NEWS FEATURE
New skills training for a new generation of leaders
A brand new and free training course to help public library staff to become leaders has been launched by CILIP.
BACKED by Arts Council England, New Skills for the Future Library Leader builds on 2023’s Future Libraries project, Come Rain or Shine, which identi- fied the need to develop a new generation of library leaders. Now CILIP has taken the next step by creat- ing two new leadership modules, which are free for library workers in England – thanks again to funding from Arts Council England. The online training course features two modules, designed to equip library staff with a new set of skills to help them develop as leaders.
l Digital skills – recognising the role of the library as a por- tal for digital access, from basic skills and digital information services to understanding and interacting with AI;
l Futures literacy – using the UNESCO Futures Literacy framework and the CILIP Future Libraries toolkit, this mod- ule supports the development of strategies to meet future local needs.
These modules were developed following research by Evi- dence to Action and designed in collaboration with Artefacto. Evidence to Action said: “We found limited existing online training opportunities, indicating a potential need for an online training course to support development in these areas. Feedback from the consultation highlighted specific recom- mendations in terms of both the focus for training and the approach. Much of this built on the fundamentals of public library work, integrating and expanding on existing skills and experience in the areas of Digital Access and Future Lit- eracy.” The research was then synthesised and passed on to CILIP
and Artefacto, who then began designing modules that would help to fill the training gaps. Artefacto said: “Hearing from people in the sector about what they need from this kind of training is invaluable. And this research informed our initial design sprints and collaboration with CILIP on the learning outcomes for both courses.” The modules have both undergone testing ahead of the launch on 13 November, with Artefacto saying: “Our UX pri- ority is always to make things useful, friendly and relevant. “The design of learning content really needs to factor in
the realities and pressures of public library work. We wanted something modular so that learners didn’t need to sit down and complete the full course in one go, which just isn’t feasi- ble for a lot of library staff. And we wanted it to be relatable and accessible for quite a broad range of library roles and experience levels.
12 INFORMATION PROFESSIONAL
“We’ve always found (and this was backed up by the research)
that learners in the sector really value being able to hear about the experiences of other library pros. They want to know what works and, equally importantly, what doesn’t! Thankfully in the sector, people are happy to share their experiences and this was a big part of the UX for the digital skills course – relatable advice from people working in public libraries in England. “Futures Literacy is a relatively new field for libraries and
so the aim for this was to make it digestible and applicable to public libraries in the UK. Again, we want learners to actively engage with the content and reflect on their professional prac- tice via practical and reflective activities. A key focus is on using imagination and creativity for more resilient strategic planning.”
What to expect from the courses Artefacto said: “This project is interesting in that the key audience is aspiring and future leaders and this is an area where individual training needs align with the sector requirements.
Winter 2025
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68
