INTERVIEW
Look to the future: the art of planning ahead
Future Libraries is a project that was launched by CILIP earlier this year, in conjunction with Shared Intelligence. The aim was to help public library services to look to the future and plan ahead – not always an easy task. The result is a step-by-step guide and resource pack that helps library service managers to better understand the risk and opportunity – here Shared Intelligence’s Ben Lee discusses the project ahead of a work- shop at this year’s CILIP Conference. Book now at
www.cilipconference.org.uk.
MAKING the best decisions requires the best evidence – but when the decisions are based on unknown future possibilities it can feel more like guesswork. How- ever there are steps that you can take to make rational decisions, even when the world seem unpredictable, and thanks to CILIP’s Future Libraries (
www.cilip.org. uk/future-libraries) work there is a simple guide to help navigate your way through uncertainties. Come Rain or Shine has been developed by Shared Intelligence to encourage managers and decision-makers to consider the medium to long-term picture, and look at how they can plan ahead. It has been created to be adaptable and help those using it develop insights that are unique to their services.
Ben Lee,Co-Director of Shared Intelligence, explains that his own professional background began in central government, but he has “had a varied career, getting involved in community empowerment, arts and culture, impact evalu- ation, and futures literacy”. Shared Intelligence is a public policy research consultancy that works mainly on public services, making it a good fit to deliver the Future Libraries work for CILIP.
Ben says: “Future Libraries is a project in two-parts. The first part is a scenarios-based research report, Come Rain or Shine, which
20 INFORMATION PROFESSIONAL
Rob Green (
rob.green@
cilip.org.uk) is Editor of Information Professional
argues that over the coming decades libraries will need to provide digital and social connec- tions, a ‘People’s Network 2.0’ and to build their leadership capacity.
“The second part, which I am even more excited about, is a toolkit which we hope will
April-May 2024
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