1. The rise of the researcher:
meeting a shift in IL
demand
Fiona Ware, Academic Liaison Librarian
Library and Learning Innovation, University of Hull

2. Overview
Current situation
To this....
Overview

3. Overview
• Background
• Session analysis
• IL provision
• Going forward

4. Background
University of Hull (Hull campus)
• 5 faculties
• 15,000 FTE students
• 1 academic liaison librarian per faculty
Faculty of Health and Social Care (FHSC)
– 2,000 students
– approx 80 academic staff

5. Background - Faculty changes
• University strategy change – teaching AND
research
• New Dean – focus on ‘research’
• All FHSC staff to be ‘research active’
• Research opportunities/portfolio increased –
pHD students

6. One-to-one requests
• Noticeable shift in recent years
• Increase in requests from academic staff and
postgraduates in FHSC
• Decrease in requests from first year
undergraduates

7. Types of individual support requested
• Largely ‘literature searching’:
Selecting search terms; Appropriate databases;
Where to find resources; Advanced searching
(combining, limiting, truncation etc.)
• Using reference management software, e.g.
Refworks

8. One-to-one analysis

9. Data
0
5
10
15
20
25
09 10 10 11 11 12 12 13
Sessions
Academic Year
Comparison of one-to-one sessions
1st year Postgrad Staff

10. Data
0
5
10
15
20
25
09 10 10 11 11 12 12 13
Sessions
Academic Year
Comparison of one-to-one sessions
1st year Postgrad Staff

11. Group versus one-to-ones

12. Data
0
5
10
15
20
25
9 10 10 11 11 12 12 13
Sessions
Academic Year
1st years - Comparison of one-to-ones vs Group
1st year 1st year

13. Data
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
14
9 10 10 11 11 12 12 13
Sessions
Academic Year
Postgrads - Comparison of one-to-ones vs Group
Postgrad Postgrad

14. Data
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
14
16
18
20
9 10 10 11 11 12 12 13
Sessions
Academic Year
Academic staff - Comparison of one-to-ones vs Group
Staff Staff

15. Analysis
• As group sessions increase, ‘one-to-ones’
generally decrease

16. Undergraduate provision – level 4

17. Inductions –
presentation, qui
z; live demo; quiz
Workshops
hands-on
sessions, workbo
oks

18. Subject
Libguides

19. Online tutorials

20. Postgraduate provision

21. Group provision
• Literature searching session taught in conjunction
with lecturer
Feedback:
“It was really valuable as it was good timing, interactive and met
our needs as a group. We were also encouraged to self assess before
and after which was really helpful. I liked the approach of the
facilitators that encouraged discussion and asking us what we
wanted as it was tailored to meet our needs and individual skill set
to date.”
Postgraduate Forum

22. • For PhD students
• Credit bearing
• Webinar on literature searching
• Practical workshop
Group provision
Enhanced Information and Research Skills
Module

24. Online provision

25. Academic staff provision

26. Group provision
2 or 3 slots over a weekly period, e.g.
– Library update, ebooks, advanced searching, reading
list software training
Year long programme set up by Faculty
– Afternoon session on ‘Literature searching and
evaluating research’
Staff Development Week
Fast-Track research programme

27. Group provision
• Training sessions for academic adoption has
increased engagement and opportunity for info
skill teaching
• Show them how to search the library catalogue
properly!
Readinglist@hull software training

28. Summary
• Fall in undergraduate one-to-one requests at
level 4 (first year) but rise in group sessions
delivered
• Postgraduate and academic staff ‘one-to-one’
requests peaked in 11/12 but appear to be falling
as group sessions increase

29. Going forward

30. Undergraduates
• Continue with group sessions (embedded in teaching
timetable)
• Students can book individual appointments online
for literature searching support
• Skills strategy – looking at making more online
resources/videos available
• Libguides software update coming soon
NEW:

31. Postgraduates
• Postgrad Forum and EIRS module continuing
• Faculty online ‘research’ area
• Increase online tutorials/videos
• Libguides upgrade
NEW:

32. Academics
• Fast-Track programme / Staff development week
and Talis training continuing
• Contributing to an online ‘research’ area for the
faculty
–Adobe connect to capture literature searching
presentation
• Increase online tutorials, quick videos
NEW:

33. Final thoughts
• Individual academic support should decrease as
all become ‘research competent’ 
• Will it reach a ‘steady state’, i.e. balance of group
/ individual support?
• As we move more materials online, will one-to-
one support increase again?
• Pattern unique to the Health faculty at UoH
• A similar pattern in your institution?

34. Questions?
Academic Liaison Librarian
Fiona Ware - f.ware@hull.ac.uk
follow us on twitter HullUni_Library