CILIP is currently running a free, leadership-based online training programme, funded by Arts Council England, to equip the public library workforce in England* with skills in two specific areas:

 

• Digital skills — recognising the role of the library as a portal for digital access, from basic skills and digital information services to understanding and interacting with AI.
• Futures literacy — using the UNESCO Futures Literacy framework and the CILIP Future Libraries toolkit, this module supports the development of strategies to meet future local needs.
• *Please note: this training is currently only available to public library staff in England.

Learner feedback

Our early achievers are already seeing the impact of New Skills. Here is some thoughtful feedback from two of the first library staff to complete our new, free training: Molly Smith from Lancashire County Council said

“I am neurodivergent and this aligns with the way my brain functions so perfectly, but it has formal structure and tools so I can explain how this process works to anyone with a different neurotype to me. For me, that is incredibly validating and a true gift that allows me to communicate more effectively and clearly while planning with my team.

“I work for a diverse, deprived community, and I truly believe these tools will help me to advocate for them more effectively in the coming years. I think all operational and strategic managers would benefit from this training.” Georgie Fenwick from Somerset Council said

“I really enjoyed the training; I gained valuable insights into how digital trends may impact service delivery and how creative thinking can help to navigate uncertainty. Scenario planning was particularly helpful to increase my understanding of how to adapt in uncertain times and maintain a growth mindset.

“It’s good to know that all is not lost for public libraries!” Training benefits

CPD development: This training contributes to your professional development and can be counted towards your CPD requirements as a librarian.

You do not need to be a CILIP member to register onto the course.

Benefit to your library service: The New Skills for the Future Library Leader training offers library staff aspiring to move into leadership roles fresh ways to think and problem solve and will add greater flexibility in their team skills matrix, while enhancing your project management and strategic thinking skills.

Duration: you can complete both self-paced modules in less than 4 hours.

The PKSB has been mapped to the module aims for this training and you can clearly see how the training links to Professional Registration.

You will leave the online training with a range of downloadable resources to support disseminating your learning to your teams and for your own future reference and development. For more information on FAQs and to download the PKSB mapping document visit here.

Find out more here.

Registration closes: Tuesday 31 March 2026.

Register today

Research unveils restrictive eBook access is limiting the transformative potential of libraries, cutting off access to scientific knowledge, research, innovation, and opportunity for economic growth.

Public, academic and research libraries are continuously modernising to meet evolving community needs in a digital age.

eBooks should be central to this modernisation, offering remote access, expanding inclusive reading, and enabling borrowing anytime, anywhere. Yet libraries are obstructed from providing the equitable access to knowledge they are funded to deliver by unfair pricing, overly restrictive licences, refusal to license, and bundling practices.

Fixing the eBook Market: supporting innovation and growth is a literature review funded by Knowledge Rights 21, commissioned by CILIP and delivered by Inflect.

The report reviews the positive return on investment found by academic studies for all types of libraries. It evidences how eBooks are changing the ownership models and cost structure that our libraries face and considers how these impacts are affecting both the economics of libraries and their capacity to achieve their economic, social, and educational roles. It makes a series of recommendations including:

• Ensuring fair pricing and competition
• Reforming eLending rules
• Ending restrictive bundling practices
• Protecting libraries' preservation role
• A 'case for support' synthesises research from the literature review to create an accessible, compelling and evidence-backed advocacy document within a broader library context.

The report will be officially launched at a Parliamentary roundtable event on February 26.

The publication of the literature review and 'case for support' is the first step in the Unlocking eBooks project, which will look to garner widespread support for change - both politically and across the sector.

Download Literature Review and Case for Support

Join the webinar on 19 March

Early bird full conference rates are limited and in high demand—secure your spot now for the best deal on tickets for CILIP Conference 2025.

Gene Tan, Chief Librarian and Chief Innovation Officer of Singapore’s National Library Board (NLB), will keynote CILIP Conference this year, taking place on 2-3 July, in Birmingham.

As Chief Innovation Officer, Gene is spearheading the development of LAB25 (Libraries and Archives Blueprint 2025), a new transformative vision for the National Library, National Archives and the public libraries in Singapore.

Gene’s address will explore NLB’s ambitious generative AI projects - ChatBook and StoryGen – detailing how they have successfully collaborated in partnership ways of working, the engagement impact of these projects, and their vision for the future of AI in libraries.

Gene joins author Michael Rosen as our second keynote speaker in an exciting 2025 programme line-up.

With a dynamic programme featuring expert speakers, thought-provoking discussions, and valuable networking opportunities, CILIP Conference 2025 is set to be an unmissable event.

Don't miss this opportunity to hear from Gene Tan as he shares his ground-breaking work on AI innovation in libraries.

By Laurie Gibbs, Library Apprentice at Thomas Deacon Academy

When I completed my four-year degree in Fine Art, I didn’t think about where it would lead. My motivation has always been creativity – it didn’t matter what, or how – the habit of producing, designing and presenting meaningful work is intrinsic. I’ve always been interested in books, they direct my work at every juncture, but they carry my history too. I have vivid memories of sitting on the floor in empty houses as child; we moved around a lot, but books were a way of having friends wherever I went. When I saw an opening for a library job in my local academy, I saw an opportunity to share my passion for books and creativity with the next generation.

My apprenticeship in Library, Information and Archive Services began in January 2023. I’m currently completing my apprenticeship at Thomas Deacon Academy, one of the largest academies in the Midlands, where I and my team serve 2,000+ students and teachers. In all honesty, I wasn’t sure what to expect. I was merging real-life experience with theory on the trot, and it was a steep learning curve. Everything was new – communicating with kids and assisting teachers by day, and immersing myself in archival practices and library history by night. It was exciting, exhausting, and has changed my ideas forever regarding libraries; particularly ones in the education sector.

It isn’t anything like people imagine, and in truth, the perspective of school libraries in the eyes of the public was a shock to me. We operate under the umbrella of the school and are there to serve, but we stand firm as an entirely individual institution of free learning, and free reading. Despite the purpose of schools being to educate, breaking through the politics around censorship and raising our voice to maintain our values as a library has been a difficult but valuable venture that I’m proud to be a part of.

An apprenticeship is a fantastic way to get to grips with the profession you’re in – to really understand it. I think this is incredibly important for working in a library. Once you understand why the library exists, why they need to be protected, it ensures your capability to stay motivated. My boss has worked in the library sector for a long time, and I was in the perfect position to glean as much information as I could because of my apprenticeship – the assignments pushed me to ask questions, to discuss with my tutor about how the targets were applied in a school setting.

I would advise anyone who is looking to begin a career in the library and information sector to consider an apprenticeship, if there’s one available! You’ll hopefully learn as much about yourself as you study the theory. It’s integral to our service to be aware of our role in the school environment, and this helps us to stand firm in our values and abilities.

Combining the physical job of working at a school with the theory of the apprenticeship was daunting at first! My role as a school librarian in the first few months was building up a good muscle memory – what to do when spontaneous classes appear, how to host inductions, guiding children through online learning and teaching children from ages 5-18 how to self-study – and once I’d got the hang of my methods at work, I could apply my learning from my apprenticeship study. The combination has produced a positive outcome and with the help of a fantastic boss and a tutor who was dialled in to the demands of a school library job meant that I received top quality teaching. I can’t thank them enough for everything they’ve done!

Creativity

The biggest surprise was the scope of creativity, and my engagement with library ethics, which absolutely gripped me from the start! As I previously mentioned, the act of making is a huge motivator for me. I was able to create daily as a librarian, making displays, discovering new ways to reach our huge audience, even hosting a creative writing group for a season.

The aspect of library ethics I particularly loved was discovering the beginning of public libraries in Britain – to enrich the lives of people who were unable to buy books. People were able to learn how to read books, to pay a small fee and have access to all the books available. We have become more sophisticated through online databases and internet searching, but the core value of libraries remains.

When calls were made for books to be removed from the school board, or when I heard of other school libraries facing scrutiny for ‘inappropriate’ materials, or school libraries being shut down entirely, it only pushed me further to advocate for free reading.

We host a multitude of programs in our library to assist users in becoming more literate, and in turn, more autonomous in their studies, and it has only showed me the intrinsic nature of schools and libraries being together – that mutual respect of each others’ institutions is necessary to create and enriching learning environment for the students.

One of the biggest challenges I faced was around communication styles with our students! I assist users of all ages. The apprenticeship shows me the theory, but at TDA I have to put it into practice. It was through finding solutions in my public speaking ability, and the measures I take to embody the library values in my work to the students that helped to cement everything I was learning.

I have a few tips for other apprentices or those thinking about taking an apprenticeship. Read Information Professional! And if you’re interestedin working in school libraries, reading articles from the School Library Association. It was a comfort to see other librarians’ experiences after a challenging moment at school, and it may help to consolidate what you’re learning with real stories from others like you.

To all school librarians, your work is so crucial. Everything you do, you’re doing it for your students, and on days where nobody sees what you’re doing, just know that the one child who finds solace in the library will think of you for years after they’ve left school. I know I’ll never forget the librarians in my life that made it possible for me to find my passions, and I know you’re doing the same for children across the country. We’re in this together!

Ayub Khan is Head of Warwickshire Libraries and Heritage and Culture, and has been involved with IFLA since the turn of the millennium.

CILIP is offering members from the UK the opportunity to put themselves forward for 800+ roles across 50+ committees and groups at the International Federation of Library Associations & Institutions (IFLA) 2025 elections.

Ayub received a partial grant to attend an IFLA conference in 2000, in Jerusalem, and was hooked on International Librarianship. He later joined the multicultural round table and then the IFLA Buildings committee.

“In 2022, I plucked up the courage to stand as an IFLA governing board member and was delighted to be nominated by CILIP and elected by the membership of IFLA.”

Membership of one of IFLA’s many diverse groups is a unique opportunity to develop your professional skills, make new contacts and connections, and represent the UK library sector.

“I learned so many skills, chairing and being involved in committees. I also gained a broader knowledge of library and informational work across the globe and in different continents. This helped broaden my perspective and enhance my networks. Being a member of the governing board provided me with an opportunity to lead an organisation on an international scale.”

IFLA is an independent, international, non-governmental, not-for-profit organisation, which advances the interests of library and information associations, libraries and information services, librarians and the communities they serve throughout the world.

“There will never be a good time, so take every opportunity that there maybe, and if you are unsuccessful in being elected, don't let this put you offer. Persevere and try again. I have never looked back at my international involvement. I've learnt that the library profession is similar across the world, it's just the content which differs.”

The elections take place every two years and are a fantastic way for UK librarians and information professionals to play a greater role in their field on the international stage.

Find out more on how to apply

Claire Laybats, Professional Services Development Manager reflects on four years of apprenticeship assessment at CILIP Pathways, and analyses how apprenticeships have impacted the sector.

One thing is clear from the stories and testimonials is that we have achieved our aim to create a new pathway into the profession but what about encouraging diversity and making an impact on the sector?

What the data shows us to date is that there is a significant proportion of people entering the profession through this route with registered disabilities, a fifth of all learners have declared a disability and have successfully completed the apprenticeship and moved on in their roles.

Employers too are seeing real benefits from the apprenticeship. In employer interviews from 2023 employers stated that having the ability to take on an apprentice provided them with flexibility in their recruiting strategies.

They were able to connect with local pools of talent bringing new perspectives into the team.

Apprentices were seen to be able to contribute right from the start of their journey as they applied their learning and took on projects to add value to the teams offering as part of their apprenticeship assessment.

This is what some of the employers had to say:

"Our apprentice has brought a great deal of new ideas and enthusiasm to our team. The apprenticeship provides a good balance of hands-on experience and learning to develop the skills of participants. It is a pleasure to share knowledge and training with a new generation interested in a career working with Archives." AC, Principal Libraries Officer.

"It was a good experience seeing our apprentice develop while she was here and she has come up with a project that will hopefully have quite wide-reaching effects on our public library catalogue website," MS, Frontline Library Officer.

"K developed numerous specialist skills such as information management and data protection. I think K's apprenticeship has helped her to figure out her career goals. It provided her with an opportunity be in a paid role, put training into practice and achieve a professional qualification."

"There was a comprehensive programme for K to follow and a lot of project based work which reflected very closely the day to day activities of the Library and information service," PW, Government Legal Information Manager.

Apprenticeship stories

Over the years, CILIP's in-house magazine Information Professional, has covered the accomplishments of some of these apprentices, which have been shared online and with the sector. These stories reflect the diversity and enthusiasm apprentices bring to their programmes, and future employers.

Red's Story

Red Tanner decided to take the apprenticeship path after realising that university was not for them, finding that it brought new perspectives and value to their career progression after finishing college.

Read Red's story

Marcin's Story

During his apprenticeship, Marcin gained a lot more than a qualification, he was offered a permanent position and is now looking to the next steps in his career.

Read Marcin's story

Lavinia's Story

"Is starting an apprenticeship in the 60th year of your life a good idea? In my experience the answer is a resounding yes!"

Read Lavinia's story

Tom's story

Studying history at university, the library quickly became my best friend, with hours spent searching the shelves in search for books, or asking librarians for obscure articles on Oliver Cromwell. Little did I know while studying that I would end up being the one that would help people find the information they needed.

Read Tom's story

Already down the road of hiring an apprentice? You can advertise your apprentice vacancy on informationprofessionaljobs for free, please contact Angela Krzyzanowska.

Claire Laybats, Professional Services Development Manager reflects on four years of apprenticeship assessment at CILIP Pathways, with input from some of the apprentices.

Our aims from the start were to encourage diversity and to create new pathways into the sector. We worked with employers on a trailblazer group to develop and launch the Level 3 Library, Information and Archive Services Assistant Apprenticeship Standard.

This apprenticeship has now been running for 4 years, and in that time over 200 people have successfully achieved the standard.

What we have seen is a host of talented individuals developing their expertise in the sector, actively contributing to their teams and going on to develop their careers and professionalism through the CILIP professional registration award programme.

We recently went back to our past apprentices to find out where they were and how the apprenticeship had helped them.

From the apprentice's themselves

"I have progressed to become a library manager the same branch I was a library assistant at. The level 3 apprenticeship definitely helped me on the journey to becoming a manager, increasing my knowledge, skills and confidence along the way. It is valued by my employer and I have since managed a staff member who is undertaking their apprenticeship," MH, Library Manager.

"The apprenticeship gave me good knowledge and experience that I have been able to use in my daily work and interviews. I am currently working a 6 month secondment library manager role, a step up from library assistant and I am currently studying for an MA in Library and Information Management," JH, Student.

"It really helped me to build confidence through all of the knowledge and skills gained on the course. The course pushed me outside of my comfort zone to do things I wouldn't have otherwise done," MS.

Apprenticeship stories

Over the years, CILIP's in-house magazine Information Professional, has covered the accomplishments of some of these apprentices, which have been shared online and with the sector. These stories reflect the diversity and enthusiasm apprentices bring to their programmes, and future employers.

Red's Story

Red Tanner decided to take the apprenticeship path after realising that university was not for them, finding that it brought new perspectives and value to their career progression after finishing college.

Read Red's story

Marcin's Story

During his apprenticeship, Marcin gained a lot more than a qualification, he was offered a permanent position and is now looking to the next steps in his career.

Read Marcin's story

Lavinia's Story

"Is starting an apprenticeship in the 60th year of your life a good idea? In my experience the answer is a resounding yes!"

Read Lavinia's story

Tom's story

Studying history at university, the library quickly became my best friend, with hours spent searching the shelves in search for books, or asking librarians for obscure articles on Oliver Cromwell. Little did I know while studying that I would end up being the one that would help people find the information they needed.

Read Tom's story

Already down the road of hiring an apprentice? You can advertise your apprentice vacancy on informationprofessionaljobs for free, please contact Angela Krzyzanowska.

Kavan Stafford, works as a Senior Librarian at NHS Lanarkshire, using the skills he developed in public libraries to help the users of the NHS access the best possible treatment.

Support your public library colleagues and fill out the anonymous survey that will provide the basis for a first-of-its-kind analysis of homeless users in libraries across the UK.

Public librarians are increasingly being asked to undertake activities that they have not been trained for, and the feeling is that this kind of workload is increasing.

This can be problematic especially when providing support and services to homeless users, where there is either a lack of training, or appropriate training is difficult to find.

This survey will give public librarians a chance to express their frustrations and share their experiences to support creating a robust basis for developing new and enhancing existing training.

Completing the survey is also an opportunity for public librarians to reflect on their work and covers questions that you might not have considered before, sparking new ideas for you and your library.

Fill in the anonymous survey today and share it with colleagues

Background

Kavan Stafford, a librarian of eight years’ experience, is running the survey that builds on his Masters’ dissertation, which examined staff attitudes towards homeless users.

During the pandemic, while Kavan was working with homeless library users at Mitchell Library in Glasgow, he watched the library transform from a place visitors could access freely to somewhere with strict entry requirements, including the need for a stated reason to enter.

Kavan said: “Homeless users, who came in for warmth, a place to read or even to sit down and relax, were digitally excluded from the booking system and could not provide stated reasons for entry, so could not access the service.

“This led to misunderstandings between homeless library users and staff as staff, who were overworked and expected to do more and more, found themselves unable to help homeless library users as they felt they should.”

A first-of-its-kind book

The results of the survey will form part of a new book entitled ‘Public Libraries and Homelessness’ from Facet Publishing.

‘Public Libraries and Homelessness’ will provide an overview of the current provision in UK public libraries for homeless users, and analyse international research and case studies to support policy and training development.

Find out more about Facet Publishing

Survey closes on 31 March, fill in the anonymous survey today.

Email Kavan to find out more or ask any further questions.

CILIP is inviting researchers to undertake a gap analysis and consultation with sector experts to create a comprehensive review of training provision for leadership in the public library workforce in England.

CILIP is looking for researchers to submit a proposal to conduct a landscape review of existing training provisions in leadership for the public library workforce in England.

This research forms part of the Horizon scanning report ‘Come Rain or Shine’ that presents Digital Access and Futures Literacy as two key areas of development relevant to the public library workforce.

The research will include:

• Conducting a gap analysis and highlighting areas for future training provision, potential delivery and comms partners
• Consultations with sector experts - including Libraries Connected, English Public Libraries Group, British Library Living Knowledge Network, Local Government Association and others - to scope out the audience, structure, content and costing model (if applicable) for the training programme and suggested performance measures to assess the impact of the training.

The landscape review will inform the next phase of the project in which CILIP will commission a specialist learning provider to develop two online training modules on Digital Access and Futures Literacy. This project is funded by Arts Council England.

• Indicative contract fee: £18,500 inclusive of VAT
• Timescale for delivery: March 2025 – May 2025

Deadline for applications: 5pm on Friday 28th February 2025

For activities, deliverables, KPIs and full detail of how to apply download the full tender document.

Contact Hinna Vayani for more details.

Joseph Coelho speaking at the Carnegies in 2024

Reading app Sora has been confirmed as a new sponsor for the Carnegies this year, and will offer free digital access to shortlisted titles for the Carnegie Medal for Writing.

The Carnegie Awards Ceremony returns to Cambridge Theatre this year on 19 June 2025, with author Joseph Coelho as host for the ceremony.

Joseph Coelho who won the 2024 Carnegie Medal for Writing for ‘The Boy Lost in The Maze’, will present the Carnegies, one of the UK’s last remaining awards for children’s writing and illustration.

Reflecting on the Carnegies during his winner speech, Coelho said:

“The Carnegies holds a special place in the hearts of writers and illustrators because it’s judged by librarians […] A book isn’t finished until it is placed into the hands of a child. And librarians do that. They’re on the front line putting the right book into the right child’s hands at the right time.”

Sora, the award-winning student reading app from OverDrive, will enhance accessibility by offering free digital access to shortlisted titles for the Carnegie Medal for Writing.

Nick Forster, Regional Manager, EMEA, Global Libraries & Education, OverDrive, added:

“All around the globe, librarians and teachers are using Sora to make access to digital books easier than ever.

“By offering free access to the Carnegie shortlists, we hope to inspire young readers, celebrate outstanding literature, and ensure that every student has the opportunity to connect with these incredible stories, no matter where they are.”

CILIP manages the Carnegies, which are the longest-running and best-loved book awards for children and young people, and four medals are awarded in two areas, illustration and writing.

Louis Coiffait-Gunn, CEO of CILIP, welcomed Sora’s partnership, saying: “We are thrilled to collaborate with Sora as the Carnegies’ new digital sponsor.

“Their commitment to making books more accessible aligns perfectly with the Carnegies’ mission to inspire and empower the next generation to create a better world through books and reading.”

The Cambridge Theatre is home of the Royal Shakespeare Company’s award-winning Matilda The Musical, and hundreds of shadowers will have the opportunity to attend the ceremony in person.

Group leaders who attended last year praised the experience:

“We had an absolutely wonderful time, both inside and outside the theatre. The Matilda the Musical set lent the proceedings a real sense of occasion, and there was much excitement at the appearance of Mrs Phelps and Manjeet Mann. What an unforgettable way to end our Carnegie Shadowing Book Club.”

“I had such a wonderful time on Thursday and my shadowers had such an amazing day! The experience had a huge impact on them.”

Shadowing group leaders can now express their interest in attending the 2025 ceremony.

To attend the ceremony, groups must also register for 2025 Shadowing.

The ceremony will also be livestreamed, ensuring shadowing groups from across the UK and beyond can join the festivities virtually.

Find out more about how to access the shortlisted books through Sora.

Apprenticeships promote sector and skills development and equity, while offering a range of pathways into and through the profession that appeal to new and broader audiences. Red Tanner decided to take the apprenticeship path after realising that university was not for them, finding that it brought new perspectives and value to their career progression after finishing college.

Red’s story: becoming King’s College London’s Maughan Library’s first apprentice

I’m Red and I’m 19. I started this apprenticeship in early November 2023, after just completing my A-Levels (Graphic Communication, Criminology, and Psychology) earlier that year.

I decided to turn down my university offers after I realised that my reason to apply had come more from feeling like I was supposed to, rather than a personal value or interest in it, so I wanted to take an alternative post-college route, and get some more practical work-experience instead. Before this, I had volunteered as a bookshop assistant at Oxfam, and worked as a Trading Assistant at Sainsbury’s, so I had a little experience with books, and with working a job alongside my studies.

I work in Frontline Services, based at the Maughan Library, but still occasionally work across the other KCL Libraries, and since March I have started working in Special Collections once a week. I study with WAES, where I am given an assignment each month on a different Library and Information Services topic, ranging from information and digital literacy to the storage of analogue and digital collections. Having soft, rolling deadlines for each one has helped take a bit of the pressure off my studies, as you can add to assignments as you gain more experience.

An unfamiliar route

Doing an apprenticeship after sixth form was not something I had at all considered, nor was it something that I felt my tutors had presented as a viable route to me. An apprenticeship ended up appealing to me as I thought back to my last year in college doing my EPQ (Extended Project Qualification), a highly independent research product towards a 5,000 word dissertation, on queerness and the subculture of Emo. Not only was the library immensely important to me during this time, but it made me realise that I could really enjoy learning and writing when pursuing something I was actually invested in.

The traditional university route was unappealing to me as I didn’t have a particular interest in any one subject, but libraries have always been close to me throughout my life, so it seemed like a great opportunity to be able to get some genuine work experience, while not fully abandoning education, as well as gaining access into the library and information services sector. I was also initially put off by the idea of doing an apprenticeship because they typically do not pay a liveable wage, and I wanted something more worthwhile, so finding that this role was different to many others in that way made it more appealing).

Broad perspectives

The biggest surprise, which also turned out to be one of the things I have enjoyed the most about this apprenticeship, is how much I have learned about libraries as a whole, and how much it has broadened my perspective of what goes on outside of the perspective of a user. Being part of a university library for the first time is notable, but much of my additional wider learning has come from being able to connect with other apprentices through my classes, and hearing about their experiences in, for example, public libraries, gallery libraries, and archives, across England. Considering my past point of reference was my small college library and my public library, it’s been both surprising and really interesting to realise how much is out there.

Rising to the challenges

One challenge I found I was also not ¬expecting, was the adjustment to working in an office setting; an aspect of the ‘behind the scenes’ of libraries that I was not at all familiar with is the things which happen in the office; using MS Teams, organising my Outlook calendar, fitting in various meetings and events, as well as tidying up my computer bookmarks!

However, I feel that as an apprentice, my colleagues have been very understanding of the fact that I am so new to everything and learning on the job, so I’ve felt supported by people all across King’s, from my Line Manager, to other Library Assistants, to staff even outside of Frontline Services. I have tried to overcome any difficulties I find on the way by making a note of any questions I have, as well as trying to be just as patient with myself and give myself the time to settle into the role.

Finding the right way in to your career

When considering whether an apprenticeship is right for you, it’s really worth considering how much the need to balance working and studying at the same time will suit you and the way that you like to work.

Additionally, something that has been really beneficial to me on the job is always carrying around my notebook and making note of things I have learnt, training that I’ve had, or any questions that come up. It really helps when it comes to formally documenting your on/off-the-job training to have made note of it beforehand, as well as keeping me on track of my learning and retaining as much as possible. Making notes has been really helpful as it makes the job itself feel like as much of a learning experience as the taught classes.

CILIP is raising the alarm around the potential cuts level 7 apprenticeship funding.

Write to your MPs – tell your representatives why apprenticeships are key to our vital work and to building our profession. Retaining levy funding will help our sector enormously. CILIP members can use our Connect Toolkit – giving you the tools for your voices to be heard.

CILIP is looking for a committee co-optee to join its Finance, Audit and Risk Committee (FAR), with interviews taking place on Monday 13 January

About the role: CILIP FAR committee co-optee

CILIP (The Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals) is seeking a committed and enthusiastic person to join our Finance, Audit and Risk Committee. This is a great time to get involved as we work to improve how we support library, knowledge and information professionals across the UK

As a member of the FAR Committee, you’ll help guide the financial and strategic direction of CILIP. Ensuring we continue to support our members and promote the importance of libraries and information services in society.

How to stand  

Candidates should review the relevant role description, available here.

And send a copy of your CV and personal statement detailing your interest in the role to denise.hawkes@cilip.org.uk no later than 6 January 2025.

Interviews to take place on Monday 13 January 2025.

As part of the commitments set out in our Changing Lives Position Statement,

we are particularly keen to attract global majority candidates or other people from under-represented communities in our profession.   

FAQ  

About CILIP: CILIP is the UK’s professional body for librarians and information specialists. We help our members develop their skills and careers while advocating for the value of libraries, knowledge and information services.

Vision: A professional community, dedicated to changing lives through quality information, services and expertise.

Mission: To be the leading professional membership association for people working in information, knowledge, libraries and related disciplines.

Values: We will stand for and actively champion the values that unite our profession: Social justice, Intellectual freedom and Evidence-based practice

Will I be paid?   

CILIP FAR members are volunteers and these positions are unpaid but reasonable expenses will be reimbursed, in line with CILIP’s expenses policy.  

CILIP is an equal opportunities employer and committed to championing diversity, inclusion, and representation. We particularly welcome applications from people from under-represented groups.  If you need any reasonable adjustments for any part of the recruitment process, please do let us know.

Download Job Description

Registered Charity No 313014 

img credit: Hanna Barakat + AIxDESIGN & Archival Images of AI / Better Images of AI / Data Mining 1 / CC-BY 4.0

The Creative Rights in AI Coalition's (CRAIC)three principles for AI policy focus on a dynamic licensing market with robust protections for copyright, control and transparency for content creators, and driving growth and innovation in the creative and tech sectors.

This article is featured in the AI hub

1. IP and a dynamic licensing market: UK copyright law grants intellectual property owners, including tech companies, exclusive rights over their works, which includes control over the granting of a licence for uses of those works. Copyright protected works are a valuable resource for building and operationalising generative AI tools, products and services. Despite acknowledging this value, generative AI developers have largely exploited such content without permission, ignoring copyright protections and clear reservations of rights. A mutually beneficial, dynamic licensing market is feasible and desirable but can only flourish if there is respect for copyright, underwritten by robust mechanisms to ensure accountability and compliance.
2. Transparency: The Government should focus on solutions which ensure the Creative Industries can meaningfully exercise their exclusive rights, including if and how their copyrighted content can be collected and used by generative AI developers. Transparency is therefore essential in supporting accountability for copyright infringement and must be designed to incentivise compliance with copyright law, fostering a mutually beneficial partnership between generative AI developers and the Creative Industries.
3. Growth and innovation: The UK Creative Industries are an economic powerhouse with huge growth potential, as well as wielding immense cultural and soft power significance. A dynamic content licensing market, underpinned by robust copyright protections, will drive growth and innovation in the Creative Industries and generate value for society and the UK economy at large. This is also essential for future growth in the generative AI sector, which is reliant on a sustainable supply of high-quality, human-authored copyright works, without which it risks collapse.

Statement

The UK’s world-leading creative and tech sectors put it in a unique position to set a global standard for how both sectors can innovate together and continue to provide high quality services. Protecting copyright and building a dynamic licensing market for the use of creative content in building generative AI (GAI) isn’t just a question of fairness: it’s the only way that both sectors will flourish and grow.

The UK creative industries generate well over £100 billion annually. We have, quite literally, earned the right to have our voice heard. The key to that success, and future growth, is copyright law.

Retaining the UK’s gold standard copyright protections - and ensuring the law is enforceable and respected in the face of the challenges posed by GAI - will create incentives for GAI developers to enter into licence agreements with rights holders, ensuring a steady flow of quality, human-authored works for GAI training. Without proper control and remuneration for creators, investment in high-quality content will fall. GAI innovation will inevitably stall, and value will drain from both the tech and creative industries which contribute so much to the UK economy and quality of life.

Instead, the Government has a golden opportunity to drive growth in both the creative and tech sectors. We must ensure the onus will be on GAI firms to seek permission and engage with rights holders to agree licences: just as tech firms are content to pay for the huge quantity of electricity that powers their data centres, they must be content to pay for the high-quality copyright-protected works which are essential to train and ground accurate GAI models.

We support the Government’s mission for long-term, secure growth in the creative and tech sectors. We are eager to see the development of a vibrant licensing market and support the sectors which rely on us for their future prosperity, but we can only do so with a robust copyright framework which preserves our exclusive rights to control our works and thereby act as a safeguard against misuse.

Ours is a positive vision, a vision of collaboration between the creative industries and generative AI developers, where we can all flourish in the online marketplace. We call on the Government and the tech sector to join us in building a future that values, protects, and promotes human creativity.

Read more about the Creative Rights in AI Coalition

Download pdf version of statement and principles

Visit the CRAIC website

img credit: Hanna Barakat + AIxDESIGN & Archival Images of AI / Better Images of AI / Data Mining 1 / CC-BY 4.0

CILIP joins a new coalition of rights holders including publishers, authors, artists, music producers, specialist interest publications, unions, and photographers to call on government to spur growth in the creative and tech sectors by protecting copyright ahead of an imminent government consultation.

This article is featured in the AI Hub

The Creative Rights in AI Coalition (CRAIC) has published three key principles for copyright and GAI policy and a statement supported by all member organisations. The coalition is calling on government to adopt the principles as a framework for developing AI policy.

CILIP CEO, Louis Coiffait Gunn said: "Librarians, knowledge managers, and other information professionals already play lead roles exploring the potential benefits of AI, from managing the data that AI relies on, to using it to offer new services to their users. But for AI to ever reach its potential it must be far more transparent than the current black box models and it must follow UK laws. We've joined this coalition to urge the government to ensure that AI is ethical and supports authors, researchers, and wider society."

The coalition calls on government to adopt the principles as a framework for developing AI policy, with a statement supported by all member organisations, and three key principles for copyright and Genertive AI policy.

The launch is accompanied by the publication of new nationally representative public polling from Reset Tech and YouGov which found that the public overwhelmingly back transparency in the training of AI models and the payment of royalties to content creators by tech firms.

Seventy-two per cent of respondents said AI companies should be required to pay royalties to the creators of text, audio, or video that they use to train AI models, while 80 per cent said AI companies should be required to make public all the information that their models have been trained upon.

In the statement, the coalition said: “The UK’s world-leading creative and tech sectors put it in a unique position to set a global standard for how both sectors can innovate together and continue to provide high quality services.

“Protecting copyright and building a dynamic licensing market for the use of creative content in building generative AI (GAI) isn’t just a question of fairness: it’s the only way that both sectors will flourish and grow.

“The UK creative industries generate well over £100 billion annually. We have, quite literally, earned the right to have our voice heard. The key to that success, and future growth, is copyright law.”

The coalition’s three principles for AI policy focus on a dynamic licensing market with robust protections for copyright, control and transparency for content creators, and driving growth and innovation in the creative and tech sectors.

The coalition added: “We support the government’s mission for long-term, secure growth in the creative and tech sectors. We are eager to see the development of a vibrant licensing market and support the sectors which rely on us for their future prosperity, but we can only do so with a robust copyright framework which preserves our exclusive rights to control our works and thereby act as a safeguard against misuse.

“Ours is a positive vision, a vision of collaboration between the creative industries and generative AI developers, where we can all flourish in the online marketplace. We call on the government and the tech sector to join us in building a future that values, protects, and promotes human creativity.”

Read CRAIC's principles and statement

Visit the CRAIC website

CILIP is raising the alarm about proposed changes to the Growth and Skills Levy, that could result in Level 7 apprenticeships being excluded from Government funding.

Apprenticeships are a vital part of CILIP’s sector workforce development strategy, promoting equity, offering a range of pathways into and through the profession, and filling skills gaps.

Building on the success of the sector Level 3 apprenticeship, CILIP has been collaborating with employers across the sector to launch a new Level 7, which was just about to be put forward for final approval.

CILIP has written to Alison McGovern MP the Minister for Employment at the Department for Work and Pensions; Richard Pennycook CBE the Interim Chair of Skills England, and to every member of the House of Lords Industry and Regulators Committee. We are now looking to build partnerships with like-minded organisations to protect levy funding for key Level 7 apprenticeships.

Libraries, knowledge, and information services underpin innovation and productivity by ensuring they are equipped with a future-fit workforce in the key growth sectors identified in the Industrial Strategy, including digital technologies, life sciences, professional and business services, and the creative industries,

Organisations with a payroll of more than £3m per year have been making mandatory contributions to a central pot through the Apprenticeship Levy. Employers can currently draw down from that central levy pot to pay for apprentice training, incentivising uptake.

Since 2017, CILIP has been heavily involved in the design and implementation of two apprenticeship programmes for the profession. The Level 3 Apprenticeship has seen more than 100 employers participate in the programme to develop their workforce.

Work has been ongoing to develop a higher-level apprenticeship in order to give information, knowledge and library workers an opportunity to develop their skills on the job. Both the Level 3 and Level 7 apprenticeships have been carefully developed to help create diverse routes into, and through the profession.

Both the Level 3 and Level 7 programmes have been developed by employer-led Trailblazer groups, helping to ensure they are designed to meet the needs of the profession – including promoting equity and filling growing skills gaps.

Jo Cornish, CILIP’s Chief Development Officer, said:

“We consider our story a great case study of success in how a sector can use the apprenticeship offer as a positive mechanism for sector and workforce development. We are deeply concerned about reports suggesting a potential cut to Level 7 apprenticeship funding. Such a change would not only slow the progress of this system but also undermine efforts to diversify our profession and meet workforce needs. We hope the government will make an exception for the profession.”

Get involved, support funding

Write to your MPs – tell your representatives why apprenticeships are key to our vital work and to building our profession. Retaining levy funding will help our sector enormously. CILIP members can use our Connect Toolkit – giving you the tools for your voices to be heard.

You can also join CILIP or tell your colleagues to do so – We can have a strong independent voice because we are member- funded. The larger the membership, the greater the mandate we have. Thank you for supporting this work for the sector with your membership. More members helps us to do more and to have a stronger voice.

Carryl brings extensive experience from a number of sectors, including academic, national and government libraries as well as roles in library supply, legal deposit, and as a lecturer in library and information science.

Her past roles have given her hands-on experience of managing complex library projects and decision making in challenging environments. She also has extensive experience implementing new technologies.

Currently the Head of Profession for Knowledge and Information Management (KIM) at the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) where she has been Chief Librarian for almost 20 years. Carryl’s remit is also to lead on Information and Knowledge Management in support of 17,000 staff who work in the FCDO’s global network of 281 offices around the world.

As Vice President Carryl aims to help CILIP broaden its membership base, and to build strategic alliances with other professional organisations, working to establish clear career pathways into and within the information, knowledge and library profession.

After completing her term as Vice President for 2025, she will move on and become CILIP President in 2026.

Carryl will also deliver on CILIP's Charter by collaborating with external organisations to unite, support and advocate for information professionals and librarians in all sectors, while upholding CILIP's values, code of conduct and ethical principles.

Carryl recognises the power of the library and information community to change lives and this has been a motivating factor throughout her career. She recognises the impact of AI and that the digital skills of our professional community present the sector with a unique opportunity to showcase the profession's importance to society. She is also determined to help CILIP's membership achieve even greater professional recognition.

We thank Alison Brumwell and Alison Wheeler for also putting themselves forward in this close-run election, and wish them well for the future.

Louis Coiffait-Gunn, CILIP CEO commented:

"It's fantastic that three such strong candidates put their names forward to join the CILIP Presidential Team this year, and that over 700 members cast their votes. The Vice-President and President are key spokespeople for CILIP to members, to the sector, and far beyond.

"We're delighted that Carryl Allardice has been elected as she brings extensive cross-sector experience as a hands-on librarian and now in her senior role as Head of Profession at the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office. We're all looking forward to working with her.

I hope that our other candidates, Alison Brumwell and Alison Wheeler will continue volunteering with CILIP in other areas and consider running to join the Presidential Team again. Our volunteers really are our lifeblood and we're incredibly grateful to them, with few working harder than the Presidential Team during their time in office."

Carryl Allardice, CILIP Vice President elect said:

"I welcome the honour of being able to give back to the library and information professional community as Vice President and then President of CILIP, having enjoyed the privilege of working as a librarian and information professional.

"My goal is to inspire the community through my advocacy of the profession and to address vital issues that matter to our members.?

"I will use my new role over the next two years to champion CILIP's Professional Registration work, highlighting the importance of library and knowledge professionals investing in their skills, as well as demonstrating their professional credentials through certification, chartership, fellowship and revalidation. I will also seek to influence others on the importance of ethical standards to uphold our international professional standing."

This month CILIP Pathways celebrated a significant milestone, the awarding of our 200th apprenticeship for this standard.

From the stories we have gathered so far we are proud to see the evidence of enabling new entrants into the profession, enabling practitioners to demonstrate their experience, be confident in their skills and the move towards creating improved, more inclusive pathways into and through the profession.

This achievement not only highlights the growth and success of the apprenticeship programme, but it is also a milestone, widening the route into the profession. It is wonderful to see the fruits of all the work that the trailblazer group have put into to developing the standard facilitating the development and maintenance of professional standards that meet the current and future needs of employers.

Our gratitude goes to all those that have supported apprentices through their journey and who have contributed to this success.

Since the advent of the first award in April 2021, stories from some of our candidates and their employers have appeared in Information Professional. You can read specific stories here:

Sept 2024 issue

P.35 Sally Brock Kings College London about the employers view of their first apprentice. Red Tanner

InfoPro55 September 2024 :: 34

Red Tanner interview: InfoPro55 September 2024 :: 36

June 2024

InfoPro53 June 2024 :: 40

Jack Welsh

March 2024

InfoPro51 March 2024 :: 52

Lavinia Bently

September 2023

InfoPro47 September 2023 :: 50

Tom Saye

July/August 2023

InfoPro46 Jul-Aug 2023 :: 28

Sarah Simpson mentor

April/May 2023

InfoPro44 April-May 2023 :: 50

Helen Mitchell

January/February 2023

InfoPro42 Jan/Feb 2023 :: 32

Helen Mitchell

December 2022

InfoPro41 December 2022 :: 18

Anonymous quotes

September 2022

InfoPro39 September 2022 :: 18

Helena Esdaile

July/August 2022

InfoPro Mag July-August 2022 :: 32

Ambreen Aziz and Hannah Armitage

June 2022

InfoPro37 June 2022 :: 46

Ambreen Aziz

April/May 2022

InfoPro36 April-May 2022 :: 54

Hannah Armitage

January/February 2022

InfoPro34 Jan-Feb 2022 :: 38

Ambreen Aziz and Hannah Armitage

December 2021

InfoPro33 December 2021 :: 32

Ambreen Aziz and Hannah Armitage

October/November 2021

InfoPro32 Oct/Nov 2021 :: 46

Ambreen Aziz and Hannah Armitage

September 2021

InfoPro31 Sept 2021 :: 34

Ambreen Aziz and Hannah Armitage

July/August 2021

InfoPro30 July-Aug 2021 :: 22

Ambreen Aziz and Hannah Armitage

June 2021

InfoPro29 June 2021 :: 8

Zeba Qayyum

April/May 2021

InfoPro28 Apr-May 2021 :: 20

Hannah Armitage

Craig Martin is Subject Liaison Librarian for the Department of Information Studies, Arts & Sciences at University College London (UCL) East. Craig has been mentoring professional registration candidates for three years.

CILIP has over 250 mentors who actively share their time and knowledge to support the career development of others who want to improve their skills and experience. mentors actively share their time and knowledge to support the career development and skills of others. For them, it a chance to share their wisdom and shape their sector.

Every year CILIP seeks nominations for Mentor of the Year, from mentees who are receiving support from a CILIP mentor to expand their knowledge and skills within the library, information and knowledge sector.

Craig Martin is Subject Liaison Librarian for the Department of Information Studies, Arts & Sciences at University College London (UCL) East. Craig joined UCL in January 2022, having spent 7 years previously working as a Learning & Teaching Librarian.

A long-time member of CILIP, Craig has been a professional registration mentor since 2021.

Craig is recognised for successfully supporting the new apprenticeship conversion route to professional registration and therefore actively supporting new pathways into the profession through his breadth of expertise.

The worlds of country music, and the library and information profession collided today as global superstar and philanthropist, Dolly Parton was awarded an Honorary Fellowship from CILIP, the library and information association, alongside library professional Pamela Tulloch and CILIP’s former CEO, Nick Poole.

Honorary Fellowship

Every year, CILIP invites Honorary Fellowship nominations from its membership to recognise professionals and individuals who have made a lasting impact on the world of libraries, and information and knowledge management. A tradition that began in 1896 it is CILIP's highest accolade recognised across globally across all library and information management sectors.

Dolly Parton is an inspirational multi-million-selling singer-songwriter, actress, and humanitarian who successfully combines her multi-million-selling global music career with support for good causes, including reading. She is nominated for a CILIP Honorary Fellowship in recognition of her enormous and ever-growing positive impact on children’s reading in the UK, USA, Canada, Australia, and Ireland with her Imagination Library that has gifted over 251 million books, for free, to over 3 million pre-school children since Dolly started the scheme in East Tennessee in 1995.

Nick Poole has been awarded Honorary Fellowship for his work within CILIP and across the sector. Nick was instrumental in establishing CILIP’s strategic commitment to changing lives through inclusive, participatory, socially-engaged libraries. Committed to inclusivity and diversity, Nick led CILIP to embrace initiatives to widen access to the profession, including new levels of apprenticeship and launching CILIP’s Diversity Networks. He was also integral to introducing a knowledge management (KM) route to qualification, achieving industry recognition of KM skills.

Pamela Tulloch is nominated for her outstanding contribution to the profession both in her role as SLIC (Scottish Library and Information Council) CEO, and formerly in Glasgow public libraries. She has been an instrumental partner for much of CILIP’s work including being part of the Youth Libraries and Public Libraries Groups, where she was also chair.

Presidential Citation

Also announced at CILIP’s AGM were the recipients of the 2024 Presidential Citation. This is a tradition in the gift of the CILIP President who honours two people who have excelled in their work in the sector, and to celebrate their achievements. This year’s citations go to Liz White and Sarah Mears.

Liz White is cited in recognition of her services to partnership working across the library sector, both nationally and internationally. She is the Director of Library Partnerships at the British Library and has overseen groundbreaking work in support of developing the sector such as the hugely successful Living Knowledge Network and also for leading the initial pioneering work on LibraryOn, the digital platform funded by Arts Council England.

Sarah Mears, a Chartered Fellow of CILIP and Programme Manager for Libraries Connected is awarded the Presidential Citation in recognition of her services to library services for children and the development of Empathy Lab. Sarah is a strong advocate for the work of public libraries and is a brilliant ambassador for Empathy Lab, promoting empathy amongst children and young people and the role that books and reading can play in developing this.

Louis Coffait-Gunn, CILIP CEO commented:

“I am delighted that today we are recognising these five very different individuals who have all contributed, in their different areas, so much dedication, expertise and energy to the library and information profession, to literacy and to the wider sector. The positive impact that our Honorary Fellows and those awarded the Presidential Citation have made on the lives of people they may never meet, cannot be under-estimated.”

Feeling left behind by all the tech terminology that’s everywhere on the internet, social media, as well as in the workplace?

Ever wondered what the difference is between AR, VR and XR? Or what the GPT in ChatGPT stands for? Know the difference between Pokémon and a Poke bowl?

In anticipation of Rewired conference, we look at some of the most common terms to give you the confidence to know what’s going on in the world of library technology.

This article is featured in the AI hub

AR – Augmented Reality

Augmented reality is when you mix computer generated imagery, text or graphics with the real world. This can be done with specific technology like headsets or google glasses, but even your phone can do this. A well-known example is the game Pokemon Go, which superimposed Pokemon (pocket monster) characters over a phone’s live video for people to capture in the ‘real world’. Apart from gaming, AR has a lot of potential for education.

VR – Virtual Reality

Virtual Reality has been around for a while, but faster and more powerful hardware means that it has become more immersive and realistic than ever. Virtual Reality creates a fully 3d environment often enriched with 3d sounds that people interact with and move around in using a headset, transporting them to completely new worlds.

XR – Extended Reality

Extended Reality (XR) is a broad term that encompasses technologies that enhance or augment the real world through digital means, including VR and AR. XR is being used in various fields, such as gaming, education, training, healthcare, and entertainment. It offers new ways to experience and interact with the world, providing immersive and engaging experiences.

AI – Artificial Intelligence

AI stands for Artificial Intelligence and refers to the simulation of human intelligence in machines, especially computer systems. AI systems are designed to perform tasks that typically require human intelligence, including text and image creation, problem solving and data analysis. The keyword is simulation – AI does not yet reproduce human intelligence, it uses complex algorithms to identify trends in large datasets to create a synthesis of information that looks real to humans.

GenAI – Generative Artificial Intelligence

Generative AI is used to create outputs that humans can use or understand. Examples of this include images, text, summaries, or other digital products such as websites. Generally text or prompts are used to describe an intended output. It is controversial as its outputs are often drawn from copyrighted data, GenAI cannot come up with anything new, it is entirely restricted by its dataset.

AGI – Artificial General Intelligence

Artificial General Intelligence (AGI) is a theoretical concept that learns and applies knowledge across a wide range of tasks, just like a human. Unlike AI, which is designed for specific tasks, AGI would be capable of performing any intellectual task that a human can, and would not be a simulation.

GPT - Generative Pre-trained Transformer

GPT stands for Generative Pre-trained Transformer. It's a type of neural network architecture used in natural language processing (NLP) tasks. These models are trained on massive amounts of text data to generate human-like text, translate languages, write different kinds of creative content, and answer your questions in an informative way. Often this data requires extensive input from humans to ensure accuracy and avoid hallucinations.

Poke bowl

What we’re serving for lunch at Rewired! Nothing to do with Pokémon, Poke Bowls (pronounced poh-keh, meaning ‘cut’ in Hawaiian) originated in Hawaii and combine different elements, such as protein, rice, fresh vegetables, and a savoury source layered in a bowl. Vegan and Vegetarian versions are also very popular.

LLM – Large Language Model

LLMs are designed specifically for natural language processing tasks. They are trained on massive amounts of text data and are capable of understanding, generating, and translating human language using statistical analysis to identify relationships between letters, words and multiple combinations of letters and words. LLMs as a specialized subset of AI focused on language.

Neural network

A neural network is a machine learning programme, that is designed to make decisions in the same way that a human brain, with its network of neurons, works. Each node in a neural network connects to another and they operate at multiple levels to rapidly classify data. Just like LLMs they need to be trained on large datasets to function properly.

Rewired 2024

Apply this new knowledge and get hands-on experience of how this tech and its underlying concepts affect work and play at Rewired, the tech event for libraries that features a digital solutions lab to play around with latest library tech including an AI surgery, lego robotics and AR, VR and XR from Layers of Reality.

See all the activities on offer and get your ticket now

Would readers prefer an AI version of a Jane Austen novel to the original? Ruth Rikowski, a professional librarian and information professional, and published author spoke at a CILIP London event on libraries and AI, raising some interesting questions about the future of this technology.

This article is featured in the AI Hub

Background to the talk

In late 2023, I accepted an invitation to give a talk at an online conference organised in France. The Conference was ‘Trends and Training Conference: modern library challenges, achievements and ideas: Digital Transformation of Libraries in Practice’.

Earlier this year, I received an email stating that CILIP-in-London was being relaunched.

I had enjoyed attending CILIP London meetings before lockdown where I had given a talk on my book, ‘Globalisation, Information and Libraries’.

At the re-launch I spoke, to two members of the CILIP-in-London Committee – Carl Banks and Cassie Bowman and told them something about my background.

The result was that I was invited to give an online talk to a CILIP-in-London meeting in September this year.

In preparation for my talk, I enthusiastically researched the topic of ‘AI and Libraries’ in a short space of time.

AI and Libraries Talk summary

The talk proved successful, with 100 people joining from across the UK and beyond. We decided on an interactive lecture approach, where people were allowed to interject at appropriate times with questions and comments.

The presentations and discussions covered a broad range of topics:

1. Some definitions of AI
2. AI – an Umbrella Term
3. Historical Overview of some important AI breakthroughs
4. Brief Literature Review of Application of AI in Libraries
5. AI Technologies and Applications used in Libraries
6. Robots, Libraries and AI
7. Benefits of AI in Libraries
8. Challenges of AI in Librarie
9. Creativity, Magic, Libraries and AI: Brainstorm
10. Magic and Libraries
11. The Future of AI in Society
12. The Future: the Transformative Power of AI and Creativity and its Potential Implications for Public Libraries

This included providing the international participants with information about the different AI technologies available for Libraries; such as Virtual Assistants and Chatbots for answering FAQ and robotic library systems for shelving.

I also outlined some benefits (e.g. releasing staff from mundane jobs) and some challenges (e.g. threats to jobs).

Results from the discussions

Some participants were more enthusiastic about AI than others, but there seemed to be general agreement that we needed to embrace it in various ways.

Some thought its claims were exaggerated. However, Copilot, the Microsoft AI package (which was referred to briefly in the discussion, albeit not by name) is certainly very much alive and thriving (especially in some City Firms) and seems to indicate that AI is not being over-hyped.

There was also concern about the inevitable bias that would be present in the packages. There was general agreement that some form of human intervention would be needed, as computers cannot pick up on all the subtleties.

One wonders what the future of the public libraries will be with AI.

Questions and thoughts after the talk

Will it be possible for libraries to still remain magical places?

Or could we lose physical libraries altogether and be reliant on digital libraries? If the physical library does remain what types of books will it house?

If AI software can write novels based on the style of an author, for example, what effect might this have on authors/potential authors and the library collection and acquisitions policies?

Will we continue to have live book talks and book launches?

If a company uses AI to generate ‘new’ classical fiction based on the traditional classics, then who will own the copyright?

And what would be the impact with companies deciding what new books to write in an AI style – e.g. D.H. Lawrence now out of fashion so AI books in his style are perhaps not produced. Whereas Jane Austen is back in fashion so AI books in her style might be written. Would readers prefer the AI version or the original version? If people read the AI version might this encourage or discourage reading of the original version?

Ruth’s talk will be made available on YouTube, sign up to the CILIP newsletter to find out when it comes out.

'Digitisation Perspectives' is available from Sense Publishers, and 'Globalisation, Information and Libraries' is available from Chandos Publishing. 'Knowledge Management: Social, Cultural and Theoretical Perspectives' is also available from Chandos Publishing

Ruth Rikowski is Series Editor for Chandos Information Professionals Series; Editor of Digitisation Perspectives, Sense Publishers: Rotterdam, The Netherlands, 2010

Find Ruth on Academia

Marcin Tumidajski is Assistant Librarian in the academic support team at Paul Hamlyn Library University of West London, Ealing and completed his apprenticeship at the end of 2023.

Marcin moved to the UK in 2013, but despite trying different roles, he had no luck in finding a job that gave a sense of professional and intellectual fulfilment. In search of this ideal, Marcin took an assessment on the government website to help him identify the path to take, and the result was clear: information science.

“Information science was new to me, and it first conveyed an image of computer science for me.

“Only after some research, did I find out that it has a lot more to do with libraries. I have always been passionate about books, and this realisation cemented my vision of a library as an ideal place for me to work.

“I found out about the Library, Information and Archive Services Assistant apprenticeship and Westminster Adult Educational Services as its provider. By stroke of luck, an ad for the position at University of West London appeared just then.”

Books have always been a part of Marcin’s life and the apprenticeship equipped him with the skills and knowledge needed to get a head start in his new career and give him a sense of professional fulfilment.

“Thanks to the broad scope of topics and skills covered over the course of the apprenticeship, I gained a new perspective that led to a deeper understanding of the role of a professional librarian.

“I developed a deeper understanding of the institution’s workings, by shadowing across the teams within my library, while gathering evidence for my portfolio,

The apprenticeship helped Marcin discover a new interest in a customer-facing role and helping members of the public, and he found a new passion for work.

“In previous jobs, I could barely pretend to be interested in advising customers, but I learned that when the enquiry concerns a matter I am passionate about, that passion translates into my way of dealing with them.

“On top of career development, the apprenticeship offered new perspectives on professional fulfilment, and this has had an immense positive impact on my well-being and, in turn, even my personal life.

“I felt stuck in my previous jobs, which resulted in a growing sense of dissatisfaction, but, since the start of my apprenticeship, that feeling has been replaced with a sense of pride and accomplishment.”

CILIP Pathways provides the final assessment to apprentices before they graduate from the programme and find work as qualified librarians.

“The experience of the assessment itself has been twofold. On one hand my assessor, was kind and reassuring, helping me to cope with the inevitable anxiety, and on the other hand, as with every such occasion, at least for me, the nervousness was unavoidable.”

Thanks to the series of reciprocal visits, Marcin felt privileged to experience institutions within the heritage sector such as the Imperial War Museum or the National Gallery from behind the scenes.

“Meeting fascinating people and seeing amazing places. I have formed friendships with fellow apprentices from my group, finding out that despite age differences, we were drawn to this commitment by similar passion.

“Libraries are the environment where I flourish. I feel so privileged to have this opportunity.

“The lack of professional fulfilment, I felt since coming to the UK, is now a thing of the past.

At the end of the apprenticeship Marcin gained a lot more than a qualification, he was offered a permanent position, and is now looking to the next steps in his career.

“During the final stages of my apprenticeship, I was able to secure a permanent position in the library. I am proud to be an Assistant Librarian and thinking about becoming a Subject Librarian.

“I am focussing on my work and family at the moment, but as a CILIP member, I am always thinking about professional development and am definitely considering doing Certification in the future.”

This summer, CILIP’s public affairs and general election activities have been raising awareness about the value and significance of libraries in all sectors, and have placed libraries at the heart of the political conversation.

CILIP’s work and messaging about the sector has featured in national news and magazines.

In the last two months, CILIP has been featured in the Telegraph, the Times, the Guardian, the Bookseller, and the Big Issue.

Librarians told to challenge ‘paradigm of whiteness’ in Welsh Labour anti-racism plan

10 July 2024 - The Telegraph covers the Anti-Racist Library Collections project that CILIP secured funding for at the end of 2023. The article covers CILIP’s position that "library staff will be encouraged to see their diverse collections as powerful community tools." (paywalled)

Full story from the Telegraph

Libraries give us power. The next government must trust libraries to continue delivering for communities

4 Jul 2024 - “Whichever party forms our next government, we at CILIP, the library and information association have a simple pledge, to them and to the public – trust libraries,” writes CEO Louis Coiffait-Gunn in the Big Issue as part of the CILIP Election 2024 Campaign.

Full story from the Big Issue

CILIP highlights impact of libraries as part of Libraries Change Lives Week

25 June 2024 - The Bookseller covers the Libraries Change Lives Week campaign, which started during the run up to the 2024 General Election and beyond. The campaign highlights libraries across all sectors that are changing lives, through 180 case studies and counting, plus a social media campaign.

Full story from the Bookseller

‘If there’s nowhere else to go, this is where they come’: how Britain’s libraries provide much more than books

25 June 2024 - In a widely-shared article from the Guardian that shows how libraries do so much more than books, Nick Poole, former CEO of CILIP is quoted as saying “We risk becoming a social care safety net […] our staff are not clinical staff.”

Full story from the Guardian

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The books banned from libraries after one complaint

2 June 2024 - CILIP Chief Development Officer, Jo Cornish, comments on a banned book article in The Times: “There have always been items in libraries that have sparked controversy and debate, but anecdotally we are aware that requests to withdraw items are becoming more frequent and co-ordinated. And that there are real consequences being felt by individuals. We are aware of one school librarian reporting they lost their job defending the principle of providing LGBTQ+ positive book displays.” (paywalled)

Full story from the Times

By Marlène Rak, Subject Support Librarian at the University of the West of England.

Professional Registration with CILIP provides you with the opportunity to demonstrate your abilities, knowledge and experience. Here Marlène Rak shares her top tips on how to make your own Chartership, Fellowship or Certification journey as straightforward as possible.

I HAVE been asked a lot of questions on Chartership since getting started in 2022. Gaining Chartership status at the end of 2023 has brought in even more queries from colleagues, at work and beyond. How was it? How long did it take? Was it worth it? Can you mentor me? And so on.

I understand how daunting the process may feel; nevertheless, remember that – as with many other things in life – the hardest part is getting started. There is plenty information available out there and, being an information professional, you are already well-versed in the skills of planning, recording, reviewing, and reflecting (these are key to making your chartership experience a successful one). To help you navigate your way through professional registration, I have compiled a Top Ten Tips to Professional Registration:

1. Make use of CILIP’s online resources

CILIP’s online Professional Registration guide (www.cilip.org.uk/ProfessionalRegistration) is the obvious place to start; this is where you will find information on getting enrolled, finding a mentor, developing your evidence, assembling your portfolio and submitting it. There is more to it, though. Once enrolled, you will be added to the Professional Registration Candidates’ Member Group and gain access to invaluable resources such as example submissions and recorded webinars.

2. The power of the PKSB

The Professional Knowledge and Skills Base (PKSB) is a fantastic tool that you will want to refer to throughout your chartership journey, if not your whole career. It is a living document that grows with you, highlighting the areas of skills and expertise most relevant to the library and information sector. CILIP recommends that you focus on 10-12 areas of your choice for Chartership. Depending on your experience and the sector you are working in, some areas will be more relevant to you than others. But here is the beauty of the PKSB: this tool is yours and yours only. You can, for ¬example, choose to work within areas you are already comfortable with; or you may wish to dip your toes into the ones that are new to you. Having this visual reference at hand will assist you, as you progress through professional registration. You never know where these blue slices may take you next! Find it at www.cilip.org.uk/PKSB

3. Find a mentor

Having a CILIP mentor to support you along the way isn’t a requirement. However, I cannot stress enough how much of a difference it will make to your Professional Registration experience. A good mentor will be there for you when things get tougher; I certainly wouldn’t have gotten that far without mine (thank you, Nicki!). Getting chartered is a big undertaking. You will treasure having that critical friend at your side, holding a safe space for you to make mistakes and learn from.

4. Get involved

Getting chartered represents a unique chance to explore and experiment (see Tip #2); you now have a very valid excuse to network beyond your department or institution, so make the most of it. Reach out to those whose work is not dissimilar, yet may vary hugely from your own; schedule visits to libraries of interest (and remember that virtual visits do count too; check CILIP’s Events page for more inspiration), go to conferences, write a guest blog post about your experience as a new professional, volunteer with one of CILIP’s regional or special interest groups… The sky is the limit! Acquaint yourself with professional positions you may have not even known existed; this is how you will gain a broader understanding of where your role sits within the wide and varied information sphere and meet criterion three.

Find events to support your CPD here.

5. Reflect

Keep a record of what you have been engaging with at work and see how you can translate it into additional skills and knowledge for your PKSB. Take notes at meetings, during courses, CPD events, etc., and reflect on it. Think about your last teaching session, or a departmental event on customer experience. How did you find it? What went well? What is this telling you? What would you do differently next time? Asking yourself these questions, learning from your experiences, and going beyond is what constitutes the backbone of your evidence.

6. Do a little, often

Blocking time in your calendar, and using it to work on your portfolio, will help you build a routine.

If you do not have a whole, uninterrupted hour per week to dedicate to Chartership, you may find that short but focused bursts of 15-20 minutes, three to four times a week, can be as effective. There was a period of three months where I was unable to make any progress on my portfolio, due to a heavy teaching load which took priority over everything else. Nevertheless, once this was over, I designed an ‘Action Plan’ for the following 30 days. I then scheduled a meeting with my mentor, where I talked her through my plan, making myself accountable to moving forward again.

This to-do list was jam-packed with bite-sized steps, each of them achievable in 20 minutes or under. Ticking them off one after the other, throughout the month, made me regain confidence in my abilities to complete the task at hand.

7. Ask, ask, ask

When unsure, just ask. Your colleagues are never far away and CILIP is here to help you too. Similarly, reaching out to ‘strangers’ in the profession has never been easier than in the age of social media. People can be very generous with their time; they will want to support you in this journey however they can, so do get in touch with those further afield and make things happen for yourself (also see Tip #4 on Getting Involved).

8. It is never too late to start; nor is it ever too early

There is no right or wrong time to get started with Chartership. Some will want to gain a bit of experience before diving into it, whilst others may have already been in the profession for many years before feeling up to the challenge. Personally, I enrolled just before starting my first professional position. I made Chartership a goal to attain within my first 24 months as a librarian; to keep me focused and engaged, regardless of what being a new professional might have thrown at me. It does tie in with what Chartership means to you too (see Tip #9). Trust your instincts: if you are thinking about it, now is probably the right time.

9. Remember the bigger picture

It may be valuable to ask yourself what your motivations are. What are you hoping to get out of it? A sense of achievement, recognition amongst peers, or perhaps a pay increase? There is no right or wrong answer to this question; in fact, it could very much depend on where you are in your career, or what your professional context is. However, it is always useful to remind yourself of your objectives, and to keep them in sight.

10. Enjoy the process!

This is your journey. It is unique to you and has the power to take you places you hadn’t even imagined before. Looking back at how your skills and interests have developed during this time, you will gauge the many positive results it has had on your professional and personal growth, and value it dearly.

Find out how you can start your own professional registration journey here.

Photo of Debbie Hicks, Creative Director, The Reading Agency

CILIP Conference 2024’s headline theme of intellectual freedom sparked thought and conservation from the opening address by PEN’s Daniel Gorman, who spoke how libraries, with their principles of open access, are a centrepiece of society and culture.

In the following panel discussion ‘Intellectual freedom in the age of post-neutrality’, discussion flowed freely about how libraries can continue to uphold principles of freedom of expression and represent the diverse communities they serve.

The conference’s K&IM streams did not only draw in delegates from the sector, but created cross-pollination with attendees from the libraries profession, who also took part in the stream’s collaborative workshops that covered leadership skills training and upselling your own work in your organisation.

In Libraries, Health and Digital Literacy, a cross-sector panel, including YouTube’s Dr Vishaal Virani, looked at the challenges and solutions that health literacy education offers when 43 per cent of patients struggle with words in health information (which increases to 61 per cent when it includes numbers).

In the afternoon, Shared Intelligence’s Ben Lee ran a two-part practical introduction to Future Literacy and CILIP’s ‘Come Rain or Shine’ report, a toolkit and methodology for building resilience and agile thinking to make libraries sustainable in the long term.

Janet Peden of Ulster University took the stage to start off day two’s events, and shared a personal case study of the challenges and successes from her experiences in library-wide transformation and change management, and how she ‘turned things inside out’ to make the university library services an active partner in student learning.

The lunchtime keynote featured a conversation with Tammye Huf, Author of A More Perfect Union, and winner of the 2021 Diverse Book Award, who talked about her writing process and how she tried to do justice to enslaved people through fiction.

Evidence-based practice is one of CILIP’s core values and ‘Evidence-informed practice: moving the agenda forward’ provided insights into how CILIP’s Library & Information Research Group transformed itself into a research working group to understand how librarians are supported and equipped to undertake their own research in their workplace. (full report coming soon)

Amy Staniforth, Consultant and Metadata Librarian and Sarah Ewing, Lecturer in Academic Literacies, Centre for Academic Language and Literacies (CALL) Goldsmiths, the conference with a fascinating discussion on making collections and libraries more inclusive, with insights on the CILIP Wales Anti-racist Collections programme, and Sarah Ewing’s work on hierarchies of knowledge and legitimacy in research and pedagogy.

CILIP CEO Louis Coiffait-Gunn left the delegates with a simple message in his closing remarks to sum up the two days of talks, workshops, discussions and ideas: "We are stronger together as a community."