Honorary Fellowship

Honorary Fellowship has been awarded by CILIP and its predecessor the Library Association since 1896, to those who have made an outstanding contribution to the library, knowledge and information world.

Recipients of the title join a roll call of important figures including: three-time former Prime Minister Rt. Hon Stanley Baldwin MP; Scottish philanthropist and library founder Andrew Carnegie; poet, novelist and librarian Philip Larkin; novelist Dame Catherine Cookson; and children’s illustrator and author Shirley Hughes.

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Nominations

Honorary Fellowship is the highest recognition that CILIP can offer as a professional body. It acknowledges people who have made a lasting difference to the wider world either through their work as a librarian, knowledge or information professional or more broadly through their support for our professional community and purpose.

Honorary Fellowship can sometimes be awarded to members of the profession as a reflection of the respect and regard of their colleagues for a particularly important contribution over a long period of time. It is also the means by which CILIP can recognise those people who are not in the information profession but who have contributed to its profile, development, and impact.

Honorary Fellows do not have to be CILIP members but must have some kind of relationship or link to the profession.

Please note, being awarded Honorary Fellowship has no impact on an individual's existing membership category or fees, or ability to vote at general meetings. There are no financial or other rewards.

Further information for the criteria of Honorary Fellowships can be found below, with the nomination form and a guidance note at the end of the page, as well as the list of previous recipients.

Award criteria

Nominations for Honorary Fellows have to demonstrate at least one of the following:

• That the nominee has had a significant positive impact on people and society, either through their work in or support for the information profession
• That their work has served to raise the profile and status of the information profession in some way
• That their work has had a significant and positive impact in advancing the information profession

Nominees could include:

• A person with a long history of outstanding leadership in the profession who has recognition in society and has raised the profile of information professionals
• A person who has campaigned alongside or supported campaigns in line with CILIP's charitable purpose to improve society through better professional practice or services
• A person who has made an outstanding positive contribution to society because of their role as an information professional
• A person who is an 'unsung hero' who has perhaps supported others in ways that have 'gone the extra mile'
  
  

Call for 2026 nominations

We are calling for nominations for this year’s awards by close of play 29 August, to be presented at the CILIP 2025 AGM in October.

Please find below the nomination form and this years’ guidance information. Should you have any questions regarding Honorary Fellowships please contact Denise Hawkes.

Download Nominations form

Download Guidance note for Honorary Fellowships