Paul Cannon, Co-CPD Lead, CILIP Health Libraries Group
Job shadowing and library visits have always been a useful way to learn from others and reflect on your own development and how your library runs its services. Plus, who doesn’t like a day out at a library?!
Prior to the pandemic, HLG ran a programme of library visits and shadowing was commonplace. That has fallen away slightly, but new opportunities have arisen, such as virtual visits and meetings, offering new ways for people to connect services and one another.
As part of HLG’s continuing professional development offer, we have created a shadowing network that facilitates people interested in learning about different health and social care sectors, workplaces, or job roles to visit and shadow fellow professionals. The network is being run from the Health Library & Information Services Directory (HLISD) where many of your libraries already appear.
We need you and your library!
In order to facilitate the network, we need you and your library. We already have some early adopter libraries and people opening up their doors (physically and/or virtually!) to host shadowing visits. You can find a list of these libraries on our network webpage (https://hlisd.org/networks/shadowing-network) but we need more library and knowledge services to facilitate an effective network. Could you add your library to the network?
If you are wondering what signing up to the network would entail, we have some FAQs on shadowing listed on HLISD.
How does my library service get involved?
If your library has a local editor, the process is simple! Log into the HLISD admin page and select the Shadowing Network from the networks list. If you don’t have a local editor, then you will need to contact your regional editor via email to request your library record is updated. Whilst you are editing your record, you may want to add individual contacts to your library too; that will provide a point of contact for someone looking to visit your library as well as give potential visitors an idea of who works at the library should they want to shadow someone to learn about a job role or set of skills.
My library is signed up. Now what?
To support you as libraries hosting visits, and those wishing to visit and shadow fellow LKS workers, we have put together some resources that shows you what best practice looks like when hosting a visitor. For people wanting to arrange a shadowing experience, we have guidance for you too. This guidance provides some information on reflecting upon your CPD requirements, considering your employers guidance on CPD activities and visits, as well as some practical considerations.
Where can I find out more?
Watch out for our webinars in early 2025 where we will be sharing these resources with you and offering the opportunity to hear about the benefits of job shadowing from people who have been part of similar networks in the past. If you can’t wait that long, email Paul Cannon and Hong-Anh Nguyen with any questions you have.
Health Libraries Group 