From Activity to Impact: How to Strengthen Your Professional Registration Submission

One of the aspects of working with rare books that I particularly enjoy is that I can pick up what initially looks like an unassuming early printed book only for copy-specific information to be revealed on closer inspection: annotations in different hands; evidence of rebinding; and traces of how the book has been used and valued over time. What seems straightforward can turn out to be layered, complex, and deeply revealing.

Assessing a CILIP Professional Registration portfolio is similar. On the surface, you’re presented with a set of experiences and examples – but what really matters is how those experiences are interpreted, reflected on, and understood.

For many people working towards CILIP Professional Registration, the process can feel overwhelming. As a Professional Registration Support Officer (PRSO), and as an assessor, I’ve seen first-hand how candidates approach their portfolios, what works well, and where people sometimes get stuck.

Whilst there is no single ‘right’ way to assemble your portfolio, there are consistent characteristics of strong submissions – as well as some common pitfalls.

In this post, I want to share a few insights from the assessor side of the process that will hopefully make it feel less daunting, and more achievable.

 

It’s not about the role

Successful submissions come from library and information professionals from across all sectors and from a wide variety of roles. What matters is how you understand your role in a wider professional context, reflect on your work and its impact, and demonstrate professional growth over time.

 

The PKSB is a tool, not a checklist

A good place to start your Professional Registration journey is with the Professional Knowledge and Skills Base (PKSB). Some candidates try to ‘tick off’ as many areas as possible, but a focused, selective approach is far more valuable. Aim to assess yourself against 10-12 PKSB areas and remember that ‘ethics and values’ can be one of them.

Strong candidates tend to:

·         Engage meaningfully with relevant areas

·         Show how their knowledge connects across domains

·         Use the PKSB as a framework for reflection, rather than a checklist

Reflective writing is key to success

A frequent pitfall is focusing too heavily on describing tasks:

·         “I wrote a blog post”

·         “I delivered an information literacy session”

·         “I supported students with enquiries”

 

All of that matters – but description alone isn’t enough. Assessors are looking for evidence of:

·         Why you did something

·         How it made you feel

·         What you learned

·         What you would do differently next time

·         What impact it had (on users, colleagues, services)

 

There are various reflective models that you could follow and it’s worth taking a bit of time to find out about them, try them out, and find what works for you. Examples include STAR (Situation, Task, Action, Result) and the often used What? So what? What now? structure. And the good news is that being able to talk about what you’ve done in this structured, reflective way isn’t just for Professional Registration – it can be a useful way to articulate your skills and development in appraisals and job interviews too.

The most compelling portfolios feel authentic. They show a real person engaging with their practice. A strong submission often includes:

·         Honest reflection on challenges

·         Recognition of areas for development

·         Clear plans for future growth

 

Assessors are not looking for perfection – we’re looking for self-awareness and progression. It’s entirely valid to say:

·         “I found this difficult”

·         “I didn’t get this right the first time”

·         “This is an area I’m still developing”

 

In fact, those reflections often make for some of the strongest sections of a portfolio.

 

To evidence (verb)

Strong portfolios go beyond describing activity and instead demonstrate impact. This doesn’t need to be dramatic or large-scale. Impact can be:

·         Improving a process

·         Supporting a user more effectively

·         Contributing to a team outcome

·         Developing your own confidence or expertise

What matters is making that impact visible.

Rather than thinking of ‘evidence’ as a noun, think of it as something you actively do. Your role may not always offer opportunities to lead projects or influence policy – and that’s absolutely fine. Instead, focus on your contributions.

Ask yourself:

• What difference did my work make?
• How did it support my service?
• How did it contribute to wider organisational aims?

Assessors aren’t just looking for what you did – they’re looking for what changed as a result.

 

Clear signposting

As you build your submission, keep the assessors firmly in mind. They need to understand your professional development quickly and easily.

A well-structured, clearly signposted portfolio makes a significant difference. Consider:

• Structuring your submission around the three assessment criteria
• Using clear headings and consistent labelling
• Including internal links or cross-references between pieces of evidence

Clarity is key. Aim to write concisely and avoid unnecessary detail. A thoughtful structure will help your strongest evidence stand out.

It can also be invaluable to ask a critical friend to review your portfolio. A fresh pair of eyes can quickly identify where your argument isn’t as clear as you think.

Remember: organising information and communicating effectively are core library and information skills. Your portfolio is an opportunity to demonstrate both.

 

Read and understand the assessment criteria

When submissions are unsuccessful, a common reason is limited engagement with the assessment criteria.

The criteria are clearly set out in the guidebooks for each level of Professional Registration, and they should underpin everything you include. Take time to:

·         Read the criteria carefully – and more than once

·         Break them down into manageable components

·         Map your evidence explicitly against them

 

Don’t assume that assessors will infer how your evidence meets the criteria – you need to make those connections visible.

A strong submission shows not only that you have developed professionally, but that you understand how your development aligns with the standards of the profession.

 

Final thoughts

CILIP Professional Registration is not about proving that you’re perfect - it’s about demonstrating that you are:

·         Reflective

·         Developing

·         Translating learning into practice

·         Engaged with the profession

 

If you’re considering starting your journey, or are partway through, my main advice is: reflect honestly, and don’t underestimate the value – and relevance – of your own experience.

 

Get involved

If you’re based in the North East, the CILIP regional network is here to support you – whether you’re just starting to think about Professional Registration or are ready to submit. Joining the committee, or coming along to one of our events, are excellent ways of building skills, knowledge and awareness of the wider profession. 

- Melanie Wood, Professional Registration Support Officer (PRSO)

Building your library and information career: volunteering and placements in the North East

If you’re looking to build your career and gain experience in libraries, information and archives in the North East, the following local organisations offer volunteering, work experience and placement opportunities worth exploring.

Beamish, the Living Museum of the North

• A world-famous open-air museum in County Durham, bringing the North East to life through recreated Georgian, Victorian and Edwardian settings, with its own archive and Regional Resource Centre.
• General volunteering opportunities, as well as college, university and long-term work placements, are available across different areas of the museum.

Culture House Sunderland

• A new cultural venue in Sunderland and home to the City Library, opening in 2026. Culture House combines library services with heritage collections as well as digital and creative spaces. The wider Culture House network also includes a hub at Washington with a local studies centre and local history resources.
• Culture House recruits volunteers across a range of roles like Library Assistant, Archivist and Book Club Facilitator.

Durham University Library and Collections

• Durham University's Library and Collections includes its libraries, museums and archives, such as the Palace Green Library, Bill Bryson Library and Museum of Archaeology.
• A range of volunteering opportunities are offered with the Archives and Special Collections team, who look after significant rare book and manuscript collections.
• Volunteering and work experience placements are also available for post-16 and university students.

North East Museums (formerly Tyne and Wear Archives)

• A network of twelve museums, galleries and archives across the North East, including the Great North Museum: Hancock Library and Archives, and Tyne and Wear Archives at the Discovery Museum.
• The Hancock Library is a specialist library covering natural history, archaeology and local history. Tyne and Wear archives is the regional record office for Tyne and Wear, holding documents from the 12th century to the present day.
• Volunteering across all venues is managed centrally and applications can be made online. The website states that new opportunities are added regularly.

Northumberland Archives

• Northumberland Archives has two sites: the main archive within the Woodhorn Museum in Ashington, and the Berwick Record Office in Berwick-upon-Tweed. The Berwick Office covers North Northumberland and holds borough records, manorial documents, photographs and parish records dating back to the 12th century.
• Both sites welcome volunteers and have a well-established programme involving transcription, cataloguing, indexing and digitisation. Training is provided.

The Kittiwake Trust Multilingual Library

• A unique, volunteer-run community library currently based in Gateshead that hosts regular language classes and houses over 22,000 books in more than 140 languages and dialects.
• People can volunteer to help run the library and support fellow volunteers with learning English.

The Lit & Phil Library

• An independent library located in central Newcastle, offering over 200,000 books, 10,000 LPs/CDs, and regular public talks and workshops.
• People can volunteer for a range of activities, either one-off or regularly. Note that some activities - including the popular bookbinding group - are open to Lit & Phil members only, but others are open to all.

The Story

• The Story is the new home of the Durham County Record Office, bringing together five collections including County Durham Archives, plus local studies, archaeology and the Durham Light Infantry collection.
• The Story runs a volunteering programme covering collections work, visitor welcome and community heritage projects, with both in-person and remote options. While recruitment is currently paused as the volunteer team is at capacity, you can check the website for updates or sign up to their mailing list to be informed of new opportunities.

Opportunities can change frequently, so it’s always worth checking directly with an organisation in case details have changed since this list was compiled. However, this is hopefully a good starting point if you're looking to develop your skills and experience in the sector.

- Amy Austin, Students and New Professionals Rep

Beyond the Horizon 2026 – Programme and Speakers

We’re excited to share with you the confirmed speakers for CILIP North East RMN’s annual conference, Beyond the Horizon 2026. Join us on 18th May, 2026, for an afternoon of excellent talks that showcase the work being done and issues being tackled across the Library, Information and Knowledge professions in the North East and beyond.

A full programme of talks and abstracts is available now. The order of talks is outlined below:

1:00-1:05pm	Welcome
1:05-1:30pm	Back to basics: Developing, implementing, and evaluating stock management training for a public library service. Elena Bill - Resources and Reader Development Support Assistant, Surrey Libraries
1:30-1:55pm	Academic podcasting as a new layer of research support Domi Smithson - Research Librarian, Sheffield Hallam University
1:55-2:20pm	Much Ado About Data: evidencing the impact of libraries Lucy Carlton-Walker - Creative Director, Warwickshire Libraries
2:20-2:30pm	Break
2:30-2:55pm	Library Use and Non-Usage by Staff Working in the Same Building as a Library Martin Hall - Graduating LIS student, Aberystwyth University
2:55-3:20pm	National Year of Reading 2026: The School Library's Role  Vanesa Dimitrova- Assistant Librarian, Epsom College
3:20-3:35pm	Break
3:35-3:40pm	Overview of NECILIP work
3:40-4:05pm	The Carnegie medals for Writing & Illustration for children – how & why you can & should be involved Paula Wride, CILIP Youth Libraries Group - North East Secretary and lead on 'Picture Books in the Pub'
4:05-4:30pm	"Who is challenging children's and young adult literature in UK public libraries and what are the reasons?" Jemima Clair Sims - Library Assistant, University of Lincoln
4:30-4:35pm	Conference Close

You can register for Beyond the Horizon 2026 now. Registration closes on Monday 11^th May 2026, so make sure to book your place now!

This event is free to CILIP individual members.

The registration fee for CILIP Employer Partner staff is £25 + VAT.

The registration fee for non-CILIP members is £35 + VAT.

The conference will take place online via Zoom. It is open to members of the profession, and all who are interested in our profession. We welcome information and knowledge professionals from all sectors.

Please help us with event planning

Each year your local CILIP North-East Regional Member Network committee get together over a cuppa and biscuits and plan the events and talks we will organise for you over the coming year.

As part of our decision-making we review suggestions given by attendees of our events over the last year, and look at current topics of interest across the wide-ranging sectors of library and information services in the north-east.

If you have any great ideas for future visits or topics you'd like to see us cover, please let Suzie know by 31st May 2026 - suzie.williams@sunderland.ac.uk.

Our bursary event recording is now available

If you missed our online event in February on 'How to successfully apply for a CILIP North-East bursary,' fear not, as we recorded the event and the recording is now available for you to watch on our YouTube channel. 

Put the kettle on, make yourself a brew and get pen and paper ready to make notes on how you could be our next successful bursary applicant!

Visit to Northern Poetry Library

Where did we go?

On 27th November 2025, CILIP North East enjoyed a visit to the Northern Poetry Library (NPL), which is housed in Morpeth Library. We were hosted by Sarah (Senior Librarian), Michelle (Librarian), and Sarah-Jayne (Library Supervisor), and by poet Hilary Elder. Lauren Sissons and Suzie Williams have co-wrote this blog post to share highlights from the visit.

About the Northern Poetry Library

The NPL is one of the largest collections of contemporary poetry outside of London. Among its treasures, the collection includes first editions, signed copies, poetry periodicals, and a children’s collection.

What happened?

Part 1 – Talk from the Librarian

Our visit began with a talk about the Library’s history from Michelle who spoke of the challenges – financial, spatial, alluvial, and pestilential – faced by the NPL since its opening nearly sixty years ago. It was formed in 1968 by the North Northumberland Arts Group and Northern Arts, with an aim of collecting a copy of every poetry book published in the United Kingdom from that year onwards. It also collected more ephemeral items often missed by bigger libraries, including magazines, journals, and pamphlets. It was housed in Morpeth Library from 1968 until 2015.

The Northern Poetry Library celebrated its 25th anniversary in 1993, holding a poetry festival that featured Simon Armitage, Carol Ann Duffy, Liz Lochead, and many other poets beside. It has since faced challenging budgets, a damaging flood in 2008, dispersed collections, a temporary home at the Chantry from 2015-2024, and a relocation in 2024 to its current premises in Morpeth Library. What also emerged from Michelle’s talk was the extraordinary resilience and resourcefulness of the Library and its librarians, and the special place that this collection occupies in the community and more broadly.

Whilst it hasn’t been possible to collect a copy of every poetry book published in the country each year – the original aim of the collection’s founders – the Library now holds over 17,000 volumes and counting. During the 2000s, the collection was catalogued and is now searchable online. The Library gratefully accepts donations which help build the collection even in times of financial constraint. To aid the Library’s relaunch after the 2008 flood, the Arts Council provided funding in 2014, and the period from 2015 to 2017 saw several projects including poets in residence, the creation of a new website, and the official launch of the collection’s new home in the Chantry on National Poetry Day in 2016.

Fifty years after its founding, the NPL celebrated this milestone anniversary by hosting the first meeting of the UK Poetry Library Network, and by creating the Poem of the North: a living, co-created poem grown with the help of fifty selected poets. The result is available for everyone to read and enjoy. Activities even continued in the face of the Covid-19 pandemic and lockdowns, when the NPL participated in the Haiflu project, arranged virtual workshops, and held a virtual book launch for NPL poet Jan Clarke. The Library participated in the 2022 Illuminated Sheep project which marked the return of the Lindisfarne Gospels to the North East. On 3rd October 2024, the Northern Poetry Library was officially welcomed to its new and current home in Morpeth Library with a launch event which included a poetry competition. The winning poems and entries were published in an eBook, which is available to borrow from Northumberland Libraries’ digital lending system, Borrowbox.

Part 2 – Talk and reading from poet and library user

After learning about the history of the Library, we were given a poet’s perspective from Hilary Elder, a practising poet who uses the NPL regularly. In her reading of three poems written especially for our visit, she guided us through the library, from the experience of looking at shelves as a reader sat before the stacks; to the thoughts of books awaiting readers on the shelves, at once reluctant and eager for visitors to enjoy their words; to a new visitor eager for adventure among the volumes.

Hearing Hilary’s experience, it became clear what a special resource the Library is: describing it as a ‘rare gift’, she reminded us how poetry helps people to connect with each other, and to come to grips with the world and with each other. Poetry has long been a way for people to form a community, to understand their past and their environment, and to explore and express emotions. And not only that, referencing a study by the National Literacy Trust on children’s engagement with poetry, Hilary emphasised the benefits of poetry for children in particular – and especially those eligible for free school meals.

This, of course, makes collections like the Northern Poetry Library a fantastic resource with great potential. And yet, Hilary reminded us, barriers do exist. There are difficulties in searching for books on the shelves and in the catalogue, particularly for casual browsers, unless the poet is well known. Titles might be misleading, or unrevealing, and so opportunities for readers to find what they need might be missed. All of this might lead to a sense of overwhelm. Hilary ended her talk by posing the question - what can be done to open up the collections, and to make it more accessible for readers to embark on their own reading adventures?

Part 3 – Discussion about challenges faced by the library, accessibility of collection/promoting it/encountering it

A Library’s layout, its catalogue, and the books themselves can all present accessibility problems and make it difficult to promote the collection and the space. In our discussion, we spoke about the use of social media and themed collections that coordinate throughout the whole library space, instead of only the floor that houses the NPL, to draw the interest of visitors who might not normally visit that particular area. But, as often is the case, the most effective ways might also be the most simple, and the most effective, in engaging users. 

A particularly popular idea discussed during our visit was to use colourful card to create speech bubbles to put on shelves next to the books, that describe the content of a particular volume, or thoughts from a visitor or member of staff who has read and enjoyed it (a bit like you often see in commercial book shops). Card bubbles and pens could be left out in the library for visitors and readers to add their own contributions to. Including a QR code and short url on the speech bubble could help other library users to follow up on these recommendations. Visitors could be encouraged to add to this collection of speech bubble to share their own experiences of using the poetry collection.

Concluding thoughts

We thoroughly enjoyed our visit to the Northern Poetry Library, learning about its history, resilience, and relevance, and hearing the perspective of a Library user who draws on the NPL in their own practice. The Library is open to all, and we would heartily recommend that you embark on your own adventure through those ‘shelves and shelves of sleeping words’. 

Join ALN's Research Support Group!

 

Photo by UX Indonesia on Unsplash

The Academic Libraries North (ALN) Research Support Group is a regional network for library staff working in research support to share ideas, learn from colleagues and build connections. It's a welcoming community made up of members from different backgrounds and levels of experience. The group is currently chaired by Delphine Doucet (University of Sunderland) and Megan Kilvington (York St John University).

One of the group's key activities is hosting regular virtual coffee mornings where members share best practice, discuss readings and learn more about each other's roles. These sessions are a great way to learn more about other areas of open research and what other institutions are doing.

The group also runs a peer support community, coordinated by Leah Maughan (Northumbria University), where members can request constructive feedback on training sessions and materials. I received some useful feedback from Delphine who kindly reviewed a guide I had written about data management. It was great to get a second pair of eyes on it and she provided helpful suggestions about how to improve the structure and add interactive elements.

The group’s next session will focus on green open access. It will take place on Wednesday 10^th December, 11:00-12:15 via Microsoft Teams. Click here to book your place!

If you’re working in a research-supporting role at a northern academic library, or would like to learn more about this area of librarianship, I highly recommend joining the group. For more information, please visit the ALNResearch Support Group.