undertook while studying a masters at Aberystwyth university. She analysed over 200 published journal articles to understand the barriers to integration of IL teaching in the university curriculum. 

Central barriers were reluctance of academics to give time in their packed curriculum, a lack of institutional support, poor perceptions of librarians, librarian confidence in pedagogy.  There is a need to make IL teaching subject-specific, and teach within the disciplinary context. However close working with academics can facilitate this. Alternative strategies were for academics to do the IL teaching, which positions the librarian as “expert” consultant in IL. Stand-alone IL models are also used, as well as online IL courses. Recommendations coming from the review are to speak the language of academics, and link IL to to the capabilities that students need. Librarians need to be brave, and engage with the acadmicsin the disciplines you support. 

Be confident in librarian teaching identity is also important. Eva’s strategies. Were to adopt  a ‘drip-drip’ approach, and be visible. She made sure she was invited to committees in the academic departments, attending social events and really getting to know the academics socially. She developed good relationships with the professional services colleagues in departments. She found that Demonstrating her knowledge of research helped, and how she could save academic staff time. Word of mouth is helpful for marketing services. 

Barriers were when colleagues left the institution which meant that there was a decrease in engagement, and it is hard to devise IL teaching that is appropriate for Maths. Evidence of success can be seen in an increase in teaching, increase in student appointments, academics seeking her out for support, being invited to events, teaching being booked well in advance, and feeling more confident in her abilities.