Tom Forrest   

Biography:  Tom Forrest has been a freelance library consultant since 2003. He was Director of the Leading Modern Public Libraries programme (2004-2007), designing and delivering the programme for over 600 staff in all the public library services in England. He was Director of the British Council's global development programme Transforming Knowledge and Information Services (2005) and was lead consultant to the British Council on their strategic review of library services in India and Sri Lanka (2004-2006). In the last four years, he has worked in over 20 cities outside the UK with library and information staff from over 45 countries. Tom is currently involved in planning a development programme for public library directors in Bulgaria and a UK wide programme for the Royal National Institute of the Blind, aimed at improving library services for blind and partially sighted children and young people. He continues to provide independent consultancy and staff development programmes designed to meet the needs of individual services and regional groups. Previous jobs have included County Librarian of Oxfordshire (1989 - 1997), Director of Cultural Services for Oxfordshire (1997 - 2000), Director of Opening the Book (2000 - 2003).

Abstract: Debate – Deprofessionalisation and skills for 21 st Century Librarian

This house believes that holding on to the requirements for library qualifications and chartership stands in the way of public libraries making the transformational change needed for a modern service.