Capacity building and leveraging student expertise with Systematic Review Tutors

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Ruth Jenkins, Academic Support Librarian at the University of Edinburgh

Abstract

This presentation will discuss the innovative integration of student expertise in the form of Systematic Review Tutors. These students work with Academic Support Librarians to provide support for students and staff with literature-based research projects, primarily supporting medicine but also offering assistance in other disciplines.

The partnership has proven beneficial for both Systematic Review Tutors and the Academic Support Librarians. The arrangement not only provides for student employment but utilises their unique insight into the postgraduate experience and established peer networks. We will hear directly from the Tutors, Durga and Ari, as they introduce themselves, describe their typical work, and share lessons learned and successes.

The hiring process, advantages and challenges of the partnership, and changes in perceptions about the library will also be discussed from both staff and student perspectives, offering an exploration of this collaboration between students and staff, and its potential for capacity-building for increased demand for systematic review support.

Biography

Ruth Jenkins is an Academic Support Librarian, offering specialist library support for medicine and biomedical sciences at the University of Edinburgh. She is the Lead for Systematic Reviews in Library Academic Support, and manages a team of two Systematic Review Tutors. She is a Chartered librarian and Fellow of Advance HE, as well as a UHMLG committee member.

Summer Conference 2025: Stop! Collaborate and Listen: Partnerships in Libraries

UHMLG’s 2025 Summer Conference brings together a range of fantastic speakers to look at partnerships within libraries. The conference is taking place in person at the Hive in Worcester and spans two half days (13-14 June, 2025). Our core audience is UK / Republic of Ireland health and medical librarians from the Higher Education and NHS / health sectors, but we welcome delegates from any area of librarianship, and from anywhere in the world.

More information / Book your place

For full information about the conference, and to book your place, please visit our Summer Conference 2025 page.