The 2016 HLI conference ‘lightning talks’ provided a valuable update on activities being undertaken by libraries in the field, as well as interesting insights into various aspects of health librarianship. The talks covered a range of topics, including deals negotiated by the Victorian Health Libraries Consortium (VHLC), news from the Health Libraries Managers’ Forum, what it’s like to switch from a hospital library to a university library, and a great new project that demonstrates the contribution and value of libraries to their organisations.