CILIP Midlands Network with CILIP President Sue Lacey Bryant, centre. Building a community
The role of CILIP’s Regional Networks is all about community and the benefits that come with being part of something bigger. From growing their network beyond their own sector, to embarking on a continued professional development journey, the Regional groups offer a wealth of benefits. David said: “Our aim is to deliver high-quality, accessible training and development opportunities for library, knowledge, and information professionals across the Midlands. Through a varied programme of workshops, webinars, and events, we plan to support continuous professional development, foster peer learning, and help individuals at all career stages to build skills, confidence, and connections within the sector. “CILIP Midlands aims to grow mem- bers’ impact by opening-up conversa- tions across the network, linking up with supporters and partners across all sectors, hosting an annual Member’s Day as part of CILIP Fest attracting speakers, supporters and members from across professions and at different stages in their career and also supporting members in their professional development.” Having been formed in June of this year, the Midlands Regional Network is looking to the future, embracing the new ways of working. David says that having a stream- lined way of running the committee is helping it focus on how it serves members. “The CILIP Midlands team is committed to collaborating with others to make all aspects of CILIP more accessible, inclu- sive, and affordable.
“We would hope to make it much easier for library, information and knowledge
52 INFORMATION PROFESSIONAL
professionals from all sectors to access the benefits of membership. It would be much smarter for example if we found a way for all library, information and knowl- edge staff within schools, public library authorities, universities and colleges to be automatically CILIP members. We need to make creative and innovative member- ship solutions happen.
“We are seeking to build a community of members of supporters. To make our net- work name meaningful to all, including those unfamiliar with CILIP, we refer to ourselves as CILIP Midlands: The library and information network.”
Another strand that the new group will look to develop is local collaborations, helping CILIP and its members reach beyond the sector. These initial collaborations include:
l Mercian Collaboration (professional network principally formed from SCONUL member higher education libraries based in the East and West Midlands of England: regional subgroup of SCONUL);
l LIEM (Libraries & Information East Midlands: a membership organisation: main activity is organising training);
l Civic University Network (a national network of universities and colleges com- mitted to transforming lives and places);
l CivicLab Conference.
David says: “Civic University Agree- ments (CUAs) are civic strategies, rooted in a robust and shared analysis of local needs and opportunities, and co-created with local partners. They are great way for CILIP Midlands to engage with universi- ties and colleges in our patch. “CILIP Midlands was represented at the CivicLab 2025 Conference: we are deter-
mined to learn from the example of SOCITM (Society for Innovation, Technology and Modernisation) who co-sponsored the event and built connections with univer- sities and colleges in the Midlands who have published CUAs”
For the Midlands Network, these CUAs will form some future activity, with plans in place to connect with local universities, including: Universities for Nottingham: A Lincoln CUA (University of Lincoln and Bishop Grosseteste University); Aston University; University of Derby and Derbyshire; A partnership for Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland (Civic Agree- ment is a commitment between De Mont- fort University, Loughborough University, University of Leicester, and the city and counties of Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland); and University of Birmingham.
Advocacy
Also on the agenda for the network is developing its advocacy work. David says: “Advocacy is a powerful tool used by individuals, groups, and organisations to bring attention to issues, influence decision-making, and promote meaningful change. For CILIP Midlands advocacy can serve as the bridge between the region and the changes linked to CILIP, local councils, regional mayors and MPs needed to address the social, economic, and environmental challenges that are so urgently needed. “The CILIP Midlands team are keen to educate, persuade, and mobilise others, in order to help bring critical issues to the forefront and foster solutions that benefit society as a whole. “In the library, information and knowl- edge world we hope to do more than just speak up— we will create change, challenge stigma, and offer hope to those in our
Winter 2025
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