Presented at LILAC 2022

1. Librarian consultations: supporting student
researchers in the hybrid world
Ruth Jenkins, Christine Love-Rodgers,
Marshall Dozier, Chung Yau Yiu (Janet)
Library Academic Support, University of Edinburgh

2. Background: University of Edinburgh
University of Edinburgh
45,615 students (2020/21)
• 26,850 UG
• 12,920 PGT
• 5,485 PGR
11 Library sites
College Student numbers
Arts, Humanities & Social
Sciences (CAHSS)
26,130
Science & Engineering (CSE) 11,745
Medicine & Veterinary Medicine
(CMVM)
7740
New College Library
Picture By Paul Dodds

3. Background: University of Edinburgh
Library Academic Support team
• 13 Academic Support Librarians (ASLs)
• 3 College focused teams
• Work across the team to support
literature searching and systematic
review appointments
• Bespoke and generic information
literacy teaching to Schools
The Law Library
Picture By Sam Sills

4. Background : Librarian Consultation Service
• 13 Academic Support Librarians (ASLs) offer
librarian consultations​
• Provides support for students struggling with
researching their literature review and developing
a search strategy.
• Provides systematic review support for students using
evidence-based methodologies (particularly health-
related subjects)
• From 2020, we have transitioned from face-to-
face consultations to a fully online service
• For CAHSS, service relaunched in 2021 to
provide greater digital visibility of appointments
using University online portal
The Centre for Research Collections
Picture By Paul Dodds

5. Aims
• Understand how students discover the librarian
consultation service and how we can work to
overcome lack of awareness of the service
• Understand the impact that the librarian
consultation had on development of information
literacy skills
• Understand what next steps we should take to
improve the service, particularly in a hybrid
learning context

6. Methods
• Adaptation of methods developed by Dalton (2019) to evaluate the
impact of librarian consultations on student research using digital library
services
• Sample: those who booked a one-to-one consultation with ASLs
• Data gathering: request for feedback sent by 2-6 weeks following the
consultation, providing link to Jisc online survey tool used to gather
feedback
• Survey sought students’ input on experience and impact of consultations
• Thematic analysis of free text comments: inductive process of thorough
reading of feedback, identification of common opinions or practices
reported, and creation of themes to highlight repeated concepts from
feedback

7. Key Findings – respondents
Total: 77 responses
School of Education and Sport 19%
Molecular, Genetic and Population Health
Sciences 16%
Edinburgh College of Art 12%
Social and Political Science 11%
Edinburgh Medical School 10%
Law 8%
Veterinary Studies 6%
Literatures, Languages and Cultures 5%
Health in Social Science 4%
Philosophy, Psychology and Language
Sciences 4%
Biomedical Sciences 3%
Engineering 1%
Business School 1%
Postgradu
ate -
Research
45%
Postgradu
ate -
Taught
36%
Undergraduate
14%
Staff
5%

8. Key Findings
– Service
Discovery
Recommendation by
academic staff is the
most important
discovery route
University online
portal is a key digital
space for students to
discover the librarian
consultation service

9. Key Findings – level of impact
What impact, if any, did the consultation with a librarian have on the quality or
effectiveness of your research project?

10. Key Findings: explaining level of impact
Improve search skills
Librarians are providing technical knowledge in terms of search
skills, for example but not limited to refining search terms, focusing
search questions, optimise searches, understanding useful features (of
database), etc.
Give Direction
Librarians are giving directions to students in terms of
building structuring and designing search strategy as well as providing a
clearer idea and confirming students are on the right direction for
their research project.
Identify (new) resources
Librarians are identifying and introducing
specific resources and/or database that are appropriate
for students according to their needs.
Tools and software
Students felt they are able to utilise specific tools and software
after consultation, including reference management, Covidence
(systematic review).
I have never experienced this way of
searching for scientific literature. Because
im writing a literature review, the search
strategy is a crucial element in this
process. […] I ve learned all about search
terms and the right use of the right
databases.
I was guided towards databases that
would work best for my chosen topic and
language. In addition to the discovery of
new resources that I look forward to
utilising, I learned how to use DiscoverEd
more effectively.
Note on thematic analysis: A single comment from one
respondent could fall into more than one category

11. Key Findings: what respondents will do
differently
Use additional relevant resources and tools
Students became aware of, and used, a broader range
of databases and reference managers following
the consultation.
Adopt more sophisticated search techniques
Students were equipped with skills in searching databases
with techniques after the consultation, such as but not limited
to the use of keywords and subject headings.
Use more services in support of studies
Students became aware of other library services (e.g.
interlibrary loans)
Rethink overall approaches to searches
Students stepped back and thought more strategically about
their literature searching
Nothing
No changes were made after the consultation. Note on thematic analysis: A single comment from one
respondent could fall into more than one category
Yes, I have a new search strategy that is
much more efficient and I've done the
grey literature search after receiving [the
librarian’s] advice.
I am taking notes of my thought
processes and steps as I go along.
I have more information about where and how
to do my searches and how to find help if
needed.

12. Conclusions
Recommendation by supervisor is important to student
take-up of the consultation service.
These one-to-one consultations have very high positive
impact on information literacy skills development.
Librarian consultation service is valued by a wide
diversity of subject areas
These sessions in particular help students to improve
search skills, use of Library databases, and reference
managers.

13. Developing practice
Wider review of librarian consultation service to
include feedback from ASL staff and review of
bookings and attendance data
Share good practice across the team in pre-
consultation documentation and develop standard
approaches
To address scaleability of support, make use of
asynchronous learning materials

14. Bibliography
Dalton, M., 2019. How individual consultations with
a librarian can support systematic reviews in the
social sciences. Journal of Information Literacy, 13(2),
pp.163–172.
Stapleton, Jackie, Carter, Caitlin & Bredahl, Laura,
2020. Research consultations in the academic library: A
scoping review on current themes in instruction,
assessment and technology. The Journal of academic
librarianship, 46(4), p.102156.

15. Full survey questions
1. Please tell us about yourself. Which academic unit are you part of?
1.a. What is your level of study?
2. How did you hear about one-to-one consultations with a librarian?
3. What literature search guidance (if any) had you used prior to booking your
librarian consultation?
4. What impact, if any, did the consultation with a librarian have on the quality or
effectiveness of your research project?
4.a. Can you say more about why you chose this answer?
5. Is there anything you now do differently as a result of attending the consultation
with a librarian?
6. How could the consultation have been improved?

16. Ruth Jenkins
Academic Support
Librarian
University of Edinburgh
Email: Ruth.Jenkins@ed.ac.uk
Twitter: @Kangarooth
Christine Love-Rodgers
College Lead, Library
Academic Support (CAHSS)
University of Edinburgh
Email: Christine.Love-
Rodgers@ed.ac.uk
Twitter: @cloverodgers

17. Marshall Dozier
College Lead, Library Academic
Support (Medicine & Veterinary
Medicine) University of
Edinburgh
Email:
marshall.dozier@ed.ac.uk
Twitter: @mafrado
Chung Yau Yiu (Janet)
Placement Student
(now MSc ILS graduate)
Email:
aliceyiu0108@gmail.com