IN DEPTH ‘‘
Davina Omar, Director of Library Services at University of West London.
Being part of a special interest group committee has delivered the key thing that I was looking for when I joined – a network of people outside the places I have worked.
Marketing and Communications Group: The inside story of a CILIP SIG
A key element of CILIP are the special interest groups which are formed by members who are looking to work with colleagues from across CILIP’s membership on shared topics of interest. The work of the groups is varied but can include developing training, running awards, hosting conferences and creating guidelines. Here MCG committee member Davina Omar focuses on CILIP’s Marketing and Communications Groups and her volunteer role within it.
MY involvement with CILIP’s long-stand- ing communications, marketing and public relations special interest group started when I attended a group conference. This was over 18 years ago, and I am still as pleased and proud to be on the committee as I was when I started. A lot has happened both professionally and personally in the last 18 years but a consistent during this period is how beneficial it has been to be involved in the group.
At the time of joining the ‘Publicity and PR group’ (PPRG) committee, as it was then, I had been a sub- ject librarian at Brunel University for nearly three years and still felt very new to librarianship. I didn’t know many people in the profession, and I saw join- ing the group as a chance to meet more people and be involved in things that were different to the work I did at Brunel.
Looking back, I had already been so lucky to have had many opportunities in my professional life – including being able to do a graduate intern year and being supported through Chartership. Joining the PPRG committee was one of the best decisions I have made professionally.
The PPRG has since rebranded to become the Mar- keting and Communications Group (MCG) but it’s remit and area of focus remains the same.
Shared knowledge There are so many wonderful parts to our profes- 54 INFORMATION PROFESSIONAL
sion, but a key one for me is how much we are all prepared to help each other, share knowledge and allow others to learn from our experiences. Special Interest groups are a central way for this can happen as they are set up to bring together people who have a shared interest. They also provide training in the area and the chance for informal networks to form. I can vividly remember how nervous I was on the train to Birmingham to attend my first committee meeting having put in an expression of interest to join it. I was hoping I would have enough experience to be accepted, wondering what everyone would be like and not quite sure what to expect. As soon as I got there, I was able to relax as they were so welcoming and grateful to have people wanting to join. This sense of welcoming new members is the same today as it was then. Special interest groups can only function when people vol- unteer their work time. You don’t typically need a lot of experience, and I had been worrying needlessly about this. What is required is enthusiasm, interest and a commitment to volunteer your work time. I have changed jobs three times since I joined the committee, going from the subject librarian role to now being a library director. For all of these roles, I have added into my applications skills and experiences I have learnt from being on the group’s committee.
The group has given me experience of being part of a judging panel for awards, organising conferences,
Spring 2025
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