CILIP Conference 2024 - Event Review

CILIP NE Committee are delighted to share the following event review from Amy Austin (Northumbria University) who was the recipient of the CILIP North East Conference Bursary.

CILIP Conference 2024

 The annual CILIP Conference is aimed at anyone working in the library and information sector who is passionate about leadership, innovation and driving the profession forward to reach its full potential. My participation wouldn’t have been possible without receiving a generous bursary from CILIP North East, to whom I’m incredibly grateful. I really enjoyed the opportunity to step beyond my role as a Reading List Library Assistant at Northumbria University and engage in the big conversations happening in my profession.

Day One:

The 2024 CILIP Conference kicked off with a powerful keynote address by Daniel Gorman, Director of English PEN, part of an international writer’s association advocating for human rights. Gorman underscored the importance of freedom of expression, a cornerstone of the PEN Charter, but also emphasised the need to exercise this freedom responsibly in order to safeguard the rights of all. Against the backdrop of ongoing conflict in the world, Gorman drew a powerful link between books, libraries, and the defence of human rights, highlighting the ability of information professionals to take single actions that collectively create significant impact. One such example was the collaborative effort of librarians in London, facilitated by BookAid, to send books to war-torn Ukrainian libraries. This was a sombre but powerful reminder that, over 100 years on from the inauguration of PEN, libraries remain a vital tool to safeguard intellectual freedoms across the world.

 Next up was an informative session on AI and its potential impact on the digital humanities. This session showcased the ability AI has to open up collections by uniting data from disparate sources (such as research outputs, transcriptions and images), and to engage more users through the development of interactive AI tools that enliven historical collections. I found this session truly eye-opening, as it showed just how transformative AI can be for our sector if harnessed correctly, but also explored the ramifications of this powerful tool and the need for its considered application.

   The next session discussed the sustainability of transformative agreements, involving perspectives from academic publishing and a HE library. This ‘both sides of the coin’ approach provided a comprehensive insight into the purpose, value and consequences of transformative agreements, as well as potential alternatives for the future. Later, a session on cybersecurity jointly delivered by Experian and The British Library explored the threat of ransomware, which has evolved from a singular crime to an established business model with its own supply chain and increasingly sophisticated tactics. I found these sessions incredibly eye-opening, as it highlighted the value our sector holds to attackers and how academic publishing could change in the future.

   A lunchtime keynote on the alarming trend of truth decay in Europe reinforced the responsibility we have as library and information professionals to be proactive in turning the tide against mis- and disinformation in public discourse. Finally, in an interactive workshop aimed at developing futures literacy, we worked in groups to complete practical exercises which showed how any library or information service could prepare for a range of future scenarios (good or bad).

   Packed with big conversations that sought to restate the purpose and priorities of our profession, the first of the conference fostered a sense of collective purpose, reminding us that by embracing innovation and collaboration, we can drive our profession forward in a rapidly evolving world.

   Finally, I couldn’t finish up Day One without mentioning the Presidential Dinner, which was a fantastic night all round. I had a truly memorable time discussing the day’s events with fellow delegates from across the sector, as well as dancing to an amazing funk-soul band!

Day Two: Reimagining libraries - and the library leader - for a changing world

   The second day of the conference was all about change and innovation, and, fittingly, opened with the announcement of a new CILIP policy on Intellectual Freedom by CILIP CEO Louis Coiffait-Gunn. The sessions and keynotes that followed encouraged us to reimagine the library and information sector for the future, and advocate for its place at the centre of our organisations, our users’ experiences, and our society at large.

   My biggest takeaway from the morning was that ours is an inherently trusted profession. This trust gives us a powerful social capital that can be leveraged to situate libraries at the forefront of positive change in their community. With a new government incoming, there was a renewed sense of change and optimism for our profession, if only we would harness the opportunity before us.

   Accordingly, the opening keynote by Janet Peden explored the physical and cultural transformation Ulster University Library has recently undergone. The new library building is oriented around collaborative, active learning and the library service has visibly realigned itself with the institution’s wider strategy, restating its position as an active partner to the University in achieving its teaching, learning and research objectives.

   Next, ‘The Entrepreneurial Leader’ was a refreshing session that explored how library and information services may benefit from emulating the world of business. Using the example of LEGO’s transformation from the brink of bankruptcy in the 1990s to a hugely profitable business today, libraries can succeed by retaining an understanding of our core offering (our LEGO ‘brick’) and by building our services and collections around it. I was impressed by the enterprising spirit of the speakers, who are driving engagement with services, spaces and collections through innovative practices, like offering free tickets to households in postcodes that currently produce no visitors, taking the big-picture view that this initial contact may convert underrepresented communities into committed users, a far more valuable asset in the long-term than the price of a single admission.

   After an interesting workshop on CILIP’s Professional Registration pathway, the conference culminated in a panel discussion on Inclusive Collections, exploring the role of librarians in decolonising the collection. In a full circle moment, the panel echoed Daniel Gorman’s point about the singular actions librarians can take to make a positive change. “Decolonising is about adding to collections, not taking away from them” struck a chord with me, as it showed me that by including more voices and resources in our collections, we can remedy stereotypes and provide a truer picture of all cultures across the world, while improving our collection and ensuring it meets the needs of our community.

   Once again, I am incredibly grateful to CILIP North East for the opportunity to participate in this year’s CILIP Conference. I’ve had such a fantastic experience connecting with others and hearing diverse views on the biggest innovations and challenges impacting the sector. I’ve come away from this year’s conference feeling inspired and energised about my profession, my own development and the possibilities that are open to us when we connect with one another. I highly recommend it to anyone who has the opportunity to attend.

Amy Austin
Reading List Library Assistant, Content Delivery and Copyright
July 2024