PEOPLE
PROFESSIONAL REGISTRATION
Reflecting on the first steps of professional registration
In the latest edition of our Professional Registration Stories, Ambrose Hall, Library Services Advisor at Anglia Ruskin University Library, Cambridge, looks back on his Certification journey and reflects on the impact of professional registration.
I’M Ambrose and I work at Anglia Ruskin Univers- ity (ARU) Library in Cambridge as a Library Services Advisor. I’ve worked here for about two-and-a-half years and this is my first library job. Before ARU, I worked in an independent bookshop for four years. I was attracted to working in an academic library as I’m a big believer in lifelong learning and enjoy passing on knowledge and helping people to make the most of their university experience. I’ve found library staff particularly good at sharing experi- ence and expertise, which has been a really rewarding part of my current role. I’ve attended some great professional development events, for example with Customer Service Group UK and CPD25 (through the M25 Consortium). Getting ideas from other libraries is both inspiring and energising. One example is an event I attended with my Team Leader about student belonging. We brought back lots of ideas for our new wellbeing area that other academic libraries had tried. I’m also a member of the Cambridge Library Group, which is a local group who visit libraries in the area and arrange talks.
I’ve had the chance to see some beautiful libraries and get a glimpse into different roles, as well as seeing unique objects. It’s good to keep these positive experiences in mind on a tough day as it keeps things in perspective. I’m still quite new to libraries but have tried to absorb as much as I can. I’m now studying librarianship remotely with Ulster University.
Support from within ARU Library runs a scheme to support staff with profes- sional registration and two of my colleagues had completed it. Their enthusiasm was the first main pull for starting pro- fessional registration. As I already mentioned, I also love to learn and I knew I had plenty to learn in my first library role. I decided to undertake Professional Registration as I felt that I wanted to understand libraries better. I’d changed career quite late and I wanted to make the most of opportu- nities offered, particularly as ARU were offering to support me. Certification created a useful structure for developing my knowledge and skills, which appealed to me. On a per- sonal level, my son is in his late teens, so I’ve now got more time to put into my own things.
It was straightforward to sign up on the website and then I was sent an information pack with everything I needed. I also had access to the Professional Registration group on the CILIP website, if I had any questions. Though I had a lot of support from colleagues, so in the end I didn’t ask any questions on the forum.
52 INFORMATION PROFESSIONAL
Ambrose Hall, Library Services Advisor at Anglia Ruskin University.
Part of ARU’s scheme is to provide a mentor internally. One of our Subject Librarians mentored me, which was great as she’s a really experienced librarian and gave me lots of useful advice, both practically and when I came to pull my portfolio together. All my colleagues were sup- portive and offered the chance to learn new things. I felt very lucky.
‘‘
I’ve found library staff particularly good at sharing experience and expertise, which has been a really rewarding part of my current role.
Summer 2025
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