Rónán O’Beirne. Photo © QASPIR
https://qaspir.com
IP – Can you give us the context of the Intellectual Freedom Committee? (It’s inception and its role) RO’B – I suppose a good place to start is with a definition: Intellectual freedom – the right to access and share informa- tion, to think and create, to express and debate – is one of the core commitments CILIP members make under our Ethical Framework. It sits alongside human rights, equitable access, the preservation of knowledge, impartiality, user privacy, and information literacy. The Intellectual Freedom Committee exists to help CILIP champion that commitment in a changing envi- ronment: navigating challenges of censorship, book challenges, contested collections, online speech, AI, data regulation and the related pressures facing library and information workers across all sectors. We gather evidence, convene expertise, and advise the Trustee Board on where CILIP can most usefully lead.
IP – And why do you think that it is so important we have a committee to lead us through a difficult land- scape? RO’B – Many intellectual freedom issues are complex and can take considerable time to evolve, the committee provides a dedicated expert resource in a timely fashion. Our commitment to an evidence-based approach ensures that we are in a position to consider all perspectives and, from there, to offer advice and guidance.
IP – You’re keen to make sure the committee can offer practical guidance and support – what can you tell us about how you think that will work? RO’B – We’re building a three-year work programme for Trustee Board approval. Potential outputs include advocacy and policy work, consultation responses, member-facing resources, agreed positions on topical issues, training and guidance for library schools and apprenticeships, updates to the PKSB, and potentially a helpline-type service. The delivery plan will be realistic, prioritised and phased. It will also be adaptable to meet the changing environments.
IP – Thinking about the national picture, how do you expect the IF Committee to help shape policy and act as an advocate for the profession and its values? RO’B – Committee members will contribute to CILIP’s sec- tor leadership and serve as key ambassadors. We will provide collective strategic leadership and advice to CILIP on matters relating to intellectual freedom in support of CILIP’s strategic priorities, including recommendations to the CILIP Trustee Board for approval.
We will take collective responsibility to deliver tangible posi- August-September 2026
tive impacts for a diverse range of different CILIP members on issues relating to intellectual freedom. Of course, while we as a committee are aware that sometimes these issues are likely to be complex, contested and unclear, we will always seek to use sound judgement, a collaborative approach, and our ability to balance different viewpoints transparently and clearly.
IP – You’re likely to be focusing on public and school libraries in the initial stages of your workplan, can you tell us why you wanted to prioritise these areas in particular? RO’B – We’ve seen some activity in both school and public libraries that suggests they may be targets, and while it is not at the same scale as seen in North America we are keen to move from reaction mode to pre-emptive mode. With complex hierarchies in both school and public libraries it is important that library staff’s commitment to Intellectual Freedom, and CILIP’s professional ethical framework and values are recog- nised, respected and provide a robust rationale to inform elected member and school governor decisions.
IP – Where would you hope to see the committee in a year’s time? And how about in five years? RO’B – In one year I would hope that we will have established a well-oiled mechanism to collect, register and respond to IF issues across all sectors of the library profession. I would also hope to have in place appropriate training and support materials to empower all members to address intellectual freedom issues with confidence.
Of course it is difficult to know what the wider political, environ-
mental, societal and technological contexts might be in five years. But one thing is for sure and that is that Intellectual Freedom will continue to be championed by the majority of society, that robust frameworks and broad alliances led by CILIP, will ensure fundamental freedoms remain in place. IP
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