Jan-Feb 2023 www.cilip.org.uk/infopro


Published by CILIP. Printed in Great Britain by Manson, St Albans, Hertfordshire.


Nick Poole Chief Executive nick.poole@cilip.org.uk @NickPoole1


I


attended recently a CILIP event focused on ‘whole organisa- tion’ approaches to wellbeing and mental health. So many people are living in an ongoing state of heightened anxiety, both at home and at work. In times like these, it is tempting to become hyper-vigilant – alive to each new twist and turn of the public and political drama. But we cannot live forever in a state of ‘fight or flight’ – sooner or later, we all need comfort, safety and calm.


That’s why I want to dedicate this introduction to wellbeing, to looking after your own mental health and to building healthy library workplaces.


A key insight from the CILIP event is that promoting healthy workplaces (for both mind and body) can’t just be a question of providing healthier food or running ‘wellbeing workshops’ on Teams. Yes, these things can be beneficial, but only in the context of a workplace where people feel secure, valued, engaged and able to bring their whole selves to work. We need stable working condi- tions, fair pay, inclusivity and a sense of stability about the future. It seems that the next few years will continue to be challenging, and each of us needs to be able to find something that anchors us to why we do what we do for a living.


For me, this anchor is always to go and sit in a library and to observe people making use of it. Seeing this – real users getting real benefit from the safety and support of a quality library – gives me the resolve to continue the fight for libraries, information and knowledge on the national stage.


This is why I have just written a short article exploring the concept of ‘slow librarianship’ (https://bit.ly/40jlSde). This idea, first expounded in the US by Meredith Farkas, has so much to tell us about the vital importance of time – both in nurturing our library and information services and in building deeper and more meaningful connections with our communities.


There is a bit of a sense in the library and information profession that people always need to be forging ahead, going above-and-be- yond, achieving more. As we continue to navigate today’s complex environment, I think we should all appreciate the quiet power of showing up, being present and getting the job done. Your mental health and wellbeing are precious. Without them, none of the great things you want to achieve can happen. So please take this as a reminder to look after yourselves in 2023. Mind provide excellent resources on how organisations can pro- mote the wellbeing and mental health of their staff – see https://bit. ly/3RiINRL for details.


Nick Poole, Chief Executive, CILIP January-February 2023 INFORMATION PROFESSIONAL 3


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Cover picture: Beth Montague-Hellen Publication dates


Publication and copy dates for the next three issues of Information Professional are:


March 2023: published 22 March. Features: 15 February. News by 1 March.


April/May 2023: published 11 May. Features: 5 April. News by 18 April.


June 2023: published 22 June. Features: 16 May. News by 26 May.


CILIP: established 2002.


Incorporated by Royal Charter 1898. Registered Charity 313014.


Chief Executive: Nick Poole.


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