Information Scotland The Journal of the Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals in Scotland ISSN 1743-5471 Issue contents | Journal contents | About the online edition of the journal December 2003 Volume 1 (6)

President's perspective

24 hour party people

Alistair Campbell's year as President ends with the highlights of the historic Parliamentary debate on public libraries and the Scottish Cultural Portal launch.

It's been a real privilege to have been President in this historic year. I am very grateful to have been given the opportunity to visit the Branches, to mix with our colleagues throughout the UK, to be provided with the platform of the annual conference and to be presented with the challenge of writing the President's Perspective in the re-christened Information Scotland. That our professional journal has been so effectively revitalised is clearly nothing to do with my endeavours.

The year has, in so many ways, underlined that I am particularly fortunate to work within the library community of Scotland where our size and our shared commitment enable us to work in harmony across the sectors and achieve results that make a positive difference to those we serve. And at the heart of this success lie CILIPS and SLIC.

I am absolutely convinced that we have the right formula, in that while CILIPS must speak out strongly for our individual members it is SLIC that has the national leadership role for all library services and sectors.

One of the President's most enjoyable duties is to visit the Branches. It's been a real pleasure to meet with the members, to get their comments, to discover all the good practice that is going on across the profession and to hear concerns also, genuine concerns regarding training and development issues and about the future direction of library services. But it's sad to note that we have just four Branches currently functioning in Scotland.

At a time when there's a commonality of key challenges across the sectors and a genuine need for closer co-operation and co-ordination, the sectors and individual library professionals need to meet and mix more often. And that's a challenge for all of us.

For the President a key activity is the CILIPS Annual Conference. This offers an ideal opportunity to highlight current themes, to promote libraries and to indulge the President in riding his particular hobbyhorses, or in my case, Shetland ponies, given my vertically challenged stature.

It is also through Branch and Group Day an excellent means of bringing together so many staff from the various sectors. I'm delighted that next year that day will include suppliers' demonstrations. Other new welcome developments are the one-day, two-day or three-day conference packages, because it's vital that conference attracts a wider audience from across the sectors.

Conference is a rare blend of the serious and enjoyable: the consideration of key issues that point the profession towards new challenges within our ongoing adventure; and fun and laughter. With the theme for 2004 being partnership all should seek to attend and contribute.

November in Edinburgh, The Assembly Hall, a previous visit there to see Derek Jacobi as Hamlet, but this time it is the drama of the historic debate on Scottish public libraries and afterwards a meeting with the Minister.

And the key messages emanating from the afternoon?

• Build on the success of the People's Network.
• Deliver the Executive's priorities in relation to lifelong learning, social inclusion, modernising government and community planning.
• Work through SLIC and the local authorities to improve the standing and funding of library services.
• Develop a robust quality evaluation system.

And how could we forget that telling quote from Christine Grahame, MSP? "If people want an exciting night then call up a librarian". In our new 24/7 world might this be the national slogan we've all been searching for?

The relevance of our professional skills was superbly encapsulated within the Scottish Poetry Library in November when the Minister, Frank McAveety, launched the Scottish Cultural Portal Pilot, www.scotlandsculture.org, a new gateway to organised, relevant information and learning. And in case we should forget, affirmation of our cultural role.

What we can achieve at a national level must be achieved at a local level within our own organisations and with our partners. The library as the gateway to knowledge and information, the library and information professional as the informed, committed gatekeeper, and much more. A fundamental truth - past, present and future - worth celebrating in this anniversary year.

It's been an honour to wear the President's badge so effectively designed by Emma Jones. It is, of course, the old SLA badge, remodelled from the core materials to be modern and relevant, not unlike what's been happening with our services in recent years.

My year as President ends in the sure and certain knowledge that in 2004, Moira Methven, our new President, will be an absolutely excellent leader of and advocate for Scotland's library and information professionals.

Information Scotland Vol.1 (6) December 2003

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