at all levels during this election year – locally, regionally, and nationally. We have all felt, I know, that in many ways we advocate to ourselves, which is to say, to those who know and love librar- ies. We need to expand that sphere and I believe strongly that advocacy is not part of our day job as leaders in the profession, it IS our day job. I first joined CILIP, or the Library Association as it was then, in the 1990s and CILIP has helped me enormously in my career development. I started out in Scotland where I completed a course to become a Senior Library Assistant while simultaneously working for Moray Libraries as a Relief Library Assistant. When I joined Cambridgeshire Libraries, I was appalled to discover that there was no career pathway open to me. Very little distance learning existed at that time and my only real option was to go back to university and do a full degree in Librarianship. With two growing children and other respon- sibilities, that was not really an option, so I was delighted when CILIP intro- duced the ACLIP certification scheme and was one of the first to go through in the pilot programme.
Sue at the Fantastic Futures AI-conference in Oslo.
with literacy and numeracy targets, their contribution could make an enormous difference.
Following on from that, the opportunity for public libraries to play a key role in developing digital and health literacies in spaces which people view as safe and unthreatening is unparalleled. Working in partnership with organisations who specialise in bridging the digital divide, has always seemed to me such a natural way forward for libraries ever since the government introduced the People’s Net- work in the late 1990s.
As we move into an age which could be enriched by AI and yet potentially also be threatened by it, the role of the information professional in supporting the understanding and regulation of that technology cannot and should not be underestimated.
Public libraries also contribute to our economy. A report, funded by Arts Council England describes how the public library network supports those on Universal Credit in employment searches. The British Library programme of Business and Intellectual Property Centres, delivered through public libraries, helps new busi- nesses and entrepreneurs to make their
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dreams a reality. These all illustrate so clearly that contribution.
Libraries are also a crucial part of our cultural landscape and our social infrastructure. But sadly, while admired abroad, the role of the public library service is much under-appreciated here at home. The fact that we have over 3,000 of them in England alone (and far more when we include the devolved nations) and that 66 per cent of them are on or near the High Street, making them acces- sible for many, is rarely considered by our politicians or our broadcasters – render- ing them a major contributory factor to community engagement. And to be fair, the year-on-year impact of austerity and financial cuts has left many of our libraries struggling to manage the range of delivery that they used to because of issues around cost and capacity, so there is work to be done to support all libraries to deliver to the best of their abil- ity and to be recognised and valued as the professional organisations with so much to offer that they are.
This is why I am so delighted to be embarking on my time as President during 2024, as CILIP looks at how it can engage politicians and decision-makers
Along with another colleague from Cambridgeshire, we talked to many library staff keen to follow the same path as advocates for the route and as soon as possible I went on to do my Chartership. I was very proud to call myself a professional librarian and was equally proud to be chair of Cambridge Library Group which brought library staff from across the city together to hear from speakers about all aspects of the profession. I did also qualify as a mentor but then moved to St Helens as Head of Service and became very time poor! I am currently working towards my Fellowship and am determined to complete it and I have to say that I have benefited hugely from the support I have received and continue to receive from all my CILIP mentors along the way. In my time at the Arts Council, I was thrilled to endorse the Welcome to Libraries booklet that CILIP produces which clearly outlines a career pathway from Level 3 Library Apprentice, through Certification and Charter- ship to Fellowship. I am also eagerly awaiting the completion of the Level 7 Apprenticeship model to complete the training offer.
Last year, CILIP, celebrated 125 years of chartered status. CILIP was chartered because 125 years ago, those in power were scared of the impact of technology, if not regulated and con- trolled securely. The technology they were scared of? – the telegraph (not the newspaper, by the way).
January-February 2024
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