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 August 2007 Volume 5(4)

Conferences: CILIPS

Varied menu dished up

Tony Ross, winner of the CILIPS Student Medal, found that CILIPS Branch & Group Day provided food for thought about how to define the profession and promote it, but also a sense of great pride in his chosen career.

When asked to write an article describing my experiences at CILIPS Branch & Group Day at Peebles, the first thought to spring to mind was a comment made by a friend on such efforts: namely, that they inevitably follow a standard format, beginning with the narrator waking full of trepidation, and ending with them returning home to find they have, in some way, ‘come of age’, with critical mention made of the venue, food and weather along the way. This article aims to be less linear, more discombobulated, perhaps slightly rambling, but to give an accurate impression of my experience.

On arriving at the conference, I was reminded of my first day at school, when I felt intimidated at being surrounded by bigger kids who all seemed at home in a place completely alien to me. This was not made easier by the fact that, for the President’s address, I was to sit right at the front of the hall, next to Ian Snowley, CILIP President. Fortunately, everyone was very welcoming, for which I must thank them wholeheartedly, and I soon felt (relatively) at ease. Following the President’s address, which I shall discuss shortly, I had my three minutes of fame.

The reason I had been invited to attend the Day was to receive the Student Medal for achievement on the MSc ILS programme at the University of Strathclyde. Again I must here thank CILIPS President Christopher Phillips for his kind words in presenting this to me.

With the completion of this first session, I was let loose to network. Given the relative shortage of jobs in Scotland, it is the common wisdom that networking is ever more necessary, as a way of establishing contacts with a view to career development.

I have always associated the concept with superficial interaction and forced conversations, not to mention the sheer terror of having to ‘sell yourself.’ While it’s not clear to me whether I networked, or was networked by a succession of very kind people, my anxiety was soon assuaged as it became clear that I was conversing with people who share the same concerns and passions for the profession as me, people whom I was genuinely excited to talk to and had much in common with.

The most positive theme I took from the day was the feeling of embarking upon a career in which I can take pride. The aforementioned talk by Christopher Phillips was impressive in its scope, and description of the key issues affecting the profession. It infused me with great pride which I feel we must all have for our work, our core values, and our shared desire to recognise the centrality of customers to what we do.

This theme continued into the first discussion, on the future of library schools, a subject in which I, as a current student, have a keen interest. The discussion centred on what library schools should be, their role in shaping the profession, and the need for greater collaboration with employers to determine the scope of teaching needed to produce graduates who will contribute most successfully to the profession. The discussion then evolved into a wider consideration of the profession, of its ephemeral nature; how do you define what library schools should teach when the profession includes such diverse roles?

Whereas professions such as pharmacy, teaching and law have a predetermined set of core skills that employers look for, our profession is more nebulous. The students with whom I have studied this year may all have very different career paths in mind, yet the library school must teach all these students side-by-side. While I have learned core skills, ranging from traditional concepts such as cataloguing and classification to more modern skills, such as managing and marketing and ICTs, can a year of library school education really prepare me for entering a professional role?

Indeed, it may still be that there are people who have not been to library school who are in a better position to add value to a library service than I; people with greater specialist knowledge of a given subject, or ICTs, for example. This point was made by Sheila Cannell, Director of Library Services at Edinburgh University and, if correct, is an uncomfortable thought, particularly for somebody just entering the profession.

This strikes right to the core of the difficulty librarianship faces – how do we now define our profession? This point is perhaps again reflected by the other two talks that I chose to attend, on the subjects of digitisation and disability law in academic libraries. While enlightening, both reflected what may be seen as niche professional interests. Given that this was the Branch & Group Day, this was perhaps to be expected. However, the diversity of interests also speaks of the diversity of professional roles.

The diffuse nature of librarianship and the wide range of knowledge, skills, and jobs that the profession encompasses, makes it difficult to define, and therefore difficult to promote. From glazed eyes at parties when people ask your job, to the fact that many people I meet don’t seem to know that librarianship is a profession at all, I’m sure we’ve all faced uncomfortable questions about our chosen role. This is not something we can blame on the ignorance of others.

I don’t think it too controversial to suggest that librarians, considered as a phenotype, might be thought shy or not particularly keen to sell themselves. I personally identify with this description, but recognise that if we wish to avoid red circles and further deterioration of our professional standing, we must make people aware that the job we do is important. Learning, at all levels, is of vital importance, and librarians assist in the enabling of learning. That is why I chose this profession, and should not be a small point of ethical pride for us. What I most valued about attending the conference was the way it reinvigorated my pride in making that choice.

So, as an entrance into the professional world of conferences and networking, the event provided a slightly frightening, but ultimately rewarding, experience. To feel enthused at entering a profession that I believe to have great importance and to meet kind, like-minded people made for a very memorable and enjoyable day. I look forward to many more.

Oh, and the venue was impressive, the food delicious, and the weather rubbish.

Tony Ross is the winner of CILIPS Student Medal for his achievements during the course of his studies on the MSc/PGDip course Strathclyde University.

Information Scotland Vol. 5(4) August 2007

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