Becoming an active member of one of CILIP’s committees and groups can be a fantastic opportunity to learn new skills and knowledge. Volunteers and the groups that they support help to enrich the ¬experience of all our members by delivering a rich programme of events and training, create strong networks that explore the many facets of profession. Here Lynsey Hawker explains how she became ¬involved with ¬CILIP’s Health Libraries Group and what she has learned along the way.

My name is Lynsey Hawker and I have worked in health ¬libraries for nearly 20 years now. Over the years I have worked for a trade union library, in an academic library and the NHS. I am currently a librarian at The King’s Fund. The King’s Fund is an independent health charity that focuses on health policy, it works to improve health and care in England.

I joined CILIP early on in my career while working as a ¬library assistant. At the time it was a way to meet like minded professionals, to learn more about the profession and to ¬access training and events to improve my skills and knowledge.

I have been Co-Chair of the Health Libraries Group since 2020 but have been a member of the group for many years. I first became aware of the group through our flagship conferences which take place every two years. These are a brilliant way to learn more about what is happening in the sector, to meet other health librarians and share ideas.

It was also at one of these conferences where I first got experience of presenting to a large audience, nerve wracking but an invaluable experience! I also found the access to free training and events an excellent way to boost my own CPD. So much so that when the opportunity arose, I applied to become CPD lead for the group – planning and facilitating training and events. Having done this for five years I went on to my current position of Co-Chair.

I have met and worked and learned from so many talented and dedicated people over the years and for me this contact with a network of colleagues is the stand out advantage to being a member of a group like HLG.

In my current role as Co-Chair of HLG I work with my colleague Lesley to oversee the work of our committee. We meet quarterly and we chair/facilitate this meeting and help ¬coordinate the various activities the committee is involved in. We are lucky to have a number of dedicated volunteers that enable us to run an active CPD programme, a quarterly newsletter, our own academic journal and of course our ¬biannual conferences.

We have a policy lead to ensure we are in a position to advocate for our sector, and we are also responsible for producing core collection lists in partnership with ¬Wiley and co-own the Health and Library Services Directory with NHS England. All these activities rely on the time and ¬enthusiasm given by volunteers. The time I spend on HLG activities varies depending on what is going on but on average is probably one to two hours a week. This can be fitted in around my day job, but can sometimes require dedicating some spare time too.

The opportunity to meet and learn from a range of people from all over the UK that I might not have met otherwise.

"Working with a range of people outside of your immediate role really makes you feel like you are part of a community..."

Being a volunteer for CILIP HLG has provided me with an opportunity to develop leadership and management skills that are directly relevant to my day job. I work and communicate with people are all levels, chair meetings, help organise events, set budgets and present at conferences all things that have helped me have more confidence in my own role. At the same time attending HLG events helps raise the profile of our organisation and the work we do.

Give it a go! Working with a range of people outside of your immediate role really makes you feel like you are part of a community, it is a great way to develop your own professional skills but also to advocate for and shape the future of our profession.

All CILIP’s Member Networks and Special Interest Groups are free to join for members. They provide a range of sector-focused activities, training and events, as well as a community network for you to join. Groups are open to all CILIP members, no matter what area of the profession you work in and can provide insights into different sectors for anyone considering exploring new career opportunities.

Find out more about CILIP’s Member Networks and Special Interest Groups here.

All volunteering opportunities are advertised on CILIP’s Information Professional Jobs website.