A supplement to Update from the CILIP NW Member Network Registered Charity no. 313014
North West News, No. 47, April 2014
nw news In this issue of nw news Welcome to the CILIP NW Member Network Members’ Day 2014 Introducing your new NW CILIP professional registration support team Me and My Job with Alex Glover
Welcome to the CILIP NW Member Network A word from the Chair, Julie Griffiths Welcome to the first newsletter for the North West Member Network. We officially launched and held our inaugural committee meeting on March 5th, and plans are already in place to offer a wide range of events, training and support for members over the coming year. As Chair of the network I am excited about the future of CILIP in the region and am eager to work with colleagues formerly of CDG, PTEG and the NW branch who all now form this new committee. I currently work in the public library sector as Operational Manager for Halton Borough Council responsible for managing the library buildings and staff, and developing the service through strategic planning and project implementation. I have been a member of CILIP since I was a student and am a Chartered Librarian and mentor. Last year I was seconded to work for CILIP on the Future Skills Project; specifically the delivery of Professional Registration. My colleague and I were responsible for developing
the new assessment criteria, creating the new handbooks, producing content for the VLE and delivering training. I have an exceptional understanding of the new procedures and am confident that this knowledge will be beneficial for the network and its members. The network committee also has a Mentor Support Officer and Candidate Support Officer so is well placed to answer any queries on Professional Registration; as well as providing comprehensive training opportunities for mentors and candidates at all levels. I want to ensure that the network supports and represents members working in all information roles across the region, making professionals from all sectors feel valued and engaged with the new group. I want us to be responsive to members and create a community of colleagues across the region through creative events and networking activities. You can contact the group through the CILIP website or follow us on twitter @CILIPNW We look forward to hearing from you. Julie Griffiths – Chair Twitter @nwjg
Members’ Day 2014 Two reports from the event On Wednesday March 5th, CILIP North West Branch and CDG North West held a joint event at the soon to be re-opened Manchester Central Library. It was appropriate, then, that the focus of the day was very much on new beginnings and the future. Two attendees have kindly agreed to write reports about the day for this issue of the newsletter. If you couldn’t make it to the event, this is for you!
Members’ Day 2014 Part One A report by Jenny Robertson, Learning Resource Centre Supervisor at Macclesfield College of Further Education. On Wednesday 5th March 2014, the North West branch and Career Development Group held their first combined AGM at Manchester Town Hall. The day started with a buzz, as it soon became evident that strange things were afoot at the Town Hall. Location scouts had chosen our gothic venue as a ‘Victorian shopping arcade’ for the film Frankenstein (due for release in 2015) and many crinoline ladies were to be seen wafting up and down the corridors. Daniel Radcliffe (Harry Potter) was on set, and (calm yourselves) we could see the top of his head from the windows overlooking the quadrangle. While we were frequently shepherded away from the windows by crew keen to keep us out of ‘wide shots’, I can confirm that no librarians were harmed in the making of this movie. The CILIP event was well attended, and those I spoke to included school, FE and University librarians, information professionals from the NHS as well as the commercial and public sectors. We were also visited by the CILIP President Barbara Band, who spoke on her role, her background as a school librarian, and the challenges facing CILIP members. Yet another consultation into public libraries and further regional government cuts threaten what remains of the public library service. School libraries are not a statutory requirement and are an easy target for cuts. Barbara also spoke of the need for good governance in a charitable organisation such as CILIP. Branch members will already be aware that branches and special
interest groups have been pared down and merged where appropriate to make management and financing easier. This year, it is the top of the organisation that is under review. Barbara then went on to discuss the current CILIP Governance review. With the aid of organisation charts she demonstrated the current complicated set up with Council, Panels, Task groups and Boards all linked to different areas of governance, and the proposed new set up with a more streamlined approach (See diagrams for the current and proposed governance structures). We were reminded that the constitution does allow members to be appointed to council from outside the information industry if the key skills are not present from within. Any members who left the cut and thrust of chartered accountancy for a second career in librarianship, who want to make a contribution to the organisation, might
consider a role within the national committee and should make their skills known before the committee resort to an incomer!
support for the process including links to suggested mentors for advice during your registration.
Members should be aware that this is the year of consultation. All committees will send their updates to council and final proposals on organisational changes will be approved at the September 2014 AGM. The aim would then be to make elections to the board in October and implement the new organisation in January 2015. Read the FAQ on the CILIP website and make your vote count!
Since the event I have registered on the VLE (if you haven’t yet done this, a VLE button appears on the CILIP site when you are logged in). I have had a look at the support available and I am definitely going to revalidate!
Linda Ferguson, (Mentor Support Officer) then walked us through the changes to professional registration, mentoring and revalidation. She highlighted the Professional Knowledge Skills Base (PKSB) that replaces the Body of Professional Knowledge, and is on the CILIP VLE. The PKSB can be used to carry out analysis of your skills and your role to inform your continuing professional development. Linda suggested that it could also be useful to your organisation for self-assessment and appraisal of information professional staff. The group had questions about revalidation, and Linda outlined the key points:
- No mentor was required for revalidation - No cost to revalidate - A minimum of 20 hours CPD (continuing professional development, which can be informal, internal or outside training) carried out over the previous 12 months - A log of these CPD activities along with a 250 word reflective statement would be required - CILIP recommends revalidation every 12 months and is considering making this obligatory. If condensing your year into 250 words seems daunting, some members might want to consider fellowship (if you have had a busy year!) rather than revalidation as the submission is only 1000 words. The evidence should demonstrate your impact on the organisation and the wider profession and there is an enrolment fee (currently £65). The VLE provides
That is when I have time, and have finished this article for the newsletter. Luckily I was not the only newsletter volunteer on the day, so the responsibility for detailing the new NW Members Network, the AGM and the outgoing and incoming committee members, along with the very fine tour of Manchester Central Reference Library passes to Joanne.
Jenny Robertson is a Librarian specialising in corporate and public sector information. Based in Manchester, Jenny is currently the Learning Resource Centre Supervisor at Macclesfield College of Further Education. A Chartered member of CILIP, she tweets @jennysgarden and blogs sporadically at http://iwwita-interestingquestion.blogspot.com/
School Library Camp North West June 14th 2014—9:30am until 4:30pm School Library Camp is a user generated unconference for people interested in school library services. At a library camp the participants lead the agenda – in fact, there isn’t an agenda until people make suggestions for what they’d like to talk about at the start of the day. It’s free to attend and there are no keynote speakers. It’s open to anyone with an interest in developing school library services whether you work, volunteer, teach, use, or are a parent/ guardian of a user or not. The event will take place at Manchester Metropolitan Business School and, for registration and more info, please click here. If you have any questions, you can email Darren on dflynn@dixonsaa.com.
Members’ Day 2014 Part Two A report by Joanne Whitcombe. Assistant Clinical Librarian at Pennine Acute Hospitals NHS Trust
The AGM The 2013 AGM marked the final meeting of CILIP NW and looked forward to new challenges and opportunities that the merger with CILIP CDG NW would bring. Outgoing chair David Stewart thanked the NW Branch team and members who had supported and guided him in his time as chair and he wished the incoming chair, Julie Griffiths, well as she led the new CILIP North West Members Network forward. David reflected on his time as chair and the positive work of the committee of both the NW branch and CDG as they worked together to merge the groups. He also took the opportunity to answer Barbara Band’s earlier query about the geographical remit of the NW group, explaining the huge area covered by the network (FYI: Cheshire, Cumbria, Lancashire & the Isle of Man) and suggested in the spirit of inclusion that the next AGM should be in Douglas! The statement from the treasurer, Michelle Peel, showed that the group was in fine financial fettle and, with the addition of CDG funds, the NWMN was looking forward to developing a calendar of exciting events across the region. The newly-elected chair, Julie Griffiths, then stepped up to introduce herself and the members of the committee who were present and urged NWMN members to put forward ideas for CPD course and visits for the committee to consider. Finally, Fiona Hughes popped up to give David a gift and thanked him for all his efforts during his time in office, after which, David closed the final meeting of CILIP NW Branch. (Note—the various reports presented at the AGM will be made available on the CILIP NW Member Network website soon)
(L-R Julie Griffiths, Chair—David Stewart, outgoing Chair—Barbara Band, CILIP President—Tom Featherstone, past Chair of CILIP NW Branch)
Visit to Manchester Central Library After 4 years, £48 million and more cups of builder’s tea than you can ever hope to count, Manchester Central Library is almost ready to open its doors once again. Although open for public pressure testing during our visit, the library was very much still a work in progress – apparently staff had only abandoned their hard hats and hi-vis jackets the day before! We started our tour in the town hall extension at City Library, which holds the library lending stock. The library has been designed to promote self-service for as many library resources as possible, but engagement staff will be available throughout city library to help with enquiries and provide front of house support. Even the wifi is accessed via a library card login so users can really take control of their library experience. Like the recently reopened Liverpool library, Manchester Central Library celebrates local heritage. The theme for the children’s library is “The Secret Garden” – a nod to local-born author Frances Hodgson Burnett. Although there is no real garden in the library, another Manchester motif can be found in the bee hives on the library roof.
“We’re not expecting it to be a “ssssh!” kind of library” The refurbishment of the 1934 building brought a few surprises, including the beautiful staircase leading to the new media lounge which had been hidden for decades. Staff estimated that prior to this restoration project, only 30% of the library was accessible to the public; now that figure has been flipped and approximately 70%
of the library has been opened up or public access. A quick jaunt through the archives strong room with its typical aroma of old books, led us into the original library building. Community consultation and partnerships with local groups and education bodies have been key to the redevelopment of the library. Stock from Greater Manchester County Records Office and the Greater Manchester Archives has been brought together with materials from the University of Manchester, Manchester Local & Family History Society, the North West Film Archive and the British Film Institute to create a one-stop shop in Archives+.
“We anticipate that people will find their own favourite spot when they visit” I remember it being a rather tired grand dame of a building. The Wolfson reading room and Archives+ were the stand out places for me, demonstrating that new and old really can sit comfortably side-by-side. I left with the impression of a light, open, and airy and above all, an engaging and exciting building. Hopefully, fellow Mancunians will feel the same and it truly will become “the living room of the city”. Thanks go to the staff of Manchester Central Library for taking the time to take the groups around the building and providing such an informative tour. Want to see the refurbishment work in progress? Click here to view a gallery of images (via MEN).
As well as providing access to the historical materials held here, Archives+ has been designed to be an interactive and engaging multimedia space with film pods, listening posts, exhibition spaces and a LED curtain to display messages and publicise events. The library reopening on 22nd March coincides with Manchester History Festival (running 21st30th March) and a calendar of events has been planned to publicise the library and its resources. Whilst much of the work has focused on bringing 21st century technology to the building, work on the Wolfson reading room has concentrated on sensitively restoring it to its original glory. Glass lifts give users access across four floors of Central Library which hold a mixture of reference and lending stock ranging from the Henry Watson music library (complete with silent instruments and iMacs loaded with music composition software) to the latest business & information holdings, with reading areas, computers and study hubs dotted throughout. As RFID tags only activate on approach to the building exit, users are free to move between these floors with their chosen resources.
Jo Whitcombe is Assistant Clinical Librarian at Pennine Acute Hospitals NHS Trust, specialising in literature searching, teaching and clinical liaison. Jo is New Professionals Support Officer for CILIP NMWN and can be found on Twitter as @jowhit.
PMLG visit to Manchester Central Library 27th May 2014—2pm onwards If you couldn’t attend Members’ Day and are desperate to go and have a look at the newly refurbished Central Library, PMLG (Public and Mobile Libraries Group) are organising a free visit there at the end of May. Join Head of Library and Information Services at Manchester City Council, Neil MacInnes, and Central Library staff, for an insight into Manchester Central Library's Archives+ interactive exhibition, the refurbished historic reading room and Henry Watson Music Library, to name just a few highlights. This is a treat not to be missed. For more information or to book your place on the tour, contact Jacquie Widdowson at Jacqueline.widdowson@sthelens.org.uk.
Meet Your New NW CILIP Professional Registration Support Team Who you can go to for support when going through the professional registration process With the launch of the CILIP NW Member Network and the introduction of CILIP professional registration you as members now have two very experienced individuals to support you in your journey through the profession. The Candidate Support Officer (CSO) was previously a key role in CILIP’s NW Career Development Group; while the Mentor Support Officer (MSO) was part of PTEG. These two groups have been closed down and professional registration support is now an integrated part of the NW Member Network training and development offer. So who is who and what is what?
Emily Hopkins BA (Hons) MA, MCLIP Candidate Support Officer
which set out the regulations, ensure candidates understand what’s being asked of them and are developing the skills they need to compile their portfolio – including reflective writing, presenting evidence well and – under the new regulations – understand how to use the VLE. The events are also a great opportunity to bring candidates together to offer peer support and encouragement and share ideas. I also offer individual support to candidates when needed and where appropriate, such as helping interpret CILIP’s requirements for their own individual circumstances, or reviewing pieces of evidence or evaluative statements, in conjunction with their mentors. I also provide support to candidates who’ve had their portfolios rejected, helping them understand the assessors’ feedback and develop a plan for resubmitting their portfolio, as well as providing a sympathetic ear! In these cases, I’m often an additional support mechanism to candidates’ individual mentors, and often act as slightly more of an intermediary between the candidate and their mentor, and CILIP. I therefore work in conjunction with Linda, and becoming part of the Regional Member Network will give us more opportunities to work more closely, as well as integrate more with wider professional activities in the region which will benefit candidates and mentors alike.
The day job I am the Knowledge Service Manager at Pennine Care NHS Foundation Trust, where I’m leading the development of a relatively new service and a small (but mighty – as we keep telling ourselves!) team, tasked with improving access to information, and facilitating knowledge sharing between staff across the Trust, working as part of the Organisational Development department. I also mentor candidates for Certification and Chartership, and revalidated my MCLIP earlier this year.
I’m a Candidate Support Officer in the North West, now as part of the Regional Member Network but I previously undertook this role as part of the North West division of the Career Development Group. It’s my job to ensure candidates undertaking Certification, Chartership, Fellowship and Revalidation have support in the form of Portfolio building events –
Linda Ferguson BA (Hons.), MA, FCLIP Mentor Support Officer
I work very closely with Emily Hopkins who is the Candidate Support Officer (CSO). We co-deliver events as we understand the issues both mentors and candidates face but I always defer to Emily on evaluative statements and portfolio building!
The day job For my day job I’m Deputy Director of Health Libraries NW and work at the NW Health Care Libraries Unit in Wigan. I lead on the quality of NHS library and knowledge services (LKS) and also act as the professional lead on LKS people management and development and workforce issues. See here for further information. I am a mentor for Chartership and Fellowship and I’m preparing to revalidate my Fellowship which I hope to submit very soon.
The plug
I’m the new CILIP NW Mentor Support Officer (MSO). I started this role with PTEG in 2005 when the last changes were made to the regulations. It’s my job to ensure that anyone who wants to mentor someone to help them gain Certification, Chartership or Fellowship has the right knowledge and skills. I do this by delivering training on mentoring skills and the CILIP registration regulations. All mentors need to have training before they can take on a mentee. This ensures that the right messages about what the regulations mean are being heard by both the mentor and the mentee. I deliver a one mentor training session once a year usually in the autumn but if there is a high demand I can and will deliver more. Mentors also need support when they are working with candidates. This can be advice on interpreting the regulations, what to do if the mentoring relationship isn’t working through to reassurance that they are doing the right thing. Often it is simply a case of reminding the mentor that the submission is the responsibility of the candidate and if they prefer to not take the advice offered then that is their choice. I offer support by email and telephone and by running face-to-face Mentor Exchange of Experience events where mentors can discuss topics of interest and ask questions. Perhaps not surprisingly most mentors have concerns about the same thing – how to keep candidates motivated to complete their portfolios and how do you resist the urge to tell them exactly what they need to do or even do it for them!
Emily and I will be running two Mentor Exchange of Experience events on Tuesday 29 April 2014 (10.00 – 12.30) and Wednesday 30 April 2014 (1.30 – 4.00) at Wigan. Please go to http:// www.cilip.org.uk/about/branches/north-westmember-network for further information.
Candidates We are also planning events to introduce you to professional registration, and help you build your portfolio. Or, if you already have your ACLIP, MCLIP or FCLIP, we are also planning events for those wishing to revalidate. More information will follow in this newsletter and on the website.
Me and My Job Alex Glover from the Portico Library in Manchester tells us about her job As of November last year, I have been working at the Portico Library & Gallery as a retrospective cataloguer. The project has currently been running since 2011, and in that time approximately 14,000 volumes have been catalogued on our new LMS and made accessible on our OPAC. I work in a team of two, and between us, we catalogue around 300 volumes a week. My role chiefly focuses on retrospective conversion of the Library’s older printed catalogues and card index; original cataloguing from physical book handling; assigning appropriate LCSH to each record; and recording and identifying books in need of repair for forthcoming conservation projects. Alongside this, I also help out with general queries from library members and external researchers. The Library’s shelves stand at around 17ft, so selecting books, re-shelving, adjusting shelf space and tidying often takes place up a ladder. I am also involved with some collection development activities (e.g. weeding, determining appropriateness of new accessions for the collection, and reassigning volumes to different subjects). As a result of finding interesting or rare books in
the collections, I am able play a part in promoting the library’s collection wherever possible. Using social media, creating displays, and targeted marketing to members and local organizations are all activities to assist with raising the profile of the library as a centre for 19th century collection, with a particular focus on local history and voyages and travel. At present, I’m currently working my way through the Biography section of the collection, which has around 2,000 volumes. There are 23 subject areas in the library, of which 13 have been completed, including Voyages and Travels, Political Economy, and Polite Literature. Still to be catalogued include the contents of the library’s reading room and the archived collection of state papers. Input is also encouraged towards ongoing projects such as curating library exhibitions in our gallery space, saving interesting ephemera found in books and keeping digital records on marginalia found in the collection. Alex Glover is a Retrospective Cataloguer at the Portico Library and Gallery in Manchester city centre where she is working her way through the 19th century collection, after recently finishing her MA in Library and Information Management. You can email catalogue1@theportico.org.uk, or tweet her @alexmaudglover
A word from the Editor Thank you for reading the first issue of NW News with me as editor, I hope you have enjoyed it! I’d like to take this opportunity to thank my predecessor Jenny Norton, who did an excellent job of editing the newsletter for the last few issues. Hopefully I can meet the high standards that she has set. If you have anything that you’d like to submit for the next issue, please do get in touch. Writing about your experiences, projects you’re involved with or just your day-to-day job is really useful for our members to read. You can find my contact details below if you want to talk to me about any ideas you might have. Writing things for the newsletter is an excellent way of boosting your Chartership portfolio too, so get your thinking caps on! Copy dates for next issue of NW News Editorial Copy Deadline: 1st July 2014 Cover date: July 2014 Contact the editor: Stephen Carlton Email: stephen.b.carlton@gmail.com Twitter: @starshello
Find the CILIP North West Member Network on Twitter @CILIPNW