www.cilip.org.uk/empoweringimpact ‘‘
Rob Green Editor-in-Chief
Rob.Green@
cilip.org.uk
T
HE OFFICIAL launch of the UK’s new Libraries Alliance (see p. 5) got me thinking about the power of a good anniversary. Launched on the back of the 175th
anniversary of the 1850 Public Libraries Act, the libraries alliance is more than a celebration of a century and a half of public libraries – it is concrete action that brings voices from all sectors of the library and information profession together. The alliance brings leading organisations together, helping to advocate for libraries with a unified voice and setting the agenda to ensure a sustainable long-term future for libraries.
The alliance makes a lot of sense – as Bodley’s
Librarian Richard Ovenden points out there is a “thread that binds us all together... and that is we’re all libraries. Whether we’re school libraries, prison libraries or national libraries like the British Library and the National Library of Scotland, or great research libraries like the Bodleian, we’re all libraries. We all have that same mission to serve our communities with knowledge.”
As a founding member of the alliance, CILIP has long recognised the importance of that golden thread running through libraries, information management and knowledge management. We are, after all, the only independent organisation that represents every sector of the profession. We understand that libraries, in all their forms, and the people who work in them have a positive impact on society, touching people’s lives in different ways at different stages. That’s why we are proud to be a leading member of the alliance, and will use it as another way to speak up for and support all of our members.
And supporting members is something CILIP has been doing for almost as long as there has been a Public Libraries Act, in fact we have our own big anniversary coming up next year when we will be celebrating 150 years of CILIP and the Library Association before that. Already 2027 is set to be
a special year as we welcome the World Library and Information Congress (WLIC) to London. The world’s biggest conference for information professionals promises to deliver an amazing experience for members, right on out doorstep.
For many it will be a once in a lifetime opportunity to be a part of WLIC. As well as attending the event, there are opportunities to get involved in other ways with satellite meetings and events taking place across the UK – whatever else happens in our anniversary year, WLIC will definitely be one of the highlights. Many of you will have seen in coverage of The Lowry Academy in Manchester, which hit the headlines over its decision to remove books from the shelves of its library after using an AI-generated list to identify “problematic” titles. CILIP and our members – through our School Libraries Group – have been closely involved with the case, supporting the librarian at the centre of it. And in this issue of Information Professional we hear from Carol Webb, SLG Chair, and school librarian Alice Leggatt who have both been part of that support network. AI is featured elsewhere in the pages of this issue – and each time there is a question of how to balance the opportunity that it presents with the potential challenges it throws up to the profession. There is no right or wrong answer at the moment, so I’m delighted that Information Professional is able to bring some incredible insights to help shed some light on the issues. We can’t bring you all the answers, but being part of a network of ethical information professionals is a great place to be if you are working through these problems yourself. As the new Libraries Alliance demonstrates, we are stronger together – something CILIP (and the Library Association before it) has known for a long time.
EDITOR
... There is no right or wrong answer, so I’m delighted that Information Professional is able to bring some incredible insights to help shed some light on the issues.
April-May 2026
INFORMATION PROFESSIONAL 3
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