Over the next few pages you can find out more about some of CILIP’s Special Interest Groups, what they do and how they support members.
SIGs of the times: CILIP’s 20 Special Interest Groups
CILIP’s Special Interest Groups are all open to members, and they all of- fer benefits, expertise and network- ing. Here, four discuss the latest challenges their members face, the solutions they are working on, and why members should join them. (
https://bit.ly/CILIPSIGs)
What do members get out of CILIP’s Special Interest Groups? Whether the problem is new and unexpected – like the cataloguing crisis caused by Donald Trump renaming the Gulf of Mexico, or longstanding ones like the never-ending tension between demands for transpar- ency vs holding sensitive information, the committees and members of CILIP’s SIGS are probably aware of it and looking into the solutions already.
We hear from four of them about what they are working on.
l Training and metadata skills in libraries without dedicated cataloguers
The Metadata and Discovery Group (MDG)
https://bit.ly/CILIPMDG
MDG plays several important roles within CILIP. Its primary focus is to support information professionals in the areas of metadata, discovery, cataloguing, index- ing, and standards. The group also acts as a liaison with sector bodies, institutions, and other committees to foster collab- oration, cooperation, and cross-sector knowledge sharing.
MDG organises and hosts events both online and in person, including a biennial practitioner conference to engage and develop the community of practice. We publish an Open Access journal, Catalogue & Index, with each issue focused on a specific topic, theme, or event. The com- mittee meets quarterly to discuss trends, topics, and areas of sector interest, and advises CILIP as needed.
Currently, the group is focused on several key challenges and areas of development. To name three:
l Open bibliographic metadata and the infrastructures that sustain it
l Subject indexing in academic and special- ist libraries, particularly its dependence on Library of Congress Subject Headings
Winter 2025 INFORMATION PROFESSIONAL 33
Open bibliographic metadata became a sector-wide challenge during the formation of the National Bibliographic Knowledge- base (NBK). Many academic and specialist libraries realised that the records they held were licensed only for use within their own catalogues, not for wider open distribution. As a result, records could identify holdings but not share bibliographic detail. Jisc’s Plan M is exploring ways to open bibliographic data using web technologies, and Copim’s Embedding Community-led Open Access initiative is one that MDG actively supports. Subject indexing has become a contentious issue following recent decisions by a US pol- itician to rename geographical regions. For example, the Gulf of Mexico was renamed the Gulf of America, prompting the Library of Congress to rush through a subject index change. This caused widespread disruption for catalogues globally that rely on the com- plex library supply chain, resulting in unilat- eral changes to local catalogues. In response, MDG is working with the community to explore short-term remedial options. We’re also launching a series of World Café events starting in November at the Wellcome Collection to build a coalition of interested parties committed to protecting bibliograph- ic description from political interference. Training is another key focus. MDG is offering a series of practical webinars cover- ing a wide range of cataloguing topics – from the basics of MARC21 and LCC classification to tips for handling specific types of material and advanced metadata techniques. We aim
to offer regionally focused training sessions and explore new ways to deliver content to library staff facing cataloguing challenges. MDG will showcase the latest insights in metadata and discovery at our biennial conference in Brighton, 11-13 March 2026. We also partner with the UK Committee on RDA to deliver both practical and theoretical sessions on RDA cataloguing. Our MDG pages are regularly updated with new events, publications, and news. We send out a monthly bulletin, which you can sign up for via your CILIP membership. In addition to next year’s conference, we’ll be hosting library carpentry events to deepen the skills developed in our webinar pro- gramme. We’re also arranging library visits – if you’re interested in hosting, please contact our events officer at
events.mdg@
cilip.org.uk. If you have suggestions for events or would like to get involved in any of our projects, we’d love to hear from you. Please contact us at
chair.mdg@
cilip.org.uk
Government Information Group (GIG) –
https://bit.ly/CILIPGIG
GIG represents the interests of Knowledge and Information professionals working in government departments and agencies
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