CILIP North East Regional Member Network were pleased to offer a bursary to Cheryl Francis from University of Sunderland to attend the DARTS conference. Cheryl has shared a review of her conference experience. Below find part three.
DARTS9 reflections: Part Three
Wednesday 21st May – Thursday 22nd May 2025
Barriers to librarians undertaking research and starting on the research pathway
Many of these talks covered the structural barriers librarians face as professional services staff, such as lack of organisation infrastructure to support librarians and other professional staff as it is focused on academic researchers. This means there is usually a lack of time to research whilst also facing the demands of the job. It’s highlighted that there is little training in LIS courses on research.
They also covered what you could call lack of confidence, imposter syndrome and the steep learning curve, often without peers. That creation of networks of librarian researchers is key, formal and informal, small and large, local and national, to enable the exchange of ideas, inspiration, motivation and peer-support. That although we are surrounded by research in the UK librarians don’t have a professional culture of doing research in a formalised way (unlike US for example).
Resilience and determination is needed, but this is also an opportunity once it is recognised as a growing and learning element to our professional and personal development. There were several mentions from individuals who have undertaken research have done so by enacting some level of internal change in their institution, which makes research seem daunting in some ways, but also – they overcame these barriers.
Beth Montague-Hellen has already been thinking about this, and in her session was interested in finding out what support is needed, from institutions, employers and from line managers to help lift librarians into research work. She suggested that the harsh feedback researcher can receive means a community of people is needed to help support and encourage self-belief so we don’t give up.
She identifies barriers of TIME, MONEY and picks apart those assumptions that we “can’t because…”.
Do we always need funding to do research? (see “We can do it!” to see the answer is “no!”). What can we do as wannabe-researchers? Find the time – are we doing what we really need to right now – can that meeting be missed or that task be pushed back? Can we find research in our business as usual work?
Perhaps it’s momentum that’s our main challenge – when it’s not built into your day-to-day work it can be the thing that gets and left behind.
Stuart Hunt also showed how Durham University Library has shifted from a research enabler to research active by establishing a supportive culture which includes attending conferences and writing for publication. Some of his thoughts were more strategic than and I found them harder to grasp, but the overall message was that research in libraries is being encouraged from the very top of the institution. He also identified barrier such as status of librarians as non-academic staff, professional staff workload models how to balance business as usual with research when it’s not built-in, that being identified as potential research partners is not usual and it’s not well known how to secure external funding for bigger projects.
We can do it!
Gillian Siddall, Alice Cann, and Frankie Marsh & Lucy Woolhouse all shared research they have undertaken, although Gillian was the only person to secure funding for her very interesting research which used visual research methods via funding from the RLUK professional practitioner fellowship, the others are stories of using everyday work and opportunities to build a research element into their roles. This second route felt more achievable.
Alice Cann’s journey into research is one many librarians can likely relate to and possibly emulate:
... and finally, some more words from Lizzie's keynote:
Sometimes it enough to turn up. Support each other and remember life is tough and as humans we all make mistakes. 40% PGR have suicide ideation and 20% a suicide plan. Just keep going because there’s always something you can do – and the smallest thing can sometimes be the biggest thing. Change needs shouters, but also normalisers behind them. There’s never “nothing” you can do.
We don’t all have to be leaders - being a first follower is a crucial role - Lizzie showed us this video that shows how someone looking ridiculous dancing on their own can become the start of a movement…when they get enough followers. I’d seen before and often thinking about its message: https://youtu.be/fW8amMCVAJQ?si=eae91O8VO0ZpMlD5
Overall the DARTS9 conference was an inspirational joining together of information professionals who aspire to - or are already - doing research. It gave me the belief I can do it do.
I applied for the RLUK research catalyst cohort programme 2025/6 and got a place. Thank you to CILIP Northeast for the bursary to attend DARTS9 and everyone at DARTS9 for the inspiration!
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