IN DEPTH ‘‘
Sue Williamson MBE, MA, MCLIP, is former President of CILIP.
Welcoming international library leaders: The International Library Leaders Programme at the British Library
With news that CILIP’s bid to host IFLA’s 2027 World Library and Information Congress in 2027 has been successful, former CILIP President Sue Williamson looks at how global relationships have been forged and strengthened by the British Library’s International Library Leaders Programme.
FOR the last three years, it has been my privilege to be on the selection panel choosing between 20 and 25 librarians from a pool of one to two hundred applicants from all over the world to attend the International Library Leaders programme at the British Library. The programme lasts a week and brings these dynamic librar- ians, future leaders in our profession, together to experience the work of an institution which has both enormous domestic significance and huge international relevance as well. In my previous role as Director: Libraries at Arts Council England, I funded the International Work which was the theme of Ayub Khan’s CILIP Presidential Year from the Arts Council’s Libraries Development Budget. That work has always been strongly supported by the British Library.
I was also privileged to join a UK-China Forum tour to China, organised by the British Library, as part of the growing cultural rela- tionship with that country initiated by George Osborne, now Chair of the British Museum and then Chancellor of the Exchequer. He supported the potential of soft power, of programmes that helped us build international relationships and foster under- standing.
That trip had a profound impact on me and has encouraged me to support international dialogue and exchange in libraries wherever possible. It has never been more important than now. Libraries, research data, collections and trusted information provision are currently visibly under threat globally and strong international relationships are crucial in maintaining our profes- sional dialogue, understanding and positioning. Whenever possible, I attend the evening reception at the British Library for the International Library Leaders Programme delegates so that I can get to know them. I then spend the follow- ing morning (their last on the programme) working with them so that I can experience them working together and learn from them about what is exercising them in librarianship in their countries.
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I always have one question: what has been the stand-out takeaway of the programme for you? Their answers are always enthusiastic and insightful. The key thing for me about this programme is the opportunity it affords for delegates to build relationships and a network that will grow and develop, foster- ing that soft power and international collaboration that brings so much in terms of deepening understanding. This year our Vice President, Carryl Allardyce, was the guest speaker at that evening reception and as she said so eloquently in her speech:
“I cannot emphasise enough the importance of the UK library sector working in partnership with international colleagues like yourselves. This collaboration is of paramount importance to CILIP members.
“International partnerships enhance professional development opportunities for librarians, allowing us to gain new perspectives and skills and to address global challenges such as information literacy, digital inclusion, and access to information. They foster among librarians a sense of a global community and solidarity, which are both crucial in advocating for the role of libraries in society. They encourage innovation, which ultimately benefits the organisations and communities we serve.” During the week delegates were able to discover how the British Library works, not only in London but also at its site in Boston Spa, Yorkshire. That journey enabled them to see more of the UK as well and to visit the beautiful city of York. Delegates had a behind the scenes view of the work of both sites, with tours of the Reading Rooms, the Book Storage base- ments, Automated Storage and National Newspaper Buildings, Digitisation, Conservation and Sound Preservation Studios. They learnt about the British Library Collection, the wonder- ful exhibitions that the library mounts (and visited the current ones), and the work with public libraries of the Living Knowledge Network and the Business and Intellectual Property Centres. They
Winter 2025
During the week delegates were able to discover how the British Library works, not only in London but also at its site in Boston Spa, Yorkshire. That journey enabled them to see more of the UK as well and to visit the beautiful city of York.
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