One question I have asked is: does CILIP represent all librarians, as
the lead body in the profession, or is it simply a membership body
providing services to subscribers?
The official answer was both, but 'we certainly can't offer services to
those who aren't prepared to pay'.
As a committee member of another professional organisation - the
Association of UK Media Librarians - I recognise the importance of
making people's membership subscriptions count, but I also feel we have
a role (on our far more limited resources) in trying to improve things
for all information professionals in the media sector.
As Sue says, if little enough is done for librarians (etc) by
professional bodies, we will have no members left to buy our services.
Katharine Schopflin
Researcher, BBC Heritage
-----Original Message-----
From: Chartered Library and Information Professionals
[mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Sue Lacey Bryant
Sent: 02 November 2004 8:36
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: CILIP: Focussing on the bigger challenge..
I am grateful to Tim Buckley-Owen for clarifying that 80% of those
members of CILIP who pay income-related subscriptions earn 22K or less.
Surely, this fact alone calls for CILIP to lead a timely review of the
state of the profession from which to redefine the roles of our
professional body and, in the meantime, take action to prioritise the
work of colleagues at Ridgmount Street (whose lot is not always a happy
one) so they can deliver such practical solutions as those suggested by
Fiona McLean?
It is fantastic to see so much debate about our professional body. Were
we to abandon CILIP we would certainly wish to reinvent a new
professional body. The risk is that with these kind of salaries in
place CILIP may simply be presiding over the demise of the profession
itself... Let's not move deck-chairs, focussing on subs and how to keep
CILIP afloat. I would have thought the bigger challenge is to focus on
how we can best serve organisations, clients, users - society - to bring
our skills to bear in the age of information and informatics - and in so
doing boost our reputation and remuneration. Surely this should be our
time? It seems to me that we need to find our voices - and look to CILIP
to provide the services that can help us gain influence in the
workplace.
I'll go to work now! :)
Sue
Sue Lacey Bryant - BA Hons, Dip Lib, MSc, MCLIP
Independent Information Specialist
E-mail: [log in to unmask]
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