I do so agree with this as far as activist and rank and file are concerned.
To say that if you want to get a lot out of CILIP you have to put a lot in
can be asking too much at any given time. It's not reasonable or even
possible for everyone to be an activist all the time. Several people have
already raised the geographic issue, most of us have careers (or even just
jobs), and many of us have family commitments of various kinds. This can
change so that we can be more or less active in CILIP at various stages
throughout our membership, but the mere fact that circumstances prevent us
being active shouldn't mean we aren't entitled to a point of view or a means
of expressing it. And to state the obvious, one thing that we all put in is
money, which gives us a right to an opinion on how that money is spent.

Diana Nutting
Information Liaison Manager
Business Link for London
Link House
292-308 Southbury Road
Enfield EN1 1TS
020 8443 7229
[log in to unmask]
www.businesslink4london.com

-----Original Message-----
From: Crawford, John [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
Sent: 18 November 2004 16:48
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: CILIP members vote overwhelmingly for flat rate
subscription system


Dear all

I have not contributed to this debate up till now, mainly because of
lack of time but I think Francis makes a good point. I have not had time
to look at all the points made but overall they show a lack of
congruence between CILIP's aims and what members want or as John Briggs
put it rather more succinctly 'Perhaps CILIP should dissolve the
membership and elect a new one'.
I think the discussion generated by the subscription debate has been
very useful and we need a lot more of it.
May I suggest that, as a positive first step, Tim compiles a report
summarising the issues for presentation to an appropriate CILIP
committee for discussion. The Professional Practice Committee would be
ideal and as it meets on January 11th 2005 there is ample time for
preparation.
The essential problem with CILIP, in my view, is that it is an activist
culture, not a rank and file culture (if you want to get a lot out of
CILIP you have to put a lot in) and it is now time to tackle this issue.
While I am aware that CILIP has plans in this direction I think we have
to look for consultation mechanisms which favour the rank and file, not
the activist culture which we presently have. This argues for a lot more
survey and evaluation.
The Group of which I am chairman, the Library and Information History
Group, was one of the first to undertake a membership satisfaction
survey and this without a policy steer from CILIP which has not as yet,
as far as I am aware done anything in this direction.
The discussions show a fair degree of cynicism about CILIP as a
professional body and a simple piece of desk research could help us
here. I believe on anecdotal evidence that disillusionment is widespread
among the members of professional bodies.
I would like to know objectively
1 Is this the case?
2 Are other professional bodies doing anything about and can we learn
from them

This is something that Membership Information Services staff could do.

Best wishes

Dr. John Crawford,
Library Research Officer,
Glasgow Caledonian University,
Room 302, (3rd floor)
6 Rose Street,
Glasgow,
G3 6RB
Tel: 0141-270-1360
Email [log in to unmask] ac.uk

-----Original Message-----
From: Chartered Library and Information Professionals
[mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Frances Hendrix
Sent: 18 November 2004 11:56
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: CILIP members vote overwhelmingly for flat rate
subscription system

Yes now that the voting is out of the way, I hope Cilip can begin to
address in a transparent way, many of the issues raised during the run
up to the vote. Also I am sure the membership will be waiting to see the
improvements, which over time will accrue for the saving of time.
f

-----Original Message-----
From: Chartered Library and Information Professionals
[mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Bert Washington
Sent: 18 November 2004 11:15
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: CILIP members vote overwhelmingly for flat rate
subscription system

With the result now announced on the subscription issue I guess voting
has now ended. It's a shame that I did not get the opportunity to vote,
having as yet still not received my postal ballot (I wonder how many
others this has happened to)?

Bert Washington.


-----Original Message-----
From: Chartered Library and Information Professionals
[mailto:[log in to unmask]]On Behalf Of Tim Buckley Owen
Sent: 18 November 2004 10:06
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: CILIP members vote overwhelmingly for flat rate subscription
system

- Ends -


This message has been scanned for viruses at Business Link for London.


--
Writing a marketing plan - a practical guide
Visit http://www.businesslink4london.com to find out more
Winner: Most effective public sector website 2004

This email has been scanned for viruses at Business Link for London