‘‘ A


MAZINGLY, this is my final column as President. I imagined a variety of scenarios for 2020, none of


which came close to anticipating the reality. Self-evidently, all years are unique, but the characteristics of this year were unusual in the extreme.


In yet another first for 2020, Oxford Languages have announced not their usual Oxford Word of the Year, but instead published a comprehensive new language report, Words of an Unprecedented Year,( https://bit.ly/3quqwTA) declaring it impossible to identify a single word to summarise effectively the events of this year. As stated in the report “Public health initiatives rapidly inserted new or unfamiliar terms (lockdown, social distancing, self-isolation) into not just our language but our lives, drastically altering our behaviours – public, private, and professional – in ways inconceivable in almost any other circumstances.” (https://bit.ly/3ousgdD)


Presidential Address CILIP


Conference 2020 Coincidentally, language, meaning and behaviours were central tenets of my Presidential address to CILIP Conference on 19 November. As indicated in my previous column, “Professionalism, Identity and Leadership” were my Presidential themes for 2020. Building on ideas outlined in earlier presentations to ILIG and K&IM Groups (https://youtu. be/8o_uDjB6ZjY), I explored contemporary issues of professionalism, professional identity, and behaviours, set within the changing cultural context for the information profession1


.


Beginning with an exploration of the concept of ‘Identity’, a range of theories and frameworks were outlined, exploring the importance of our sense of self, our perceptions of self, our innate need to belong, and the extent to which this governs our behaviours, personally and professionally. Perceptions of the appropriateness of behaviour are governed by the interrelationship of a range of cultural influences, including organisational, national, family, social, and religious as well as professional. The need for us as individuals to find


December 2020


In joining professional associations such as CILIP, we are fulfilling our need to belong, to find a ‘fit’ between our values and professional culture.


a match or ‘fit’ between our values and the culture in which we are operating is paramount, in whichever cultural setting we are operating currently. We also owe and feel loyalty within all such settings, which may give rise equally to potential conflicts or clash of loyalties. How we behave, and our sense of priorities is similarly dependent on our perceptions of what constitutes professional behaviour within differing cultural contexts. Behaviour/s is significant in the context of professionalism and identity as information professionals operate in service contexts, rich in social meaning, created by these individuals, and in which individual and group behaviour is therefore an important factor. Similarly, language is equally significant. Language is the primary tool we use to communicate, share meaning, and create consensus about our identities, roles, values, ethics, and culture. We use it to label ourselves and to share this sense of self with others, especially the concept of our professional selves. As in Wittgenstein’s Language Game, we have no objective way of demonstrating shared meaning and professional consensus. In joining professional associations such as CILIP, we are fulfilling our need to belong, to find a ‘fit’ between our values and professional culture, and to participate in creating a shared understanding or consensus about our wider professional identity or identities. CILIP offers a safe space within which to explore our professional selves, to share meaning, build consensus and create an ethical framework within which to practice as information professionals, however we designate and describe ourselves. Focusing too narrowly on defining specific professional roles or identities has the inherent danger of professional fragmentation; we become too specialised and small to survive and thrive effectively, hence the need to determine and define identity that unites rather than divides us.


Presidential activity As 2020 draws to a close, I have enjoyed the opportunity to meet members virtually at seminars and


Judy Broady-Preston (president@cilip.org.uk) is CILIP President and Emeritus Professor Aberystwth University; Editor in Chief, Global Knowledge Memory and Communications; and Visiting Professional Fellow, UCL Qatar. www.linkedin.com/in/judith-broady-preston-49200231


conferences. One of the positive outcomes of this ‘unprecedented year’ has been the opportunity for more widespread engagement amongst CILIP members afforded by remote working and event delivery. CILIP and CILIPS conferences, the AGM, and SIG events, were all highly successful, allowing for greater participation than has been possible previously, certainly in relation to the AGM. It is tempting to view this year solely through a negative prism, but there have been several positive outcomes, of which this is one. I leave you with this closing remark from the Oxford Languages report: “There is no doubt the volatile events of 2020 have had an unprecedented impact on the way we live and work, specifically Covid-19, which has drastically altered our daily lives.”


Look ahead to 2021


I wish Paul Corney and Kate Robinson every success as the Presidential Team for 2021 and hope events allow for more active engagement than was possible this year. I thank Paul for his support and friendship during a difficult year, and Nick and all at team CILIP for their professionalism, hard work and support. I wish you all a relaxing and festive break and a Happy New Year. IP


Reference


1 All presentations were based on research undertaken at Aberystwyth University and UCL Qatar, 2016-2019, including preliminary outcomes from the 2019 UCL-Q Visiting Professorial Fellowship project, ‘Learning and leadership: Organisational behaviour, culture and change’.


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