the responsibility of mutual accounta- bility. Finally, one great advantage of collaborative working is that the activities of the club itself can act as evidence for your portfolio, Inception-style! The act of keeping the group together and moving forward is already hitting those PKSB goals.
We were lucky that we did not have any issues with setting up the club, however it was essential to have commitment to each other for the club to be a success, and how we defined that success is important. While the club was to be a tool that we could use to help us achieve chartership, it became apparent that the number of members achieving chartership was not its measure of success. That measure was that we’d created an open, collaborative and supportive learning environment that people could use to help support their individual chartership journeys, and I believe that’s what we did.
Looking to the future
I am sorry to say that Chartership Club has been on a hiatus for a while. However, I am hoping to bring it back to GCU, likely renamed to the more inclusive Profes- sional Registration Club. The benefit of these clubs is that a lot of the work is in their set up, however with a few dedicated volunteers they can continue to sup- port colleagues long into the future. I’ve continued my own development journey over the years, most recently joining the Professional Registration Panel as an Assessor, and I hope to use this experi- ence to help support future club members.
A word to employers
While an individual chooses to undertake their Professional Registration journey for personal reasons, to take a career next step or to have recognition of their skills and experience, for example, Profes- sional Registration also has benefits for employers. Employers supporting staff undertaking Professional Registration will benefit from staff who have reaffirmed their commitment to and enthusiasm for the profession, who have actively worked to increase and expand their skillsets and who have reflected on changes and im- provements they can implement in their daily practice. Of course, you don’t have to take my word for it. As Gary Steele, Direc- tor of Library Services at GCU has put it: “The Chartership Club at GCU enables staff to ring-fence dedicated time to work on their professional registration appli- cations. Supporting CPD is vital for staff development, wellbeing, and career pro- gression, and it benefits both the individual and the service as a whole. Our focus is on working collaboratively with staff to ensure they have the time and support needed to meaningfully engage with their ongoing professional development.”
40 INFORMATION PROFESSIONAL
Glasgow Caledonian University – Annie Lennox Building. Tips for setting up your own
Professional Registration Club If you are interested in pursuing Profes- sional Registration and would like to set up your own club, either in your work- place or as part of an external network, here are some tips from the team at GCU:
Find an online platform that works for you
Having an online space to share infor- mation, hold hybrid meetings and chat with each other was extremely helpful for us and helped accommodate our flexible working schedules. Whilst we chose to use software provided and hosted by our institution for this, some other groups may wish to utilise freely available, open software instead, many options for which are available.
Play to your own individual strengths but work collaboratively A successful group thrives on everyone bringing their own individual skill-sets
to the table; however, it also depends on everybody bringing enthusiasm and drive to the club. Perhaps you’re the organiser keeping the diary, or maybe you’re the comms team reaching out to potential guest speakers. Perhaps, like me, you’re the unofficial hype man of the group, keeping others motivated; everyone has something to bring to the club.
Engage with your friendly local CILIP team
Tap into the many great events and opportunities offered by your local CILIP branches as well as the PRSO teams who are the Professional Registration experts. If you’re gallus like us, you can even invite them along to a club meeting for a bespoke session!
ABR – always be reflective! Reflective writing lies at the very heart of Professional Registration; however, it’s extremely easy to forget this when compil- ing your portfolio. Cultivating a reflective practice can take time, especially for those unfamiliar with the process. Working collaboratively offers a unique opportunity to explore your reflective practice with others and embed this in your day-to-day work life.
Gary Steele.
Remember, it’s a personal journey Everyone has different schedules, respon- sibilities and commitments both inside and outside of work, which will mean everyone’s Professional Registration journey will look different. Do not be dis- couraged if you are working at a different pace compared to your clubmates. The purpose of the club is to share informa- tion, opportunities and kind words of encouragement; it’s not a competition! Good luck! IP
June-July 2026
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