Developing a New Core Collection for District Hospitals in Sub-Saharan Africa
Volunteering vacancies
Summary of project:
CILIP HLG has successfully developed core collections for Medicine, Mental Health, Nursing and Midwifery and Dentistry, for use in principally a UK setting. The development and updating of these collections have included volunteer contributions from a range of health librarians and practitioners.
In collaboration with African Hospital Libraries and other partners, CILIP HLG is now developing a core collection specifically tailored to the contrasting and under-served information needs of healthcare workers in first-referral-level hospitals (e.g. district hospitals) in sub-Saharan Africa. This much-needed resource will be of great value to library and information professionals in this region, as they serve patient care providers such as doctors, nurses, midwives, allied health professionals and mid-level healthcare workers.
Who we are looking for:
We are looking for motivated volunteers who can commit to finding, and assessing the relevance and quality of, titles within a single subject category of the core collection. Volunteers will work in pairs in a subject category.
Support for volunteers:
Volunteer activities will be coordinated and overseen by members of a Core Working Group. Clear guidance will accompany all volunteer activities, as well as standard criteria to aid decision making around inclusion or exclusion of titles.
Volunteer activities will be coordinated through a project webpage and additional one-to-one email/ remote advisory support will be provided where needed.
We are unable to reimburse individual costs incurred by participation in the project, e.g. data/ internet connection.
Essential criteria:
Volunteers are required to demonstrate at least one of the following:
- Subject knowledge/ expertise
- Experience in collections management
- Experience working as a health information professional in sub-Saharan Africa
- Currently working as a health librarian
Volunteers must have access to a computer/laptop to undertake the work, and must be able to access online resources.
Desirable criteria:
- Current member of CILIP HLG
Benefits:
Each volunteer will be working with another colleague, as a pair. Participation in the project will give opportunity for developing new skills and expanding professional networks. Volunteers will receive a certificate of participation in the project, on successful completion of their allocated role/ activities. We anticipate that there may also be future opportunities within the project, for any volunteers who wish to extend their role.
How to apply:
Please send your CV and a covering letter to chair.hlg@cilip.org.uk by 8th April 2024. The covering letter should be no more than 500 words, and should outline relevant experience and reason for interest in the role.