CILIP North West Member Network Blog

In July 2020, seven members of the CILIP North West committee set up a conversation which we recorded on Teams. We wanted to share our recent experiences of working during lockdown.  It was a chance to reflect on how our different services have responded to the changes imposed by the Covid-19 situation as well as the impact this has had on our individual working lives.  Despite our different contexts, we began to see some common themes emerging. These included issues such as how our respective services have adapted and how we have all been exploring new and effective ways of reaching out to our users. We also discussed the unforeseen challenges around working from home as well as the opportunities for skills development that the pandemic has brought about.  You can watch the full recording here:  https://vimeo.com/446758081 The whole conversation lasts just under an hour. A t 54.35 you can see the details of all the participants in the order in which they speak,...

"To be, or not to be, that is the question." (Shakespeare).  I have been procrastinating about my professional registration for a while now. It’s easy to put it to one side and blame the day-to-day job for not having time to do it.   So, when I was invited to attend a CILIP Professional Registration workshop at our local Educational Library Service, I decided it was the encouragement and kick I needed to get going. I was to find out that this was exactly the same for several others who were attending as well as a few who had not yet registered. An investment in your future We all know that getting professional acknowledgement will not necessarily get us more pay.  But I decided long ago that it wasn’t about the money - I don’t think many of us work in libraries for the money! For me it was about the recognition of doing my job well. Throughout the professional registration process, the candidate is encouraged to reflect on their learning and become more en...

In October, I was offered the CILIP NW Member Network bursary for the CILIP New Professionals Day which took place on 22nd October 2019.  I am currently studying the Library and Information Management MA at Manchester Metropolitan University and chose New Professionals Day as my first CILIP conference. Having never attended a CILIP conference before, I thought this event would ease me in. I also hoped that it would give me a brief overview of the different career paths an information professional might choose. Entry for the randomised bursary was straightforward; it required an email from me with my CILIP member number, name, and the title of my university course. On the day of the event, I got an early train down to London, paid for mainly with the bursary. At CILIP HQ, we were offered coffee, tea and biscuits and I sat down for a catch up with a fellow student who had also come along to the event. Ahead of the day attendees received a workshop checklist so, while we waited for ...

On Thursday 7th November I had the pleasure of joining a tour of the Liverpool Athenaeum Library , organised by CILIP North West and the Library and Information History Group . I am a newly qualified librarian with an interest in historic and rare book collections. I’ve worked for the National Trust and am currently in my first professional post as a Local Studies Librarian. So when I saw the tour advertised on the CILIP website I immediately signed up. I suggested it to my manager as an opportunity for networking and CPD, and she readily agreed. Stepping inside the Athenaeum’s plush interior from the torrents of rain falling outside was like stepping into another world, something out of a Sherlock Holmes story. I could just imagine Holmes, Watson and Mycroft discussing a case in the Newsroom next to a log fire. Our group was met by Joan, the Librarian at the Athenaeum since 2007. Her enthusiasm for her role and the collection was evident. This is an Honorarium post, and toge...

“CILIP Fellowship is the highest level of Professional Registration and if you have substantial achievement in professional practice, hold a senior position in your organisation, or have made a significant contribution to the Information Professions, then this is the level for you.” (CILIP 2014)   Gil Young (Mentor Support Officer for the North West and a CIILIP mentor) talks to three North West based individuals who have recently been awarded Fellowship. Julie was part of a buddy group mentored by Yvette Jeal who was the 2018 CILIP Mentor of the Year. Nicola and Maria were both members of a group mentored by Gil. About us:  Julie Griffiths (JG): I am the Library Strategy and Development Manager for Halton Borough Council. I began working in public libraries as a trainee librarian and have held several operational posts at different levels before being appointed to my current role in 2015. Halton is a unitary authority in the North West of England and part of the Liverpool C...

Over the last month or so I have spent a lot of time on trains as a result of the attending some great training opportunities. When I say 'Grand Tour', I have to admit to mainly travelling to Liverpool and Manchester, but I seem to have visited both cities more in the last couple of weeks than I have in the last 2 years! First up, Manchester, for the JISC Connect More event at Manchester United football ground. (JISC provides digital solutions for UK education and research). Myself and a colleague set out in the largest car that our University could provide and bravely set off up the M56.  I drive a Peugeot 108, so being presented with an SUV is always an interesting prospect. It feels a bit like being given the keys to a tank! Taking the wrong junction onto the M60, then having to battle across Manchester through hoards of cricket fans, we make it to the event just on time. The event was a great chance to explore how our team can incorporate digital strategies to en...

Recently, I was lucky enough to attend this year’s CILIP conference, thanks to a bursary from the CILIP NW Member Network.   As a recently qualified library professional, who’d never attended a conference before, the CILIP conference seemed the perfect place to start, especially as it was being held just down the road at Manchester University. So I submitted a short bursary application form, kept my fingers crossed and was delighted to receive an email a few days later telling me I’d been awarded a place at the conference! I was so excited and couldn’t wait to get stuck in. Fast forward to the morning of 3rd July… The excitement was now mixed with a healthy dose of apprehension. What if I didn’t know anyone else there? Was I wearing the right clothes? The questions went round and round in my head but luckily, all of my fears were allayed as soon as I stepped inside University Place. I instantly spotted a couple of work colleagues, and soon met up with a couple of other familiar...