CDG London and South East AGM and CILIP Future Skills Project

Last Tuesday (24^th April) was the AGM for the Career Development Group, London and South East Division. It was held in the Weston Room of the Maughan Library, King’s College London – an absolutely beautiful room, a great setting for the meeting! I managed to chat to quite a few people too which was really nice.

After the usual business of the AGM was done and dusted we had a talk from Bethan Ruddock on the CILIP Future Skills Project. I found this really interesting as I hadn’t known a great deal about the project before. It is being implemented in order to recognise the varied skills of the library and information profession and establish a body of professional knowledge that is fit for purpose.

There is a diverse range of people involved in the project, including both CILIP and non-CILIP staff. Part one of the project has already been completed: this involved finding out what members actually wanted in a body of professional knowledge. The idea that it should be fit for purpose came up high on the list, as did the importance of the BPK meeting the needs of members. The BPK should be clear, relevant and comprehensive, be professional and clearly define relevant skills.

With that in mind, part two of the programme – the consultation – began. The draft Body of Professional Knowledge has been presented in the form of a wheel, which I found interesting. I liked that a section had been left with a question mark, indicating that the consultation isn’t yet complete, and is still open to suggestions.

The Future Skills Project will look at reviewing the qualifications framework, as well as looking at continuing professional development. There is a suggestion that CPD might become compulsory. Depending on how this is implemented I think this could be a good idea.

Bethan emphasised that the importance of reflecting and continuing professional development would remain. I was interested in what she had to say about Chartership as it is likely I will want to register within the next few years. It appears that either chartering now under the old system, or waiting and chartering under the new, will both be fine although any changes will take a few years to implement. Personally I am not in a hurry to charter so I think I will hang on and see what the changes will be. It might be the case that chartering would require the individual to set personal targets to improve within a particular range of skills. In terms of personal development this sounds brilliant, but it might cause problems for employers who would prefer Chartership to indicate a defined standard.

There were some interesting points raised during the question-and-answer session after the talk. In an attempt to involve those librarians and information professionals who aren’t CILIP members, those involved in the project will be talking to other organisations such as the SLA (Special Libraries Association). They will also be having discussions with employers to find out what they want and expect from LIS professionals. Another issue raised was that around half of the skills in the draft BPK were general transferable skills, such as communication and teamwork. Might someone look at the list and think “I have half the skills on that list – I could work in a library”? Personally, I’m not sure about this: all careers need generic skills as well as specialist ones, and I personally wouldn’t think that I could do any job just because I have those general skills. Having said that, I can understand this concern in the current climate and the very real issue of librarians being replaced by volunteers.

I found the talk really interesting, and I feel I know a bit more about the Future Skills project and what it’s trying to achieve. Thanks to Bethan for coming along and explaining it.