INSIGHT


President’s View


Going, going… W


HEN I took over from Judy in January, I never thought I’d be CILIP’s


first Virtual President. Yet, I’ve met (virtually) a wide variety of people.


Through my “In conversation with...” sessions I’ve chatted with colleagues from the United States to Australia and chaired or participated in events in Russia, Ireland, Scotland, Singapore, and around the UK, all from the comfort of my home office! I’ve given numerous presentations and addresses to Special Interest Groups.


Presidential debate


The final debate “From Heroes to Superheroes” occurred on 24 November. Building on a theme from the third debate it focused on skills needed to function in a virtual environment. I noted these as digital skills of the future: Visualisation; Literacy; Monitoring and Evaluation; and Curation. Discussions focused on increased use of gaming technology and virtual services using more AI. The debates can be found here: https://vimeo. com/showcase/6904805.


They attracted global audiences averaging 50 per session. They took a lot of organising; my question to you, were they worthwhile?


In conversation with... This initiative I found tremendously rewarding, many stimulating conversations with interesting people. At first, stories were about how librarians, information and knowledge professionals went the extra mile for their community during the pandemic. Then, coping with a return to ‘the office’ and #distributedworking. In future, will


14 INFORMATION PROFESSIONAL DIGITAL


it be about coping in a hybrid working environment? Keywords from the conversations: resilience, adaptability and networks.


Alison in Australia, Kendra in USA, and Malcolm in Ross on Wye were my November ‘buddies’. Grateful thanks to everyone (in Australia, England, Ireland, Portugal, Russia, Scotland, USA, and Wales) who shared a coffee: Louise, Andrew, Heena, Nicola, Lucy, Jane, Rosalind, Wayne, Nicky, Charlotte, Lou, Alison, Rebecca, Vicky, Emma, Liane, Alison, Diane, Ana Paula, Eugene, Kendra, Alison, Malcolm, and Bruce.


Observations


We know too much about each other


In previous President’s View columns I noted the polarised state of society and divisive nature of social media. As I was growing up, I found out about people from conversations and letters. We had time and a sense of mystique. Today, we are bombarded with social media updates accentuating a ‘fear of missing out’ (FOMO) and no mystique! I’ve seen the devastating effect of spurious reviews and salacious comments and come to the view we know too much about each other. The challenge is separating the noise from valuable content, where the skills of our members come in.


The discombobulating effect of the pandemic


When asked what you have missed while home working, people said: “Things you stumble across from being in the office” – “overheard in the corridor” “I meant to ask you...” Over the past year, in the primarily remote work environment, employees have relied on video calls to collaborate,


often resulting in back-to-back meetings putting them at risk of burnout. I’ve lost friends, seen some struck low, and seen many experience relationship breakups. We face supply chain issues, shortage of workers with the skills and willingness to perform the vacant roles, pressure on costs, and the spectre of inflation.


As people returned to the office conversations shifted: “what’s an acceptable working model”, to “will I be overlooked if I am not present as much as others?” I believe a new social contract must evolve. 2022 is going to be challenging.


Everything old is new again I’ve lost count of the times, ideas surfaced a decade ago have been dusted down, repackaged, and presented as the big new idea. Strangely, despite political and business leaders suggesting otherwise, we don’t seem to be learning lessons.


It’s OK to let go


I’ve noted the importance of networks, managing those networks is an essential


December 2021


Paul Corney (president@cilip.org.uk) is President of CILIP. www.cilip.org.uk/


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