As Director of a regional LIS consortium which runs an active programme of events I am very sorry to hear about the suspension of the CILIP programme. There are many topics where it is not viable to run local events because of lack of local demand and national provision is essential.
Cost is an important factor and provision by local or subject groups can achieve cost savings. I see that CILIP is still providing on-site training. It would be good if libraries that are planning to run in-house events could open them up to other libraries in their area. SINTO would be very happy to work with CILIP to provide such events in our region, although I have to say that in the past such offers were turned down by the training and development department.
I have argued on my blog that library training budgets should be abolished! By that I mean that training should not be seen as something separate but an integral part of what a library is trying to achieve and therefore an integral part of the core budget. Also the emphasis these days should be on Workforce Development i.e. what does the library want to do and does its workforce have the skills needed to achieve this? That's not to say there is anything wrong with Continuing Professional Development (especially where the individual is financing this themselves) but training provision should be aimed at the needs of the organisation and not the individual.
Another issue in the declining take-up of training is that libraries are less able to release staff because staffing is so low. However libraries should see this as a case of bringing skills into the library rather than sending staff out of the library.
Carl Clayton
Director
SINTO - the information partnership for Yorkshire and north Derbyshire
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